Category: The Village Gardener

 

The Village Show Sept 9th at the Community centre is a must for all villagers. You will see a range of talents from the folk of this parish,its quite unbelievable what some of these people can do. Please go along, these local events take a lot of organisation and foot fall is so important.

At the end of July the allotment holders held a Gardeners Question Time in the Wenvoe Arms. The panel of Joyce, Phil, Trevor and a representative from Pughs Garden Centre answered any queries and Phil brought along samples of produce from his plot. It was entertaining and long may it continue.

We will soon be thinking of Autumn Weed and Feed for our lawns. Don't use any of the product you have been using in the spring or summer as this will have to much nitrogen and will encourage top growth which is not good for this time of year. When applying don't put any more on the grass than the instructions say. If using a spreader check the flow rate. I am as guilty as others for not checking or watering well enough if we have a dry spell after distribution.

If anyone has a potted shrub they no longer want then the environment team would be interested. We will gladly collect and use them to fill in gaps around village.

When the team met on the 7th August Ian Moody put us to work on the village green. While working next to the war memorial two boys of about 10 were talking to each other. One said 'I think that’s a memorial to World War 2' then, on inspection, he said 'no it's not, it's to World War 1.' The other boy then asked 'where's the one for World War 3?'

There will be a lot of shrubs to be cut back at this time of year but be careful as shrubs that flower in spring should be left alone for now. These should be cut back after they flower in the Spring, just after flowering. If you have the patience and room, scoop up autumn leaves, dampen if dry and put into bin bags. Make a couple of holes for aeration and put them away (maybe behind a garden shed) until next autumn. It might seem hard to believe but you will

then have the very best compost for bulbs. When you consider the cost of compost to buy its a good option.

Taking cuttings at this time of year can be very productive and fuschias are very reliable, Take about 4 to 5 ins of new growth, cut just below a joint and leave the top two leaves in place. Dip in rooting compound and pot up. Rose cuttings are a bit hit and miss but they are great if they take. Just cut about 10 to 12 ins of new growth and trim the bottom at a bud. Take an inch off the top, strip the leaves and push into soil to half its length. It will take a long while before it takes but is fantastic if it does.

Going into the Autumn, fences should be checked for loose or rotting panels and posts. A quick fix now will save being out there in high winds, grappling with panels that think they ought to be anywhere other than in your garden.

September is harvest time. Allotments, fruit gardens and veg patches are at their best. There is so much to be had by sharing the spoils with good friends and neighbours. It is one of lifes great pleasures.

Happy gardening

 

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Summer holidays are here and the children are off school – playing football on your lawn and trying not to let the ball flatten your flowers, bless em. Before going away, water well and rely on inclement weather or good friends to water for you. We are advised to save water but water butts are usually empty at this time of year. Grey water is an option, it just takes a bit more effort. A water timer is effective and especially so in the green house. The cheaper ones that are available on line work really well. With ground drying out, mulching will help retain moisture in the soil.

Dry spells in summer do no favours for our lawns so raise the cutting height and allow clippings to stay on the grass. You may have to cut more often but this will help. Try not to use lawn weedkillers at this time, they are a lot more effective in the autumn when it's damper.

We went to Duffryn gardens a couple of weeks ago to see what has been done to the borders at the front of the house. They had been turned into veg patches to show what was done during World War 1. They were really worth seeing as were the rest or the gardens. Staying on the good garden theme, Sylvia’s bungalow on Nant Isaf, as you turn into the village by the Walston Castle, would gladden anyones heart. Not so easy to see are Gerry Crump's and Ieuan Williams' gardens in Rectory Close. They may not thank me for drawing attention to them but I'll take the risk. Wherever you go in Wenvoe at this time of year there are good gardens; the roses at Mr & Mrs Cottle's on Gwenfo Drive or Mr Miller’s well laid out front garden in Grange Close to name just a couple.

It has been a very good year for the roses and ours have given their best show to date. Just keep dead heading and watch out for disease but there is no need to feed them anymore. Make sure you keep the ground beneath roses clear of any fallen leaves as these can harbour disease.

