Garden Notes for May 2025.

The polyanthus plants have done very well this year. I even managed to win first prize with my entry in the Spring Show this year. May is a good month to divide primulas and polyanthus after they have flowered.

Remember that frost is still a threat, so be careful about planting out tender plants, especially in exposed areas of the garden. Better to wait until June.  Sow biennials like Canterbury bells and Sweet William. Fast growing hardy annuals such as calendula, clarkia, cornflower, and nasturtium can also be sown, but do it early in the month.

For a quick tasty crop try sowing radish. The most common variety is ‘French Breakfast’ which is very reliable. For a change try Unwins’ ‘Rapid Red’, or Thompson & Morgan’s ‘Mirabeau’.

In unheated greenhouses or coldframes, now is the time to sow basil, calabrese, summer cauliflower, French and runner beans, kale, lettuces, parsley and sprouting broccoli. Put up supports for runner beans and late peas, but make sure that they will not shade out sun-loving neighbours. Remember to continue to earth up potatoes to protect them from frost and to encourage more tubers. It is also the way to stop the tubers from going green. If they become exposed to sunlight, that’s exactly what they will do.

Sow courgettes and marrow at a minimum temperature of 18ºC. Keep potting-on tomatoes as they outgrow their pots until they are in the final growing spot.

Direct sow beetroot, winter cabbage and maincrop carrots. Climbing beans make for a change. Some varieties that have been reported as doing well include ‘Isabel’, ‘Cobra’ and ‘Fasold’ often supplied by Johnsons Seeds and Mr. Fothergill.

If frost is forecast, protect the flowers of strawberries with fleece.

The Horticultural Society will be having their Plant Sale on Saturday 10th May in the Village Hall. This is an opportunity to replenish those plants that did not survive the winter. There will be vegetable and herb plants on sale.

Doors open at 10 a.m. and plants are sold on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. Supplies are limited so a prompt attendance is strongly recommended.

Garden notes for April 2025

By the time you see these notes I hope that we will have got over those hard frosts of February and early March.

I have been raising some chrysanthemum cuttings using a propagator, and some of them have rooted quite well so it reminds me that April is the time to prepare the borders for these rewarding flowers. The ground should be well prepared and then space the plants at about 18” apart,(I can’t do metric, it does not seem right to say 45 cm), and 60 cm or 2’ between rows. They are big plants when fully grown, and how they reward you with bloom after bloom in September and October.

There is a lot to do in the vegetable garden. Lots of people realise now that there is nothing like your own freshly harvested produce. It never is the same as buying it from a shop. The most valuable crops are the salad crops, and you need to be planting out the first lettuce seedlings (probably with some protection like fleece or a cloche). The secret is to keep the succession going and as soon as one sowing has germinated start another small sowing. You don’t need many each time.  It’s amazing how you cannot give lettuces away when your crop has all come at the same time! Carrots should be sown, as well as thinning out parsnips that were sown in March. Thin the seedlings to be at least 9” apart in the rows.

If you are going for the main crop potatoes, then these should be planted out towards the end of April. If you have chitted the seed potatoes, then it is best to reduce the number of sprouts to about three per tuber as this encourages stronger foliage growth.

Prepare your runner bean trenches, preferably with a good mulch of organic material in the bottom of the trench so that the plants can really dig their roots down deep. I find that planting the seed under cover in seed trays is the best way to start them off, but this should not be started until the end of the month, or beginning of May as you do not want them to get too big and start curling around each other before you plant them out.

Before the grass and hedges really get in their stride, make sure your shears are sharp, and your mower is ready for use.

Check indoor plants to see if they need more growing space from becoming root bound. If this is the case carefully knock the whole plant out and repot in a container that is approximately one or two sizes larger than the original.

Do come to the Spring Show on Sunday 6^th April in the Village Hall, and make a note of the famous Plant Sale on Saturday 10^th May starting promptly at 10 a.m., again in the Village Hall. Come early as demand is high and supplies limited!

Garden notes for March 2025

Snowdrops that have stopped blooming should be lifted and divided as soon as possible. Unlike other bulbs they should be multiplied whilst their leaves are still green. It is a good idea to do this at least once every 3 or 4 years as the bulbs may become too closely packed together to give a good show the following year if it is not done.

