Town and Country Blog

Nicking, Notching and Rubbing

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:08:00 +0000

May is full of wonderful surprises and is always a welcome month after the rigours of winter and wet early springs. There is plenty to be getting on with, but there is also still just time to finish off the jobs that were not done at the end of April. One job, which should be done about now is "nicking" and "notching" in the apple orchard. Traditionally, apple trees were pruned more than once through the year and this is one of those jobs you can do alongside "rubbing". If you are not sure what I mean, then I shall endeavour to explain.

If you have a tree which is lacking or is sparse in bud then notching is your game. Simply cut a small triangle of bark above a dormant bud to stimulate growth.

If you have a tree with odd or no bud growth toward the end then nicking is your man. Simply cut a small triangle of bark below an active bud to prevent its growth and thus allowing sap to rise further along the branch.

Rubbing is the age old practice of removing flower buds from the over burdened branches. This will help the fruit form in a more healthy manner and allow for a larger fruit! You can do this by simply rubbing the flower off the branch with your thumb.

If your tree is still refusing to give any fruit, then you may have a problem with suitable pollinators. Check the Brogdale National Fruit Collections to see if your variety needs specific treatment. One last thing, remember the golden rule of all fruiting and flowering branches: Vertical promotes growth, horizontal promotes fruit!

-- Guy Deakins

Protect your plants

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:26:00 +0000

These past few weeks we have been having so much trouble in the garden. An animal is coming into the garden at night and digging up all our seedlings and plants. Our broad beans have gone missing and some of our leeks have been destroyed. To make things worse some of the soil has had newly sown seeds which has been scattered everywhere, so who knows what plants are going to pop up where!

Since then we have foiled their nocturnal escapades by using bamboo structures covered in netting and small polytunnels! I didn’t realise how versatile netting can be so it’s a great thing to have on standby and best of all it’s very cheap to buy. If you don’t have any, I advise you to get some.

-- Gemma Dray

Hanging Baskets

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:24:00 +0000

Want to know the secret of beautiful hanging baskets? Read on...

Properly planted hanging baskets are a glorious sight, so it’s a pity that all too often they end up looking like abandoned bird’s nests. A fabulous basket can be yours with a little preparation and lots of easy aftercare.

Plant a basket at the beginning of May to give it a fortnight or so to thicken up before hanging it in place. It can be left in a porch or a cold greenhouse or even in a sheltered spot protected with polythene.

To plant…
• Balance the basket on a large flowerpot or bucket
• Line it with a fibrous liner
• Make sure all the chosen plants are well watered in their trays or pots
• To retain moisture, place a circular piece of polythene in the base of the basket on top of the liner
• Use a soil-less multipurpose compost and mix with water retaining granules
• Put a little compost in the base of the basket
• Take each of the plants which are to form the first layer, tip it from its container and squeeze the rootball to make it small enough to fit through the basket mesh and liner - you’ll need to push a hole through the liner with your fingers first. Never feed the foliage from inside to outside, always feed roots in from the outside as the plant will suffer less damage.
• Space the plants between 10cm / 4inches and 15cm / 6inches apart around the edge of the basket
• Build up layers of compost and plants
• When the basket is filled to within 2.5cm / 1inch of the top, plant up the top with bushy plants.
• Water the basket well and make sure it never dries out. Lack of water is the biggest cause of failure. Once hung in place water every single day!
• Feed with dilute liquid tomato fertilizer once a week to keep it flowering well

NOTE: Don’t forget to check your brackets and chains before hanging. You don’t want all your hard work unceremoniously dumped in a heap on the path below!

And some plant suggestions...
Trusty Trailing Plants
These bedding plants come in beautiful trailing varieties.
- Lobelia Bidens
- Ivy-leaf pelargonium
- Lysimachia
- Fuchsia

Brilliant Bushy Basket Toppers
These cast their stems out sideways making them suitable basket toppers.
- Verbena
- Petunia
- Begonia
- Pelargonium
- Fuchsia

-- Rob Amey

Getting Some Salad on the Go!

