The Art of feeding a garden is in attaining balance. This brings us full circle to our blog on Thrips and the Goldilocks Garden. Not too much, not too little… just right. Too much of one mineral, locks up others. This is where natural soil improvers work so well because the plants and microbes work together and it’s not technical.  The Goldilocks Garden has a balance of light and air, humus in the soil retaining nutrients, and mulch protecting your microbes. This garden needs less watering and is a pleasure to be in. Using natural products keeps it simple and this short blog shows you how ..read more

Lifeless azaleas and ghostly viburnums, forlorn sentinels of happier times. Thrips have now abandoned their favourite their food for anything with sap. Never have I seen thrips on Irish strawberry trees, May bushes, Abelias, Crepe Myrtles or Capital pear trees. The mild wet winter of 2021 provided ideal conditions for a pest burden in spring. Continuing mild, this summer has produced an explosion of thrips, aphids and scale. Heavy frosts are needed this winter to reduce the population. The natural counterbalance for these pesky bugs are Ladybird beetles and Lacewings. Unfortunately, most Canbe ..read more

Planting Guide As gentle autumn rains fall, our gardens are growing right before our eyes. The delight and solace they bring belie the tragedy unfurling at large. How much can happen in one year? It remains to be seen.  For now Gardening Girls and our suppliers continue trading. We’re all avoiding crowded places, keeping a safe distance from clients and each other. Working outdoors is simply the best.   This garden belongs to a dear client. Over a three year period, we’ve removed two semi tailers of green waste, planted and spread 45 cubic mete ..read more

For long stemmed roses all summer long; when dead heading or cutting for the vase, use sharp clean secateurs and cut back to a strong, outward facing bud where the cane is pencil thick. Make a straight cut, just 5mm above the 5 leaved bud. This maintains the beautiful open vase shape. While you’re at it, be diligent in trimming off internally growing shoots and let those new outward facing canes grow, this is how roses renew themselves. A couple of handfulls of manure ruffled under the mulch and your rose will respond with strong stemmed blooms ..read more

For long stemmed roses all summer long; when dead heading or cutting for the vase, use sharp clean secateurs and cut back to a strong, outward facing bud where the cane is pencil thick. Make a straight cut, just 5mm above the 5 leaved bud. This maintains the beautiful open vase shape. While you’re at it, be diligent in trimming off internally growing shoots and let those new outward facing canes grow, this is how roses renew themselves. A couple of handfulls of manure ruffled under the mulch and your rose will respond with strong stemmed blooms ..read more

Lifeless azaleas and ghostly viburnums, forlorn sentinels of happier times. Thrips have now abandoned their favourite their food for anything with sap. Never have I seen thrips on Irish strawberry trees, May bushes, Abelias, Crepe Myrtles or Capital pear trees. The mild wet winter of 2021 provided ideal conditions for a pest burden in spring. Continuing mild, this summer has produced an explosion of thrips, aphids and scale. Heavy frosts are needed this winter to reduce the population. The natural counterbalance for these pesky bugs are Ladybird beetles and Lacewings. Unfortunately, most Canbe ..read more

Planting Guide As gentle autumn rains fall, our gardens are growing right before our eyes. The delight and solace they bring belie the tragedy unfurling at large. How much can happen in one year? It remains to be seen.  For now Gardening Girls and our suppliers continue trading. We’re all avoiding crowded places, keeping a safe distance from clients and each other. Working outdoors is simply the best.   This garden belongs to a dear client. Over a three year period, we’ve removed two semi tailers of green waste, planted and spread 45 cubic mete ..read more