Category: The Village Gardener

Replacement for Trevor’s Garden

Trying To Keep The Garden Colourful

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Trying To Keep The Garden Colourful

A report by Police UK suggests that thieves target properties with unkempt gardens, as it gives the impression that the owners are away. The report goes on to recommend keeping the plants in the front of the house below a metre, so you can see people approaching. The side and back should have high hedges with prickly shrubs like pyracantha or Berberis. Fences with trellis on top and a climbing rose running through it is another alternative. Gravel also makes it difficult for unwanted people to approach quietly. Keep gates locked and don’t leave tools around which could be used to help gain entry. Solar lights in paths or borders which are on permanently in the garden just show the intruder the way to the property.

Trying to keep the garden colourful throughout the growing season is always a challenge and can be expensive, so choose plants with a long flowering time like pelargoniums, begonias, dahlias and marigolds, which will give a display until the autumn with just a bit of dead heading. Roses will give you a good long season and the second flush will start this month. When taking off the spent blooms of roses don’t just remove the flower, cut it back to a leaf joint; this will keep the stems stronger and the plant looking its best.

A garden should have a compost bin, If done properly this can save you money, especially with the poor quality of what even the renowned labels are putting in their colourful bags. Don’t just throw anything in without a thought, as this will result in poor compost and you won’t bother again. Dave Jones in Vennwood uses kitchen scraps with used compost and small woody material to produce a sweet-smelling mix. Grass cuttings mixed with leaves and small woody stems will give good results if kept moist. This will create heat which will break down the material.

Since he’s been on a meter Gareth Williams of Greave Close has been using the washing up water on his lawn, with the unexpected result of killing the moss in the grass and not hurting any wildlife in the process.

New potatoes with runner beans is a favourite dish of many people and this month they will be harvested at the allotments, along with strawberries and raspberries. If the weather is inclement this month, this can bring blight to the potatoes, especially if they’ve been planted too close together with no room for air flow. At the first sign of blight remove all the stalks and destroy. Do not put in the compost. Dig up the potatoes straight away and they will be fine. Any ground cleared now will have cabbage and kale planted along with some potatoes which will be ready for Christmas dinner.

Take care and happy gardening.

Take Time To Sit And Enjoy

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Take Time To Sit And Enjoy

Hope you are all pleased with your gardening efforts so far this year. As June kicks us off into the main flowering season, especially with geums and the first flush of the roses, don’t forget to try and take time to sit and enjoy it when you can. People who are patient will always get good results. May was so warm that Silvia Davies had planted out her summer bedding by the middle of the month. It’s probably best for all of us to follow her lead as she really does know her stuff. Pelargoniums that were bought as plug plants and kept under glass until the end of May, then planted out, will flourish and give us colour until the end of September. Lupins are coming into their own now. If you bought some that were grown by Barry Oliver, they would have been brought up in what is known locally as Barry time, meaning they will take a while to be at their best but will form a lovely display and with a little care will last for ages. If you haven’t cleared the mess left by forget-me-nots, then you will now be inundated with this annual next Spring.

Mulching the bare soil will help retain moisture and if it’s put on a couple of inches thick will slow weeds down considerably. The dry weather had certainly stopped the slugs’ movement, but as soon as we have rain, they will be out in force so be on the lookout. Beer traps work wonderfully even if they are a bit messy. If you are thinking of planting a climber on a boundary, put it on the north side of the garden. Putting these on the south side, means that your neighbour will be enjoying the blooms.

Allotments at Twyn Yr Odyn have never looked so good according to the old folk (Bernard & Colin). This is a great effort from the allotmenteers, especially the new folk. A lot of effort will now go into protecting the crops from pests and diseases. The police team up there put their runner beans in early. This isn’t against the law, but you do have to be careful of cold nights, high winds and young rabbits, who have no respect for authority. Rabbit stew and beans will give you all the energy you need to keep on digging, according to Gareth Lewis.

