• Edibles,  Food,  Garden Design,  Gardening,  gardens,  Landscapes & Gardens,  Landscaping,  Nature,  park,  Vegetable Growing

    It’s all about the people !

    Digital Radio, always on, step through and listen now !
    Digital Radio, always on, step through and listen now !

    Listen here

    Most people are so interesting, it’s just a matter of coaxing them to talk to you, then asking the right questions.-

    Are you passionate about your garden ?,

    Do you have a favorite  landscape ?,

    Would you like to be interviewed ?

    We started this series of horticultural based interviews with one simple idea, which was, that within our very diverse industry there were many people :-

    both Homeowners,

    Designers or Creators,

    Builders,

    or Visitors  and Admirers,

    who had fascinating stories to tell about their everyday lives.

    We have not been disappointed , in fact, we have been surprised by how many folks have a real passion for all things outside, particularly by how many people would like to reconnect with nature.

    Tiger Rhus
    Tiger Rhus

    So with that in mind here is a day in the life of… Ann & Chris. the co-hosts of Growing Trends, we ventured out last Saturday, bright & early, just as the sun was rising :-

    5.00 am Saturday

    Ann & I had literally, a ‘field day’ on Saturday.

    We each got up at the crack of dawn, and went to interview Farmer Steve, at Weston Red Barn Farm

    We arrived at 7.30am and had already missed Steve, who had picked a crop of fresh peaches for Cindy ( his lovely wife) to take to market some 50 miles away.

    Early one morning , Weston Red Barn Farm
    Early one morning , Weston Red Barn Farm

    Steve & Cindy have, for the past 25 years been slowly developing Weston Red Barn Farm to a traditional working farm, specifically to show kids how farms are part of the community. They have Apples, Peaches, Chickens, Goats, Horses, a Farm Shop, Pumpkin fields,  along with a wedding venue. It keeps them very busy throughout the summer and autumn.

    8.00am

    One of Steve’s farm workers arrives to feed the chickens, goats, ducks, and horses, calls Steve for us, who appears over the horizon in a 4 wheeler…

    We set up the Mics, the recorders,then we interviewed Steve for around an hour, it could have been much longer, Steve had a fascinating journey and one that you will be able to hear on our show shortly at  Growing Trends Internet Radio

    A few snippets : –

    They have an amazing 12,000 – 15,000 school children visit them every year !

    They have 67 weddings at the farm in a year.!

    Old Milk Churns
    Old Milk Churns

    I happen to know one of the current family members , of the family that invented the milk churn, their company was called Express Dairies, they developed the original milk churn to take milk from the ‘shires’ to London on the newly built railways, for the burgeoning population of the city.Needless to say they made a handsome profit !

    Of course these days most milk isn’t delivered by horse & cart, or by electric milk floats – yes way back in the 60’s milk in England was delivered by battery powered eco-friendly milk floats, as a youngster I often helped the ‘Milkman’ on his rounds for an extra shilling or two.

    Express diaries
    Express diaries

    Ok, so back to the interview.

    The Farm is about to lay out it’s Pumpkins for sale so Ann found a few pumpkins lying around and ….posed for a quick picture – they sure look impressive !

    It's fun here...
    It’s fun here…

    There was even time for a spot of ‘picking’, in my miss spent youth we would go ‘Scrumping’

    These look yummy !
    These look yummy !

    9.30am

    With our interview completed, it was time to rush back to interview our second fascinating person of the day.

    Alan Sargent was over 4000 miles away, and 6 hours ahead of us, in Petworth, West Sussex in England.

    A must for Head Gardeners.
    A must for Head Gardeners.

    Alan has a most varied career in horticulture :-

    He has Built or,

    Designed and Built dozens of Chelsea Flower Show Gardens,

    Design & Constructed Award Winning Landscapes.

    Formed a Trade Association,

    Judged Garden Exhibits,

    Written Books

    Found time to be a Head Gardener at one of England’s finest and busiest Estates – the 12000 acre Goodwood Estate – with its 44 acre gardens, airfield, horse racing,and motor racing circuits.

    Goodwood estate
    Goodwood estate

    the race course…

    The Race Course
    The Race Course

    the motor racing circuit. – or for the Petrol heads as Alan refers to them !

    goodwood 4

    Alan’s skills are legendary, and he has a keen eye for detail – I am a detail freak too, so I love his workmanship !

