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Monthly Gardening Tips September 2010 |
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Written by Administrator
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Saturday, 04 September 2010 |
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This month sees the final flourish in the garden before the beginning of autumn. The strength of the sun is now diminishing and the nights become a little colder. Plants are starting to prepare for winter; perennials start to die back although dead heading may still produce some late blooms; vegetables and fruit are cropping well and even the grass is beginning to slow its growth!
It is also the best time to insure against loosing some of the more precious plants over the winter, especially the slightly tender ones (but anything surviving after last winter is probably not worth worrying about), or propagating new plants. Take cuttings of fresh, not flowering shoots about 10cm long. Strip off the lower leaves and trim below a leaf node. Plant in a free draining compost and in a few weeks they should have rooted. Move to suitable pots for overwintering in the greenhouse or indoors. Irises can now be divided. Dig up the rhizomes and separate all the sections with roots and leaves. Discard any dead or rotting parts. Trim leaves by about two thirds and replant the new sections. Within 2-3 weeks new leaf growth should show that they have rooted successfully.
Now the rain has returned many plants are putting out fresh shoots and some are even having unseasonal second flowerings. This is just a reaction to the unusual weather patterns over spring and summer. The long, cold winter was followed by an exceptionally dry spell which never really allowed the plants to grow properly so they are trying to make up for it now. All will return to normal next year in the meantime just enjoy the unexpected show. Maintain the flower beds by hoeing as many weeds will try to seed now and cut back any plants that have finished flowering to reduce the risk of disease. Many bulbs are now on sale but it is best to wait until next month to plant these.
Blight may attack your late potatoes and tomatoes. This is a fungal disease that likes warm, moist weather. Leaves start to turn brown and them the fruit will discolour as well. Unfortunately there is no cure just remove the plants and burn. Keep picking beans and courgettes as well as any late raspberries to maintain a supply for as long as possible. Sweet corn is now ready for harvesting, look for the hair-like growth on the cobs to turn brown and test by pressing one of the seeds inside. If a milky juice comes out the cob is ready to be picked.
Plant of the month: Sedum telephium ‘Autumn Joy’: One of the most familiar of the Sedum family ‘Autumn Joy’ is also one of the larger varieties. The stems of fleshy bright green leaves, present from spring, produce flower heads in late August. Tiny pink/red flower buds are held in flat bunches and slowly open to give a superb display for several weeks. The dead flower stalks are best left overwinter which not only protect the dormant buds for next year but are also decorative. Height 40cm. Spread 1m. Easily propagated by stem cuttings in spring.
Charles Wilkins (Crouttes)
Charles is a professional garden designer and landscaper qualified through the Royal Horticultural Society. He now lives in Le Haut de Crouttes and is currently transforming his two acre 'grassy field' into a garden.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 04 September 2010 )
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Monthly Gardening Tips August 2010 |
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Written by Administrator
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Sunday, 08 August 2010 |
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Time for the holidays but as we all rush off for a break spare a thought for the garden. Most of the established plants will cope without any problems for a week or two but given the sustained dry period we are having try to organise some method of watering for the new or those freshly planted. The most often used, and cheapest, is to ask a friend but there are other ways ranging from simple watering mats to technical electronic monitoring systems. Watering mats consist of a piece of special fabric that absorbs and holds water and are used for potted plants. One end is pushed into a container of water and the rest laid out flat and the plants placed on this. By capillary action water is sucked into the fabric and taken up by the pots through their bases. There is a large range of mechanical systems which connect to the water supply tap. These then automatically allow the water to flow into the hosepipe at pre-set times. The hose can either be fitted to a sprinkler, drip feed or perforated pipe system. The only drawback with these is that unless you splash out on an extremely sophisticated device they water the plants even if it’s rained.
House plants and those in the greenhouse can be put outside while you are away as the temperatures are fine and in the case of the greenhouse may be preferable. Remember that most house plants are shade lovers in their natural environment (it’s comparatively dark in a house) so don’t put them in full sun or the leaves may scorch or the plant die, a corner that gets the sun either morning or evening but shaded most of the day is ideal. You will be surprised how healthy and refreshed they will look when you get back from holiday and hopefully you will too!
Keep deadheading flowers to encourage new ones and continue harvesting crops in the potager. Take advantage of space appearing by sowing quick growing plants like radish and lettuce.
