September is a good month to take cuttings from roses.  They root quite readily if you take some firm growth – about 10” (250 mm) long, strip the leaves off the bottom  150 mm.   Stick the cuttings in a trench or a slit in the ground made with a spade, having first put some sand in the bottom – and don’t forget to label them!

One of the advantages of using this method of propagation is that you don’t have to worry about suckers – any shoots that appear from the bottom will be true!  They should root over winter and spring into growth next year.  Leave them till next autumn before transplanting into permanent positions.  You can do this with any sort of rose. The new English roses respond well and are always a welcome addition! 

Now that autumn is with us we need to watch out for frosts.  Any tender plants  that we want to save need some form of protection or a move to a greenhouse or conservatory.

One of my friends on the allotments asked me about his raspberries because they have become weak and non-productive this year.  I suggested that he should plant his new plants in a different place although he will have to move all the posts and wires.  The ground he is currently using has grown raspberries for over ten years and will have taken all the nutrients out so a fresh start will be best.

Once I’ve picked the last of my cultivated blackberries, I am going to cut all the old wood out and tie the new canes in. This isn’t such a bad job as they are all spineless – it is a variety called Parsley-leaved Thornless, and it has great big shiny berries that taste great.  I think I’ve picked about 10 lbs off each bush already and now have no more room in the freezer.

The season seems to be at least a fortnight early.  I have a huge crop of pears but I never seem to get it right for picking as they often go sleepy in the middle or remain hard – it’s a good job I like hard pears!  My Concord variety taste okay but the Conference pears are still my favourite.  Hope you have a good year with your fruit but if not, there’s always next year to plan for!

A small group went to visit Leila Jackson’s T3 Wall End nursery in Herefordshire on 3 September and were suitably impressed with both the tour and her talk on perennials.  Leila runs the nursery with her father on her husband’s farm and is extremely knowledgeable – she specializes in salvias and abutilons and everyone came away a memento of their visit.

Christine McGregor, Director of the Alpine Garden Society will be our guest speaker on Wednesday 1 October when she will be giving an overview of alpine gardening.  This year the AGS exhibit at Chelsea won a gold medal and the President's Award for the best garden in the Floral Pavillion (see some pictures from the exhibit at www.alpinegardensociety.net) 

On Saturday 4 October, we are inviting folk to join us on a Fungus Foray with  Diane Bateman from Worcestershire Fungus Group (http://worcestershirefungusgroup.weebly.com/) at Trench Woods near Hanbury. Some of you may remember Diane’s talk last October when we were all spellbound by her talk and the number of toadstools and mushrooms she brought along with her which is why we arranged this event.

Pete

 

 

 


 

September is a good month to take cuttings from roses.  They root quite readily if you take some firm growth – about 10” (250 mm) long, strip the leaves off the bottom 6 inches (150 mm).   Stick the cuttings in a trench or a slit in the ground made with a spade, having first put some sand in the bottom – and don’t forget to label them!

One of the advantages of using this method of propagation is that you don’t have to worry about suckers – any shoots that appear from the bottom will be true!  They should root over winter and spring into growth next year.  Leave them till next autumn before transplanting into permanent positions.  You can do this with any sort of rose. The new English roses respond well and are always a welcome addition! 

Now that autumn is with us we need to watch out for frosts.  Any tender plants  that we want to save need some form of protection or a move to a greenhouse or conservatory.

One of my friends on the allotments asked me about his raspberries because they have become weak and non-productive this year.  I suggested that he should plant his new plants in a different place although he will have to move all the posts and wires.  The ground he is currently using has grown raspberries for over ten years and will have taken all the nutrients out so a fresh start will be best.

Once I’ve picked the last of my cultivated blackberries, I am going to cut all the old wood out and tie the new canes in. This isn’t such a bad job as they are all spineless – it is a variety called Parsley-leaved Thornless, and it has great big shiny berries that taste great.  I think I’ve picked about 10 lbs off each bush already and now have no more room in the freezer.

The season seems to be at least a fortnight early.  I have a huge crop of pears but I never seem to get it right for picking as they often go sleepy in the middle or remain hard – it’s a good job I like hard pears!  My Concord variety taste okay but the Conference pears are still my favourite.  Hope you have a good year with your fruit but if not, there’s always next year to plan for!

A small group went to visit Leila Jackson’s T3 Wall End nursery in Herefordshire on 3 September and were suitably impressed with both the tour and her talk on perennials.  Leila runs the nursery with her father on her husband’s farm and is extremely knowledgeable – she specializes in salvias and abutilons and everyone came away a memento of their visit.

