Category: The Village Gardener

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

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Tips From Two Lady Gardeners

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This month’s tips are from two lady gardeners

Firstly Angela from Larchwood.

1. If we can expect summers to be dry in future, then pelargoniums and bedding begonias are going to give good displays as they have thrived during 2022.
2. A lot of shrubs have fared badly this past year, but pyracantha has survived the drought, plus it’s good for protection against intruders and it provides good cover for small birds.
3. If you have camellias in pots, try to give them some shelter from easterly winds.
4. Get your Tulips in the ground this month.
5. A tea light placed between two bricks topped with an upturned terracotta pot will keep your greenhouse free from frost.

Betty on Walston Road

1. If you need to keep plants like pelargoniums but have no cover for them, bring them close to the house on the South side if possible.
2. Tie up tall conifers to prevent them spreading in high winds and possibly snow.
3. Try to cover any bare soil with mulch or any permeable material to prevent erosion.
4. Lift pots off ground to prevent water logging.
5. Be extra careful when around the garden in wet weather, because if you haven’t got nosey neighbours, you could be out there for hours if you fall.

The growing season seems to have been long this year with the summer bedding lasting well into October especially the pelargoniums which only really stopped when heavy rain flattened them. Dahlias are still flowering in sheltered spots and the roses don’t know what season they are in. We would normally have cut back everything by now. Some gardeners leave their perennials to die back naturally, saying that this protects the crown of the plants from frost, while others clear away the dying stems which exposes hidden weeds and pests and then mulch the area. The one thing you have to do at this time of year is keep raking the leaves off the lawn, a thankless task but one that needs to be done regularly to prevent dead areas forming. Ponds should be covered by now or leaves will sink and if there is a lot of them and you have fish the bacteria won’t be able to break them down fast enough and will reduce oxygen levels and a build-up of ammonia, which is toxic to fish. If netting is difficult to put in place, then a floating pond skimmer may be the answer.

November is prime tulip planting time according to those who know. They also say you should plant the bulbs three times their own depth and if not sure plant deeper which should guarantee that they flower for more than one year.

Ivy is one of those plants that divides opinion as it can get out of control and is very difficult to get rid of once established. It’s main saving grace is the fact that it flowers late providing the bees with a late harvest and the berries keep the birds fed well into winter. Blackbirds, especially, are very fond of them. If you can hold back before pruning the wildlife would appreciate it.

Work on the allotments is slowing down. With Autumn planting done the ground is being readied for Spring by weeding and covering with manure. Then in late Winter the ground will be covered to warm up the soil and an attempt to stop weeds germinating. You will see some of the allotmenteers in parks collecting leaves to make compost and leaf mould which will take a year before it’s ready to use. Leaf mould is the ideal growing medium for bulbs and when you see what garden centres sell bulb compost for it makes good sense to produce your own for free.

There is a chance that the village will have an open garden event next year, so if you would be interested look out for information in What’s On and on the Wenvoe community support group.

Take care and happy gardening

 

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THE VILLAGE GARDENER

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This month’s tips are from the farming community

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Madeleine Rees

1. Save your used compost and add some N.P.K fertiliser. It will be better than you get from suppliers, until they shape up. You only need good, new compost for sowing seed.
2. Plant a green manure crop on any unused ground.
3. Buy British and stop the pests coming in on imported plants.
4. If you grow some comfrey, you will have feed for your plants all year.
5. Make sure you have some sort of greenhouse shading for next year.

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Viv Jervis

1. After using your hedge trimmer make sure you brush the blade with new engine oil. The blades will not become sticky thus saving power.
2. As the years catch up with us all, remember to take the phone with you when out in the garden.
3. When starting an allotment, it’s a good idea to plant potatoes as they help clear the ground.
4. Hoeing regularly will make gardening less of a chore.
5. Be sure to spray weed killer on bindweed before it dies back, so that it takes it back to the roots.

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Time to start clearing the borders of bedding plants ready for winter flowering pansies etc. If you have pelargoniums and some space to keep them frost free, then remove flowers and cut down by half. They don’t need much soil or water, but they do need a bit of space for ventilation otherwise grey mould will set in. If it does you must remove infected plants. They can, of course, be kept on a windowsill where they will flower for ages. October is a good time to divide perennials to give you some free plants. Cut everlasting sweet peas down to the ground. Dahlias can be left in the ground in our part of Wales as long as it’s not constantly waterlogged – just cover with mulch. If you want to dig them up then make sure you remove all soil and put upside down to dry before storing, do the same thing with begonias. They need to be stored in a cool dry place away from frost.

