Ryan's Garden

RHS Chelsea Flower Show: Part 3

2012-05-24T10:10:00.000+01:00

As to be expected, the Chelsea gardens were awash with great features and ideas to take home. This post will highlight a few of my personal favourites.

The above image shows Jo Thompson's caravan 'Doris' which was a true hit at the show. Doris, although vintage, is incredibly modern with her shiny exterior and works so well as an alternative to a garden room or shed. Jo's 'Celebration of Caravanning' for The Caravan Club also included a gorgeous little wooden dog kennel (just visible on the left of the above image) with a green roof that included Alpine Strawberries. The kennel had it's own down-pipe that harvests rainwater, which then flows in to a dog bowl. A brilliant idea.

The hammock, pictured above, is again taken from Jo Thompson's garden 'Celebration of Caravanning' . Created by Carmel Meade, this hammock is beautifully crafted and positioned to avoid the heat of the day. A place to read or snooze perhaps?

Not strictly a garden item as such, but Georgie Newberry's beautiful button holes were out of this world and I wore mine with pride on press day. Georgie, who runs Common Farm Flowers, also provided the cut flowers for Jo Thompson's garden.

Jo Swift's: 'Homebase Teenage Cancer Trust Garden' had several features that I adored and this stone water feature (above) was my favourite. I like how the water rises up through the stone and flows rather informally along its surface before trickling over in to the rusty edged pool.

Another chunky stone water feature could be found in the Veolia Water 'Naturally Dry' garden, designed by Vicky Harris Garden Design. This really is a dream-worthy feature for me and something I would take home in an instant. I loved the way that water is collected in the stone trough after trickling down the rusty chains attached to the roof. Not a new feature but it really works well.

A garden that attracted a lot of attention was the 'Satoyama Life' garden from the Ishihara Kazuyuki Design Laboratory. Moss balls were a constant feature throughout the garden but I loved the use of it on the garden shed/room.

Vertical pillars made of pudding stone and planted with ferns looked splendid in 'The Renault Garden' by James Basson. One of the new "Fresh" gardens, Basson utilised recycled materials and used fantastic informal lighting to weave in between upright planting.

Titled 'Glamourlands: a Techno-Folly' this RHS sponsored garden with Heywood & Condie certainly stood out. I loved the pure fantasy that this garden portrayed and the bejewelled sculpture that had a distinct octopus-like quality.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show: Part 2

2012-05-23T08:00:00.000+01:00

Meconopsis punicea

Show gardens, celebrities, designers and who got what medal are the main headlines during Chelsea week but we all know that the plants are the true stars of the show.

As I wandered through the gardens and stands I kept a keen look out for individual plants that I liked or hadn’t seen before and I’ve dedicated this post to just a handful of them.

Meconopsis x cookie ‘Old Rose’

Meconopsis on the Harperley Hall Farm Nurseries display really grabbed my attention. Meconopsis are fast becoming a love of mine. Meconopsis cambrica is looking great in my garden at present and I wouldn’t mind adding Meconopsis punicea and Meconopsis x cookie ‘Old Rose’ to the collection.

Aquilegia viridiflora ‘Chocolate Soldier’ with Geum ‘Marmalade’ in the background

Aquilegias are everywhere at Chelsea this year but one particular cultivar stood out for me. Much more subtle than most with small chocolate brown and lime green hues, Aquilegia viridiflora ‘Chocolate Soldier’ looked splendid mixed with Geum ‘Marmalade’ at the ‘APCO Garden’.

Trifolium repens ‘Dragon’s Blood’

Trifolium repens ‘Dragon’s Blood’ was a surprise find from Edulis Nursery. I loved the green and cream leaves with dark red veining down the centre, the dragons blood. I could see me using this in containers as it would certainly add interest and brighten the display.

Peony ‘Clair de Lune’

And finally, my last pick comes from Andy Sturgeon’s: ‘The M&G Garden’. Peony ‘Clair de Lune’, referred to as the fried egg flower by one onlooker at the show, stood out amongst a sea of smaller flowering plants. This Peony has creamy-white petals contrasted by a yolky centre of stamens and dark red stems.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show: Part 1

2012-05-22T12:03:00.002+01:00

After one rather long train ride and an uncertain tube journey, I found myself in a slightly grubby, if not generous guesthouse, with views to the London Eye and Big Ben. I had made my pilgrimage to London for the annual RHS Chelsea Flower Show – the pinnacle of the UK gardening calendar.

A quick walk was all it took to get to the show yesterday morning and after collecting my pass and meeting up with the delightful Emma Bond I made my way in to the show.

I must add at this point that I’m a complete Chelsea virgin. I have seen bits and bobs on TV and followed the progress of many a fellow tweeter or blogger but attending the show in person was a completely new experience and one that had fostered much excitement and expectation.

I rushed past the big show gardens on the way to find the press tent so that I could drop off my now shoulder destroying luggage. On my mad dash through I noticed that everything looked rather splendid, although final touches were still being made. There was a lot of light coloured stone on show and rather similar planting schemes and colours but at this early point nothing on the main avenue immediately caught my eye. Of course, there was one rather unmissable structure - 'The Westland Magical Garden' by Diarmuid Gavin (pictured above), which from the screams of people coming down the slide and the large queue, appeared to be a great deal of fun.

