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    • About Alan
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    Plant Propagation

    Home » Plant Propagation
     The Benefit of Grafted Plants
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    By Alan Down
    In Fruit, Ornamental trees, Plant Propagation, Vegetables
    Posted June 2, 2020

    The Benefit of Grafted Plants

    In this blog I’ll reveal the benefit of grafted plants to the gardener. Because nurserymen put in the hard graft so that gardeners benefit from better plants to grow! Let me explain. A [...]

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     Modular growing of plants
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    By Alan Down
    In Annuals and half hardy seasonal plants, Gardening, Gardening tips, Grow your own, Plant Propagation, Sowing, Vegetables
    Posted February 18, 2020

    Modular growing of plants

    Modular growing of plants is on the increase and there are many advantages to raising plants this way.   This frustrating season! Here we in mid February and hardly a thing has been sown or [...]

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     It’s now time to sow chillies and peppers!
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    By Alan Down
    In Grow your own, Plant Propagation, Sowing, Vegetables
    Posted February 6, 2020

    It’s now time to sow chillies and peppers!

    It’s now time to sow chillies and peppers! Chillies and peppers have gone from a novelty vegetable to one of the most popular seeds and vegetable plants. This rise in popularity reflects [...]

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     It’s time to get busy with plug plants
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    By Alan Down
    In Annuals and half hardy seasonal plants, Gardening, Plant Propagation, Seasonal Gardening
    Posted March 17, 2019

    It’s time to get busy with plug plants

    Plug plants have revolutionised the growing of bedding plants for both commercial and amateur gardeners. Germinating seeds of some of our favourite bedding plants can be slow, expensive and [...]

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     Tips on sowing tomato seeds
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    By Alan Down
    In Gardening, Plant Propagation, Sowing, Vegetables
    Posted March 14, 2019

    Tips on sowing tomato seeds

    Tips on Sowing Tomato Seeds Sowing tomato seeds to raise your own tomato plants is not difficult but there are a few key points that need to be taken into consideration. I’d love to share [...]

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     Late Summer Propagation by Softwood Cuttings
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    By Alan Down
    In Gardening, Plant Propagation
    Posted September 17, 2018

    Late Summer Propagation by Softwood Cuttings

    Softwood Cuttings; Late Summer Propagation  Late summer and early autumn is the perfect time to propagate your favourite plants by rooting cuttings! You may want to do this to have more of garden [...]

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     Tips on Sowing Seeds
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    By Alan Down
    In Gardening tips, Plant Propagation, Sowing
    Posted September 17, 2018

    Tips on Sowing Seeds

    It’s spring and I want to share a few of my tips on sowing seeds. I know that some of you will have already sown some and there’s a huge temptation to get growing. But don’t get carried [...]

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     Propagating plants by root cuttings
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    By Alan Down
    In Gardening, Hardy perennials, Plant Propagation, Trees and Shrubs
    Posted September 17, 2018

    Propagating plants by root cuttings

    Propagating plants by root cuttings is one of the easiest ways to multiply plants and the cuttings almost look after themselves! There are a couple of times in the year when root cuttings are [...]

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     How to Take Hardwood Cuttings
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    By Alan Down
    In Gardening, Plant Propagation, Trees and Shrubs
    Posted September 17, 2018

    How to Take Hardwood Cuttings

    Hardwood Cuttings So you don’t think that you have green fingers [thumbs if you’re American]? Can’t root cuttings eh? Well, I bet you can propagate plants by hardwood cuttings! [...]

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     Sow Sweet Peas in autumn.
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    By Alan Down
    In Cut Flowers, Plant Propagation, Sowing
    Posted September 17, 2018

    Sow Sweet Peas in autumn.

    Sow Sweet Peas in autumn. If you sow sweet peas in autumn you’ll get the very best sweet peas …but by a whisker those sown in late winter or very early spring are only a smidge [...]

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    About Alan

    Flora and fauna have always fascinated me but it was a lifelong career in horticulture that filled most days.

    Having grown up on a farm where boyhood days were filled with discoveries of the natural world I soon found that my passion for plants – wildflowers at that time – would direct my career…

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    Alan E Down @AlanEDown
    4 hours ago
    Hungry gap? What hungry gap?
    Fresh #salad leaves from our @KederGreenhouse today.
    Just add wild sorrel for that extra special ingredient! https://t.co/mfrM3llhMY
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    Alan E Down @AlanEDown
    1 day ago
    Just look at this little beauty!
    Dwarf #daffodil Elka. A true miniature. Do you like it? https://t.co/pcUP2aSVN7
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    Alan E Down @AlanEDown
    1 day ago
    Hi @pow_rebecca -this makes no sense as I’m sure you’ll agree! Horti biz with perishable goods having to go jump through hoops atm. (Btw, hope you and family are well A&Fx) https://t.co/0P13NjJFjO
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    Neil Alcock @NeilAlcock
    I’m pleased I have found the easiest route to import and export our live plant material between Caernarfon 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 and Ireland! 😫 https://t.co/5FOBuidyfr
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    Spot the butterfly! Brimstone butterflies for me Spot the butterfly!