Plant of the month:
Echinacea purpurea ‘Vintage Wine’ (Coneflower)
Echinaceas are extremely useful border perennials that begin to flower in late summer when most other plants are starting to go over. This variety with scented, deep pink flowers has shorter, stiffer petals than other varieties, and deep brown central cones. Growing to about 80cm it flowers from midsummer through to autumn is a tough plant that does not need staking and it makes an excellent cut flower. Like other Echinaceas it is long-flowering and will cope well with adverse weather conditions. Plant several through a sunny, mixed border or in bold drifts among grasses. It is attractive to bees and butterflies and birds will flock to the seed heads. Charles Wilkins (Crouttes) Charles is a professional garden designer and landscaper qualified through the Royal Horticultural Society. He now lives in Le Haut de Crouttes and is currently transforming his two acre 'grassy field' into a garden. |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 08 August 2010 )
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Monthly Gardening Tips July 2010 |
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Written by Administrator
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Monday, 05 July 2010 |
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At the time of writing we appear to be in another spell of hot, dry weather. We are having to water as the amount of rainfall is significantly below what we should have had this spring and early summer. Some of the plants that require the ubiquitous but almost unachievable ‘moist but well drained’ conditions are suffering bit if not watered each day. In conditions like these it is best to water either early in the morning before it gets too hot or best of all late evening because as the temperature drops the water will not evaporate as quickly and so drain into the ground more overnight. Also make sure you give each plant a good soaking at the roots so to penetrate down into the ground, a little water will encourage the roots to grow near the surface and so be susceptible to drying out quickly in very hot, dry weather.
Of course the dry loving ‘Mediterranean’ type plants are loving the weather. Verbascums, hollyhocks, thymes and lavenders are all giving a great show at the moment. It’s not that they don’t need as much water just they have evolved ways of preserving it and their root systems penetrate much deeper (try digging up a hollyhock or lavender bush!) To get a good show of flower on lavender next year, clip off the flower heads after they have gone over (great for hanging and drying) and give the whole plant a very light trim. Next spring when the new shoots start to show give it another ‘haircut’ and this will encourage even more shoots and more flowering stems. Be sure not to clip any of the plant below a green shoot as lavender doesn’t regenerate so cutting off all the green parts will kill it. If your bush has become leggy then try to cut it back as far as you can but if it still doesn’t look good then it’s time to replace it.
In the potager the potatoes are being harvested as well lots of other crops. Runner beans have started flowering, they like to be kept moist as well, and currants and gooseberries are in full swing. Pick the last of the rhubarb before leaving to recover for the rest of the season. Keep watering tomatoes with a dilute feed to encourage the fruit to swell buy water regularly because if they dry out too much then get drenched it can cause the fruit to split. Also it’s not too late to sow another batch of sweetcorn to be ready later in the year.
Finally I would like to thank all of you who sent their best wishes and have given a helping hand during the last few weeks to light en the load while I recuperate. Hopefully I will soon be back re-organising parts of the Normandy countryside! Plant of the month:
Campanula lactiflora ‘Loddon Anna’ (Milky Bellflower) 
Growing to over 1 metre tall this clump forming perennial has upright, branching stems that bear clusters of soft lilac, bell-shaped flowers from July to September. It prefers a fertile, neutral to alkaline soil that is moist but well-drained and will do well in either sun or partial shade. It may need staking in exposed situations. Fully hardy it is perfect for the back of the border where it will seed freely. Charles Wilkins (Crouttes) Charles is a professional garden designer and landscaper qualified through the Royal Horticultural Society. He now lives in Le Haut de Crouttes and is currently transforming his two acre 'grassy field' into a garden.): |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 08 August 2010 )
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Monthly Gardening Tips June 2010 |
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Written by Administrator
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Friday, 04 June 2010 |
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What an unusual Spring we have had weather wise. Firstly there was a heat wave in April which encouraged plants to emerge from winter dormancy but then it turned exceptionally cold in early May and new growth was either frosted or killed completely. The below average temperatures also prevented many seeds from germinating and other plants were stopped in their tracks. Coupled with this it was very dry with no significant rainfall in many areas for several weeks. As a consequence many gardens are now weeks behind where they should be in a ‘normal’ year. Do not worry too much though as the garden will soon catch up and in no time you will be enjoying lots of colourful displays and picking vegetables as usual. Now the weather appears to have returned to a predictable routine it’s not too late to plant some of the vegetables that prefer the warmer temperatures. Sweet corn