On leaving the press tent Jihae Hwang’s: ‘Quiet Time: Korean DMZ Forbidden Garden’ (pictured above), really grabbed my attention. For a very “quiet” and somewhat subdued garden, in the shadow of Diarmuid’s giant pyramidal erection, it really managed to not only grab me but hold me. I returned to this garden at least three or four times throughout the day. Each time I saw more and more detail and found more and more meaning. The Chelsea hum and chaos didn’t exist here.

The idea behind this garden, in Jihae Whang's own words, was to "demonstrate nature’s versatility and resilience in a place that was once full of destruction. The main theme being the healing and restoring power of nature and circulation of life". "The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves a buffer zone between North and South Korea ... The disturbance to this ecosystem, during the Korean War (1950-1953) was great and came to an end with the Armistice Agreement of July 27. 60 years on, this area has become a natural sanctuary for rare birds and endangered plants" (Jihae Hwang, 2012).

This was a garden with depth, intensity and heart. It had no real gimmicks, it certainly didn’t conform to others around it and it successfully conveyed the message it set out to send. The degree of detail was astounding. From the dog tags commemorating war veterans and victims on the garden bench, to the stream that defies any human barriers, the letters from separated families in bottles along the rusty barbed wire fence and the perfectly placed planting -this garden was a triumph and possibly my favourite.

On a purely aesthetic level, Joe Swift’s: 'Homebase Teenage Cancer Trust Garden' (pictured above) was also very enjoyable. With it’s rusty colour palette and cedar wood frames it felt like a complete garden that was both functional and great to look at. I really liked the use of water and rock, although I did joke somewhat about the rather large sacrifical slab at the very front of the garden, which I now know is in fact an ‘oversized horizontally-sliced boulder’.

In many of the show gardens the colour scheme appeared quite muted and similar but I did enjoy the use of red in Cleve West’s: 'Brewin Dolphin Garden' (above). Although limited, the use of Ladybird poppies really did lift the garden along with the zingy greens of the Euphorbias.

In the Artisan Garden category I really enjoyed Willmott White's: The APCO Garden. This garden was created as a space for discussion and decision-making and it’s enclosed seating area was just great with its boundaries made from recycled Italian stone. I really like the planting scheme, especially the Aquilegia viridiflora ‘Chocolate Soldier’ which was set off beautifully by Geum ‘Marmalade’.

My day started slow as I tried to make sense of the mass of gardens and information competing for my attention. As the day progressed and I found the time to digest things away from the many distractions I started to find my way slightly. The gardens above are just a few that caught my attention with Jihae Hwang’s: ‘Quiet Time: Korean DMZ Forbidden Garden’ being the star of the show and Willmott White's: 'The APCO Garden' standing out as a garden I could see being used in an urban setting and offering some inspiration for my garden at home.

There's still more to come on my Chelsea adventures so keep an eye on the blog for future posts and don't forget to enter my latest competition in association with Sarah Raven's Kitchen Garden.

Looking forward to Chelsea

2012-05-18T14:07:00.000+01:00

Next week we see the unveiling of the Chelsea Flower Show, the cherry on the top of the RHS cake. All the great and the good will be displaying their wares, wandering around the site casting a beady eye on what’s on show and celebrating the big event.

As a first timer to the show I really have no idea of what to expect. Of course, I’ve seen Chelsea on the TV many a time and visited other shows but a show of this scale and prestige really is a different beast.

I’m particularly excited to see the show gardens and I'm eager to get some good design ideas. I’m hoping to see something new and exciting that will get the cogs turning and possibly initiate some action on my part. The Fresh Show Garden category sounds like this could just be the ticket although every garden has potential to wow. Little has happened in my garden or at the allotment since I last posted as work really has dominated my days but I have a feeling that with a newfound motivation things are about to change.

I'm hoping that the Great Pavillion will also inspire and that I'll be able to find some new plants and dual purpose plants that are both decorative and edible. I'll also be looking to see what's new and get a few tips from the growers.

Here's to Chelsea 2012!

Ryan's Garden Competition: Win Sarah Raven Chrysanthemums

2012-05-17T19:42:00.000+01:00

Image: Jonathan Buckley

It's been a while since the last competition ended but this one is a real corker. With most of the bad weather behind us, fingers crossed, it's the perfect time for planting and looking forward to Summer.

Sarah Raven plants are known for their quality, beauty and are of course tried and tested and I couldn't be more pleased to be able to offer one reader the chance to win a selection of Chrysanthemums, which when in flower are perfect for cutting. The Abundant Collection (12 cutting) is the my choice of prize and I hope you love the selection as much as I do.

To be in with a chance of winning just answer the question below:

'Where does Sarah trial her seeds, bulbs and plants?

When you think you know the answer to the above question, leave a comment in the comments box at the bottom of this post. You can gain additional entries to the competition by retweeting @ryansgarden promoting the offer on twitter or by sharing a link from the Ryan’s Garden Facebook page (you must like the page to share the link). The number of entries will not increase if you retweet or share links more than once.

Good luck and don’t forget to subscribe to the Ryan’s Garden blog to ensure you don’t miss out on future competitions and posts.

Terms and conditions: This competition closes at 23.59 on 31.05.2012. Any entries received after this time will not be counted. If for any reason the particular prize is out of stock then an appropriate alternative will be sought. Entrants must be UK residents aged 18 years or older to enter. By entering this competition you agree and consent to your name being published and by taking part in the competition, entrants are deemed to have read, understood and accepted all of the Terms and Conditions and agreed to be bound by them. The winner will be selected at random and will be announced here on the blog.

