Spring Forward!

Now that we are occasionally getting some sunny days, it is the perfect time to “Spring Forward” and start venturing outside into the garden again and here are some jobs, perfect for those early spring days…

Have a Spring clean!

Check over all your garden tools and make sure they are clean and sharp for the season ahead. Clean out old seed trays and pots and clean your greenhouse windows. Dig out the power washer and give those slabs and decks a good blast too.

Get Painting

Now is the perfect time of year, before plants start to get big again, to give fences, sheds, walls, decking. raised beds and furniture a lick of paint. It will extend their life as well as instantly making your garden look so much brighter.

 

Paint your fences to protect and make them look good

Paint your fences to protect and make them look good

Prune roses

Start by removing any dead, diseased or dying branches as well as any that are crossing. Then thin any old growth that you don’t want. Finally, encourage new growth by removing up to a quarter from the top of the remaining healthy main stems.

Make your beds!

Just as it’s important to make your indoor bed in the mornings, so it’s important to keep ontop of your garden beds and borders and keep them neat and tidy! Remove all weeds, cut back old herbaceous and trim grasses and shrubs. Once you’ve done that add some soil enhancer such as a fine bark mulch or some manure, your plants will love you for it!

Add a fine bark mulch to improve the soil and help reduce weeds

Add a fine bark mulch to improve the soil and help reduce weeds

Get planting

First Early potatoes take around 10 weeks to crop and you can plant them in late February into March in deep planting holes to protect them. Once the soil is beginning to warm, around mid-March, you can plant onions and shallots, if you want to avoid bolting, use a variety that’s less sensitive to cold weather.

Sow chilli and tomato seeds

If you have a heated greenhouse get some early seeds on the way. Don’t worry if you don’t, a sunny windowsill in the house will do just as well. Remember to have a check of what seeds you have left over from last year and what you need to buy this year so you are ready to sow the rest of your crops as soon as the temperatures rise.

Check out your seeds to see what you need to buy for the growing season

Check out your seeds to see what you need to buy for the growing season

For other ideas of things to do in the garden in March read our blog Spring Into Action.

Or if you are looking for inspiration in what to grow this Spring, read 10 Super Easy Spring Veg To Grow.

So, what are you waiting for? Go garden!

Vialii

Gardening During Lockdown – Week 4

Can you believe that’s been 4 weeks of lockdown? A whole month? It’s a long time in gardening and with all the sunny weather things are growing at a pace and we are being tempted into our gardens all the more. What have you been tackling? Here’s what what has been happening at Vialii Towers in Gardening During Lockdown – Week 4…

Sowing veg

We had sown several seeds indoors during the first week of lockdown so our focus this week we turned our attention to the seeds which can be sown directly outdoors. Lulu and Tilda took over this task and armed with seeds and trowels set forth creating drills to fill with seeds. They have sown:

The girls sowed all the veg in our garden

The girls sowed all the veg in our garden

They also planted two types of onion sets and two varieties of seed potatoes and left space for our broccoli to be transplanted as it gets bigger and stronger. The finishing touches were the painted stones they created last week. Click here to find out how make your own plant labels.

Weeding and Tidying

Life is so much easier if you just weed and tidy as you go. Our rule is never walk past a weed you have spotted. Always stop and pick it out. Then you never have a jungle to tackle which takes hours and makes you dislike gardening. A quick weed, run the lawnmower over the grass or the odd prune here and there and you will easily keep on top of your gardening.

The Vialii rule - never walk past a weed. Stop and pick it out.

The Vialii rule – never walk past a weed. Stop and pick it out.

Encourage wildlife into your garden

Wildlife are enjoying this lockdown period more than ever. From tiny ladybirds and hedgehogs to long-tailed tits and partridges, wildlife are venturing into our gardens more and more. Encourage this by considering your planting, leaving some wild areas in your garden, creating hedgehog houses, putting out bird food, building bug hotels – it all makes such a difference. And all those animals and insects do amazing things for our gardens and eco-systems so we’re all winners.

This little ladybug is in our front garden

This little ladybug is in our front garden

Relax and enjoy the spring sunshine

We have been having the MOST amazing spell of weather recently which is helping keeping us sane. So, in between all the garden jobs, sit back and enjoy your garden, your outdoor space, the lovely view, the beautiful planting, whatever is around you. There is a lot we can be grateful for so take some time to relax and enjoy it.

Relax and enjoy your garden and being outdoors

Relax and enjoy your garden and being outdoors

Other jobs to tackle this week:

I wonder what Week 5 will have in store for us – we still have lots to tackle on our to-do list. How about you?

Vialii

Sow Sow Yummy!

The sun is shining (or at least it was when I wrote this, it is probably snowing now knowing Scotland!) so it’s the perfect time to sow vegetables in the garden. Don’t know what to do? Well, lucky I am here to show you how and to tell you about some wonderful tools I used along the way…

Soon you could have a barrow full of amazing leeks just like mine!