In order to give the best germination of any seeds that you want to start, make sure that the soil, or seed compost, you use is as warm as possible. So put out cloches over the area in the garden where you intend to start early crops. Do this at least a week or so before sowing in order to warm the ground. Equally, if you are using a seed compost, bring it into a shed or greenhouse before making up the pots or seed trays so that it has been thoroughly warmed through. Most seeds need a soil temperature of at least 10ºC (50ºF), and do better if it is about 15ºC. This is a very general rule of thumb, and there are many differences for different species, but it is true for a lot of the plants we grow.

Watch out for drying winds and sunny days of March and try to get on the garden as soon as possible after that, because it is almost certain that rain will follow and you will not be able to do anything. It is all very well to give this advice for those who are able to follow the weather, but very difficult for the weekend gardener! Our clay is a very fertile medium if you can manage it properly. Over time the addition of humus from garden compost, farmyard manure and so on will help but it is a long term and continuing process.

Towards the middle or end of March, depending on the temperature, you should prune roses. If you want large blooms, prune severely, cutting all strong young growths back to 3 or 4 buds from where growth started last spring. For general garden purposes leave 5 or 6 buds. This allows for re-growth should any late frosts nip off the earliest growth.

Make sure that your garden mowing equipment is serviced and ready for use as the weather improves and the grass starts to get back to growing.

Sweet peas that have been growing in pots should be hardened off for planting out in April.

Dahlia tubers should be started off in gentle heat to get the shoots that will form the plants for growing on.

Easter is early again this year, so the Spring Flower Show will be held on Sunday 6th April in the Village Hall. The 2025 Schedule will be ready soon, so look out for your free copy at Capel News agency and Carters.  Like the plants it will be emerging in March.  Do have a go at one or more of the entries, it’s good fun and you will be warmly welcomed.

Garden notes for February 2025

As the days start to draw out, and it does not seem so gloomy the urge to get plants started is almost irresistible. Any seedbeds that have been protected under cloches or garden fleece can be started to be sown with hardy vegetables such as parsnips. You can also start to consider sowing some early cabbage and brussel sprouts. Divide and replant chives towards the end of the month.

Soil is the foundation for all plants in the garden and spending time in its preparation will bring considerable rewards. Ground that is going to be used for root crops like carrots, turnips, potato and radish should have a pH of about 7 (neutral). General fertiliser such as Growmore, or an organic alternative, should be raked in a few weeks before sowing at a rate of about 3-4 ounces per square yard.

Dahlia tubers should be started in gentle heat towards the end of the month for most of us. The keen exhibitors who want to have blooms for the Summer Show (21st August this year) may want to spend the extra time and money starting them as early as possible.

Plants to prune this month include winter flowering jasmine, and towards the end of the month all the dogwoods.

Trim back winter flowering heathers as the blooms fade, with shears to prevent them from getting overgrown and straggly. Towards the end of the month, prune buddeleia. It pays to be quite severe, cutting back all last year’s growth to just 3 or 4 buds. The result will be vigorous new stems and fine flower spikes in the summer for the butterflies to enjoy as well as you.

Now is the time to bring the stools of outdoor chrysthantemums into the greenhouse and give them a little warmth and all the light possible so that they make sturdy cuttings. Towards the middle of the month start dahlia tubers off in gentle warmth.

Do not forget your garden machinery. Look over mowers, hedge trimmers and so on. Make sure that they are ready for the onslaught when the grass and the hedges start to burst into life again. If you are like me, and not very good with machinery it is best to get them serviced by a reliable supplier. As the saying goes, ‘Look after your tools, and they will look after you’.

Most of the garden centres will be selling fuchsia cuttings, and this is a good way to get the plants you want as they can be brought on in the greenhouse without much heat, although they must be kept frost free.

Garden Notes for January 2025.

After the haze of all the Christmas and New Year jollifications, the good gardener starts to look ahead. Even though the garden is asleep, it is surprising just how soon it starts to burst with life. So, think about what was successful last year and what might be a good idea to experiment with this year. How about growing a blend of salad leaves, like the ones seen in every supermarket. They can be grown, with a little bit of heat to start them off, in the early spring, don’t take up much room and are very healthy.

This is the time of year when houseplants are most appreciated. Azaleas, cineraria and cyclamen will all help to cheer things up. Do not over water, and most of these plants like cool conditions.