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:25:00 +0000

May Flowers: The spring colours are so vibrant - especially with a bit of sunshine

Drought? What drought you might be thinking - it doesn’t seem to have stopped raining here in East Anglia although one helpful news report said recently that it would have to rain continuously for about six months before the drought would be officially called off! I have been taking the opportunity to make sure that my raised beds are getting as much water as possible ahead of planting out salad crops at the beginning of May. I mentioned before that I am going to concentrate on the two raised beds near the greenhouse and not cultivate the ones in the main part of the vegetable garden, due to the problems with irrigation so I am drawing up a plan to plant crops close together from seed to see how this works - a new idea for me as I usually grow seeds in the greenhouse and then plant out the seedlings when they look nice and strong! Watch this space to see if this works!

Salad leaves are always a good starter as they germinate quite quickly (some within three weeks) and as long as it warms up a bit and the soil is at a decent temperature then we should have success! On a sadder note this month, I have to report the loss of four of my five ‘girls’ due to a visit from a very nasty Mr Fox. Up to this point the beauties lived in a barn with a locked stable style door and chicken wire fence but this doesn’t seem to have deterred the wily critter. Much to my upset my two black rocks had completely disappeared and the two mid-sussex were left behind - which makes it even worse as the violence seems to be somewhat gratuitous. The only one left is my bluebell who has a useful habit of getting into the rafters - a skill that obviously saved her this time round.

As horrible as it is, I can’t be without my lovely girls as they give me so much pleasure and lovely eggs, so a chicken coop has now been purchased and new girls introduced. The coop is much nearer the house and whilst small, is only used at night as the girls free roam during the day. When it stops raining I will take some pictures so I can show them off. Until then I leave you slightly damp around the edges! See you next month.

-- Jane Dubinski

April Garden Projects

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:34:00 +0000

April is the month when our thoughts turn towards the garden. It’s easy to be overwhelmed at the size of the task ahead but the simple solution is here...

What you need is a project, one which can be achieved in a morning or an afternoon and which improves a few square metres. You’ll feel you’ve achieved something wonderful and if you break the whole garden into a series of small projects it suddenly appears more manageable. Here are three to get you started...

Strawberry Pots
You don’t need a huge patch to enjoy growing strawberries. Plant a few in pots as a treat. Buy young, rich green plants certified virus free. Plant 3-4 to a 12 inch (30cm) clay pot. The crowns (where shoots meet roots) should be level with the compost surface. Water them in and stand in the shelter of a house wall. If you have a greenhouse or a cold frame they will establish more quickly and fruit earlier. Pinch off any runners (slender, horizontal stems) which form.

Seating
Don’t forget an all-weather seat so you can sit and contemplate all your hard work over a cup of tea or a nip of something stronger. Teak from renewable resources is fantastic but cast iron or aluminium is good though you’ll need a cushion to protect your posterior on cold days! Position it in a sunny area. Buy a few flowering daffodils, tulips and pansies and plant them in a pretty pot next to the bench...lovely.

Grass
Lawns always look bedraggled after the winter. Remove dead grass by raking the surface with a wire toothed rake. Improve drainage on heavy soil by spiking it with a garden fork every 6 inches (15cm) or so to a depth of about 4 inches (10cm). Give the fork a good wiggle each time. Sweep sharp sand into the holes with a broom. Then mow the lawn with the blades set on high and remove the clippings. Two weeks later apply a combined weed killer and fertilizer. If you’re lucky it will rain within 24 hours. If not just water it in. Mow weekly to keep the lawn thick and healthy.

Beware the frost- even in April!

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:02:00 +0000

So, Oestre has been and gone. That famed pagan festival we all celebrate by eating chocolate eggs and dressing up as rabbits or chicks. It is also the time many people descend on the local garden centre to buy their summer colour, veg seed and other things which perhaps are later regretted.

With the weather we have been having recently, we could be mistaken for believing it was summer already! But, there is an old lore, which you must be made aware of: The Blackthorn Winter. If you are unaware of this small piece of country wisdom, then now is your chance to out-do your neighbours.

It is said, (and I am one who says this regularly), when the blackthorn is in flower, then you will have a second winter. If you are unsure of the blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), it is the tree or shrub with the horrendous thorns and white flower. It's bark is a dark almost purple hue. It is also the plant we get sloes from to make that wonderful gin. (Thinking of Christmas already? Surely not). If you are a keen naturalist, be aware these thorns easily break off and harbour a fungus which can cause blood poisoning, so carefully does it!

