Greenhouse Heating

In the cold winters we gardeners need greenhouse heating to give an early start to germination and to help tender crops or flowers survive the external frosts. So we need a reliable greenhouse heater and a reliable heating maintenance company.

I’m talking of heating large scale commercial greenhouses here not a small paraffin heater in a small greenhouse. We use the same company who maintains the office heating as we can get a two for one heating maintenance deal and give them one set of boiler instructions.

Boiler maintenance and care policies are nowadays being offered up by various leading service providers. For a defined monthly cost you get protection against the cost of unpredicted heating boiler breakdowns and sometimes they also integrate a 12 month central heating boiler service as well as boiler spares. You are able to select from a wide range of contracts at differing price points and service grades.

This contract is not your annual gas boiler service – with this you will get a helpline to supply emergency assistance following a boiler breakdown – as you have taken out an ongoing policy you should expect to see better service and pricing alternatives than the typical emergency call out charge with a one-off breakdown. Once customers have experienced a breakdown they typically renew this gas boiler cover as they immediately see its value.

Check whether in addition to boiler parts your insurance incorporates a no call out charge as these can be costly – without this type of cover you could pay out a significant amount merely to call out a engineer to your commercial greenhouse in an emergency, this can be worth a lot, all the more so if your boiler is starting to age. Most plans will also include cover for heating boiler parts and labour so you know you do not have anything further to pay other than the monthly cost. You’ll pay a reasonable amount more than you would for simple boiler services with local small plumber but this type of boiler service contract is essentially a gas fired boiler insurance policy and may make sense if you fear surprise bills or have any worries about your heating system.

Is it worth establishing a heating repair policy?

The answer will depend upon the amount of greenhouse boiler breakdowns you have in the next twelve months. In cash terms the cost of a contract is less than the cost of the heating boiler repair and of course you gain the benefit of a cut in your tension levels. The worst-case scenario is that you do not have a gas boiler breakdown and loose all your tender crops.

Posted in Guides

Troubles that spring up with your garden soakaway

The density of urban areas has risen due to population increase, and builders are now struggling to address issues that arise during the construction of garden soakaways. Providing better drainage systems that can withstand severe weather conditions and avoid regularly blocked drains, crowded neighborhoods and rains is one of these problems.

Soakaways built years ago are choking up now and are due for overhauling and repair. There are a number of reasons leading to blockage of soakaways like ground movement, accumulation of waste, leakage, corrosion, tree root infiltration and subsidence. Unexpected soak aways can turn out to be a costly affair if not checked on a regular basis and acted upon quickly. Problems can occur even in carefully and precisely planned garden drainage systems and acting immediately on these problems can avoid complete and expensive replacement.

If a clogged soakaway is left unattended for too long it will need pipe or drain cleaning techniques to be applied. It may have to be reached by digging it up, because pipes are put in underground. This not only magnifies the problem for you but also your neighbors. Blocked soakaways can be very dirty and often emit bad odors. Blockage is dependent on various factors. They can get blocked due to tree roots or accumulation of garden waste. You have to quickly identify these causes, correct the damage and prevent this from repeating.

Your garden may be negatively affected by these blockages. If you have a new drainage system the garden surface water will be separate from the household drainage and this means you should not experience sewage problems. The damp area of your garden slowly increases thus increasing your drainage expenses significantly as the problem spreads. The amount of digging work that is required to fix these sorts of accumulated problem will make the situation very disruptive for your garden plans.

Clogged soakaways can be cleared in many ways. You can obviously get in touch with a drainage contractor and seek professional help. They use most modern methods of detecting damages and leakages. Alternatively you can get out the shovel and start digging – if you do watch your back!

Posted in Gardens

Herb Gardening Tips

Herbs are various kinds of herbaceous plants whose fresh or dried parts are used to season foods, provide fragrances, supply natural dyes, or make industrial and pharmaceutical products. Culinary herbs are used in cooking; some common culinary herbs are basil, French tarragon, rosemary, and thyme.

Common Culinary Herbs
Basil: Basil, also known as French basil or sweet basil, is a popular tender, annual herb. It is native to India and Asia and is grown for its aromatic leaves, which are used fresh or dried as a flavoring. Basil can be direct-seeded or transplanted to the garden in late spring, after all danger of frost is past. The seeds normally germinate in 8-14 days. Basil requires full sun and prefers moist and well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0. Typical spacing for basil is 12 inches between plants and 24 to 36 inches between rows.
Basil grown for dried leaves or essential oil is cut just prior to the appearance of flowers. The foliage should be cut at least four to six leaves above the ground to allow for regrowth and a subsequent crop. Japanese beetle, Fusarium, and powdery mildew are potential insect and pest problems on basil plants.

Culinary herbs are usually distinguished from spices, although the two categories overlap. Culinary herbs generally consist of fresh or dried leaves, while spices are seeds, roots, fruits, flowers and bark. Culinary herbs usually have a mild flavor, while spices tend to have a stronger, pungent flavor. Several common spices are cinnamon sticks, anise seeds, and ginger roots.

Planting
Most herbs will grow well with the same sunlight, fertility, soil, growing conditions, and cultural techniques required by vegetables grown in the Northeast. Gardeners should pay special attention to drainage and moisture requirements of certain herbs since many are very sensitive to soil moisture conditions. Sage, rosemary, and thyme require a well-drained, slightly moist soil; parsley, chervil, and mint grow best on soils that retain moisture. Raised beds may provide the necessary moisture and drainage requirements for herbs that require good soil drainage.