When your seeds arrive from the supplier keep them in a cool dry place until required. Protect pea seeds in particular because mice love them, and they have already got into our garden shed where they have started on anything that they can reach. Remember paper is no barrier to sharp teeth, and makes lovely nesting material.

Rhubarb can be forced using an upturned bucket or tub. This should be covered with garden fleece to keep off any frost. Another tip is to slice off a bit of the main root, leave it exposed for 2 or 3 frosts and then pot it up and move it into a cool greenhouse. This will make it start to produce some tender sticks of rhubarb for you to enjoy in March.

When seed potatoes arrive, keep them in a frost-free place and stand the tubers, eye-end uppermost, in shallow boxes. If you can get large egg trays these are ideal for keeping the tubers upright and just separated to prevent any infection spreading.

Remember, even if we do get a few mild days towards the end of the month that any seeds that are sown need a constant temperature to start them off, at least 8 to 10 degrees Centigrade, so do not be tempted to sow outdoors, as temperatures drop well below these levels at night time, even when it is mild.

To get the best onions for the Summer Show (Saturday August 16 2025, this year – make a note!) apart from starting the first sowings this month, you should give a good dressing of wood ash on the site of the bed that you will use, since they really like potash. For the keen gardener, sow your onion seeds as early as possible in good compost on a propagator to get them started.

Towards the middle of the month, start to make preparations for taking chrysanthemum cuttings. If you have a cold frame make sure it is ready and make up the necessary soil. A good mixture is two parts loam, one part peat, and one part sand to ensure good drainage. Any pots or boxes should be cleaned and the chrysanthemum stools brought in to start them growing sturdy cuttings.

Garden Notes for December 2024.

What a wonderful autumn display of colours by the trees in November! Better than any firework display, in my view. Of course it is all down to the weather we have had previously. Now the plants have their winter ‘sleep’, and it is probably best to let them lie in peace. However there are a number of things you can do, as ever – a Gardener’s work is never done.

Large flowered clematis, like Clematis jackmanii and the many hybrids from it, should be pruned towards the end of the month. They can be cut back quite severely. Prune back to good, well developed buds.

Seeds of helleborus, hosta and primula can be sown in December and January. Use John Innes No.1 compost (or similar) covering the seed with a thin layer of compost. After watering them in, place the seed container against a North wall or in a cold frame making sure that they are protected from mice. Leave them there until the spring. Then bring them into a greenhouse, on a well lit, but not sunny place, and germination should then take place.

If you are planning to sow hardy annuals in the spring, they will benefit from giving the soil in the place they will go to an early preparation. So long as the soil is in reasonably good heart it is best not to put any fertiliser, since annuals do best in a soil that is not too rich.

When picking Brussels sprouts keep the tops, and only use the best when all the sprouts have been harvested. Some of the winter broccoli may be starting to form their curds. Turn in the leaves to protect the curd from frost, and cut regularly as once they have reached their full development the curds soon begin to open and will spoil.

In order to have some early shoots of mint, now is the time to lift a few roots and put them in a fairly deep seed box and cover with potting soil. Put it in a frame or the greenhouse, and you will have nice shoots in a few weeks, when everything else is still asleep in the garden.

If you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse vine, they should be pruned towards the end of the month. All side-growths should be cut back to two buds. The spurs carrying these shortened growths should be well spaced apart, at least 40 to 50 cm apart on the main rod so that overcrowding in summer is minimised.

Garden Notes for November 2024.

All apple and pear trees should be pruned this month. Try to form the tree into a ‘wine glass’ shape to allow maximum light into the centre. Remember to long prune tip bearing varieties. Generally cut back ‘leaders’ by about one-third and prune back side growth.

Now is the time to plant bare root roses. There are masses of roses to choose from, but you should find a suitable variety that has been bred by David Austin to suit most gardens. He is the worthy successor to Harry Wheatcroft.

It is not too late to be planting tulips in November, but do it earlier rather than later in the month. If you have a sheltered and well drained plot, now is the time to sow winter broad beans such as Aquadulce. Early broad beans often escape the blackfly attacks on the growth tips of the plant in spring.

If the weather continues to be mild, grass will still be growing, so mow it as necessary as long as the ground is not sodden or frozen. When you have finished, make sure that the mower is cleaned, drain the petrol and store it in a dry place. Ensure that it has an annual service so that it is ready for all the work in the Spring. Clean greenhouses and conservatories with a suitable cleaning agent such as Agralan Citrox.