    One of those more famous English Schools
    One of those more famous English Schools

    His stone work is superb.

    Ann and I were to coin an English expression ‘Plum Tuckered’ – you will need to look up it’s meaning, here’s a clue to replenish the reserves we stopped for breakfast..

    10.30am back home.

    It was time for that quick breakfast, and of course coffee – coffee in America is so good …

    Then we quickly reviewed the recordings, packed up the recording gear. Headed off to the lake some 53 miles away for a well earned break, sailing our little racing cruiser ‘Stiletto’

    Stiletto - Capri 25
    Stiletto – Capri 25

    It’s amazing how relaxing an afternoon sail can be.. this week it was a tad hot at 100f but still fun.

    This Weeks Show

    This weeks show will be about a fantastic store that brings in it’s very own miniature pony each weekend, where it has a small coral in the ‘Fairy Garden’ at the back of the store. – you can buy all many of things for creating a miniature garden !

    We are also talking to Richard Benfield a Garden Tourist Guru, whilst he is on his travels, around the world, we caught up with Richard in Western Australia..  do listen to the show at..  Growing Trends Internet Radio  if you, or you know someone that would be fun to interview drop us a line and we will get back to you.

    In the meantime we have a website telling you more at  www.grotrends.com

    You will be able to hear all about Weston Red Barn Farm, along with Alan’s adventures in the coming weeks.

    If you have someone in mind we could interview drop us a line briefly explaining who & why.

    Ann & Chris.

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  • Edibles,  Food,  Gardening,  gardens,  Landscapes & Gardens,  Nature,  Vegetable Growing

    This is so much fun !

    So my question to you today is:  

    When were you last seen walking around a garden, a city park, or through the woods?

    Rodin's The Thinker 1880, probably cast 1949.
    Rodin’s The Thinker 1880, probably cast 1949.

    “The Thinker” – from one of our latest interviews…

    Having  always been a little ‘cheeky’ , I turned Descartes words around a  little from   ‘ Je pense, donc je suis’ to ” I think therefore, am I?” – my reports from school often said ‘ if  – and then went on about my impish sense of humour’

    Back to Growing Trends, our fun, friendly, internet radio show – our latest interview was from this superb Museum in Kansas City and the Kauffman Memorial Garden

    Henry Moore Sculpture, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art
    Henry Moore Sculpture, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art

    Ever since Ann & I started our internet radio show we have had fun, sure it’s hard work to find the folks to interview, then arrange the best time to interview, especially with differing time zones.

    We try and interview ‘on site’, so listeners can get a feel for how it really is, this proves challenging in windy conditions or inside cavernous stone buildings – the Museum springs to mind here.

    The payback is simply stunning landscapes, interviewing amazing people!

    Absolutely stunning at this time of year !
    Absolutely stunning at this time of year !

    Our main goal  is a desire to create interesting informative interviews that grab your attention and keep you interested – fortunately so many people in our industry have really interesting stories ,it’s really a matter of us letting them tell their story.

    The hardest part is finding enough sponsors to cover the myriad of costs for doing this. It’s a real chicken and egg situation, the sponsors want listening numbers before committing, the show needs sponsors before promoting more, and the merry cycle of business life continues.

    Light at the end of the tunnel?
    Light at the end of the green tunnel ?

    In the meantime, we are steadily building an audience, developing a really informative web site at Growing Trends   with a soon to be added link to youtube short videos of where we are interviewing. Please , if you get a chance to listen, do so, and maybe tell your friends there is this really different show out there to listen to..

    In the short time we’ve been doing this we have learned  that there is a real desire for folks to reconnect with other folks, for buyers to talk to growers, for gardeners to talk to the gardener, for the sports person a bracing game of tennis or a round of golf. I confess to liking a few hours sailing, but then I am surrounded by green most days.

    For the lucky some, that develop a lifelong passion it becomes a relaxing daily exercise, for others a calming walk in the woods is enough, for our children a healthy  carefree romp in a playground, or just to sit outside reading a good book is enough. What is just right for you?

    If only we could all enjoy everyday scenes like this !
    If only we could all enjoy everyday scenes like this !

    Cities absolutely need green spaces for the people to unwind , connect with nature, report after report shows the benefits to this, even patients in hospitals benefit from gardens, we know how much kids love to play in a well laid out playground !