When deadheading in our garden we've been bitten by an irritating little insect which we now know to be a Flower Bug. It's only 4mm in length and in some places has been used to control greenfly and

red spider mite since the nineties. It lives in shrubs at this time of year, is oval in shape and has reflective wings. The bite stings then itches and can be slow to heal.

The R H S has some tips for fruit growers in August. Apple trees that are trained or cordoned should be pruned now to allow light to ripen fruit and for good cropping next year. With summer fruiting raspberries, the canes that bore fruit this year should be cut down to ground level and 6-8 of the new growth canes per plant kept for next year’s fruit. Pot up strawberry runners now for new plants next year. Wisteria needs to be pruned now, it’s usually done February time and then again in Summer.

If some of your favourite plants are producing seed it’s a good idea to collect them. They may not be exactly the same next year, as often happens, but it's well worth trying.

You need to be ordering your spring flowering bulbs now to make sure you have the best choice. If you want Hyacinths for Christmas you will have to order prepared bulbs. Sorry to mention Christmas in August but that’s gardening for you.

Happy gardening.

 

 

 

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I hope all is well with your gardens, it's a busy time as always. Dead heading, regular feeding, weeding and watering are a must to prolong the flowering season. Cut back your herbaceous geraniums and you should get another show of flowers this summer. When watering the tomato plants, try to keep the leaves dry. Wet or damp leaves can promote fungus growth. If this is the case then spraying with fungicide is necessary. Any shrubs that have flowered can be trimmed back now, but please look up on line or in a book to see how much you can safely take off, it's very difficult to stick the bits back on if you've been over enthusiastic. Runner beans are going to get black fly at sometime and the best way of dealing with this is to rub it off with your fingers – a bit yuck but it works.

Clare Ellis and a few volunteers from the Library had a plant sale at the end of May to raise funds. The plants on sale were great value. Gordon Jones brought brilliant plants along, better than you would find in most Garden centres.

This is the time of year when roses are in their pomp, all the effort in early spring will have paid off. Just keep dead heading and feed again now, also watch out for pests and disease.

While working in Greave Close I met up with Gwyndaf Breese. He was attending a garden next to his own and showed me the work he has done and is in the process of doing. The garden is in a lot of shade but this cottage garden shows that this man knows his plants. Gwyndaf's front garden has a lot of wood sculpture in it, demonstrating his love of all things wooden. There is a lot I don't know about this man and his talents so I will be taking a note pad the next time I see him. A bit of science now . Clive Phillips of Burdens Lane has spent most of his life in horticulture. Clive told me that a lot of us are missing a trick and not checking the PH of the soil. The alkaline or acidity of a substance is measured in PH units with a scale running from 0–14. A PH of 7 is neutral, lower numbers are acidic whilst above 7 is alkaline. Most plants like a PH of 6.5. The way to achieve this is with lime and a well balanced fertiliser. Blueberry,Azalias and Rhododendrons insist on a PH of 4.5 to 5.5. The Wenvoe area sits on limestone so you would think there would be enough lime in the soil, but increasingly wet winters and improved drainage means that a lot of nutrients get washed away.

On the 11th June I went with Glen to Llysworney near Cowbridge where six gardens were open under the National Garden Scheme. It was a really good day out, great gardens and lovely people. The criteria is strict but nothing to get in the way of some of the gardens in Wenvoe. There must be some who would love to show off their gardens and raise money for good causes.

This month the allotment holders held an informal meeting at the Wenvoe Arms as a get together and to exchange views. Quite a lot was discussed and plans are afoot to put together a newsletter to keep people informed of progress. Anything that promotes gardening has to be a good thing. Happy gardening

 

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I would like to start this month's column with a thank you all to who attended the W I table top sale and Spring Craft Fair in May. I loved hearing your thoughts and ideas on gardening and will pass on advice given to me through this column.