So in these times of cooler air, be of the knowledge the frost season is still upon us. Many would say it is not gone until early to mid May, so look after those tender plants. Keep the fleece at hand should Old Jack threaten to visit. It may be 23 degrees in the day, but the soil is still not warmed. So it also advisable not to mulch your borders lest you trap this cold into the soil. Wait awhile. If you are again unsure of just when, touch your elbow to the soil as you would a baby's bath water. If it is cold, then do not mulch. If it warm, then add that all important improvement. (Mid May should be okay).

-- Guy Deakins

Round the garden in April

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Encourage hedgehogs, frogs, toads and thrushes into your garden to keep snails and slugs at bay. Bird baths are good to attract thrushes. A small garden pond will encourage frogs and toads. Attract hedgehogs by ensuring you have a safe place for them to nest, such as compost heaps, pile of leaves and twigs to nest in. Leave food out for hedgehogs at sunset, don’t put out any earlier or you’ll attract flies laying eggs and always collect anything uneaten in the morning. Hedgehogs like cat and dog food, chopped peanuts, crunchy peanut butter, muesli and any leftover cooked or raw meat.
Check anything growing under cloches to ensure it is not too dry and check if they need watering. Air your greenhouse on warm sunny days and open the vents mid-morning and close after lunch.
Enjoy your vegetable and salad garden this year, by sowing direct this month carrots, peas, spinach, chard and beetroot. Sow quick growing half-hardy annuals like basil, French beans, sweet corn, squash and pumpkins. April is the month for planting potatoes too.
You can get going this month with some salad by sowing undercover or in your greenhouse or conservatory – rocket, spring onions, radish, chard and lots of different variety of lettuces. Keep growing further batches of lettuce, beetroot, peas, spinach, spring onions and radish every 2 weeks so you have a regular supply over the summer.
Deadhead larger bulbs such as Tulips, Narcissus, and Hyacinths. Be sure not to cut the foliage! This will encourage bulb development and better flowers next spring.

April is the month to get on with planting trees, shrubs, roses, strawberries and perennials. Also get dahlia tubers potted up.
Keep on top of weeding. Use hand tools and get down on your knees to pull out the weeds, rather than using chemicals. Aim to get rid of perennial weeds early whilst they are young and their roots can easily be removed before they set to seed. Wearing Town and Country kneepads makes this task comfortable and easy.
Containerised plants need plenty of fertiliser and frequent watering, especially during warm weather.
After the last chance of frost, (around mid-April but can vary) you can start planting hardier annuals. Start growing your own flowers this month – Marigolds, honeywort and poppies are favourites for me. Seeds can be directly sown outside and any seedlings you’ve been nurturing indoors can be planted out.
Tie down roses so that they keep growing healthily and produce good flowers in the summer. Bend over upright stems, this will produce more flowers. If you don’t bend uprights over, you’ll only have a flower at the end. Tie them in so they lie horizontal.
Directly sow herbs under cover. Favourites are dill, fennel, coriander, chives and chervil.
Give your lavender plants a haircut this month – short back and sides and shape them into domes. It helps them from looking sparse. Don’t prune hard into old wood.
Plan for possible water shortages by installing water butts and adding mulch to borders to conserve soil moisture.

-- Rob Amey

Seeds Seeds Seeds!

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:43:00 +0000

I've been asked this month about growing. Growing veg from seed is a fantastic experience - there is nothing like seeing your tiny seeds grow into seedlings within a matter of days in some cases. Last month I wrote about starting off your seeds in propagators which is a great way to start your seedlings off, and the only effective method for some seeds that require a constant temperature for germination.

The key is to do your research - read seed packets, maybe some online research - I have a couple of trusty veg growing books I use just to check a few things here and there. The research is all part of the fun and a little plan of what you're going to grow where, and crucially, when things need to be started off, moved into your growing space and when they'll vacate the space to be used for something else can really help things along.

You'll need to think about crop rotation - not growing the same family of vegetables on the same plot in consecutive growing seasons, too and here again a little research and planning can really help.

So why not invest in a little notepad and pencil, and maybe a simple veg growing book alongside your seed packets, trowel and gloves and get growing!

-- Holly Rowan Hesson

Make your own ladybird house

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:40:00 +0000

This is a great little project for yourself or to do with children.

You will need:
An empty and clean 2l bottle
Scissors
Bamboo
Sticks
Leaves

Cut your drinks bottle in half. Cut your bamboo and sticks to the length of the half you are using. Pack it tight with sticks, bamboo and leaves, creating a nice dark hiding space for ladybirds and other insects.
Place it in your garden hidden in foliage, preferably near a plant that attracts lots of insects. Quietly observe during the summer to find lots of insects to identify.