Take care and happy gardening

Pull-Up The Forget-Me-Nots

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Pull-Up The Forget-Me-Nots

Before anything else, pull-up the forget-me-nots, to stop heavy self-seeding and reduce spreading next year. They look awful if you allow them to die back. Treat roses for black spot at the first signs of this disease. Tie in the climbing roses as they put a spurt on, also support the bush roses in readiness for the expected heavy and numerous blooms. Prune the spring flowering shrubs as soon as their blooms fade, to allow for good seasonal growth and flowering next Spring. Trim back the aubrieta after flowering to encourage a second bloom.

Take cuttings of pelargoniums and fuchsia as they will propagate easily at this time of year. We have a nationwide problem with fuchsias at the present, because of fuchsia gall mite. Removing affected parts helps but this is not a cure. Some gardeners have given up on them.

We all know how tiresome weeding is, but it has and always will be an absolutely essential activity. The planting up of hanging baskets is a job for May. These displays will always do better if you can keep them in a greenhouse or covered up at night until the end of the month.

Watering is becoming an increasing problem as we are having longer dry spells, using the washing up water will have no detrimental effect on plants. Placing water butts alongside down pipes, will help enormously towards saving tap water use.

On the allotments, gardeners are busy trying to keep up with the new season’s growth. Barry H has been watering every day to keep his well tendered plants healthy. On another plot first year apple trees are having the blossom removed to strengthen the young trees, which will give a better harvest in the coming years.

Protecting crops is a demanding and essential task especially with young plants and early cropping varieties. Netting is efficient but must be done diligently to stop birds being trapped inside. Mice seem to be the hardest to overcome, they will without doubt eat your strawberries the night before you’ve decided to pick them. Young runner bean plants are a magnet for pests. Other than having 24- hour security, you just need a bit of luck. All the effort is always worthwhile and that’s shown by the folk who love their plots.

Come along to the Tucker’s VE80 Wartime Plant Sale on Saturday 10 May in the Church Hall. Buy some lovely plants, try some wartime recipe food and dress in clothes of the era. And of course, buy raffle tickets in aid of Wenvoe Wildlife Group.

Take care and happy gardening

Things Are Starting To Grow

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Things Are Starting To Grow

A cold start to March held back seed sowing, unless you had some form of heat to help germination. Now with longer days and a little more warmth things are starting to grow and seedlings catch up quickly. Patience is always the best way forward to get things done. With young plants we have to be aware of their needs, by protecting them from cold nights and most importantly, be very careful with watering. Too much and they will rot in the trays or too little and they’ll wilt. Try to check on them each day, it will be worth the effort.

Snowdrops, crocus and daffodils are the first to go over. A few steps now will guarantee a good display next year. As soon as the flowers die back, cut them off or they will try to set seed which will take energy away from the bulb. Do not cut back the foliage until it dies back, the leaves are where the bulb gets its nutrients from to store energy for next year.

Weeds will, without doubt, be growing faster now than anything you’ve planted so keep on top of them, or they will smother any young plants or older ones given the chance. Mulching around the plant is a good way to suppress weeds but only if you put it down at least 3” thick. Old compost is a good mulch, better still, if you see any of the tree surgeons working around our community, ask them for the stuff they are chipping, it’s perfect and they will be glad for you to have it. If you feel that you must buy some, get a few bags of bark from British soil in Wenvoe. Don’t buy that scrulch from garden centres, it’s only straw and an expensive waste of time and money. If you want straw, buy a bale from a local farmer or Arthur Johns in Cowbridge. Honestly, just lay cardboard down on the soil, with some old compost on top and the job is done.

On the allotments, Bernard has put up a tent like the ones you see on crime dramas when a body has been discovered. It must be a new method he has worked out to get a better crop of something and he’s not willing to share it yet. It’s not anything sinister, as you can hear radio 4 being played from inside. The site is looking great with freshly dug ground and gardeners busy planting their young crops. All early potatoes are in and trays of young veg under cloches. Do not even contemplate planting runner beans yet, you need to wait for the ground to warm even more for this tender king of crops to have a fair chance, remember patience is key.

