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
January Gardening News
Ho, ho, ho, here we go. Off again on the sleigh ride into tomorrow and who knows what. I get quite excited by the turn of the year and the smell of new adventures. 2018 didn’t turn out too badly really. December was a mixed bag, with one or two very cold nights, with the compensation of some glorious days. The growing year was late and as always a few things struggled to deliver, but in the balance it was ok. Now, with the corner turned and the days starting to lengthen, we can look ahead. As the month moves forward and the mood takes we can look to start planting onion sets and shallots, as well as garlic. We can consider dividing things too, extending commitment to Rhubarb and Raspberries by splitting clumps with a spade and replanting. We can start to look at seed potatoes this month and whilst it is still too early to plant, there is more choice available if you buy early (tubers can then be held for weeks in a cool space). You can also be playing with the first bits of seed and towards the end of January, try your luck with a few Broad Beans and some Early Peas. You can use up your Aquadulce bean seed and look at something like Feltham First if you want to stick in Peas. The ground will still be cold, but the seed will emerge slowly as the days advance. Just keep your eyes open for rodents. They are all hungry and will be pleased to help themselves if temptation is obvious. So store spuds and seeds out of harms way and consider lightly dressing lines in open ground with a bit of grit (they don’t like it. Scratching around on a frosty morning in a pile of sharp grit ? No, I don’t think so). When the weather bites, as it is bound too, retreat and start looking at the seed catalogues. I talked of adventure and the journey into a seed catalogue is very special. As we embark on a new season, it is really important to remind ourselves of how extraordinary nature can be and whilst man will always poke his nose in, the ever changing shape and performance of plants is to be celebrated. Do try something new. And finally, play the game and never think that you are in charge. Losing is no big deal, there is always tomorrow. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
March Gardening News
The spring draws ever closer and hopefully we leave behind the bleakness of recent weeks. It has been a curious winter, with some very precious sunlit days, but the treacherous scything wind has never been faraway and the cold has bullied joint and muscle. How I ached some days. Still we are on the turn, the ground is still sitting wet, but buds are popping, the birds are getting frisky and the days are drawing out. I am doing a bit of rearranging this month, moving a few fairly well established bits to new homes. I have a couple of trees to plant, a rose bush to drop in and I am going to divide my rhubarb. All of this safe in the knowledge that with the rise of the sap and the imminence of new growth everything will settle and repair quickly. I am also going to finish off some pruning, I had hoped to sort a fruit tree out last month, but this month will be fine and I think March is the right month for rose pruning so I will sort it in one go. This month, I will reopen my connection with the vegetable plot too, running in broad bean and pea seed to extend my over wintered rows and looking to push in the first summer cabbage plants. There is still time to plant onion sets, shallots and garlic too, all of which will take off very quickly. As the month draws on the seed potatoes can be planted out (although I have a few early ones already showing in buckets). As long as you keep up with the earthing up as shoots show, you will get a good start. Mounding up the soil definitely improves the crop. Potatoes are carried on buried shoots and not actually on roots, so the more shoot you bury the greater the potential crop. On the flower front, perennials are starting to reappear, as are violas, pansies, polyanthus and primroses, these can be dotted to bring a bit of early colour to borders, all are totally hardy, so just stick them in, though do watch for slugs, especially if you have picked up delphiniums (which are much loved by molluscs everywhere). And finally go through your seed list, as we get to the end of this month, we can push in all sorts of seed and its great prepared when the weather comes right or the mood takes. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
November Gardening News
Good gracious me, it’s suddenly got dark. Well perhaps not suddenly the night seemed to be closing in from the 1st of October and the close of day cloud encouraged it and now the clocks have changed. October was a funny month with some pleasant days and some fairly cold nights, with the frost never more than a whisker away. The gardens held up quite well and anyone with dahlias or chrysanthemums will have been very pleased as the profusion of new flower carried across much of the month. The beans took a bit of a thumping as the wind freshened in the early days of the month, but many things did well overall. It was startling to see the vigilance of the Cabbage White butterfly, which mounted an aggressive assault on any exposed greens and certainly set back the purple sprouting, but all of that is behind us. The bedding planting is as good as done, there’s a last push with bulbs and as usual some bargains around if you are quick and then there’s the veg. You will still get away with late onions and if you have a frame or a spot in a cold greenhouse then it’s fun to try spring onions. Winter lettuce is also worth a go, with Arctic King and Winter Density both being good performers across the colder months. The real deal though is the Broad Bean. That most magical of plants, will come good from seed when planted in the late autumn and will deliver a special feast in the new year. Even if you only find space in a flower pot you will find joy, but get cracking. This is a great month for tree and shrub planting and soft fruit too will be duped by your deception. Planting on the cusp of dormancy plants don’t realise that they have moved house. Look for Raspberries (if you missed them last month), which will still be offered as bare rooted plants. it’s the time for hedging too and if there is a gap to fill, then bare root plants will also be in good supply and are cheap. Of course this is also the month for rescue. Check your borders, seek the tender, consider the things that you want to save and move them. And finally, if you are looking for something different, find a space for Aronia, the American Chokeberry. This plant is being flagged up as one of the new super foods. It’s a berry not unlike Blueberry, but easier. I am going to try it. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
November Gardening News