Prune roses from now on. Climbing roses need some care when cutting back by making sure you tie in stems horizontally so they will produce side shoots for next year’s flowers. Remove any damaged stems. With shrub roses just take the clippers to them and cut down by half to stop wind rock over the winter which can open up the base of the plant and allow water in which could freeze and kill off the rose. On the subject of roses, the environment team cut back the roses on the village green three times, mainly to prevent them obscuring the visibility at the junction with Walston Road. This proved highly successful with shorter stems and a profusion of flowers.

Collecting seed at this time of year is so worthwhile, just make sure you dry them and, most importantly, label them.

Mr JCB Alun Arthur has offered this advice for anyone with a compacted conifer hedge. To keep it healthy you need to wash it through in Springtime using a hose to clear the debris as this will allow the hedge to breathe.

October on the allotment is a mixture of harvesting and planting. Some are planting sweet peas for next year. Not Herbie, he would never plant a flower where he could grow a vegetable. He is planting broad beans, onion sets and garlic. There is still time to pot up runners from strawberry plants.

Take care and happy gardening

 

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THE VILLAGE GARDENER

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Tips from Venwood’s bionic men Ryland & Dave

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Ryland

1. Get to work on lawns by scarifying and seeding.
2. Hold back on buying Spring flowering bulbs as they will be cheaper by the end of the month.
3. Water butts are a must, stop putting it off.
4. Collect seeds from plants. With the cost of seeds increasing it makes good sense.
5. September is the best time to spray those perennial weeds.

Dave

1. Put netting over ponds before the leaves start to drop.
2. At this time of year you will have a lot of garden waste so go on – start a compost heap.
3. If you haven’t grown sunflowers try to do so next Spring as the birds will love the seeds at this time of year and they are so easy to grow.
4. If you’re thinking of making a raised bed you need to construct it so you can reach the middle from both sides.
5. A wooden gazebo covered with a climbing plant provides unrivalled, cool shade

This year the hot weather has made it difficult to find places to be cool indoors or out. Those who walked in woodland during this time have found how cool it is under the shade of trees as they dissipate the heat so well. Planting a small tree in the garden will provide a cool place to sit. If you decide to plant one it will need plenty of water until it gets the roots growing.

We can take cuttings from a lot of plants at this time of year. Pelargoniums, fuchsias, penstemon etc are all easy to propagate. Just pick a stem without a flower, trim below a leaf node and place in pots of compost and keep in a cool place. Divide perennial plants, pot up and water the ones you want to give away and dig the others into their new home. If you have some clear ground to spare try sowing some hardy annuals such as cornflowers for early summer flowering.

Hedge cutting will be the major job in most gardens during the autumn so take your time and don’t worry that you can’t get it all done in a day. It’s not going anywhere and the longer you can live with it the shorter it will be at the beginning of next year’s growing season. When you’re cutting the shrubs back try cutting some of the lower branches off to allow more air and light around the base. In most cases the plant will look better as well. Are you considering buying a shredder to reduce the debris and use it as mulch? This is a commendable idea in practice but be warned there are dozens of sheds in the village with shredders that were purchased without the benefit of YouTube, so do check before buying.

With more rain and some sunshine September is a good month to sort out the damage done to the lawns by the dry weather (and the no mow May) during the late Spring and Summer. Most will need scarifying plus an Autumn lawn treatment along with some lawn seed. Besides the amount of effort needed you will need to keep the birds from taking their fill of seed.

Produce is being harvested from allotments and veg gardens in what is the most productive month of the year. Onions are being laid out to dry, runner beans are still being harvested and Autumn raspberries are at their best. Even when harvesting is in full swing Bernard, of compost bin fame, is planting onion sets and broad beans to get a good start for next year. Garlic really benefits from an early Autumn sowing as do meteor peas. Try putting in some turnip seeds as at this time of year conditions are perfect to produce a small but perfectly formed veg for the Christmas dinner table.

Hope to see you all at the Village Show, where the ability of local folk can be seen, admired and tasted. Be a part of village life and meet some of the characters that make Wenvoe a lovely place to live.

Take care and happy gardening

 

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THE VILLAGE GARDENER

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Tips on managing large gardens

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Jan Bird

1. Planning is so important; one should always be looking forward to the following year’s display.
2. First impressions always matter so keep the public entrance well maintained.
3. Hardy geraniums make excellent ground cover; cut back after flowering and you will get a second flush.
4. With the use of Biofuels being mixed with petroleum these days it is imperative that you use a fuel additive to protect the engines of mowers etc.
5. I have always found that a tray of tea made up for when the gardeners arrive; keeps them attentive when issuing instructions.
   

