February 2012 Meeting of the Ashdon Gardening Club
The Gardening Club hosted a talk by Robin Carsberg "Container and Patio Gardening"
The meeting started at 7.45 p.m. Robin is well known in Ashdon for his Annual Show judging skills and has visited us before as a speaker. The last time he told us "what the judges were looking for" in shows.
This evening he not only told us what the judges would look for in exhibited containers and baskets but gave us a lot of inforation about the best way in which to display containers and baskets whilst they are in our gardens or in fact anywhere. In his first sentence Robin stated that "everyone can have a container - it doesn't matter where you live." All a container needs is to be able to hold soil, provide drainage, and have enough room to accommodate the plants you wish to grow (bearing in mind that plants will grow larger). The type of container can be made of anything including recycled household item or old shoes.
In his "Dos and Don't" list Robin advised against dark or black containers which can become too hot in summer, the need to consider the weight and location in case it has to be moved, the display colour which looks best when co-ordinated with the colour of the pot, and the background where the container will be situated. He highlighted this last point be showing slides of red or dark plants against similar coloured backgrounds and light plants against pale backgrounds.
Most plants are suitable for growing in pots and many can be mixed and matched. The list included cacti and succulents, alpines and water plants. Bulbs can be planted in different levels starting with winter ones near the top and later flowering bulbs further down. Photographs illustrated the use of plants along the edges of steps and the use of differnt levels to disply plants to their best advantage.
On a practical note he said that plants in containers need more maintenance than others growing in the garden. The composition of the soil is preferable if a heavier container type compost is mixed with an all purpose type. Plants should be watered twice a day in hot weather and a diluted liquid feed used every other watering. Self watering systems are ideal but granules can be used. To help with the watering a plastic saucer can be placed in the bottom of the pot when first planted. This will ensure that a reservoir of water remains.
Robin's talk was liberally sprinkled with photographs showing good and bad examples of planted containers and baskets and gave us all a lot to think about.
