Decorative garden: peonies for the vase
Peonies are one of the most popular cut flower plants. There are two main species of peonies: Paeonia officinalis, whose shoots last only a few days after cutting, and the Chinese peony Paeonia lactiflora in many hybrid varieties, which last up to two weeks.Peony shoots should be cut when the buds are in their bloom phase, i.e. when they are one-third or at most half open.
It is worth remembering because completely closed flowers do not open in a vase, and those that are already open do not last long.Put the cut shoots straight into the water, change the water in the vase every day, trimming the stem a bit each time. Flower stalks should not be tied in a vase as they may rot.
Peonies can be composed, for example, with larkspur, bells and various types of ornamental grasses. Cut the shoots for the vase arrangements from 2-3-year-old bushes. You cannot take more than one third of the shoots at a time.These are cut not at the base, but at least a dozen centimeters above the ground, leaving a few leaves on the stem.After flowering, trim all the shoots to the same length so that the leaves form a compact dome. In the fall, cut the stems up to the base.
Hedges: last hedge planting date
If you want to plant a new hedge, hurry up, as the optimal planting period for most hedge plants is about to end. Evergreen species such as laurel and thuja should be in the ground by the end of April, and shedding leaves - even earlier, by mid-April.In the case of plants bought in containers, the planting time is not so strictly defined, as they can be planted throughout the growing season.To create a dense hedge of laurel or privet, 3-4 plants should be planted on one meter.Along the line of the future hedge, stretch a taut rope, along which we dig planting holes.
In this way, without additional fittings and special treatments, we will obtain an even row of hedge plants. We measure the distances between the wells with a ruler. Planting holes should be twice as large as the root ball of the plants. The soil at the bottom of each well should be loosened to make it easier for the roots to grow into the substrate, and the root ball itself should be slightly loosened.
The bush seedlings are placed in the holes and covered with a mixture of garden soil and compost. A portion of soil for each well should be enriched with a handful of horn chips. No other fertilizers are needed now. The area around each plant should be tapped firmly to eliminate any empty spaces within the root ball.For the shrubs to quickly obtain a dense habit, we already trim them very hard.
Water the plants abundantly. This is especially true in late spring, when the days are getting warmer. In the following weeks we water the bushes regularly and make sure that the soil does not dry out. Spread a five-centimeter layer of bark mulch around the bushes to reduce water evaporation and drown out the weeds.
Balconies and terraces: terrace screens made of box plants
At this time of the year, installing a masking plant on the terrace is extremely simple due to the wide access to appropriate plants. In this role, e.g. hedges. Plants are usually offered in one meter long boxes and grown to a height of several tens of centimeters to 2 meters. Sometimes the boxes are equipped with wheels, so they can be moved freely and effortlessly. Special bases for storing water make it easier to maintain a constant moisture content of the substrate.
Cold-hardy plants such as hornbeam and ivy, as well as some flowering species are very often used for container hedges. Very attractive plants are, among others clematis and climbing roses.This, however, should be provided with a stable support, preferably in the form of a separate climbing structure.Often there is still enough space in the box for flowering one-year-olds to be planted. You can also plant David's budleaf and torsion's budley in the boxes.
Vegetable: earlier harvest of cucumbers
Not only field cucumbers, but also some salad varieties, such as 'Sprint', can be grown in a flower bed and bear fruit abundantly. From mid-May, cucumber seeds are sown in a loose, humus-rich and fertile soil.Exceptionally favorable conditions for development are under the black, water-permeable mulch foil. Under such a cover, the substrate maintains an appropriate level of humidity, besides, thanks to the foil, the earth stores solar heat better. As a result, picking is 2-3 weeks faster.
Before sowing, cut the foil crosswise with a knife every 50 cm and sow 2-3 seeds for each position (the row spacing should be about 100 cm).After the seedlings have emerged for further cultivation, leave only the strongest ones, remove the rest.Water the cucumbers with lukewarm water so as not to wet the leaves. Do not top the ground cucumbers, unless they do not bear fruit.
Orchard: trees can still be planted
Young trees in containers are bought very willingly, as they can be planted almost all year round. When planting, it is very important to prepare the substrate well. Drying out of trees within a few weeks after planting is common in warm weather.
When buying a plant, you should absolutely check its quality.If the tree stays in the pot for too long, its roots grow along the wall, forming clear, tight rings.Such a plant will take a long time to take root in a new position, suffering from a shortage of water and nutrients in the initial phase.
The soil around the planting site should be enriched with humus soil or compost. Carefully take the root ball out of the container and plant it in the hole together with the stake. Spread the excavated soil between the roots until it fills the entire space. Lightly tamp the soil around the trunk and water it abundantly.