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Gwen Williams

1. One needs scale so be careful of the full-grown height of plants.
2. Hiring Victoria to lead the garden team was a good investment as you need someone to put your trust in.
3. Colour co-ordination will make beds a lot more pleasing to the eye.
4. Patience is one of the best attributes to have, as certain members of the long-term staff are prone to discard some of the plants rather than care for them.
5. It matters not the size of a garden as long it pleases you.
   

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Lawns do not need a high nitrogen fertiliser now as this will encourage a lush growth that will be damaged by Autumn weather. The lawn should have a fertiliser with a high potassium content to encourage root growth. Ant nests have been a big problem this year; it’s best to sweep the mound before mowing.

Camellia and rhododendrons should be watered well now to encourage bud development for next year’s display. The dahlias will need extra staking to hold up the heavy blooms. Time to take cuttings of fuchsias and pelargoniums to increase stock. Black spot on roses gets more prevalent as summer goes on; damaged and fallen leaves should be put in bin or burned and not composted. Rose clear is an effective remedy for this along with other rose diseases. Lily beetle can devastate your lily displays; the brown sludge they leave is their larvae, so wipe off the leaves. To catch the culprit, you need to venture out after dark and pick them off the plant. We are told about the overuse of weed killer and the damage it can cause to the environment but used carefully it is extremely effective. During the early Autumn it can be used to kill off persistent perennial weeds like ground elder and bindweed before they start to fade and recoup for next year. Trying to eliminate these weeds by digging out is soul destroying.

On the veg patches and allotments a lot of produce will be ready for harvesting. Feed sweetcorn with tomato fertiliser to get the best cobs. This feed is also good for cucumber, pepper and aubergine plants. Keep removing the leaves below the first trusses on tomato plants to increase circulation and help prevent disease. Pinch out the tops of runner beans to increase side shoots and hopefully more beans. Keep picking the beans before they get stringy. Runner beans freeze well. The spent canes of summer fruiting raspberries can be cut down to the ground leaving the new canes for next year.

Of course, the dreaded cabbage white will be laying eggs on the underside of your brassica leaves so squash them in your fingers, as if they are left alone the crop will be devastated.

Next month sees the long awaited return of the Village Show, so if you are at all competitive then enter some of your produce. There will also be baking and craft competitions.

Take care and happy gardening.

 

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THE VILLAGE GARDENER

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Must Do Gardening Tips for July

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Jobs for July from Susan Bowen MBE

1. Cut back growth in hanging baskets and feed to encourage new growth.
2. Prune wisteria now. Just remove the whippy side shoots to about five leaves from the main stem.
3. Cut spent stems of lupins to promote new growth.
4. Dead head bedding plants to keep displays going.
5. Don’t let dandelions go to seed.

Sylvia Davies of that lovely garden opposite the Walston Castle

1. High potash feed will give you brilliant blooms on many flowers especially sunflowers.
2. Use grass clippings to cover potato tubers that are near the surface to stop them going green.
3. Keep up the hoeing of weeds to give your plants a better chance.
4. Keep greenhouse clear of disease by clearing up any fallen or dying leaves.
5. Check your pots for vine weevil if your plants are wilting for no obvious reason.

Watering consistently is so important as plants can wilt, become stressed or stunted. Large leafed plants need a lot more water than small leafed ones. Newly planted trees and shrubs will be in particular need of watering in dry spells. Check plants in pots, even after rain, and terracotta pots should be lined with polythene to prevent moisture loss through the sides. For plants in the garden you should water generously but less frequently to encourage roots to grow deeper and overtime become more tolerant of dry conditions. Bark or gravel around the base of plants will help retain moisture. Lawns are very tolerant of dry conditions and will recover well; on cricket pitches they cut the grass down to virtually the roots and it recovers. If you really must water, then do it thoroughly as just a sprinkle will do more harm than good.

We need to give our plants proper attention during the summer months as a lot of work went into getting them to this stage, so feeding, deadheading, and watering will prolong the display. Herbaceous geraniums need to be cut down to the floor after flowering to give a 2nd flush. Roses need constant dead heading but the results are worth it. Sid & Linda Cottle of Gwenfo Drive have a lovely garden full of roses which are always in good fettle.