If you are planning to have a show of hippeastrum (more commonly known as ‘amarylis’), now is the time to pot these large bulbs so that the neck is above the level of the compost (otherwise it will rot and die). The pot should not be more than 2.5cm wider than the bulb itself as they like to be fairly crowded. Remember to stop watering cacti and succulents, except the Christmas cacti, until March next year. Roots of outdoor chrysanthemums should labelled, lifted and put in a cold frame for the winter. If a cold frame is not available they can be kept under the shelter of a wall and protected with garden fleece.

Hardy peas like ‘Feltham First’, ‘Meteor’ and the mangetout ‘Oregon Sugar Pod’ can be sown in an unheated greenhouse in pots so that you can enjoy an early crop next June. Sow broad beans outside in a sunny, free-draining spot.

Garden Notes for October 2024.

Seed catalogues for next year tend to turn up in September and October.  One of them was delivered to me and I was amazed to see that the price of seed potatoes has really shot up.  The cheapest was £8.95 per kilogramme, coming down a lot if you bought in 5 kg packs but that is far too many for my plot and still means forking out nearly £25.

Autumn means that the leaves on trees start to turn.  This does depend, in part, on how cold the evenings become since the tree system does not turn off the supply of nutrients to the leaves until there has been a frost.  So that also means that the good gardener should be on the look out for their tender plants and bring them into sheltered accommodation before being desiccated by a sharp frost.  Those of you growing parsnips will relish being able to dig them after the first frost when they are at their very best.

Most houseplants will be slowing down their growth.  Water and feed less frequently.  Cacti, in particular, should be kept dry and frost-free during the winter, that includes yucca.

Plant out wallflowers, polyanthus, sweet williams, foxgloves and other similar biennials for a good display in the spring.  Spring cabbage should be planted out while the ground is still workable, keep up a succession of winter lettuce like ‘Winter Density’.  Cut remaining marrows, squashes and pumpkins.  Put them away in a dry, frost-proof place.  Clear away all the pea and bean haulm, then dig over the vacated ground.

Once the ground has been cleared it is a good idea to break it up.  If you have heavy clay (as most of us do round here) the best way is to use a spade and to leave it with large clods that will break down over the winter with weathering.  If you break the soil down too much at this time of year, it will just become a ‘pudding’ and you will have to start all over again in the spring.  Alternatively save your back and just cover the soil with a good mulch of Farmyard Manure .  I still believe in turning the ground but there are those who argue against this practice.

After the first frosts have browned off the tops of dahlias, cut them down to within 12 cm (9”) of ground level.  Mark the variety with a label, and lift the tubers so that they can be dried under cover and then stored in a frost-free place for the winter.  I have tried this over the years and never have much success.  It might be worthwhile just leaving them in the ground and covering the spot with chipped bark or ash, remembering to mark the spot with the name of the variety.  Be warned though, if we do have a prolonged cold period in the winter you could lose the tubers in the ground as well, so you pays your money and takes your choice.

If you want early sweet peas, now is the time to start them off.  For best result sow one or two seeds in rooting pots as sweet peas have an exceptionally long tap-root.  Germinate the seeds in the greenhouse with gentle, consistent warmth.  Once they have emerged sweet peas can be kept outside in a cold frame, only needing protection from the worst frosts by having a cover over them and, if you are like me, protect the seedlings from ravenous slugs and snails in the best way that you can.

Garden Notes for September 2024.

Watering plants is always a good topic of discussion.  It is either too dry or it’s too wet.  The essential thing is to try to get the right balance.  When it is dry the closable leaf pores on plants (technically called ‘stomata’) shut down and slow down the process of photosynthesis.  When there is enough water the stomata open, transpiration takes place, allowing the air containing carbon dioxide to go into the plant, which, together with sunlight, powers the reaction of water and carbon dioxide to make the sugars that are the plant’s energy source and building blocks.  Watering keeps the stomata open in dry spells.  As a rule of thumb one square metre of vegetation draws the equivalent of an inch of rainfall every day.  Growth of plants in the summer normally requires additional irrigation.  There are now numerous automatic systems that can be put in – especially for containers and hanging baskets.