Soon you could have a barrow full of amazing leeks just like mine!

WEED YOUR VEG PATCH

It’s important that you have a weed free veg patch and that you have good quality soil. Add some new compost or fertiliser if you need to.

Weed your veg beds before you start sowing your seeds

Weed your veg beds before you start sowing your seeds

PREPARE YOUR BED

Once you are weed free, take a few minutes to make sure your veg beds are nice and flat and even. It’s a bit like making your bed in the morning, you have to make it nice and neat and ready for bedtime! I used my Twigz rake, perfect for this job. Maybe not so much in your real bed though!

Rake out your veg beds and make the nice and even

Rake out your veg beds and make the nice and even

MAKE A DRILL

Not the tool kind silly! It’s a little line in the soil where you can sow your seeds into. Use a cane to help make sure your row is nice and straight.

Make a row to sow your seeds into

Make a row to sow your seeds into

SOW YOUR SEEDS

Carefully pour some seeds into your hand and sprinkle them into your row, making sure they are evenly sown. Gently cover them over and water them in. If you are sowing seed potatoes or onion sets, gently push them into the soil to the depth stated on the instructions.

This ickle onion will grow nice & big, just like me!

This ickle onion will grow nice & big, just like me!


KNOW YOUR ONIONS

It’s important to remember what you have planted where – you don’t want to be making chips out of your shallots – so make sure you carefully write your vegetable names on a plant marker. I like to draw a picture too – here’s my rocket!!

Zoom zoom, a rocket!

Zoom zoom, a rocket!

Now you just need to sit back and watch your seedlings pop up. You will need to “thin them” which means removing some of the smaller seedlings and give some bigger ones space to grow. Keep your seedlings water and weed free and before you know it you will be picking fresh veg straight from your garden.

TOOLS

Good tools are the back bone of any good gardener and I have found some wonderful ones to use in my garden. To do all of the above I used:

Twigz do a wonderful range of garden tools for children

Twigz do a wonderful range of garden tools for children

I thoroughly recommend the Twigz range of gardening tools for kids. They are great quality and can even last the rigours of a professional like me! They are a little pricier than some alternatives but the quality and durability makes it worth it. They get a big green thumbs up from me!

For more seed sowing inspiration read my other blog Sowing The Seeds of Love.

Love Lulu xx

*Price correct at time of publication

Sow Clever: Upcycled Seed Trays

It’s the perfect time of year to start growing veg from seed (let’s face it the weather isn’t really good enough to be outdoors all day just yet so sneaking indoors to do some seed sowing is a good thing!) But you don’t need expensive seed trays or propagators. Literally have a look around your house and you will find plenty ideas for free seed trays to use and sow clever…

Toilet roll tubes

We all have loads of these. We normally use them for craft projects but they make excellent planters for seeds. Cut them down a bit in size (you could easily make two pots from each tube) and sit them on a tray and fill with compost. Easy peasy.

Egg shells

You can even grow seeds, such as cress, in egg shells. Look at the funny haircuts above!!!

Egg cartons

And nothing need go to waste with an egg. We have used the egg shell and we can use the carton too. Perfect for growing seeds in.

Milk or juice cartons

Any sort of carton can be cut open (ask a grown up to do that bit) and filled with compost. Wonder if I can grow oranges in an orange carton?…

We grew some brilliant broccoli in this juice tray!

We grew some brilliant broccoli in this juice tray!

Paper cups

Get your mummy and daddy to save their coffee cups and recycle those party cups too. Perfect for growing veg.

Newspapers

Newspapers can be folded up to make little cups for growing seeds in. These are brilliant as they decompose in the ground so you don’t have to upset the teeny roots by taking them out of their pot.

Ice cube tray

Another great alternative to a seed tray. Just make sure you don’t pop it back in the freezer!

Bottles & Pots

Old juice bottles or yoghurt or custard pots are other great ways to sow seeds. The bonus of using a juice bottle is that you can make a lid which then keeps the heat in and makes the seeds grow faster!

So there you go, not only do you save money on the veg you are growing you don’t even need to spend any money on pots to grow them in. Veg-tastic!

To learn more about how to grow seeds in any kind of tray then read my blog here.

Happy sowing,

Lulu xx

Waste Not Want Not, Compost Style

The nights are getting darker earlier (not that I would know as I’m already asleep way before it gets dark) so it must be getting towards the end of the growing season. So, what do you do with your compost in containers and grow bags once your plants have stopped producing? Read on for my top tips…

We always have around 100 tomato plants in containers, so have heaps of old compost


We always have around 100 tomato plants in containers, so have heaps of old compost

The most obvious thing is to just dig the remainder into your borders and raised beds. It seems strange that you can add more compost each year and your beds don’t overflow. It’s the same with farmers spreading muck each year, the fields don’t become skyscrapers either! But if your old compost has been healthy, without any pest or disease problems, there are loads of more interesting and helpful ways you can use it in the garden:

Fill the bottom your tubs with old compost and top up with new

Fill the bottom your tubs with old compost and top up with new

A dumper truck helps cover the seeds with old compost

A dumper truck helps cover the seeds with old compost

Mix your old compost with sand and some fertiliser for perfect carrots

Mix your old compost with sand
and some fertiliser for perfect carrots

Those are my ideas for reusing your old compost, can you think of any others?

