Horticulture: October 2015

Researching suitable garden plants

When choosing plants for a chosen garden or landscape we have to keep certain things in mind such as plants purpose and the time of year.

Some plants and what they're suitable for:

Lavender

Lavender is the ultimate multi-purpose plant: a horticultural Swiss army knife of a shrub, combining flavour and fragrance, elegant looks and drought-beating characteristics – a top-10 favourite in gardens all over the country. Falling for that old gardening cliché – the lavender-lined path smelling sweetly as you brush past

GARDENIAS

Gardenias are famed to be the sweet smelling flowering plants because of their aromatic fragrance. These can be best placed in a garden of flowers or put in your patio landscapes. They can tolerate sunlight exposure but it has to be shaded one in a while.

Daffodils

A bulbous European plant which typically bears bright yellow flowers with a long trumpet-shaped centre. A genus of predominantly spring perennial plants. Sprouting from an onionlike bulb, most daffodils feature a sturdy stem that supports a flower or flowers composed of the cup or corolla, surrounded by six petals or perianth segments. Daffodils bloom in early, mid or late spring, but each plant flowers only once a year.

Pumpkin

Pumpkins are more used for Halloween decoration than for eating, and winter squashes are hardly known at all for this purpose. But they are an interesting and tasty addition to the standard range of vegetables and offer many uses in cookery. Winter squashes, and pumpkins are quite easy to grow and need no great expertise for success.

Geranium

Geraniums have been a gardener's favourite for well over a century. The old-fashioned standard for beds, borders, and containers, geranium is still one of the most popular plants today. Traditional bedding types love hot weather and hold up well to dry conditions; many offer colourful foliage.

Though most geraniums are grown as annuals. Bring them indoors to overwinter, if you like, then replant outdoors in spring. Or they can bloom indoors all year long if they get enough light.

Composting

What is Composting?

Composting is nature's process of recycling decomposed organic materials into a rich soil known as compost. Anything that was once living will decompose. Basically, backyard composting is an acceleration of the same process nature uses.

How does Composting work ?

Composting works by mixing yard and household organic waste in a pile or bin and providing conditions that encourage decomposition. The decomposition process is fueled by millions of microscopic organisms (bacteria, fungi) that take up residence inside your compost pile, continuously devouring and recycling it to produce a rich organic fertilizer and valuable soil called compost.

What are the benefits of Composting ?

Compost helps sandy soil retain water and nutrients. As well as this it loosens tightly bound particles in clay or silt soil so roots can spread, water can drain and air can penetrate. Compost alters soil structure, making it less likely to erode, preventing soil spattering on plants (spreading diseases).

What are the challenges associated with Composting?

Creating compost that contains the right mix of minerals, moisture, particle size and temperature. Too little moisture will slow down decomposition, but too much can create odour problems.

What are some emerging trends in Composting ?

Soil Management And Health
Use of compost in landscaping and agricultural applications is the backbone of the compost marketplace. The product is popular in commercial (or professional) applications, as well as in retail (or homeowner) applications.

Environmental Applications And Infrastructure
Some of the most popular and high valued soil mixes containing compost are those created for storm water management, including roof top garden, rain garden, bioretention pond (etc.) .

Climate Change And Water Conservation
The effects of climate change are greatly impacting the world around us, with temperature and precipitation patterns changing. The most pronounced things have been the effects of violent weather anomalies (e.g., hurricanes, tornadoes). However, what is just as concerning are the droughts and floods affecting our ability to produce food and live normal lives. We know that soil improvement (using a stable source of organic matter) can help lessen some of the impacts. A movement to conserve and apply organic matter to the soil can both reduce irrigation requirements and improve storm water penetration, helping to reduce the impact of both drought and flood.

Specification
Through the work of many individuals in the composting industry, use of compost is being specified in large and important construction projects. These endeavors must be nurtured and expanded to ensure that compost markets continue to grow.

What can go into a Compost bin?