-- Gemma Dray

Drought Forecast - Take Action Now!

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:30:00 +0000

Town & Country's Aquasure Camellia gloves

It’s all doom and gloom in the news just now, with the imminent arrival of a hosepipe ban, especially in my area of the UK, East Anglia when a ban will be imposed on 5th April 2012. So I have been thinking about my vegetable plot this year and making plans to scale down production for the coming season.

In some ways I should be expanding my plot this year as there are stories in the media which indicate that the price of vegetables, particularly potatoes, are set to rise as crops in this area may fail or be greatly reduced, but to be honest, the thought of planting lots of seeds, growing them on and planting out, only to have them die because I can’t give them sufficient water is a bit soul destroying, so I have decided to manage just one of my raised beds and plant a little of several things.

Packing the plants in tightly will help a little, as water evaporates from bare soil quicker than in a bed where the plants cover the ground and the one I will be using is near the greenhouse and therefore has access to a water butt, so this should also be of help in the coming months.

I will also choose varieties carefully and not include some of my family favourites - runner beans for example (or in fact any bean), which are hugely popular in my house, need a lot of water to yield a good crop so may not be a good choice for this year.

However, vegetables from the beet family and kale family, such as swiss chard and several herbs such as rosemary, thyme and lavender are all good choices as they need less water than fleshy types. Tomatoes don’t need a huge amount of water, although they must be watered regularly - little and often - otherwise they will not thrive. Other tips to ensure a healthy crop include adding compost to the soil, a mulch to stop evaporation and to water your crops at night rather than in the morning and certainly not in full sun.

It’s going to be a challenging season this year, so keep following to find out how I get on! And however you decide to deal with the drought, happy gardening!

-- Jane Dubinski

Round the Garden in Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:02:00 +0000

Spring is finally here, shrubs and trees are in bud and all my bulbs are starting to bloom. This month I have cleared up herbaceous rubbish, burnt woody cuttings and put the resultant (cooled!) ashes around my fruit trees and roses. Last month I planted bare root plants and a couple of trees, so had to make sure all were well watered, firmed in and staked against the roaring March weather. My children have planted sunflower, salad and herb seeds in pots (these sprout quite quickly so are good for the kids) and whilst occupied, enabled me to have a last good prune, aerating shrubs. Evergreen plants are entering their dormant phase so its ok to prune them now. If the morning frosts are over, risk planting out perennials and other herbaceous plants. Fill out your gaps with medium height plants, leaving room for them to stretch and flourish and loll over walls and pathways.

If you’ve got the space, why not start making your own compost bin / heap? Put in peelings, newspapers, cuttings and cover with an old curtain / polythene sheet. You can buy compost bins or wormery from Garden Centres, Hardware Shops and many DIY stores or build a rectangular box, split down the middle out of slatted timber. Try not to put too much woody stuff as this won’t compost (decompose) down. Do not put anything cooked or egg shells into your compost, unless you want to help increase the rat population.

A good tip this time of year is to look at all the bulbs varieties around in flower and make a note of the names of ones you like so you know what to order in the Autumn.

-- Rob Amey

Playing catch-up: lawn advice for the armchair gardener

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:12:00 +0000

Hurry and you’ll miss it my young ants. Winter is almost at an end and the garden is starting to grow once again! The fruit trees and wisteria have been pruned, the pots, tools and garden shed should be spick and span. Early seeding like Lobelia, Lathyrus and Pelargonium should have been done long ago, and the beds should be in prime condition. You should also have thought perhaps, of what vegetables are to be grown this year and what perennials need to be divided imminently.

But in the reality of an armchair gardener - that oh so rare beast who never steps into the garden from October to Easter - what does the end of winter actually mean?

Well, it means from now on, you are playing catch up. All those small little winter jobs that needed to be done will have to wait until next winter.

The grass needs to be fed, first and foremost. Personally, I hate the chemical treatments which so readily burn lawns. A sprinkling of blood fish and bone, should instead be applied. Blood for the instant nitrogen kick, the fish for a longer lasting green and the bone for feeding the roots.

If you have moss, apply lawn sand now according to the instructions and no later than April 1st - but be aware you may be adding to the acidity of the soil. This can be addressed at a later date by adding a dressing of lime water or crushed chalk sprinkled in healthy amounts (brushed in). Do not scarify. At this time of year the grass needs a root system to grow healthily. If you scratch the soil now, you do nothing but make the grass grow roots instead of leaves, starve the plant of food and water and weaken an already struggling plant that is just waking up.