and runner beans can all now be sown or if already growing under cover then planted out. Containerised plants can be put in at any time although remember to keep them watered until they get established if it turns dry again. Continue with the regular hoeing and mowing. Perennials and shrubs that have finished flowering can now be pruned to encourage new growth. The ‘Chelsea Chop’, so called because you do it around the time of the Chelsea Flower Show that has just taken place in London, can be given to early flowering geraniums and other plants that have become a bit leggy. Cut them back by about one third taking off all the flowered stems and this will encourage a second show later in the summer. Many insects will have been struggling in the recent conditions so help them, especially bees, by growing nectar rich flowers. Geraniums, foxgloves, lavender, sage, thyme, poppies and others, which are all easily grown, will be gratefully received by them. Also don’t be too keen to tidy that overgrown corner or forgotten pile of brush, it will now be home to many beetles, centipedes and other beneficial insects and waiting a few months until Autumn to clear it will not be too bad. Finally, a reminder of the Fête des Plantes at the Prieure St Michel on 12 & 13 June where we will have a stand and welcome any fans(!). There is half price admission for Alliance members to this event. Also we will have details of our Journée des Amis, chez nous later in the month. Plant of the month: Geranium ‘Rozanne’ (Rozanne’s Cranesbill): 
This hardy geranium is named after Rozanne Waterer, who, with her husband, spotted it in their garden. It is a hybrid of G. himalayense and G. wallichianum ‘Buxton’s Variety’, producing large (5 cm) intense violet-blue flowers with large white centres. It flowers from May onwards well into Oct-Nov. Similar to ‘Johnson’s Blue’ but without the need to cut back to encourage new flowers but spreading habit. Plant at the border edge, in sun or part shade. Charles Wilkins (Crouttes) Charles is a professional garden designer and landscaper qualified through the Royal Horticultural Society. He now lives in Le Haut de Crouttes and is currently transforming his two acre 'grassy field' into a garden.): |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 04 June 2010 )
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Monthly Gardening Tips May 2010 |
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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 04 May 2010 |
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This is the peak growing time for plants, those we want in the garden and those we don’t! Blink and weeds will seem to appear overnight. When small they can be dealt with by hoeing or hand picking but make sure you get all the root out with pernicious ones like buttercup, dock, thistle and nettle as these will re-grow from a tiny piece left in the ground. If they manage to evade your search and become established try spot weeding using a hand held spray or painting some leaves with a systemic herbicide containing glyphosate (this only works on ‘green’ parts of the plant so is safe to use around tree trunks and it also breaks down to a fertiliser on contact with the soil). Lilies are now showing well but can attract lily beetle. The adults are bright red and very obvious among the foliage, the larva look like a small piece of dirt stuck on the underside of the leaf or stem. Nibbled leaves are a sign they are around and it’s easy to pick them off to prevent a large infestation or I have found a quick squirt of ‘Raid’ ant killer seems to work too.
The recent dry spell slowed the growth of a lot of plants and also the germination of seeds but now the rain has returned things should start to react quickly. Thin out seedlings where necessary and take the opportunity to split overcrowded plants. Most perennials should be up by now, if not they have probably succumbed to the harsh winter weather. Grass never seems to suffer though, except in extreme conditions, and it’s now time to lower the blades on the mower another notch. The first potato shoots are now appearing and when about 12-15cm above ground you can start to earth them up. If you haven’t got the space for this then they should still produce a good crop if planted deep enough. Vegetables and other crops that need a bit more warmth (sweetcorn, tomatoes etc.) can be planted out now although keep an eye to the weather forecast as it’s still not too late for a slight frost.
The last of the narcissus are coming to and end so remove the flower heads and seed pods (unless you want them to spread) but please don’t cut the leaves or even fold and tie them neatly. The bulb is relying on food produced by the foliage to build up a store of food as well as the embryo flower bud for next year. Cherries, pears and apples are giving a great show with masses of blossom, thanks to the ideal conditions last autumn, so look forward to a bumper crop later!
Plant of the month:
Wisteria sinensis (Wisteria): 
Wisteria is one of the best recognised and spectacular climbers. Long racemes of mauve, lilac or white flowers precede the divided leaves. There are two species, W. sinensis comes from China and twines anti-clockwise and W. floribunda (Japan) which twines clockwise. It can take a few years to begin flowering but once established is reliably hardy. Prune new growth in August to five buds and then again in February to three buds to encourage good flowering.
Charles Wilkins (Crouttes) Charles is a professional garden designer and landscaper qualified through the Royal Horticultural Society. He now lives in Le Haut de Crouttes and is currently transforming his two acre 'grassy field' into a garden.): |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 04 May 2010 )
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