Category: The Village Gardener

RHS top tips for this month.

1. Hoe borders regularly to keep down weeds.
2. Be waterwise.
3. Harvest salads and early potatoes.
4. Position Summer hanging baskets and containers outside.
5. Pinch out the side shoots on tomatoes.
6. Mow the lawn every week.
7. Plant out Summer bedding.
8. Stake tall or floppy plants.
9. Prune Spring flowering shrubs.
10. Shade greenhouses to help with cooling and to avoid scorching.

New evidence says that we started cultivating some 23,000 years ago. The one thing that has not changed in all that time is the need for weeding. Hoeing regularly will stop the weeds getting the upper hand. Magnolias need be cutback now. Severe pruning of Rhododendrons should be left until Springtime. You can take softwood cuttings of Fuchsia and Hydrangea now. Rose enthusiasts take some of the buds off their plants to increase the size of the remaining blooms, but I wouldn’t have the heart to do that. If you want to grow your own Spring bedding for next year you need to start sowing now with favourites like Pansies and Wallflowers. With the warm weather and long days pests and diseases are abundant. Treat as soon as any become apparent. We must also take care of ourselves and wear hats along with sunblock. There has been a lot in the news of late about the effects of pesticides on the environment. The UK has strict laws on what we can use, so please read the label and only use recommended doses when justified.

Great to see so many of you at the WI table-top sale in May. Some of the questions put to me about growing veg would be best answered by the one and only Mr Gordon Jones. Just form an orderly queue outside the library when Mr Jones is in residence. It has been brought to my attention that another library volunteer, Clare Ellis, is an expert on Clematis.

Many of us will have an unkempt part of the garden. You are helping nature by letting it take care of itself. The Wenvoe Wildlife Group will love you for it. This group does brilliant work in and around Wenvoe and if you could lend a hand a warm welcome awaits you.

July sees some of Wenvoe’s gardens open to the public and this venture is being led by Brian and Sandra Jones. We have at last managed to get the one and only Gerry Crump on board. If you want to see how to prolong an active life please go along to see Phylis and Gerry’s garden.

Take care and happy gardening

The RHS tips for May

1. Watch out for late frosts.
2. Earth up potatoes
3. Plant out Summer bedding
4. Water early and late in the day to make the most of your water.
5. Keep hoeing weeds on dry days as they will die off quicker.
6. Open greenhouse vents and doors on warm days.
7. Mow lawns weekly.
8. Check for nesting birds before clipping hedges.
9. Lift and divide clumps of Spring flowering bulbs.
10. Watch out for viburnum beetle and lily beetle grubs.

Time to cut back Spring flowering shrubs and watch out for the shrubs with variegated leaves as they will slowly try to revert to green. Cut out the patches of plain shoots. Forsythia is one of the shrubs that needs to be cut back now to be assured of a good display next year. Proof if needed was the plant in Nige and Jude’s garden on Church Rise which was beautiful. Montana clematis can be reduced in size to make it more manageable, this should not harm the plant.

Take softwood cuttings of fuchsia, hydrangea and Forsythia now.

Daffodils can look a mess as they fade, so lift them after you make sure all the heads have been taken off and dig in to a corner of the garden and when they have completely died back lift and store for the autumn.

One of the things I’m guilty of is not putting supports in early enough. It is a lot easier to do when the plants are small, then tie in as they develop.

Crane fly larvae are leatherjackets and this Spring they have been causing a lot of damage to lawns in the area. There are no chemicals available to gardeners. Nematodes are available and should be used as soon as possible after purchasing. These are only really effective during September/October time. To prevent this problem, improve drainage where possible and encourage strong growth

