Sep 14 2009
Cold Winter Garden Tips Learned in Scotland
While on a trip to the United Kingdom, I came upon this wall garden on a small cottage in the town of Ayr, Scotland. I found it cute and decorative. Then I pondered the reasons why this sort of garden would be the owner’s choice for growing colorful annuals.
Growing Annuals in Cold Winter Areas
Annuals grow quickly from seed, can be started in a warmer are in the home or attached to the home and produce colorful blooms all season long. Many gardeners faced with a short growing season find growing seeds in a pot easy to do. Some colorful and easy to grow annuals include pansies, poppies, calendula, and nasturtium. I often buy seedlings of other favorites like petunia and prefer annuals that hang down the edges of a pot planted around a bushy, taller annual like daisies or sage.
Reasons for Gardening in Flower Pots
Gardening in pots is also easier for many senior citizens who have trouble bending, digging and crawling around the garden especially when the frosts leave late as in Ayr, Scotland. The picture shows space is quite tight. The flowers soften the otherwise harsh look of the driveway. Attaching hooks onto your house siding can be easy to do using a molley bolt or hook. The flat sided pots are good choices for a narrow area rather than a hanging basket.
Maintaining Your Container Annuals
Most annuals will go to seed after blooming. Once a plant goes to seed, it will often bloom less. Cut or pull off dead blossoms to keep your annuals from going to seed and out of your driveway. Many use round up to kill weeds or plants growing in the driveway. I prefer to dig them out if possible. Keep your annuals well fertilized, once weekly of a liquid plant food will keep them happy. Water in stages, add a container of water and let it leach through the basket, then water thoroughly to verify the container is well saturated. Wait until the container feels light or the plants begin to wilt before watering again.
Additional Resources for Winter Gardening
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