Today I tasted Summer

2012-05-01T18:51:00.000+01:00

Today I tasted a little bit of Summer. Sat on the edge of one of my allotment raised beds with the sun on my back just watching my hens. Several Bumbles buzzed by on their way to the fruit bushes that line my plot, a cabbage white, harlequin ladybird and peacock butterfly are all sunning themselves on the leaves of my rhubarb and not a sound is to be heard. This tiny little plot that holds little meaning for anyone who walks on by but its heaven for me in that moment.

Looking over the broad beans and leeks, watching the girls go about their pecking, scratching and preening I honestly think I could have lost hours. Of course, I didn't as my iPhone was in my pocket and as usual it completely ruined everything. I'm back to reality with a bump.

For over a week or so I've been glued to a computer screen. Creating and updating spreadsheets, writing articles and arguing with lots of different service providers. I've recently entered the world of self-employment, creating a new business with my partner and it's meant little time for gardening. Of course, the rain and howling winds had also put pay to this, but having endured quite some time with eyes glued to my computer I needed a little time alone at the plot.

I seized the moment today as after what seemed like an eternal monsoon had passed the sun came out. I have a broody hen at the plot and so I planned on visiting her and giving her a few golfballs to sit on until I can provide her with some fertilised eggs, which are currently resting in my kitchen having been posted from deepest, darkest England. That done, I inspected all the crops and went about my jobs. Everything appeared perfect.

To say I've been feeling a little apathetic about gardens and gardening lately is an understatement. My mind has been solely on the business. I didn't go to RHS Cardiff, although I'm not sure I missed a great deal, I've done little at the allotment and I've done absolutely nothing in the garden. I've found myself yawning and nodding off during Gardeners' World and I don't think I've read a handful of blog posts, which I usually consume quicker than cake. But that little moment at the allotment may have just given me that little spark I needed! We'll see.

Shades of Green and Blue

2012-04-20T08:00:00.000+01:00

The past few weeks have been a bit of a blur. Since leaving the 9-5 and going it alone I’ve found myself busier than ever and this has been reflected in a serious lack of time to blog, tweet and garden (shock horror). I’ve found myself writing and blogging for several other sources, which is great fun as well as bringing in an income, but this blog, where it all began, has been neglected somewhat. I’m now in a place where the dust has started to settle a bit and I can see that boundaries need to be drawn so that I can manage things a bit better. This means that I can also find time to do the things that I love once more.

It hasn’t been all work and no play though. I’ve been able to sow a few seeds and repot the tomatoes, chillies and cut flowers. I’ve also started to put the hazel obelisks in to place at the allotment ahead of planting the beans and peas and I have plans to create hazel sweet pea supports too. Hazel always looks so much nicer than bamboo, I think, and as it’s locally sourced (from the private wood at our stables) you can’t really go wrong.

Harvests have also been quite good lately. The chickens are now in full lay and over the past week even Edna my Lavender Araucana, who I wrote about in Operation Araucana, has also started to lay. This news is a sure sign that she is well on her way to being fully accepted in to the flock. Her gorgeous blue/green eggs are always a favourite and certainly improve the look of the egg-skelter.

The Rhubarb has also been producing well and we’ve enjoyed the first crumble of the year. Rhubarb is a big favourite of mine and I can foresee many more cake, crumble and other desserts and dishes to come. The purple sprouting broccoli has produced well but in an effort to clean up the plot and with a large slosh of optimism, I left it uncovered. This has resulted in several well-fed pigeons and slightly less well-fed humans.

In other news, the latest competition winner, winning two gorgeous solid granite table torches from Garden Items, is @ericahughes. Congratulations! But it doesn’t end there! Our next competition will launch soon and this time it’s in association with the fabulous Sarah Raven. Keep your eyes peeled!

New blooms from the cutting garden

2012-04-08T16:23:00.000+01:00

Where once there were blue skies, now we find grey. It’s hard to believe it but only a week ago I found myself sun burnt after a morning of potato planting but it’s true. Over the course of a few hours at the allotment, in which I planted a mix of first and second earlies and a crop of maincrop spuds, I found myself with a light lobsteresque sheen that over the course of an evening developed to a nice shade of Pantone 1777. That week of beautiful weather, in which most gardeners reveled, has now been replaced by a heavy patch of gloom and we again find ourselves looking ahead to Summer but will we get one?

For now, new growth and fresh blooms pierce the melancholic hues of April giving light relief and hope of things yet to come. I guess to many this drizzly and damp patch is heaven sent but there is no hosepipe ban here and the soil has barely dried out from Winter. A few more weeks of sunshine would have been welcomed but alas, it was not meant to be.

Only last weekend I cut the first of the blooms from the cutting garden, a mix of tulips and daffodils that remain almost perfect on my hall side table as I write. A jumble of bargain bucket and poundshop bulbs, they are nothing special but they have truly earned their place on the plot and continue to produce masses of gorgeous blooms that allow me to bring a splash of sunshine indoors on the gloomiest of days. This will continue for a few more weeks yet as there are plenty more to cut and I'm hoping that this will last until the sunshine reappears. Aside from the vase pictured above, I’ve also combined dark red tulips with a gorgeous peach Chaenomele to produce a fiery combination.

