Plant of the Week 6 - Peony

Plant of the Week 6 - Peony

Hi Everyone!

I do hope you're all enjoying my 'Plant of the Week' YouTube video series. This week we are looking at the beautiful, blousey Peony.

Click the link below to watch the video

Click the link below and come along and find out some interesting, practical facts about these magnificent plants.

Enjoy!
Love
Rebecca xx

Sick Orchid Update - Has Nature's Gift worked?

It's Crunch Time!

I've had a request for an update video of my very poorly Phalaenopsis orchid.

Orchid update - click the video at the bottom of this post

The story so far...

It was starting to struggle to stay hydrated, and only managed one flower this year, so I decided to repot. The roots were officially awful, rotten, mouldy and I ended up removing most of them, cleaning what was left with Isopropyl Alcohol and repotting in a clean pot with fresh medium watch that video here

Then I had a message from E-Coco Products UK, who had seen the vidoe and felt they had a product that might help cure the root rot. So I filmed another video which you can see here,

Three and a half months later, it's time to see if there is any hope for this orchid, are there any roots left in that soil?
Come and find out with me, keep your fingers crossed!

Enjoy
Rebecca xx

Easy Easter Decorations with plants

Easy Easter Decorating with Flowers

Hi Everyone,

This week's video is a celebration of Easter and Spring.

I've used a 2nd hand tea set, some adorable little viola and poached egg colour primula, teamed with neutral linen napkins folded into bunny rabbit shapes, and my Gisella Graham Chicken doorstop.

Time for a cute Easter Tea Party

These easy decoration ideas are inexpensive and so easy to do. Use all of them for a fun Easter Tea Party, or pick elements for a cute shabby chic table setting. Check out my YouTube video below for how I put it all together.

Viola in a china sugar bowl with pretty tea time treats

Napkins folded into bunnies with viola and primula plants

Enjoy!

Love

Rebecca xx

Brand New YouTube Series Starts Today!!

Plant of the Week video- part 1

Well I've been uploading videos to YouTube, at the weekend, for the last 18 months now, and today is the day I launch a new midweek series called "Plant of the Week"

I'll be sharing facts about a different plant every week, some that I grow in my own garden, and some I will have to go searching for. There'll be ornamental plants, vegetables, fruit, fungi and trees too

So please join me, 7pm GMT today, and if you have any plants you'd like me to talk about in future videos, be sure to leave me a comment here, or on the Plant of the Week videos on YouTube 💜

Enjoy!
Love
Rebecca xx

Surprise Orchid Update 2019 - Nature's Gift vs Root Fungus

Root Fungus on Phalaenopsis Orchid

In this week's video we are asking one of life's biggest questions...well, maybe. Could Nature's Gift from E-Coco Products solve my root fungus problems. I don't know, but they've sent it to me to try, so I'm prepared to unpot this poor orchid all over again.

Come and see what's going on in the surprise update video.
Enjoy!
Love
Rebecca xx




**Disclaimer - this is not a Paid For promotion, or Sponsored post in any way, the product was sent to me to try, with no expectation that I would make content about it.**

My Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis) collection 2019 update

My Orchids are looking beautiful - come and see

Hi everyone,
This week's video is an update of my lovely Phalaenopsis orchid collection. 9 out of 11 are flowering right now, but one of them is not doing so well, so I give it an emergency repotting after discovering mould on the root system!

Come and see how I get on,
Love
Rebecca xx

Planting a Terrarium - Tutorial

Happy New Year everyone! Can you believe it's 2019 already?

Today's video is focusing on terrariums and planting different sorts, open, closed, tropical, succulent. It's a long one, so grab a cuppa and enjoy.

Love

Rebecca xx

Preparing my Carnivourous Plants for Winter

My carnivorous plants have been lovely this year, in this video I start the process of preparing them for the winter.

Get yourself a cuppa and see what my little munchers have been eating all summer long.

Love
Rebecca xx

Planting up the Hay Racks for Winter Interest

Hi everyone,
I'm well behind with posting my YouTube videos here on the blog. If you follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram then you know that my father has been very unwell, so we've been making a lot of hospital visits to see him.

In this video I'm planting up the hay rack baskets that sit under my craftroom window. I wanted to refresh them with some Autumn/Winter colour, and I must say, I'm very pleased with the results.

Enjoy!
Lots of love
Rebecca xx

Colourful Flowering Plants for Autumn Garden Decorating

Hello lovelies,

Goodness me it's busy at the moment. I had an operation, the garden has gone a bit wild, we've lost and gained pets, I've been preparing for craft fairs, and so much more...

I will write a 'proper' blogpost soon, but for now here's my latest YouTube video where I pretty-up the patio outside our lovely blue summerhouse with some Autumn flowering plants -it's the only time you'll see red and orange in my garden! 😉

This was shot on a very warm day, the sun was really strong and I was struggling with light/shadows and seeing the viewfinder...at least the planters look pretty 😊

Hope you enjoy it
Rebecca

Fairy Garden Makeover for George the Dragon

This week's YouTube video is a timely makeover for George the Dragon's Miniture Garden. It was looking a bit sunken and a bit shaggy. Watch how I divide the plants and rejuvenate the garden.
Enjoy
Rebecca xx

My YouTube Anniversary and Making a Tuscan Fairy Garden from a broken terracotta pot

This week's video marks my 1 Year Anniversary as a YouTuber, and features a fun Tuscan feel Fairy Garden made from broken and repurposed things.
Enjoy
Rebecca xx

Create a quick table decoration with succulent cuttings

Hi there,

My vision for this week's project was a centrepiece for an alfresco dinner party. I had so much fun creating this lovely table decoration, and it was so quick, inexpensive and easy to do!

I bought the reclaimed cedar planter from Pembury Recycle for a princely sum of £8.00
The compost is my trusty E-Coco Products Cactus and Succulent one, and the small amount probably cost £1.50-2.00
The candle and votive were leftovers from Christmas, you could use something you have already.
The plants are all free cuttings taken from my existing plants.

Create a Quick Table Decoration with Succulent Cuttings

I'd love you to try something similar and let me know how you get on in the comments ☺

Lots of love
Rebecca xx

Visiting Godinton House and Gardens for Delphinium week 2018

Splendid Delphiniums on Display

This week's video (taken on my brand-spanking new camera - the Canon M50) is a visit to the beautiful, tranquil walled garden at Godinton House near Ashford, Kent.

Set amongst 12 acres of grounds, the Walled Garden was the kitchen garden for the House and Estate.
It is now home to a huge Victorian-style greenhouse, clipped box wood, a  rich collection of herbaceous perennial plants, and the stars of the June show are very definitely the Delphiniums. So much so that Godinton House and the Delphinium Society host a 'Delphinium Week' each year.

Come and explore the Walled Garden with me, and experience these breathtaking plants in their prime, plus some cheeky extras in the greenhouse!

Enjoy!
Love
Rebecca xx

Royal Horticultural Society and the RHS Plants for Pollinators Scheme

"RHS Plants for Pollinators"

...Wait! I thought it was the "RHS Perfect for Pollinators" scheme? Yes, yes it was. Here's what happened.

In 2011 the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society, here in the UK) launched "RHS Perfect for Pollinators" plant labelling scheme. It was a great way of helping the gardening public choose plants to support pollinating insects.

Nurseries and Garden Centres could register with the RHS, and print a logo on appropriate plant labels and advertising material to help guide shoppers towards flowering plants that would be attractive to bumble bees, honey bees, solitary bees, hover flies, beetles, moths and butterflies.

Super! However...

Studies began to show that some of the plants bearing the logo "RHS Perfect for Pollinators" had actually been exposed to pesticides during their growing. So although the plant had the right attributes to attract beneficial pollinators, it could potentially be lethal to them.

The RHS realised that they couldn't possibly 'police' all the commercial plant producers in the world to ensure that the logo was applied only to organically grown plants, so instead they chose to slightly tweak their branding.

Enter the new "RHS Plants for Pollinators" logo

The rebranding took place on 10th May 2018, and should soon begin to filter it's way on to the marketplace.

So remember, when you see this logo, it is commenting on the attractiveness of the plant species to pollinating insects; be that the colour, markings, flower shape, scent etc, rather than suggesting that these plants are safe for pollinators because have been grown without coming into contact with pesticides or other chemicals.

It's an important distiction. 

The RHS are trying to increase our awareness of beneficial insects, applying pressure to reduce the use of harmful chemicals in horticulture at large, and are also working with the industry to produce a list of Organic plant nurseries and producers, which is available on their website.

Choosing Plants for Pollinators

Keep your eyes peeled for these logos next time you go plant shopping, understand what they mean and that they make no promises, but above all, do your own research.

