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
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
October Gardening News
What a joy September proved to be, with some delightful days and a real awareness of autumn knocking. I do love the low, chill watery sunrises and the smell of the changing season that sneaks across the land after dawn. The weather though hasn’t knocked out the summer crops and many things have just kept on. The runner beans have been fantastic and all the leaf vegetables look strong, with the winter crops looking very robust indeed. Soft fruit has been terrific too, with raspberries in particular being really prolific. If you have enjoyed yours this year, do try to prune out the old fruiting growth this autumn to ensure good new fruiting stems for next year. With temperatures cooling it is worth taking stock and deciding if you want to preserve tender subjects by storing them away for the spring. Watch dahlias and geraniums in particular. As space appears in the borders, there’s plenty to be picked up to bring new colour. Winter pansies and violas are everywhere as are wallflowers, sweet William, chrysanthemums and many more over wintering bits. Bulbs are in plentiful supply and all can safely be set out in the coming days. There’s a chance to refresh tubs and baskets for winter colour too. This is also a good month to implement changes, to reshape borders, create patios and introduce new shrubs and trees. Cast a glance around and see what nature is doing for the autumn, spotting berries, the turn of foliage and even flowers as you ponder on the what to plant next. A good garden should hold your attention across every season and the idea of having colour at the turn of the year is worthwhile. Look at Viburnums, Mahonias, Winter honeysuckle, Sarcococca, Jasmine as starters. In the vegetable border, you can still pop in winter onions, shallots and garlic and at the end of the month over wintering Broad Beans. If you can find a bit of shelter then winter lettuce and Mizuna are useful for pepping up the salad. As always at this time there is plenty of maintenance work to consider too. Focus on keeping this safe and secure. Cut out heavy branches, thin crowded space and tie and strap plants to avoid breakage and uprooting. And finally, if you were teased by the talk of raspberries and want to try your luck next season, then pick up canes from garden centres next month. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
April Gardening News
Another interesting month passes through, with days of extremes, biting wind, torrential rain, blistering sunshine and hail that lay like snow. It didn’t exactly inspire confidence and the gardeners twitched, hesitated and then did what they do and battled on, it being after all the start of another season. Certainly, you have had to have your wits about you and then the clocks changed. New light just makes so much difference and the extended day allows us to play. As always there is plenty of squaring up to do and the lawns need to be pulled back to order. I have just set out a bit of grass seed too. It will get going fairly quickly at this time of the year. I have only run in a bit of hardwearing seed, it’s cheap and it goes a long way, I always think that grass illustrates the magic of growing really well, with a bright green sheen sweeping out within a few to transform space. I do sometimes use turf (and that too will take easily now), but the magic is different. I am trying to liven up a few pots at the moment and garden centre seem to have plentiful supplies of good hardy plants around, especially those that are perennial or biennial (and so will do more than one season). This year in particular Anemones seem to be in plentiful supply and for all the implied tenderness of the foliage, this is a wonderfully robust family, offering a mix of very jolly, strong colours. I have made the space. In all of the excitement of that colour, I need to remind you, that the garden gate is open and there is much to do. You can be sowing seeds for all sorts and often in the open, just check the packets for confirmation and there are plenty of plants around too. A good range of leaf vegetable plants, so cabbage, cauli and lettuce are all safe as are broad beans and peas. If you haven’t already done it, then your potatoes can go in any day and there is still time to catch up with onions. Before we know it there will be bedding plants everywhere. And finally, please don’t buy Marrow or Runner Bean plants, it is far too early unless you are going to grow them on for a month in a greenhouse, which I will not be. Astonishingly I have already seen some on sale. May is early enough. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
October Gardening News
The tide has turned and how very quickly, Autumn rushed in, the brutal heat of summer bringing the early surrender from an exhausted landscape. The trees tell of a desire to shed their leaves and rest. All across the garden there is a sense of shutdown. The harvest has been mixed, the runner beans cropping strongly but over quite a short season, the tomatoes outdoors have been amazing but are being messed up by the arrival of the wet, which is making fruit split. The cabbage, cauli and sproutings have also been tested as word of their availability passed to caterpillars, pigeons and aphids. I suspect these pests took in turns to hold up the net, for even when covered they were ripped and gnawed. But, we’re on to the next bit and we can be clearing away and clearing the way for over wintering crops. Salvage the last of your tomatoes to stand on a window sill to ripen and gather in leftover marrows, squashes and courgettes (cool and frost free they will store for some weeks).In the retrieved space Peas, Broad beans, Onions and Garlic can be set out and there are still some late greens and spinach to be found. Of course, if you have some shelter then you will still get away with a bit of sowing and certainly lettuce and salad leaves are worth a go. We need to be on frost watch now, so consider all tender subjects that you might wish to preserve. Frost is callous and treacherous, coming from nowhere and wreaking havoc. Geraniums and Begonias need shifting and may even be potted to continue showing off on the kitchen shelf, in fact many subjects can be transferred to give an extended show. As space is freed up bulbs and autumn and winter plants can be introduced, with pansies, violas, sweet William, forget me nots and many others being available in quantity. Take time to stop by a stand of bulbs and soak it up, then treat yourself to something. I just marvel at natures pallet and the carnival that heralds spring as the bulbs pop up. And finally get that compost heap topped up and if you haven’t got one, make one. It is hugely rewarding. Nature rips through the piled debris and turns into compost like nothing that you ever buy. Don’t make the job too sophisticated or complicated or you put yourself off…………just pile it all on. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