Much needed steady rain in the middle of May has really helped the gardens and allotments recover but, of course, also encouraged weeds to cover any bit of soil without a plant in it. There are lots of ways to discourage weeds; some use a mulch of bark chippings or gravel. Ella Webb, a dear family friend, uses both chippings and gravel but would recommend more plants to cover bare soil. It's very effective and looks so nice. This time of year there are some bargains to be had at garden centres. With a big turnover some plants get neglected and are sold off cheaply. A good soak in water overnight is needed then plant out. At this time of year they will catch up.

Hanging baskets are lovely to look at but they do need quite a bit of attention. You cannot be half-hearted when looking after these. They will need watering once, sometimes twice a day and feeding once a week at the very least and of course they will need regular deadheading to encourage new blooms. Older villagers may remember the Condick family. Kenny Condick had a passion for gardening and his garden, just off Caerau Lane, was a multiple competition winner. Hanging baskets were his forte. If you where lucky enough to obtain one from him you were told not to put it outside until June and he was not a person to be disobeyed.

If you think your lawn needs watering, the two main things to remember are a) that it takes a long time and b) if you're on a water meter it may be a little costly. Grass is a great survivor and will tolerate water shortage. Just sprinkling water on to a lawn for a short time will encourage roots to be near the surface where they will dry out quickly and weaken the grass. Unless you're really sure it needs watering, let it be.

Remove any leaves that have fallen from Roses (as they harbour disease) and don't compost them. I know I keep on about it but do not forget to treat for black spot.

Council chairman Colin Thomas has been asked, while at his allotment, about the best times for planting various vegetables. Colin says that he plants out when he knows he will be around to take care of them as, with many things in life, the first few weeks are the most trying. The National Open Garden Scheme (www.ngs.org.uk) has plenty of gardens to visit locally and this is a perfect way to get inspiration for your garden and raise money. Last year the scheme donated £2.7 million to charities

One of the best things about working around this village is seeing other people's gardens. I love learning more about plants from fellow gardeners and hearing how their plots have developed over time. Brian and Sandra Jones live in one of the Old Wenvoe estate houses on Walston Road, opposite the church and I was fortunate enough to be invited to take a look at their garden. Brian showed me around what is the best cottage garden I've seen for a very long time and also told me a bit of it's fascinating history.

Now is the time to plant Foxgloves,Canterbury Bells and Delphinium seeds if you want good, cheap plants next year. Grow them on in pots and plant out to final position in September.

Brian Foster, of Church Rise, is a wizard at growing Tomatoes and Cucumbers. He mixes his own potion,and will tell you the ingredients (with a bit of arm twisting) but not the proportions. He's always picking tomatoes before me – moan! If you have any tips for next month's article, stop me when you see me around the village.

 

Happy Gardening

Having been to the RHS flower show in Bute Park, it made me realise just how good some of these exhibiters are. To be honest, a few of the show gardens would not have come up to the standard of some of the gardens in and around Wenvoe. I have asked a few residents for some tips, if only to share the blame if things don't work out as they should. Gerry Crump, of Rectory close, always staggers the sowing of flowers and veg to prolong the the season. Most years he's still picking runner beans in October. If you can make room for a wigwam of beans in your garden its well worth it. Gerry's garden is lovely, especially with the summer bedding in place.

Another lovely garden is Sylvia Davies's which is opposite the Walston Castle as you turn in to the Village. Sylvia's tips include labelling containers of mixed up plant feed and pesticides as mistakes are costly and the use of more perennial plants to cut down on the extra work of bedding plants. Sylvia also points out that with longer days the temptation to do more is always there but remember that the garden will still be there in the morning.

Adventurer Joyce Hoy's tip for saving your plants from slugs and snails is to put slug bait or traps on prepared ground a couple of days before planting out. I would love to hear any tips you can share. I'll be manning my table at the Wenvoe Spring Craft fair on 14th May and am around the village most days.

A lot of the perennials are really starting to grow now, the taller of which will need support, especially perennial poppies and peony. Day lilies are a good bet for a dry spot in the garden. They will need a bit of room as they will eventually form clumps. That early, yellow flowering shrub Forsythia will need pruning now if you want it to keep its shape and to flower next spring.

