大象传媒

So the wet summer continues at a pace with little sign of a let up creating more challenges for gardeners and keeping the newcomers to this gardening game wondering if its all worth it, well, I for one can tell you that it is. In my own garden, although the mild April and the cold May meant that all the fruit which was developing on the Conference Pear tree in my garden lost all its little fruitlets in the blink of an eye one cold early morning, so no Pears to eat, cook or bottle this year. On the up side, the tree did have one of the best displays of blossom I have seen for a few years and at least the bees and other insects were able to make use of the pollen and nectar whilst it was in great supply.

Even with this unseasonable weather, I look at my garden and all the effort has at last been worthwhile with the Runner Beans, Tomatoes, Courgettes, Marrows and Bell Peppers looking pretty good, so in spite of everything I reckon this year could turn out alright after all. I may regret saying this so watch this space.

PLANT OF THE WEEK:
RHUBARB "Livingstone" is the worlds first Autumn cropping Rhubarb which produces its succulent, delicious, stringless sticks from September to November. This outstanding, British bred strain came about by conventional means and not by any form of genetic modification. It may be hard to find just yet so have a look at the seed suppliers online initially to get you crowns ready to plant as soon as you get them.

TOPICAL TIPS:

Peg down Strawberry runners once they are long enough or pin them into pots of compost to propagate new plants for next year. The same can also be done to cultivated Blackberries by doing the same thing, however, this time its the tip of the cane which needs to be pinned down as soon as the stems are flexible and can be slightly bent without them snapping.

Sow Parsley in shallow drills for winter use. Firm the ground and make sure the seeds are thinly sown and then firmed again. Do not thin out as its easier to use any crowded plants when thry are very young. If you have difficulty sowing this fine seed thinly then mix it with some dry sand and this will make for a more even distribution.

Even in these wet conditions, fish ponds should be topped up with fresh water and any dead leaves and flowers from water plants should be removed as soon as you spot them.

Happy Gardening