Plants

We sell plants throughout the year on Ampthill country market, and some of these are tender plants in March and April and these cannot be 'left' in the garden if the overnight temperatures are close to zero.

In the UK overnight temperatures can be too cold until at least the middle of May, sometime even later, especially in the north.

So if you buy these plants you just need to keep them indoors during cold spells, or covered such as in a cold frame or a try a re-using idea mini cloche.

You can keep them on a windowsill or in a conservatory.  I suggest putting them on a tray that is waterproof and strong enough to lift them, and then pop them out during the day in the sun and giving them a water, and just bringing them in at night.  Keep your eye on the forecast, I am putting out an alert on twitter as a reminder if the temperature is due to drop below 3 https://twitter.com/AmpthillCM.

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Re-use & Re-purpose - kitchen pots

Have you got a tired old saucepan, that has a bit of character?  or a colander or something similar?

Well how about planting it up?  The colander is perfect as it already has draining holes, no worries about drilling.  You will need to line it with something, just some plastic from a compost sack, just make sure you can't see it through the holes, so black side out.  Or an old jumper could work sacking.

This is what I came up with last year - they soon filled up when the plants got established...

Bedding begonias will be on sale on May when you can safely plant them outside.

Re-use & Re-purpose - Mini cloches

Did you want to plant out a few vegetable plants in the garden and it is a bit early as the nights are a little cold, you can put a cloche over the top and they should be fine from April onwards - you may even be OK in March too.

We have lettuce plants for sale at the moment on Ampthill Country Market, you can put them in your garden with a little hat on now, and they will be fine.  I would suggest that you make sure they don;t get too hot during the day.  Leave the lids off as that will give them some air.



There are other plastic containers that will do the job just fine, just see what you are throwing away, just cut a hole for air circulation...and it didn't cost you a penny.

Just search for plastic bottle cloche - here is a little more reading

Plastic bottle cloche


25 ways to repurpose plastic bottles

Re-use and Re-purpose - pots

We have plants for sale throughout spring to autumn, the pots are sometimes purchased, but more often than not they are re-used.  All the pots are washed and then refilled with new compost and then cuttings, seeds and plug plants.

I will be honest and at the moment we don't need any, but will post on facebook when we have run out.

It got me thinking what else can you do with a plant pot, so here are a few of my favourite ideas from around the internet

perfect for the winter

10 things here....

and on the flip side you don't always need a plant pot to pot a plant!  Loads of ideas out there, I have used colanders, and love to see old boots and kettles...here is a good link:

Make other things into pots.....

Flowers from the garden

I have grown some marigolds, cornflower and rudbeckia from seed, and have been picking them.




The Rudbeckia is the large yellow flower in the centre, and is the first out - but can see that there are many more to follow.



The white flower is a phlox - lovely and scented, I do sell them on the market when I have some available, they are just all coming into bloom now and stand up nice and strong a good plant for the back of the flower beds, or I also have a plant in the veg patch just so that I can pick some.

























Unfortunately the cornflowers fell over whilst I was on holiday so are a bit bent, I have now staked them and they are starting to sort themselves out, so hopefully will be looking better for picking in a vase soon.  I love the these little flowers, and although they don't last that long they have loads of flowers, so no shortage of picking, I will be putting some seeds in next year.

So maybe if I have some left there will be some for sale on the Ampthill country Market.

Ampthill Open Gardens

I just wanted to remind everyone that it is this weekend

http://ampthillcm.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/ampthill-open-gardens.html

A spotlight on plants

At this time of the year we have a range of plants, they have been raised and cared for by our members and are knowledgeable about the plants that they have raised.  









There are shrubs, perennials, annuals and vegetables plants, so something for everyone.

We are often asked for plants that come up every year, you need to look for hardy perennials or shrubs.  Generally perennials die down every year, and then come back in the spring, so don't panic, and try to remember where you have planted them - in case you start weeding :)  The bees like the flowers of many perennials.

Shrubs need a bit of a prune, more for tidying up than anything complicated, some lose their leaves.  By pruning can mean that you can keep the shrub smaller, and generally best to do after flowering, and they are great for birds.