Welcome. Here we detail some of the essentials you need to know to take care of your favourite plants.
Do contact us if you need any further information.
In the April garden
In the April garden, with brighter evenings, we will have more time to get out into the garden and tackle jobs that we have not been able to do for a while due to the extreme cold this spring.
The temperature will rise slowly and once it gets over 6-8 degrees you will see rapid green growth on all your trees, shrubs and the Lawn. This is the time to feed plants now as they surge into fresh growth. Prune back your Roses now to about 15cm | 6 inches and feed with Rose fertiliser
This fertiliser is also very good for flowering shrubs and fruit bushes. Some garden favourite shrubs will start to bloom in gardens over the coming weeks and it is worthwhile adding some of these to your garden if it needs some colour now:
The first shrub you will see is Forsythia with its bright yellow flowers. This is closely followed by the Red Flowering Currant and then the Bridal Wreath Spiraea will explode with 1000’s of snow white flowers .
For something smaller consider the perennial wallflower Erysimum Bowles Mauve which nearly flowers the whole year !
There is also a lovely fragrant yellow form of this now available aptly called Fragrant Sunshine and Convolvulus cneorum will soon start with its snow white flowers and silky silver leaves.
Speaking of fragrance,......contd
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How to BBQ with Weber
large pieces of meat – e.g. whole turkeys. It is also perfect for pizza, bread and cakes.
Arrange the hot briquettes in a ring all the way around the edge of the charcoal grate and remember to place a drip tray in the centre of the ring. If you barbecue more than 2–3 pizzas in a row, you will need to switch to a new stone during cooking. Otherwise, the stone may become too hot and burn the pizza base.
50-50 Barbecuing Method
This method is perfect for food that needs to be browned first, and then barbecued for a long time to ensure that it is cooked all the way through.
Once the briquettes are ready, place them onto one side of the charcoal grate. Place a drip tray with a little bit of liquid into it on the other side of the grate. Place the cooking grate in the barbecue and position the food over the briquettes.
Start by browning the meat – such as chicken drumsticks or tenderloin of pork. Then move the meat over to the other side of the barbecue, above the drip tray. Finish cooking it here using indirect heat. You can then cook side vegetables – such as potatoes, peppers and corn on the cob – over the briquettes.
You can use the same method for a gas barbecue with multiple burners.
In this case, simply reposition the meat above the inactive burners once you’ve browned it. If you are using a Weber® Q™ with a single burner, turn the regulator all the way down to LOW after browning the meat.
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Jobs for the Summer Garden
Jobs for the summer garden
Treat clover in lawns now with Lawn Weedkiller
Feed flowering plants every week now with plant foor such as Tomato Food
Plant autumn potatoes before the end of August for new potatoes at Christmas time potatoes
Plant Autumn Flowering Garden plants
to extend colour from now until Halloween.
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Jobs for the Spring Garden
Prune fruit bushes, and Roses now.
Tidy all wall climbers, Trim where needed and tie in where needed.
Plant flower bulbs now for colour from now until autumn. Use potgrown bulbs for early spring colour and from March onwards, plant bulbs of Dahlia , Begonia, Lily
Plant new Barerooted Hedges before end of March.
Start Seed Potatoes off now indoors so they can develope green sprouts.
Order your vegetable seeds now for spring sowing.
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Growing Potatoes
Everyone loves the taste of new potatoes, and trials in recent times with growing potatoes in big pots, old dustbins, buckets, plastic refuse bags and special "potato bags" have been very successful with huge yields.
Anything goes really; just make sure there is a drainage hole in the base. All you do is add about 10cm (4 inches) of multipurpose vegetable compost to the base of the container and about 5 small seed potatoes and cover with a small layer of more compost.
Look for disease resistant varieties, so that no spraying against potato blight is necessary and your potatoes are organic as nature intended.
When the green shoots appear, add more compost regularly as the stems grow until the container is filled to the top with compost and the green shoots are still showing. The buried stems produce more roots and more tubers all the way to the top of the pot.
Read more here... Recipies, fun stuff and more
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Growing Strawberries
Strawberries are an ideal Summer fruit, delicious in a fruit salad or simply dipped in lots of fresh cream. You can plant strawberries from September right up to mid-April and they should produce fruit in the Summer time.
It doesn't matter whether you have a large garden or none at all because strawberries can be planted in pots or containers and grown on patios, balconies or in the traditional way in rows in the garden. If you prefer you can also use hanging baskets to conserve even more space.
If you're planting in the soil in rows, put down a plant approx. every 35cm and make sure rows are at least 35cm apart, with the crown of the plant above the level of the soil. Try to have the beds raised to ensure they get plenty of drainage, and if using plastic or wooden containers indoors, make sure to drill holes in the sides and place your plants in these holes. (Using hanging baskets will naturally promote drainage). If possible cover with a net to stop birds from getting at the plants also. You should try and position the plants somewhere with lots of sun and in a sheltered spot
Water well and use plenty of compost or plant food to cultivate. Remove any old leaves and when fruit starts to develop you can tuck straw underneath to stop any of the fruit rotting on the soil. When the fruit is ready to be picked remove any mulch surrounding the plant, then simply pick and enjoy!
You can buy strawberry plants from
www.johnstowngardencentre.ie
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Growing Carrots
Did you know, the first carrots grown were purple, yellow, white and even black! In the 1500's, Dutch growers developed orange carrots in honour of their Royal Family, the House of Orange! This is what we all love today.
Freshly pulled carrots taste fantastic compared to shop bought or processed carrots in ready to eat dinners, or microwave bags. These really are tasteless.
