March Gardening News
The spiteful wind, that has been a feature of this month has dented the enthusiasm of the keenest of gardeners. It has scythed through every fibre, whilst nature has chosen to just bash on. Encouraged by the stubborn defiance of the dormant world to get back to business, I did sow seed in February and it has germinated. The first lettuce and cabbage are pricked out to trays. The days will race now, with the light extending and in just three weeks we will have our evenings released by the change of clocks. I am back to at the seed sowing and have set out a few early annuals in trays. Some subjects like Poppies, Californian Poppies and Nigella can be sown straight into the ground. Pansies, Sweet William, Calendula and Antirrhinums (which I’ve started) will cope with minimal protection, but subjects like Impatiens, Begonias and even Petunias will require a bit of warmth to get them going. Germination can be slow, so be patient and keep your compost damp. The vegetables are a bit more straight forward, even root vegetables can be started in pots or trays and most will grow in cool conditions. Don’t allow your enthusiasm to draw you in to planting Runner Beans, Marrows or Cucumbers though, all of these will perish quickly once chilled. Late April is soon enough to sow these subjects or you can wait until mid May for the plants which will be offered in most nurseries. Whilst I have potted a few early seed potatoes, I am going to set a few more and as the month draws on (probably in the third week), will look to get some into the ground. It won’t matter if (for your convenience) they all go in, as the varieties all tend to grow at different speeds, with second early and maincrop potatoes taking longer to mature. On the flower front you can also be planting summer bulbs, Liles and Dahlias will all benefit from a late March start and can be put straight into the ground or raised in patio pots. More broadly, finish pruning in the coming days and you can be quite brutal with some vigorous subjects like willow, hazel and cornus. And finally, Celeriac has become a very popular vegetable in recent years. It is easy from seed, but has a long growing season and needs sowing soon for best results. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
February Gardening News
And so to business! The distraction of COVID had disguised the advance of another month and there is a gentle easement on daylight. Nature teases and whispers of better days ahead. There is evidence of buds filling and bulb shoots are spearing out of the ground. In just two months we will be tweaking the clocks all over again. I think spurred by the successes and the distraction of last year’s garden, the populus are already looking to get gardening. It’s there to do and there’s plenty of variety. I am pruning and redefining a tired hedge at the moment, cutting away rubbish and slipping in bits of bare root hedging to fill gaps. My plan is to move on this month to finish pruning. I have some fruit to tidy up and towards the end of the month will cut back a couple of roses. I have a rambler that has gone mad. Whilst any regular roses can be cut back hard, I will be more modest with the rambler. With the sap on the rise, I don’t want the plant producing masses of new vegetation, so will just restore some order. I am going to get some onion sets and shallots out, indeed most bulbous vegetables are available this month including Garlic and Artichokes. Asparagus and rhubarb can also be considered. Rhubarb is a great plant to have around. It’s easy, prolific, edible and it looks good even in a border. Don’t rush to harvest it in the first season and with care you can have a crop that harvests for years. This month I will be seed sowing. Make a start on a few bits and pieces, it’s so uplifting. Vegetable seed sowing should be modest and regular, creating a succession of cropping. Everybody gets carried away, just sow a pinch at the time, nobody wants 100 lettuce in one go. Try running rows of different items across a seed tray on a window sill. Just fill a tray with some good compost and then create five or six lines across the width, depressing the line with your finger tips to create a shallow channel. Then spill a few different seeds along each line, lightly sweeping the compost back and firming over the seed. The method is great for lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and spinach. Lightly watered, you’ll see new growth within a fortnight. The journey has begun. And finally, remember, it’s just a game, sometimes we may lose, but when we win, what joy. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
December Gardening News
November was a classic autumnal month, a mish mash of crazy, ever changing conditions. Covid aside (and that certainly brought some turbulence) we had still, calm, warm days, torrential rain, gales and enough frost to knock the Dahlias and beans for six. In truth it has been great. I so enjoy boisterous weather, the rough and tumble when you are just trying to get on. I was out there today, raking leaves, continuing to cut back herbaceous plants, I’ve repaired a fence, trimmed the lawn and planted a few bits of bedding, all in all a satisfying day. I may even get to paint the shed in the coming days. It’s a snap shot of my day and a gentle reminder that it is a great time to be cleaning and tidying. It is also a time for making ready for winter, for protecting the bits that we want to keep. So lift the dahlias tubers, take up the least hardy geraniums and fuchsias and salvage any remaining summer vegetables for storing. It is even worth running a fork back through the potato patch (you will have left some). Make storage space clean and dry, watch our for rodents too. You can still be planting peas and