Ways to brighten up my little garden, CHEAPLY...? We live in a short time rented cottage and have a...
We live in a short time rented cottage and have a small garden next to patio a small square of pasture. A willow tree and an apple tree and space for some plants (maybe bedding plants like pansies). The problem is in that is not much colour. Can anyone reccomend some colourful easy to strictness for plants that won't cost much to go contained by pots and the garden? Also I'd like to attract butterflies and wildlife. The plants will own to be non poisonous to pets. I live in the UK if that make any difference. x x x
Hello,, geraniums do very resourcefully in pots,, and they come within a variety of color, and humming birds love them. Plant some Canna's,, or gladiolas, their gorgeous flowers, humming birds love them,, and their an anual ,, so they come wager on year after year. One thing almost Canna's,, the leaves and flowers are not poisonus,, but the bulbs are. So if you have to verbs them up over the winter,, be sure you get some dry sand,, put it within a bucket, cover your bulbs,, don't water them,, and put them surrounded by a safe place. Preferrable where on earth they can't freeze. Impatience or marigold would do really good within shady areas,, and if you keep them contained by a flowere bed,, the marigolds will come back the subsequent year,, or once the flowers dry up,, just pic the petals and replant them subsequent year. Hope this helped. Oh and dianthias are gorgeous,, they come within some of the most beautiful colors,, their super effortless to care for and theycome vertebrae year after year
myself, for low care, low cost and colour, I've used blackeyed susans and shasta daisies. Their perennials (return respectively year) and can be potted or ground planted. The yellow/black of the blackeyed susans and the white/yellow of the daisies are a beautiful clash. (And I have a dog, so pets do come into the equation for myself as capably.)
As for butterflies/wildlife, be careful. Usually anything strongly attracts butterflies are also quite attractive to honeybees.
There are so several kinds of plants for this. I'd suggest taking the time to google "plants that attract butterflies" and run through those choices. GL
Answers: Ma'am, you are right to suggest pots and containers. I use a mixture of purchased ones and such things as old motor tyres, painted. I have some wooden troughs from garden centre, although they are a little more expensive - but even dated bits of log nailed together for 'rustic' containers.
As for flowers, try crocuses around the tree basis for next spring.
For this summer, you are a moment ago in time for the following.
'Busy Lizzies' (Impatiens). Cheap and colourful. There are immediately many more variety than the 'standard' pink ones. They grow quickly. You can cut past its sell-by date some healthy stalks at the cease of the growing season and put them in ancient coffee or jam jar in hose down. Roots grow in plenty and you can plant them out next year for free! Flowers soon grow again.
Petunias. Many colours available. Cheap and hardy. Prolific flowering. Great importance.
Pansies in pots (or contained by beds, as you mention) other do well. Very hardy for transparent looking flowers. I have have some still flowering in the frost!
Snapdragons. Again hardy, and some will come support next year, even if you do zilch to protect them in winter!
Osteospermums. I cannot speak too importantly of these. Daisy-like, with various colours available. About a foot in elevation. Cheap and incredibly hardy. They keep trying to grow even through snow - and come stern in full subsequent year. Try stopping them!
Dwarf Geraniums. A change from the usual sympathetic. Look like small roses and they save flowering! I use some in 'cheap man's lifeless baskets' i.e. ordinary plastic pots hung from fence, drainpipes, etc.
Asiatic Lilies. A little more expensive but again hardy, exotic and beautiful, beside large flowers. Many colours very soon available. Hardy and they keep coming support for free! Disadvantage: the fantastic flowers last merely for a few weeks.
Sweet Williams. Beautiful little flowers with intense colours. You can't stop them coming hindmost - for free, although they do not 'take over'. Long-lasting.
Begonias are cheap but beware of putting more than one or two close together, as they grow quickly. Nice, prudish flowers but quite deeply of foliage.
Lobelia. Very delicate and usually blue. I wonder at their ability to sow themselves and grow up even through tar and concrete! No damage, as they are small. Great within hanging baskets and as a 'surround' contained by pots containing other plants.
Hanging baskets can be bought cheaply, with growing milieu. Most of the plants mentioned can be put into them. 'Morning Glory' is a good trailing plant for baskets.
There are various other flowers to suit your needs but the ones I own suggested will bring you the colour you require, and quite efficiently. All of the plants mentioned fit your requirements for cost-effectiveness, easy-care, non-toxic to pets and attract butterflies - and bumble bees.
My U.K. garden was 'worse' originally than yours. It be a tarmac and concrete vertebrae garden! It has be transformed by the pots mentioned and by a few raised bed. I am not a gardener but an 'experimenter'. Some failures, yes - but mostly great nouns with the plants mentioned. I break adjectives the rules and I even allow poppies to grow as they wish! Once established they can overwhelm a garden - but I simply 'rip them out' where on earth not needed! The same for weed.
For all of the plants I own chosen, they have surrounded by common robustness, low maintenance, maximum flowering and uncomplicated to plant. I use supermarket compost - which is cheap - and I put shards of old pots - or gravel - surrounded by the bottoms of the pots for drainage.
You mentioned attracting wildlife. Some you do not want like snails and slugs. I put my pots on those plastic saucers you can buy cheaply - but upside down to save them off the ground to avoid waterlogging. I afterwards sprinkle anti-slug pellets around the basis of these saucers. Works well. No problem for cats, dogs, etc. - but not implicit to fish ponds.
As a 'biological control' I like to use 'mini-ponds' for frogs. I hold a small glass cistern, sunk into the soil, plus one of those plastic 'shapes' you can buy at garden centres, again sunk into the soil. I hold pumps and lights but these are not essential, unless you wish. Change the dampen from time to time and remove weed and algae growth. 'Marginal plants' from garden centres, can be put into the shallow dampen. Mine have done resourcefully, including lovely irises which come back respectively year. The frogs soon come and they control slugs and snails. Don't watch if you are squeamish!
Squirrels will soon find your plants but the ones I enjoy mentioned are of little value to them, although they may verbs holes to bury their nuts! Hedgehogs may take up residence if in attendance is good cover.
For birds, why not buy a cheap bird table or set up a bird-hut on one of your trees? I own blue t*ts regularly nesting. Robins are in large amount - but they are predatory. Very cheeky, as they will come up to you and demand food!
Buy a plastic bin and squash branch droppings into it at the end of the season. Punch holes within the bin to allow aeration and for worms, etc. Pile your old vegetable peelings on top as in good health. In time, you will get a free, ready-made compost for subsequent year's plants.
Sorry for the book - but you asked for it! Best wishes.