April Gardening News
Hooray, the clocks have changed and everywhere life is returning. The weather has continued to confuse and confound, but spring is now a reality. We have come through the winter wetter than we might have wished and there have been one or two casualties. For me, most notable was the single night of minus six, that totally wrecked the perfectly poised Magnolia buds, condemning them to blackness. The tree was covered in buds and all were wiped out. Still it wasn’t all gloom, Witch Hazel (Hammamaelis) has been beautiful. The plant has clusters of yellow, tubular flowers and performs out of winter and into early spring. The flowers are borne on naked wood and the plant can grow up to about eight feet, though they can be managed. Other colours are available, but the yellow is lovely. Enough though, no time for daydreams, there is much to do, the season is upon us. The spuds can all be in, as can all of those onions and their relatives. There are plenty of vegetable plants worthy of a space now and sowing can continue quite freely, though hold off with marrows and cucumbers and unless you have access to heat. If you have cover try your luck with tomatoes, it is too early for outside, but they will stand in cold glass and taking an early punt on a couple of plants will bring some fruit by the start of July. They will stand still if we have a block of severe cold, but nine times out of ten you will get early fruit. If you have plans for an outdoor crop and have no heat, get a pinch of seed going on the windowsill. Some early bedding is starting to appear, but do tread lightly, as always some very tender plants are available. Leave Begonias, Marigolds and Busy Lizzies well alone until May unless you plan to use them in baskets and start them undercover. If you are wanting colour, then violas and pansies are about and you can also be setting out long stay bedding like antirrhinums and dianthus. There are also some good perennials around. And finally, it’s the last call on hard pruning, so if you have anything scruffy that needs tidying get it pruned within the next week or so,new growth is coming in a hurry. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
June Gardening News
Was it me, or was that a quick month? Perhaps it was the Bank holidays, or maybe it was the rocket launch, the release of the pent up energies of thousands of gardeners. It certainly hasn’t been a bad month, a bit of a mish mash punctuated by one or two teasing frosts, but we have been able to get on. As we turn into June, with confidence, we can really go for it. Anything we haven’t yet planted we can now. All of the bedding can go, even those tender bits (that some cynics offered at Easter) can now be planted. I have really enjoyed the bedding season this year. It has been tough, with everything being everywhere, with smaller gardens and greater interest in permanence, but has made me look hard at what is available. I have commented before that the adventure is key to this journey and as gardeners we have been offered a playground this year. Growers generally have had access to exciting fresh material. Much is still there to buy, so if you have space or perhaps have yet to start, do shop around. There are more earthy Petunias, cheery Cosmea , stunning Nemesia, sun kissed Osteopermum, the list goes on and the adjectives do little justice. Find space and bring new life to your summer. Of course if you are ahead of all of that, well, you can always sow next seasons Wallflowers and biennials, you could even put in a packet of winter flowering pansies. Mad isn’t it? the constant advance and the preparation for the next season. On the vegetable front, the potatoes will be well up (do keep banking them up if time permits, it does increase the yield). Runner Beans, Marrows and Tomatoes and most of their relatives can go into open ground, salads can be repeat sown and you should be harvesting you first cabbage soon. Where the greens are concerned, late vegetables can be introduced as space permits, so that means January King, late sprouting, Brussel sprouts and kale, will all settle quickly, but do be watchful, there are caterpillars and pigeons around. Keep up together with light weeding, maintain watering and feed containers, a god season promises. And finally, the roses are about to put on their annual display, the bushes are well budded. Last year many plants suffered with Black Spot and Mildew in the summer, so you may want to consider a precautionary spray with some suitable fungicide. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
May Gardening News
What a crazy month that was, no sooner here than gone. I think that the Easter punctuation allowed extra days to pass by. It has been a fairly kind month and things have wanted to grow. The new leaf appeared across the landscape and suddenly we were into the growing season. As we move forward into May, the gloves come off and the workload becomes as big as the energy permits. We could be out there all day every day and still find work. This is the gardening month and in commercial horticulture the one when we do our business. Even those that would not normally bother are persuaded. The activity of our neighbours serves as the spur. Pots and borders can be planted, baskets fixed and displayed and we can still sow seeds. The new warmth encourages germination and clearer light accelerates the growth. We need to keep half an eye on the overnight temperatures, but careful policing and gentle hardening off of new plants will see most things safely through. I will hold back with Marrows, Cucumbers and runner beans for a day or two, but will hope to have the lion’s share of the work done by the end of the month. As always, I will be playing with a few new bits and pieces, definitely trying out some of the latest petunia varieties. Petunias have lost their way in recent years, but some of the new forms are a delight and hold much promise. There are black, lime and a couple of dirty bicolors as well as some delightful fringed forms, all of which are much more weather resilient that of old. There is also good interest in old fashioned snapdragons. I grew up with this plant and it is lovely to see it back in vogue. It is a tough old plant and great value for money. The history of our site runs back in my family to 1947 and the Antirrhinum was the first item on our first ever list. In the vegetable garden, everything looks good, although the nets have had to go on to keep off the pigeons again. The green stuff generally looks great and I am already onto my third sowing of salad stuff. Salad crops are great fillers and can just be run between rows of the long stay crops without disturbing them. And finally, on the subject of long stay vegetables, in two weeks, I will be planting Brussel Sprouts out. Happy Christmas…………………..sorry Gardening. Enjoy. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
April Gardening News
So, the bleakness rolled on with an occasional punctuation of teasing sunshine that suggested momentarily that Spring was coming. The races passed almost unscarred with rain at the last, but there was spite in the wind and today it has moved once more to the east. The clocks have changed though and we have more light space. There is much to do and we must proceed with optimism. The seed potatoes can all go in now, no worth in staggering the planting, they will set their own pace (chatted or not). All of the hardy vegetables can be set out (though still not Runner Beans or Marrows, nor any other cucurbit). Salad stuff will also stand out and successions of salad roots can be sown. Sprinkle Radish, beetroot and spring onion between rows of heavier veg, they are not demanding and will all harvest ahead of their bigger neighbours. Tomatoes can be played with. They will be best undercover, but if you are feeling brave try something tough and old fashioned against a fence or wall. We used to put out a variety called ‘First in the Field’ which grew like a weed everywhere and which we always started early. Red Alert is also worth a try (it is always a gamble, but not high risk). Whilst you don’t want to be putting Runner Beans out, you can get the seed started and you can prepare the site for planting. Taking a trench out and back filling with well rotted manure or garden compost is worth the trouble, especially if as last year the season is dry. Organic matter retains moisture and will reduce the early dropping of flowers. On the preparation front, consider the protection of leeks and carrots either by getting organised with a mesh cover or by planting like the salad bits between taller veg. Both of these plants have suffered maggot attack in recent years so diverting or discouraging the fly will help. It’s also coming up to flower time too. I have just finished planting some new roses and have set out a few hardy bedding plants in the border. Things like Antirrhinums are very hardy and will benefit from an extended growing season. And finally. The first bedding heralds the changing season and prompts me to pull out my hanging basket for replanting. This is a job that can be tackled early even without constant protection. You just need to watch night temperatures and keep the frost off. If there is a sudden dip bring the thing into the kitchen overnight. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org