November Gardening News
Isn’t it great when seasons actually deliver more or less what is expected? I felt that October worked and that the season had turned. There were a few cold nights, some beautiful misty dawns, the occasional bright watery days of sunshine and some very soggy rough moments. Things just got beaten up and then the colour started to tease through. The growth having been so luxuriant, I suspect we may be on for a long shutdown and a never ending clean up. I have been sweeping and clearing debris for a couple of weeks already. I am just glad that last month I managed to tidy and harvest from the compost bins. Luxuriant growth creates a bigger compost heap and composting is well worth the trouble. Just don’t make it too complicated. I tend to commit all green debris to the heap. Sorting and grading at this stage can be really tiresome. So, a few of the wrong bits make it through, well you soon spot them when you access the compost. I sieve mine and then reintroduce the lumpy bits to the heap even the brambles surrender eventually, and the exertion is great for body and soul. Oh yes, now where was I? Cleaning, tidying, clipping, anchoring, tying, disinfecting, and pressure washing are all on the agenda. Try to resist cutting the lawn, but if you are in the mood spike it with your fork. If you are up for gardening, then consider bigger planting now. Fruit trees, ornamentals, roses and soft fruit as well as hedging are all moving to dormancy and settle very quickly at this time of the year. In the case of trees it will be worth staking. You can still be titivating borders too and there are plenty of bulbs around as well as autumn bedding. The pansies have been great this year and are showing real promise for winter flower, many being laden with buds. In the vegetable space, you can consider Garlic, shallots and rhubarb as well as overwintering onions. If you can find some Perpetual spinach plants and kale are certain survivors for late planting. They are good fillers and a really useful fall back when other veg is scarce. Try some by the door in a pot, it saves marching off down the garden on a grotty day. And finally take a look at Tithonia, an old fashioned, little used bedding plant that belongs to the Sunflower group. It’s very jolly and I will be giving it a go next year for sure. 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
August Gardening News
Well, that was a little testing, was it not? Days and days of blistering heat and hardly a cloud in the sky, quite extraordinary, nature does know how to play with the mind. Of course it’s been wonderful if you had nothing to do and didn’t have a garden to watch over. The transition from winter to summer was actually rather special, with barely room for spring. The winter dragged and was wet and when the turn came all energy was devoted to leaf growth and as the heat increased this dense canopy of foliage generously passed all moisture back to the sky and widespread desiccation began. It will be very interesting to see how the harvest comes out. Some things have fared better than others, particularly early plantings were roots established well and were properly watered from day one. The business of watering in a radius away from the plant does extend root growth, lazy plants used to water just delivered at their bases have not done well. Anyway a corner has been turned and at least for a day or two there is some moisture. There have been casualties, but what did we expect? Now is the time to play, to pop in random seeds on the off chance. Things will grow and if we get a kind autumn we will see results. French Beans come quickly from seed as will the marrow family, most salad stuff will produce within weeks and the time is still good for spinach and spring cabbage. Be bold, be defiant and don’t be too distracted by the diseases and insect infestations brought on by the humidity. There are moulds and mildews on all sorts as well a multitude of chomping beasts. Whilst you can go on the attack with sprays, try spatial disruption……..a term that I made up. Basically pests and disease do well in cramped conditions, they breed and spread in overcrowded spaces. So thin out leaves, remove the most infected or damaged and create air movement through the crop. In a greenhouse water only at the end of the day and create maximum ventilation to lower humidity. Even consider removing some lower panels of glass. This will not necessarily totally cure but will ease the problem. And finally if you fancy trying new potatoes for Christmas then get planting soon and be warned we are back around to winter pansies and bulbs again. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
August Gardening News
