Blue Daisy Blog

While I wouldn't exactly say I came to horticulture 'late in life' I have come to it after spending many years as an HR professional first.  I'm now loving my new job and in the words of the RHS and Alan Titchmarsh I am honestly just as 'proud of my new career' as I was when I was doing my first one.  I worked just as hard to qualify as a garden designer as I did to achieve my HR qualification – and I still have much to learn in my new chosen field.

Perceptions of Gardeners

It saddens me then to hear and read that the majority of young people's perception of a career in gardening is as one only to be considered if they have 'failed' academically.  In Victorian times gardeners and head gardeners were held in high esteem – it was their knowledge and skill that delivered one of the most coveted of status symbols: a beautiful and bountiful garden. How things have changed.  Nowadays we seem to think that anyone can pick up a lawn mower and it makes them a gardener.

June is a prolific time in our gardens and while it's usually a great time to break out that well deserved drink to help us savour the warm, scented evenings there are also lots and lots of jobs to be getting on with this month. 

This year it's all about dodging the rain in order to get things done.  The weather has been dreadful but the list of things to do remains... and just in case you're not sure where to begin, here's a list to get you started.

This is the time we usually get to relax and enjoy our gardens with the first vegetables ready to harvest, flowers in full bloom and long summer nights to appreciate our hard work!  This year has been different with the recently dubbed 'European Monsoon' playing havoc with our gardens.  All the rain has left our plants super-lush but 'late' in many respects and many of our clients are reporting a bit of a struggle to play catch up this year.  Fingers crossed we'll get some of that famous flaming June weather later in the month (though if long term forecasts are anything to go by don't hold your breath on that!).  As such we might be struggling to get the lovely balmy evening scents that June can often bring with it.

If the sun does come out to play make sure that plants in greenhouses, conservatories and windowsills get some good ventilation and shading protection too to make sure they’re not scorched. 

Here at Blue Daisy we’re really passionate about saving our humble British bumble bee and other pollinating insects like the hoverflies, moths and butterflies.  The decline in our pollinating insects especially bees has been noticed through various studies over the last 50 years or so, the reasons are far reaching but one been the reduction of our wild-flower meadows through the use of chemicals.  Recently it has become a hot topic with the many organisations including the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) taking up the mantel led by Sarah Raven to help gardeners identify the best plants in garden centres.  They have introduced a badge called ‘Perfect for Pollinators’ which will be on plant labels all good garden centres.

Why are we interested in pollinating insects?  Well in brief, they transfer the pollen from one flower to the next allowing it to be fertilized, which means it will have the ability to set seed or produce fruits.  This is really important for us all, if plants aren’t able to set seed we risk reducing the amount of plants we can have as theycould become endangered or extinct. The worst case scenario is that the pollinated flowers don’t turn into fruit which means it could have a huge impact on what we are growing and eating, or not eating as the case may be!  The pollination would need to be done by hand, it would be such a laborious task taking so many hours that the products themselves would be so highly priced the average person in the street may not be able to afford them.

Sounds lovely doesn't it?  It conjures up all sorts of warm images that you really want your prospective purchaser or tenant to have about your property.  We all remember, from various TV programmes, their suggestions of how to make someone have that warm and cosy feel about your home consider baking bread or a putting a pot of coffee on so the smell emanates through all the rooms.  But what about the gardens, what about kerb side appeal and what about a wonderful view from the lounge, kitchen or dining room window?

How many times have you heard friends or relatives saying they went out looking for a new house and did a 'drive by' (viewing that is, not shooting!!)?   Nothing says 'first impressions count' more than this for the initial view of your home.  Here are a few things you can do to enhance that kerbside appeal and the view from inside your home over the rear garden: