May is nearly upon us and another bank holiday weekend is looming. The late spring was a bit of a worry but April’s warmer temperatures have made things really explode into growth.

Marvellous May. It’s our favourite month in the garden and plants are growing so quickly that you can almost see them and hear them. Add to that the special fresh ‘May smell’ in the air, a mixture of heady scents from lilacs, wildflowers and grass clippings and you get something truly spectacular.  Top of our list of jobs to do this month, apart from building a garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, is to go and see a bluebell wood; a real natural wonder of the world. We say this every year but it has to be done. If you are not sure where your nearest one is ask around. Favourites near us are Pyror’s Wood, near Stevenage, Chilham in Kent and Norsey Wood in South Essex.

Other jobs we should be thinking about;

 Plant the last of your potatoes if you haven’t already done so and start to earth up when the growth gets to about 15cm. This will stop greening.

1. Continue to keep an eye out for pests. Check for the red lily beetles, aphids and slugs and dispose of them. Viburnum beetle can be a pain on Viburnum tinus, V.opulus and V.lantana. As can sawfly on Soloman’s Seal. Nip them in the bud before they spread with a good systemic insecticide.
2. With any luck the frost threat is over so start to think about planting out some summer bedding from the end of the month. All the garden centres are awash with fabulous bedding for your pots and hanging baskets. Now is the time to plug any gaps that have appeared in your borders.
3. Keep an eye on the weather forecasts. In the unlikely event of late frosts, be prepared to cover your tender plants with a double layer of horticultural fleece. The weather does seem a bit changeable and the forecast (for our part of Hertfordshire at least) for the first part of May is a bit disappointing, cooler temperatures again until the middle of the month; thought it was a bit good to be true.
4. Pull up or hoe off weeds. Don’t forget on a cool day when the soil is wet some weeds can re-root once hoed off so either remember to put them straight onto the compost heap or hoe on a sunny dry day so that the weeds desiccate and quickly die.
5. You can sow runner beans, squashes, pumpkins and courgettes directly into prepared soil from the end of May.
6. Start mowing your lawn weekly now.
7. Dead head tulips and daffodils and trim back Pulmonarias and Doronicums to encourage new verdant growth once the flowers have gone over. Don’t be tempted to cut down your daffs just yet. You should wait 6 weeks after flowering to make sure all the goodness goes back into the bulb to ensure a good flower display next year.
8. Brussels sprouts can be transplanted from their seed bed into their final positions and spacings at the end of May.
9. Continue to keep your pots and hanging baskets well watered to ensure that they don’t dry out.
10. Prune out any frost affected shoots of evergreen shrubs.
11. Prune back camellias after flowering. They do respond well to quite severe pruning if required.
12. Take softwood cutting of deciduous shrubs such as Forsythia, Hydrangea, Fuchsia, Spiraea and Philadelphus. (See propagation section for advice on how to do it).
13. Towards the end of the month think about introducing certain houseplants into the garden such as Christmas cacti, potted azaleas and orchids. All will enjoy a summer holiday but take them out gradually and don’t put them into direct sunlight straight away or they will scorch. In fact, the Victorians used to plant up flower beds for the summer using rubber plants, palms and mother-in-laws tongue.
14. Support your perennials now so that they don’t flop later on.
15. Remember to take time to sit and enjoy your garden. Get a glass of wine or a gin and tonic and really take in the beauty of the plants around you. After all that’s why we do it!
16. COME AND SEE US AT CHELSEA !!  What will we leave? The NSPCC Garden of Magical Childhood – Artisan Garden SEW5

Well another January, but thankfully not like last year. The ridiculous amount of rain that we’ve had has definitely been a bit of an issue but at least it’s still reasonably mild.  The days are starting to draw out slowly and its getting a touch warmer. There are also some signs of life in the borders as the spring bulbs are starting to push through.  Here are a few jobs to get on with if you get a nice dry day.

 1.  Prune Wisterias. The middle of winter is the ideal time to give wisterias their main prune (they are also lightly pruned in August). All you need to do is to shorten the lateral spurs (those whippy shoots growing from the main plant) to 2 buds away from where they meet the main stem. This will encourage a good display of flowers in May.

