Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Reviewing Wellbeing Benefits Of Nature Reserves
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Reviewing the Beautiful and Cheerful Daffodil.
Daffodils are abundant in my garden right now and I love to see their beautiful vibrant colours and gently swaying trumpet shaped heads bringing sunshine to a cold day.
Daffodils are native in Europe and North Africa and although the name Daffodil is most commonly used, the botanical name is Narcissus and they are part of the Amaryllidaceae family.
Regarding the name there is also a link with the Greek myth of Narcissus. The story goes that he was renowned to be very beautiful and he fell in love with his own reflection, so much so that he pined away until he died and turned into the flower narcissi or daffodil.
Daffodils In The Garden
Even though it has been very cold here ever since they flowered, their appearance symbolising rebirth and new beginnings gives me hope and joy. Although it has not been a particularly harsh winter this year, it has been very cold, damp, grey and very rainy so it is lovely to see some colour and brightness in the garden which certainly lifts the spirits for warmer weather and Spring.
Most of mine are golden yellow colours but some are white and some are fragrant which is lovely. There are also orange flowers and combinations of yellow and white or orange and yellow.
Daffodils are very versatile in planting schemes for the garden. I like to plant little Tete a Tete daffodil in pots and troughs where their delicate looking blooms can be easily seen. The bigger daffodils are planted in the borders of the garden. Daffodils can also be naturalised in grass.
As we have a lot of daffodils, some can be spared to be used as cut flowers and brought inside to place in a vase. This is lovely to bring Spring into the house. They look lovely in a vase by themselves or mix very well with other flowers perhaps white, purple or blues being my preferences.
Daffodils come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes from the tiny to the large and different colours from yellow gold, white and orange. Many have the classic strong trumpet shaped flower head and others have multi petaled varieties.
Looking After And Planting Daffodils
Daffodils are bulbs and hardy perennials. This is lovely as they come back every year once planted.
While planting bulbs in borders can be a little tedious, once it is done you will have daffodils every year with little effort involved.
Planting Daffodils
We can plant daffodil bulbs in the autumn/fall around September to November time. This gives them time to establish roots before winter cold sets in. Before planting check to make sure that the bulbs are clean and firm, discard any that are mouldy or very soft as these may be too old or diseased. It is best to buy and plant bulbs in the same season so that they do not get hence to get any mould or go soft.
Daffodils prefer full sun or partial shade and they do appreciate a well-drained soil so it is ideal to plant in an area that will get a decent amount of sunshine. We have an area of heavy shade and I never plant daffodils there as they will not do well. Other flowers fair better there. All my daffodils planted in the soil are in sunny spots and I move the ones in pots into sunny places as soon as I see shoots coming up.
I put a grit and compost mix in my containers for the bulbs. For planting in the garden we do have heavy clay soil which although I have improved over years is still less than ideal but the bigger ones have managed to thrive in it. So if you have a sunny spot but perhaps less than ideal soil give it a try with a small number of the bigger bulbs to see if they can be successful.
Bulbs should be planted approximately 6 inches or 15 centimetres deep below the soil surface. For this you can simple dig a hole with a trowel or use a bulb planter. Having done a lot of this I would advise if you are planting a lot, to invest in a bulb planter to make the job easier and quicker.
When planting in the soil space bulbs about four to six inches apart, it will not be too long before you will have daffodil clumps.
If planting in a container you can space them much closer together, just ensure that none of the bulbs are touching each other.
It might be a good idea to protect the bulbs from squirrels and rodents who may try to steal them! A wire mesh over the top of containers usually deters most of them.
Water them immediately after planting. Do also water them in dry spells, but they do not usually require any special feed or much other attention.
Care Of Daffodils
All that you need to do is enjoy the blooms then allow them to die down naturally. The flowers will fade and at that point you can cut off the flower and its stem down to the base and then allow the leaves to die down naturally. Some people just cut off the heads of the daffodils and that is fine too, I just prefer to take the whole stem down as I think it looks better.
Some people tie up the leaves, I believe so they look neater as the plant fades, but there is no need to do that and I prefer to allow them to die down naturally which is also a lot less work.
If you have naturalised in grass, you must wait to cut the grass until the leaves have completely died down as they are feeding the bulb for flowers next year. Do it too early and you will have no or limited flowering next year.
