Environment team’s tips for the month:
THE VILLAGE GARDENER
Environment team’s tips for the month:
- Prune all summer flowering shrubs once blooms are over.
- Water Camellia and Rhododendrons, to help buds develop for next year.
- Collect ripened seed and store for next year.
- Cut back your wild flower patch to help scatter seeds.
- Spray ground elder and other perennial weeds while in leaf.
Michelle in Vennwood has some forthright advice for non gardeners:
- Builders merchants provide all you need.
- Lay some slabs, they don’t need mowing.
- Use gravel. That way no one can get near without you hearing them.
- If you feel the need for green stuff, plant in a pot .
- Put gravel on top of the pot to stop birds throwing the dirt everywhere.
Some of Wenvoe residents have great back gardens, including Heather on Gwenfo Drive whose rear garden would rival any show garden at Chelsea. Sixties pop star Brian and his wife Wendy have a classic rear garden anyone would love to have. Mr & Mrs Cottle and Mr & Mrs Lawrence have lit up Gwenfo Drive with their front gardens for many years. Mr & Mrs Grant’s garden is looking really good.
If your lawn hasn’t lived up to expectation this year, it will probably be down to a lack of effort last autumn. Scarifying is not easy but essential along with aeration and nutrients. Do not feed your lawn with high nitrogen feeds at this time of year. It will promote growth and weaken the grass. Autumn lawn feed should be used now as this is lower in nitrogen and will promote root growth.
Hanging baskets need quite a bit of attention to keep them looking their best. They need watering every day, especially if they are hanging under eaves and feeding at least once a week is a must along with dead heading when needed. Dahlias will benefit greatly from cutting the spent heads off, as will roses. Now is the time to stop feeding roses. Blackspot can be prevalent this time of year on roses. The brand Rose Clear is the most effective for controlling this, pick up any fallen leaves as they can spread the disease. Pelargonium cuttings can be taken now. They are easy to grow, certainly easier than growing from seed.
A lot more people have been growing vegetables in containers this year. From what I have witnessed, potatoes, French and runner beans, peas and carrots have been most successful. If there was to be an autumn show this year the competition would be stiff. The usual suspects will be in the running. The Hammonds, I know, have grown some wonderful stuff this year. A periscope will be needed to spy on Gordon’s garden this year, there must be some monster veg growing there as shutters have gone up all around the estate.
Take care and happy gardening.