July is the best time of year to sow foxgloves and wallflowers for a display next year, if you have doubts about whether you can be bothered just remember what Dick Turpin is selling them for in the garden centre. You will need to sow delphiniums now as this is the latest time to be certain of blooms next year.

At 85 years young Herbie is proof that working the soil is good for you and on his allotment at Twyn-yr-Odin he dishes out advice whether you ask for it or not. I caught him on a ladder trying to pick his broad beans and asked him for some tips to put in the gardening column. Ever obliging he said water daily and not just a splash, hoe weeds on dry days and they are guaranteed to die, always remove dying leaves from plants to prevent disease, check for aphids on the runner beans and rub them off with your hands and take the tops off broad beans to deter black fly.

The panel at gardeners question time in the library hub on the 27th May want to mention through this column that they were made to feel most welcome and enjoyed a pleasant evening. The knowledge displayed by the audience left them in no doubt that gardens in Wenvoe are in safe hands.

Take care and happy gardening

 

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THE VILLAGE GARDENER

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Must Do Gardening Tips for June

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Thoughts of Michelle Morgan on patio gardening:

1. If you are not happy with how your pot plants are looking change them as the season is too short to put up with something that displeases you.
2. Pot stands on wheels make it so much easier to move pots around.
3. Calendulas are cheap to buy. Three plants will fill a large pot and give a display all summer.
4. Blueberries do well in pots with ericaceous compost. You will have to net them when fruit has formed.
5. The downside of having a lot of pots is constant watering and feeding.

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Advice from Gerry Crump, the gentleman gardener.

1. Don’t plant early as it’s just a waste of resources.
2. Take care of your tools and they should last a lifetime.
3. When planting seeds always label them properly.
4. Do not take too much on, or you will not enjoy the garden.
5. Grow what you like to eat and what the ‘other half’ likes to look at.

 

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June is the month when show growers put their hanging baskets up to display. If that’s what they do then it’s good enough for me. It is very tempting to put them up early but patience will ensure a better display. Once the sweet peas come into flower, start picking for the house as the more you pick the more they flower. Try not to let any set seed early in the season or the plant will think it’s job is done. Using a hoe on dry days in the boarders is a good way of killing annual weeds. If we need to water please follow the advice of experienced gardeners by watering early in the morning or late at night. When watering the borders, a good soak once a week should be adequate. Don’t think about watering your lawn unless you have a lot of time on your hands. Grass is tough and can withstand a drought but, by watering a little, you will encourage the roots to come closer to the surface and make the grass more susceptible in dry weather.

‘No Mow May’ is the latest must do according to experts and TV gardeners. Not so sure about that myself. On the plus side it has stopped your cats killing so many birds as there are a lot more mice running around in the long grass for them to bring home for you. If you have a lovely weed free lawn then letting it grow for a month it’s not going to provide much nourishment for insects etc. On the other hand your lawn may be full of weeds so crack on and spread the seeds over your neighbour’s gardens! It seems to me those popular presenters can tell us what to think sometimes. I have been bitten and stung as much recently as I have been over previous decades so will take some convincing that there are less insects around presently. I have to add though that it is probably my fault that I get bitten so often because when Monty Don told us we should have a ‘No Wash April’ I thought he meant me and not my car. No wonder I had to sleep in the shed!!

On the allotments the pigeons are testing the resolve of gardeners by pulling up young onions and eating the new growth of brassicas. The only way to combat this is by netting and using stakes as support. They are also partial to soft fruit, so be warned. They say that bamboo grows quickly but just plant a row of any veg seed on a clean cultivated patch and the minute you turn your back it’s covered in weeds. This is why growers plant in rows as weeds don’t grow in a straight line. Thinning out the crop on fruit trees is a task that needs to be done to get larger fruit. We do get a June drop where trees will drop fruit to look after the stronger ones, but often it’s not enough to prevent branches breaking under the weight.

Thank you to everyone who supported us for helping to make the plant sale such a success and helping the Wenvoe Wildlife Group continue their outstanding work all around Wenvoe.

Take care and happy gardening

 

The Village Gardener

 

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THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Must Do Gardening Tips for May

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Rita Edwards gives her sound advice.

1. Be careful of late frosts, cover tender plants with fleece.
2. Hold hanging baskets back till the end of this month, as show people do.
3. Check roses for black spot.
4. Sow nasturtium seeds in gaps as ground cover.
5. Pinch out tips of fuchsias to form a a bushier plant.
   

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Mat Holland of Dyffryn has his say.