    Our next group of interviews are going to be exciting, we’re interviewing a couple whose passion was to recreate a working farm, they have succeeded, it’s a magical place full of wonderful sights, smells, happy people and a great day out.

    The nelson Atkins Museum of Art , Sculpture Park
    The nelson Atkins Museum of Art , Sculpture Park

    Then we are interviewing a competitor of mine, who has had the most amazing time, building show gardens for the worlds most prestigious flower show, as well as designing & building award winning residential gardens, then as a head gardener at a famous English estate, whilst forming specialist trade organisations and now turning his hand to writing books… watch this space as they say ! 

    If you reached this far and would like to hear an interview…. Choose an Interview here

    Views: 34

  • Edibles,  Food,  Gardening,  gardens,  Landscapes & Gardens,  Nature,  Vegetable Growing

    Gowing Trends – this weeks interviews

    Hello to our Growing band of followers.

    We pre-recorded both of these interviews a few weeks ago, each is really quite special, and is the start of a series of Horticultural interviews with a Different Perspective.

    We have to thank Dr. Richard Benfield for this, we interviewed Richard in Australia – he will be on the show shortly. Richard was fresh from watching three kangaroos demolish a fence in front of his vehicle as he drove in Western Australia.

    Richard is a professor whose research has revealed some fascinating facts – for instance food & garden tourism attracts over 78 million visitors a year across the USA !

    So here is the first in this series, we hope to add one a month within the programming, please do let us know what you think, any ideas or requests.

    "Did I say that ?"
    “Did I say that ?”

    This weeks show is from two truly outstanding places –

    The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art’s superb Sculpture Park.

    Being a transplanted ‘Brit’ , living in Kansas City, I was amazed to find 13 Henry Moore statues in our midst, they are like a place of inspiration, and just get the creative juices flowing for this designer.

    The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is a gem, here in the American heartland.

    Anyone for Badminton?
    Anyone for Badminton?

    The sculpture park is celebrating 25 years this year, it is a must see attraction in Kansas City. So on a rather windy evening Ann & I called in to interview the Sanders Sosland Curator, Jan Schall, Ph.D.

    The park covers some 22 acres, in the middle of Kansas City, just along from the Plaza. It was opened in 1989, designed by Dan Kiley & Jaquelin Robertson, there are more than 30 sculptures.

    The Sculpture Park is FREE to the public, open year round during daylight hours, and a wonderful place to have a picnic!

    One of the many Henry Moore Sculptures
    One of the many Henry Moore Sculptures

    The Kauffman Memorial Garden

    This is a truly beautiful garden, superbly maintained by Duane and his volunteer staff, the garden has so many wonderful plants in this walled garden’s micro -climate, the attention to detail , the care make this probably one of the best gardens in Kansas City

    Absolutely stunning at this time of year !
    Absolutely stunning at this time of year !

    The Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden draws inspiration from the couple’s journey through life and their commitment to share with others. It is an enduring gift for Kansas City that extends the legacy of a gracious couple and welcomes visitors to a vibrant landscape throughout the year.

    The Kauffmans’ world travels inspired the creation of a space comparable to parks throughout Europe. The garden features bronze sculptures by Tom Corbin among lush and colorful annual and perennial plantings, pruned foliage framed by stone walls, brick walkways and playful fountains.

    Looking back towards the entrance walkway
    Looking back towards the entrance walkway

    Views: 64

  • Edibles,  Food,  Gardening,  gardens,  Landscapes & Gardens,  Nature,  Vegetable Growing

    National Farmers Market Week

    Some of you may know that Ann & I have started a daily radio show, we call the show Growing Trends, it’s on at 1pm & 7pm daily at  www.cravingtalkradio.com it’s really an extension of this blog, where we talk to people who are connected with our industry or homeowners that have a special interest or just an interesting landscape, or perhaps just a passion for gardens.

    This past week we have been really fortunate to find some exceptionally gifted folks, our first was a rose grower, who in addition to working a very busy day as an executive still managed to come home and relax by working in his rose garden until late at night, he has a really interesting twist to this but you will have to wait until we broadcast the interview to hear it.

    As our heading says this week is National Farmers Market Week, so Ann & I decided to take an early morning trip to one of our local farmers markets  last Saturday morning. Well ok,  a quick confession, Ann was early, I was late. We were both much later than the first customers who arrived long before 7am to buy the pick of this very fresh crop – some of the farmers were up at 3am to make sure they brought their produce to market!

