The first edition - May 2001.
We are promised a heat
wave this summer, and certainly deserve one after the weather of the last few
months... It seems like Spring has finally arrived, but don`t get caught out by any
late frosts that may ruin your tender plants and shrubs. Get them covered up at night if
the forecast is for frost - old newspapers will do if you don`t have any horticultural
fleece.
If you haven`t yet
planted up your tubs and hanging baskets there are still plenty of plants in the
garden centres, and in many cases they will even plant them up for you . If you like
hanging baskets but not the twice daily watering that is needed to keep them in top
condition in hot weather, try the ones with a water reservoir in the bottom. Mix the
potting compost together with water retaining gel granules and controlled release plant
food, before planting them up, then you will have the best hanging baskets in the
neighbourhood that will flower away until the first frosts... Or you can really
cheat by waiting until the first week in June and bargaining with your local garden centre
for their display hanging baskets.
If you really don`t like
gardening why not enjoy the benefits of someone else`s hard work by visiting gardens
that are open to the public. Your local library should have a list of these.
Don`t miss a great day
out: BBC Gardeners`World Live at the NEC in Birmingham from June 13 -
17. For the ticket hotline Tel: 0870 264 5555
Jobs for the month - May
Do not let
the warmer days of May lull you into forgetting the tasks that must now be tackled. This
is the time of year when plans for beds and borders should be put into action. Take
cuttings, sow biennial seeds and don`t forget any pruning tasks.
Bulbs.
Try giving bulbs a liquid
feed or a sprinkle of Growmore for an even better display next year, and leave daffodil
leaves to die down naturally which will take about six weeks. When tulips are finished
flowering you can lift them and heel them in elsewhere for the bulbs to ripen. I never
bother to do this and leave them in situ. There are a few less each year which are easily
added to...
Lawns
Keep new lawns damp and
treat existing lawns with weed and feed, not forgetting to apply it according to
instructions. I usually give my lawn a going over with an electric scarifier first
which rips out all the moss and rubbish. The amount of debris it removes never fails to
amaze me, and the grass is now looking very respectable compared with the rough neglected
lawn of eighteen months ago when we moved here.
 Greenhouse
Protect tender plants from
late frosts, with newspaper or horticultural fleece, and start hardening off summer
bedding plants by taking them out of the greenhouse and putting them in cold frames. Don`t
plant them out till the end of May. Maintain the greenhouse humidity and avoid red
spider mite by damping down with the hosepipe, and shade the plants from too much sun.
Paths, fences and walls
Check fence support posts
and make sure that supports for climbing plants are strong enough. Why not give your fence
a spring coat of paint with one of the new colours? Are the walls safe? Put
weedkiller on paths taking care to read instructions regarding pets. Check if the
recent wet weather has made your paths uneven or slippery with moss and remedy this to
avoid accidents.
Hedges
Fast growing formal hedges
should have their first light clipping at the end of this month, but the growing season
seems a little late this year so it may not need doing for a while. Don`t let newly
planted conifers or other hedging plants dry out, and mulch if possible. Remember not to
let your boundary conifer hedging get too high.
 Fruit
Strawberries in flower must
be protected from late frosts. Watch out for the birds on fruit bushes and cover with
netting if necessary
Flowers for cutting
Sow biennials and perennials
for next years flower arrangements, and start training those sweet peas up their supports.
Herbaceous plants
Stake plants and feed them
weekly. I use Miracle-Gro with the dispenser that attaches to the hose pipe so everything
in the garden gets fed... Keep the borders weed free and mulched and watch out for aphids
on your plants. They seem to be less fussy what they land on with each year that
passes. Have you seen those giant aphids on lupins? Why not treat yourself to one of
those obelisks that are so cheap and cheerful. They look great in the middle of a border
supporting a climbing plant.
 Ponds
and water features
Clear the debris and moss
from water features and change the water if necessary, taking care not to disturb any
wildlife that`s made it`s home there. Check the electrical system is safe. Make
preparations for new aquatic plants in the pond, taking care not to disturb any fish
that may be getting ready to spawn. Remove any unwanted frog or toad spawn.
Wildlife
By now you should have
stopped feeding the birds in your garden. They will need to forage naturally for
themselves whilst food is plentiful. Let them rid your garden of the
aphids..
Next month I will be
looking at types of barbecues on the market, the latest plants in the garden centres, some
trendy garden furniture and of course jobs for the month...
Some web
sites of interest to gardeners:
 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
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.
And finally
if you are visiting a National Trust garden or any other garden or event, do check
that they are not closed due to Foot and Mouth disease. For general advice and up-to-date
details of restrictions look up the website for the appropriate local authority who will
have information about closures. Alternatively look at the following websites: www.nationaltrust.org.uk and www.defra.gov.uk who will have Foot and Mouth
up-dates.
Have a look at previous editions of Gardener`s Diary
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