大象传媒

At last the festive season is over and we can all get back to normal and to make matters even better we are moving closer to the real gardening season and better still, the evenings are drawing out. In a few weeks we can be working in the garden well past five of clock and there is much to be done.

Last year was a bit of challenge with a bright warm start to spring followed by a dry and cold June and July and when the plants should have been at their best they were struggling to cope with the cold. Combined with a milder winter some plants, especially those in the vegetable garden, were later in terms of harvesting, especially in my garden as I was harvesting Tomatoes well into Autumn. Who knows what this year holds, only time will tell, however, one thing you can be assured of is that nature will cope and our gardens will be a riot of colour and the vegetable patch will reward us just the same.

PLANT OF THE WEEK:

Mahonia Japonica "Charitry" with its great cascades of yellow flowers makes a great addition to the border or better still as a stand alone architectural plant. This holly leafed evergreen is a sturdy plant which will grow in most conditions.

TOPICAL TIPS:

Make sure all fences are repaired after the recent gale force winds. There is no short cut to this as leaving the damaged ones in place or just repairing and making do will only mean the job will have to be done properly again soon and if the work is left too near the spring then climbing plants will be damaged when replacements are carried out.

Plant new Evergreen hedges as the ground conditions are just right now. Go for Cypresses Leyland or its more decorative cousin, "Castlewellan" which has yellow tinges to the foliage. For a slower growing Conifer, plant "Thuja Plicata" which makes a good alternative. If you prefer not to use Conifers then "Prunus Lucitanica" or Portuguese Laurel makes a wonderful hedge with its small bright green leaves and its masses of sweetly perfumed white flowers during summer.

Give newly emerging spring bulbs a feed of Sulphate Of Potash to help them on their way and produce better flowers.

Here's to A Happy Gardening New Year.

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