Wow, that was a hot one! The dry spell was punishing, indeed quite debilitating for a day or so and just for a moment gardeners stopped. We sold a lot of ice cream. Every splash of rain raised the humidity too, which has been great for the pests and diseases. Crops have continued to grow, but in such conditions you have really had to be on the case with harvesting, with many things going past their best in a hurry. There were early beans that within days were going tough and courgettes that became marrows over night. So, the message is keep harvesting, even removing substandard material to encourage further production. The same rule applies to flowers, don’t allow them to waste energy on going to seed, just pick once a petal drops. Vegetative growth has remained luxuriant, but everything will quickly look autumnal if we don’t get some steady rain; your watering input is essential if plants are to see September out. Do try to feed too, plants are stressed and your encouragement will pay off. If you are up for some fun of course you can play with a bit of late seed and root crops in tubs are very manageable and results very achievable. Try carrots, beetroot, radish and spring onions. Close to the house and with gentle maintenance they will crop. With the carrots try Early Nantes. Normally grown (as you will have guessed) for early production they are very quick to mature. The other vegetable varieties are not so important, they will just do it. If you have room and enthusiasm then spring cabbage and spinach can still be planted. I really value these two items, which will reliably offer up strong greens for over winter use. You will have noticed that garden centres are showing bulbs, it is early, but if you want choice and quality buy them and cool store them until next month. Unless you are wanting to try once more to get Hyacinths for Christmas in which case you need to plant in the middle of this month. It’s crazy to be talking Christmas, but there you are, the winter pansies are on sale so why not. And finally, keep an eye out for blight and keep picking off those black spotted rose leaves. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
June Gardening News
The days roll by and May, the busiest of months for gardeners (both amateur and professional) slips behind us. The month was fair, with one or two teasing frosty punctuations that bashed early beans and crumpled the tops of emerging spuds, but they are coming back. The ground still awaits news of good rain and growth remains slow where it hasn’t happened. It’s quite a test and certainly newly planted gardens will need your attention. The dryness has had a big effect on many established plants too, with the distress encouraging very early flowers, roses in particular have been blooming for several weeks. As we turn into June, the threat of cold has gone and the gates are open for a free for all with our seasonal planting and this year every nursery and garden centre has plenty of stock. So if you do have space then fill it, play with it, mix it up. Push flowers in with the vegetables and vice versa. Vegetable plants can bring colour and architectural height to the borders and flowers in return draw pollinators to the vegetables. Mixing up the heights of parallel rows in the veg plot can also reduce the movement of pests and diseases. Following last years blight problems anything that may deflect fungal spores is worth a try. You can also be sowing seed and this is a good month to start perpetual spinach and spring cabbage. They both have a long journey to maturity but are invaluable. Do check your seed packets particularly with the spinach, with the rise of interest in leaf salad, there are many varieties of spinach available. Some are not that hardy. The good old fashioned large leafed variety, much favoured by Popeye is ‘Perpetual’ and nothing else is quite the same. If you do find yourself in the mood for seed sowing then biennials like sweet William and Brompton stocks can also be started as indeed can winter pansies. I have already mentioned fungal spores and this season is shaping up to be perfect for them. So mildew on many plants and black spot on the roses is likely. If spraying is your thing, then preventative action can be taken now (using a general fungicide), alternatively try thinning out foliage to improve air movement through plants. The static air moves, humidity falls and the spores pass on to next door (though I wouldn’t tell them). And finally, just maintain and enjoy. Be assured nature will still have a surprise to offer and just at that moment when everything seems calm in the garden. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
September Gardening News
So the summer eventually decided to creep out for a few weeks and then set about frying anything that looked vulnerable. We have had some very hot days and if you haven’t been on the ball with the watering plants have really struggled and blossom has just been drifting like confetti without setting. All of that and now the autumn knocks firmly at the door. It has been a tough journey and it will be interesting to see how the final harvest unfolds. The vegetables and fruit crops have been well tested, with every pest that can creep, crawl, fly or float on a breeze, turning up and creating havoc. There have been caterpillars, white fly, lily beetle, plum moth, slugs and snails as well as blight, mildew and botrytis all entering the fray. Much of the damage is done, so don’t waste too much money on chemicals, just be thorough in cleaning up. If the caterpillars continue you can drape a bit of net over them and who knows it may keep off the pigeons too. Many of the flowers, have taken forever to perform and already gardeners are seeking to bring new life to the borders, ripping out summer planting