Over the next year the cutting garden will expand with the addition of yet more Dahlias, Gladioli, Lillies, and many other gorgeous annual and perennial plants, most of which are waiting in my garden, ready to be planted in to the second cutting garden on my other allotment plot. Other bulbs lurk in cardboard boxes awaiting their time to unfurl their potential and I just need the time now to get planting.

In competition news, the winner of the bulbs ‘in the green’ from Thompson & Morgan is Rosie (@leavesnbloom). Please email: ryan@ryansgarden.co.uk to claim your prize.

Operation Araucana

2012-03-17T07:00:00.000Z

Edna foraging in the garden last year

Chicken introductions rarely go without a peck or two but generally, after a few weeks of discord, a wave of harmony appears to fall on the newly adjusted and coherent flock of egg laying machines. This was not the case initially with Edna the Lavender Araucana.

Edna is a special bird, smaller than the rest of my hens, incredibly docile and with some sort of distorted depth perception, which would almost certainly afford her guaranteed membership to the ministry of silly walks, especially when trying to exit the hen house.

I bought Edna nearly a year ago along with Sophia la Hen and another hen who now resides with my uncle. Whilst Sophia and the other hen seemed to get along well with the rest of the girls it was all too much for Edna who sustained a small injury in the first week or so. Anyone who keeps chickens will know just how magnetised they are to the tiniest speck of blood and this unfortunately resulted in her being removed from the coop and taking up residence in my bathroom for a month or two whilst her small wound healed.

Since then she's lived in her own coop and run in my back garden and more recently, over the last six months or so, directly alongside the other girls. Overtime I’ve tried to let the girls get used to one another whilst free ranging but the meek Edna has just hidden away. I’ve considered giving her away many times but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it as she’s become part of the furniture and her little blue/green eggs are to die for.

Three weeks ago I made a decision. I was going to try a second time to integrate her in to the flock and if that failed she would go off to live with a friend who has other Araucanas. Under the cover of darkness one Thursday night, ‘Operation Araucana’ begun. This day was chosen as I would be able to check on her several times a day for the following week to make sure she came to no harm. Strangely, things appeared to go well. Of course, there was a lot of chicken noise and a bit of argy bargy initially but all in all Edna appeared more aware of her surroundings, her safe places and she was able to stave off anything beyond a bit of pecking.

Nearly four weeks in and she’s almost a member of the flock. She’s still slightly unsure of her place and this results in her getting a few pecks, but you can see that her confidence is growing by the day and she has started to feed and drink happily with the rest of the girls. To say I’m pleased is an understatement. All we need now is an egg and I'm hoping it’s not too far off!

In competition news, the winner of the flymo lawnmower is: Sue McDermott (@susiemcd1). Please have a look at the competitions and offers page to see what else could be won!

Ryan's Garden Competition: Win two granite garden torches

2012-03-16T07:00:00.000Z

As March has been so grey and damp lately I thought I'd go ahead and spoil you all with not one but two competitions. In partnership with Garden Items, I'm delighted to offer you all the chance to win a pair of Talli stone table torches.

To be in with a chance of winning just answer the question below:

What is the main body of the Talli torch made from?

When you think you know the answer to the above question, leave a comment in the comments box at the bottom of this post. You can gain additional entries to the competition by retweeting@ryansgarden promoting the offer on twitter or by sharing a link from the Ryan’s Garden Facebook page (you must like the page to share the link). The number of entries will not increase if you retweet or share links more than once.

Good luck and don’t forget to subscribe to the Ryan’s Garden blog to ensure you don’t miss out on future competitions and posts.

Terms and conditions: This competition closes at 23.59 on 13.04.2012. Any entries received after this time will not be counted. Entrants must be UK residents aged 18 years or older to enter. By entering this competition you agree and consent to your name being published and by taking part in the competition, entrants are deemed to have read, understood and accepted all of the Terms and Conditions and agreed to be bound by them. The winner will be selected at random and will be announced here on the blog.

Ryan's Garden Competition: Win garden bulbs 'in the green'

2012-03-14T07:30:00.000Z

The kind people at Thompson & Morgan have kindly offered one lucky reader the chance to win over £40 worth of Spring bulbs 'in the green'. The prize will comprise of 75 single Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis), 50 double Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis f. pleniflorus 'Flore Pleno') and 75 English Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta).

To be in with a chance of winning this prize simply answer the following question:

What is the name of the new dark black Thompson & Morgan Hyacinth cultivar?

When you think you know the answer to the above question, leave a comment in the comments box at the bottom of this post. You can gain additional entries to the competition by retweeting@ryansgarden promoting the offer on twitter or by sharing a link from the Ryan’s Garden Facebook page (you must like the page to share the link). The number of entries will not increase if you retweet or share links more than once.

Good luck and don’t forget to subscribe to the Ryan’s Garden blog to ensure you don’t miss out on future competitions and posts.

Terms and conditions: This competition closes at 23.59 on 30.03.2012. Any entries received after this time will not be counted. Entrants must be UK residents aged 18 years or older to enter. By entering this competition you agree and consent to your name being published and by taking part in the competition, entrants are deemed to have read, understood and accepted all of the Terms and Conditions and agreed to be bound by them. The winner will be selected at random and will be announced here on the blog.