Try to provide a range of plants that flower over as wide a timespan as you can, to ensure pollinators have access to food throughout the year. The RHS have a list of pollinator friendly plants but here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Buddleja flower through summer well into autumn, this is a dwarf variety and is just as attractive to pollinators as a big cultivar

Hollyhocks flower in summer on very tall stems, single flowered cultivars are best for pollinators rather than flouncy doubles

Phlox paniculata flower during summer into early autumn

Allium flower mainly during May - bees love them!

Crocus - one of the earliest flowering plants of the year and a vital food source for pollinators

Lavender - wonderful for insects (and the lesser-known pollinating hens!)

Love

Rebecca xx

NB: The Royal Horticultural Society, and its logo, are trade marks of The Royal Horticultural Society (Registered Charity No 222879/SC038262) and used under licence”.

My Garden Tour Video - May 2018

There's so much going on in the garden at the moment, that I thought it was an ideal time to do a garden tour video.

The early-mid Spring flowers have faded, and the late Spring ones are bursting into life everywhere I look; geraniums, ceanothus, alliums, irises, wallflowers, heuchera, hostas and so much more. This is a lush time, before the summer heat takes its toll.



Enjoy!
Rebecca xx

Meet Stompy our new baby Tortoise

This week's video is all about my new baby tortoise Stompy, featured in the previous blog post.

Please take a moment to like, comment and subscribe to me here on Blogger, and also on YouTube, I'd really appreciate it.

Love
Rebecca x

I'm Growing Some Really Weird Plants!

Forget Carnivorous Plants, these are even weirder!

This week I've made a YouTube video all about some very odd plants I'm trying to cultivate. Don't be worried, they're just more likely to be the sort of thing a gardener would be pulling up, not planting in the garden...come and see what on earth I'm talking about...

Enjoy!
Rebecca xx

Please remember to 👍share and subscribe to me on YouTube, and to get notifications every time I upload videos, press the little 🔔 button too 😍

Spring 2018 has arrived at last

Spring is in full swing!

It's taken it's sweet time, fierce easterly winds brought in snow, ice and freezing temperatures in March, but finally, enevitably, Spring 2018 has arrived - thank goodness!!

Let's have a look at a few of the highlights so far...

Alpines

New Alpine Planter

 This new planter is filled with two types of Arabis, one creeping and one upright, and wonderful softly spikey Armeria aka Thrift.

Spring Bulbs

Anemone coronaria and ladybird

I can't believe I took this photo with my camera phone! No filters or fancy stuff, this is just how stunningly vivid anemones look...the newly hatched ladybird needs to learn about the art of camouflage though 😄

Narcissus Tete-a Tete have been beautiful this year, and I love the contrast with these early purple tulips, the pink hellebores and all the vibrant fresh foliage.

Narcissus Tet-a Tete, Tulips and Hellebores

Sempervivums

I've just refreshed my Sempervivum planters, they are doing really well, and have put on lots of growth as the days are getting longer and warmer. I love the tapestry of colours, sizes, textures and markings.

A Mixture of Sempervivum in a Strawberry Pot

But as you'll see from the next photo, they also look really fabulous when one variety is planted en-mass (see the top right pot crammed with a cushion of wine red Semps)

More Sempervivum Planters

The Woodland Garden

Things are changing daily in the Woodland Garden, and whilst I love all my plants, there is something very special about Wood Anemones (Anemone nemorosa). I remember walking through woodland with my mother, and her pointing out these shining white, daisy-like flowers to me. She loved them, and the way they spread and bloom under deciduous trees.

My clumps are growing huge, and last Spring I took the opportunity to split off some pieces and replant them in other areas of the Woodland Garden.  I was delighted to see them flowering among the Primroses and Dog Violets too.

Wood Anemones glowing under the trees

On the Lawn

I scurrified the grass ready for it's first cut, and was surprised by this little beastie proudly sticking out from the turf...

A Morel Mushroom

And the Morel of this story is...Sorry, that's a terrible joke 😁

Don't become plant blind, nature is amazing and ever-changing. It's so important that we appreciate its diversity, ingenuity and tenacity. Not just from an environmental or horticultural standpoint, but also to get our faces out of our smartphones and start experiencing real life.

What's going on in your garden right now? Let me know in the comments,

Love

Rebecca xx

My Carnivorous Plant Collection and Repotting

Finally! A Carnivorous Plant video on my YouTube channel

I really needed to do some repotting of my Carnivorous plants, and seeing as it's Spring and they are beginning to come out of dormancy, I thought I'd bring you along for the ride.

Enjoy the video, and please remember to rate and share my videos, and subscribe to my YouTube channel too :)
Thank you
Rebecca xx