Don’t forget to come along to the Tuckers Wartime Plant Sale on 10 May in the church hall. There will be a good selection of plants, wartime recipes to sample, a good quality raffle. More details can be found elsewhere in this edition of the Wenvoe What’s On.

Happy gardening.

This Month for Early Spring Bulbs

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

This Month for Early Spring Bulbs

This month early spring bulbs and ornamental quince will be in bloom. The quince would have been in flower since last October and will continue to flower for months. When we were pupils of Wenvoe school, a long time ago now, there never seemed to be any daffodils to be had for St David’s day, we made do with leeks which we all ate before going to the church. This winter we had daffs in bloom before Christmas on the village green.

Hardy annual seeds can be sown directly in the ground now, remember that these plants like poor soil, so don’t waste fertiliser on them. Please don’t buy tender plants yet, unless you have a warm place to keep them. These young plants will have been grown in perfect conditions, so a sudden change in climate will either kill them, or at best stunt their growth. It is always better to wait and let the garden centres or nurseries look after them until the weather warms up a tad. Tomatoes and chillies need a long growing season to get the best out of them and can be sown under glass or on a windowsill now. If you sow lupins this month, they will flower this year given favourable conditions. When putting young plants out in the garden, it’s a good idea to cut the bottom off a plastic pot and put over the top of the plant to protect from wind and cold, even if they are hardy. It will give them a better start. Mr Crump’s trick to protect his plants from late frosts is to put an upturned plastic pot over the plant then a bigger one on top of that so there’s an air pocket. This works brilliantly and with the cost of plants it is well worth the time.

On the allotments there is always a lot of activity at this time of year, with soil preparation and seed sowing taking place. Plants that were brought on at home will be planted out under cloches at the end of the month. Beetroot is ok to sow now as it germinates at lower temperatures, along with peas and broad beans. Also give kale a go. It’s one of those plants you can keep picking the leaves off and it regenerates. Early potatoes are sown now and there always seems to be an argument on whether they need to be chitted or not. Whichever way you prefer to plant them, just be sure that when they start showing you protect them from any late frosts by putting some soil up over them. As always, there is plenty of advice to be had on the best methods from the likes of Colin and Bernard. If you are feeling brave you could ask Lewis, as long as you’re prepared to listen to heavy metal, which he insists does his plants a power of good.

Take care and happy gardening.

 

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

 

80th Anniversary Of VE Day

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

80th Anniversary Of VE Day

This year sees the 80th anniversary of VE Day. May 8th 1945 was the day the war in Europe officially ended. I’ve been thinking of plants to grow to remember that time. As we know most gardens, parks and open spaces were turned over to produce vegetables and there was little room for flowers. Some flowers and weeds stayed long in the memory of people of that time. Rosebay willow herb, or fireweed as it was known during the war, grew in abundance on bomb sites, as it loved ground that had been subject to heat. Ragwort was also prevalent. These plants brought in the hawk moth and multiple insect life. Which in turn became breeding grounds for redstarts and wheatears, which had never been recorded in London before. The leaves and roots of deadly nightshade were collected from the countryside to extract atropine, a drug used in eye operations. The late Noel Williams, of Walston Close, remembered collecting foxgloves to aid the war effort as a teenager for its digitalis. This powerful drug was used for regulating heart rhythm.

Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands took refuge in the United Kingdom during the war, she remembers the daisies being in bloom when her country was invaded. To her it always represented hope and resistance. Food became so scarce in her country during the war that tulip bulbs were a regular source of nutrition. The capital city of Canada is a riot of colour in the spring with millions of tulips in bloom. The Dutch still send 20,000 bulbs each year. These flowers serve as a tribute to the unique friendship between the people of Canada and the Netherlands which developed during the Second World War. Thanks to the authors for these extracts and of course google.

Reading about what was produced on allotments at that time it seems little has changed on the growing side of things except that broad beans were considered a waste because the varieties then had no resistance to blight. Modern hybrids, make for heavier yields of most veg today. They also give us a longer growing season, unless you have a plot at Twyn yr Odyn, where the weather can be a little inclement on occasion.

Take care and happy gardening.