Attenborough announces new 3D plants series

2012-03-08T21:20:00.000Z

Sir David Attenborough in the orchid room in Kew's Princess of Wales Conservatory. Photograph: Will Benson ©Atlantic Productions

I’m extremely excited about the announcement that Sir David Attenborough has written and presented a brand new series: ‘Kingdom of Plants 3D’ that is soon to air. Anything Attenborough puts his name to is synonymous with amazing photography, perfect narration and a wealth of fascination rarely threatened by any other source, and what’s more, this time it’s in 3D!

I’ve grown up watching Sir David and to say I’m a fan is a huge understatement. ‘The Private Life of Plants’ was lost on me the first time around, as I was always much more interested in documentaries focused on the animal kingdom when young, but later on I came to love it just as much as I did the others and once again I find myself incredibly excited by what’s just around the corner.

‘Kingdom of Plants 3D’ is a mini-series divided in to three parts that is due to air on Sky 3D in May. Filmed over the course of a year at one of my favourite places - the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the series sets out to reveal a fascinating new look at plant life through the use of 3D time-lapse filming techniques.

Each of the three 50 minute episodes will cover a different area of plant life. Life in the Wet Zone looks at the adaptation of plants to wet and humid environments, with episode two, Solving the Secrets, exploring the behind-the-scenes lives of plant movement, scent and communication. Survival, the concluding episode, focuses on the continual adaptation of plants as well as a look at Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, which houses almost two billion seeds of more than 30,000 species of wild plants to ensure their future for generations to come.

Sir David commented:

“One of the most wonderful things about filming plants is that you can reveal hidden aspects of their lives. You can capture the moment as one plant strangles another, and as they burst into flower. But whilst time-lapse photography allows you to see things that no human being has ever seen before, the added element of 3D takes the audience even further still. Stamens extend and burst to reveal their pollen grains in exquisite detail, and we can see close-up the incredible insects that partner up with these plants. The whole experience in 3D is just entrancing, and hypnotically beautiful.”

All that I need now is a 3D TV!

Kingdom of Plants 3D airs in May 2012 on Sky 3D and will be simulcast in 2D on Sky Atlantic HD.

The worlds most expensive snowdrop: a sound investment

2012-02-17T20:28:00.000Z

Yesterday saw many gardeners and galanthophiles alike with mouths agape at the news that the Snowdrop 'Elizabeth Harrison' had sold on ebay for the princely sum of £725 for a single bulb. At the time the bidder was completely unknown and of course this brought with it the usual whispers, outrage, and general shock that someone could justify the expense. But today is another day and the story has developed somewhat.

In a statement it was confirmed that "On Thursday 16 February at 14:40 after a bidding frenzy of over 30 bidders Thompson & Morgan, the Ipswich based mail order plant and seed company, acquired the world’s most expensive snowdrop Galanthus woronowii ‘Elizabeth Harrison’ for £725." On reflection, this makes much more economic sense and is more acceptable when compared with the notion that the bulb was winging its way to some private collection never to be seen again. After all, as with many other rare and unusual plants with potential to sell in large numbers, this pretty little gem of a plant will now go in to propagation until it becomes available for general sale. Plus, this so called bidding frenzy has created quite a nice bit of spin to get the orders rolling in!

The teacup flower

2012-02-15T19:55:00.001Z

In my latest Fennel and Fern post I toast the beautiful teacup flower (Jovellana punctata). To read more please click the screen shot above.

Ryan’s Garden Competition: Win a Flymo lawnmower

2012-02-10T10:11:00.000Z

In the grip of late winter, and with this week’s snow and ice, it seems almost alien to be thinking of lawn mowers and mowing the lawn, but then again us gardeners are nothing if not prepared. So, in the true spirit of preparation and to get you ready for that much needed cut I have a great prize on offer.

If you would like to be in with a chance of winning a Flymo hover compact 300 simply answer the question below.

According to the Flymo website, when was Flymo founded?

When you think you have the answer, leave a comment in the comments box at the bottom of this post. You can gain additional entries to the competition by retweeting @ryansgarden promoting the offer on twitter or by sharing a link from the Ryan’s Garden Facebook page (you must like the page to share the link). The number of entries will not increase if you retweet or share links more than once.

Good luck and don’t forget to subscribe to the Ryan’s Garden blog to ensure you don’t miss out on future competitions and posts.

Terms and conditions: This competition closes at 23.59 on 02.03.2012. Any entries received after this time will not be counted. Entrants must be UK residents aged 18 years or older to enter. By entering this competition you agree and consent to your name being published and by taking part in the competition, entrants are deemed to have read, understood and accepted all of the Terms and Conditions and agreed to be bound by them. The winner will be selected at random and will be announced here on the blog.

Winter: normal service is resumed

2012-02-02T17:38:00.001Z

I take it all back. In my last post – ‘A Winter’s technical hitch’, I commented on how the seasons were all out of kilter and how we could really benefit from a cold snap to reset the natural order. Well, I got what I asked for and more. But after nearly a week of having the heating on 24/7 and battling with keeping animals watered I’ve had enough now.

So far today I’ve jumped up and down in the middle of a frozen field in an effort to break the ice in the horses water barrel, nearly got myself stuck to the metal gate with wet hands (again) and chipped away at completely frozen chicken drinkers. Suffice to say, I don’t want this to go on for much longer.

