Essentially Local July-August 2017

Gardening
Ants in your plants!
Ants don’t actually damage our
plants and trees, it is the destructive
sap-sucking aphids that they protect
who cause the problem. During
the summer they are a nuisance –
building their nests on our lawns and
disturbing the soil around the roots of
our shrubs, not to mention the bites
they can deliver, but they do little else.
Ants feed on insects but the
honeydew excreted by aphids is
their favourite food. As a result ants
protect them from ladybirds and
other predators. The aphids can then
happily munch their way through our
leaves.
Destroy a nest and another queen
ant will take over and establish even
more nests. Powders and other
controls have limited effect, as the
nests go deep into the soil. Best
advice is to leave them alone!
Small gardens
Turning your
garden into a room
Gardens are becoming complete rooms featuring
outdoor kitchens and relaxing, ambient spaces. You
can fit your own sink, weatherproof kitchen storage,
grills and pizza ovens. Garden furniture has taken
on a new lease of life with natural looking materials,
clever storage, reduced maintenance and lower
costs. Furniture and accessories are not just functional
though – colour and style is everything. Look for sofas,
swing chairs, softer retro, vintage and natural styles
in wicker, rattan or wrought iron. Complement your
seating with coffee tables, ottomans and bean bags.
Create magic and romance with colourful fairy lights,
fire pits and candles; they don’t just add warmth.
Install lighting that highlights the structure of your
plants. Outdoor rugs and sleekly designed seating
with cushions should come in pastel, natural and
fresher yellow and fuchsias colours for an up to the
minute look. Once your plants are in place your room
will be complete.
Miniature gardens will bring life and colour to your new
room, as well as coping in shade. Fill a large container
with tiny trees and shrubs like lemon cypress, boxwood,
euonymus japonica and carex berggenii. They’re easy
to manage and have minimal growth.
With dry weather, choose drought-resistant plants
that require minimal effort but give colour and structure
to your garden. Lavender and jasmine bring beautiful
aromas, grasses like cortaderia selloana or pennisetum
alopecuroides offer sound and colour. Fill your borders
with amaranthus (love lies bleeding) and calendula
officinalis (marigold). The RHS have more great ideas.
To add sophistication and glamour fill spaces, soften
structures and add colour. Pack window boxes with
bulbs to brighten the wall and pop plants like sedum
on your table tops. Place terracotta pots with flowers
and shrubs around the garden. Use vertical gardening
ideas to impress your friends – hang jars filled with
herbs on a wall or drill a hole in a plumbing pipe,
stand it upright and fill it with strawberries or trailing
tomatoes, securing it against breezes.
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