May Gardening News
And the craziness continues… What a frustrating season, with gardens and gardeners all out of step. In mid-April the consensus was that we were three weeks behind with our planting and before much could be planted there was still the preparatory stuff. Every hole filled with water, so many of us have only just put out potatoes and onions. Garden Centres and Supermarkets alike have been offering all sorts (some of it far too early for consideration) for weeks and stocks are backing up. Anyway, we have said it before, nature knows how to do it and will quickly catch up, but it has been a little trying. May is the month, when we should get away with planting everything as long as we show a little caution with the most tender items like Beans, Marrow and Cucumbers as well as Begonias and Busy Lizzies which are worth holding up for a fortnight. Our tubs and baskets can be planted too and there will be plenty of good plants everywhere over the next month. If you are making up, then its worth using a decent compost ( as contained plants are greedy), so pass on the very cheap. Of course you can still be sowing seed too, with all of the salad stuff responding quickly and having mentioned caution with tender vegetables, Courgettes, Squash, Melons, Runner Beans and all of their near relatives can be sown now in pots or in situ, without too much weather risk. It will be worth popping down a few slug pellets to deter visitors, but not much else is going to bring you grief. That said, if you have set out any greens, do consider a bit of net. The pigeons seem to be very switched on these days. I have talked about the production, but repair may also be on your list. The lawns have had a bashing and if you can find the time prodding the lawn with a fork is going to improve the aeration. There is moss and weed on every lawn and there are plenty of chemicals to bring to the rescue, but the prodding may help and it costs less. There is also some worth in nipping around with the secateurs, just to tidy up. The rough weather has battered and broken trees and shrubs and clean repair will ensure healthy recovery. And finally, every year we joke about the premature promotion of everything, Easter eggs in January and Christmas Party bookings in June. I saw Runner Bean plants for sale in the first week of April. Can that be bettered? Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
April Gardening News
Hooray, the clocks have changed and we can garden in the evening (if it stops raining). It’s actually good to see the back of March, what a month that was. The snow was totally disarming and the cold nights have been a test. Of course the thaw and the heavy rain has made the ground very difficult too, many of last months tasks are still to do. Nature knows how to catch up and hopefully things will improve now. So in theory its all systems go, with all of the spuds going in and seed sowing proceeding at a pace. I am always amazed by the speed with which seedlings grow once the light returns, with two leaves becoming four in no time. If you are thinking of sowing Runner Beans, Marrows or Cucumbers give them until the third week, but almost everything else can be sown as soon as you like. Remember these highlighted subjects are frost sensitive, so if you are considering buying plants then hold on until May. Tomato plants are equally vulnerable unless planted under cover. We can also start work on the flowers, with hardy annuals and perennials, as well as bulbs all wanting to get going. Snapdragons, Dianthus, Carnations as well as violas and pansies are all about as are delphiniums, lupins and hollyhocks. Keep an eye open too for Rhodanthemums. This stunning plant has risen to popularity in the last two years and is quite a special plant. It is tough, with grey cut foliage and single chrysanth like flowers. Find it and you will not regret it. If you want to run in some seed then try broadcasting (that’s waving your arms randomly) Godetia, Nigella, Larkspur, Candytuft and Cornflower all of which will grow where ever you throw them, bringing drifts of gentle colour to summer borders. If you are still looking for jobs and have space then visit summer bulbs and once again all subjects can go into the ground now. And finally, in recent years various growers have promoted Sweet Potatoes as capable of delivering a viable crop in a single season in the UK . Gardening Which said not and I have tried and failed. This year I will try again. There are new varieties around and plants are likely to be available from many centres in a few weeks. The reports suggest something has improved. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
April Gardening News
