Adventures in Horticulture - The Chris Collins Website

THE  GARDEN  MONTHLY

This diary type page to be up dated on a monthly basis will describe the gardening under taken by the sites author and will hopefully relay a bit of knowledge and tips.


Intro: The last of the dark months begin , well this is not exactly true , the winter carries into March in reality but not to the gardeners psyche. February is the quite before the storm and by the middle of this month our heads will be starting to whirl with the prospect of nature coming out of its winter sleep , its the month where plans are made but can not yet begin , not that this bothers us as the greatest requirement of a good gardener is patience.

That is not to say that things do not need doing in the garden this month , in a way we a preparing our canvass , so getting things tidy and ordered is the priority of the day. Clearing up any debris produced by winter winds and fallen branches from the weight of the recent snow was the job I undertook this morning . Some may say this is boring but I love these fresh winter mornings and the feeling of getting ready for the most exciting season of the year.

I also started scanning through the seed catalogues , so much choice is to be had nowadays it can almost be a bit daunting , I will take my time over this little task as it dictates , in my minds eye what things in the gardens I work in , will look like in the coming months.

The best way to organise the tasks for the month though is to walk around the garden and knock up a quick list , then retire to the office with the seed catalogues and ponder whilst perusing the choices of seed.

The best way to organise the tasks for the month though is to walk around the garden and knock up a quick list , then retire to the office with the seed catalogues and ponder whilst perusing the choices of seed.

THE FEBRUARY TO DO LIST:

• Turn over and prepare compost bin for the year ahead , use well rotted compost as a mulch to dress beds and borders in the garden.

• A the same time apply organic fertilizers such as Bone meal or blood bone and fish to the soil and around trees and shrubs .

• Cut out any old flowering wood from late summer flowering shrubs.

• Last chance to move any deciduous trees and shrubs to new locations

• Check over garden machinery and tools , clean , oil and safety check appropriately

• Start chitting early potatoes

• Prune out any diseased and dying material on garden plants

• Spike lawn in preparation for the spring

• Prepare soil and seed beds for veg.

• Apply Lime to ground where Brassicas are to be grown

• Clean and sterilize greenhouse or propagators ready for seed sowing next month
 

• Complete any construction tasks begun over the winter.


MARCH

Intro : The  never  ending  winter  continues  and  thus  most  gardeners  will  be  keeping a  weiry  eye  on  the temperature  ,  I  have  a  feelin  that things  will  be  a  little later  in  growth and  movement  this  year   . As  I  sit  here  looking onto  a  garden that is  crammed  with  Bulbs  ,  most  of  which are in containers ,  I  can  see very  little growth ,  the tips  are  showing  but  they  are sitting  tight  ,  quite  wisely ,  waiting  for  their  moment. If  your  looking to keep  warm  though ,  this  is  the  ideal  time  to  get mulching ,  all  that  lovely  compost you've  been  collecting  can now  go  back  out  onto  your  beds and  borders  ,  try  and  stay off  any  frozen  lawn  you  may own  whilst doing  this  job .  your  feet  will  crush  the  cells in  the  frozen leaves  of  the grass and   a  few days  after  it  will  turn  black. If your  lawn  is  looking  sad (the  Blue Peter  lawn  , after a  winter  of  filming  in the  garden  is  looking  pretty  sad) not to  worry  next  month  we can  go  through some  operations  that  wil  getit  back  to  as  good  as new.

For me  though , this  time  of year signifys the start  of  the seed  sowing  season  and  I'm  enjoying raising  the  plants  that  I  know  will  make  my summer  ,  all  sorts  are  getting  sown  from  Impoea  (morning glory) ,  to  lobelia and a  huge  range  of other  bedding  plants  and  of  course the  Veg  I  intend  to  grow ,  this  includes  Tomato ,  Onions , lots  of Salad leaves  and  although I know its  a  bit  early  ,  I  could not  resist  sowing  my beans  andeven  Pumpkins .  They areall  being protected  by  propagating units  and  kept  i  small potrable  greehouses  and  coldframes  ,  I'm  aware  that  thay  won't  be  happy  with  the current temperature , so  I need to  protect  them   . One  problem   have  already  encountered  is  dampin  off  ,  the fungal scurge  of the  seedling .

All  in  all  though  I'm  geared  up to  have a  container  garden  this  year which will   be  dominted  by summer bedding  inter  mixed with edibles and  herbs. 