On May 11th the W I are holding a table top sale at the Wenvoe Community Centre; to complement the other stalls there will be locally grown plants for sale as well as good gardening tips. All under the watchful eye of Madeleine Rees. If ever you are in need of advice on any gardening matters then make haste to the library where Joyce Hoy can answer your queries especially on Alpines. As for Vegetable expertise please look no further than Wenvoe show multiple winner Gordon Jones. You really could not do any better.
Around the village it’s great to see people tending their gardens. The effort that some put in is astounding. If you would like to be included in an Open Garden afternoon in July contact Brian and Sandra Jones on 02920594248. I know some that don’t like attention but it would be good to see the likes of Gerry and Ieuan come forward, if only for me to say that I know these gardeners.
Take care and happy gardening

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

March and April bring out the usual pests like slugs and snails. While difficult to deal with, we seem to find a way. But the other pests prevalent at this time of year have two legs and come aggressively knocking at your door, offering to clean your drive or tidy up your garden. They know people want their places cleaned up in the Spring. There is no happy outcome with this sort, so please just say ‘No’. It will save you a lot of money and worry. If you need work doing, the best thing to do is ask a friend or neighbour to recommend someone or contact British Soil in Wenvoe, as they have a list of approved contractors.

RHS tips for April

1. Keep weeds under control with regular hoeing.
2. Protect fruit blossom from late frosts.
3. Tie in climbing and rambling roses.
4. Sow hardy annuals, herbs and wild flower mixes outdoors.
5. Start to feed citrus plants.
6. Increase water to house plants.
7. Feed shrubs and roses.
8. Prune fig trees.
9. Divide clumps of bamboo
10. Repair bare patches on the lawn.

Everyone is busy in the garden, planting out, sowing seeds or carrying all you can manage from garden centres. However, you do need to be careful as a late frost will ruin all your hard work. Listen out for Derek and keep some fleece handy if temperatures are going to drop.

Mrs Woodruffe of Greave Close loves cosmos which is a great plant and a good cut flower. It will stay in bloom until the first frosts, but you must keep dead heading. Young sweet pea plants need the tops pinched out. This will make the plant stronger and increase side shoots. Perennials are always a good thing to grow from seed or buy as plants. You will, however, need to give them enough room to not just grow up but also to spread out.

Sow sunflower seeds directly into the soil at the end of the month with a little compost to help speed germination. Mark each seed with a cane which will be needed as support. If you put a two pence coin alongside the sunflower seed, then you won’t have any trouble with slugs.

Camellia flowers are now starting to fade, so pick off blooms as they turn brown to keep the plant looking tidy. Once all flowers have gone, clean around base of plant then give the shrub a good boost of ericaceous liquid feed.

Brian and Sandra Jones plan to open their garden in July. If you would like to be on the list of gardens to visit, please get in touch. Some of you don’t realise how good you are.

Take care and happy gardening.

There will be a lot of activity on the allotments as the month goes on. The people you see there will be waiting patiently to move the plants they have been growing on window sills, under cloches or in the greenhouse, into the soil. It is an exciting time of year with longer days and, hopefully, less cold. Anyone with any heart at all cannot fail to be moved by the way things start to grow. Every year we try to start things growing a little earlier, but nature tells us when. Plants always seem to catch up once the weather improves.

Temptation to get stuck in once the better weather arrives can lead to all manner of aches and pains. We all tend to do too much. There are lots of treatments out there to get you through the pain but the best thing is to do the work a little and often.

If, on the off chance, you haven’t got much garden or you’re new to it and would love to learn more then why not join the Environment team who meet on the 2nd Monday of each month at 9.30am for an hour to tidy up the green areas around the village. With the likes of Ieuan Williams and Brian Jones on the team you will be gardeners in no time.

RHS top tips for March

1. Protect new spring shoots from slugs.

2. Plant shallots, onion sets and early potatoes.

3. Plant Summer flowering bulbs.

4. Lift and divide overgrown clumps of perennials.

5. Top dress containers with fresh compost.

6. Mow the lawn on dry days.

7. Cut back cornus grown for its colourful stems.

8. Hoe and mulch weeds to keep under control.

9. Start to feed the fish and use the fountain.

10. Prune bush and climbing roses.

I have, for a number of years, tried to grow asparagus. Having followed the instructions to the letter I just can’t seem to stop the crowns from rotting. A friend suggests growing from seed so that they will acclimatise to my soil better. It will be worth persevering as fresh asparagus is lovely.