    Parkville, Missouri
    Parkville, Missouri

    The growers and customers were a very happy group, many were regulars who knew all the growers and would talk with real enthusiasm about the produce they were buying, you will hear this in the interviews.

    The Lake's Family

    All the growers had a wealth of knowledge and experience, which was one of the main reasons the customers came back week after week, they liked the idea of talking to the growers, understanding their efforts to produce good quality despite the variable weather conditions we all experience, some came because they had tried to grow crops themselves but just couldn’t quite succeed.

    Jim's Garlic & Herbs with Beth, Frank & Martha

    Everyone felt that they were obtaining value for money, and just loved the freshness, flavorsome and at times unusually shaped produce.

    We talked to at least half a dozen or so growers and could have if time had permitted talked to many more, we also talked to a number of customers who were clearly regular visitors to the market.

    Fresh Produce

    What struck us most was that everyone was there because they enjoyed meeting each other,the customers liked talking to the growers and the growers really liked meeting their customers, it seems that more and more we see this as we broaden our interviews.

    Buying Produce

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  • Edibles,  Food,  Gardening,  gardens,  Landscapes & Gardens,  Nature,  Planting,  Vegetable Growing

    Growing Trends

    Growing Trends a new style of garden Show on www.cravingtalkradio.com

    We wrote to some of our friends and colleagues this week to ask if they would listen to our new internet radio show ‘Growing Trends’ on www.cravingtalkradio.com , it’s on air daily at 1pm and 7pm central time. You can also find us on LIve365 if you have the free app, or you can download a broadcast from the site to listen to it as a podcast.

    Really it's that large !
    The next ‘Big’ media is Digital radio

    We made it this flexible, because unlike most radio shows you can hear us anywhere, so the shows time might be great in the USA but a little different in say England 7pm and 1am GMT. – I know we are good but, staying up until 1am to hear Ann & Myself is a bit of a stretch.

    Digital Radio, always on, step through and listen now !
    Digital Radio, always on, step through and listen now !

    What I really wanted to write and say was thank you, thank you for listening, we gained a huge number of new listeners this week, which enabled us to sign new sponsors – yes we need sponsors like everyone else. The sponsors are great, they agree to sponsor us for a modest monthly fee, we in turn give them at least four free interviews a year, and mention them at least once a month when they are not being interviewed.

    Listen to our digital library anytime
    Listen to our digital library anytime

    If this sounds interesting and you would like to be a sponsor, drop us a line we would love to hear from you. If you are passionate about your garden landscape and you would like to talk about it, drop us a line

    Ballerinas_in_the_Garden_Spring_2014-1128rev
    Have you taken a trip to the woods today?

    The Japanese have discovered that trees give off scents that actually have a calming effect on us, listen to Kelly Daniels ( the picture above is one from her gallery – The Kelly Gallery) talking about this in her interview airing at 1pm & 7pm daily.

    I read today that antidepressant microbes in the soil have been discovered, called Mycobacterium vaccae, it’s been found to mirror the effects on neurons that drugs provide.

    Which reminds me, I was digging in the soil today and I came across this large black disc with grooves all over both sides, I put it to my ear but I couldn’t hear anything…. if you get time do tune in and let us know what you think, or if you have some suggestions, we want to make the show about the all the wonderful people connected to our industry.

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    Views: 39

  • Edibles,  Gardening,  gardens,  Landscapes & Gardens,  Landscaping,  Nature

    Are you a passionate gardener ?

    Ever since we started our radio show, I’ve come to realize how diverse, passionate and simply fascinating today’s gardeners really are.

    Whilst still at school, working in the vacations a friend and I would plant new woodlands in England, we planted well over 1 million trees in that period – of course at the time they were tiny 2+ 2’s ( thats two year old twice transplanted). In subsequent years, I’ve designed hundreds of gardens and commercial properties with the team planting many hundreds of thousands more trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, herbs, bulbs and corms. The most amazing sight , during this time was , seeing a chap in America transplanting trees ( about thirty or forty actually) some weighing over 650 tons, that were 60ft tall, with a 15ft deep x 45 foot wide rootball – now that is impressive, requiring a multitude of additional skills, not least irrigation some 40ft high into the tree itself!