Give the lawn its first cut on a high setting once the feed has had a couple of days to settle in. The lawn could also do with a little de-compaction therapy. Get a sharp fork and walk over the areas most prone to walking damage; sinking the prongs into the areas and wiggling lightly to add air and drainage. Don’t worry if the lawn is left with noticeable holes. Brush in some compost. If it is a big lawn, buy a walk behind lawn aerator or a tow behind tool for the tractor. Please also note as we are in a drought and good honest drinking water is scarce, a lawn does not need to be watered constantly. I know we all like a nice green lawn all year round, but it can survive quite happily without water for about eight months. In fact I would go as far to say, if it is watered you will not encourage it to dig deep to find sustenance, making your lawn more prone to disease.

Also remember for the year ahead, if you cut a lawn too short, it does not stop it growing or mean you have to cut it less often. It merely makes the grass weaker, encourages weeds and moss and causes more headaches in the long run. If you'd like to spend hard earned money paying a gardener like me to re-turf or reseed, go ahead.

In short, a lawn has a complicated life and must be viewed with the eyes of a concerned naturalist. It is not simply a patch of green that takes the rough cutting treatment, but a group of individual plants all crammed together and all competing for the same food and water. Think on, Wise Grasshopper.

-- Guy Deakins

Re-use your toilet roll tubes!

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:51:00 +0000

Instead of purchasing bio degradable pots for this growing season, start saving your cardboard toilet roll tubes!

Image Source http://www.seaspringseeds.co.uk/gardeners-info/veg/starting-from-seed

They are a great substitute for seedling plant pots and work especially well with long rooted plants, like runner beans or sweet peas.

Treat it like a normal pot and sow your seeds. When the plant is ready to be transferred outside, simply plant it straight into the ground. It’s as easy as that! The best part is the tube will naturally disintegrate into the soil.

-- Gemma Dray

Round the Garden in March

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:22:00 +0000

There's plenty of jobs to be getting on with now spring has sprung!

Prune your repeat-flowering roses and remove dead or frost damaged wood. Prune apple and pear trees before the blossom comes out.
Prune hardy fuchsias, hydrangea, machonia, spiraea japonica, roses, sambucus and santolina. Prune ornamental grasses. If you need to lift and divide, March is the best month.
If the weather is mild, plant out hardy seedlings and new plants. This is a good time to start moving and dividing existing garden plants.
There’s still time to sow sweet peas. I use toilet rolls to grow the seeds.
Remove the remains of any winter veg plants and tidy up beds and check anything that needs repairing such as fruit cages.
Rhubarb stems can be pulled in March for the first fruit of the season.
Dead-head any bulbs as they fade and feed with a good slow acting feed to build up the bulbs for next year.
If you want to sow French beans, wait until the end of March. Beetroot, radishes, peas, carrots and lettuces can all be sowed direct into prepared raised beds or in patio containers this month.
Give the garden a complete weeding and general digging-over where needed. Apply a mulch to help conserve ground moisture.
Prepare a seed bed for herbs and sow as soon as possible.

-- Rob Amey

Get the propagators out!

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:36:00 +0000

People this month have been asking me what I'll be growing this year and when I'll be starting. Well the short answer to that is that I'll be growing pretty much a little of everything as per other years and that I'm starting now! True it might be wet and cold outside - but that's where propagators come into their own.

Essentially trays with plastic lids featuring handy vents, I have about a dozen propagators I use to get seeds started off indoors. Placed on windowsills and in light spaces in the house they're ideal to raise seedlings until the weather gets a little better and the soil outside has warmed up.

They key thing to remember is that all seedlings raised this way will need gradually hardening off. Which means once they've had a few weeks (depending on the seed growing time of the particular crop) or so in the propagator with the lid on, then take the lid off. After that I have another stage for my seedlings - putting them in the outdoor coldframes - sealed up first and then opening the doors. Only after all of those transitions does the seedling make it into the soil outdoors! It's important to check the seed packets and reference books especially when it comes to frost hardiness or otherwise.

And it's fun! Sowing indoors means you get a little feeling of the veg growing delights to come as Spring arrives!

