Benedict Kelly

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I have always been fascinated with the technology and science of gardening. Growing vegetables hydroponically without soil, selecting just the right light spectrum to maximize growth, enriching garden soil with the right nutrients, co-planting, and other techniques can help your gardens produce more vegetables than you ever imagined in small spaces. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit one of the country’s top working agricultural science centers, the gardens in the Land Pavilion at Disney’s Epcot Center.

Behind the Seeds Tour

Visitors to Disney’s Epcot Center can book a special behind the seeds tour to get up close to the agricultural research projects and hear all about them from a tour guide. The tour must be booked in advance, but costs only $14 per person, $10 for children under 10 years old. The gardens contain state of the art hydroponics stations where much of the produce used in the Disney restaurants is grown. The gardens focus on various methods of increasing the yield of edible plants in order to help alleviate world hunger, there are advanced growing techniques, aquaculture displays, exotic fruits and vegetables, and even a working alligator farm, but it wouldn’t be Disney of some of the exhibits weren’t just plain fun.

World Record Tomato Plant

One of the most amazing exhibits in the gardens is a single tomato plant. It is being hydroponically in a medium of perlite and peat moss with a nutrient drip supplying water and minerals to its roots. The branches of the tomato plant are carefully trained to growth up and spread out along an overhead support matrix which provides each branch with support and enough space to receive plenty of light and air flow. The tomatoes hang down from these overhead branches thicker than stars on a moonless night in the country. Disney says the plant will thrive for about 18 months before it needs to be replaced. During that time, this one individual tomato plant has produced well over twenty-nine thousand tomatoes!

Growing Mouse Ears

One of the more fun exhibits in the gardens in the Land Pavilion are the shaped watermelons and pumpkins. In this area, the small fruits are encased in a rigid plastic mold that is shaped with classic Mickey Mouse ears. As the melons or pumpkins grow, they fill the inside of the mold and conform to its shape. The end result is Pumpkins and melons that are shaped like Mickey Mouse’s head. This won’t feed a lot of hungry people, but will put smiles on the faces of the children who see them displayed at Disney.

Hydroponics Techniques at Disney

Visitors who take the Behind the Seeds tour at Epcot, will see a variety of hydroponics techniques including nutrient bath and nutrient film techniques. Tour guides will open up the displays and let visitors see how it all works. There’s even a nice little handout sheet with instructions for building your own hydroponics station once you get back home. For those gardeners who love to experiment in their own gardens or those who just like to see the possibilities, The Behind the Seeds Tour at Disney’s Epcot Center is highly recommended.

It can seem daunting to start a border from scratch. Buying plants from the garden centre can prove extremely expensive, particularly if you have a lot of space to fill. For a better value, and more personalised summer display, try growing your border from seed. At Gardens4less, we have a huge variety of species to choose from. So with a little forward-planning, you can create a bright, vibrant backdrop for your barbecues and evening drinks.

Sowing Annuals

It is best to start planning your border well in advance. Most annuals can be sown in spring and allowed to germinate in a heated propagator (link) or in the airing cupboard. When seedlings emerge, be sure to allow them plenty of light – a sunny windowsill is ideal. Generally speaking, plants should be ‘pricked out’ when they reach approximately an inch in height – use a dibber (or wooden lolly stick) to lift seedlings into individual modules. Annuals can be planted out when all risk of frost has passed, usually around May. If you wish to sow seeds directly into the ground, wait until June, when the soil is beginning to warm up. For unexpected cold snaps, our mini greenhouses (link) provide protection for potted plants. If you lack the room for a greenhouse and don’t want seedlings cluttering your windowsills, try a cold frame (link).

What Should I Grow?

If you don’t have time to plan a border but want a splash of colour, try one of our mixed seed selections. The easy ‘Fairy Mix’ (link) provides interest throughout the summer, in shades of purple, pink, white and yellow. If you’d like a more natural look, try our ‘Butterfly Mixture’ which will encourage beneficial wildlife into your garden. Inject some holiday cheer into your beds with the ‘Californian Mixture’, containing golden poppies and other bright blooms. For best results, broadcast sow (scatter liberally) in drifts throughout the border. Our seed collections are also useful for filling gaps in the border when another, larger plant has finished for the season.

Planning a Border

The key to a good layout is choosing plants which do not overpower each other in size or colour. Place large specimens towards the back of the bed, and choose smaller species as you work to the front. If your border is against a warm wall, try a climber to create a green backdrop to your planting. The purple bell vine (link) is a rapid scrambler with stunning black/purple blooms. Reaching an impressive 91cm, poppy ‘Black Peony’ (link) has rich red blooms which can provide a foil for smaller, light-coloured varieties. Mid-border, why not choose the familiar ‘Oxeye’ daisy (link)? Easy to grow, this variety is ideal for a wild flower theme and attracts a range of insects. Dwarf varieties are ideal for the front of your planting scheme. Sow viola ‘Petite Bronze’ (link) for dainty red blooms, or the award winning ‘Jolly Joker’ (link) for instant cheer. For gaps at the front of your bed, alyssum ‘Avalanche’ provides superb ground-cover and will cascade onto paths to blend into an informal display.

New and Unusual

For something novel, try ornamental millet. ‘Purple Majesty’ (link) is a superb architectural plant; the tall, maroon spires providing definition to a soft or clump-forming scheme. Amaranthus ‘Autumn Palette’ (link) is another striking feature-plant, and can be cut for indoor displays into the autumn.

The toast of new pansy breeding, ‘Chianti’ (link) is an elegant addition to your garden. The ruffled, striped petals will attract admiring stares from your neighbours. Sow in spring for summer blooms, or in summer for flowers throughout the winter.