Roses, the favourite in a lot of gardens, take a bit of looking after. The mistake I used to make was to wait until I saw an aphid or a bit of black spot, go to the Garden Centre to get a remedy and then take action. Now I spray before there is any sign of pest or disease at all and it works for me.

I have just read that now is the perfect time to divide daffodils. Dig up the clumps and pull apart by hand, trying not to break off roots and leaves, and re-plant at the same depth.

Look after those tender young plants. The temptation to put them out may be great but they will need to be hardened off by putting them outside in the day and back under cover at night. When all risk of frost has passed, put them into beds and they will soon catch up. Sadly the Tulip tree, positioned at the front of the Community Centre, had to be taken down as it had outgrown its space. This should be a reminder to us all when considering the positioning of larger plants. It's not just about the damage they may cause to structures in the future but they can be expensive to remove. Wenvoe has lots of lovely large trees but in my experience they look a lot better in other people's gardens. If you're tempted by the lovely Acers in Garden Centres, they do suffer from wind damage so a sheltered spot is ideal.

Last thing, if we do have a dry spell don't skimp on the watering, especially near to the house where ground can be drier. Happy gardening

This is the time of year when everything starts to grow. Weeds will be the first to shoot up, they are a good indication of spring. The RHS spring show is in Cardiff on the 7- 9th April and is well worth a visit if only to get expert advice from gardeners who really know how it's done.

It's now time for the first lawn treatment of the year. Whichever one you buy make sure it has mosskiller in it as this past few months' weather has been ideal for moss growth. When cutting your grass early in the season please do not cut too low as this can weaken grass growth and encourage moss. Aerating a lawn is a good idea as it helps with drainage, prevents soil compaction and allows nutrients in and air to circulate. There are various types of aerators on the market but the hollow tyne ones are better. It takes a while but is well worth the time and effort. Roses now need their first feed of the year. There are many brands of rose feed to choose from and all do the same thing. Take care to follow the instructions as too much feed will produce weak, leggy growth which will not hold up the blooms.

If your lavender plants are starting to get a bit woody now is the time to take cuttings from new growth. Pick a stem without a bud, cut to finger length and strip off lower leaves before dipping in rooting powder [this will help germination but also stop cuttings rotting] and place in 3'' pots of gritty compost to help drainage. Remove any cuttings that start to look sick in order to prevent spread of disease. This technique can be used for most softwood cuttings.

Pot up dahlia tubers and begonia corms and keep in a frost free place as this will encourage growth making them ready to plant out when all risk of frost has gone. Birds are nesting now so if you can resist taking the shears to hedges and shrubs all the better. It will also keep us all on the good side of the wild life group. Feeding birds all year round is a must as they depend on well stocked tables but at this time of year loose peanuts left on bird tables are taken back to nests with young who choke on these whole nuts. Peanuts kept in bird feeders don't cause this problem as they have to be broken up for birds to retrieve.

It is true that as you get older you appreciate things more. Passing through the village in March there was a definite sense of well being at the sight of the spring flowers in bloom. The daffodils around the park and church were beautiful and the great display of crocuses on the village green were a joy to see.

 

Happy gardening!

 

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It’s never easy for our birds to find all the right nutrition they need and it’s even more difficult in the cold days of winter and early spring. It’s up to us to help out by making sure we always provide nourishment and water, and we’ll be rewarded by regular visits, not only from birds which are very familiar to us, but some we don’t see that often. Recent visitors to our garden have been a nuthatch, flocks of long tailed tits and even a rare visit from a thrush.