and looking for something new. There is a strong interest in herbaceous and alpine plants these days, as many opt for more permanent planting. Most centres seem to be offering a good range of plants at sensible prices. Of course the Pansies are back and in fairness they are still the most reliable of options when it comes to winter colour. True, the Cyclamen are wonderful and there are very pretty and compact Chrysanths about, but they don’t like prolonged cold and wet, so it will be Pansies and violas for me again this year. I have to say the varieties developed for baskets are pretty impressive, for best results these want planting soon (look for the Cool Wave series) but are worth a go. The other winter offerings will be around as the month advances, with Wallflowers, violas, sweet William and more turning up as the days pass. All of that and then there are the bulbs, which are now all in stock and offer huge temptation. I am like a kid in a sweet shop with bulbs and stand open mouthed as I join the carnival. Tulips in particular are a delight. And finally, they are still bits and pieces of veg to play with. As space is created you can introduce late greens, spinach, lettuce and over wintering onions. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
July Gardening News
Once more the corner is turned, the longest day left behind and the fruits of our labour become ever more obvious. June in it’s passing brought us mildew and black spot, quite a number of early caterpillars and the pigeons haven’t given up on anything. The humidity has been a big issue for many crops, continuing to bring along disease, (so keep an eye on the spuds and tomatoes, it’s great weather for blight). An all purpose fungicide can be applied as a preventative, if the conditions continue. It’s also been perfect for midges and mosquito. I am not sure why, but they do like me. So everything is growing, although it has been a bit of a struggle with some of the root veg, most notably the carrots, many of which have found themselves pummelled into the ground and then baked. I think that it’s going to be worth doing some late sowing and if you use early season or short varieties like Early Nantes, I think that you can still expect a result, Beetroot will still make it too. More traditionally we can be sowing Perpetual Spinach and lining up the first of the spring cabbage. It always seems crazy to be making these plantings so early, but it does pay off. Spinach will be fit for harvest by autumn and with sensible harvesting can carry on producing long into the winter. If you have started to lift any early spuds, have a go at replanting a few for Christmas. Stick them on a window sill for a week to ripen and then pot them back into a pot for harvest later. It fun and can give you a taste for Christmas. The borders and containers will all be in full bloom by now, so try to keep them dead headed and watered across the summer. If time permits apply the same commitment to shrubs and roses too (many will repeat flower). Just a little effort will pay dividends and see your investment busy until the autumn. Pansy time will be back soon enough. And finally if you can find a quiet corner, sow a few Wallflowers and sweet William, both have been beautiful this year, but they do need a long growing season, so start now straight into the ground and transplant in late September. Enjoy ! Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
February Gardening News
Well, some slightly more seasonal weather around, with some spiteful wind pulling temperatures down. The water doesn’t want to go away though does it, everything is so wet. It is a very strange start to the year and you do wonder what will happen to all of the tender plants if we have snow, everything is soft and out of step. Everyone has been reporting the early showing of daffodils and snowdrops, but we have cowslips flowering and bluebells in full leaf. Anyway theoretically we have turned a corner and the spring is not far away. Easter is as early as it can be so let’s hope that it offers a springboard for a good season. We do need to start tackling something. Last months work will have rolled over in most households, so as space permits, Broad beans, Peas, Rhubarb, Garlic, Onions, shallots and Asparagus can all be planted out. Vegetables seed can be started, they will need some basic protection, a cold frame, greenhouse or even window sill. Hardy vegetables will not need heat, so you can consider Cabbage, lettuce, some late spinach or even a bit of Calabrese or Cauliflower. If you want a bit of fun try a few beetroot or onions in egg boxes. Put a pinch into each compartment and then drop the cells into the ground in four or five weeks. The trays will degrade and you will have some early salad. The potato season is in full swing and whilst it is still too early to set them in open ground, covered or raised in pots though they are worth a go. If you have a bit of protection or a window sill space, then you can also start off a few hardy annuals, Calendula, Carnations, Sweet Williams and Pansies can all be started now. They want very light covering with compost to encourage germination and a bit of polythene across trays will accelerate the process, though you must maintain a daily watch. The seedlings move quickly from sprouting to romping and they are a pain to transplant once they become leggy. If you fancy Antirrhinums then they too can be sown,but don’t cover the seed with compost instead lightly pat them to have them adhering to the compost lightly water and again pop over a bit of polythene. And finally if all of this weather is frustrating you, grab a packet of Nigella, a packet of cornflower, some Californian poppies and Larkspur, mix them all up together and sprinkle them into a border that is not going to be fussed over this spring. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
