May 2011

With such lovely weather over the Easter Weekend the gardens have been able to catch up on some of their growth after such a long, hard winter.

I have had to accept that some of my shrubs are not going to recover, and have started the sad job of cutting them down and disposing of them. My job has been made easier by the fact that the secateurs i am using at ultra-sharp and fit comfortably into my hand. They are made by a Germany firm called Berger. I can thoroughly recommend them.

After i had cut all but a small piece of the main stem off my Senecio shrub I discovered a small shoot just above ground level. I have watered this well and scattered some plant food round the stem to give it a good start. The original shrub had got quiet leggy so this has given me the chance to start again and keep it well trimmed as it grows.

Although i have not yet planted my Runner Beans I have already prepared the bean trench. I have dug a trench about 30'' wide and 30'' deep and have lined the bottom with the contents of the compost bins. (it doesn't matter if everything is not fully composted down because it will be buried and continue to compost in the ground). I have then filled the trench back in with the soil and will erect the bean poles over the trench. Once the beans are in situ the roots will find the compost and it helps produce healthy plants. It also helps with moisture retention. Even if you do not have any compost, just lining a trench with old newspaper will improve water retention.

The asparagus has started to crop, although the very first spears were attacked and eaten by pigeons. I have resorted to covering the asparagus bed with a fleece blanket, to prevent the pigeons getting at it. I think a good accompaniment to lovely, fresh asparagus spears may be Pigeon Pie!!

The broad beans which I planted out last month are continuing to grow well, and now have flowers on them. I have also planted out some dwarf french beans and they are under a Planto Bio Fleece until they get established. I have held off planting the salad crops such as spring onions, radish and beetroot until there is some moisture in the soil. The seeds just will not germinate if the ground is too dry.

Now is a good time to plant up hanging baskets and patio pots. Although they cannot go outside yet, but need to stay in the greenhouse in case of late frosts, if they are planted up now they can build up a good root stock and begin to form flower buds, so they are well established by the time they are hardened off an put out.

Happy Gardening!!