You might also be interested in my blog There’s a Worm at the Bottom of the Garden.

Big hugs,

Euan

Sowing The Seeds Of Love

Hi everybody! It’s less than a month ’til the official start of Spring which is super-exciting! Already plants are pushing through the ground, buds are appearing on shrubs and slowly the garden is waking up from its winter sleep. Let’s have a big stretch everyone as it’s time to dust down your seed trays, rummage through your seed boxes and get sowing. If you’ve never sown seeds before, don’t worry, I will talk you through the process, making it super-easy. Plus you don’t have to have any fancy equipment as I have some neat alternatives to share with you. Come on, let’s do it…

Collecting nasturtium seeds for next year is really easy!

Collecting nasturtium seeds for next year is really easy!

Step One – Organise your equipment

If you are a professional like me you will have lovely seed trays to grow your seeds in. But I think it’s cool to grow them in other things which are lying around the house. I will tell you more about them later. But first things first, make sure you give your trays, cells and covers (or whatever you are using) a good old clean. It gets rid of nasty bugs which could affect your seeds. It’s just the same as us washing our hands before we eat, right?

Step 2 – Fill your containers with compost

It’s important to use a good compost which is meant for sowing seeds to give them the best possible start. This sort of compost is lighter and holds water better which means the seeds can grow more easily. Read your packets in case your seeds have special instructions. We used Verve Sowing and Cutting Compost (it has to be the 12L bags) as it’s a Which Best Buy.

Fill your seed trays

Fill your seed trays

Step 3 – Sow Your Seeds

Remember to read your packet and find out when and how your seeds are to be sown. Some like to sit on the top, some like a light covering. We have sown some of ours slightly early but we don’t have a heated propagator so that will be fine. Some of the seeds are teeny-tiny (like a Pontipine!) so you have to be really careful when you are handling them. I like the pumpkin and courgette seeds as they are big (like me!)


Step 4 – Label & Cover

Make sure you label your trays clearly so that you know exactly what is growing there. You could write the names or draw a picture of what it will look like. It’s important to label as whilst I love growing courgettes in the middle of our flower beds some people might not want their broccoli in a hanging basket 😉 Cover your trays to create a humid environment for the seeds to germinate well. Remember to keep the trays well watered and in a sunny spot.


Alternative Trays

If you don’t have seed trays there are lots of alternatives you can use such as plastic bottles, yogurt pots, tin cans, egg cartons, juice cartons, old boots, milk cartons or any old flower pots you have sitting around. To use a bottle, cut the plastic bottle in half long-ways (ask a grown-up to do this) to create a lid which you can easily flip up to water. Remember to put drainage holes in the bottom.

Use a juice bottle as a seed tray

Use a juice bottle as a seed tray

 

So there you have it! And already, even in just a few days I can see my seeds starting to push through the soil. I have a selection of pretty flowers growing such as nasturtiums, poppies, sweet peas and cosmos as well as loads of different veg from courgettes and pumpkins to tomatoes (OK, technically a fruit) and broccoli. How exciting! Once your seedlings have developed their first true leaves and are large enough to be handled, carefully pot them into their own small pots. Be careful to handle them by the leaves or you may damage the stem.

Give on, give sowing some seeds a try. I promise you it’s waaaay more fun, more tasty, cheaper and better for the environment than relying on supermarket produce.

Hugs & kisses,

Lulu xx

Winter Jobs In The Garden

It looks like Spring hasn’t arrived quite yet but you know me, always desperate to get outside in the garden. There are always jobs to do, whatever time of year it is. I know ‘cos Mummy is always telling Daddy all about them 😉 So here is a list of winter jobs in the garden that can be done, both for grown ups (ie Daddy) or for littlies like me, in between rain showers…

Get wrapped up cosy and get outside. It's fun! Clearing the veg beds out is a perfect job for winter.

Get wrapped up cosy and get outside. It’s fun!
Clearing the veg beds out is a perfect job for winter.

Jobs for Grown Ups

Mummy is going to paint these troughs pink. Awesome. Wonder if she will add some glitter too...

Mummy is going to paint these troughs pink.
Awesome. Wonder if she will add some glitter too…

Jobs for Littlies

Potato chitting

I’ve already got out potatoes chitting
away

So there you have it. Grab your hat and coat and head outside for some fresh air, some Vitamin D and get the garden all set for Spring.
Hugs & kisses,
Lulu xx