-- Holly Rowan Hesson

Cold Weather Watch

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:11:00 +0000

As I have mentioned before on this blog, I keep five chickens, mainly so that we can have fresh eggs throughout the year, but also because I love to watch them on a daily basis - they make me laugh!

I have been a bit worried about them during this cold snap - they were very reluctant to come out of the barn at all and were slightly perplexed as to what snow was - but now they seem to come and see me on the patio most days, mainly in the hope of a treat. I have been cooking them pasta and rice to keep them stocked up against the cold, along with their normal pellets and corn with grit and they seem to love the extra carbs - I hope it keeps them warm as it’s been mighty cold at night recently!

Chickens are such good entertainment and mine can be quite naughty! They have a habit of eating the windfall apples from under the tree. Now, I let them do this as I thought it was a treat for them to have all those apples, but that was until I realised that they were in fact drunk. This became apparent one Sunday afternoon when they tottered across the patio and started walking into the window. It took me a while to realise the problem but then we had to catch them (not easy) and get them back in the barn. And there they stayed, confined to barracks, for a few days until they were back to normal!

Wild birds should not be forgotten during the cold either and I have been putting out bird seed every day so that they can get a bit extra to eat. Remember to put out fresh water as well and change it when it freezes over - this is often forgotten during the winter but birds don’t eat snow very well so they need fresh water on hand at all times.

The garden lies dormant under the snow at this time of year so it’s a good opportunity to continue with your plans for the growing season and wait for the frosts to clear. But there is always something going on - we have bulbs coming up aplenty - I can’t wait for Spring and the promise of beautiful flowers, bluebells and the onset of warmer weather.

Happy bird watching. Until next time.

-- Jane Dubinski

In the age of austerity, dig for victory and grow your own food

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:06:00 +0000

Gardening doesn't have to be a chore, it can also be a rewarding past time, fitting right in with the "Make Do and Mend" resurgence of late....

Choose a fine day to get yourself sorted for the year ahead and consider what you’d like to do in 2012. You could take a trip to the library to browse through some books.
Have a blitz in your garden, sorting out pots, tools and odd jobs in readiness for the Spring.
Jot down a planting plan and check your seed stash.
Draw up scale plan to create your own kitchen garden.
Plan and enjoy colour in your garden. Colourful containers can be both for decorative and eating purposes. Colourful lettuce leaves look great and will keep you stocked up with fresh salad. Peas, beetroot, chard, courgettes, onions and carrots can all be grown on your patio. A packet of spring onion seeds costing 99p can provide up to £30 worth of produce.
Start a mini orchard. No longer do you have to have a huge amount of land to grow fruit with the development of cordon trees. They don’t grow more than 2m and can be grown in pots.
Make raised beds and save your back. You can buy these in kit form or make your own and they look great.
Make your own herb garden. They taste good, smell good and are good for you. Choose a sunny spot for your herbs and ensure you use containers with good drainage.
Peanuts and sunflowers are great to attract garden birds. You can also leave them your left-over cooked potatoes, rice, pasta and cake crumbs. Remember feeding birds bread is a no-no. It fills them up without giving them energy.
Consider the front of your house. A colourful spring flower basket or containers can make all the difference.

-- Rob Amey

Knees

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:52:00 +0000

I can't bear to have wet knees. For that matter I hate to be wet and cold at this time of year, but that is a story of trial and error which led me to the conclusion, German and Swedish army waterproofs are the best in the world for the price. However, we are talking of knees and more importantly knee pads. It may seem an odd idea, but upon arrival at any garden between October and April, I put on a pair of knee pads and will wear them throughout the day. This saves me an uncomfortable day and protects the joints to boot. So, I could not wait to trial the Town & Country knee pads and excellent they are!

At this time of year I find I will be constantly on my knees in the garden, tidying borders, digging out old plants (to be moved elsewhere) or just simply doing that kind of maintenance in the garden that I could not do at any other time and there are of course those moments where you see something that needs to be done and requires instant attention.

As my grandfather used to say in his broad Devon drawl, “In the garden there are twelve months of hard work. Four of those you can do constructive work. T'other eight months you are playing catch up me boy.”

As is usual for me at this time of year, I am busy in all my gardens reconstructing borders, rockeries and even woodland gardens for my clients. I am lucky that I work in some of the countries most spectacular privately owned forgotten historical gardens which, over the years have been left abandoned or neglected. A job I can honestly say, fills me with such joyous pleasure, words alone cannot explain. Overall the gardens seem to the owners a huge mess, leaving them with the problem of where to start first. My four tips for any of you undertaking such a task?