    Over the years we have met some truly wonderful people, who have a real passion, for flowers, or just orchids, or roses, or lawns, or even garden structures.

    I remember building a gazebo for a client, who then asked for a copper roof, we then had to weather it so it went green quicker.

    Or the client who’s passion was a weed free lawn – he would ‘swish’ the dew off the lawn every night before he went to bed !

    Or the client who always tried to ‘scalp’ his lawn – the solution was to quietly add some washers to his mower settings and thus prevent the blades being set to low – not sure if he ever figured that out.

    Or rose grower who tended his roses at night using a miners type lamp..

    Or a lady who spent more than 8 hours everyday in her absolutely stunning perennial garden.

    The one thing in common was that they derived a huge amount of peace and relaxation, working in the garden in touch with nature, it was like the ultimate stress release.

    One of our radio show interviews touched on this when we discovered that research shows that woodland trees give of a chemical that we find calming as we walk through a woodland.

    The point is they all had a passion that drove them to achieve results most of us would struggle with in all walks of life

    In other words they got the maximum achievement out of each and everyday, and the garden helped them recharge their batteries just as a good nights sleep does !

    I’ve always believed in attention to detail, striving to find the easiest yet pleasing on the eye finish to areas, using where ever possible natural materials, such as bricks, timber, wrought iron ( if you can find it), etc. to complete projects. When it comes to planting you cannot beat using a color wheel to develop contrasting colors schemes and have them blend with one another to create a complete picture.

    If this all sounds familiar and you have a passion for gardening, no matter where, drop me a line and we will try and interview you for our show. It can be as short as a hello or as long as an hour, that’s really up to you.

    In the meantime do tune in, as it’s digital radio you can listen anywhere, you will find Growing trends on www.cravingtalkradio.com daily at 1pm & 7pm central US time, or if you prefer using an app were on Live365.

     

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    Views: 126

  • Edibles,  Gardening,  gardens,  Landscapes & Gardens,  Nature,  Vegetable Growing

    Climate changes

    If this year is anything to go by we are definitely experiencing some changes to our weather patterns. We have more rain than I can remember, I know this because the power has gone out an amazing 13 times in the past 6 weeks ( yeah I hear you say why are the lines not buried, and how can a squirrel knock out power to a whole town, well the same way a dump truck can when it tips it’s load, or too many birds take a break on a power line and it shorts out).

    Back to the weather, instead of 90f plus temps they have been 75f and at night instead of 75f they have been 55f, it’s almost English weather, except over there the temps have been much higher.

    We have also had nearby, a huge increase in Earthquakes ( by this I mean hundreds of small quakes) this year, many place the blame on this, to the new habit of ‘Fracking’ , which I’m sure isn’t helping.

    We’ve a serious issue with lack of bees to pollinate the crops , it’s not just the honey bees the wild bee population is suffering as well, as is the bird population, which probably means  that the insect population is affected as well. In sure mother nature doesn’t like it when us humans mess with what was once a very balanced eco-system.

    Some areas of the country are experiencing record droughts, which if it continues will have a far reaching impact on food production and where folks chose to live.

    So with all this turmoil around us, a couple of friends and I decided it was time to change how we grew herbs & veggies…

    So today we are launching Hort Cuisine something we have been working on for a few years now, it’s a rather fun way to grow at home.

    It starts with our Hort Cuisine patented grid system

    Hort Cuisine 4x4

    Here’s an example Hort Cuisine, herb garden

    herb cube

    and here’s the beginnings of a Hort Cuisine ‘Knot Garden’

    left top lavender edge

    here’s the Knot Garden sector planted

    Potager 1

    We are going to make smaller ‘Balcony’ sized versions too

    Potager 1 x 2

    Which should be an ideal size for balconies.

    In the next few days you will see just how easy these kits are to do yourself at home.

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    Views: 82

  • Edibles,  Garden Design,  Gardening,  gardens,  Landscapes & Gardens,  Nature,  Vegetable Growing

    Growing Trends our new Radio Show

    About three months ago, Ann ( my Co Host on Growing Trends) & I were given the opportunity to Host a radio show, we were basically given the chance to create our very own show, we wanted to be a little different, so after much thought and deliberations ‘Growing Trends’  was born, we would both love to hear what you think ? What we could include in the shows?