Once you have pruned your roses they will need a feed, but read the label on the fertiliser about the amount you should be giving them as over feeding is a waste and can be costly. This applies to all plants. Plug plants are a good way of keeping the costs down, rather than buying established plants ready to go in the ground. They will need a little more looking after but it is worth it.

This time last year garden centres were being signed up to take part in a plastic pot recycling scheme. The uptake was slow and everything seems to have gone quiet. If you’re concerned about this then ask the centres if they have signed up. Almost all of us will be buying plants, especially at this time of year. We as consumers can help persuade growers to change.

Lastly, I know it’s early but the village show in September will be a good place to show off your prize veg and plants so keep it in mind.

Take care and happy gardening

Gardening on times can seem to be hard work and it is easy to stay indoors when it’s cold or wet. The garden at this time of year is not at it’s best; we are still waiting for most of the bulbs to emerge to cheer us up. The main thing not to forget are the benefits of being in the garden and working with the soil. There have been numerous studies over the years and some of the pluses of gardening they all agree on are as follows.

1. It can reduce the risk of a stroke.
2. It burns up calories.
3. Heavy gardening can reduce the risk of heart disease and other life-threatening diseases.
4. The chances of osteoporosis developing can be reduced and for people who already live with the condition gardening is a good workout.
5. Stress levels are reduced. A study in the Netherlands proved that it is better than most other leisure activities at reducing stress levels.
6. Being surrounded by flowers improves ones health as they are a natural moderator of moods.
7. Digging in the soil has actual health and mood boosting benefits. There is a natural antidepressant in the soil called Mycobacterium vaccae. This stimulates serotonin production which is the stuff that makes us happy. It has been known for sometime that children exposed to soil in formative years develop healthy strong immune systems and have a lower incidence of asthma and eczema.
8. Gardening may lower the risk of dementia. Research shows that the physical activity associated with gardening can lower the risk. Two separate studies of people in their 60s and 70s over a sixteen year period showed a 36% to 47% lower risk of dementia than non gardeners, even when other health factors were taken into account. If only half of the claims of these studies are to be believed, then gardening can only improve our lives.

RHS top tips for this month

1. Prepare vegetable seed beds and sow some vegetables under cover.
2. Chit potato tubers
3. Protect blossom on peaches, apricots and nectarines.
4. Net winter vegetable crops.
5. Prune Winter flowering shrubs that have started to fade.
6. Divide snowdrops and replant while still in the green.
7. Prune wisteria.
8. Prune evergreen hedges and renovate deciduous ones.
9. Any climbing plants in conservatories can be cut back now.
10. Cut back deciduous grasses left uncut over winter. Remove dead grass from evergreen grasses

Note: start using those gloves you were given for Christmas or your partners will think you didn’t appreciate the well chosen gift.

Dahlia tubers can be started now. Place in a warm, well lit area to start sprouting before planting up. You may need to spray with water to avoid drying out. Sweet pea seeds can still be sown now under a cloche. Keep up with dead heading of Winter pansies and primula and these will continue to flower well into the Spring. Cut off the old leaves of hellebores to expose the flowers.

Towards the end of the month, top dress the borders with a well balanced fertiliser such as growmore or blood fish and bone to feed perennials as they start to grow. Please follow instructions as to how much you need to use or the extra will only wash away

If you’re thinking it’s too early to plant tomato seeds then think again as the likes of Colin Thomas and Brian Foster will already have seedlings on the window sill.

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Happy new year. Hope you all had a fantastic Christmas. January is usually the coldest month, so wrap up warm when you start getting the garden ready for the year ahead. We start as usual with the RHS tips for January. I would really like to hear about your ideas on how we can all improve our gardens.

