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

 



The Leaves Are Putting On Their Autumn Hue


THE VILLAGE GARDENER

 


The Leaves Are Putting On Their Autumn Hue


 

It’s that time of year again, the leaves are putting on their Autumn hue, the children are going back to school and the garden centres are full of Christmas decorations. The garden puts on an autumn colour with late flowering perennials to the fore. New crocuses, daffodils and hyacinths should be planted now to get the best displays in Spring. Hold back on planting tulips until late October, or they may rot. Keep up with deadheading so we have colour until the first frosts. Divide herbaceous perennials to provide free plants; by doing this it will freshen up the older plants. Take cuttings of fuchsias and pelargoniums, they will take a bit of care over Winter, but they are free.

September is the time when most people will be repairing their lawn. To repair patches, mix some seed with compost and spread over areas that are bare. You will need to keep these patches damp and protected from birds. Annie Bennett will be reseeding her front lawn this month and will be on hand if you need any advice. Do not put a Spring or Summer lawn feed on the grass at this time of year as it’s nitrogen rich and will promote speedy growth which will weaken the grass before winter. We need to use a fertiliser high in potassium to help the root system.

On the allotments and veg gardens harvesting is still going on. Mike Marsh has cut all the tops off his main crop potatoes three weeks before digging them up to prevent any chance of blight affecting his crop. Clear any straw beneath your strawberries to stop pests overwintering in it. Don’t leave any rotting fruit on trees as this will spread disease. Cut back the fruited canes on the summer raspberries and leave the green new ones that will bear fruit next year.

The more ground you can keep covered the easier it will be for you and will stop soil erosion. Hardy peas and broad beans can be planted now along with shallots and onion sets. Any soil not covered can be planted up with a green manure crop or covered in weed fabric. This will save a lot of time come the Spring.

Please enter the Village Show with some of your produce (page 4&5). Take care and happy gardening.

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

 



Watering, Weeding And Dead Heading


THE VILLAGE GARDENER


Watering, Weeding And Dead Heading


Watering, weeding and dead heading are the jobs that need attending to every day at this time of year in an attempt to keep the garden looking it’s best for as long as possible. Some of the late flowering plants, such as dahlias and lilies, will need supporting in the wind and possible rain. Penstemons will need to have the spent flower heads removed to encourage the plant to give one more display before the end of the season. Wisteria whips should be cut back to keep this vigorous plant in check. Rhododendrons and camellias will need extra water at this time of year to encourage next years flower buds to develop. Take cuttings of pelargoniums and fuchsias for propagation. A little care will be needed but they will be free plants for next year. Late August into September is the best time to treat perennial weeds. They will take the weed killer back into the roots as they come to the end of their season.
Garden centres will have some good offers during August on perennial plants that have finished flowering this year. With a little care these will come back next year, bigger and with more blooms. You will know when the offers are on, as the Christmas stuff will be going on the shelves.
If you’re going on holiday in August be prepared for a very different looking allotment when you return, unless you arrange with neighbours to do some watering and to pick some of your produce. It’s better to share than waste. If you stop picking, some crops will go to seed or go past their best.
This time of year there will be a lot of green waste and not enough of the dry brown stuff to stop the compost from being sludgy. By shredding some paper and drying some of the green stuff under the sun you will help keep the compost heap working as it should. It’s a a good time to be turning the compost bins over, as the more heat you can get into it the better.
The village show on September 7th will hopefully be as successful as last year. This, of course, will depend on folk entering their wares and the volunteers.
Take care and happy gardening.

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

 



The Humble Hoe Is Your Best Friend

THE VILLAGE GARDENER


The Humble Hoe Is Your Best Friend 


The humble hoe is your best friend when it comes to keeping weeds under control during the Summer. On dry days just run the hoe between your flowers or veg beds. Not doing this at least a couple of times a week will leave you wondering where all the plants have gone. As we soon realise, weeds grow at a phenomenal pace at this time of year.