There is a bright side to this cold weather of course and for that I’m eternally grateful. It’s just that I’m British and we do like to whinge a little (a lot!) about the weather. As I write this I’m smiling like some sadistic Bond villain as I just imagine the little terrors that are being frozen at the plot. A good cold winter really does pay dividends in terms of pest control and even if it just makes a small dent in the slug and pest population I’ll be happy. That being said, I can’t wait to start get things growing at the plot and I hope that the next couple of weeks will see the soil thaw and the days warm a little.

If you entered my last competition with Seed Parade I have news. Three lucky winners have now been selected at random and will receive £20 worth of seeds! The three lucky winners are: Kayleigh Parr (@allotmentvs), Celia (@celiahart) and Jo Young (@BoostieBoo). Congratulations to you all! Could you please email: ryan@ryansgarden.co.uk with your contact details and we can arrange for you to receive your prizes.

In other competition news, I have an absolutely fantastic prize coming up next so please keep your eyes peeled for details on how to enter.

The new allotment: soil improvers

2012-01-26T22:00:00.000Z

In my latest Guardian blog post I talk about soil and how best to feed it. Click the screenshot above to be taken to the website or click here.

A Winter's technical hitch

2012-01-21T23:10:00.000Z

Hamamelis x intermedia in my garden

The seasons appear to be in the midst of a technical hitch. Perhaps it’s just that there’s a delay or it could just be that a proper Winter has just passed us by only to be replaced by a semi-spring. Whatever the actual reason, I wouldn’t mind a little bit of a cold snap to return a bit of natural order to proceedings and reset the balance of the seasons. Oh, and kill a few slugs too!

On a similar stroke, things have been a little bit behind schedule on the blogging front too (apologies) but life, work, animals, taking on the role of allotment secretary and starting a new business have all eaten away at my time. So, to make up for lost posts I’ve put together a mini-roundup of what’s been going on.

I completed my ‘Image of the Day’ goal! When looking back over my photographs from last year it’s hard to believe that the allotment and garden was covered in a thick blanket of frost on this day a year ago. This library of images, mainly consisting of cake and dogs if you haven’t already had a gander, has proven itself quite valuable as a useful resource from which to reminisce, compare previous years growth and pretty much anything else you want from it. From tracking my days I now know that one of my orchids has flowered for over a year, I can see that the frogs at the allotment have spawned almost a month earlier than last year and then of course, the blatantly obvious – I make and eat a lot of cake! I’ve decided that I’m going to carry on with it as an addition to the blog and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do too.

Galanthus nivalis pushing their way through dead Iris sibirica foliage

In terms of weather and the garden, we’ve had quite a mild and damp start to the year. Despite this my garden doesn’t appear to be too badly affected as my snowdrops are on time, my Iris’ are slightly earlier than last year and the other plants aren’t knocked completely off kilter. One of the plants that did surprise me in the garden though, and not because of it’s unseasonably early flowering this time, was the Hamamelis or Witch Hazel. Last year it didn’t do a thing beyond looking slightly miserable and out of place but this year it’s already outdone itself. Smothered in blooms it’s doing exactly what I planted it for – providing a good splash of colour and early season scent. I have no idea why it’s put on such a show this year but I can’t help but think the milder weather has helped coupled with lots of moisture in the soil.

In other gardens things are quite different. In complete contrast to my garden I noticed that Fuschias, Lobelia, Geraniums, Osteospermum, Antirhinnum, Hydrangeas, Roses and many other plants including a Loganberry and a Blueberry at the allotment were all in full flower. Many plants simply appear to be continuing to grow and bloom when they should almost certainly be dead or at least dormant. I have a sneaky feeling that Mother Nature will redress this balance shortly.

At the allotment the new beds are coming along well and I’ve added my homemade compost to the new lasagne beds. This stuff is two years old and should be like rocket fuel as not only does it have plenty of green material in it but it also has a lot of well-rotted chicken manure too. The beds are in quite a shady spot and so I’m contemplating growing quite a few greens and other tolerant crops. The other beds are still waiting to be forked over but as the soil is so wet I’m holding off on this for now. The eight inherited currant bushes on the new plot have been pruned to open them up and improve their structure and in terms of harvest I’m pretty much out of winter veg. There are a few holy cabbages left to eat and beyond that it’s just kale, purple sprouting broccoli and leeks left. In fact, I think the chickens have eaten more of the greens than I have.

And that’s it for now. If you‘ve recently taken on a new allotment plot please don’t forget to take a look at my Guardian blog and for those of you who would love to win £20 of free seed just click here to enter the competition.

New Year competition: win £20 of seeds

2012-01-02T20:59:00.000Z

To get the New Year off to the best start possible I’m offering three lucky people the chance to win £20 of seed from the fantastic Seed Parade. You’ll get to choose for yourself which seeds you want to win and if you take a look at the Seed Parade site you’ll begin to realise that this prize really will allow you to buy a lot of excellent quality seed.

To enter the competition, simply leave the answer to the question in the comments section below. If you retweet @ryansgarden promoting the offer or share a link from the competition on the Ryan’s Garden Facebook page (you must like the page to share the link) let me know in the comments section below and you’ll gain an additional entry to the competition. The number of entries will not increase if you retweet or share links more than once.

Question: Which Beetroot cultivar from Seed Parade did I grow last year?

