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Thirty seventh edition - May 2004
We saw typical April showers last month, which was good
for gardeners everywhere. Not so good were those heavy frosts which caught
some early new growth, leaving it blackened. If you have frost damaged
plants, just cut the damaged parts out and soon you won`t see the
difference.
There seems to be some confusion over which
garden chemicals were banned last year: a friend told me she was most
surprised to see
creosote
- which was supposedly banned - for sale in a well known DIY store and I was
told that railway sleepers treated with creosote can no longer be sold, so
how do we know what is legal to use these days? Have a look at
this link for a
list of banned substances. Any old chemicals should be disposed of with
great care too. You will find the necessary information on that website too.
I took all old chemicals from our shed to our local household waste
department for them to dispose of.. Don't forget too that you can be fined
heavily if any of the banned chemicals are found on your premises!
If you are going to
The
Spring Gardening Show Malvern you can order tickets from
the number below:-
Enquiries & Ticket Hotline 01684 584924
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... Last autumn I planted lots of miniature tulips and daffodils, dotted
around in groups, which are in flower just now and looking great
Lawns
Keep new
lawns damp and treat existing lawns with weed and feed, not forgetting to
apply it according to instructions. A going over
with an electric scarifier first rips out all the moss and rubbish. My lawn
has been cared for by
http://www.greenthumb.co.uk for the last 9 months or so,
due to the battering it had from my two labradors charging around on it all
day, and I must say it is now looking splendid!
 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 it down with the hosepipe, and shade the plants from too much sun.
Plant up your baskets and tubs using Phostrogen "Basketmate", a mixture of
slow release plant food granules and water storing crystals, which can be
bought from your supermarket, DIY store or garden centre.
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. If the winter has left your paths slippery with moss remove
it by power washing or specialist path cleaner.
Hedges
Fast
growing formal hedges should have their first light clipping at the end of
this month. Don`t let newly planted conifers or other
hedging plants dry out, and mulch if possible. Remember to be a considerate
neighbour by not letting 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. How about growing some of the
smaller variety of wallflowers, which together with miniature daffodils and
tulips look so delicate. For a couple of years now I have been buying
packets of `throw and grow` annual seeds that save me a lot of time fiddling
about with labour intensive bedding plants. And they are so pretty...
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.
 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 has made a 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.
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.
The
Spring Gardening Show Malvern |
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7 - 9 May 2004 |
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Chelsea
Flower Show |
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25 - 28 May 2004 |
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BBC Gardeners'
World Live |
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16 - 20 June 2004 |
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RHS
International Lily Show & Conference |
: :
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30 June - 3 July 2004 |
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Charity
Gala Preview of the
Hampton Court Palace Flower Show |
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5 July 2004 |
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Hampton
Court Palace Flower Show |
: : |
6 - 11 July 2004 |
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RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park |
: : |
21 - 25 July 2004 |
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Malvern
Autumn Garden & Country Show |
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25 - 26 September 2004 |
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Wisley Shows |
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April, June and August |
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RHS London Flower
Shows |
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Regularly |
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http://www.rhs.org.uk/events/shows.asp
Laterlife is pleased to support the project below:-
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http://www.sensory-garden.com
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
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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.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:-
"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
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Gardener`s Diary is a regular feature of laterlife.com
run by Rosemary Martin. 
