Grobox Blog

Protecting Wildflowers from Slugs : Wonderful Sarah’s Invention!

Jayne — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:42:55 +0000

Hi there

I was wondering whether your wildlower gromat is suitable to plant in a bed where daffodils have been. I proposed cutting the daffs down as far as I can six weeks after flower and then laying the gromat on top. Please advise whether you think this would be OK.

Thank you.

Hi sarah

wonderful to hear from you

Yes that sounds perfect, your wildflowers will flower until the first frost this year then next year after your beautiful display of daffodils you will have a fabulous continuation of wildflowers.

Please protect from slugs as they are very hungry though

Have a wonderful weekend

The Grobox Team

Hi Grobox Team

Thank you so much for taking the trouble to reply. I will be placing an order this week. Thank you too for the advice about the slugs – for the first time this year, I have purchased some very cheap “copper” washing up scourers – unraveled them and fitted them around the base of sticks, pots etc and so far have had very encouraging results – still have the growing tip on a clematis which usually gets eaten to nothing!!!

Kind regards.

Sarah

Late Spring Rhubarb

Jayne — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:34:19 +0000

Rhubarb was brought to Britain in the 1790’s , forcing Rhubarb was first done in the Chelsea Physic garden in 1817 after the crowns were discovered when clearing a ditch. Rhubarb is an astringent, stomaghic and it was recommended for chest infections, stomagh and liver problems by Dioscorides.

Rhubarb Sorbet

400g (14oz) Rhubarb

150g (15g) Caster Sugar

juice of half a lemon

Cut the Rhubarb in in 2.5 cm 1 inch lengths and put in a heavy bottomed pan.. add 2floz of water 50ml, Warm until juices run and rhubarb softened then stir in the sugar and lemon then simmer, cover until tender.

Freeze, whisking several times as it freezes to break up the ice crystals to break up the crystals, churn until smith. Remove from the freezer 15 mins before serving and leave in the fridge.

Enjoy

For More recipe ideas visit

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com

Gardens To Visit

Jayne — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:23:33 +0000

Bodnant Garden, Gwynedd, North Wales. Formal Italianate terraces a vast lily pond, and woodland plants. Masses of spring colour from bulbs and shrubs. Formal laburnum arch looks best in early summer. Spectacular autumn colour. Restaurant, plants for sale

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/bodnant-garden

Branklyn, Tayside and Dunge Valley Gardens Derbyshire. Unusual and exquisite acid loving plants including dwarf rhododendrons. Extensive collection of alpines looks best in spring. Meconopsis in early summer, wonderful colour, plants for sale

http://www.nts.org.uk/Property/Branklyn-Garden

http://www.dungevalley.co.uk

Chelsea Physic Garden, London SW3

A must for anyone interested in herbs and garden history. Range of herbs, groups by uses,Scented plants. Many unusual varieties.

Sissinghurst, Kent

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst-castle

http://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk

Created by Vita Sackville-West, Much of it is divided into small areas, including a cottage garden,herb garden, roses,and white garden. Very popular, shop and restaurant

Please check the weather before you go

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather

Please check your route before you go

http://www.theaa.com/route-planner/index.jsp

Late Spring Gardening

Jayne — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:04:38 +0000

In May the weather can be all over the place. newer gardeners are likely to be lulled into a false sense of security when the hot days then cruelly changes into frosts later on. It’s always best to plant tender plants in June, You will be guaranteed your borders will be bursting with flowers, you should visit our Community Garden In Ancoats is a bonkers blaze of colour. Your borders will be bursting with life, birds filling the garden with music and the first real buzz of insect life to remind you Summer is not far away, it’s a wonderful time of the month and a good life this time of the year.

Late Spring Flowering Trees for Flower, Fragrance and Scent

Flowering Cherries make a wonderful display of Blossom, Prunus Amanogawa is perfect for a small garden.

Ornamental Thorn Trees make a colourful show ‘Pauls Scarlet’ and ‘CrimsonCloud’ are beautiful

The Flower colours of the crab apple tend to be more subtle, M.coronaria ‘Charlottae has double pink scented flower, ‘John Downie’ bears white ones.

Everyone falls in love with the waxy blooms of Magnolia, stellata is my favourite with star shaped flowers and soulangena bears huge tulip shaped flowers.

Spring wouldn’t be the same without the scent of the lilacs, followed by the Daphnes for intoxicating fragrance. Ancoats Community Garden

Wildflowers now with more Poppies

Jayne — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:47:02 +0000

Our New Product for 2013 is the Wildflower with more Red Poppies, thousands of Red Poppies. We decided following from the success of our Wildflowers we will give our gardens the extra splash of colour to brighten your days.

We are looking forward to you enjoying the garden this year and remember you are helping our struggling wildlife making life greener, cleaner for brighter futures.

For Weather

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/

For News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/

Wildflower Advice

Jayne — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:41:18 +0000

Good morning

last year i purchased some of your wildflower gromats and the display was absolutely stunning – admired by all my neighbours.

as they are self seeding annuals I assume they will grow again this year.

Do I need to do anything to the flower bed i.e. dig it, lightly turn it over etc or should I just remove all the dead topgrowth.

There is a small amount of bindweed which I would like to try to remove but this will probably require some deep digging which you may consider inadvisable.

Your help would be much appreciated and thanks for a terrific product.