Good luck and a big thanks to everyone who has supported Ryan’s Garden over the years including the readers, sponsors and the great companies that have offered some excellent prizes for our regular competitions.

Here’s hoping 2012 is as fruitful as the last!

Terms and conditions: This competition closes at 23.59 on 31.01.2012. Any entries received after this time will not be counted. Entrants must be UK residents aged 18 years or older to enter. By entering this competition you agree and consent to your name being published and by taking part in the competition, entrants are deemed to have read, understood and accepted all of the Terms and Conditions and agreed to be bound by them. The winner will be selected at random and will be announced here on the blog.

The new allotment: the evil weeds

2011-12-29T11:20:00.000Z

In my latest post for the Guardian I talk about weeds on the allotment. To read more just click on the image above or click here.

Ryan's Garden: Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T09:57:00.000Z

Sorry everyone for the delay in posting but it’s Christmas, my dog ate my last blog post and my alarm clock didn’t go off? Okay, not all of that’s strictly true but one thing we do know is that I haven’t blogged for what seems like an age. Apologies to those of you that read the blog regularly but what with everything else going on I had neither the time nor the inclination to write here. My care of the garden and allotment has also been completely negligent of late but then again there’s not a lot happening out there right now.

I’ve experienced several firsts recently and there have also been some interesting developments since I last updated you. The seasonal man-flu came, followed by two and a bit weeks of jury duty and now another head cold, not quite as bad as the man-flu, is leading me in to Christmas. As you can imagine I’ve not had a lot of time to do much what with work, shopping and the mini-farm but there have been a few bits and bobs going on.

In a strange twist of fate and after a typically charged allotment AGM (do these ever run smoothly?), I have become the allotment secretary. Despite me attending with absolutely no intention of taking on any responsibility and after telling my other half that I was in no way taking on a role, I was somehow thrown in to it. I heard someone propose me, I saw a brief flash of hands and that was that. At the time I was still pondering how a lager shandy could cost £2.80 so I guess I can always back track and blame the shock.

I’ve made three massive Christmas cakes, which I can’t wait to devour and I’ve also put together my annual wreath for the front door (above), this time from what I found at the allotment. The main wreath is made from a stunning red Dogwood, probably Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’, and it’s decorated simply with Ivy and piece of ribbon I found in the cupboard. The letters were the only bit that I bought and cost the grand sum of £2.49. I’ll try to keep the wreath ring, if it lasts, and I’ll see if it’s something I can possibly reuse in future. If not it should compost down well or add to he dead hedge that’s now completed.

And lastly, as many of you will know by now, largely due to the fact it’s the only thing posted on the blog for around a month, I’m writing a regular series of posts for The Guardian on ‘The New Allotment’. The next piece in the series will be published shortly so keep your eyes peeled.

And that’s it. I sincerely hope that you have a great Christmas and I’ll see you in the New Year!

My Guardian blog: The new allotment

2011-11-25T16:46:00.000Z

Today saw the launch of a new series of blogs posts I'm writing for The Guardian. Posts will focus on taking on and developing an allotment plot and this will run on a monthly basis.

I really hope you enjoy the new blog (just click the image above) and I look forward to reading your comments!

Ryan

A Quick Allotment Update and the Competition Winner

2011-11-20T16:45:00.001Z

With the days becoming ever darker and with the cooling temperature there is little for me to do in my garden or on the allotment plots aside from tidying up and carrying out a little bit of landscaping work. Even if I wanted to do more the chances of me doing so any time other than a weekend is highly unlikely, unless of course I don a head-torch and garden by torchlight (there's an idea!).

The focus at the plot right now is on finishing off the dead hedge around the chicken coop, with the stems from the 12ft Buddleia I cut down, and then mulching the remaining beds that lay empty. All of the garlic has been planted ahead of colder weather and this year I'm growing eight different types in all: Elephant garlic, Albigensian Wight, Lautrec Wight, Picardy Wight, Solent Wight, Chesnok Wight, German Red and a Purple Heritage variety. After last years success I'm really looking forward to see how each performs. I'm also toying with the idea of sowing broad beans at the moment but I'm yet to find the time. My spring sown crop did really well so there's no issue if I don't get round to it. Hopefully I'll get a chance next weekend if frost hasn't arrived by then.

Parsnips, Cabbage, Kale and Brussels Sprouts are all ripe for the picking and I'm just waiting for a nice frost to sweeten the parsnip roots. The chickens continue with their moult and are now lacking tails and bum feathers, which makes them look quite ridiculous. At least we're still getting one or two eggs a day.

In other news the the 'grow your own' book giveaway has come to an end and James Howard was selected at random as the lucky winner. I really hope you enjoy the books as they are both great reads. Also, for those of you that didn't enter keep your eyes peeled as another competition is just around the corner!

Dahlias: To Store or Not to Store?

2011-11-08T21:47:00.000Z

With the first frosts of this Winter making themselves known the question of whether or not to lift tender perennials, especially those that are tuberous, raises its head and this annual dilemma looms large at the forefront of my mind.

In many areas of the country lifting is not so much of an option as it is an essential part of garden maintenance. In my part of the world, however, you could probably get away with a deep mulch of organic matter and a large dollop of hope. Last winter, of course, was the exception to this otherwise carefree approach and the lingering seed of doubt that was sown begs the question - to store or not to store?