Winter pruning

 2. Prune Apple and Pear Trees : The main aims of pruning are to open up the tree to let in more light, remove dead and diseased branches and generally increase vigour so that the tree produces more fruiting spurs and then consequently fruits better for you. Start by cutting back any dead or diseased branches. Then cut back any crossing branches, low growing branches or any that are growing downwards. The aim is to keep the tree open enough for a pigeon to be able to fly through it without its wings touching the branches.   All this general thinning and tidying will stimulate new growth and regeneration of the tree.

 3. Keep the surface of ponds ice free by placing footballs on the surface or melting holes with the bottom of a pan containing hot water.

 4. Keep feeding the birds and make sure delicate plants have a thick coat of fleece around them.

 5. Continue to remove leaves and debris from lawns but avoiding walking on them when they’re frozen or saturated and when spreading salt on garden paths be sure to avoid any adjoining grass, the salt will kill it outright!

 6. If and when you can, scrub decking and patio areas with a stiff brush to remove slime and prevent them from being slippery; use a propriety patio cleaner or a weak bleach solution.

 7. Make sure greenhouse heaters are set at the right level and working correctly to prevent your most precious plants from freezing to death and turning to mush. Some areas have had power cuts so it’s worth checking that they’re functioning correctly. Use bubble wrap on the inside of the glass for extra insulation and keep your plants on the dry side, many plants will cope with cold and dry but cold and wet spells death for many.

 8. On beds and borders if the weather does allow then continue to dig in organic material, but avoid doing this if the ground is wet and heavy, you’ll cause more harm than good as it will compact the soil forcing out the air and making it more prone to waterlogging.

 9. If you don’t fancy going out into the garden then now is the time to peruse those seed and plant catalogues and consider what you’d love to grow this year, perhaps a brand new introduction, a challenging delicate plant, new varieties of potato or perhaps flowers to cut for the house.

 10. Keep an eye on your house plants this time of year, provide maximum light, keep them on the dry side, except for azaleas that love to sit in water, keep them away from cold draughts and hot radiators and make sure the more delicate ones aren’t trapped in a pool of cold air behind curtains during the night. Give the leaves a good dust as well as this will improve photosynthesis.

 Well, August already, where does the time go. Its been a fab start to the month, what with the fabulous sporting activities and the warm weather.

Our gardens are still looking great, especially the lilies,  michelmas daisies, Echinaceas, Dahlias and chrysanths which are all bursting with colour. Here are a few jobs to be thinking  about.

 To be seen in conjunction with July’s tips.

 August is a good month to summer prune wisterias. We normally trim back the wispy spurs by about a third or to about 5 or 6 buds from the main stem. To help flowering next year feed with tomato feed to give it a boast. The main pruning time for wisterias is the middle of winter (Jan / Feb) when you trim the spurs back to 2 or 3 buds from the main stem.

1. Continue to deadhead roses and other perennials to prolong flowering.
2. If you want to save seed from your perennials for growing on next year, now is a good time to do so. Cut heads of hardy geraniums, aquilegias and poppys for drying out. Collect the seed in paper bags or envelopes and keep somewhere cool and dry.
3. Identify and mark gaps in your borders now for planting of autumn bulbs before the perennials die down.
4. Once this year’s raspberry canes have finished fruiting cut canes down to the ground and tie in the new canes. Pin strawberry runners into pots of compost to create new plants.
5. Put stakes around autumn flowering perennials such as dahlias, chrysanthemums and michaelmas daisys to keep them supported.
6. As soon as lavender has finished flowering take the shears to it and reduce it back to about ½ inch into the new growth but no lower. Keep the seed heads for their fragrance and use indoors.
7. Continue to feed and water tubs and baskets.
8. Make sure houseplants aren’t left on windowsills in the summer sunshine as they can scorch in direct sunlight.    
9. Trim back leggy annuals to give them a new lease of life such as petunias, nicotianas and nemesia.

1. Think about what you want and what you like and don’t like. Do you like contemporary or traditional gardens? To some extent this will depend on the type of house you have. A cottage garden may look out of place next to an ultra modern house.

2. Who will use the garden, children, pets etc? Do you want a big lawn for playing with the kids, a large patio for entertaining or somewhere to grow your own veggies?

3 Think about how much time you have to look after it and what your budget is.

4. Measure up the garden as accurately as possible, to scale if you can using graph paper. This helps you to get things in proportion and helps you organise what you have.

5. Play around with shapes and features on the paper. Maybe increasing the size of a flower bed, adding a new gravel path or a different shaped lawn.  Generally, gardens are designed using a combination of rectangles and squares or circles and curves as a theme. If you already have a very angular house then a formal recti-linear design might work. If you have a house in a rural setting then informal curves might look better. Go with your gut instinct.

