Recycling The Plastic Plant Labels

3 year's of used plastic plant labels

Dirty and written on

With environmental issues being a hot topic at the moment, climate change, the effect of toxic pesticides on the bee population and the over use of single-use plastic, the gardening team are changing the way they work, updating practices used in the past.
Earlier this month the team stopped using a pesticide containing a neonicotinoid that has been linked to the reduction in the bee population, changing over to a biological control to combat vine weevil, see blog entry 4th October, 'A Drench Of 50 Million Nematodes'. 
Today, with plastic pollution and single-use plastic in mind, the plastic plant labels were cleaned rather than thrown away. For many years the plastic plant pots used for growing seeds and propagating cuttings have been washed before their reuse so this method is now being used for the labels too. Before washing, the date and plant name written on the label in pencil was removed using an eraser, then the label was washed in a bucket of hot, soapy water before placing it in to a pot to drain off, hundreds of plastic labels ready to be reused.

Clean and ready for reuse

Tricyrtis formosana (Toad Lily)

Toad Lily, Tricyrtis formosana

With the colours in the gardens turning autumnal, predominately red, yellow, orange and brown, a delicate little flower is bucking the trend. In the slightly shady, far end of the herbaceous border, at the tips of stems 80-90cm in height, are the purple freckled flowers of the Toad Lily, Tricyrtis formosana. These fascinating flowers are a true delight on a cold autumn day.   

Purple freckled flower of the Toad Lily

The Return Of The Evergreens

22nd May 2018

The summer display in the Besse Courtyard was planted up five months ago, for the list of plants used see blog entry for the 21st June 'Changing The Border And Container Displays For Summer 2018'. The plants have grown well, filling out the containers and putting on a colourful display throughout the summer but now it is time to change the planting for the winter-spring display meaning it's the return of the evergreens.

5th July 2018 (Front View)

5th July 2018 (Side View)

5th July 2018 (Back View)

17th August 2018 (View From Above)

31st August 2018 (3 months later)

Through the archway

Towering above the rest

Saccharum officinarum var. purpureum (Black Sugar Cane)

Plectranthus coleoides variegata,
Petunia ‘Purple Velvet’ F1 Hybrid.

Pelargonium Ivy Leaf 'Supreme Burgandy',
Pelargonium surcouf,

Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Pied Piper Red’

Lobelia ‘Rainbow Cascade Mixed’

Albizia julibrissin ‘Chocolate Summer’, Anisodontea capensis ‘El Rayo’

Removing the summer display

Yesterday the team worked their way through each container digging out the plants and splitting them in to two groups, those to be kept and those not, their final destination, the greenhouse and compost heap respectively.  

Back into the greenhouse

Whilst the containers were being prepared for replanting with the removal of the old roots and the addition of fresh compost, the plants that had been taken over to the greenhouse were being repotted.  

Empty containers

Heeling in bed

With the containers ready for planting the evergreen shrubs returned from the heeling in bed today. These shrubs have been in this bed since they were removed from the pots in May following their use in last year's winter-spring display.

Transporting the evergreens

After a number of trips to and from the heeling in bed, wheeling the evergreens over to the containers in a wheelbarrow, the planting began.
The plants used to create the new display are: 
3 x Ilex aquifolium 'Argentea Marginata' (1/2 Standard, Silver Margined Holly), 2 x Ilex aquifolium ( 1/4 Standard Common Holly),  4 x Laurus nobilis (Bay), 3 x Fatsia japonica 'Spider's Webb', Wallflower 'Sunset Primrose' and tulips, Tulipa 'Green Triumphator', Tulipa 'Mount Tacoma' and Tulipa 'White Triumphator'.

Through the archway

Evergreens

Containers planted for the winter-spring display

The Tender Giants Go Inside For The Winter

Improved, clean and empty

The large greenhouse has had a few improvements during the summer months, the ten broken panes of glass have been replaced, to improve air flow fourteen new five blade louvre window vents have been added to the two sides and a new thermostatic ventilation system has been added to the roof openings. In addition to these improvements the greenhouse has also had its annual deep clean, removing all of the dirt from the floor, staging, bench surfaces as well as the cleaning of all the glass both inside and out. 