Herb Selection
The beginning herb gardener might want to start by growing herbs such as basil, chive, dill, oregano, parsley, sage, and thyme. These herbs can be grouped in “classic” herb gardens, and can be incorporated into flower beds or vegetable gardens.

Posted in Gardens

Do Dahlia bulbs need to be refrigerated to bloom next season?

I has some beautiful Dahlias in large outdoor pots and they have finished their bloom. I want to keep them and replant this next season but I don’t know the best way to handle the bulbs/tubers to make them ‘happy’ any suggestions?

Posted in Dahlias

how do you deadhead dahlia flowers?

i would like to know how to remove the dried up flowers.

Posted in Dahlias

How do I get Oxalis out of my cactus and succulent potted Gardens?

I live in a very windy desert area and it has spread to several expensive Gardens. I have thought about putting some of the pebbles with white glue next to the plants. What do you think?

Posted in Gardens

Perfumed Aussie Native Garden Plants

There is a strong belief among many people, that Australian Natives are beautiful but have no perfume. A stroll through the bush will dispel that rumour easily.

The fragrance of crushed leaves and scented blossoms can be almost overpowering at times. But many of the natives have a more subtle fragrance; you have to be close to them at the correct time to appreciate the flavours and scents.

The perfume of native plants is often produced at different times of the day or night. Perfumed native flowers include many of the Grevilleas (some like G. biternata and G. G. buxifolia have a strong honey-like perfume others like G. buxifolia have a light fragrant perfume), Boronias ( e.g. B. floribunda, B. serrulata and B. megastigma), Sowerbaeas (Vanilla Lilies), Xanthoreas (Grass Trees), Banksias, Eleaocarpus reticulatus (Blueberry Ash) which has a strong almost aniseed scent, Hakeas, Pittosporum undulatum (Native Daphne) — the perfume of this species may becoming overpowering in the evening –, Leptospermum species (e.g. L. flavescens), Homoranthus species (which has a Baked Biscuit scent) and Hymenosporum flavum (Native Frangipani). Many of the white flowering Eucalypts, Melaleuca and Callistemon species have a strong honey scent.

There are a number of fragrant orchids particularly the Dendrobium species: these tend to be strongest from early morning to the early afternoon. While some of the Cymbidium species such as C. suave have a good perfume during the middle of the day). The Sarcochilus species have what is best described as a spicy aroma.

The aroma released by some plants foliage is not revealed until it has been disturbed, crushed or brushed against. These include the Backhousia citriodora (Lemon Myrtle) which is probably the best of all native lemon scents and is also used commercially as a cooking ingredient, while the foliage of B. anisata is strongly scented like aniseed; Eremophilas, Eriostemon species, Prosantheras,

Leptospermum petersoni (Lemon-scented Tea-tree — also good as a hedging plant), Darwinia citriodora (a light lemon scent) and some Melaleucas (Paperbarks) also have scents.

Of course you can’t forget the Eucalypt family with its famous eucalypt scent, which is redolent of our bushland. But now many other countries are growing vast plantations of them for timber, firewood and revegetation programs on every continent bar Antartica. One species, the E. citriodora gives off a strong lemon-come-eucalypt scent while Agonis flexuosa has a combination of eucalyptus and peppermint scent.

Calomeria elegans has been used as a substitute for lavender. Some species of Boronias also have strongly scented foliage.

And let’s not forget the grassy type plants, the lomandra’s and the Grass trees, both of which give a lovely honeyed smell when in flower.

So why not think about using some fragrant native plants in your garden. Not only will you get the benefit of supporting your local environment. But you might also get other benefits, like attracting birds, other wildlife and butterflies to your garden.

Posted in Guides

How much is a tree dahlia (rare)?

I’ve seen one on ebay and looking at the history they get bid pretty high. What do you consider a fair price for this plant before dive in to the bidding. Thanks!

Posted in Dahlias

When should we dig out the tubers of Dahlia?

I just started gardening from last spring and I planted a lot of beautiful Dahlias. Someone told me that I should dig out the tubers before winter comes. When should it be? Thanks.

Posted in Dahlias

How to Create a Garden Office or Garden Studio in a Small Space

There are many people who love to spend most of their time in the garden. The concept of a garden office or garden studio is perfect for such kind of people. In today’s world many people work from their own home. It becomes very convenient for these people to own their own garden office. However, everyone may not have ample space for his or her garden office. In that case, they can take professional help to create their own garden office within a small area.

If you want a robust and secure garden office or garden studio you simply must purchase a product from a specialist company such as Garden Lodges. People who want to build their garden office within a small space normally resort to this method. People who generally work from home prefer using a garden office instead of a spare room. However, there are certain details that one should keep in mind while creating a garden office.

For creating a garden office or garden studio, it would be best if one has sufficient space. He should take into account all the requirements for building a garden office or garden studio. Proper insulation and security of the modular garden office has to be considered.

People often like to own a garden studio. Garden lodges are market leaders in this field. A person can design his garden office or garden studio as per his choice. He can opt for designing a traditional kind of a garden office or garden studio or opt for the modern type of garden office. However, a person has to take into consideration a lot of details while creating a garden studio within a small place.

People who have limited space to build their garden office or garden studio generally purchase smaller buildings. The most modern equipment can be installed into a garden office or garden studio. Micro pods from Garden Lodges based in the UK can also be used.

Apart from the wide range of professional services available, you can get all the information about a garden office or garden studio from gardenlodges.co.uk.

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