Another important task is dead heading, this is so important to keep the flowers producing new blooms. Not doing this will make the plant think its task is done and it will stop flowering. Pick as many sweet peas as you can for the house, the more you pick the more they flower. Cut back hardy geraniums now and they will produce another display before the season ends. Sunflowers definitely produce bigger blooms with a bit of tomato fertiliser fed to them. Wisteria can be cut back to within 8 inches of the main stems.

If you’re cleaning the weed from your pond, leave it on the side for a while, to allow any life form to return to the water.

There are some lovely gardens in and around the village. The way they keep them so nice is an absolute credit to them. Lyn and Sid Cottle always put on a good display even when people try to prevent them. The Warrior and his wife in Greave Close love their garden and it shows. Heather and Charlie put a lot of effort into their outdoor space which reflects their personality.

Allotments and veg gardens are bursting with produce. Strawberries, raspberries, peas, potatoes etc are all ready for harvesting. Be prepared to share your produce with the wildlife if you haven’t put in measures to prevent their invasion. Time now to fill empty spaces by planting Kale, carrots and some potatoes and these will be ready for Christmas.

A big problem will be with potatoes. If we have damp weather, there will almost certainly be blight which can ruin your crop. There will be dark blotches on the leaves starting at the tips, if you see this then immediately remove the foliage and put in your green bags for the council to dispose of. Do not compost it because, unlike the council you will not be able to get the heap hot enough to destroy the organism. The potatoes can then be used but will not store well. Do clear any debris up thoroughly. There are some things you can do to minimise the problem. Firstly, plant as early as you can so that harvesting can be done before blight hits. Secondly, when planting, space out the tubers to give the foliage more room which will allow air to flow between the plants. If you need to water the potatoes, try to keep the foliage dry. These methods work well in your back garden but on an allotment, you need everyone singing off the same hymn sheet.

The Village Show is on 7th September so please enter some produce to show off your prowess.

Take care and happy gardening

 

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

 



So Much To Be Getting On With

THE VILLAGE GARDENER


So Much To Be Getting On With


As always there is so much to be getting on with in our gardens. Regular watering is another task to add this time of year, along with weeding and feeding. All this is essential to make the best of our displays. Hanging baskets will need feeding every week and watering every day. There never seems enough time to sit and enjoy the garden during the growing season but that’s the way of gardening. Just being amongst the plants makes us feel better.

Now is the time to take cuttings from lavender, forsythia and fuchsias. Plant seeds of primroses and pansies for transplanting out in the autumn. Canterbury bells and foxglove seeds can be planted now for flowering next year. Seeds planted at this time of year take a bit more looking after as shallow seed trays seem to dry out very quickly.

Watering is key to success. We are advised by the RHS of the need to water wisely due to some areas of the UK having severe water shortages. They advise we water in the mornings as plants start to use water when the sun comes up, with the soil and foliage likely to stay drier for longer than when watering in the evening, which will discourage slugs snails and mildew diseases. When watering soak the soil well as light watering encourages root systems to reach towards the surface and as soon as the top of the soil dries out the plants will suffer. The less room a plant has to collect water the more water it needs as in containers or pots.

If the weather patterns continue with very long dry spells, we will need to consider the plants we buy and look for more drought tolerant varieties, which seems not in keeping considering we have just had the wettest spring on record. So it’s a water butt on every down pipe on every house with a garden in future.

The National Allotment Society advice on jobs for June. Hoe at every opportunity to remove weeds and break up the surface of the soil to allow water to soak in. Train in your climbing beans and continue to add sticks to the peas and water these well to get the pods to swell. Successional sowing of salad crops and sow winter cabbage seed. Use soapy water on any black fly or greenly. Cabbage root fly can be a problem, the fly lays her eggs in the soil close to the young plant. When transplanting put a collar of cardboard at the base of plant to prevent the laying of eggs. There are nematodes for this problem that destroy the larvae.