Here's  the gadening  considerations  for  the mont  of March.

  • Mulch  bare  soil  in  beds and  borders    also  top  up  the surface  of  your containers
  • Sow  half  hardy  and  other  tender plants in  propagatores and  under  cover
  • Plant  early potatoes
  • Prune those  shrubs  with colourful  wood s  such as  Dogwoods  ,  these can  be  cut  right  doen  to  the  ground (stooled) ,  they  will  then produce the  wood  for next years  colour.
  • Plant summer  flowering  bulbs
  • Move  and  transplant  any  evergreen  shrubs  or  Coifers hat are in  the wrong place.
  • Sow  vegetables  such as  Carrot  nto the  open  ground.  start sowing  Brassicas under  cover 
  • Check  trees  and  shrubs  for  die back over  the  winter  and  remove any  diseased  or dying  material  as  the  plant  begins  to  break  bud
  • Prune bush  and  shrub  Roses
  • Pot  on  and  feed  with slow release fertiliser  any  house plants  that  have become  pot bound. 




APRIL

Intro: There are  many  highlights   to  a  hard winter  ,  frost covered herbaceous  foliage  , he  snow when  its  fresh  , those  bright  cold  winter  mornings  that  freshen  up  the lungs ,  and  of  course  the  elation  that  is felt  when it  finally comes to  a  end and  we  are  greeted by  the spring.
Wha  a  time  of  year this  is  ,  the  whole  place just thriving  with  energy.  The sap  is  rising  in  every tree across  the land  ,  which  means  millions  upon  millions  of   gallons  of  water is  pulsing  through  the xylem  of  tree trunks .. and you know  what is completely  surreal  about  this  ,  is  its  doing  it  in  near silence ,  infact  I  wonder  how  many  people are even  aware  its  going  on.

For gardeners  ,  this  is  busy,  busy time , lots  of  seed  sowing is  now being undertaken ,  watch  though for  those  late frosts  , they  are about  and  they  will  disrupt  your plans  if you  don't pay attention  Think of april  as  the  month  of  graft  and  in  the  summer  you  will  be  able  to  enjoy  the fruits  of  your  labour .

As  well as  seed  sowing  I'm  ending  a  few lawns  ,  removing  the thatch  ,  that  layer  of dead  foliage  tha  builds  up under  the surface  of  the crowns ,  also  spiking  the  ground  ,  grass hates  having its  drainage  impeded  .  And  then  over  sowing  with  seed  and  appling a spring  fertiliser.  there  are a  numerous  jobs  that  need doing  around  the garden  ,  so  its goodto  make  a  list:

  • Prick  out and  pot  up  sedlings ,  giving  them  the  space  they  need  to  push  on  ,  remember its  vital  to  protect them  from  late frosts.
  • Cut  back  dead  herbaceous  foliage  once those  fresh  green  shoots begin  to  appear.
  • Feed  established lawns  and  repair any  bold or damaged  spots from  the  hard  winter.
  • Sow  or turf new  lawns
  • Watch out  for our friends  the  slugs ad  snails ,  hand  picking is  always good ,  but back  up  with  deterents  such  as old coffee  grounds  and  broken  egg  shell.
  • Dead head  any  Daffodils   that ahve  finished  flowering
  • Divide any perennials  that have become  to  large.
  • Watch  out  for  emerging  weeds  ,  get to  them  before the  set  seed  ,  as his  will save you  plenty  work  further down the  line.
  •  Plant  new aqutic  plants  in  your pond , begin feedin fish
  • Continue sowing and  planting vegetables outdoors
  • Water any newly planted  trees ans  shrubs
  • Be aware  of  any  plants  that put on  rapid  growth  as  they  may  need  staking , particularly herbaceous  perennials.
  • Prepare  ground  for  sowing  hardy  annuals  ,  summer  flowers  that be  grown  in situ.
  • Good time to  be  sowing ornemental  grasses
  • Pinch  out  herb  plants 
  • As  always  remove any dead or  damaged  material  from  your plants
  • Make  sure  your compost bin  is fit  for purpose.
  • Prepare trenches  for  runner beans.
  • Top  dress  borders  a  beds  with  fish  ,  blood and  bone  fertiliser.


MAY

Intro:     


         

      

 


CM Collins .