We are now working with Ronacrete to install both resin bound and resin bonded aggregate systems.

In case you are not familar with these systems they represent an alternative to traditional paving or driveways.  You can find information about them at www.ronacrete.co.uk. 

Their resin bound aggregate systems are SUDS compliant and a great option for anyone seeking a driveway after October when the new Regulations are in force.

The possibilities for colour matching are pretty limitless as you can choose a blend of stones to suit your scheme.  We always recommend that clients order a matching aggregate to mulch their beds in a larger size stone.  Longrake Spar cannot be beaten for the customer services and will always pop some samples out to you - ours usually arrive next day.
 
If anyone is interested in using the system or would like us to provide a no obligation site visit for a possible installation please get in touch.  We cover Berkshire, Surrey, Buckinghamshire and SW London. 

There doesn't seem to be a listing for this Plants and diseases

I have been asked to remove nearly 60 metres of Griselinia littoralis hedging that is very healthy looking, however
about 15 plants have died  in different sections of the hedge in the most part single plants then a stretch of say 8-10 healthy plants
and then another dead one, does anyone have any advice on what could be the cause.
I thought honey fungus but this plant is supposed to be quite resistant to this .
It seems to be an ongoing problem attacking at random.

Any Ideas

Graham

Very pleased to have our new plants delivered this week, some 2500, adding to our range ready for September.

Acacia armata 5 litre  - A mimosa with thorns?? Still has yellow flowers, described by one of our customers as an upmarket Genista.

Acacia Pravissima 20 litre - Mimosa with very different foliage.

Acacia Baileyana 20 litre -  very beautiful silver-grey foliage.

Pennisetum macrourum - nice big fluffy flowerheads

Euphorbia Portuguese Velvet - a very soft foliaged variety.

Carpenteria californica 10 litre - Don't you just love them!  Evergreen and Summer flowering.

Grevillea Canberra Gem 5 litre - 300 of the ******s to pot! very nice though.

Eragrostis Elliotii and Spectabilis - Not grown these Grasses before.

Eucomis bicolour - not stocked this for 3 years, really like them.

Pittosporum Tandara Gold 10 litre - Not done this one before either.

Pinus patula 20 litre - A soft foliage, weeping Pine, beautiful!!!

Compost did not arrive this week, due on Monday so a week of potting our wonderful new stock. 

In politics they say "It's the economy, stupid".

In Horticulture we say "It's all about the plants!!!"

All the best

Steve

I've just posted new photos - look at the ease of the system.

Dom

Are you confused by 'green' technologies, let me know your thoughts on the subject, We all know something has to be done just to reduce fuel bills. I have a company that designs and installs systems - from modern boilers to heat pumps and wind turbines - so try me you never know it might not be as daft as you think.
Dom.

Container gardening is easy to do and there are many reasons why www.jardinjarvis.com thinks it is also a sensible gardening option.

Here are 7 reasons to grow plants in containers.

 

1. Scope. Plants that require a longer growing season than you have to offer can be started indoors to bloom outside in summer and autumn. Frost-sensitive plants such as bay laurel and lemon verbena make wonderful houseplants in winter and spend the summer in the garden. Just make sure that in spring they are allowed a transition period from limited sunlight indoors to brighter light outdoors. The ‘orangery’ technique is the basis of concept, which includes growing citrus fruits in containers so they can move indoors to overwinter.

 

2. Ambience.Containers set the stage in outdoor rooms.  Create a group of sun loving plants around a large houseplant that will be spending the summer outdoors. A jumble of various pots stacked on stands and clustered loosely lends a pleasantly casual look. Containers aligned with precision and planted with trim specimens, such as rosemary standards or ivy topiaries, create instant formality. A trio of large pots makes a garden appear more settled; they suggest the accumulation of years' growth.

 

3. Focus.  Potted plants and containers create interest. Grouped in strategic places, they break the monotony of a terrace or a patio and create an ambient scene. Build a simple theme garden around a colour or an idea. A collection  such as pansies, Calendula, and heliotrope makes a cheerful display. Containes with of sedum and Sempervivum always look simple but elegant.

 

4. Zing. Nestle containers of bright annuals among duller plants in the garden for added colour. To keep plants looking good: Water when soil dries; pinch off spent blooms, and fertilize weekly.

 

5. Flexibility. Rearrange plantings to suit the season or your mood. Enjoy pots of violets and narcissus in spring; petunias  in summer; and Coleus in autumn.

 

6. Limitation. Contain thugs that are too invasive to let loose in the garden, such as ribbon grass (Phalaris), blue lyme grass (Elymus glaucus), and mints of all kinds. Plant these or other gregarious growers in terracotta pots, and then plant the pot in the ground, with the lip of the pot even with the soil surface

 

 7. Mobility. What gardener hasn't wished that a plant grew somewhere else? Plants in pots are easy to move around. Light up a dark corner with pots of white, pink, or yellow flowering shade lovers such as impatiens and Helichrysum. Some plants with a short blooming period, such as lilies or foxglove, look magnificent in containers and grow well in those temporary quarters. Transplant them to the garden when they are finished blooming. Of course, if you are about to move your household, containers allow you to take the garden with you.

 

We have recently tied up a deal with The Hire Supply Company, who will distribute The EaZyBarra to Plant Hire Companies throughout the UK.

Hire Supply company supply all types of goods to hire shops and deal with independant companies and the large groups. If anyone wants to hire an EaZyBarra as opposed to purchasing ask at your local hire shop and they can purchase via The Hire Supply Company.

We are currently seeking distributors throughout the UK and are speaking with independant merchants and merchant groups.

We would be delighted to speak to anyone interested in stocking and distributing The EaZyBarra.

We have just launched a new product call Space-Frame. It is steel framed platform / decking system. Built to individual designs the possibilities are endless.......
In-built  veg.beds, fire-pits, water features, rainwater harvesting, building foundations - what can you come up with ?
We are especially proud of the SolarDec - it is embedded with a solar collector, meaning you can sit on your solar panel !
Tell us what you need for your project.
Dom.

About 15 years ago, I played with a modification to an irrigation system, that seemed to work quite well. We had a large lgarden that required a pop up system for the summer months and also required a drainage system for periods of heavy rainfall.

The solution we came up with was to design the irrigation so as to be installed with a drainage system, allowing the drained water via stone filters to be temporarily stored in an underground tank. This tank stored the water until the irrigation tank required water, the water was then pumped into the irrigation tank for reuse, before topping up with water from the house supply.

This system worked well on two sites... since then I have spent a number of years in the USA where temperatures are much higher and much lower - 120f in the summer and -28f in the winter. with an annual rainfall of 38 inches (900mm).

Today I have been working with a system that reduces watering needs by up to 80%

The first part collects water from hard surfaces and then stores in a drainage system, before being recycled back to the lawn and shrub areas via a dripline irrigation system - driplines reduce watering needs of plants significantly. 

The final piece of the jig saw is almost ready - a way to store some of the much needed, but available rainwater in the soil for use by lawns and shrubs - it would seem that this part of the system is able to reduce watering by a factor of 50% whilst it also feeds and aerates the soil at the same time.

 

We are pleased to be offering again this year or range of Pot Lillies for the Garden.

 They are available in the following sizes, in 2007 we only offered this range to a slect range of customers and are now taking pre orders for 2008 for supply from May through to September.

These can be pre-priced and barcoded to your requirements.

If you are a retailer or nursery and you are interested in stocking these fantastic products then please Send a Message to tell us who you are, where your outlet is based and we will send you some information on varieties/colours and prices.

Thanks for reading Steve, Hortisolutions.