1. Leave daffs to die down for at least six weeks after dead heading.
2. Take fuchsia cuttings and just plant in ground around mother plant, so you know what plant it came from
3. Plant runner beans seeds direct into rows, for a later crop.
4. Dead head tulips before they set seed.
5. Make sure all plants that need support are staked by now.
   

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Advice on controlling pests without resorting to chemicals has TV gardening personalities telling us that we need to strike a balance with nature and learn to live with these pests. The R H S has declared slugs are no longer pests. If my garden was the size of a Tesco car park I’m sure the critters could munch away without causing me too much concern. On the average plot a pest infection can be devastating, ruining the growing season.

These same people have said that if you have a problem with aphids you need to buy plants that attract ladybirds. For goodness sake if you have aphids you will definitely attract ladybirds, who will then breed and whose larvae are voracious aphid eaters. All without splashing out on special plants.

Another stunner of an idea was to attract more birds to your garden so they could eat the slugs. Be honest, have you seen garden birds eat slugs, because I haven’t. The best animals to have around your garden to help control slug problems are hedgehogs, frogs and toads. A lot of Wenvoe residents have hedgehog boxes and this has resulted in the village becoming a hotspot for these mammals which is bad news for slugs. Frogs and toads spend very little time in water, they prefer a damp area and cover. Toads only use the water in the mating season so you only need a small pond to accommodate these amphibians. Helen, Hugh & Mathew of Vennwood have foxes visiting their garden taking care of their Gastropods. The slug problem has been with gardeners and growers forever so the balance must still be ok. Just one more thing, the French won’t even eat them.

Right then – are we ready to plant out knowing we will have a fight on our hands to keep the plants safe? If you can be patient and hold back your bedding plants a little while, the warmer soil will give them a good start. As has been said many times, to get the best from your hanging basket display keep them sheltered until the very end of May. Sow some hardy annuals direct into the garden where there are gaps to fill. With the weather warming up and less rainfall the pots will need extra attention, try not to let them dry out or the plants will not recover to their full potential. Spring flowering shrubs that have finished blooming need to be cut back as soon as possible. Weeding is one of the tasks that has to be done but we don’t enjoy. You can keep pulling them up but your back won’t thank you for it, the best is always little and often on dry days with a Dutch hoe, just keep cutting them off and it will weaken perennial weeds and kill annual ones. Leave the waste to shrivel on the soil but do this before they set seed.

Allotment holders are busy as usual with this years rhubarb looking good throughout April. Eric & Joyce donated some of their crop to the Wenvoe Wild life Group to sell at the plant sale in April. The allotmenteers are obviously well informed about the fact that bare soil is the major factor in soil erosion as there very few patches with nothing growing. The library will be running the Village show again this year and Gordon Jones is intent on keeping his prize veg a secret with an extra high fence and a guard cat.

Take care and happy gardening

 

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THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Must Do Gardening Tips for April

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Tips from two of the nurseries that will be attending The Tuckers Plant Sale on Saturday the 30th April at 29 Vennwood Close.

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Firstly Joyce Alpine Hoy

1. Give the plants in the greenhouse a bit of space so air can circulate and prevent disease taking hold.
2. Make sure the drainage is adequate in your pots and containers especially for Alpines.
3. Keep potted plants near the house as this helps with shelter and when watering.
4. Always remove the top layer of soil from pots in Spring and replace with fresh compost. Doing this removes weed seeds and pests.
5. If you order plants by post, unwrap water and repot as soon as possible, or they will take a long time to recover.
   

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Gordon & Elizabeth Jones of Belgrave Horticulture.

1. Composting is essential to bring balance to the work of gardeners.
2. If you have room plant a native tree. Crab apple are great for wildlife. If you have a larger area then an oak tree would be great as they support the most life.
3. Put freshly mown grass under your trays of seed. The heat generated will bring them on in no time.
4. Remove some of the leaves from hellebores to expose the flowers.
5. Foxgloves are easy to look after and great for bees and other insects.
   

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It is quite the thing at present to plant a wildflower patch. If you follow the instructions on the packet to the letter then a good display will follow. The main thing to do is to make sure the area is weed and grass free as the wild flowers cannot compete with perennial weeds. The wild flowers prefer poor soil, so no need for fertiliser. What they don’t say on the packet is that, if you don’t want your garden completely smothered in wild flowers the following year, you will need to cut them down before they set seed.

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A greenhouse or cold frame will enable you to buy smaller, and inevitably cheaper, plants to bring on in April. Repot these young plants as soon as you can and be careful not to overwater, especially at this stage, or the plants may rot. There is still time to sow sweet peas and they will be ready a little later and prolong the season. As the weather warms stand the plants outside during the day. This may seem a bit of a fuss but will give you a lot stronger plant.

