Saturday 16 December 2017

Guest post from Wendy Desler - Fall veggies to grow

Guest Post from Wendy Desler



Avid gardeners experience fall 
with mixed emotions. 

The work from the summer
and spring harvests is over. 


We have enjoyed the fresh vegetables 
that have brought our dinner tables to life. 


We have canned, frozen, 
and stored the bounty 
to get us through the cold 
days of winter.




But, do not put those garden 
gloves away just yet. 

There are many 
wonderful fall
crops just waiting for you.



Remove the mulch from your 
spring beds 
and prepare the soil. 

Once it is clean, add compost 
and peat moss to 
replace lost nutrients.


You are ready to add your seeds 
for a fall veggie garden.



Besides getting more fresh and 
nutritious foods for your table, 
the fall crops are extremely low 
in calories and very filling. 



This is a great way 
to fight the holiday
calorie stampede that is 
headed this way.




https://unsplash.com/photos/s8u1Gv2F3o





What to grow

Here are a few of the wonderful
 and nutritious 
vegetables that thrive in winter.



  • Beets
This is not the most popular 
veggie on the table, 

but they are full of nutrition and 
can be added 

to recipes for a delightfully 
different taste. For a jump start, 
soak the seeds overnight.


  • Broccoli
Broccoli is so packed with 
minerals and vitamins 
that you should include it in your diet
 as often as possible. 


Eat it raw with dip, 
steamed or mixed with stir-fry dishes.

  • Collards

Collard greens are very low in 
calories and they provide 
Vitamin A & C as well as manganese.


  • Carrots 
This is a great addition 
to your fall garden. 

The antioxidants found in carrots 
make them a favouite. 


You can process these veggies 
in your juicer for a sweet 
and fast pick me up.

  • Lettuce

Do not under estimate the 
power of lettuce. 

It is filling and fresh and it gives
 you potassium, 
biotin, vitamin B1, copper, iron
 and vitamin C. 


It is also a good source 
of vitamin B2, 
omega-3 fatty acids,
 
vitamin B6, phosphorous, cromium, 
magnesium, calcium and 
pantothenic acid. 


  • Green beans and pole beans 

Here is your protein punch! 
Green beans are 
a fast and abundant crop. 


Not only are they good nutrition, 
they are also delicious. 


You will have the holiday green
 bean casserole 
that will never be forgotten. Yum!


  • https://unspalsh.com/photos/0Ag8Er0D0qM


Herbs

Save a little room in your 
fall garden for fresh herbs. 

You only have a little while 
to get these 
plants in (before the first frost). 

But, consider growing these 
in a hanging garden. 


You can plant them in 
hanging coffee containers 
hung by a rope on your fence. 


That allows you to take 
them indoors on cold nights 
and adds some growing 
time and a lot of flavors. 


Here are our favorite fall herb garden plants:

  • Parsley
  • Sage

  • Rosemary
  • Thyme

  • Cilantro
  • Lavender
  • Mint

  • Chives

If you start now, you can 
reap a wonderful harvest that 
will carry you through winter months 
with even 
more flavor and nutrition 
you can imagine. 



So grab your seeds and get moving, 
before those frosty nights sneak up on you! 
You will be so glad you did. 




Thursday 9 November 2017

Seasonal fayre



9th November 2017




Well where did this year go to? 

I can't quite believe we are
 in November already, can you?




Don't you just love this plant?
It's so beautifully formed



It looks like a kind of seaweed 
don't you think?



Bare branched cornus look 
fabulous with their red, 
orange and yellow stems. 


They make quite a statement.  






Leaves are falling from 
deciduous trees 
turning from green 
to ambers.




        Lots of trees are still in beautiful
 colour like Liquid amber. 
It is a fabulous orangy, red.






What flowers can you still see 
now in November? 


Roses seem to flower and flower. 
It's been a good year for them. 



It is great when the season 
is extended.






As long as it stays relatively 
mild they will 
keep budding and flowering. 




Colour at a
London market





We all need something to 
give us cheer 
at this time of the year. 



Markets are great places 
to go to take it all in. 

So much to see and enjoy. 





We need colour around us 
at this time of the year 
as autumn fades 
 into less colour and 
the trees become 
bare and the season changes. 




Market stalls are fabulous
places to go.





I get so much inspiration from them. 


Florists in markets have amazing 
and unusual flowers on sale. 



But do ask before you photograph!


Do you like browsing around markets 
to see what inspires you too?






If you have a small green space
 or just a patio, 
why not buy some 
lovely shrubs 
like bay trees (in small pots) 
to use over the coming months. 




I love bay leaves in soups, 
in veggie casseroles. 


I pick them from my bay shrubs
 and then dry 
them and they keep for ages.  


The aroma is wonderful 
when you first pick them.






Autumn is here








Thanks to everyone 
for following my blog. 


Please post up a question on anything
 plant related and I will happily 
answer it as best I can.



See the bare branches of the shrubs now
Watch the orange and yellow leaves that 
fell to the ground.


Help our little feathered friends
 and feed them now. 

Saturday 18 March 2017

What do I mean by a 'Mini Garden?'



 Mini Gardens




Hello, it is Spring 2017.



My aim this season is to create for 
any new customer a 'Mini Garden.'


With my many years of Gardening 
I wanted to 
 share my knowledge
creating you a planting scheme
in a small space. 



Simply put, you can create a garden 
in any small space. 


So if you happen to have a bigger space, 
I can divide it up into 'rooms' or sections.



What I offer my customers


January 2020






Packages 

Bronze 

Garden design 
What to buy? 
Where to buy?
How or where to plant?

Cost £50.00- £70.00 depending 
on plot size



Silver 

All of the above plus
Weekly tips
Maintenance advice

£80.00 plus depending on plot size




Research what plants would 
be suitable for your 
Garden your geographical area,  
soil type, sun, shade etc)




























Additional services

Seasosnal planting  
in large pots and window boxes. 


Fee £20.00-£25.00





Please message Vanessa
 on :07944-868209