December top-tips
Soil
I mentioned improving your soil in my last blogs; well if you haven't had time for that now is the time to go for it. Compost will help improve the 'structure' of the soil ( how easy it is to work and how well it retains moisture and nutrients ) but the king of soil improvers is horse manure!
Make sure you have well-rotted manure or it will be too'strong' for the garden and the acids may affect the plants. The darker the manure the better. It takes several months for the 'goodness' to be released which is why a spring spreading of manure only brings real benefits in late autumn and why doing it now will bring benefits in spring.
The other advantage of well-rotted manure is that it contains all the micro-nutrients that won't be found in your compost heap and these are of particular value in poorer soils where there is a lack of 'humus' ( see earlier blog).
Pruning
As soon as the leaves have fallen you can start pruning the trees, shrubs and climbers - including the fruit trees. Don't do this too early as you will encourage 'bleeding' of sap in plants such as vines.
Getting the garden 'tidy' before Christmas is always a pleasing thing to do but try to be aware that 'tidyness' is not always compatible with good ecological practice. I once lost a number of slightly tender herbaceous plants by being too enthusiastic with cutting back perennial geraniums that were giving some Agapanthus valuable protection from the frost!
Frost protection
I have also lost plants because I have been taken by surprise at the harshness of an early December frost. So if you have any Mediterranean plants or semi-tropical plants that are slightly tender ( Abutilon for example ), then it is a good idea to get them covered or get them into the glasshouse. Garden centres offer a range of products from fleeces to gauze as protection; the most economical one I saw was in a Friary where one of the brothers used to put the old plastic vegetable sacks over his tender Rhododendrons!
Bare-root stock
Now is the time to get your orders in for bare-root stock ( plants that are 'lifted' from the ground and transported bare-rooted in bags to the nurseries for sales). These can be trees or two year old plants called 'whips'.
Did you know that a 45cms (18")'whip' will eventually outgrow a 180cm (6') tree? The younger the plant is transplanted, the less 'trauma' the plant experiences in being re-located. They also need a good deal less care such as watering and feeding because whips adapt better to their new conditions. The older plants are used to the pampering of a nursery so find adapting harder.
Whips are also a fraction of the price of trees!
Now there is a good reason to get those orders in!
An ideal Christmas present???
Saturday 7 December 2013
Friday 11 October 2013
Tips on planting bulbs
Bulb planting;
Now is the time of year to get bulbs in. People often ask "how deep should I plant my bulbs"? The general rule of thumb is to plant them at three times the depth of the bulb itself. In other words if the bulb is 5cms tall ( 2") then dig a 15cms (6") hole. and maybe add a little compost if the soil is really dense - such as heavy clay.
One thing to bear in mind is that you can often create a "V" shape at the bottom of your wee bulb hole without meaning to; the bulb roots have nothing to grow into when this happens but thin air. So always check the base of the hole is level.
I usually just swirl a touch of compost around the bottom of the planting hole and try not to compact the soil above the bulb too much. You can add a pinch of slow release fertiliser too if your soil is very poor.
Hey Presto! When they emerge in spring it all seems nothing less than a miracle!
Now is the time of year to get bulbs in. People often ask "how deep should I plant my bulbs"? The general rule of thumb is to plant them at three times the depth of the bulb itself. In other words if the bulb is 5cms tall ( 2") then dig a 15cms (6") hole. and maybe add a little compost if the soil is really dense - such as heavy clay.
One thing to bear in mind is that you can often create a "V" shape at the bottom of your wee bulb hole without meaning to; the bulb roots have nothing to grow into when this happens but thin air. So always check the base of the hole is level.
I usually just swirl a touch of compost around the bottom of the planting hole and try not to compact the soil above the bulb too much. You can add a pinch of slow release fertiliser too if your soil is very poor.
Hey Presto! When they emerge in spring it all seems nothing less than a miracle!
