Gardener's Diary            February

I have been gardening now for about thirty years, long enough for my husband to know that it`s wise to bury his head in a newspaper when I get the secateurs out...  I don`t have a favourite style of gardening, traditional is nice but I also think the modern trends work well. Plants in my garden have to be resilient as they get moved around frequently, and my husband has been heard  to mutter  “I don`t remember that tree being there this morning..”

Hobbies have come and gone over the years but only gardening has endured, and now in retirement this column adds a new dimension to the hobby, and will hopefully help others find pleasure in this healthy and therapeutic pastime  ...  

Please e-mail me with your garden problems, comments, or ideas for this section of  laterlife, remembering to tell me which country you are from.. 

 Click here for previous editions of Gardener`s Diary..

Thirty fourth edition - February 2004

Did you manage to get in the garden at all during January? It was mostly a mild month and the few sessions of tidying up and pruning in our garden were thoroughly invigorating and really shook off some of the winter cobwebs..  Any bad weather we have now will knock back all those bulbs and buds that are coming through much too early, due to the milder start to the year. If any of you have had plants damaged  through seasonal snow or frost, don`t be too hasty in discarding them because they might just recover...

Do take care underfoot if we have snow and ice!

I have put all the dates of the RHS flower shows at the bottom of this page and have been reminded by them to:

More on this, the third largest flower show in the UK, below...

Plenty of jobs for the month.. (Depending on the weather of course!)

• Plastic flower pots and dirty seed trays should be washed thoroughly with some disinfectant added to the water and stacked away neatly ready for use in the spring. 

• This is an excellent time of year for moving shrubs that are growing in the wrong place or those that have outgrown their position. Aim to lift established plants with as large a rootball as possible. Prepare the soil in the new position by adding some compost...

• Enjoy a mild day by hoeing out any stray weeds that have overwintered.

• Keep paths clear of debris and ice.

• Check tree ties to ensure they aren't cutting into the bark. Replace any that are worn or damaged. I neglected to do this one year recently but luckily the trees survived and are healthy.

• Remove labels on young trees when you plant them. A couple of months ago I found a branch of a four year old tree on the ground.. The string from the label on this branch had tightened naturally as the branch had grown and restricted it`s growth, eventually digging in and severing the branch altogether.. Woops!

• It is a good time to spread a thick mulch of compost,  bark chippings or similar material over borders and between trees. This should be done before plants start into growth and will help to kill any early weeds. I left this job too late one year and smothered some emerging new plant growth..  I don`t do very well sometimes do I?

• Keep winter-flowering houseplants such as cyclamen and hyacinths in a cool position in a good light to extend their flowering season, avoiding draughts or dry heat. 

• If you couldn`t wait and have sown some flower seeds already, ensure they have plenty of natural light if possible and keep them cool once germinated.. Don`t overwater them either or they will dampen off and die.

I shall leave this paragraph for one more month!

You see, there is absolutely no excuse for piling on those extra pounds with all this gardening waiting to be done! You will feel so good and invigorated after a couple of hours outside on a winter`s day..

RHS FLOWER SHOWS 2004

The third largest flower show in the UK, Tatton is an annual feast for keen
gardeners as well as those who simply enjoy the spectacle of stunning garden
designs and plant displays.

Around 50 gardens will showcase the very best design talent working in spaces large and small.  More than 90 of the UK`s leading nurseries and growers will provide further inspiration with exhibits in the floral marquees.  Visitors will have a chance to buy the very latest plants, flowers, gardening accessories and ornaments from the nationıs top growers and specialist suppliers around the showground.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/events/shows.asp  

Laterlife is pleased to support the project below:-

And some places to visit...

www.edenproject.com 

The living theatre of plants and people
The Eden Project is a gateway into the world of plants and people. A meeting place for all to discover how we depend on plants and how we can help to manage and conserve them for our mutual survival.

Kew Gardens two locations:-

 http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/

The National Botanic Gardens of Scotland comprise:

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Scotland's Premier Garden

Benmore Botanic Garden, Argyll
Argyll's Magnificent Mountainside Garden

Dawyck Botanic Garden, Borders
Wonderful Woodland Garden

Logan Botanic Garden, Galloway
Scotland's Most Exotic Garden

The National Botanic Garden of Wales

www.gardenofwales.org.uk

The star attraction here is the 91 metre long domed glasshouse, that houses landscapes normally found in the Mediterranean. This would be a super place to visit on a chilly day...

Keep the e-mails with your gardening problems coming

Have a look at previous editions of Gardener`s Diary

Some websites of interest to gardeners:-

www.alantitchmarsh.co.uk 

Alan Titchmarsh MBE, TV gardener, writer, broadcaster and thoroughly nice person. Just a few choice words to describe the peoples` favourite TV gardener. See his website....

Thompson and Morgan: 

A growing resource for gardeners worldwide. The site includes the international online seed catalogues, the young plants catalogue (UK only), the wholesale seeds catalogue, together with the award winning Germination Times and a host of other useful information. 

www.carryongardening.co.uk

Gardening is an important part of many people's lives. You don't have to give up gardening because of accident or illness, the onset of disability or the problems associated with growing older. The information on their website is designed to provide you with the information to Carry on Gardening.

Carry on Gardening was initiated by the horticultural charity Thrive and is funded by the National Lottery Charities Board.  It brings together information on easy ways of gardening gathered over 23 years by Thrive and research carried out since the early 1970s by Mary Marlborough Centre, Oxford, on tools and equipment for disabled and older people. 

The founder of www.maple-landscapes.com is my eldest son.. give him a call if you live in the Leicester area of the UK and have need of his services.. 

Good reading:-

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