February Gardening News
Hooray, I can see the light. With January behind us, the spirit starts to rise, the extended days just 8 weeks away. The winter has been, well, wintry with a treacherous mix of conditions, changing by the hour. Every second person nursed a cough or a sore throat and whilst there were outdoor jobs that we could have tackled frankly it just wasn’t NICE. But brighter days loom and we can start to get back out there, even if we do need to tiptoe across the grass. There is going to be a bit of attention needed there next month, at very least a bit of prodding with the fork to move some of the wet. It’s looking like being a great season for moss. There’s enough in my lawn to service the Municipal baskets this year. So aeration, silver sand, lawn sand or even something heavier maybe on the shopping list. There is also a good deal of tidying up to do, so much rubbish scattered about, with plants and structures all taking a bashing in recent weeks. Whilst you’re tidying, if the mood takes, give the compost heap a turn, it too will have compacted down. It needs to breathe to be good and there will be some useful material to reward your efforts in the bottom of the bin. If you have any light ground that you turned in the autumn, then you can be setting out onion, shallots, garlic, asparagus and even rhubarb crowns. If you already have some, then rhubarb divides easily, so now is a good time to propagate or manage the size of the patch. Just set the blade of your spade on the crown and push it down, it’s very easy. Even the smallest pieces will re-establish, so spare bits can always be given away. Seed potatoes are about everywhere now and if you have picked some up, lay them out in a frost free location to spur sprouting. Just for fun drop a couple of early tubers into a pot of compost and see if you can get some new spuds up by May. As we turn out of February we can be looking at setting out vegetable plants, so this is a lovely time to start germinating a bit of seed. In shelter or on the window sill, pinches of all leaf vegetables can be started. Cabbage, lettuce, summer broccoli will all show within a couple of weeks. Seedlings will be soon be fit to prick out. And finally………welcome to another adventure. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
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
March Gardening News
The days really have run away haven’t they? I am accepting of the fact that February is a day or two shorter than the regular months, but it was gone in a blink. Perhaps it was that block of five dreary wet days that congealed as a lump around the 10th. The ground is just so wet and nature is all over the place. I have sympathy for those who have organised Spring Flower shows in April, nearly all of my daffs are out now. But enough reflecting, we should be getting on, marching into March with much to do. We need to catch up on the early planting, so that’s onion sets, shallots, garlic, asparagus and rhubarb. Peas and Beans can be set out and new seed started to serve as a fail safe and to give succession. Summer Cabbage and Cauliflower plants can be planted out and if the plants aren’t available then get in some seed, they will come through quickly. Summer Cabbage can achieve maturity inside of three months. It’s salad time too and with the exception of Tomato plants which will need heat all other subjects can be started. March is also a great month for shifting plants and for introducing new ones. Roses, shrubs trees, hedging will all cope with the move. The sap will begin to rise any day now and new introductions will settle very quickly. There is also time for last minute pruning, sorting unruly growth and putting new shape into tired tangles. Pruning should be clean, modest and to a bud. If you haven’t done much before and want to reshape, look at the direction in which buds point before chopping. You want buds to point away from the centre of your plant and the lead bud is going where it points. On the flower front you can consider topping up pots and borders with a few hardy subjects. There are Polyanthus and primroses still around and some good clumps of aubretia, together with old favourites like delphiniums, foxgloves and Sweet William. There will also be new season violas and pansies, but if you have some over wintered plants give them the benefit of the doubt for a day or two. They regularly put on a great recovery towards Easter and can be impressive. And finally, all the books tell you to consider the lawn and it is fair to note that is has hardly stopped growing this winter. Just tread lightly and if you find the ground firm enough to get cutting, get those blades high for the first couple of cuts. 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