Stand back and allow the garden to tell you what it needs. My training at art college allowed me to learn how a painting should read and the same goes with a garden - shapes, content and movement are first. Colour and texture always is the secondary consideration.
Take things in small chunks, allowing yourself to rediscover the original architects dream in your own time.
Start from the house and work outwards in the same manner as a ripple on a pond. If however, you wish a different focal point, then start from there.
Always consider what is outside the garden. Is there a view which was incorporated or is it to be omitted now?

In my business, a garden is a sculpture with an exceptional advantage- it can be changed at the will of its owner.

-- Guy Deakins

Round the Garden in February

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:27:00 +0000

If you fancy spending a bit of time in the garden this month then there’s plenty of tasks you can busy away doing whilst you’re outdoors.

If you didn’t get time to plant bulbs last year, then now’s the time to visit a garden centre or DIY store. You’ll instantly transform your garden into an array of Spring colour with tulips, crocuses and hyacinths.
Cut back overgrown hedges towards the end of the month.
Check on any winter container plants you have. Remove dead heads and check if they need some water.
Any bare-rooted plants can be planted now, such as roses or hedging plants, but remember to soak roots for an hour before planting.
Clean down your paths and driveway and clear any moss.
February is a good month to dress beds for your annuals. I use a fish and bone mix for a natural slow release feed.
This month you can sow half-hardy annuals indoors and peas and beans in propagator trays on your window sill. You can plant them outdoors, but protect them from slugs and snails with pellets. Chillies are also ideal for sowing from mid-February.
This month is perfect for buying potato seeds and starting the chitting process.
Alpine and rockery plants often come out in spring, so do a bit of tidy up now and any weeding and removal of debris.
February is good for pruning rose bushes by reducing stems to approximately half in length. Always cut to an outward facing bud.

-- Rob Amey

Don't Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:19:00 +0000

I really should take notice of this piece of advice myself, rather than making plans to grow enough food to feed a small country. But every January/February brings the sound of seed catalogues dropping on the mat and me grabbing them with excitement, drooling over all the pictures of beautiful healthy vegetables that I obviously need to grow!

So I plan all my raised beds (I have six of them, so am very lucky), making sure that I follow the principle of rotating them so that I don’t grow the same thing in the same one each year. I then place my seed order and look forward to the moment they arrive, hoping the weather improves and I can get into the greenhouse and plant them all!

And that’s where it all goes a bit wrong. It is all down to time, you see, or rather lack of it. I am sure that my plans would all come to fruition if I were able to spend every waking moment in my garden, tending the seedlings, planting out and nurturing them but unfortunately I don’t have every waking moment to spend in the garden due to work commitments, children, dog, chickens, etc....

So I come back to my piece of advice and the title of this blog - don’t bite off more than you can chew. This year I am planning to utilise only a couple of the raised beds and nurture these rather than failing miserably by doing too much. Let’s face it, you don’t need 10 courgette plants or 15 tomato plants and if you feel the need to plant lots of seeds so that you can pick the best ones to plant out, then sell the extra ones outside your house or give them away to friends and relatives.

This way you can make sure everything grows healthily and you will not have to try and keep up with the harvesting - usually of one type of vegetable at a time. So choose wisely and enjoy each crop as it comes along without getting stressed!

-- Jane Dubinski

Potatoes rock!

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:49:00 +0000

People have been asking me recently what my potato plans are this year. We are lucky enough to have a fabulous Potato Day in our local area whereby you can preorder your seed potatoes in single batches and collect them on the organised potato day in mid February.

This is brilliant because you can try lots of different varieties and also get a mix of first earlies, second earlies, early maincrops and maincrops so you can spread your planting, growing, pulling up, eating and storing activities.

I'm really looking forward to another year of potato growing - it really is incredibly simple and so rewarding - digging up potatoes you've grown yourself is like finding treasure!

These are the key stages:

Buy your seed potatoes now
Chit your seed potatoes - put them in a light cool dry place for a good few weeks so they sprout really well (I use eggboxes which work perfectly)
Plant out your seed potatoes in April - sprouted end up
Watch out for frost - cover any plants if frost is due
Keep covering up the plant roots with soil so no tubers are uncovered (as they'll go green and poisonous if uncovered)
Keep well fed and watered
Start digging up first earlies in August
Dig up maincrops before first frosts and eat or store (perfect potatoes only) in a cool dry place out of the way of any potential pests

ENJOY!

