‘I love it’ - amateur gardener from Bristol fills garden with 140 blooming hanging baskets

‘My wife doesn’t see me much in Summer - I’m out in the garden ‘til 9pm!’
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Meet the amateur gardener in south Bristol who spends his spare time caring for around 140 hanging baksets and fence planters every year.

Shaun Schroeder, aged 59, from Whitchurch, jokes his wife doesn’t seem him until 9pm in the summer as he’s so busy outside watering the plants.

The grandfather-of-nine, who works as a demolition supervisor, says it is a great ‘de-stress’ from work - and he’s today revealed some of his secret to keeping the baskets moist during the upcoming heatwaves.

He said his top tip was putting water retention gel in the bottom of the baskets during planting. They can be purchased for just a few pounds in garden centres or online and make a world of difference for plants, he said.

Shaun added that other gardening pals of his take a more ingenious approach - using unworn nappies. He said: “I think they soak up the water when you first water the basket, then slowly releases it over the day.

“It’s not something I do myself - but I know a lot of people who swear it works for them!”

Another water-saving technique is to do all your watering - at night. Shaun explained watering while the sun it hot will mean more of the water evaporates from the soil before soaking in - so you need to do it more often.

Shaun Schroeder, from Whitchurch, says ensuring his plants get enough water is a full-time jobShaun Schroeder, from Whitchurch, says ensuring his plants get enough water is a full-time job
Shaun Schroeder, from Whitchurch, says ensuring his plants get enough water is a full-time job

So you should do it last thing at night, when the sun has gone down, so the water has more time to soak into the soil overnight, before the sun comes back up.

He said: “Most people in the gardening community do it at night.”

He also said you should utilise your shady spots and plant flowers that prefer not to be in direct sunlight. This way they won’t need as much watering - and your garden will still be on top form.

Shade-loving plants Shaun recommends include impatiens, fuchsias and hostas. He also suggested begonias, as they don’t need watering as regularly as some other plants, he said.

 Shaun Schroeder watering his plants in his garden Shaun Schroeder watering his plants in his garden
Shaun Schroeder watering his plants in his garden

The gardening enthusiast, well known across Bristol for his displays, said: “I love gardening - it’s a great place to de-stress from work.

“I just love it. My wife doesn’t see me much in Summer - I’m out in the garden ‘til 9pm!

“Last year with the hot temperatures, it was hard - I was constantly watering! This year I’m definitely more cautious because of the water costs going up.

“Looking at the weather the past couple of weeks, I’m expecting the same sort of conditions again this year.”

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