All about current standards, practices and more... http://www.naturescapegardens.com/blog/feed.xml en Naturescape Gardens http://www.naturescapegardens.com All about current standards, practices and more... Naturescape Gardens Ltd are pleased to announce that they have the availability to take on some maintenance contracts on a prime Friday spot. We provide all garden services to the north London area . We are based in Winchmore Hill, N21.... /blog/91/garden-maintenance /blog/91/garden-maintenance 9 January 2016, 1:24 pm http://www.naturescapegardens.com/blog/feed.xml The past week we have started to give our lawns their first cut of the year. Nothing too drastic. Just taking the tips off. We have started to dead head hydrangeas as well. Now all the bulbs and herbaceous plants have just about showed themselves, we are forking over the beds and incorporating some organic matter. After a long winter the borders are quite compact and heavy to work. We add heavy horse manure when forking over, which breaks up the soil, gives the plants a good feed and will lock in water for the summer months ahead. Next week we will be giving our tired looking lawns a spring lawn treatment, which will feed them and kill off the majority of weeds and moss. Of course Naturescape Gardens Ltd offer all garden services in the North London area Happy gardening ! Raymond... /blog/89/jobs-for-march /blog/89/jobs-for-march 22 March 2015, 5:17 pm http://www.naturescapegardens.com/blog/feed.xml As we head towards Easter, spring is well underway. Spring bulbs are now in flower , wild plum and cherry trees soon to follow. Some bright warm sunny days,make this a beautiful time of year. With the gardens just waking up, there is a long list of things to do in the garden,... /blog/87/spring-has-sprung /blog/87/spring-has-sprung 22 March 2015, 1:39 pm http://www.naturescapegardens.com/blog/feed.xml Beware late frosts and keep vulnerable plants and new shoots protected at  night if frost is forecast. Don’t be tempted to put out   tender bedding until  much later on in the month and even then be prepared to cover it if  necessary. Deadhead daffodils and narcissi, give them a liquid feed or sprinkling of  bonemeal and then let them die down. Don’t cut off the   leaves as they are  necessary to replenish the bulb for next year. Keep deadheading spring bedding  to keep it looking neat and encourage new   flowers. Continue with the spring cleaning. Hoe your borders, getting rid of weeds  before they take hold – annual weeds such as bitter cress and   groundsel are  enough of a nightmare without allowing them to go forth and multiply by seeding.  If it’s dry, attack ground elder and the like   with systemic weed killer  painted onto the leaves. Mulch away while you can still see what you are doing and before the  herbaceous growth really takes off. Use your own garden compost or leaf   mould,  well rotted manure, the contents of out-of-date grow bags or ready-made soil  conditioner. Now the soil is warming up and things are starting to grow, add general  purpose fertiliser before covering with mulch especially in   borders, the fruit  and vegetable patch and containers. If you have already mulched, draw it back  (if possible), tease the soil a little, add fertiliser and replace the  mulch. Carry on removing moss and weeds from paths, terraces and drives. PLANTS OF THE MONTH Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae This Euphorbia plant that will thrive in dry shade where little else will. More importantly though, the sulphur-yellow flowers that appear above the dark green foliage in spring, really add splashes of vibrant colour to borders. Its network of running roots enables it to ramble across the ground, self seeding as it goes, so it will eventually form large, handsome drifts as it matures. Helleborus Forming naturalistic drifts through a woodland floor, or filling gaps at the front of a partially shaded border. It looks its best in late winter and early spring, so it makes a great under-planting for deciduous shrubs that are still trying to get their act together. Try mixing it with spring flowering bulbs, which will push their way up through the attractive, evergreen foliage to add even more of a splash to the seasonal display. Dicentra spectabilis In partially shaded spots, the light green, lacy foliage forms tight, ground-covering clumps, which mix easily with other ‘edge of woodlanders’ such as ferns, hostas, and foxgloves. It is the arching sprays of pendulous, heart-shaped flowers that seem to dangle enticingly from the stems like tiny jewels. Magnolia × soulangeana An adaptable multi-stemmed shrub, with a maximum height of around 6m. This beautiful plant should definitely be up near the top of the shortlist when trying to choose what tree to use in a small garden. Vinca minor ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ With its compact habit, the luminous pure white flowers contrast beautifully with the rich green foliage. The flowers will also illuminate a dark corner better than anything else. This low-growing woodland perennial is also seen often in shades of blue. ... /blog/72/aprilgardening-tips /blog/72/aprilgardening-tips 5 April 2013, 4:18 pm http://www.naturescapegardens.com/blog/feed.xml General tasks and garden maintenance Frosts can still be a hazard, so keep vulnerable plants protected at night if  frost is forecast. March winds are also notorious for their ferocity so check  exposed plants are well supported. Now is the time for a thorough spring clean; weed and dig over your borders  incorporating as much organic matter as you can – those chilly   winds will  really help to dry out the soil. Mulch bare soil once you have done the work and  remove moss and weeds from paths, terraces and   driveways. They may be boring  tasks but if you don’t get on top of the garden now (especially the weeds!) it  will be a nightmare for the rest   of the season. Make new beds and borders – mark the shape with sand trickled from a bottle,  remove the top layer of growing vegetation and dig the ground   over,  incorporating as much organic matter as possible. If you are   making a bed in  the lawn, remove the turf and stack it upside down somewhere out of the way – after a year or two it will rot down into fantastic compost. Alternatively chop  it up and bury upside down in the planting hole a good spade’s depth down.  