Sincerely

Bill Green

Hi Bill

Wonderful to hear from you and thank you for supporting us your fabulous

Yes just remove the dead top growth and let it reseed, the perennial wildflowers will return and the annuals will re seed,

I’d dig the bits of bindweed up and just try to remove as much soil from the root as possible if you disturb the seedlings just dig them back in

Have a wonderful week and thank you again,

The GroBox Team

Cannelloni Stuffed with Spinach and Chicken or Quorn

Jayne — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:37:43 +0000

Spinach was first cultivated by the Persians and grown in China in the seventeenth century AD and reached Europe in 1100 and loved by the Romans and Greeks. Spinach is said to be good for anemia, problems of the heart and kidney and low vitality. Research has shown that those who eat spinach daily are less likely to develop lung cancer, of all the vegetable juices spinach is said to be the most potent for the prevention of cancer cell formation and this is the reason we always add lots of Spinach to our Vegetable GroBoxes.

Cannelloni Stuffed with Spinach and Chicken or Quorn

500g (1lb) Spinach

2 tablespoons of butter

1 onion diced

2 tablespoons of plain flour1

450ml (3/4 pt) Vegetable Stock

1 bouquet garni

3 tablespoons of thick cream

8 Cannelloni Shells

250g / 8oz diced chicken / Quorn

100g / 3oz Paresan

Wash the Spinach then cook for 3 mins over a high heat, drain and chop

Melt the butter, cook the onion unil golden and stir in the flour slowly to make a roux, cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stir in the stock allow t boil and add the boquet garni. Season and stir in the cream. Simmer for 10Min’s without boiling.

Meanwhile boil the cannelloni until soft and drain and cool, combine the chicken or quorn and spinach with half the sauce and season well.

Stuff the cannelloni with the mixture with a piping bag or teaspoon, then arrange in a shallow dish. Preheat the oven to gas mark 6 / 200c then pour remaining sauce on top with the grated parmesan. Cook for 20 Min’s until browned and cooked hot through and serve, Enjoy.

If you want more recipes, here is one of my favourite chefs

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/programmes/b00vt10m

Spring English Gardens To Visit

Jayne — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:15:45 +0000

Durham Botanic Garden, County Durham

Lots of winter colour, heather beds, tropical glasshouses, Attractive planting for all year interest

https://www.dur.ac.uk/botanic.garden/

Exbury Gardens Hampshire

Famous Ericaceous plants including Rothschild collection of azaleas, plus magnolias, camellias, and rhododendrons a riot of gorgeous colour.

http://www.exbury.co.uk/website/

Trewithen Gardens Cornwall

Much of the garden is superb woodland plantings with shrubs like magnolias ans camellias which have reached tree like proportions. Especially good from early Spring to Early Summer

http://www.trewithengardens.co.uk/home

Younger Botanic Garden Strathclyde

Part of the Royal Botanic Garden

Magnificent Woodland garden with conifers and other trees. Over 250 species of rhododendron, Many flowering shrubs in spring / summer

http://www.rbge.org.uk/the-gardens/benmore

For Weather information for your day out check

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/

Road /travel information to get there

http://www.theaa.com/route-planner/index.jsp

Spring Gardening Jobs

Jayne — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:04:15 +0000

Sow Green Manure Crops as they keep down weeds, stop valuble nutrients being washed away and their roots break up heavy soils, we then dig the whole crop in to improve the nutrients and soil structure.

Use alfalfa, buckwheat, crimson clover, fenugreek, mustard, phacelia and trefoil.

Mulch bare soil and borders with, compost, spent mushroom compost, chipped bark, cococa shels.

Plant evergreens for spring such as Californian Lilac (Ceanothus), Mexican Orange Blossom (Choisya), Sun Rose (cistus), Hebe, Daisy Bush (Olearia) New Zealand Flax (Phormium) and Wall Germander (Teucrium).

Such Plants prefer a sunny sheltered site and good drainage.

Sow Wildflower GroMats

Sow Sweet Peas

Sow Vegetables, Peas, Beans, Spinach, French Beans, vegetable groboxes

For More information

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/

Spring Gardening

Jayne — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:50:43 +0000

March is finally here and the darkest months of the year are now firmly behind us, as the light levels raise we can all feel ourselves getting a little more chirpy and racing around with more of a spring in our step. If you have just had one of those luxuries in life, a few hours to spare to spend in the garden, you will have noticed the sap has definitely begun to rise in the trees and shrubs. The trees and shrubs are now awaking from their winter dormancy and their buds are beginning to swell into life. I always find it quite a difficult time of year to garden in, as you do need to be restrained in your approach to cleaning up the borders from winter debris, as with living on an island we never quite know what weather the wind will blow in. The decay of the fallen autumn leaves and the frost bitten herbaceous plants now look unsightly and neglected, however they really do serve such a useful purpose. They provide a blanket of protection for our spring flowers from the late frost we always get in April / May. The nutrient that they give our soil in the form of rich organic matter provides life for the next generation of plants. Be aware though they do provide a perfect home for slugs and snails and as they have been repeatedly frozen and defrosted in the winter months they now emerge hungrier than ever. A careful balance is needed in the borders, leave some protection for your emerging herbaceous shoots such as Peonies and Acanthus, but clean up the rest of the leaves and put them in your garden compost heap for perfect mulch for your topsoil.