Take care and happy gardening

 

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

 



The Soil Is Now Warm Enough

THE VILLAGE GARDENER


The Soil Is Now Warm Enough


Whilst weeding the flower beds, a couple of passers-by advised me to let the dandelions flower as they were a good early source of nectar for pollinators. These pretty yellow flowers seem to turn into seed clocks in a matter of minutes, you would need to watch them like a hawk if you don’t want your garden covered in them by the end of the season. These broad-leaved weeds smother everything around them. Just try digging them up, it’s nearly impossible, especially when they get established. Your neighbours will not thank you for spreading these across their borders. A few years ago, the authorities dug up 12,000 sq. metres of verge around Wenvoe, where weeds (wildflowers) were in their element.

Slugs are out in force now so protect the young shoots of hostas, lupins and delphiniums. Some of the new shoots of delphiniums and lupins can be cut off at the base, then potted up and put in a plastic bag, these Basel cuttings root easily and are a great way of getting more plants at little cost. The new leaves of roses will benefit from a fungicide spray now to prevent black spot and rust, before it can get established. If you follow the advice given by tv gardeners to wait until April before cutting hydrangeas back, they will give a better display. Cut them back to a new shoot.

This month the people at Greenmoor nurseries will be planting up their hanging baskets. These will stay undercover until established. Don’t put these outside until late May at the earliest, or they will go back and not give their best. As with potted up plants they will need a regular feed and consistent watering throughout the season, along with deadheading to keep them flowering.

And so it begins, the annual fight at the allotments between man and beast. This spectacle goes on until the end of the season. The young plants have been nurtured by the growers then planted in the hope of providing produce. On the other side we have the foe – slugs, snails, mice, rabbits and birds all vying for their bit. Runner beans are one of the favourites of both man and beasts, we like them in a dish smothered in butter, but the pests love them as they come out of the soil. Onion sets planted in neat rows are scattered about by the birds looking to see what’s underneath. There is still time to plant more peas to make sure you get at least some to cook as the mice will have decimated the first planting. Carrots planted earlier to avoid the carrot root fly need to be thinned out, allowing those remaining to grow on so the rabbits can have their fill.

Remember don’t be greedy when planting potatoes, it’s tempting to cram them in. If you do there will be no air flow between the foliage, and they will be more susceptible to blight.

Next month the Tuckers Spring plant sale will take place at the Church Hall on 11th May so if you have some extra plants you’d like to sell, this would be a good opportunity. There will be a raffle with proceeds going to the Wenvoe Wildlife Group and homemade cakes sold by the slice to take away or enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee. See you there.

Take care and happy gardening

 

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

 



Let The Dandelions Flower

THE VILLAGE GARDENER


Let The Dandelions Flower


Whilst weeding the flower beds, a couple of passers-by advised me to let the dandelions flower as they were a good early source of nectar for pollinators. These pretty yellow flowers seem to turn into seed clocks in a matter of minutes, you would need to watch them like a hawk if you don’t want your garden covered in them by the end of the season. These broad-leaved weeds smother everything around them. Just try digging them up, it’s nearly impossible, especially when they get established. Your neighbours will not thank you for spreading these across their borders. A few years ago, the authorities dug up 12,000 sq. metres of verge around Wenvoe, where weeds (wildflowers) were in their element.

Slugs are out in force now so protect the young shoots of hostas, lupins and delphiniums. Some of the new shoots of delphiniums and lupins can be cut off at the base, then potted up and put in a plastic bag, these Basel cuttings root easily and are a great way of getting more plants at little cost. The new leaves of roses will benefit from a fungicide spray now to prevent black spot and rust, before it can get established. If you follow the advice given by tv gardeners to wait until April before cutting hydrangeas back, they will give a better display. Cut them back to a new shoot.

