Barts Buiten: answers to all (okay: a lot of) your garden questions
We love messing around among the greenery, and we are not the only ones. How should all this be done, and when, in particular, to achieve such a beautiful, healthy, green and colorful result? We don't know that either. But luckily there is mothers. Because he does know. And how. Years of hobbying and piles (and piles) of books and magazines have made her a real specialist. So she got her own Green Corner on Barts Boekje. Barts Outside. From my mother, for you.
We asked via Instagram if you had any questions... Well, we did! Below is a wide selection of all questions, plus the answers. Another round soon!
Bamboo remains green, but only buy bamboo that does not proliferate and be careful because bamboo can also grow very large. I find myself Gloss medlar (photinia fraseri red robin) very bad. This plant has beautiful shiny leaves and blooms beautifully red in the spring. Please note: it cannot withstand very severe frost. To minus 10 approximately. You can buy it as a stem or as a shrub. And then Taxus Naturally. Always green, but okay, a bit boring. But it is a valuable plant for creating a beautiful wall or partition.
Create a Blooming ivy (Hedera Helix) is also very beautiful and a paradise for bees: the flowers provide an abundance of nectar. This can be pruned in the spring: black berries appear after flowering. The Viburnus Tinus blooms for a very long time in winter, but below minus 12 degrees it is sensitive to frost. Place it out of the wind, otherwise brown branches may develop.
De Fingerling (Fatsia japonica) is sensitive to frost, but if the frost is moderate, you can protect it; with jute for example. The plant blooms late in the year and has beautiful glossy leaves. NB! The Fingerplant is poisonous, so if you have small children, it is not a good idea. But hey, it really is beautiful. Just like the Dwarf medlar (Cotoneaster lacteus), my top favorite. It blooms with creamy white flowers and produces red berries in the autumn. You place it in a sunny spot or in partial shade. Pruning is allowed, but not necessary.
A shrub with cheerful variegated leaves is the Cardinal's hat (euonymus). Please note: you can
buy evergreen and deciduous plants. Finally, there is of course the Skimmia, you know, that plant with the red flowers around Christmas time.
Your bamboo may have been too wet this winter. Yellow leaves indicate that the soil is too alkaline: the soil may be slightly acidic. At most garden centers you can have soil 'sampled'. You can fertilize with manure with a high nitrogen content and low phosphate content. Dried cow manure pellets also work.
Then think of Mediterranean plants such as: Lavender. It can also withstand frost well. Or Bougainvillea, but it cannot withstand frost. It is what you call a container plant, which means that it must overwinter indoors. The African lily (Agapanthus) is also beautiful. Ask in the store about the type of lily that can withstand frost: there are types that can tolerate the cold better than others. The Oleander is also good and again a container plant. So bring it indoors in the winter. The verbena bonariensis can withstand frost again.
A small olive tree or a Citrus tree always do well. And of course herbs such as Marjoram, Thyme, Lemon Verbena, the Curry Plant, Hyssop, Bay Leaf, Mint and Rosemary. O! And Tuscan jasmine. Smells wonderful. Just like Eucalyptus! Make sure you prune it hard if it gets too big, otherwise it will literally run out of control.
De Polygala myrtifolia can also withstand a little bit of frost, but not the Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia). The last one is a fig: beautiful! And of course you can eat the fruits.
A citrus tree that is dead cannot of course be brought back to life. Unfortunately. But for the next one: I would always put a citrus plant in a pot and not in the open ground. In summer the pot can be placed outside, but in winter it must be placed inside. The plant cannot tolerate too much water, but when the fruits are produced, it can use a little more water. You will see that for yourself (provided you pay a little attention of course). Make sure that excess water can come out at the bottom and preferably use hydro granules. They absorb excess water and release it when necessary. And give your plant/tree as much direct sunlight as possible, even in winter. I would give the plant additional nutrition from March to September. Read the quantity on the packaging and definitely do not give more. If the leaves turn yellow, your plant is probably getting too much water. If you want to prune (you don't have to), you can only do so in the spring. Please note that the
temperature differences are not too great if you put it outside in the spring: the citrus tree likes a lot of sunlight and not too wet soil.