beans, together with sweet peas, but here too keep an eye for rodents. The squirrel has been busy in our garden nicking tulip bulbs and the mice just love the peas. If you want to play then just do a few pots and if you use something of a decent size peas and beans can both grow right through to harvest in containers. This month you will see bare root plants on offer, most notably hedging and raspberries. They are fine to plant now and most centres will be offering a good range of informal and formal hedging as well raspberries for all seasons. The raspberry is a great fruit and by careful selection, it is possible to be cropping from June to October. And finally, December is the month for reflection and planning. The time to consider, what worked and what didn’t. The 2021 seed lists are out, teeming with new ideas, I will be trying the Green Knight Aubergine for certain and there are new Zinnias to consider. My real dilemma will be with tomatoes though. If Boxing day offers you a quiet moment then join me as I journey to https://www.worldtomatosociety.com/. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
November Gardening News
The month of October offered prelude to the changing season and now autumn is upon us. Already the air carries the scent of aging decline, tumbled leaves litter the garden and there is a dampness to everything. I have already spent a good amount of time cleaning up. I think that the warmth and wet of the early season made for some luxuriant growth as I can’t really see where the leaves have come from. The month ahead is going to be busy. Apart from the cleaning up, November is a good planting month, especially if you need bare root items. There will hedging about shortly and in a state of near dormancy it will transplant smoothly. Formal and informal stock is about, with everything from native field plants, like hawthorn and maple to beech, and laurel. Soft fruit is about too, with I suspect many looking for raspberries, which generally have performed well again this year. And blueberries, which seem to have had big television exposure. Modern varieties do very well actually and can be grown in containers. Blueberries will prefer a slightly acidic condition, so consider using some ericaceous compost or in season a suitable feed. Roses too are about now and for many centres, offered for the first time since the lockdown. In the vegetable garden you can still be planting onions, garlic and shallots as well as rhubarb crowns. The shallots enjoy the cold, which encourages early division, delivering good clumps of bulbs in the spring. If you have not put in some overwintering broad beans, your hesitation has delivered you to the perfect moment. For the purposes of overwintering broad beans are best sown between the last week of October and the second week of November. Sown earlier you can end up with stalky plants before Christmas which will not enjoy cold weather. If you can offer some shelter then winter lettuce and oriental vegetables are also worth a go. On the flower front, get cracking and lift any bedding that you may wish to over winter, Pelargoniums, Begonias and Dahlias are salvageable ahead of the frost. They can be allowed to dry and then will need storing in a shed, garage or greenhouse. Or can be potted to bring late colour inside. And finally there is still time to pop in some over wintering bedding and bulbs, but you need to get a move on. Buy big plants in pots or 6 packs to ensure winter resilience. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
October Gardening News
That was the summer then and whilst the heat still lingers lightly, there is a real smell of autumn now. The night is sweeping in early and every day there is rubbish to clean up in the garden. The summer has been great for the gardener, with strong performances from so many things. The bedding has been stunning, and most vegetables have performed. Nature has of course repeatedly demonstrated it’s might, and we have had to wrestle with blackfly, caterpillars and a good raft of fungal issues, but on balance I thought things were good. The winter vegetables look promising too, with Sprouts and Purple Sprouting well on and Kale already being harvested. Where spaces appear in the vegetable plot we can be popping in over wintering onions and shallots, as well as garlic. Then towards the end of the month Aquadulce broad beans can be direct sown. They are worth the trouble and will bring an early crop to the table. If you have potted any potatoes for Christmas, bring them in against the side of the house. They will enjoy the shelter and the longer they grow the better the result. In the coming days there will be plenty of green waste, so tidy up your compost heap and if you feel particularly energetic strip it down to harvest this year’s compost and start again. Any recent garden waste can be introduced to the restart. The raking out of freshly made compost is very special and the material is perfect for digging into borders to give them a lift. The clearing and cleaning will also be happening in your flower borders too. Perennials want cutting back, tired bedding wants removing and overgrown plants can tied or tidied. Then you can commit to replanting. The winter bedding can all go in, so pansies, violas, wallflowers as well as sweet Williams, forget-me-nots and bellis daisies can all be planted. Make sure of some bulbs as well. There are some good bulbs to be found and as well as the usual daffodils and tulips, take a look at things like Alliums. The ornamental representatives of the onion family are very showy, offering border displays punctuated by bright drumstick heads of flower. And finally, as part of the big clean up, check fruit trees and consider greasing their stems to deter over wintering pests. Top fruit (apples, pears and plums) have all attracted the attention of pests this year and grease is the first step towards managing the 2021 visitor. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