This month the people at Greenmoor nurseries will be planting up their hanging baskets. These will stay undercover until established. Don’t put these outside until late May at the earliest, or they will go back and not give their best. As with potted up plants they will need a regular feed and consistent watering throughout the season, along with deadheading to keep them flowering.

And so it begins, the annual fight at the allotments between man and beast. This spectacle goes on until the end of the season. The young plants have been nurtured by the growers then planted in the hope of providing produce. On the other side we have the foe – slugs, snails, mice, rabbits and birds all vying for their bit. Runner beans are one of the favourites of both man and beasts, we like them in a dish smothered in butter, but the pests love them as they come out of the soil. Onion sets planted in neat rows are scattered about by the birds looking to see what’s underneath. There is still time to plant more peas to make sure you get at least some to cook as the mice will have decimated the first planting. Carrots planted earlier to avoid the carrot root fly need to be thinned out, allowing those remaining to grow on so the rabbits can have their fill.

Remember don’t be greedy when planting potatoes, it’s tempting to cram them in. If you do there will be no air flow between the foliage, and they will be more susceptible to blight.

Next month the Tuckers Spring plant sale will take place at the Church Hall on 11th May so if you have some extra plants you’d like to sell, this would be a good opportunity. There will be a raffle with proceeds going to the Wenvoe Wildlife Group and homemade cakes sold by the slice to take away or enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee. See you there.

Take care and happy gardening

 

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

 



Don’t Be Fooled By A Couple Of Nice Days

THE VILLAGE GARDENER


Don’t Be Fooled By A Couple Of Nice Days


Let’s not be fooled by a couple of nice days tempting us to believe Spring is here. Things are starting to grow a bit now, but March can be cold and frosty on times so don’t be tempted to put anything tender outside. Plenty to do in the garden though, Winter flowering heathers will benefit from an ericaceous feed after they’ve had a trim.

Hydrangeas are an easy plant to propagate by layering, all you need to do is make a cut in a low-lying branch and pin it to the ground with the cut in the soil. Once it’s rooted snip it off from the mother plant. We still have time to split up large clumps of perennials, not only will you have more plants, but you will have healthier ones as they will have more growing space. Water these in well even if soil is moist. Now that we’re into March please leave hedge cutting until after the nesting season, birds and their songs are as much a part of a garden as the plants.

Local nature groups will be encouraging us to have a wildflower patch. If you’re going to try this, there are a couple of things to consider. The first thing is a weed and grass free space as wildflowers can’t compete. The poorer the soil the better; no need for any sort of feed, all they need is water and some sunshine.

I know I harp on about the quality of compost since they’ve stopped using peat in its makeup, which we know is the way forward. These firms are using recycled material but are not processing it properly and we end up with a lot of wastage. When sieving I have on average found 15% unusable for planting seeds or seedlings, where you need fine material. I have found coir blocks made from coconut husks to be the best material. You just add water to the block in a container leave it to soak then break it up. There is no wastage, it’s easy to keep moist and the plants do well in it.

Up at the allotments the folk there will be champing at the bit to get early crops such as beetroot, peas, early potatoes and salad crops into the ground. Don’t let a bit of sunshine tempt you to plant runner beans until at least the end of April, or they will perish. These allotments at Twyn Yr Odyn are for hardy souls who love their hobby of trying to get their crops to grow while being blown sideways by the wind or gasping for breath in the thin atmosphere at a height of 360 ft above sea level. All this and they still take home the winners’ certificates from the local village show with their produce.