1. Recycle your Christmas tree by shredding it for mulch.
2. Clean pots and greenhouses ready for spring.
3. Dig over any vacant plots.
4. Disperse any worm casts on lawns.
5. Inspect stored tubers of dahlias, begonias and canna lilies.
6. Prune apple and pear trees.
7. Start forcing rhubarb.
8. Plan your vegetable rotation for the coming year.
9. Keep putting food and water out for the birds.
10. Make a polythene cover for outdoor peaches and nectarines to protect against leaf curl.

It may seem early but with a propagator you can sow begonia, pelargoniums and lobelia seeds. Sweet peas can also be sown this month. Sweet peas that were sown last Autumn can be re-potted but be careful not to damage the roots. From the middle of the month seed potatoes and onion sets will be available. These days most things can be bought online but these really ought to be seen before purchasing.

Cut the old leaves off hellebores to expose the flowers. Once the winter grasses have started to look scruffy, they can be cut back.

Still a good time to move trees and shrubs as long as the ground is not frozen. You can still plant bare root plants, making sure that the support stake goes in first so as not to damage the roots. Wisteria can be pruned now by cutting back to 2 or 3 buds. Check all other plant supports to avoid wind damage.

Mr Darlington in Larchwood has a lawn to be envied. One of his winter tips is to stay off the grass in freezing conditions. Walking on the fine grass can lead to it being scorched which leaves black marks that won’t recover quickly.

Garden centres will be selling off stock now that Christmas is over. There are bargains to be had, especially pots planted up with the odd decoration thrown in. These planters will last for months and I still have one from last January.

Cut flowers in the home especially at this time of year can really brighten up a dull day. To keep the flowers looking good for longer, a mixture of 1 litre of water, 1 teaspoon of thin bleach, 2 teaspoons of sugar and 4 teaspoons of lemon juice works a treat.

If last year was anything to go by some of the village gardens ought to be shown off on an Open Day, perhaps to raise money for one of your favourite charities.

Take care and good health.

RHS December tips

1. Check that your winter protection is still securely in place.
2. Make sure your greenhouse heaters are working properly.
3. Insulate outdoor taps and prevent ponds from freezing.
4. Prune open grown apple and pear trees, not those grown against a wall.
5. Still take hardwood cuttings.
6. Keep mice away from stored produce.
7. Reduce watering of house plants.
8. Prune acers birches and vines before Christmas to avoid bleeding at stems.
9. Harvest leeks, parsnips, winter cabbage, sprouts and any remaining root vegetables.
10.Deciduous trees and shrubs can still be planted and transplanted this month.

Grass will continue to grow at temperatures above 5 degrees so if conditions allow, you may need to cut using a higher setting. Sharpen up the edges of lawns and carry out repair work as turves are available most of the year. Keep lawns clear of leaves. All this will help to make life easier next year.
This time of year there will still be quite a bit of work to be done on some trees. Don’t touch ornamental cherries, plums and almonds as these are prone to silver leaf disease if pruned now. Other deciduous trees will be easier to shape now that most of the leaves have fallen. Bay and laurel can be cut back as much as you wish; it will always come back. Small and medium sized conifers need to be tied up during winter months to prevent damage by high winds and snow settling on them, otherwise they lose their shape and branches break.
Christmas trees – the choice of tree seems to increase every year. To prevent needle drop choose any of the newer types but remember to cut a couple of inches off the bottom of the stem so that the tree can take up water. Make sure you keep the tree away from radiators. To be honest my choice would be the Norway spruce; yes, it drops needles which stick in your socks and jam the vacuum up when it’s time to get it out of the house but it smells fantastic.
If you’re lucky enough to have a holly with berries, cover a couple of the branches with netting to use as decorations in the home.
Make sure you write your present list or Father Christmas will bring you socks or things to take up space on a shelf, which won’t be a lot of use in the garden. If you feel the need to tell the main man of your wish list for Christmas, I have been reliably informed that he is at our local garden centre from 25th November. There is no age limit, you just have to believe.
To all the people I’ve met who have shared their love of gardening with me, thank you. Have an enjoyable Christmas and a happy new year.
I would just like to thank the What’s on team for the effort they put in to make this magazine the success it is.

Take care – Happy gardening.