THE VILLAGE GARDENER
Goodness Me! Where Has the Time Gone?
It’s so easy to forget about the drought that affected our gardens over the Summer, then the rain came and everything went green and the grass grew like crazy. The borders and pots put on a good early Autumn display. It doesn’t matter how much we water, natural showers bring out the best in our gardens.
Remembering the past few Summers I will be putting in more lavender and roses as they were the best performers in dry conditions. According to our weather forecasters there won’t just be the odd rainy day over the period before Christmas, we’re going to have longer spells of dry conditions then consistent rainfall. As it’s time for moving and dividing plants in the garden, it’s best to wait for rain as this will give them the best chance of survival. The dahlias have really come into their own in the last month or so and will only need to be cut back and lifted after the first frost.
The TV gardeners are telling us to scatter spring bulbs on the lawn and plant them where they land. That’s ok if you’ve got acres of grass that you don’t care about, but on a lawn which is kept neat it’s going to ruin the appearance when the bulbs have finished, and you’re left with the remnants of a short-lived display that will take ages to disappear. Just put some in pots and place them where you need them and when they are done hide them in a corner for next year.
Skimmia’s have proved to be an excellent plant for a display that lasts from early Autumn through to Spring, they particularly look good in pots.
The Village Show proved that gardeners are resilient and although some of the veg was small, it was perfectly formed. Veg judge Bernard thought that considering the weather, entrants had done well. There’s always a show off; Nicola H had a marrow that had obviously been fed steroids and Isaac, on his first attempt, impressed the judge with his giant entry. Kelly S is another who won’t be beaten. Her longest bean winner had the look of something from medieval times that had been put on a rack! Thanks to everyone for taking part.
On the vegetable plots, runner beans, which were looking drab during the Summer, really took off when the rains came and had a prolific September. To give the beans a good start next year, dig a trench and throw any waste from veg in the bottom. This will help hold the moisture in. Then the week before you plant the beans add some fresh grass clippings and cover with soil. The heat from this will give the plants a flying start.
Planting over wintering peas, broad beans, onions and garlic now will give you early crops.
Take care and happy gardening