Twenty seventh edition - July 2003
Strange how our mental vision of a typical British summer day with blue
skies, gentle breeze and lazy hours spent on a sunlounger, contrasts with reality, which
brings the noise of strimmers and mowers, the smell of neighbourhood bonfires that waft
smoke in through open windows, blaring music and those irritating little flies that get
close up and personal the hotter you get. And of course the endless, back-breaking weeding
and digging.. Roll on winter and some comfort eating by the fire, whilst dreaming of
utopian lazy summer days! Never happy are we?
I read in my paper today that internet-based insurance company Esure is
writing to garden centre chains urging them to withdraw willow tree saplings from sale in
areas prone to subsidence, particularly in areas with clay soils, due to the fact that
they need to be planted at least 130 feet from a property to avoid problems, four times
further than most trees and being thirsty trees, they can suck soil dry, causing buildings
to sink.. It has always amazed me how close to houses some people plant new trees, not
realising what damage the roots are doing underground, not only to their own house
foundations, but also to their neighbours` property. So when planting new young trees, be
very aware of their root habit... When we moved here four years ago our insurers asked us
the distance of ours and neighbouring trees from our house...
Did you know that the average lettuce we buy has been sprayed no less than
eight times before getting to us! I haven`t covered fruit and vegetables much here,
preferring flowers, but I feel I should be encouraging gardeners to produce their own
produce where possible. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on this?
Laterlife is pleased to support the project below:-
http://beehive.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/sensorygarden
Designed to stimulate the senses and provide a
haven of peace, a place to chill-out and unwind from the stress of modern living. A garden
designed specifically to be "Positive About Disabled People" and raise funds for
people with Multiple Sclerosis.
Take a
virtual trip around the garden, through different countries, its monthly photo galleries
& artwork, explore and discover the plants, birds and wildlife, water features and
wind-chimes, as we endeavour to describe the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch of
the various areas.
We hope you enjoy your visit to the Sensory
Garden Project
|
Some of your
recent gardening queries
Jobs for the month - July
The vegetable patch
Mulching vegetables with lawn mowings will
suppress weeds and keep moisture in the soil. Although it is midsummer and you will
already be harvesting many of your crops, there are still many seeds which can be sown at
this time of year, including of course salad crops which turn around pretty quickly and
which you can be sure are chemical-free. Spring cabbage can be sown in nursery beds
now and transplanted later, but other brassicas will need planting out now.. Brassicas,
especially brocolli, need a firm soil, never newly dug or manured soil. Broccoli does best
on heavy yet well drained loam which had been manured for a previous crop. Cut courgettes
regularly or they will not produce well and ensure they have frequent waterings with
liquid manure. Tomatoes in your greenhouse should be watered daily with as much water as
they can take.
Hanging baskets, tubs and window boxes
In hot dry spells, you will need to water sometimes as
often as twice a day. Regular deadheading will help keep the plants flowering profusely.
(I managed not to weaken and am pleased to say that the time consuming hanging
baskets are NOT adorning my house this year and even more pleased to say I don`t miss
them!)
Lawns
Most parts of the country have had good, heavy
rain showers over the past few weeks and lawns will respond well to a `Weed and feed`
which can be used until September in case you have missed out applying it.. The
application on my lawn in the spring failed to kill off the clover which became very
pronounced when it flowered, so I used Verdone Lawn weedkiller diluted in a 5 litre pump
action sprayer, which killed the clover almost instantly. I also use Verdone spot weeder
for lawns on those elusive weeds in the lawn that always seem to survive. I have spent a
great deal of time this year getting a neat edge to the lawn; it looks a treat and was
well worth the effort..
Shrubs
Any flowering shrubs that have finished blooming can be
pruned now and will enjoy an overhead watering with a fine mist, on hot days.
Wildlife
We have squirrels in our garden this year, which
has solved the mystery of the many broken and eaten plants. But no matter, they are
welcome visitors and lovely to watch. The garden is full of slugs and snails
unfortunately, but again, they will have to stay as I cannot put down slug pellets in case
they harm the dogs... The broken shells, sharp gravel, or ring of salt around the plants
planted in paved areas has really helped keep the hostas slug and snail free..
Ponds and water features
This is fish-spawning time of year so take
care to ensure your pond is well oxygenated. If you are removing blanket weed or other
debris from your pond, do take care not to remove any baby frogs or fish fry that may be
caught up in it. Feed your fish their maximum quota this month.
If you have a water
feature the water can evaporate very quickly if the spray is set too high and doesn`t
return to the reservoir it is stored in, or if the weather is very hot. So check the
levels frequently. I find visiting small children love to touch water features and
changing the water frequently helps keep a fairly germ free environment.. I have a pebble
fountain and put some blue food colouring in the water which made it a beautiful fresh
turquoise colour..
House plants
Take care not to let houseplants burn this
month, ensuring good air circulation and plenty of watering, with the occasional
misting. Some of my succulents appeared to have a problem with the white mealy bug, while
other house plants in the conservatory had the beginnings of red spider mite. I don`t like
using chemicals so therefore was pleased to find a spray called "Nature`s
Answer" made by The Scotts Company (UK) Limited and containing nothing more innocuous
than fatty acids and sulphur, a mineral that occurs in nature. This spray worked a treat
and was suitable for all my houseplants, but apparently not for ferns. I was disappointed
to find that the very heavy hailstones we had a few weeks ago damaged a couple of my
larger houseplants that were spending the summer outside on the patio. The not so tough
leaves of the Cordyline and Swiss Cheese plant have been sort of pebbledashed, but will
grow out with time!
Weeding
A nice easy manintenance job with a hoe this month that will prevent
seedlings from germinating and show your neighbours what an industrious person you are!
Some favourite RHS flower shows (Dates
taken from their website)
Hampton Court Palace Flower
Show |
- |
8 - 13 July 2003 |
Charity Gala Preview of
the
Hampton Court Palace Flower Show |
- |
7 July 2003 |
RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park |
- |
23 - 27 July 2003 |
Malvern Autumn Garden & Country
Show |
- |
27 - 28 Sept 2003 |
RHS London Flower Shows |
- |
Monthly |
Wisley Shows |
-
|
April, June and August |
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/

Tel: 020 8332 5655 (24 hr)
Fax: 020 8332 5197Royal Botanic Gardens
Kew
Richmond
Surrey
TW9 3AB |
Tel: 01444 894066 (24 hr)
Fax: 01444 894069 Royal Botanic Gardens
Wakehurst Place
Ardingly
Nr Haywards Heath
West Sussex
RH17 6TN |
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.com
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.
Good reading:-
"The Yellow Book" contains information of
all Gardens of England and Wales open for charity, and can be bought priced £5 from
National Gardens Scheme www.ngs.org.uk
National Trust Gardens Handbook is £6.99 and
the new edition is out in May Telephone 01394 389 950 or see their website www.nationaltrust.org.uk
RHS Garden Finder is £12.99 from Dorling
Kindersley www.dk.com
|