6. Use shapes to give the impression that the garden is bigger then it actually is. Curves, zigzags or diagonal paths can make the garden appear longer or wider. Horizontal lines make a garden look wider, whilst vertical lines make a garden look longer. If for example you have a long narrow garden, then plan a curved or zigzag path, a straight path down the middle will make your garden look longer and narrower.

7. You will need to follow a few plant rules such as aspect (sun and shade) and soil type (light and free-draining or heavy clay) and pH. But other than that grow whatever you want to grow; it’s your garden so you have what you want

8. If you have a small garden, don’t include too many varieties of plants. It can look over fussy. Group a number of the same variety of plants together (this includes bulb). We try to plant in groups of 1,3,5,7 & 9. Single plants of mixed colours can confuse the eye. But don’t worry about colours clashing in the garden, remember they don’t clash in nature.

9. When choosing your plants remember that red and oranges can make the garden look smaller whereas softer colours can lengthen the garden. You can create a false perspective by planting vibrant colours near to the house and muted tones at the end of the garden.

10. Give the garden different views and vistas with trees, benches or statues. This will give the impression that the garden is larger than it actually is and give you plenty of interest.

11. Don’t forget wildlife and ensure there is room for birds and butterflies as well as for you.

12. Use reclaimed materials such as old bricks or paving they have more character. Try to use natural stone if you can and if your budget allows for it. It looks fabulous wet, which is most of the time in our British climate.

13. Keep your design simple. Over-designed complicated designs can look too fussy. Don’t get put off, everybody is capable of designing a garden, you just need passion and enthusiasm. The more you put into your garden the more it will suit you and the more soul it will have. A garden should be felt not just seen.

Bulbs give great splashes of colour throughout the year and are easy to grow, and are at their best when planted in groups.

Fabulous, Fun and Spooky Planters for Halloween from Woolcott & Smith

Autumn is a fab time for planting and also for those spooky Halloween pumpkins. So  this year, why not combine the two and enjoy your pumpkins as planters a few days before Halloween. Then simply convert them back into the traditional Halloween lanterns on Halloween night. Easy to do, you can get the kids involved, enjoy your plants presented in a fun way and then plant them out in the garden once you have finished.

Step 1 -           Choose a large pumpkin

Step 2 -           Draw your design on the pumpkin, the scarier the better

Step 3 -           Cut the top off and scoop out the flesh and seeds

Step 4 -           Carve out the design with care

Step 5 -           Choose a grass or spikey plant such as a phormium and drop it

                        into the top of the pumpkin to make it’s hair

 ( If the pot is too big remove the plant from the pot, cut the pot in half, place one half at the back of the carved out face to create a black screen, then remove a little compost from around the root ball of the plant, place the root ball in a freezer or sandwich bag and simply drop into the pumpkin behind the black screen).

 Step 6 -           Once you have finished with it simply take the plant out and

                        plant it out in the garden. Don’t forget to recycle the pumpkin on

                        the compost heap, or wash it out and make into soup.

Meet The family –  (Back row left to right, then front row left to right)

‘Witch Doctor ’ - We have used Carex ‘Comans Bronze’

‘Spike’              - We have used Phormium ‘Rainbow Queen’

‘Scarecrow’       - We have used the red grass Uncinia rubra

‘Banshee’           - We have used Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’

‘Smiler ’             - We have used Acorus gramineus ‘Variegatus’

Have Fun !

 It’s enjoyable and it saves you money.

 1.Take Cuttings

(a) Softwood Cuttings                                               When: May-August

Examples : Lavender, Forsythia, Fuchsia, Pelargoniums etc. perennials, houseplants

 -Usually taken in spring or summer. (Can be used to propagate tender plants such as bedding plants).

-Take cuttings of about 10cm (4in) in length, cutting below a leaf joint. (Shorter side shoots are taken with a ‘heel’, where the side shoot is pulled down and away from the parent shoot e.g Rosemary and Buddleia).

-Remove the bottom leaves from the lower third of the stem and insert into compost.

-Then place in a propagator (widely and quite cheaply available in garden centres) to get them growing away. You can also try placing the pot into a clear plastic bag to act as a simple propagator.

 (b) Semi-Ripe Cuttings                                             When: July & August

Examples: Argyranthemum, Camellia, Senecio maritima.