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

 

Happy New Year Everyone

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Happy New Year everyone

This time of year, I love to look through seed catalogues, wondering if the plants will ever be as good as they look in the pamphlet. They never are.

Don’t start trampling all over the soil unless it’s dry as compacting it now will make for heavy work come the planting season. There is always something to be done, whether it’s weeding or taking some of the leaves off hellebores to expose the flowers. Dead heading the winter flowering pansies is a must or they’ll go to seed. These pansies are never as good until early spring when they flourish, and we’re loathe to take them out to make room for spring bedding. If you have managed to get another year out of the wallflowers, you will find they flower so much earlier than the new ones planted out last autumn.

The storms this winter will make us all think twice about planting trees. Trees are one of our biggest assets against flooding, by slowing down the flow of water, absorbing rainwater and reducing soil erosion. Choose a species that fits in the space you have and prune regularly or the local authority will be on your case if it encroaches on to a road or pavement. The lowest branches have to be 2.5 metres above the footpath and 5.3 metres above the road. Yet if it grows too close to your dwelling, you will need their permission to cut it back. Just a thought, after seeing all the fences that have come down lately, why not if you have the room plant a hedge. There are so many different plants that can be used, and they don’t blow over, last a lot longer, look good, great for wildlife and good for the environment. Not leylandii!

Cloches should be making an appearance on the allotments and veg gardens to warm the soil for planting peas. Take any yellowing leaves off brassicas, to stop any disease. Mr Gareth Lewis will have started potatoes off in grow bags inside his hot house, just to be the first with new season spuds.

If you’re like Big John of the Environment team whose tool is always sharp, then you won’t need the service of a free hand tool sharpening session starting on the 6th January in the Wheelwright’s shop by the Church Hall. What’s On recipients can bring them along that week. Shears, loppers, secateurs and mower blades.

 

Take care and happy gardening

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

 

The Festive Season Is Upon Us

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

The Festive Season Is Upon Us

With the festive season upon us, the garden gets a bit neglected. That is probably one of the reasons artistic gardeners say we should leave the dead stalks of perennials standing, as it gives structure to the plot. It’s bad enough that the garden starts to look untidy let alone adding to the mess. If you must have some winter structure, get some dogwoods as they have colourful stems and really do look like you’re trying to do your best. Most of the bulbs we’ve planted are in pots that have been dug into the ground so that when they’ve finished flowering, we can retrieve the pots and give the bulbs a feed then let the foliage die down out of sight ready for the Autumn. Hedgehog houses are a good addition to the garden and we are encouraged to help our little friends but check on the occupants as rats love the dry space you have so kindly provided. The Wenvoe Wildlife Group and other prestigious charities would like us to have a wood pile which provides shelter for insects and a snacking area for birds, frogs and hedgehogs. Don’t just throw the wood down like some irate fly tipper; stack it properly so it’s not an eyesore. A couple of stones stacked up will entice the snails to settle in for the winter, then just before the green shoots of Spring appear you can collect and dispose of the blighters.

If we are properly organised, then we should be sending the mower for a service. There is usually a discount at this time of year. If you wait for the Spring when the workshops are busy it can be weeks before you get your machine back. Sharpen all your hand tools now so you’re ready when growth starts. There will be a sharpening day at the wheel wright shop in January for shears, secateurs, mower blades and hooks. Details of dates in the next issue of What’s on.

 

Have a lovely Christmas and a good new year.

Take care and happy gardening

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

 

Jobs for the month

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

 

Jobs for the month

 

  1. Depending on the weather, try to lift any dahlias and clean them off; then store in kiln dried sand or dry compost in a frost-free place.
  2. Collect any rose leaves with black spot and bin them. If you don’t do this the spores will infect more plants next year.
  3. Make sure you plant your tulips this month. Plant them deep or you may only get one season from them.
  4. Lift any remaining begonia tubers and dry them, then store as dahlias.
  5. Cut roses down by a third to prevent wind rock.