Brimstone butterflies for me always signal the start of spring and this week I’ve seen two on the wing. They are strong fliers and rarely stay still for long. This is one I snapped two years ago on wild primrose where it’s colour provides excellent camouflage.

One that I spotted was on a sunny bank @thenewtinsomerset and not phased by all the large tree planting that continues there apace!

Have you seen any yet?

#gmgspring #springisonitsway #springisontheway #spring #signsofspring #march2021 #march #springflowers #springflowersmakemehappy #yellow #mellowyellow #butterfly #butterfliesofinstagram #butterflies #celebratethelittlethings #celebratetheseason #primrose #primula #wildflowergarden #wildflowerhour #wildflowers #somerset #somersetlife #thenewtinsomerset #horticulturelife #horticultura #brimstone #butterflies #lepidoptera
    Looking forward to Pink Dragonfly Bergenia blooms Looking forward to Pink Dragonfly Bergenia blooms again soon! This is an exceptional variety of pigsqueak or elephant’s ears and much more compact than most.
Bergenia are related to Saxifrage and come from Asia.

#gardening 
#horticulture
#garden #gardendesign 
#horticulturelife #horticultura 
#bergenia #pinkpinkpink #pink #colormehappy #color #colourpop #colour #march #marchmadness #celebratethelittlethings #celebratetheseason #pigsqueak #elephantsears #springblooms
 #mynewgarden #celebratetheseason #celebratethelittlethings #naturesway #inspiredbyflowers #alittlebeautyeveryday #slowsimpleseasonal
    Precision training @thenewtinsomerset . Fan traine Precision training @thenewtinsomerset . Fan trained plums and fig trained on south facing parobala wall. I love those (oak?) battens. Shoots held in place by recycled strips of fabric.

#gardening
#horticulture
#horticulturelife #horticultura 
#plum #fig
    Moth orchids offer such great value and are dead e Moth orchids offer such great value and are dead easy to look after. Little wonder that they are the most popular indoor plant. 
In my revisited blog I visit a large British grower but also describe new developments.
Link in bio

#mothorchid #phalaenopsis #phalaenopsisorchid #phalaenopsisorchids #doubleh #houseplantsofinstagram #houseplantclub #indoorplants #indoorjungle #indoor #indoorgardener #indoorgarden #miniorchid #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantsplantsplants #plantparenthood #plantbased #plantsofinatagram #plantworld #plantwisdom
    Wonderful display and scent from this pot of #Narc Wonderful display and scent from this pot of #Narcissus Paperwhite from @HollandBulbs . Even the (unplanned?) mixture with Avalanche works! Perhaps that was their plan? Pic 2 Avalanche Pic 3 Paperwhite - might repeat this mix!
    Anemone blanda giving us a blast of blue! These ar Anemone blanda giving us a blast of blue! These are new corms planted in pots in autumn that will be planted very soon around shrubs where they will hopefully thrive and spread. We’ve white ones too but they are less well advanced. Should we mix them up or plant them separately?

#anemone #anemones #blue #windflower #springiscoming #springisintheair #gdnmediaguild #gmgspring #february #instablooms #slowsimpleseasonal #myquietbeauty #verilymoment #underthefloralspell #alittlebeautyeveryday #botanicalpickmeup #dsfloral #thebotanicalseries #noticewonderconnect #inspiremyinstagram #anemoneblanda #verilymoment #theslowdowncollective #thatvelvetfeeling #thebeautyofnature #thebeautyinwinter #blues
    Here’s a real early one! Thanks to @rogercrookes Here’s a real early one! Thanks to @rogercrookes , @taylorsbulbs1919 and Helen Brown of Little Ash Garden for the positive identification!
Need to get bulbs of this one from @taylorsbulbs1919 this autumn.

#springisonitsway #springisnear #springisnearlyhere #daffodils #daffodil #daffodilseason #yellowflowers #yellow #celebration #celebratethelittlethings #celebratetheseason #mybotanicalbungalow #february #february2021 #narcissus #gardeningismytherapy #garden #gardenerslife #springblooms #springbloom
    Iris reticulata Carolina #springiscoming #springi Iris reticulata Carolina

#springiscoming #springisintheair #blue #iris #irisreticulata #spring #celebratethelittlethings #celebratetheseason #botanical #flower #flowerbulbs #springbulbs #fresh #colourmyworld #aseasonalshift #myquietbeauty #allthingsbotanical #botanicalpickmeup #allwhatsbeautiful #verilymoment #dsfloral #inspiration #instagram #inspiremyinstagram #inspiredbyflowers
    The deer population is at heights never seen befor The deer population is at heights never seen before in Britain and the impact on gardens is now very significant. This alien muntjac species arguably poses the greatest threat to gardens and to wildlife diversity as it is destroying native understory vegetation. I took this photo in its home range Assam but you’re just as likely to see one in England!
In a recent blog I describe the threat and what plant species are least likely to be eaten. 
Link in bio.

#wildlife #wildlifephotography #gardensofinstagram #gardens #gardening #alien #deer #muntjac #gardenpests #alienspecies #nature #deerofinstagram #wilddeer #invader #wildworld #wildlifephotographer #wildlifeplanet #gardenexplorers #assam #reevesmuntjac #buck #plantworld #lecerf #hirsch
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