Abutilon, Banana and Dutura

Abutilon and Banana

Albizia and Gomphocarpus

Standing clean and empty for the last five weeks it is now time to start filling it again with the return of the tender giants that need a warm home for the winter. 

Moving the Abutilon

The team have spent the last few days digging out these large plants from the herbaceous border and transporting them over to the greenhouse for re potting. These plants will remain in the greenhouse until May-June next year when they will be moved back out in to the border for next summer.

Lifting a large banana into the trailer

Aeonium ready for transport

Variagated Abutilon dug up

Moving an Albizia tree

Re-potted, the tender giants inside for the winter

A Colour Scheme Of Orange And Purple For Spring 2019

5th July 2018

July, mid summer display

Pastel shades

Faded pastels, 10th October 2018

Earlier in the week the first of the display borders had its summer display removed and replaced with the plants and bulbs that will provide colour during the coming winter and spring. Today the team focused on the border at the far end of the quad removing the tired and faded summer plants.

Digging out the summer display

Ready for planting

To prepare the border for the winter-spring planting the perennial plants were cut down to ground level and the annual plants dug out, both were taken to the compost heap with the debris and leaves from the surface of the soil. Next it was forked through and weeded, then the soil was trodden down to removed the air pockets that had formed during the forking, and then it was levelled.

310 Wallflowers in the nursery

Waiting to be placed out for planting

 
In the nursery area the 310 wallflowers, Wallflower 'Sunset Orange', had been placed into trays for transporting across to the border. Upon arrival at the border the full trays were placed along the front in preparation for placing out. Once all the wallflowers were in their place on the border the planting began. To finish the border was given a light forking to remove the compaction from the many footprints made on the soil whilst planting the wallflowers, then the young plants were watered in. Tomorrow 140 Allium 'Purple Sensation' bulbs will be planted amongst the orange wallflowers, a colour scheme of orange and purple for spring 2019.    

Planting wallflowers

Planting wallflowers

Planted

Wallflowers

A Spring Border Of Orange And Yellow

21st June 2018

The delay in the planting of the 'Border in the Corner', see blog entry 21st June 'Changing The Border And Container Displays For Summer 2018', means that after only 16 weeks it is already time for it to be changed as the winter fast approaches.

31st August 2018

Salvia fabrinacea ‘Victoria’

Cleome, Zinnia, Cosmos, Pennisetum and Amaranthus

Removing the summer display

To make way for this year's winter-spring plants all of the summer annuals were dug up and taken to the compost heap but not before the best of the flowers were cut for use as cut flowers. The porous pipe that had kept everything watered during the hot summer was lifted from the soil, curled up and put away in to storage.

Cut flowers

Forked through

Clearing all the plant debris from the soil the border is prepared for planting. Forked through and weeded the soil is trodden down to removed air pockets and then levelled.

Trodden down to removed air pockets

Placing out

The plants that will create the winter-spring display were placed out onto the soil, 80 Wallflower 'Sunset Primrose' and 230 Primula 'Husky Mixed Daffodil', and planted. Bulbs were then placed out and planted in amongst the plants, a mix of daffodil, 30 of Narcissus jonquilla 'Lieke', 'Martinette', 'Pipit', 'Sweetness' and 'Beautiful Eyes' (150 bulbs) and 30 Fritillaria Imperialis 'Aurora'. In addition to the biennials and bulbs, shrubs were also planted for structure, 5 Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Tom Thumb' were planted.

Planting up

Narcissus jonquilla 'Lieke', 'Martinette', 'Pipit', 'Sweetness' and 'Beautiful Eyes'

Fritillaria imperialis 'Aurora' (Orange flowers)

The colour scheme for the border is based on the border the team created for the winter-spring 2016/17, see picture below, but rather than using wallflowers and tulips the orange and yellows will be provided by the primula, wallflower, narcissus and fritillaria.

April 2017

Once all the wallflowers and bulbs had been planted the soil was gently forked to break up the compaction made by the gardeners treading on the soil, then the border was given a thorough water.

Watering in