I always like to have daffodils in pots and troughs so that when they are blooming I can display them where we can see them and even up on tables. Then as they fade we move the pots to an unnoticed area of the garden. Then I can plant annual seeds in the pots and bring them out again when those flowers bloom, thus not wasting the space in the containers.
A Word Of Warning About Daffodils.
While daffodils are beautiful flowers and so cheerful, they do contain toxins and are not edible in any of its parts. I do tend to wear gloves when planting them and handling the bulbs a lot.
It is important to teach children not to eat them. If you are concerned then it is easy to plant bulbs in a pot and put them high up out of reach of small children.
My parents always had daffodils in the garden and I was trained to respect the plants in the garden and only to eat what my parents said was safe and never came to any harm.
Daffodils Inspiring Artists
Daffodils have long inspired poets and artists and you can see why. The most famous example of poetry is probably the ode to daffodils is William Wordsworth’s poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” where he describes the wonder of happening across a field of stunning golden daffodils dancing in the breeze.
In terms of art, the one that springs to mind immediately is Van Gough's "Daffodils". The painting is in oils with vibrant colours and thick brush strokes and is hanging in the Norton Simons Museum in Pasadena California.
Essential Wildlife Gardening Gifts
Tuesday, January 9, 2024
Reviewing the Stunning Snowdrop In Gardens And Home Decor.
I adore Snowdrops. From the end of December I start eagerly searching for signs of snowdrop life. To see those tiny green shoots really lifts my heart and brings such joy. To me Snowdrops epitomise beauty, strength and overcoming adversity.
They are the first flowers to bloom in the year and are a symbol of hope and renewal after the long wet, cold winter.
Snowdrops appear so fragile and delicate yet they are so resilient. The exquisite white flowers are a beautiful sight I look forward to every year.
Snowdrops are a Spring flower and part of the amaryllis family. They are classed as a hardy perennial mostly flowering in January and February. They are small and close to the ground growing about 3 to 6 inches tall yet are perfectly capable of growing up through snow and ice.
There are many varieties of snowdrop each with their slightly different height and shape and size of flower. I enjoy making home decor items and greetings cards from photographs I take of snowdrops in my garden and the parks nearby each year.
Mostly I grow snowdrops as an outdoor plant but I have heard of people growing them indoors to use as table decoration and an alternative or addition to buying cut flowers in winter which sounds a great idea I may try.
Snowdrops are so delicate looking and beautiful that they make great subjects for home decor and you can buy many snowdrop related items. For example from cushions to hand painted glass or this lovely Glass Flower Snowdrop Glass handblown or snowdrop scented candles.
Snowdrops are a fleeting flower but by having them in home decor items you can have snowdrops all year round.
Being with white flowers and green stems they fit in with most home decor schemes and always look fresh, clean and appealing.
Snowdrops always leave me feeling joy and smiling perhaps more than any other flower. Perhaps it is their tenacity and resilience wrapped in such delicate beauty having come through winter with all its challenges ready to charm us all and bring happiness.
I would never be without them in my garden and in pots and in my home in one way or another.
More Gardening Reviews By Contributors On Review This Reviews
Diary Of A Wild Country Garden
Tuesday, December 26, 2023
A Review Of The Holly Tree A Symbol Of Winter and Festivity
I hope you all had a wonderful, Peaceful Christmas.
Now feels like the time for me to start the gardening year. At first the feeling is slow, almost imperceptible, but its there and each day the days are getting just that little bit longer and the prospect of getting out there more appealing.
The shortest day in terms of daylight hours where I live is over and despite the cold weather and seemingly bleak outlook, if you listen and look carefully you can feel nature starting to wake up.
Now is the day if I am home, that I venture out into the garden. During most of December I rarely go into the garden, we have heavy, wet clay soil and when rainy it only gets muddy and then compacted if I tread on it. In freezing weather it really is hard like a stone. I can do a lot more harm than good gardening at this time in our garden. So generally for most of December the garden and I have a break from each other.
However today I look and listen and I can feel my soul wanting to reconnect with the garden. There is often not too much to look at now and all the winter jobs are done. However, as I gaze around I look for tiny signs of growth and appreciate the bones of the garden. The evergreens that are always there, are so reliable, so constant and without the distraction of colour and flowers, they come into their own right now.