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Compost. We endeavour to make our own but usually buy a few bags every year. As long as the compost used in pots growing annual flowers or veg has not caused plants to suffer from disease then it can be reused. Folks mostly put the spent compost on the garden as a mulch but it can be rejuvenated by simply sieving and adding a slow release fertiliser. The one thing it shouldn’t be used for is seed planting as it may contain pathogens that will harm new seedlings. There are loads of tutorials online which will save you quite a bit of cash

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April is a good time to give roses a preventative spray against the main diseases they are about to face. To get bigger blooms on roses you need to reduce the amount of buds, this is done by growers who enter shows.

On the allotments the tenants are planting early potatoes. Runner and French beans are sown under glass ready for planting out in May when all risk of frost has passed. Peas and beans have long roots so toilet roll holders are great for giving them a good start. Planting carrots early will beat the carrot root fly but if too cold the seed will not germinate so cloches are used to warm the soil. You will always see onions grown on allotments. They are easy to grow and store well. If your intention is to grow oregano, make sure you keep it in check or it will take over your patch.

With everything costing more, it is worth shopping round. The cost of wooden fencing has rocketed and the price of plants is ridiculous. Blue Diamond garden centre at St Mellons always have a table where prices have been reduced. British Soil in Wenvoe sell their products well below D I Y stores and garden centres. If you need timber then Bruno fencing in Barry are good value. If you know of other places that give good value please share. Pam & Phyllis always make a list before venturing into garden centres, otherwise it’s like shopping in the middle of Lidl where you come out with things that make you wonder how you ever managed without them.

Take care and happy gardening

 

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Must Do Gardening Tips for March

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St Mary’s Church florist Sandra Jones tips for the month

1. Start feeding shrubs with slow-release fertiliser.

2. Trim winter flowering heathers.

3. Clean up paths and patios.

4. Put supports in place before plants start to grow.

5. Dead head daffodils but don’t touch leaves

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Ray of Church Rise and the perfect lawn.

1. Always brush away worm casts or weed seeds will find a home.

2. Cut as often as needed but not too low.

3. Spend time on edging as finish is everything.

4. Clear thatch annually.

5. In dry weather don’t attempt to water the lawn unless you have enough time to do it properly.

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Here we go then, Spring is here, and we look forward to the growing season. We will see what plants have survived the Winter in the greenhouse and shed. What we can be sure of is that hundreds of slugs and snails will be gearing up to eat anything tender that pokes it head above the soil. After listening to gardeners over the years slug pellets were always the favourite form of eradication but the most popular now is a margarine tub sat in the soil with some beer in it. The little blighters can’t resist it. You must empty it often because they will stink if you leave them. As slugs and snails are mainly nocturnal, you can catch them in the act by taking a torch and removing them as they forage. For pots on a path or patio a ring of salt around the base of container will sort them out.

We often have some inclement weather in March, so don’t be tempted to put tender plants out. Once the warmer days come things will soon catch up. Going by last year’s weather when there were roses blooming in the garden on Christmas Day and daffodils in flower on the village green by mid-January, I will be staggering the sowing of seed to have a longer season. The one plant that does well by planting now is the snowdrop. Buy them in the green just after they’ve flowered, and you will be guaranteed a good display next year. If you just plant the dried bulbs they don’t often multiply. With Spring bulbs such as daffodils, take the flower head off as soon as it starts to go over so the plant can put its energy back into the bulb for a good display next year. Remember to make a photographic diary of your garden as it comes into life so you can make adjustments for the following season and not put the spade through dormant bulbs later in the year. You need to give the roses a prune now if you haven’t already done so. We are trained to cut them back to an out facing bud like rose experts Mr & Mrs Cottle of Gwenfo Drive but don’t worry as they are tough plants and can take a lot of misplaced secateurs. Clematis is another plant that needs cutting back before growth starts. There are so many varieties that flower at different times of the year, so you should check before you cut into it. If you have a problem with this plant, then Mrs Clare Ellis is the lady you need to speak to as she is very knowledgeable on these plants. You can usually find Clare working in the library on a Saturday.

There will be a plant sale on Saturday 30th April in Vennwood Close, where local growers will have stalls showing off their wares. There will of course be loads of free gardening advice, a few local crafters, cakes and a raffle with proceeds going to the Wildlife Group.

Take care and happy gardening.

 

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