Let’s Hope For Some Kind Weather
THE VILLAGE GARDENER
Happy New Year. Let’s hope for some kind weather to give us a good start to the year.
We start the year off with some tips from people who in their own way have left their own mark on the area.
Gareth “top banana” Lewis of Twyn yr Odyn.
- Plant chilli seeds in a propagator as they need a long season to bear fruit
- If you are lucky enough to find a tasty tomato while shopping, keep some seeds and with a bit of luck they will make good plants.
- Start chitting some potatoes but keep out of direct sunlight, which should be easy at this time of year.
- Don’t garden by date, garden by the conditions.
- Sort out all your seed packets before the rush to plant comes along.
Silver fox, Parry “Barista” Edwards
- It’s January, stay in, you will do no good traipsing over the lawn.
- Order some more seed and plant catalogues.
- Try to buy British and help keep plant diseases out of the UK.
- Keep a garden diary as a reference.
- If you do insist on venturing out, be careful as no one wants to end up in A & E.
Wet and cold January weather makes looking at the garden from a window the best option. On an occasional nice day a bit of weeding always helps but be careful of emerging bulbs. Planning for the seasons to come is always a good idea, as when the growing season starts we will only have time for the usual jobs. If you need help with the physical side of any plans you may have, get in touch with landscapers early. If you are worried about whether they will be any good talk to people who have had work done or ask at British Soil for their approved contractor list. Make sure that you can reach the middle from either side of any new beds or borders that you build. A common fault is to plant too near the edge of borders. You can be sure that the label on the plant you decide to put in will not mean much once it’s been planted and fed: they always get bigger in good growing conditions.
As gardeners we are encouraged to leave an area for wildlife. This doesn’t have to look unsightly or to be occupied with bee hotels and hedgehog houses from garden centres where you’ll need a mortgage and a good credit rating to buy them. A few holes drilled in a log for bees and a small covered dry area for the hedgehogs will suffice. Wenvoe has a plethora of these spiny mammals as a lot of residents make provision for them and one of the best things to do is have a hole at the bottom of your fence to allow them access to more gardens. A wildflower area can seem like a good idea, just make sure to find a packet that has flowers for both Spring and Summer which will give you a longer season.
A few years ago, the village had an Open Garden Day which was very well received. Glenys and I are planning to organise one this year and if you are interested there will be more details in the February issue of What’s On and on Facebook on the Wenvoe Community Support Group page.
Take care and happy gardening