Take care and happy gardening

 

 



Imagine Getting Back Onto The Garden

THE VILLAGE GARDENER


Imagine Getting Back Onto The Garden


With so many wet days in December and early January it was hard to imagine getting back onto the garden. The ground soon dried up after the deluge with high pressure in charge. Any exposed soil would have had a lot of nutrients washed away which will need replacing with fertiliser and compost when the growing season starts. The mild December weather saw daffodils out on the village green and snowdrops out in the church grounds. The cold spell in January will have held the Spring bulbs back now. This difficult start to the year weather wise will have an impact on nurseries. Plants that you order may be a bit late and will definitely be more expensive. Keep costs down by sowing some seeds, sunny windowsills make an ideal spot for cosmos, salvias and sweet peas in February. Kale is a real hardy plant but will need to be germinated inside before putting outside. Look out for damping off and don’t over water.

Mrs Betty James of Walston Road will have scrubbed all her empty pots and seed trays in readiness for the sowing season, she will then sieve a new bag of compost and add some perlite for drainage. By following the way Betty does things you will have a good success rate. Don’t worry if you think you’re behind as plants will soon catch up with more daylight hours. Spend a bit of time checking on the tubers and corms that you kept over Winter and discard any showing signs of rot before it spreads to the others.

The folk at the allotments will be preparing seed beds, weather permitting, and getting cloches cleaned up to put on the soil to allow it to warm up. Some seeds like broad beans are hardy enough to sow now. Some folk will have already picked some forced rhubarb by the time you’re reading this.

The Vale was hit hard last year by the box caterpillar, which decimated box hedging and shrubs. This pest has only been in the UK for about fifteen years, starting in the southeast of England. There are some chemicals which claim to be effective but the amount of re spraying needed per season makes it not cost effective. The caterpillar is hidden beneath a web and is difficult to get at. The young hide in webs between the leaves over winter and become active as the weather warms up. Then a second infestation starts in Summer. Some National Trust properties have taken any box hedging out as the situation got too difficult to manage.

The last decade has seen record rainfall over most of the UK. We are not immune to this in Wenvoe, properties in Grange Close, Old Port Road and Nant Isaf have had flood damage. We all need to think before we cover ground with concrete etc. We need to let the ground soak up the water and release it slowly and laws are coming to make sure we use permeable products when constructing new drives or hard standings. The driveway at the Old Rectory has been constructed using permeable blocks.

Take care and happy gardening



The Shortest Day Has Passed

THE VILLAGE GARDENER


Happy new year everyone


Now that the shortest day has passed we can think about the year ahead. The plans we make now may not come to fruition but will give us hope that we can put some of our ideas into action. We all have our own thoughts of what a garden should look like, whether its colour, structure, neat or wild. The one thing it has to be is interesting. Small or large, all gardens have room for different aspects, it’s all in the planning. Some of the best examples of interesting gardens belong to Joyce Hoy & Heulwen Davies; these two library volunteers love to talk about horticulture.

Trying to keep interest in the garden throughout the year can be very trying and expensive if you get carried away by the plants in garden centres. Just try to remember that these have been nurtured in heated greenhouses. As soon as you get the plants home they will deteriorate unless you provide them with what they have been used to. January doesn’t offer much in the way of colour but winter flowering jasmine is a ray of light on dull days. This will shortly be followed by primroses and crocuses pushing their way through the frosty ground followed by daffodils and then tulips and then, before we know it, Spring will be here.

The allotments are still mostly in hibernation, with a bit of digging being done by some brave souls and repairs done to broken structures. Upturned buckets or pots on plots will be covering rhubarb which is being forced to give an early crop which will be tender and sweet. Any free standing apple trees can be pruned now; start by taking out any diseased branches followed by any limbs rubbing together. Like most fruit trees apple needs an open aspect to allow air through the tree. This helps with disease prevention.

The walls around the allotments will, along with tubs and old baths etc, be harbouring the dormant snails who will be waiting for the first crops to emerge so that they can start their constant battle against the plot holders. You know where they are at present so let the hunt begin. Don’t throw them over the wall as they are guaranteed to be back in time for your harvest. New allotmenteers will be given a warm welcome and plenty of advice by the old guard of Colin, Bernard and the cantankerous Herbie.

 

Take care and happy gardening

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