RHS Flower Show

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