Butterfly Gardens

Landscaping even the smallest areas will provide habitat for many butterfly species. You can create suitable habitat for butterflies in your yard by selecting the appropriate flowering plants. Not only will you attract beautiful butterflies, but your yard also will be filled with colorful flowers throughout spring, summer, and fall. Creating butterfly gardens is easy and fun; learn how to spice up your yard to attract butterflies.

How to create butterfly habitat
Only a small amount of space is needed to provide butterfly habitat. You can create butterfly friendly habitat by providing food (nectar plants), cover, water, and larval plants.
• Before you start, plan ahead.
• Map your yard and determine what environmental conditions you have (i.e., soil type andamount of sun).
• Locate gardens near areas that are sheltered from wind.
• Select areas that receive at least six hours of direct sunlight each day.
• Plant flowers in large diverse groups.
• Choose plants that vary in color, season of bloom, and height to provide different foraging opportunities and maximum year-round habitat for butterflies.
• Choose flowers with different structures. Butterflies have different length proboscises (tongues) that determine which flowers they can feed from.
• Provide cover and shelter such as broad-leaved trees, shrubs, and log piles.
• Provide several landing pads or sunbathing perches in open and sunny areas throughout the garden. Butterflies rely to a large degree on thermal heating and sunbathe in these open spots.
• Provide a water source or puddle for butterflies. Bury a bucket or shallow lid in the ground and fill it with equal ratios of sand and soil, then periodically saturate the sand/soil mixture with water.
• Provide access to the water puddle by placing a few large rocks around the bucket or lid. Which kinds of flowers should I plant? Choosing a diverse array of flowers and shrubs will ensure that butterflies visit your garden while creating a bright, diverse, and colorful yard throughout the seasons. Adding a variety of flowering and fruiting shrubs to your butterfly garden also will undoubtedly attract several birds (including hummingbirds) to your yard.

No Dig Gardening

How to prepare a new site:
Dig over the ground as usual taking out as many perennial weeds as possible or cut down the vegetation and then cover with a light excluding mulch which will kill the weeds.
Suitable mulches include:
· black polythene
· cardboard boxes opened out
· newspaper, at least eight sheets thick
· carpet
Using a mulch may take some time, depending on the weeds present.
Fertilising the plot
All fertilisers and manures should be applied at the usual rate (manure—one wheelbarrow per 10 square metres). Rock minerals and other powdered materials such as lime, seaweed etc can be lightly hoed in. If plants need to be spaced widely, for example courgettes and potatoes, put the compost directly around the plants. Remember on a no dig garden it is the worms that take the material down into the soil, so it will take longer for the material to be mixed into the soil than if you were digging it in.
Growing on the no dig system
If you are clearing the site using the mulching system you can still grow some vegetables through the mulch. If you are going to do this then don’t put the mulch on in winter. At this time the soil is cold and dry so mulching will keep the cold in, and the warmth and water out. The vegetables that you can grow will depend on the thickness of the mulch. Vegetables you can grow include pumpkins, marrows, tomatoes and potatoes. Once the land has been cleared —which may take over a year - keep it weed free by hoeing and/or mulching. Mulching is a good idea if you can find the materials, but it is not essential.
Sowing
Seeds are sown in the normal way. Hoe and rake the soil surface to make a seed bed. If the surface of the soil is poor then a shallow drill can be made with a hoe and the seeds covered with a mixture of damp sand and sieved compost or soil.
Planting
Transplant seedlings by taking out a small hole to plant them into. Compost or manure can be placed around the seedling at planting time.
Growing potatoes
When using the no dig system potatoes are the only crop that are grown in a different way The
method is as follows:
• Cut down any weeds and water if ground is dry.
• Spread manure on the surface at the normal rate (one wheelbarrow per 10 square metres)
Plant your potato seed tubers by laying them on top of the manure 60cm apart. In a cold spring it might be better to do this later as covering cold soil will keep it cold.
• Cover each row of seed tubers with a few inches of hay or old straw. Mark the rows and leave a bare path between each row.
• Check regularly for shoots coming through the mulch of hay/straw and help
any that are pushing the mulch up, rather than growing through it.
• Keep adding to the mulch as the shoots grow.
• When the mulch is 6” thick and the plants are growing well, top up the mulch with grass mowings. This will form a mat which will keep the mulch in place and keep light out from the potatoes.
• Add more grass as needed.
• To harvest the crop, pull back the mulch and remove as many potatoes as you need. If you only take a few and leave the plant to grow you must replace the mulch to keep out the light.
• If you want to harvest the whole crop remove the whole mulch, harvest and then replace the mulch.
. Slugs do not seem to be more of a problem with the no-dig method. The mulch is a nice damp place for frogs or toads who will eat slugs. Mice can be a problem as the tubers are easy to get to. To stop this happening don’t leave the tubers in the ground for too long in the autumn.
Green Manures
A green manure is a plant grown to improve the soil. Green manures are normally dug back into the soil. However, you can’t do this in a no dig system. Annual green manures can be cut down with a hoe or lawn mower and the plants can either be left where they are or put on the
compost heap. Grazing rye is the best over-wintering green manure but it does not work well on a no-dig system as it will grow again if hoed when young, and is rather tough to cope with when
older. In a no dig system grazing rye should only be sown where potatoes will be grown the following spring. The rye is cut down with a mower or shears and the potatoes planted on top. The covering mulch prevents the re-growth of the grazing rye. The advantages and disadvantages of no dig gardening:
Advantages
· Better for your back.
· Protects the soil structure, especially on light soils.
· Makes a good, stable soil structure.
· Makes a friable topsoil through which seedlings can easily emerge. Soil is less likely to cap.
· Keeps fertile topsoil in its right place.
· Reduces moisture loss.
· Does not bring weed seeds to the surface to germinate.
· Worms like no-dig systems.
Disadvantages
· Some people like digging.
· Does not expose soil pests to predators.
· Takes longer to improve poor soils.
· Does not deal with compaction and hard pans.