September Gardening News
A whole season swallowed up by COVID and time to think about the what to do next in the garden. The Spring in the main was pretty good and the interest in gardening lifted hugely as people, locked down sought occupation. There were many new to the task and most I suspect will be pleased with their endeavours. The blackfly has been testing and the caterpillars fairly voracious, but with regular watering things have grown and flourished. Anyone who has planted French beans will be particularly pleased. Demand for colour has gone on and on, with big demand for late bedding. As the summer runs towards the autumn we wrestle with the start of the next bit. Autumn onion sets are arriving in garden centres and gaps are appearing on the vegetable plot in readiness. Spring Cabbage plants and Spinach (together with Chard) are all available. There is still time to sow a few seeds too, leaf lettuce, radish, rocket and spring onions will all still deliver. Winter Lettuce (like Arctic King or Density) as well as perpetual spinach will also come through. Keep on top of September harvesting, many vegetables will perform with encouragement and the worst thing is to leave things to get too big. So keep on top of beans, courgettes and tomatoes. I have been sowing one or two less common salad supplements and now have Claytonia, Celtuce and Corn salad on the go. The celtuce is particularly interesting, offering a salad leaf and a crunchy stem which can be steamed, stir fried or grated for salad. The stem is exposed as the leaves are plucked for use. I will keep you posted. As the month rolls on, we will consider flower borders, the pansies and violas are back, together with all the old favourites. So you can be planting Wallflowers, Sweet William, bellis daises and other biennial items and then there are the bulbs. Centres are full of them and the range continues to extend, as more new varieties reach the shelf. As usual I am hooked once more on tulips. If you have had enough of it all, or you just fancy a bit more lawn, then September is a great month for grass seed sowing. The days are shorter and the ground remains warm, so seed germinates quickly. And finally, Keep tidying up too, commitment wanes once the weather turns. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
August Gardening News
And then it was August. Completely bonkers, testing, amazing, uplifting and surreal. There are so many things that one could say about this extraordinary period and whilst it has at times been tough, I have had fun. The oft mentioned ‘playing’ has been at the heart of my journey and has reminded me of all that delivered me as a kid to gardening. I do hope that you have found the time to play too. Generally speaking, gardens have never been so good, though I must record that the rain came at the right time. Everything lifted and was refreshed. There was a cost of course, the weeds enjoyed the rain, the black fly have been dreadful and the pigeons hungry. The humidity is bringing in disease too, with many fungal conditions making themselves known. In particular there has been a lot of mildew and I think we will need to keep an eye out for blight. These things are not easy to combat. Thinning foliage to improve airflow can make a difference, but chemical applications need to be used as a prevention rather than as a cure. Around the garden the maintenance issues are key and harvesting is of real importance, leaving produce on the plant, blocks the way for the next pick and takes energy. So, keep crops picked and keep flowers dead headed to extend the season. Keep planting too. On the vegetable plot, we can still be sowing salads, extending the range to bring in mustard, endive, rocket and corn salad. We can still sow spinach and spring cabbage. There are still vegetable plants around and late sprouts and purple sprouting will still come through. Bulbs are arriving in garden centres and whilst there is no great urgency, the best ranges are there to buy in August. Certainly get organised with Hyacinths if you want to try your luck for Christmas. Pot them, water them and get them into a cool dark place to start the journey. They focus on growing roots when starved of light and will be ready for light after ten to twelve weeks. And finally, try taking some cuttings. Many bits of shrubs as well as geraniums and fuchsias will root now. Break a few bits off and give it a go. By the end of the month we shall see the first of the winter pansies. The year rolls on. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
June Gardening News
Here we are three months into the ‘Odyssey of Covid’ an epic journey for us all. It has been both testing and at times joyously uplifting. People have talked to one another and there have been huge acts of kindness and of generosity. In parallel, there has been bubbling frustration and confusion, all presided over by nature as it just gets on. There has been a burgeoning commitment to gardening through the difficulties with people joining the adventure and trying their hand at all sorts. I am, as you will be aware, the promoter of the adventure and many have joined. So, what next? Well, I have been sowing seeds again, the summer vegetables are all looking good, but keep an eye for pigeons and the arrival of the marauding Cabbage White caterpillars. Each evening two wood pigeons drop in to see that my greens are covered over and the first butterflies are about. Both pests are very aggressive and will tuck into good green veg at the first opportunity. Look out for yellow cylindrical egg clusters on the underside of