The wind rattles around the place, but the leaves strewn across the ground, welded by autumn dew are unmoved and await our attention. The clocks have fallen back and early darkness (for many) makes the foray a weekend activity. The temperature has dropped too. Fireside warmth compromises the commitment of many would be gardeners and there is so much to do. This year the cleaning up looks like being a major undertaking, all vegetative growth has been luxuriant. There are tumbled stems of perennials collapsed in borders, mildewed heads of summer flowers to dispose of, enormous Dahlias to dig up and the skeletal remains of Peas and Beans to clear. Untidy and unruly growth on trees and shrubs need clipping back, as do the roses. Nothing to brutal, just a repair and holding position to see us through the winter. There is a certain amount of general housekeeping to consider at this time too. If you are considering cleaning trees then grab up some winter wash and some grease to knock of over wintering pests. Get some disinfectant or Jeyes around work benches, staging and green houses and if you are considering over wintering plants consider a smoke bomb or at least be on a watch for whitefly, which just seems to keep going throughout the year and are grubby little beasts. It’s the time for some planting and fruit trees and bare root hedging are all coming available, as are Raspberry canes. The moving of such items is best in early dormancy and as the leaves fall so they become safe to plant or transplant (if you have existing plants to move in the garden) , their relocation going undetected. You will still get away with planting overwintering bedding and bulbs,but do get cracking whilst there is a little warmth left in the ground. As the month rolls on (and I say this every year) the value is in Tulips, which are very resilient to cold. On the vegetable front, it’s broad bean time and Aquadulce beans planted now, should overwinter and deliver something good, early and rather special next year. If you have a cold frame or glasshouse you can still plant out winter lettuce (the hardy types will do well) find plants if you can though, the seed takes forever this late. And finally, protect you brassicas. The wind is bumping tall vegetables around, so walk the row and firm the ground beneath cabbage, sprouting and sprouts. Make sure your netting is well fixed too, the pigeons don’t miss a trick. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
October Gardening News
Here we are into October again, the journey through September interesting with early morning dew rolling off chilly nights. How quickly the evenings shrank too, night time squeezing away daylight by seven and we are still four weeks away from putting the clocks back. Whilst the autumn colours are only just showing, the gardens do look beaten up. Many things just never got started either, some of the bedding has been terribly disappointing with many people already replanted for the next season. The Pansy and Viola trade has been very boisterous and whilst the warmth is still in the ground planting can continue. Many will plant over the next few weeks and bulbs need to go in as do all of the autumn bedding subjects. There the chance for a final push on the vegetable plot, I still have onion sets, garlic and shallots to try and get in and I may even try my luck with a few late cabbage. Some of the cabbage is very hardy and will stand the winter and put on a final spurt in the new year in readiness for spring harvest. Do save a little space though, at the close of the month we can be setting out our over wintering broad Beans. Aquadulce are still the variety by most for over wintering, but any Seville variety should work just as well. You can also pop in a few peas to make the same journey, making some root before Christmas. This month is also the month that the keen sweet pea grower will be setting up some seed. We always used to start a few pots off. We used to use a bit of old fashioned John Innes compost and allow the pots to stand inside or out. The autumn start guarantees some robust early Sweet Peas, often showing colour in June. As the season turns, we are back on the maintenance duties. I shall be trying to apply a bit of time to spiking the lawn. It gets well compacted across the season and the damp retained in the top is already encouraging the moss. Just getting a bit of air into the ground with the fork will make a difference. And finally, the question on everyone’s lips………..yes, you’ve guessed it. When do I need to use bulb fibre ? Well, most of the time you don’t. Bulb fibre should be used when bulbs are being planted in a container with no drainage holes. The fibre will contain oyster shell, charcoal and some other element that keeps soggy compost fresh. If you are planting in open ground or in a drained container, you don’t need it. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
October Gardening News
So, September moves out and the Autumn settles in, the colour coming quickly to the leaves and fallen heads bow to spill tomorrows new beginnings. There is just so much hope in the closing of a season and celebration too. The chance to reflect once more on the cleverness, to ponder over the successes and failures. To throw down the gauntlet, challenging nature to ‘bring it on’. It has been a great summer and one of huge relief for those reliant on their crops. A bumper harvest with just a few casualties. The spuds are a bit unstable and the beans had mixed fortunes, but overall there was plenty. We now move into the time for repair and replacement of patching and of planning. There is a last chance to spill a little grass seed, soft fruit bushes are available, there is still time to drop in some over wintering onion sets and garlic. The Broad bean seeds are available too, though I still think late October sowing is soon enough. There are still a few bits of over wintering vegetable plants around, like winter lettuce and chicory and if you have a cold frame or greenhouse, you will still find it worth sprinkling in a late bit of Spinach to stand protected through the winter. Drop a bit of polythene over the seed for two or three days to spur the germination. Of course it is all change in the flower beds too. Winter Pansies are still in plentiful supply everywhere (but do get cracking) and there are some good Wallflowers about. The bulbs need to go in and again there are plenty about. I have spotted some very fair prices this year and suppliers are offering some pretty colour themed mixes. The big interest is in shorter subjects these days, with smaller gardens and much destined for container growing, so do check packets for heights. (It sounds obvious but people don’t). As the month draws on check around the garden for soft and vulnerable plants that may need winter protection. The cold will come in swiftly and it is worth reminding yourself of the things that need help and those that need lifting. Many subjects will just benefit from a generous mulch, last years Dahlias and Fuchsias all came through untroubled in the ground. And finally, there is a good deal of rodent activity. Shut up your seeds in a tin, clear up rubbish and the clutter that will offer a hideaway and move things from harms way. Rodents don’t enjoy open space. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org