Hooray, the clocks have changed and April is upon us. The last month seems to have flown and a few balmy days really brought life swiftly to the hedgerows. Catkins came from nowhere and the land was suddenly alive. The trees were full of bantering birds, of males showing off and jostling for attention and Collar Doves returned to coo into the cowl on our chimney. There is much promise in the ponds too, with frogs, toads and newts all very busy. The garden is very much in need of our attention now. The lawn grows vigorously and so does the moss. The edges will benefit from redefining. The grass is a great place to start actually, newly mown and edged it delivers a positive statement (it’s a real feel good exercise). This one commitment sets the scene and all of the other tasks seem less of a labour. From the new edge, we can start to weed and tidy borders, conquering patches and planting as the mood takes. Very quickly the spirit is lifted and the task becomes less daunting. The spaces can be plugged with early bedding and with young herbaceous and alpine plants and as we move back summer bulbs can be offered space. Lillies, Gladioli and Dahlia tubers introduced as a back drop. If we have shelter a start can be made on tubs and baskets. In a protected position they will swell and grow and be made suitable for May and full exposure. We can still sow seed too and if open space is available broadcast mixes of cottage flowers to deliver colourful drifts in July. On the window sill or in the greenhouse we can sow tomatoes and peppers, aubergines and courgettes. Started under a slip of polythene for a few days they will germinate and make growth and they too will be ready for May planting out. Out on the vegetable plot,we can finish planting potatoes and can plant more peas and broad beans. As the month advances, we can set out runner and French bean seeds. They will take two to three weeks to appear in open ground, but with kind conditions can be cropping in July. In saying kind conditions, have an eye for May frosts and just run fleece or even paper across plants if cold threatens. And finally enjoy the month, the month of April is one of dramatic change. Overnight things are revived and reborn. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
October Gardening News
Then it rained and autumn arrived in the hedgerows, whilst the summer crops dithered about whether to have one last go. Runner beans stalled and have teased with a few late flowers and Marrow plants disappeared into the mist as the white dust of mildew covered them over. As anticipated last month, not the kindest of seasons. The heats been ok, but the wet punctuation has made for some very unpleasant humid days and it’s been great for plant diseases. There have also been a lot of rodents about and I have seen rats all over the place, which is a delight when you want to get some bits into storage. Do keep an eye open. As you clear space in the vegetable plot there are still bits to play with, overwintering onions will fill space and there are shallots and garlic cloves still be found. Whilst conditions stay mild you will still be fine to bung in spring cabbage and they will settle quickly. By the end of the month we will back around to overwintering Peas and Broad Bean seeds too. This is always a big month for bulbs and it is worth getting stuck in. Daffodils in particular which can rot in very wet winters, will make good root and be ready to face anything. You have a bit more scope with tulips, which are altogether tougher. I have had good success with smaller bulbs, overwintering them in small pots in sheltered corners and standing them to transplant in early spring when they are showing green. If you try this, get a little bit of grit in your compost to improve drainage. The winter bedding is still about in plentiful supply and I do urge you to get on if you are going to plant. It is good to have a bit of colour across the winter and there are some strong plants about. Not offering colour but a good investment, you should be able to find plenty of wallflowers as well. If winter colour is what you seek and you have space, then you are still ok to plant shrubs and late displays are starting to show on garden centre benches. The Mahonias are looking very promising, but Viburnums, Jasmine, Winter honeysuckles and winter sweet are all worth a look. And finally, watch the autumn sweep through, this month nature puts on a real show, as leaves turn and plants ready themselves for rest. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
May Gardening News
Nature wrong foots us once more and demonstrates it’s extraordinary ability to improvise. At the start of the year, I expressed concern at the way that the daffodils had all decided to rush to flower early. The Cheltenham Festival was two months off and gardens and verges shone with banks of yellow trumpets. Now here we are three and a half months later, with that show just coming to a close. It has been a great year for them has brought cheer to the darkest of days. April has been an odd month and whilst there have been some warm, the breeze has stayed cold and every third day the rain would arrive to just top up the levels. Work on the garden has been snatched and if you have turned ground that firm breeze has allowed us to rake a tilth. Planting needs to continue at a pace now and most hardy vegetables can be in the ground. Runner bean seed can be sown outside directly or in to pots and Marrows, Tomatoes and Cucumbers can be all be on standby for planting in the third week of the month, so look out for plants or start a few seeds on the window sill or underglass. If you have already managed any tomatoes under glass, they will need to get support and do pinch side shoots whilst they are young. If the plan is to pop some outside once again hold off for a couple of weeks. Then pick a light sheltered spot to get the best of them. Of course May traditionally is the month for bedding plants and everyday more will appear on garden centre shelves. Many can be planted in the early days of the month, but take great care before rushing with Begonias and Impatiens which will melt away on a cold night. You can make up baskets and planters now but settle them in a sheltered spot. Do spend some time shopping around too, there are some delightful modern varieties to see in all categories, with Petunias once being showcased by many, with some of the mini flowering varieties being very special. And finally, I have been amused by the interest this year in Flower Sprout, offered as a new? Vegetable. It’s basically a sprout that has refused to turn in. The stalks normally festooned with tight green balls supports mini open cabbages and these you pick and cook. I recall the grumbles of many gardener over the years reporting that their sprouts weren’t blowing. Now it’s in vogue. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org