If you follow my blog you will have read about my pound shop cutting garden. The Dahlias were definitely the stars of the show and as such I want to make sure that I can repeat this next year, despite their somewhat low cost. Lifting and storing the tubers will be nothing more than a 10-20 minute job but the task itself will allow me to save what I currently have and increase my stock next year if I choose to take cuttings.

To lift your Dahlias, simply wait for the first frosts to blacken the leaves, cut down all top growth to around 15cm (6 inches) and lift the tubers carefully with a fork. The cut foliage can then be added to the compost bin. Remove all loose soil and fine roots from the tubers and place them upside down, with the stems facing downwards, in a wooden box or plastic tray (the kind you find at fruit and vegetable markets). Leave the tubers to dry for around 3 weeks in a frost free place and then place the tubers the right way up and cover them with vermiculite, coir or dry compost. Store the tubers in a cool space, free of frost, and make regular checks for rot. It’s as simple as that. When Spring returns, simply place the tubers in trays of good compost, in a sunny position and give them some water that will initiate the tubers to sprout.

This is pretty much what I’ll be doing this weekend along with planting the majority of my Alliums and possibly making pickled red cabbage ready for giving as gifts at Christmas.

In other news, the chickens are still producing one measly egg a day, despite a recent worming and improved diet, I have taken delivery of next years seeds from the fantastic Seed Parade, and I have been nominated in the Horticultural Channel TV Awards 2011 under the category of the best gardening/allotment blog of 2011. Thank you to those of you who nominated me and if you wish to vote for me you can do so here. Good luck to everyone else who’s been nominated in my category and all the others too.

Mulch, Lasagne and Miss McGee

2011-10-28T19:02:00.000+01:00

Autumn Raspberry

Autumn is tipping the nod to winter and it’s time to put the garden to bed for a long and cosy slumber.

Plants are calling for a nice warm duvet as temperatures dip and of course I’m more than willing to oblige. In fact it’s probably one of my favourite garden tasks as the unruly autumn often leaves me wanting to tidy up. I’ve gone the extra mile this year by using an approach that I haven’t used before. In line with the no-dig method pioneered by Charles Dowding, Lasagne (Lasagna) Gardening consists of adding layers of card or newspaper (the pasta) between layers of green and brown materials (the filling). Overtime, and with the help of a few worms and other organisms, this helps to create a beautiful, hummus rich, fluffy soil that is perfect for growing fruit and vegetables in. On the allotment plot in particular, I thought that this approach would save on maintenance whilst also being highly effective in improving the water retentive clay soil. The idea is to lavish the allotment beds with a layer of cardboard topped with well-rotted horse manure, home made compost, comfrey leaves and whatever else I can find. This will then be added to year on year and help improve the soil. I had planned to use up a rotting bale of haylage, as an extra green layer, but it was moved before I could get to it. I’m sure another will turn up soon though and I have plenty of Comfrey to harvest yet from my newly acquired allotment plot which appears to be home to 24ft of mature comfrey plants. You can read more about Lasagne Gardening here.

Cardboard mulch around a young Blackcurrant with Manure in foreground

The soft-fruit alley is the first area to be treated with such luxury. As an area prone to heavy weed growth, and with less than ideal soil, the double whammy of cardboard and bulky organic matter is likely to suppress weeds and improve the soil over time. The manure I’m using is around two years old and like black gold - well rotted, light and scent free. I’m bringing the manure back from the stables in stages as I don’t have a trailer but as I visit the stables everyday anyway and end up back at the allotment to see to the chickens it makes perfect sense and is fairly economical. I’m quite mean when it comes to feeding my plants and I find that if I feed and improve the soil plants flourish, grow strongly but are more unlikely to succumb to pests and diseases without compromising yield. By next year my horse should have produced enough manure to mulch the whole of my plot and I love the idea that my pets all have a role in my garden and helping to produce food for the home. All that’s needed now is a small holding!

Next thing to do is mulch the two large raised beds with cardboard and top in a similar style and then comes the real challenge … the new plot. The new plot is quite large, patyly shaded and is pernicious weed heaven. I’ve removed an extremely large buddleia that was around 12ft tall, which must have had 40 stems, dug out the majority of docks and cut back the brambles. The Buddleia branches will be used to extend a dead hedge that surrounds the chicken run and the rear boundary of one of the lower and original plot (Plot number 4). It’s likely that the new plot will receive deeper lasagne gardening treatment as I’m hoping this will help to kill most of the weeds at the plot, improve the soil, which actually doesn’t seem at all bad, or at least give me a running start on next year. I’ll keep you updated on how I get on. Many will be shouting at me to go with the glyphosate or black plastic treatment but I actually quite enjoy a little bit of work and I have time to play with before planting next spring. Plus, I’m sure under all the weeds there are useful plants too.

So, on reflection this autumn will be spent, mulching, weeding and pruning with a little bit of bulb planting and planning for the year to come. I love this time of year!

Mcgee

In other news, the chickens are in full moult and we’re down to one measly egg a day. Of course, it’s McGee that’s doing all the laying. For a chicken that lays very small eggs, that I must add were supposed to be blue not pink, she definitely makes up for her meagre offerings with consistency. To give the girls a bit of a boost I’ll be supplementing their diet with some poultry spice and worming them again just for good measure.

The Grow Your Own Book Competition still rolls on and you can read more about how to enter here.