Autumn is time for .... bulbs

The autumn term is not a great time for planting but you can plant bulbs that will flower in the spring. They are easy to plant but a bulb planter really helps. These pull out a plug of soil leaving a hole into which you place the bulb. You can then simply drop the soil back into the hole. Much easier than using a trowel and if the soil is soft enough, Nursery children can do a perfectly good job with these.

Bulbs will grow in planters,in the soil and many will do perfectly well planted in small pots. Children love to plant one in a pot and take it home for the window sill.

Garlic sprouting nicely

We planted some garlic in amongst the flowers in containers at Armitage and it's now really sprouting nicely.  It's an easy one to grow, just put a clove in the soil and that's it!  "Proper" seed garlic works best but you can try ordinary ones as well, the results are just less reliable.

While it's growing you can pinch the tops a little and really get that garlic smell, which is what's going on here.

Planting on playgrounds

Armitage Primary want to green the school and use plants to enhance its appearance. In particular they asked me to think about ways to cover some metal fences and a pergola in the EYFS outdoor area.

So we asked Timber Recycling in Manchester (TRIM) to make us some wooden planters. Children painted the inside with linseed oil and we've filled them with a mix of soil from Kennedy's in Salford and compost from Fairfield Composting who use the waste fruit and veg from Manchester's main wholesale market. Hulme Community Garden Centre gave really helpful advice about planting options, what to fill them with and how to preserve the wood. I was interested that both TRIM and HCGC advised on just preserving the inside.

The first plants are now in, some winter bedding with a few onions and garlic mixed in. Climbers will go in in November, probably a mix of winter jasmine, evergreen clematis and others that will provide cover over the winter.