-- Holly Rowan Hesson

Plan your vegetable plot

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:57:00 +0000

Whilst it certainly doesn’t feel like it is January, I typically use this month to plan out this year's vegetable plot. Reflecting on last years growing season will help you to decide what worked and what didn’t.

Decide what you would like to grow this year. Are there certain vegetables that your family use often in cooking? Would you like to try something new or unusual like purple carrots? You could even think as far ahead as to what vegetables you’d like to grow to make homemade chutney as gifts next Christmas!

Reputable online seed companies usually have some great deals during January and February so it’s worth ordering them sooner rather than later. Asking family and friends if they would like to split the cost for half the seeds is a great way to keep prices down!

I also use this month to plan where I am going to plant each vegetable. I had a glut of green tomatoes last year so they could really do with being in a sunnier spot. Rotating your crops from last year will help soil fertility and will also help to control insects and pests.

-- Gemma Dray

Adventures in the Garden - January 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:22:00 +0000

Happy 2012!
Well, what a year it's going to be! Britain is hosting the Olympics, the Queen is having something of a celebration, and Cambridge will win the boat race - dragging us from the embers of financial meltdown. Let us not forget a new species of tree shall be discovered (according to my tea leaves). Fully hardy, with orange leaves, purple fruit and blue bark, and having an abundance of highly scented yellow flowers all year round, it never outgrows the space it is given!

So what am I doing to brace myself for this wonderful future?
Well, having put my sharp border fork through my last pair of wellies, I am trying my new T&C pair out. Lined with the fantastic Town and Country boot socks which my wife purchased as a Christmas present, I am warm and dry.

The garden or rather the gardens I tend are looking and smelling great. The grass is green, the trees are, perhaps less so, but they are still alive which can't be bad. This month I will be pruning the apples and pear trees. I always like to leave this little chore till after Christmas as then I can be sure they are asleep and not forgetting that January is the Wassailing month - although I don't think jumping around naked at this time of year is a good idea; never mind how much cider is drunk.

There are many ways you can prune an apple, and there are many books which suggest ways it should be done. However, I recently had a meeting with a man who grows about 50 or so acres and he gave me this tip. Prune out the dead, diseased and damaged. Then prune out all the crossing branches and vertical shoots above the height you want the tree to be. Leave all the other fruiting branches that are younger than 3 years old. Oh, and another thing remember the rule, “vertical is growth, horizontal is flower.” so if you want more fruit, weigh a few branches down, or if against a wall, train them. You can't go wrong with simple instruction. Unless you've been at the cider...

-- Guy Deakins

Bring the Garden Indoors to the Christmas Table

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:16:00 +0000

The big day is almost here. You have wrapped the presents, decorated the house and got the turkey, but have you thought about how you are dressing the dining table on Christmas day?

You can create a simple yet elegant centrepiece for your table by using foliage from your garden. The look is very natural and organic.

Image from http://inspirationforhome.blogspot.com/

Experiment a bit with Fresh fruit, tall sturdy candles and your foliage until you are happy.

I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas!

-- Gemma Dray

Christmas dinner - veg grower style!

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Wilkinson) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:58:00 +0000

So this month people have been asking me if I'll be eating anything from the garden over Christmas. And the answer is yes! If you've been canny like me you'll still have some spuds left. Potatoes need digging up before first frosts, so ours are long out of the ground. But if you grow good keeping varieties and keep them in a cool dry place, you can definitely be eating homegrown on Christmas day.

So what of the other Christmas dinner veg possibilities? Well sprouts of course. They have a long growing season so need starting off in the Spring and covering with netting like all brassicas, to keep butterflies from laying eggs which equals caterpillars which equals distinct lack of edible greens! Sprouts are of course perfectly ready for picking at this time of year - infact we've been enjoying ours for a month or so in readiness for the Christmas feast.

If you cover your carrots with fleece or a cloche you could still have some in the ground for your Christmas enjoyment. I have to admit though, after over sowing last year, this year I was probably a little too cautious and we've already polished all our root veg off of this year. However, we do still have kale and cabbage - again started off in Spring and Summer and protected with netting, so these will be joining our potatoes and sprouts on Christmas day.

So enjoy your feasts and happy Christmas!

-- Holly Rowan Hesson