 

It’s hard to get motivated when it’s gloomy and with less daylight, but anything you can do now will be a big help for next season. Weeds seem to grow whatever the weather, it’s a miserable job in the Summer but seems worse at this time of year. It is an essential task though and cannot be ignored. Mulching is very important, to keep the ground covered and stop soil erosion. This should be laid about 3ins, 75mm, thick to do a good job, which can be expensive if you buy the stuff television gardeners recommend. Grass cuttings, fallen leaves or old compost will suffice. The worms will love you for it and it will improve the soil no end. It’s a fact that if it were not for worms then we wouldn’t have such productive soil so the more worms you have the better the soil. Worms add 5mm to soil depth each year. They are brilliant at breaking down pollutants and turning them into nontoxic molecules. I could go on, but all these facts are available on the Soil Association site. They are the leading charity on the protection of our soil and the way it’s used.

The overall message from the allotment folk is that the year to date has not been good. With the coolest summer for nine years, it has proved to be challenging at Twyn Yr Odyn. Even the prolific Gareth Lewis has had an off year. He has been heard playing Slayer (a rock band apparently) to his plants with no improvement. Some of the older gardeners have seen it all before and love the challenge of tending the soil on top of the hill in a howling gale with rain lashing across – and that’s in June. They are committed to their task, that’s for sure. Even with all this to put up with, they will be planting peas and broad beans to over winter and give an early crop next year hopefully. The National Allotment Association is a membership well worth considering if you’re serious about your patch.

Please remember to check any bonfires you may be lighting, as hedgehogs find them irresistible. If you do cook one accidentally then take salt & pepper with you as they are quite bland.

Take care and happy gardening.

 

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

 

The Veg Gardeners Of Wenvoe Are Still Busy

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

 

The Veg Gardeners Of Wenvoe Are Still Busy

The RHS have made it quite clear that the use of water butts must be a priority for anyone with a garden. We are asked to be prepared and start storing ready for next year by fitting them to down pipes and add others to them as funds allow. It is said that up to 24,000 litres of rain falls on a roof throughout the year, with most over the Winter period.

Strulch, organic garden mulch, seems to be the next gimmick that advertisers say we can’t do without. It makes fantastic claims, which must be true, or they wouldn’t be allowed to say so. It is expensive and like any mulch will be absorbed into the soil over time. Options to this are plentiful, one could just spread old compost over the ground and even grass cuttings now and again and this time of year fallen leaves will do the same job. This I promise you will do more for your soil and less damage to the bank balance. Leave it on the shelf and buy more plants to cover any bare soil. If you really need to put straw on your beds, buy a bale from a farmer at a fraction of the price.

 

While working in Dyffryn the other week we were cutting back a big shrubbery where each year we leave all the clippings on the ground. This keeps the undergrowth manageable and by the Spring it has all disappeared. All the plants do well, without any other nutrients being added.

 

The gardens look a bit scruffy now. In this part of the country, we are still cutting the grass and weeds are growing as well as ever. Cutting back perennials, pulling out annuals and raking the leaves off lawns are must-do jobs. Take out the trays from under pots and lift them off the floor to stop water logging. You don’t need to buy those pot feet; a few stones will suffice. Cut roses back by half to stop the wind loosening the roots. The main pruning will be done in March when you need to take a little more care.

 

The veg gardeners of Wenvoe are still busy. Nicola will be dividing the rhubarb and adding well-rotted manure. Barry Harper takes hardwood cuttings of currants and gooseberries to replenish the older stock and Bernard cuts back the asparagus stems once they’ve yellowed. Don’t dig up the roots of peas and beans, they are a good source of nitrogen and will rot down in the soil. It’s the perfect time to plant garlic, an inch deep and be sure to label. You can tell it’s October as Northerner Mike Johnson can be seen in the churchyards collecting leaves to make leaf mould for next year. The allotmenteers have not had their best year. They say that the coolest summer for 9 years with only short spells of good weather were the main reasons.

 

There are some vacant plots at the allotments. There is nothing like growing your own fresh produce along with all the free advice you will ever need.

 

Thanks to all who entered the village show, without your participation it wouldn’t happen.

 

Take care and happy gardening

 

 

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

 

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