Holly Types And Growing Needs
The best at this time of year is the Holly. Although Holly can be deciduous, we grow only the evergreen type. The Holly tree is a symbol of winter and festivity and many of us cut and bring in Holly branches to decorate our homes in winter.
The holly tree, common Holly, or to give it is rather pretty Latin name Ilex aquifolium, is an evergreen shrub or tree that can potentially grow up to around 15 meters plus or about 50 feet tall though you can prune to keep it more manageable.
There are also many smaller varieties reaching up to half that size such as Ilex aquifolium 'Silver Mermaid' 6m x 4m (approx 20 x 13 feet) or even smaller sizes suitable for a pot like Ilex aquifolium 'Hascombensis' 2.5m x 1.5m (approx 8 x 5 feet). These are more suitable for a small garden or if you simply want a smaller tree with less maintenance. Some even have lovely variagated leaves such as Ilex x altaclerensis 'Golden King' 6m x 3m (approx 20 x 10 feet), which is a female variety and does produce red berries.
Holly Berries can be colours mostly from red to yellow and orange on different varieties. A Holly Plant is generally either male or female so to get those beautiful berries you will need a female tree with male tree nearby. However some of the male varieties even though there are no berries, have really gorgeous leaves and habits and are worth growing.
Holly is grown in gardens both domestic and stately, woodland and hedgerows mainly. It can be a specimum plant glorious on its own or grown as part of a pretty inpenetrable spiky hedge which is excellent for security. We grow it alone and as part of our mixed hedge. It is also found in the wild where the common Holly can grow very tall and wide indeed if unchecked.
Holly is beautiful with often very dark green, glossy, and usually very spiky sometimes variagated leaves. It can have small white flowers in Spring, though most will not be grown for the flowers. The main feature of the female Holly is the beautiful berries that really brighten up the day and look spectacular against the dark green leaves.
It prefers to grow in a sunny or semi shade position on moist but well drained soil. It is not fussy about soil being happy in loam, chalk, sand or clay and acid, neutral or alkaline soil type. It can cope well in an exposed site or a sheltered position and is content to face any way except north.
I have only space to mention a few varieties of Holly here. If you want Holly in your own garden there are so many varieties offering different sizes and features it is best to research what is suitable for your garden and needs.
Uses Of The Holly Tree
The Holly tree is a very valuable tree for its many uses.
As the wood is hard, heavy, and fine-grained, it is good for making furniture, carving, and inlay work. Leaves and berries are wonderful for crafting projects whether it is using real Holly or artificial Holly.
It can be used for Christmas or New year decorations including wreaths, and table centre pieces or a winter display to brighten up a dull corner.
At a time when flowers are rare in the garden and expensive to buy, a display of Holly in a vase is a beautiful alternative through out winter.
Holly For Nature
For nature Holly is an extremely valuable tree. The spiky leaves provide safe shelter all year round and nesting sites.
The Winter time berries are food for birds and small mammals and the flowers in Spring attract bees and pollinators.
Even its roots help to stabilise the soil and prevent erosion.
Holly In Mythology and Symbolism
The Holly tree has a rich history of mythology and symbolism.
For many of us Holly is a part of the Holiday festivities bringing in boughs of Holly real or artificial for home decor and is a symbol of joy. When we bring in Holly into our homes it is also supposed to protect from evil spirits and lightning, and to bring prosperity and good luck!
Holly has associations with the sun god and the winter solstice, and was considered a sacred plant by the Druids, Romans, and Celts. It was believed to have magical powers, such as healing, protection, and fertility. It was also a symbol of peace, joy and goodwill, and was used to make crowns and gifts.
The Holly was adopted by Christianity, as a symbol of Christ's birth, death, and resurrection with the crown of thorns representing blood and eternal life.
We even have songs about Holly such as "The Holly And The Ivy", perfectly performed here by Kings College, Cambridge UK.
So the holly tree is a stunning plant in nature and in our gardens that has history, mythology and many benefits for us and wildlife.
To step outside into the garden on a crisp cold day in the midst of winter or wrap up and enjoy a winter walk and see a glorious Holly tree covered in gorgeous berries is a highlight of the season and one I always look forward to.
Here are some Holly related items you may enjoy.