Gardening tips from the Horticultural Team at RNC

Celebrate National Children's Gardening Week with VICTA

Linda Griffiths and Paul Smith from the Horticultural Team at the Royal National College for the Blind (RNC) have put together their top tips for budding horticulturists!

Ideas to get children involved in gardening

Planting sunflowers – the seeds are large so easier for handling. Children could then have a sunflower competition with others (check out the VICTA sunflower race if you haven’t already!)
Planting and growing marigold seeds – an easy plant that is good at keeping bugs away from other plants.
Both sunflowers and marigolds have bright coloured flowers, so they are perfect for children who can see high contrast colours.
Selecting and planting herbs in a container which can then be used for cooking.
Planting cat grass seeds. Children with a cat might enjoy this as once planted, their cat will enjoy rolling in it and playing with it.
If your child has an interest in the environment, as well as gardening, a popular activity with our students is the making of wildlife hotels. There are so many ways to build them but we use old plant pots, dry leaves, dry lavender and cardboard. The pots are packed quite tightly and then placed around the garden.

More top tips!

Using containers and what to grow in them

Containers such as window boxes with drainage holes can be used to grow cherry tomatoes on a patio, or on an outside windowsill. When growing on a patio, ensure the containers are in a sunny position, where they receive at least 6 hours of light each day.

For a large pot of 12 inch diameter you can plant out 2 plants of Tomato Tumbling Tom from late May in the south of the UK, and early June in the north. Water them in well and feed twice weekly with liquid fertiliser. Use a peat free multi-purpose compost to plant them in and you will soon be picking, usually from early July till September.

In a similar container or window box, you can also sow courgettes. Sow 2 seeds close together, and leave the strongest to grow on, water well and feed twice weekly. Use peat free multi-purpose compost, alternatively you could buy a plant from a garden centre to plant in late May. Once the young courgettes have formed, check them each day as they are best picked young before they become marrows.

Using the same size container sow seeds of runner beans, placing three 6 foot canes spaced out and tied together at the top to form a wigwam to allow the beans to climb. Sow 2 seeds shallowly by each cane and water in well. Once they have germinated keep well watered and feed twice weekly.

You can also use similar containers for growing beetroot, carrots, and French beans, again using the same compost, however the containers will need to be at least 12 inches deep for these vegetables.

The beans will be pollinated by bees and other beneficial insects, and therefore should not be sprayed with insecticides to control Aphids as these can simply be washed off with water, or infested leaves can be picked off and carefully disposed of.

Sowing wildflower meadows

Although these are usually sown in early Spring, and in the Autumn, they can also be sown in late May and early June. If the soil is poor, or stony so much the better, as wildflowers will thrive in these conditions. Remove all perennial weeds when preparing the site which can be as small as a few square yards, or as large as you wish. Rake the soil, do not apply fertiliser as this will promote lush leafy growth at the expense of flowers. Sow the seeds by evenly broadcasting over the soil surface, and then lightly rake the seed into the soil, keep the soil surface moist until the seedlings have established.

You can choose either annual or perennial seed mixtures to meet your requirements. Many people are now using them as alternatives to a formal lawn, as they attract beneficial insects such as bees, butterflies, moths , lacewings, and other bugs, which help to control pests such as Aphids without using insecticides.

Create a summer flowering container to attract wildlife

Recycle a container such as a large bucket or plastic pot to make an insect friendly plant arrangement. Just make sure to create drainage holes in the base of your container. You can use perennials such as hardy Geranium, Lavender Hidcote, Campanula, Helenium, dwarf Ox eye Daisy, and even Dahlia Bishop of Llandaff, to provide vibrant colour. The plants will flower over the Summer, and are best planted in a peat free multi-purpose compost. This will provide a rich source of nectar for all types of beneficial insects which are in danger such as bees and butterflies.

Good luck and happy planting!