Growing Plants in Containers

Anyone can grow plants in containers. The different types of ornamentals (flowers), fruit and vegetables that you can grow is surprisingly large. It is also amazing how many things can be recycled to make containers.
Suitable Containers-You can use many different types of container to plant in. Some suggestions for containers include:

· old tyres
· tied bundles of newspaper
· buckets
· plastic storage boxes
· half barrels
· old bins
· containers made from pallets
· old chimney pots
· old sinks

Remember, unless you are growing bog plants, the containers will need to have drainage holes.
Planting up your container:
1. Choose your container. Check that it has drainage holes at the bottom. If it hasn’t, make a few in the bottom.
2. Use broken bits of clay pots or flat stones to cover the holes. Fill the pot until a quarter full. This stops the holes getting blocked by soil.
3. Fill with potting compost or good garden soil . If you cannot find an organic potting compost then buy a peat-free compost.
4. You can now start to plant up your container. Suggestions of suitable plants are given on the back of this leaflet.
5. Once your container is planted you must remember to water it regularly. Plants in pots need watering more often because the soil dries out faster.

Why peat free?
Peat is a soil-like material made up of partly rotted organic matter (things that have once lived).
It is still used in many composts. The peat is taken from peat bogs where rare plants live. Bogs take thousands of years to develop and are getting smaller as the peat is used by gardeners. To do your bit and help preserve (keep) this habitat use peat-free composts.

Vegetable varieties to grow in containers : Broad Bean, French Bean, Carrot, Chard, Courgette, Cucumber, Leek, Onion, Pea, Pepper, Potato, Radish, Tomato.

Flowers to grow in containers: Bergamot, Candytuft, Chives, Honesty, Love-in-a-Mist, Pot Marigold, Nasturtium, Perennial Cornflower, Phlox, Poached Eggplant, Small Scabious, Spring Crocus, Sunflower, Wallflower.

