moorey

The best multi purpose compost this year

its made of spagnum moss peat,  heres the link for the companys website

http://www.premiumhorticulture.co.uk/compost-products

 

The best multi purpose compost this year

If people are looking for a fantastic quality alround multi purpose compost then look out for Premium Horticultures 'Plant & Grow' its supplied in a yellow bag and really is the best ive found.

An old nursery trade supplier, Premium have released this to the general public for afew years now, and it simply is the best. It has good water retention capabilities, is light, fine, and contains no shredded, recycled material at all.

Much better than your rubbish from diy stores and sheds that contains mostly bark chips and green waste.

although not widely available, many stores are beginning to sell it due to high demand. you wont find it on a silly multi buy, and its not dirt cheap at around £6 for 75litres, but we all know its the quality that counts, not the price.

i buy it from a local idependent garden centre in south leicestershire, and i wouldnt change to anything else now.

Small Wildlife pond

to me it looks as ideal a spot as any.

yes maybe there is a tree near by, but theres not many ponds completely free of over hanging or nearby trees.

you have the added advantage of a hedging back drop, which will provide cover and habitats for many wild species, and also the side of your shed/garage which will have many cracks, crevices and holes for newts etc to hide within.

afew leaves in autumn will rot down and form a nice loamy layer on the bottom for the pond for plant life to root into, and anchor itself, which is a real plus point.

your water quality should be just fine, an fairly even mix for sunlight and shade will keep the water clean, clear, oxygenated, and perfect for allsorts of wildlife.

i'd be inclined to incorporated abit of rockery or dry gravel areas submerging into the water to enable frogs/toads/newts etc access into and out of the water, and not forgetting an easy way out for the unfortunate mr hedgehog who falls in whilst on his travels under the cover of darkness.

you may also consider running some wild meadow turf just to the the waters edge, giving both a natural look and sloping sides.

hopefully thats given you some help and suggestions

Black spot on red robin bush

photinia belong to the rosaceae family, that of the roses.
similarly to your roses they do not like excessive water around the roots and such stresses can cause fungal infections -hence your black spots similar to those seen on rose leaves.
the difference being that photinia is evergreen, so infected leaves are not shed in autumn. but you will find an infected shrub will shed the majority of infected leaves in spring, which should be collected up and burnt.
you can use a spray fungicide such as multi rose which will begin to control and alleviate the issue.

if choosing new photinias to plant pay close attention to the species you are buying.
photinia serrulata is highly prone to black spot, where as photinia x fraseri shows far more tolerance to black spot.

Climbing Roses

zephirine drouhin is a fantastic climbing rose, it stretches to 3m in height, is totally thornless, has beautiful deep pink double blooms from summer to autumn, with a pleasant smell. a truly old fashioned rose that is all to often over looked these days.

just a polite word of warning, by all means shop around and check varieties online and with austins, but make your purchase from a reputable garden centre or nursery, where you can see exactly what you are buying.
although cheaper, bare root or freshly potted roses are not always best, and can take several more years to establish, than a good rose thats been in its pot for 12 months.

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