leaves and just smudge them with your thumb. With the crop protected look at the what next opportunities. This is a good month for quite a number of sowings. You can put in some late carrots and beetroot for autumn harvest and all basic salad can still be sown. Try Corn salad for over winter use and Chard and Perpetual Spinach will also take now. These two leaves are invaluable as a cut and come again winter veg. You can also be looking at Spring Cabbage seed too. On the flower front you may want to consider wallflowers and biennials like Sweet William (and a raft of other flowering items, just check the packet for the word biennial, you will be surprised by how many there are). The weeks have raced and the other thing to try if you can bare it is seed for winter pansies. Two months and we will be planting them. If nothing else keep up the general maintenance, feeding and watering in particular to ensure that you make the most of your spring labours. A bit of care and the garden will hold up to the autumn frost. And finally, Seed potatoes for Christmas are available this month. It’s a bit fun and a couple dropped into a pot will probably give you a few new spuds for the festive table. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
May Gardening News
What a difference a month makes? That said there has been a scent of it for weeks. Against the backdrop of the crisis, nature has put on an extraordinary show. The cherries have been magnificent, the forsythia glowed, and the tulips have brought real joy. I have a sentimental connection with them and try to plant more each year as a teasing salute to my late Dad. My Mum had tulips in her wedding bouquet and each anniversary my Dad would send her a bunch, but he never got the colour right, travelling through every shade of pink and of course Mum always had to tell him of his failure. I suspect as the shades grew ever darker, he was just making mischief. With time on our hands there will be a high expectation of glorious displays as more folk take to the garden. With some shortage of resources, we have the chance to play and to savour the detail, to be more meticulous. I take great joy from turning ground and then working it with my fingers to see off rogue weeds and the roots of bindweed and of couch. The reconnection at the basic level brings immense pleasure. Humour me, cultivate a two foot square and work it with your fingers to remove everything that you don’t want to be there. Then plant something in the space and monitor its celebration of your commitment. If you have seed then sow them, no matter how old the packet, you’ll get something and if you have access to plants then as the month moves forward plant with confidence. Hold back the most tender, cucumbers and marrows will not enjoy cold nights and hold on to runner beans plants until the middle of the month, but all the leaf vegetables can go out. On the flower front the same rules apply, so hold onto busy lizzies, begonias and marigolds for as long as you can. Pop into the garden in the evening and smell the air as gardeners have done for decades, you’ll soon get a feel for change. If you don’t have access to seed or new plants, then play with what you have. Prune to create shape, harvest your pruning to create structures. Willow, cornus, hazel and beech can all be used as plant supports (gardeners have not always had access to canes). And finally, enjoy rediscovering the still and bird song at all hours. Look to a sky free from the streak of jet trails. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
April Gardening News
April and the extended day makes the prospect of gardening more appealing. It has been a long and soggy journey and the ground is still wet, but somehow the extra light and the arrival of leaf lifts us and there is a desire to get on. The sudden lime green flash in hedgerows, almost overnight was like the flicking of a switch. Those with gardening in their veins have prepared and behind the scenes nurseries have plants ready to go. We need to get going and there is plenty to do. I will finish setting out potatoes in the coming days and know that onion sets and shallots will catch up quickly. There are Brassica plants about, Cabbage, Cauliflower and Summer sprouting can all be put out. As indeed can lettuce. If you can find a bit of light ground, then salad roots and carrots can all be run in from seed. If there isn’t a drier space anywhere than try growing your roots in deep pots. Radish, spring onion, beetroot and carrots can all perform well in pots and with a bit of planning you can create succession by sowing more in a fortnight. You can bring your vegetables right up to the back door. If the mood takes you can be sowing annuals now and some straight into the ground. Old fashioned cottage garden annuals like Candytuft, Nigella and cornflowers are a doddle. Scratch the ground with a rake and sprinkle the seed. Then just press the soil back. I am going to try broadcasting Cosmos in the same way. It is also time to be thinking of summer bulbs and tubers. I have a space prepared for Dahlias and the tubers can go into the ground towards the middle of the month. They are easy and prolific, though they will need some slug protection through the early weeks. Once you have them up they are a joy, delivering a bunch of cheer every day throughout the summer, up to the first frost. Every year I try to pop in one of the less used summer bulbs, last year setting out Tigridia (which were stunning), this year it’s the turn of Sparaxis. Known as the Harlequin flower, it shoots up quickly and delivers a palette of strong colours. Best of all it seems to cope with the wet. And finally, the green jungle that is your lawn, bays for your attention. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org