Carrots grow great in tall containers such as old dustbins, long pipes or high deep pots as their roots can grow long and straight and the plants are high above their enemy - the carrot root fly.
This poor little fly can only fly close to the ground, no higher than 18-20 inches (45-50cm), but if she finds a carrot plant down there, she lays eggs and her young devour the roots, unseen by you. Up in the high pot the plants are safe and need no chemicals at all to grow so the taste is just magic.
For extra security, you can plant the carrots together with leeks, garlic or scallions. The onion smell confuses the carrot fly and they cannot find the carrots. This is great if you don't have a tall enough pot.
You can start sowing the carrots from seed now and you can buy the leeks as plants at www.johnstowngardencentre.ie. Use a good organic vegetable compost to plant them in.
Kids will eat them raw, they are so delicious!
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Caring for Orchids
Easy care tips for your Orchids!
Orchids are different! That's for sure, but it doesn't necessarily mean that they are hard to grow.
Orchids are different! That's for sure, but it doesn't necessarily mean that they are hard to grow.
The majority of orchids grow high up in the trees of tropical Asia, with just a few small roots that they use to hang on to some dead leaves caught in the tree branches.
They have very few leaves, so they don't get too heavy and fall from the tree. Their beautiful flower branches hang down to attract pollinating insects in the dim forest light. As it rains very often, they are not short of water, and their root systems have the ability to grow hanging in the air to extract moisture from the humid air.
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Caring for Bonsai
Easy Care tips to care for your Bonsai Tree
Where to keep your tree
Bonsai require a light position near, or in a window, except one that gets direct sun, as this would be too hot and the plant would dry out.
The word Bonsai literally means "tree in a pot" and for many
hundreds of years they have been cultivated by first the Chinese and
later the Japanese who brought Bonsai keeping to a great art-form.
Where to keep your tree
Bonsai require a light position near, or in a window, except one that
gets direct sun, as this would be too hot and the plant would dry out.
They can be placed on a table or shelf, but do not leave in reduced
light for more than a day or two. Larger Bonsai are ideal plants for
a conservatory which can be kept cool by ventilation and shading as
long as they are never allowed to dry out.
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Caring for your Houseplants
Click the links below for full information on nearly any Indoor plant you can buy from us and how to care for it
.
Click here for detailed Houseplant Care Choose a plant to match your personality, your room or just look up information on a plant you have purchased.
You can also visit this site to see the latest trends in indoor plants for the home or office and the benefits they can bring to modern living,
click Click for info on Using Plants in the home .
This is a brilliant tool to help you choose the right plant for the right place in the home and everything you need to look after it.
Click the links below for full information on nearly any Indoor plant you can buy from us and how to care for it
Houseplant Care
You can also visit this site to see the latest trends in indoor plants for the home or office and the benefits they can bring to modern living, click Using Plants in the home .
This is a brilliant tool to help you choose the right plant for the right place in the home and everything you need to look after it.
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Caring for Lemon Tree
Easy care tips for your Lemon or Orange Trees
Citrus trees are superb conservatory or patio trees that love the summer heat and yet like cool winters.
They are remarkably easy to grow given the correct conditions.
Citrus trees are superb conservatory or patio trees that love the summer
heat and yet like cool winters. They are remarkably easy to grow given
the correct conditions.
Growing Conditions
They like a temperature of 20-30 degrees C but will tolerate down to
5-6 degrees C. The tree will be in growth between 13 and 30 degrees
C. Therefore if used as a patio tree, they must be brought indoors at
least in winter to avoid cold damage.
Planting
Citrus like a slightly acid, porous soil, so we recommend using a soil
based compost like Westland Multipurpose compost, and feeding with Miracid
food which will keep the soil acidic. Put plenty of drainage material
in the base of the pot as citrus resent any form of waterlogging.
Watering
Citrus trees must never be allowed to dry out. In the growth phase water
regularly and plentifully. Avoid any waterlogging.
In hot weather, water a little and often, maybe every day in a conservatory.
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Caring for Camellias
How to do everything right for your camellia!
The most commonly planted camellia in the world is in fact the Tea plant that we all love to drink plenty of, but today in Ireland we are more interested in the large flowering varieties we love to grow on our patios and doorsteps in large pots or in the garden if we are lucky enough to have the acid or peaty soil they desire.
The most commonly planted camellia in the world is in fact the Tea plant that we all love to drink plenty of, but today in Ireland we are more interested in the large flowering varieties we love to grow on our patios and doorsteps in large pots or in the garden if we are lucky enough to have the acid or peaty soil they desire.
Despite their exotic waxy flowers of great beauty, camellias are quite easy to grow if you follow a few basic principles. In the wild, camellias are found in forests or open woodland, on slopes where they enjoy light shade from overhead trees, the shallow soil is slightly acid with lots of organic material and dead leaves from the trees above and good drainage.
In the garden, plant under open deciduous trees where they will have dappled shade. Lack of light will prevent flower bud set.
In patio containers, locate the plants anywhere, sheltered from cold strong winds and ideally where they do not get early morning sunlight.
When the flowers are frozen, the early sun thaws them too rapidly and this will damage the flowers.
Feed all camellias during the summer months of June, July and August to ensure plenty of flowers the following year, as the flower buds are formed at this time.
Choose from the many varieties and colours available now
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Caring for your Garden Pond
Hints and tips to having the perfect garden pond!
CLICK for Garden Pond Care
The items you see here are all available to order from Johnstown .
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