    We’ve been having a ball talking to the most amazing folks in their spaces, they are in our midst and yet we hardly ever see them in this  light,  we all rush around in our daily lives, heads buried in smartphones or tablets, completely disconnected with the nature that is all around us.

    Our guests are all connected by either their garden or the landscape where they work, some are keen gardeners, others technical experts in their field, all are in tune with nature, it’s as if it’s a constant healing process.

    “A little oasis in the middle of suburbia.”

    belinda impressionist

    ( Belinda & Terry’s Garden)

    All find time to re connect almost daily with their space, we feel so privileged to be able to hear all their stories and bring them to you usually in their own homes.

    Sometimes the recordings will be a little quirky, it’s because we are not in a studio. Some are far away, and we have to rely on the internet, which gives an odd echo from time to time, but talking to folks in Australia, England, South Africa, brings us all together.

    “Chestnut growing down under!”

    2013-11-15 18.45.34 HDR

    ( John Stanley’s Australian outback)

    We caught up with John in Australia early one morning.

    “In my global work I see new trends in merchandising, display, social media marketing, general retailing, culinary eco-tourism and lifestyle retail”

    we will catch up with John again shortly in the meantime.

    “Finding happiness in a garden – how it’s done at the Kelly Gallery”

    Ballerinas_in_the_Garden_Spring_2014-1128rev

    (Kelly Daniels – The Kelly Gallery)

    Kelly was just inspirational , almost magical, her photography is enchanting.

    You can find us on the internet at www.cravingtalkradio.com , or download the phone app Live365 or you can  download Growing Trends as a podcast from the website.

    Our upcoming schedule is both varied, fun and very different, here’s a few pictures taken on locations we visited..just wait till you hear the stories…

    ( half-pint McGee !)

    half pint mcgee

    “A simple stunning memorial garden”

    kauffman memorial garden 1

    ” A sculpture park extraordinaire”

    IMGP6040

     

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    Views: 59

  • Edibles,  Gardening,  gardens,  Landscapes & Gardens,  Nature,  Planting,  Vegetable Growing

    Weekend Landscape & Garden Projects

    if you need some inspiration for a small landscape or garden project read on….

    We’ve been designing & building dream gardens for homeowners for 40 years now, winning awards, being creative and watching various trends come & go, customers desires and generally  listening to clients wishes.

    Some have been quite modest…  as below.

    aftercare 2088

    others rather more ambitious..

    mixed144

    Almost all the clients, wanted to complete some of the work themselves. The part they most wanted to do was the planting, either spring, summer or fall bedding, bulb planting, or perennial , shrub and herb planting. Recently we have seen an interest in vegetable growing.

    Being folks that listen to our customers , it’s how we win awards, we also understood that we would have to make it much easier for folks, than a traditional planting plan we started out a few years ago to develop a new easy way to layout a planting scheme- we consulted other experts , eventually settling on one method with two products ( one a normal version the other an eco friendly version). inspired we then applied for a patent.( this in itself should be the subject of a blog all on its own)

    Last week I am very happy to say we picked up our patent for the “Weekend Garden Kit”, which I have to confess  was exciting,  a big thank you for all who helped us, of which there were many.

    Here’s how it works.

    Weekend Garden Kit

    This simple to use system enables you to place the plants & features in the correct position without the need for time consuming setting out or measuring.

    ????????????????????????????????

    By using a grid system , we can add the position on the pot label, it makes the whole process much faster, and less likely for error. – they actually come as part of the kit.

    ?????????????

    so to set this out all you need is the special landscape fabric and where to plant or place the feature.

    ?????????????

    The result should then be this

    ?????????????

    To make this even easier we developed a free app called “PicaGardi” available on iTunes, Google play and Kindle to enable you to see ‘How ‘ an idea might look in your own project before you buy, take a look it’s fun and free and works on Phones and Tablets.

    You can download it  here www.terratemplates.com

    App front page clean rev mar1st

    You can either select a picture from your ‘Gallery’ or take a new one with the ‘Camera’ button, then press ‘Ideas’ to see and idea float across the screen, tap it, pinch, scale and place to see how it would look on your project.

    Phone app clean

    If you would like to make some comments or suggestions or just receive more information please fill in the form..

     

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    Views: 37

  • Edibles,  Gardening,  gardens,  Landscapes & Gardens,  Landscaping,  Nature,  Planting,  Vegetable Growing

    Edibles continued….