 -These are taken in July and August when the plan’s growth is starting to slow down.

-Take cuttings from main stems or use strong, leafy non-flowering side shoots from the main stems. Cutting length should be about10-15cm (4-6in).

-Remove the lower leaves and dip the base in a hormone rooting powder.

-Then insert about 2.5cm (1in) deep into small pots with compost. Either cover with a clear polythene bag or place in a covered propagator to get them rooting.  

 (c) Hardwood Cuttings –                                          When: Early Autumn

Examples : Easiest way to make new plants from shrubs and trees

 -In early autumn, choose strong, straight shoots on this year’s growth.

-Cut just above a bud or pair of buds at the junction between the current season’s growth and the previous year’s growth.

-Remove any large leaves and side shoots from the stem and trim the cuttings to about 20cm (8in).

-Make an angled cut just above the top bud and a horizontal cut just below the bottom one.

 -Insert the cuttings into a pot filled with compost and water it in well. Keep out of direct sunlight and with any luck the cuttings should be well rooted and ready for transplanting by the next autumn.

(d) Root Cuttings                                                      When: September-March

(Examples: Chaenomoles, Acanthus, Crambe, Dicentra, Eryngium)

 -Take cuttings anytime between September and March.

-Use a sharp knife to cut off portions of root from the parent plant.

-Slice the roots into sections from 1cm to 7.5cm (0.5in to 3in) in length.

-Place root cuttings on a tray of moist compost and then cover with 1cm (0.5in) of compost.

-Once the shoots have emerged, lift the young plants from the compost and repot to grow them on.

(e) Leaf Cuttings

(Examples:  Part Leaf Cuttings; Begonias, Streptocarpus, Sanseveiria)

 Streptocarpus – cut the leaf in half along the midrib and then insert one half of the leaf, cut side down into damp compost and firm in.

Sansevieria – cut leaves horizontally into 5cm (2in) pieces and insert lower edge down into damp compost.

Begonia – cut across the main veins on the underside. Pin the leaf, cut side down onto the compost. Alternatively, cut the leaf into squares 2.5cm (1in) across each with a main vein. Water and then place in a propagator or a clear plastic bag in a light place out of direct sunlight . ‘Plantlets’ should form which can then be potted on.

2.Division                                                                   When:Early Spring or Autumn

Examples: Many perennials such as Delphinium, Heuchera, Stocks, Asters, Iris, Geraniums

 -In early spring or autumn, lift the plants, taking care not to damage the root ball.

-Divide each plant into several portions by gently pulling them away from the main plant  by using 2 garden forks back to back (Hemerocallis) or splitting with a spade (Hellebores and Asters)

-Dig over the area that you want to put them back into and check over the divided plant for weed seedlings such as ground elder before you replant it.

-Firm in and then water it in well.

3.Layering                                                                  When:Early Spring or Autumn

Examples: Cornus, Magnolia Acer, Camellia, Chaenomeles, Cotinus, Daphne, Forsythia, Hamamelis, Jasminum, Magnolia, Rhododendron (including azalea), Syringa and Viburnum.

 Layering is a way of encouraging part of the plant to grow new roots, rooting it on and then removing the new section from the parent. Its a clone of the old plant.

 -Choose flexible young shoots on the outside of the plant that can be bent over to ground level.

-In either autumn or spring make a 2.5-5cm (1-2in) cut through a leaf node approximately 30cm (12in) from the shoot tip. This will encourage roots to form. Apply hormone rooting powder to the cut.

-Dig a shallow hole, 10-15cm (4-6in) deep and ‘peg’ the section to the ground, using metal pins or wire. Alternatively, sink a small pot containing Seed Compost and peg into that.

-Back fill with soil and firm around it. Water it in.

-After a year or so the layered area should have developed a root system and then can be cut off from the parent plant and transplanted to where its needed.

 4.  Collecting Seeds and Growing them on             When: Once Seeds are Ripe

(Examples; Most Perennials, shrubs, trees)

 -Often the easiest way to make new plants is to collect their seed after they have flowered and set seed.

-Seeds are usually collected only once they are ripe. (Signs of ripeness include splitting and opening of the seedpods and a darkening  in colour of the seeds themselves).

-Choose a dry day for seed collection, so that the seeds do not become damp and either rot off or start to germinate.  

-Many hybridised plants will not come true to type from seed. Unlike with cuttings, where you get an exact clone of the parent plant, seedlings will be genetically different from their parents, and may have totally different flower colours or different levels of vigour.