Growing from Seed

Growing your own plants from seed gives you the opportunity to grow varieties not available in the shops. It is also much cheaper and you get more plants for your money. Growing from seed means that you can use organic methods from the start, even if you can’t buy organic seed. Growing a healthy plant is the best way of avoiding pests and diseases. A good start is important.
Germination
If seeds are to germinate quickly, and seedlings grow vigorously, they must be started in the right conditions.
Temperature—this is the first thing to consider.Details of seed temperature needs can usually be found on the seed packet or in a gardening book. Most seeds germinate better in warmth, but there are some that need cold in order to germinate. Where warmth is needed it is best to aim for a few degrees above the minimum figures given on the packet.
Moisture—seeds need to be moist to germinate and grow. Too much moisture will cool them down, drive out air and encourage fungal diseases. Avoid overwatering pots and trays.
Light—many seeds will germinate in either dark or light conditions. However, some do much better in light, such as Busy Lizzies. Others germinate better in the dark, such as pansies. Once germinated, seedlings do not need high temperatures, but they still need warmth and good light or they will become pale and straggly. Draughts are very dangerous to newly germinated seedlings. Seedlings need protection against frosts if they are to make good growth. When sowing seed outdoors, wait until the outside temperature is at the minimum stated for at least a week.
Time before flowering or cropping.
Many slow maturing crops, such as summer flowering geranium, and tomatoes, can only succeed if started indoors—if you wait until the weather outside is suitable, there is insufficient time for the plants to reach maturity.
Transplanting
The advantages of transplanting are that plants can be started indoors then planted out as strong transplants. It gives them a head start. It also means that other quick growing crops such as radish can be grown temporarily in the space set aside for the seedlings. Some plants are happy to be transplanted. Others such as carrots and parsnips, do not like root disturbance. Grow these in their final position directly from seed . Growing in modules (divided trays) helps avoid root disturbance.
Avoiding pests and diseases
Sowing indoors may give seedlings protection against pests and diseases while they are most vulnerable. Drier conditions reduce the chance of fungal infections.
Growing from seed - outdoors
Good soil preparation is essential when growing from seed. Drainage and fertility need to be right, whatever you are growing. The top inch of soil needs special attention. The ‘tilth’ is the condition of the soil surface when ready for seed sowing. A particularly fine tilth is needed for small seeds such as carrots and onions. To achieve this rake the soil, break up any lumps, then even the soil surface.
Spring sowing—Don’t sow too early as cold, wet soil will rot the seeds. A good time to start sowing is when weeds begin to grow. For earlier sowing cover with clear polythene and grass for a week or two to warm up the soil. Remove when ready to sow.
Summer sowing—If soil temperatures are too high for certain crops, such as lettuce, water the ground well and cover with sacking or other shading material to cool it down before sowing.
Autumn sowing—The soil is still warm so this is a good time to sow hardy annuals to overwinter. Try Californian poppies and nasturiums. This gives them a head start in spring. If sowing in a row, you need to create a drill - a shallow trench. You can also broadcast sow, which means sprinkling the seeds evenly across the plot. If the soil is dry, water the bottom of the drill before sowing. If you water after sowing, a hard crust of soil (a pan) can form. It can stop seeds emerging. Details of spacings and how deep to sow the seeds will be on the seed packets. Do not sow too thickly. This will waste seed and result in overcrowding. Once sown, cover the seeds with fine soil and press it down with the back of the rake. Seed and soil must make good contact.
Growing from seed - indoors
The traditional method of starting off seeds indoors is to sow them in a single pot or in trays.
Once the seedlings have emerged they are pricked out into trays or individual pots. The modern alternative is to sow directly into modules (trays divided into small sections). Thinning the seedlings is unnecessary and seedlings do not suffer from being moved. Seed modules avoid overcrowding, so there is less risk of disease.
Potting Compost—it is preferable to use organic potting compost for sowing, but if this can’t
be found then use a peat-free mix. You can make your own potting compost.
Sowing seeds:

• Fill the pot with potting compost to 2cm below the brim.
  

• Firm the surface with something flat, like the bottom of another pot, and sow the seeds thinly.
  

• Cover large seeds with sieved compost to a depth no greater than twice the size of the seed. Very small seeds should be left uncovered.
  

• Stand the pot in a bowl of water and allow the water to soak up from below. Do not saturate, the compost should be moist. Drain excess water.
  

• Cover the pot with clingfilm to stop moisture escaping.
• Place the pot in a warm, light place.
• As soon as the seeds germinate take off the cover.