Planting Advice
Anybody can garden! You don’t need a lot of time, money or equipment or even your own garden to give it a go - just plant up a container or adopt a nearby tree base.
Containers and tree bases are good starting points for budding gardeners of all ages, especially if you only have limited space to garden. Here are some hints and tips to help you get growing.
Pots and containers
Most garden plants including fruit and vegetables are suitable for container planting, and all you need to get started is a container such as a window box or pot, a bag of compost and some plants. Allow space for summer plants to grow when planting and water regularly to allow the plants to settle in.
To care for your plants, water them regularly in warm weather, as containers dry out more quickly than those in the soil during hot weather, remove dead flower heads and provide feed on a regular (or not so regular) basis. Many plants are quite forgiving!
Hanging baskets work particularly well with trailing plants such as petunias or trailing geraniums and are also a good option for some types of fruit, such as strawberries or tumbling tomatoes.
Adopt a tree base
There are plenty of tree bases in the Grid looking for someone to take them on.
Once you have found a suitable tree base, prepare it by watering any existing plants and ensuring that the soil is ready for planting by removing any debris and working it over with a trowel, but take care not to disturb any bulbs. If the soil is looking a little tired, add some fresh compost to provide nutrients for your plants and work it in.
Wallflowers, marigolds, petunias, daisies, lavenders and geraniums all grow well in Grid tree bases. Hollyhocks, foxgloves and sunflowers are also good options but can grow to over a metre tall so bear this in mind when planting.
Avoid spiky plants that will injure pedestrians, plants that could be poisonous to people or animals and invasive plants such as ivy which may be removed by the council. Take care if considering a fence as hard surrounds could be a trip hazard and any sharp edges could be harmful, especially for those who have disabilities and for children.