Garden centres provide a variety of choice bird food from seed to peanuts to dried mealy worms, the latter so loved by robins, but buying these in large quantities can prove expensive, so why not investigate your own larder to see what you can utilise to supplement what you have to buy, such as the afore mentioned products? I can tell you not much goes to waste in our kitchen. If we think it’s OK for the birds we save it and the list is endless and most of it is leftover- cheese, bacon fat, biscuit crumbs, bread, cooked pasta, grapes, apples etc. Before fat balls were on the market we even made our own bird cake – oats, cereal, sultanas, currants, nuts, bound together with melted fat and cut up when solidified. If you grow sunflowers, save the dead heads to hang in from a branch. They don’t look very attractive but the seeds are full of valuable nutrition and the birds love them.

Does anyone remember a pheasant which was a regular visitor to gardens on Walston Road many years ago? We used to put out peanuts for him and eventually he became quite used to us and would feed from our hands and we grew quite used to seeing him around.

This is my final piece in its present form, having provided the magazine with gardening notes since it was started, during which time many aspects of gardening have been covered, and I feel I have very little else to say. However if someone would like to take over from me, please get in touch with the editors.

 

In the meantime, if any reader has a gardening question let me know through What’s On and I’ll do my best to give you an answer.

 

From the Editor

Rumor has it that someone has volunteered to step into Trevor's Wellingtons.   Watch this space for when Trevor's Garden may morph into The Wenvoe Garden Guru

 

 

 

 

 

What an autumn it’s been, so mild with some days warmer and sunnier than many summer days. As I write this piece in mid November, the trees have yet to shed half their leaves and throughout the land the autumn colours have been spectacular, notably the maples of which there are several in the village.

I have only just emptied our containers and dug over the garden beds and really the geraniums and bedding begonias were in such good condition, they could have gone on until the end of the month. However the time is right for bringing my wallflowers down from my allotment for planting out in the garden and the winter bedding is ready and waiting in the greenhouse, to fill pots and containers. If you plan to fill your containers with bulbs, shrubs and other permanent plants, make sure water can pass through easily as good drainage is doubly important in winter. Clear any blockages in the pots and water should drain through readily. Ants and worms nesting under container bases can block holes but pots can be raised on broken pieces of tile or even half bricks.

I’ve been spending some time on my allotment in this fine weather, pacing myself with my digging – just a half hour at a time and not going mad as I used to do. I like to dig. I get the same satisfaction from the job as my dad used to do. I’ve got a rotavator but I still like to dig.

I was asked how long leeks, carrots and parsnips could be left in the ground. Leeks are winter-proof and can be left in the ground and lifted as required as can carrots and parsnips but these will begin to deteriorate after January if the tops begin to grow again.

Do you really want a poinsettia in mid- October which is when they’ve appeared in supermarkets this year? It wouldn’t do for us. We’re lucky if this plant lasts through December and rarely into the New Year, so we’ve admitted defeat and we now enjoy them in other folks’ homes.

So to all readers of What’s On I hope you have 

 

 

 

 

Autumn is well and truly here with trees and shrubs showing full autumn colour. What a good year it’s been for garden bedding plants of all varieties, but especially geraniums, and the various kinds of begonias. I grow both bedding varieties and the big showy ones and the latter have been huge this year, so much so that the weight of the flowers have often caused the patio pats to keel over in a bit of wind.

If you have a greenhouse now is the time to pot up plants you want to overwinter. They will survive quite low temperatures providing the compost is kept fairly dry.

Clear out greenhouses of tomatoes etc and wash down glass and glazing bars with ordinary household disinfectant.

Pot up spring bulbs to provide early flowers for next year.

On the allotment, take down bean sticks to store away for next year. Rough dig over bare ground and bury weeds, but remove perennial weeds such as docks, thistles and bindweed.

Sow autumn varieties of broad beans at least 3-4ins deep and protect rows to keep pigeons away. Thin out branches on blackcurrant bushes, taking out the dead wood. Remove blackberry canes that have fruited and tie in the long new shoots which will bear next year’s crop. Gooseberry bushes need very little pruning. Just remove some of the old wood.

Finally autumn is here and the leaves are falling. Don’t waste them! Leaf mould made from decomposed leaves is a great potting compost, soil improver and mulch Collect and store them in bin bags and leave to rot down. Chop them down and water first to speed things up.