-Cut off ripe looking seedpods, seed cases, fruits or cones from the parent plant.

-Remove any shrivelled or damaged looking seeds before storing.

-Many seeds are best stored dry, at fridge temperatures in paper bags so that they don’t sweat.   

 Sowing your collected seeds:

-Use specific seed compost for sowing in and water the compost before you sow into it. Sow thinly and not too deeply, roughly 1-2 times the size of the seed.

 -Cover the seed lightly with compost and then cover the seed tray with a piece of glass and a sheet of newpaper until the seeds have germinated.

-Label the seedlings and make a note of the sowing date.

-When the seedlings have developed their first set of true leaves, carefully prick them out and transplant into a bigger pot.

-After potting on, it is important not to let the compost dry out. A hand held water sprayer can be useful for this.

Although all parts of the country will probably get some rain this Easter weekend, it is important to make sure your pots, tubs and hanging baskets are well watered to keep your plants looking good. We have noticed a few casualties this week with wilting pansies in dust dry compost and some struggling conifers so if you get time in the garden this weekend get your watering can out.

Happy Easter

Its been a good gardening week this week for us here in Hertfordshire, although not for everyone in other parts of the country.  The weather has been reasonably kind to us and we have dodged most of the heavy showers. It’s been good to get stuck into some gardening projects and we have just finished planting some new borders in a country garden. The grass is starting to grow as the temperatures have started to rise and its started to throw off it’s winter yellows. The mower came out for the first time this week and the lawns look better for a cut, keeping them sharp and tidy. The scillas in my front garden have just come out, as have my fabulous iris reticulata (what a beaufiful and elegant plant!) and at long last the daffs have started to spring into life. Hooray!  Hooray!  Hooray!

General

-Use old tights or odd socks for tree and plant ties as they are nice and soft, flexible and won’t cut into the stem.

-When watering your plants, make sure that you give them a really good drink. Just giving them a short watering encourages the roots to develop closer to the surface of the soil, making the plant less drought tolerant and more susceptible to be rocked by the wind.

 -Water hanging baskets by putting ice cubes on the top. As they melt moisture is slowly released.

-Age new statues by smearing on natural yoghurt

-Banana skins are good for feeding roses. 

-Viagra dissolved in water can stiffen the stems of flowers in vases and stop them flopping. Not totally sure of this one as I have never needed to buy it but I have heard it a couple of times. Not sure how much you need, the more you use the stiffer they get I suppose!

-Stop cut tulips from flopping in a vase by putting a pin through the stem just under the flower.

-Fizzy, sugary drinks can be used as plant feed in vases and alcohol can sterilise the water just like a drop of bleach.

Vegetables

 -Golden rule for planting vegetable seeds, don’t sow too early, too thickly or too deeply.

-Runner beans can be grown as an ornamental climber  – originally they were grown as ornamentals in Victorian times before they were grown for food.

 -Don’t plant cauliflowers in sandy soil or they will fail.

-Brussels Sprouts will fail on loose, infertile soil, so make sure the soil is enriched with well-rotted manure the winter before sowing. Also, ridge up the plants with soil and firm them in. Brassicas also like alkaline soils so lime if necessary the previous winter.

-Plant food-bearing plants when the moon is waxing (increasing to a full moon) and ornamentals when the moon is waning (decreasing).

Pest Control

-Plant some Marigolds around the vegetable garden and they will keep pests away. Companion planting.

-To keep rabbits away from your crops, it was said to plant a row of onions ,chives or garlic. (anything from the allium family).

-Plant garlic and chives among roses to keep greenfly away.

-Methylated spirits can be used to control wooly aphids.

-To prevent slugs getting to plants in containers, smear the outside of the container with Vaseline or WD40 .

 -Ants nests can damage grass roots in lawns so apply ant gel or clove oil in a watering can. Ants don’t like water.

 Planting and Sowing

-When sowing seeds,  use a pencil dipped into water to pick up the seeds and place them onto the growing medium. That way you don’t lose any. Or use a match stick.

-Mix fine seed with sand for ease of sowing. You can also use non-scented talcum powder so you can see them as you are sowing them.

-When planting trees, dig a square hole rather than a round one as it allows the roots to spread out evenly.

  Lawns

-For a better looking lawn, mow it in two different directions. New turf should be mown against the way it is laid to get it to knit in well.