September Gardening News
Autumn shuffles forward beneath the distraction of muddled days and leaves can only wait as their gloss slides away. There is a fading and evidence everywhere of the nursed wounds of molestation. Almost everything has been visited by disease or pest. The plums and apples, with not much weight, show the scars from exiting grubs and caterpillars have grazed freely, many leaves rendered skeletal. It is amazing to watch the sawfly turn up for a feed, their lava really do get motoring and strip plants completely. The season is turning. It has been a strange Summer and on odd days the sun has been most aggressive in reminding of its capability, with young growth frying. I have seen many examples of growth crisped by magnification too, where leaves have been sprayed to’ cool them’ and still the flowers have fallen. It will be interesting to assess the final harvest. Perhaps September will allow a catch up. There has been a smell of rain,but in reality the ground has stayed very dry. With the turn of the season come the bulbs and winter pansies, Sweet William, bellis and Stocks for over wintering. The chance to tidy and repair. Early interest in autumn plants is strong, the floral displays have often been disappointing and there is a mood for new life. My one real success this summer was with new Petunias, which have delivered zany small flowers in huge profusion. As for my Geraniums, they’ve taken forever to do much. So, I am already setting out new Pansies and Violas and here there are new colours to be found. In the vegetable plot I have tidied space for some Japanese onion sets and have found a few Spring Cabbage to push in. The season is getting on and whilst there are still other greens around, you should only plant to treat them all as edible green. It is unlikely that a sprout planted now will come up with an actual sprout,but the greens will be good and strong for boiling. You should still be able to find a bit of perpetual Spinach around and that will certainly be worth a go. And finally, as recorded earlier, I had high expectation of a good rose season and that’s what we have had. Many varieties are pushing out a late flush of colour. The season has offered a real reminder of why Roses were once so popular. Try one in a decent pot and you will see what I mean. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
November Gardening News
Well, that was a curious month wasn’t it ? Wet, blustery and all in all rather too mild. The wet brought a few leaves down, but the mildness has created a hiatus in the planting calendar, with so much revived bedding continuing to dominate borders and tubs, thereby delaying much of the planting. So get the Pansies in quickly or don’t bother. The month did allow caterpillar mauled greens to put on a bit of repair and a few cabbage that I had all but given up on, do look as though they will eventually be fit for the table after all. I also look to have managed to settle some late Spinach, which is a real bonus. This week I will be getting my broad beans in and I may put in a few Meteor Peas. The turn of October into November is perfect timing. I also plan to put out some garlic and a row of hardy spring onions. The onions are a bit late, but cost pence to do and they have good flavour even if chopped like chives. I have also cleaned up a space for a few more Raspberry canes. They have been brilliant this year, I just could have used a few more (and soft fruit plants are about now). I have just about finished with my flower borders. I have a few sumptuous tulips to pop in and then I will get on to the the big clean up. Hopefully it will be the last cut of the lawn before winter, I have some clipping and trimming to do and I want to be sure to lift the last of my dahlia tubers. The dahlias have been quite magnificent this year and after last winters’ wet run, I want save them from rotting. I will chop the tops off to within four or five inches of the tuber and dig them up. They will go straight in undercover and I will clean off the dirt as they dry. As long as they stay dry and frost free until the spring they will come back. I just put them into a tray of damp compost in late March and they will revive. Cleaning also means tidying and this year I will be looking to reduce the hideout opportunities for rodents. Last winter was a nightmare and there does seem to be a good deal of activity already. And finally a message to all who missed out this year on the amazing climbing Spinach (Basella Rubra)……..make sure you get hold of some next year. What a winner! Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org