The start of autumn means that many plants are producing seed heads, which we normally ‘dead head’ to keep the succession of flowers going.  At this time it might be worth keeping them.  With the cost of seed increasing year on year (the average cost is now around £3 per packet, and can be a lot more) it might be worthwhile considering saving some seed head for sowing.  Flowers like Sweet William, Love-in-Mist (Nigella), Cosmos, or vegetables like Runner Beans, can be harvested just before the seed pod has fully dried.  Use brown paper bags to hang the seed head upside down and store in a dry place.  Remember to label the variety, and then when it is all nice and brown shake out the seed and you have saved yourself pounds for a few minutes work.  Unfortunately the lovely hybrids that abound now will not breed true and you will have to rely on the expertise of the professional for that, but if you don’t mind a variety of colour in your Sweet William and so on it is fine.

Whilst the desirable seed heads should be kept, do watch out for all the weeds making sure that they survive.  Milk Thistle, Shepherd’s Purse, Plantain and Groundsel– the list is endless, all should be removed before the flower has had time to set seed.  I have been having a purge on Shepherd’s Purse that became rampant last year.  It seems that no sooner than I have collected another bunch than an equal amount appears on another part of the vegetable garden.  In a bit of land where I have a few fruiting trees there has been a crop of the weed called ‘henbane’ but recently I have made sure to strim the growing plants before they can go to seed.  But they still come back every year.

September is the best month to plant daffodils outside, so make sure you have ordered your new supplies.  New varieties are always being offered, like ‘Easter Bonnet’ which has a white perianth and large pink cup.  Then there is another one called ‘Petit Four’ which has an unusual cup that opens out into a ball of apricot.

Carrots should be lifted and stored before the roots start to split, which they will do very quickly once the heavy autumnal rains begin.  Tomatoes should be cleared from the greenhouse so that it can be prepared for autumn and winter flowers.  Onions should be dried and ripened off.  In our uncertain weather it is a good idea to put them into a greenhouse or bench where there is plenty of air circulating before tying them up into ropes.  Alternatively, use the mesh bags that are used in grocery stores.  They need to be kept in the light and to have plenty of air round them, unlike potatoes that need to be stored in thick paper sacks with the light excluded.

Garden Notes for August 2024.

Plant Madonna lilies now, with not more than 2” of soil above each bulb.  Order lilies for autumn delivery.  Tiger lilies and some hybrids produce bulbils between the leaves and the stem.  Gather the bulbils when they fall at a touch and plant them in a deep seed box, about 2” apart.

Keep shrubs tidy by dead heading.  Especially roses, but do not apply rose fertiliser after the end of July, this avoids late soft growth which will not mature before winter.

Laurel is a very useful plant but it is very vigorous and August is the month to keep it neat by trimming your laurel hedge.  Some gardeners say that the laurel hedge should be trimmed using secaturs only.  This does give a much improved finish, if you have the time.  Using shears is much quicker and does not substantially make much difference.  If you can allow your compost more than 2 years to compost, then put your laurel trimmings on to it.  If, like me, you can only keep the compost heap for a matter of months, it is better to get rid of the laurel leaves since they take a long time to decompose due to their waxy surface.

Dahlias are supposed to be making a come back, having been rejected as being too gaudy.  I have always liked them, and wish that I could grow specimens to compete in the Summer Show (this year to be held on Saturday 17 August).  To even have a chance, now is the time to make sure that you disbud them, only one flower being kept on each stem.  Dahlias will also need to be tied in as their stems become very heavy with the foliage and bloom and are easily broken by gusts of wind.

Cut out old raspberry canes that have fruited this year.  Cut them down to ground level and retain only six or seven of the strongest new canes on each plant for fruiting next year.  Overcrowding of the canes can lead to a higher incidence of disease.

Cut gladioli for indoor use when the first floret has opened.  For exhibition plants the timing of cutting is dependent on the variety.  The idea is to have as many florets open as possible.  Remember to leave 4 –5 leaves when cutting a spike.

Keep cutting sweet pea blooms.  Never allow the blooms to fade or droop otherwise the flowering period will be shortened.

Early in the month sow spring cabbage.  Recommended varieties include ‘Early Market’, ‘Harbinger’, ‘Flower of Spring’ and ‘Wheeler’s Imperial’.

Provide you have a place where the seed can germinate at temperatures below 20 C sow some lettuce for cutting in the winter.  Try ‘Winter Density’ or ‘Artic King’.

Keep a careful watch for potato blight.  Cut off affected haulm and destroy it, don’t compost it.