Wednesday 2 October 2013
Top-tips for October
Top-tips for October
It's here..........the slight chill in the air but the promise of harvest, colour, real fires and bonfires. When the sky is clear blue there is no better time of year to marvel at shapes, colours, back-lit grasses, spiders webs and subtle shades of gold.
So what to do in the garden?
Clearing the leaves; remember that leaves create a natural thermal layer for herbaceous plants as well as providing compost. You can make a tidy garden if you want ( who wants leaves to skid on in the drive?) but why do more work than you need to? They do a great job staying on the borders and if you have the energy add them to the compost heap, but they will do a similar job lying on soil.
Herbaceous plants; As soon as they stop looking like they are going to produce any more flowers or growth you can get stuck into lifting and dividing them. Be brutal - use two forks; they can take it! The usual cutting back of herbaceous plants to the base also applies; it will give your borders that tidy look. Again - you need not take the cuttings away; you will make a nice thermal layer for wildlife!
Lawns; If they have had a hammering then get on to adding feed asap.
Cutting back the roses; I am still getting flowers on my roses - so I am leaving that for the moment until the cold really kicks in and the wind and rain make a mess of them.
Soil; If you have heavy clay then now is the time to add that compost. Dig it in if you have the energy; the frost will help break it up. The compost will help give the soil a better 'structure' that means it retains nutrients better. The same applies to sandy and chalky soil and will assist in retaining moisture too. Nothing like that dark, crumbly matter called 'humus'. ( Not to be confused with something you dip your carrot strips into at dinner parties).
Did you know that humus has the same root as the word as humility? They are both humble, lowly and full of the ability to retain goodness! Interestingly humus comes from organic matter that has been broken down to it's lowest natural denominator.
I wonder if that applies to us human beings too?
And don't forget to take that bag with you when you go out on a walk past those blackberries and windfall apples.............
It's here..........the slight chill in the air but the promise of harvest, colour, real fires and bonfires. When the sky is clear blue there is no better time of year to marvel at shapes, colours, back-lit grasses, spiders webs and subtle shades of gold.
So what to do in the garden?
Clearing the leaves; remember that leaves create a natural thermal layer for herbaceous plants as well as providing compost. You can make a tidy garden if you want ( who wants leaves to skid on in the drive?) but why do more work than you need to? They do a great job staying on the borders and if you have the energy add them to the compost heap, but they will do a similar job lying on soil.
Herbaceous plants; As soon as they stop looking like they are going to produce any more flowers or growth you can get stuck into lifting and dividing them. Be brutal - use two forks; they can take it! The usual cutting back of herbaceous plants to the base also applies; it will give your borders that tidy look. Again - you need not take the cuttings away; you will make a nice thermal layer for wildlife!
Lawns; If they have had a hammering then get on to adding feed asap.
Cutting back the roses; I am still getting flowers on my roses - so I am leaving that for the moment until the cold really kicks in and the wind and rain make a mess of them.
Soil; If you have heavy clay then now is the time to add that compost. Dig it in if you have the energy; the frost will help break it up. The compost will help give the soil a better 'structure' that means it retains nutrients better. The same applies to sandy and chalky soil and will assist in retaining moisture too. Nothing like that dark, crumbly matter called 'humus'. ( Not to be confused with something you dip your carrot strips into at dinner parties).
Did you know that humus has the same root as the word as humility? They are both humble, lowly and full of the ability to retain goodness! Interestingly humus comes from organic matter that has been broken down to it's lowest natural denominator.
I wonder if that applies to us human beings too?
And don't forget to take that bag with you when you go out on a walk past those blackberries and windfall apples.............
Wednesday 11 September 2013
Tidy up those shrubs!
Woah! Is that some autumn wind and rain coming in? Best get those flailing shrubs tidied up and those straggly roses trimmed....for starters!
Autumn ?
Is this the first of the autumn rains......................? I feel like a pub fire coming on!
Monday 9 September 2013
Lee Abbey
Getting my head around the Lee Abbey gardens and grounds in North Devon; fabulous spot. What a great challenge and privilege to design.
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