    Continuing from our last blog, we move to a slightly larger herb and veggie garden. Using our newly patented Weekend Garden Kits.

    20140605_175012

    We’ve also added some african marigolds to help keep pests away, our next one will include some nasturtiums to further help protect naturally.

    This garden uses one of our recently patented Weekend Garden Kits, which helps save a huge amount of time, reduces significantly weed growth and helps preserve moisture levels.

    By purchasing the kit early, you can use it to almost effortlessly remove weeds in your plot area – this is achieved quite simply by, marking out the area and then covering with a generous layer of old newspapers, place the weekend garden kit fabric over the newspaper and use the pegs provided to keep in position. After about 4- 6 weeks all the weed growth beneath will have been stopped and the earth should be almost clear.

    Simply remove the newspapers, and any debris, reset the weekend garden kit, and plant as directed for the chosen layout.

    The one above took less than 2 hours to plant  you can see how here.

    http://www.picagardi.com/index.php/how/new-weekend-garden-kit-video

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    Views: 78

  • Edibles,  Gardening,  gardens,  Landscapes & Gardens,  Nature,  Planting,  Vegetable Growing

    Edible Landscaping

     

    Today there are many more who would like to grow their own Herbs & Vegetables, the desire is not just from homeowners with traditional gardens, but also those living in flats & apartments, using either a balcony or a kitchen window.

    Those without any space are looking at allotments & community gardens when they catch the ‘bug’

    Demand is ‘growing’ all the time, from all over the world.

    Schools are finding that they need to include growing in the curriculum showing children how to grow edibles which leads to more interest in cooking, which then creates a much healthier lifestyle and a huge demand for fresh food.

    So what are the best ways to grow?

    This is an interesting question and I suspect the real answer is – It depends !

    It depends where you are in the world

    It depends on where you want to grow

    It depends what you want to grow

    It depends how much light, heat and water you have available.

    It depends how much time you want to spend growing.

    It also depends on what resources you may have to use.

    Initially it depends how much skill you have, interestingly while you will quickly learn ‘How to’ , mother nature has a habit of throwing you a curve ball now and then, so somethings you expect to do will with will suddenly suffer and others will thrive.

    So let’s take a look at the methods of growing first as we could spend simply ages trying to find the best places and times to grow.

    Small :-

    Can be as small as a pot , grow bag or individually planted between existing plants in a landscape.

    herb pot 2

    Medium :-

    Multi pots, planters, or raised vegetable garden

    herb 1a

    Large:-

    Fenced in Garden, Roof garden, Commercial enterprise.

    wattle edge to garden1

    What would you like to start?

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    Views: 95

  • Gardening,  gardens,  Landscapes & Gardens,  Nature

    Growing Trends

    I thought it would be fun to share with you, our interview schedule.

    We are on air at 1pm & 7pm daily at www.cravingtalkradio.com or you can download as a podcast for later listening.

    Our first interview was with Belinda & Terry, this is their lovely garden.

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    and a more romantic version, the pool is so inviting….

    belinda impressionist

    and the famous ‘Zen’ deck, now sanded and restored to its glory…

    belinda zen deck

    Our next interview was with John Stanley of John Stanley Associates in Australia, we didn’t talk about his garden as it’s a tad larger than most as you can see – what a view !

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    What we did talk about was trends in edibles  and concerns over  bees, you can hear both on Craving Talk Radio.com, we are due to revisit John in Perth again shortly.

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    Coming up soon is :-

    Kelly Daniels lovely garden,

    kelly Gallery garden

    and here is some of her superb photography.

    Image

    Then we have:

    Dwayne Hoover the Horticulturist at the  Kauffman Memorial Garden in Kansas City we caught up with Dwayne early one morning – 6am to be precise, the team was starting to put together the summer bedding.

    Image

    Then it’s Jenny’s turn  and her Fairy Room at the Celtic Ranch along with ‘Half-pint McGee’, who will soon be your little heart throb…….

    Image

    Then it’s the turn of the Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City,

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    and the lovely sculpture park. You have to be strong to play badminton here !

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    and my favorite the Henry Moore collection…

    IMGP6031

    this next amazing sculpture is some 56ft tall..

    IMGP6018

    to read more about our rather different programs visit www.grotrends.com

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    Views: 48