Beware – if you just dig it in the buried grass will regrow and regrow and  regrow and… March Plant of the Month Spring starflower Ipheion uniflorum Native range: South America Hardiness Zone: US 5+ Sun: Full sun to partial shade Plant habit: Clumping, will spread by bulb offsets and self-seeding Water requirement: Low Spring starflower is a small (6-12 inch tall) perennial, that grows from a bulb, with flat, grasslike leaves and fragrant, star-shaped blue or white flowers. Starflower is a non-edible relative of the onion, and its leaves give off an onion-like aroma when they are picked or crushed. This plant is easy to grow and widely adaptable to many soil types and it can also be grown in pots or containers. Note: Depending on where you live, this plant may spread aggressively in a garden setting. Contact a local nursery professional or Cooperative Extension for more information about growing Spring starflower in your region. Plant the bulbs in fall for a beautiful spring show; they look great in a large mass, or group, in a planting bed. They bloom all spring long, year after year, and go dormant just when summer perennials are beginning to pop. Flowering bulbs are a beautiful and magical way to introduce gardening to kids. One of the clearest heralds of spring is when bulbs like spring starflower, daffodils, and crocuses push out of the cold wintry ground just as the days are starting to get longer. The life cycle of bulbs are well suited to school calendars. Planted in the fall and emerging to bloom in spring, they need only minor tending and bring attention to the garden when little else is happening. Other plants that look great in the month of March: Witchhazel (Hamamelis) Flowering cherry (Prunus) Hens and Chicks (Sempervivum) Star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) ... /blog/63/march-garden-tips /blog/63/march-garden-tips 5 April 2013, 3:58 pm http://www.naturescapegardens.com/blog/feed.xml Many of our gardens have been battered by a second hard British winter in a row, but this is a chance to reassess borders. Try reintroducing old favourites better equipped to deal with cold winters as alternatives to slightly tender plants. Olive and bay trees may fail in freezing conditions, so instead plant standard Elaeagnus ‘Quicksilver’ AGM, the evergreens Ilex aquifolium ‘JC van Tol’ AGM or Viburnum tinus ‘Gwenllian’ AGM. In exposed gardens, try lacy purple or yellow-leaved elderberry (Sambucus nigra) instead of Japanese maples. Plant shrubby lilac Syringa x laciniata or Erysimum ‘Bowles’s Mauve’ AGM instead of rosemary. Dormant shrubs and perennials allow you to assess the need for structure. Trees with eye-catching bark, such as birches and maples, are beautiful all year. If flowers are your passion, choose for a succession of seasonal colour. Measuring and drawing the garden should clarify plans; view the garden from inside the house and from different angles. Consider moving or replacing damaged, overgrown or badly placed shrubs.... /blog/20130405/februarys-post /blog/20130405/februarys-post 5 April 2013, 3:46 pm http://www.naturescapegardens.com/blog/feed.xml Newly arrived bare root roses and fruit trees can be “heeled in” by covering the roots in compost in a container in a cool, frost-free place until the ground defrosts. It is fine to prune fruit trees in frosty weather. If it’s when you have most time, prune hardy foliage plants now, too. Remove any snow-damaged branches from shrubs and small trees, cutting cleanly back to a healthy branch or the trunk. Partly broken branches you can try to wrap or bolt together, but they are highly unlikely to rejoin and may attract fungal problems. Wound paints are not recommended. There’s no need to clear ice from ponds. Oxygen will still be available for wildlife and plants. Fish may benefit from extra oxygen, so keep the pump running to prevent freezing. Using rock salt to keep paths free of ice can scorch leaves and roots of plants, so apply with care and keep to a minimum. Bulbs such as tulips that you haven’t got around to putting in the garden, can still be planted as long as they are firm and mould-free. Cut away the leaves of Helleborus orientalis to show off the flowers. Once plants in containers have frozen, it’s too late to bubble-wrap them. Move them to a sheltered spot near the house or into a light shed or garage. Plant of the month Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ AGM is a deservedly very popular winter flowering evergreen shrub. It has an upright habit and dark leathery leaves. Clusters of intensely fragrant flowers in late winter are white inside and purplish-pink outside. Often on the expensive side to buy as it can be difficult to propagate but happily, it is easy to grow. Best in dappled shade with a little sun and a fertile but well drained soil, this daphne is a good plant for resistance to hungry deer. Height 2-2.4m (6-8ft) and spread of 15m (5ft). ... /blog/44/january-gardening-tips /blog/44/january-gardening-tips 5 April 2013, 3:38 pm http://www.naturescapegardens.com/blog/feed.xml We are experiencing heavy leaf fall at the moment. It’s very important to clear your lawns of leaves. If your lawn is left with a blanket of leaves they will soon deteriorate. Also , now is the time to get those spring bulbs planted. You really want them in the ground by the end of this month. Have you considered having a garden tidy up at this time of year ? Once the leaves are down, Naturescape Gardens Ltd, can give your garden a thorough tidy up, get all the winter pruning done , give your lawn a final cut for the year, so your garden looks in tip top shape until spring.... /blog/22/november-jobs /blog/22/november-jobs 6 November 2011, 9:17 am http://www.naturescapegardens.com/blog/feed.xml Naturescape Gardens are based in Winchmore hill, North London. We are gardeners with plenty of experience in landscaping and garden maintenance.... /blog/20/home /blog/20/home 16 January 2011, 1:49 pm http://www.naturescapegardens.com/blog/feed.xml This week we have been doing a fencing job for Edmonton County School. We have had to rip out the old fence line and replace with concrete posts and gravel boards, using 6’x6′ close board fence panels. After a lot of hard work, we have managed to install a really hard wearing good looking fence. This should keep the kids at school when they are meant to be !!!... /blog/17/home /blog/17/home 16 January 2011, 12:02 pm http://www.naturescapegardens.com/blog/feed.xml