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Monday 28 November 2016

Living Willow Sculptures making an Igloo

Living willow structures. Creating garden and park projects from living willow
living willow sculptures Igloo in summer

Creating a living willow Igloo

Creating a living willow (Salix) sculpture is one of the most exciting projects you can do in your garden. Because this particular customer has children we decided to create something simple so they could take part in it's construction, and practical so they could have plenty of fun playing in it.
So we decided to build an Igloo.
Creating living willow sculptures in the garden or school-making an igloo

When should I plant my Willow Igloo

This is a project that is best done over the winter months, when the willow has no leaves and is in it's dormant state. You can plant from the end of November until the end of March providing there is no frost.  This will give the willow a chance to develop a root system for the growing season in Spring and Summer. It is best not to plant after the end of March, as your willow may not do so well.
living willow Igloo sculpture kits for schools parks and gardens

Where can I get a Living Willow Kit

The Igloo you see here is now several years old, and the grass has now grown somewhat scraggly round the base. However when you first plant your willow you should remove all the turf in the  shape of the structure you want to create. Then dig in as much compost as you can to give your new willow a good start. The actual planting is then easy, simply push your willow canes into the ground. You should make sure that you keep the area around the new canes weed free. Some people put a heavy mulch or matting down to help with weed control. There are many willow growers who now supply kits. Our igloo was a kit which came with ready cut to length stems of fresh willow and a plan which was helpful. We got our kit from JPR environmental (follow link HERE ) There are other suppliers to visit and online for example Musgrove willow HERE or Yorkshire willow HERE
Picture of living willow igloo sculpture suppliers and kits
Picture of living willow igloo in summer

Caring for my Living Willow Igloo

Once established your willow structure will require minimal maintenance. However during the Summer it will grow vigorously in all directions. You should tie in any new shots that will make the structure thicker and stronger and use a sturdy pair of secateurs to trim excess growth back to it's original shape.
Picture of Living willow tunnel sculpture
Of course there are many ways to enjoy living willow. The structure pictured above is called The Cathedral. You could create an arbour, fence, windbreak, tunnel, indeed whatever idea you can come up with. Have fun!
General discussion and your views are welcome please say hello. I regret however because of my busy schedule, I am unable to answer many questions. Sneaky advertising will be deleted sorry. Thanks so much for visiting my blog today.

Friday 4 November 2016

Blackspot on Roses: Top 3 products review for prevention and treatment.

Best products to treat blackspot on roses
Roses are a delight in any garden but some varieties can be susceptible to a virulent fungal disease commonly known as Blackspot. The good news is that it is completely treatable by a range of fungicides that are readily available here in the UK. I will also give you a few tips below should you want to take a more organic approach.
Top 3 best buy products for prevention -Rose blackspot best treatment product review
Symptoms are easy to spot with fungal black spots appearing on the leaves which as they grow larger turn the foliage on which they are spreading yellow. Eventually the leaves fall off which leads to a dramatic effect on the overall health and vigour of the rose and how many blooms it produces. The disease can quickly spread to other plants so early treatment is recommended.
Picture of Fungus clear best buy rose blackspot treatmentPicture of suitable sprayer for applying rose blackspot treatment
Fungus Clear ultra is one of the products I use and as with most fungicides is systemic. That is to say that it is absorbed by the leaves when applied and moves freely through the plants sap treating the existing disease and more importantly helping to prevent further fungal growth. A kind of 'immunization' if you like against further infection. Ideally you can start applying fungus clear as soon as new leaves emerge in the spring which should prevent the disease taking hold through the season but certainly as soon as you notice black spots appear. This product comes as a concentrate so a small quantity needs to be measured (measure supplied) and mixed with water and applied every 2-3weeks through summer. You will need a suitable sprayer with which to apply the mixture such as the one above which comes in 5L 7L(as picture) or 10litre capacity. Both Fungus clear and Sprayer come with full instructions.
Tips on how to treat and prevent blackspotPicture of Rose blackspot treatment and prevention fungicide gun
                                                                                                                                                                            Roseclear Ultra is another equally good blackspot fungicide. It is also systemic, controlling the existing fungus and preventing further infection to your roses from the inside out. In addition Roseclear has an added insecticide, which is helpful if you have an infestation of greenfly or blackfly which usually congregate under the leaves and around newly forming buds. I always take a bit more care when spraying Roseclear (or any garden insecticide) to avoid contact with bees. With this in mind spraying is usually best done in the evening when bees are less active. The product comes both as a concentrate that you mix with water and apply with a sprayer such as the one above. And in a mixed ready to use gun applicator, which is more suitable for smaller gardens with one or two roses.
Bayer fungus fighter gun for treatment of blackspot on roses.Rose blackspot contol best buy products
Another great all round fungicide is Bayer's Fungus Fighter, giving excellent control of blackspot. Again this product is systemic but does not include an insecticide.  The product comes both as a concentrate that you mix with water and apply with a sprayer such as the one above. And in a mixed ready to use gun applicator, which is more suitable for smaller gardens with one or two roses.

ORGANIC CONTROL
Blackspot is caused by a fungus which releases spores. Collecting infected and fallen leaves will help in preventing the disease spreading to other plants. This is particularly useful in Autumn when roses shed most of their leaves. You should safely burn all that you find. A good idea is to then cover your rose border with a mulch such as mushroom compost or bark chips. This will help spores reaching new shoots as they emerge in the Spring. This is not a 100% cure unfortunately as spores can blow in on the wind from other infected gardens. The Organic community seems to have many different ideas and recipes on controlling blackspot including solutions containing milk, baking soda, vinegar etc. I haven't tried any of them but it must be said I don't discount any. Always worth a try if you don't want to use chemicals. Please share any success's you've had in comments.

General discussion and your views are welcome please say hello. I regret however because of my busy schedule, I am unable to answer many questions. Sneaky advertising will be deleted sorry. Thanks so much for visiting my blog today.