Christine McGregor, Director of the Alpine Garden Society will be our guest speaker on Wednesday 1 October when she will be giving an overview of alpine gardening.  This year the AGS exhibit at Chelsea won a gold medal and the President's Award for the best garden in the Floral Pavillion (see some pictures from the exhibit at www.alpinegardensociety.net) 

On Saturday 4 October, we are inviting folk to join us on a Fungus Foray with  Diane Bateman from Worcestershire Fungus Group (http://worcestershirefungusgroup.weebly.com/) at Trench Woods near Hanbury. Some of you may remember Diane’s talk last October when we were all spellbound by her talk and the number of toadstools and mushrooms she brought along with her which is why we arranged this event.

Pete’s topical tips for Summer

Wet and warm means potato blight – if you grow potatoes and/or tomatoes outside it is worth a preventative spray. Do this every three weeks until harvested. If your tomatoes have set a second truss, start feeding! Any of the proprietary feeds will be fine – I like to feed at every watering at a reduced rate. If you grow any of the cabbage family it is worth giving them a high nitrogen feed as they are gross feeders.

When I walk along the path to my allotment I notice so many plots with miserable little plants. People just don’t realize they can’t keep growing crops year on year without putting nutrients back into the soil. I try and put farmyard manure over half the plot every year and also put a general fertilizer over the rest – Growmore or one of the other granular fertilizers are fine. 

Trying to grow organically? Use fish, blood and bone - but I do find that you need to hoe this in or every dog or fox in the area will come and lick it up – and probably dig up the plants as well! This also applies to garden plants in borders.

When visiting gardens open to the public, look at the rose beds – almost all will show mulchings of garden compost and/or farmyard manure resulting in dark green glossy leaves, big flowers and very little black spot. Feed, feed, feed is the answer.

Summer Show tips – 
Saturday 16 August main show – Sunday 10 August for pots and hanging baskets. 

Make sure you read the schedule thoroughly – you can get a copy from me or one of the committee, or download one from the website at www.bishamptongardeningclub.org.uk

Vegetables – potatoes should be washed clean and be even in size. Beans and peas should always be picked with a bit of stem and be even in size. Use a torch behind the pea pod to show any missing peas. Tomatoes should always be shown with the calyx on, so use secateurs or scissors to pick them. 
Onions should have their tops cut off and be tied with raffia or soft string. Don’t show any with split skins, don’t overskin; there is nothing worse than an unripe onion.The same for shallots – tie the tops neatly and try not to overskin them.

Flowers – look for freshness and evenness – remove any damaged foliage if it doesn’t leave the exhibit looking unbalanced. Make sure to put the right number of stems or the judge will ignore them. If it says a single bloom don’t leave small buts showing – cut them off neatly.

Fruit - always leave the stalk and try to leave the natural bloom on. If you’re showing raspberry or blackberry type fruit, they should not be ‘plugged’ – they need their little stalks left on.

Pot plants have the diameter measured on the inside of the rim. Make sure the pot is clean and remove any dead flowers. Better to show a plant with a few flowers open and plenty to come rather than one that is coming to the end of the flowering season. Good luck!

Don't think a few nice days mean there are no more frosts. The end of May is the usual latest. Maybe this year it will be earlier. May 15 is the date talked about on the Fladbury allotments.

Tender bedding needs to be hardened off by putting in a sheltered spot for a few days before final planting.  Daffodils going over will repay it next year if you deadhead them. Just pulling their heads off is enough to remind them that as they are not going to seed they had better put their energy into the bulb.

My forsythia has done really well this year that I'm going to cut off a lot of the flowering stems to give a better shape to it. All the new stems will bear better flowers next spring. Flowering cherries and all stoned fruit can be pruned now they are growing, they don't want to be pruned when dormant as they are more susceptible to bacterial infection. A little tip is to carry a kitchen spray of antibacterial around with the secateurs or saws and spray when you move from tree to tree. That way you won't spread any problems

Most vegetables can be sown now direct into the ground. However I do my runner beans, sweet corn, courgettes, and squashes in pots in the greenhouse. I think it gives them a bit of a start and you can weed out any weak plants all with sweetcorn any misses. I find that they germinate better with bottom heat.

• You can now lift and divide primulas and polyanthus once they've have finished flowering giving you more plants for free or ones you can swap with fellow gardeners.  If you're a fan of lavender, now is the best time to plant it - and you'll be spoiled for choice is with the colours and varieties on offer - an added bonus is that the are a magnet for bees and butterflies. Position plant supports where they will be needed in late summer. Doing this now reduces the risk of damaging the roots later in the season. Plant lily and gladioli bulbs in 4in (10cm) deep holes. Cover with soil or compost and gently firm down the soil to ensure that there are no air pockets as this may cause the bulbs to rot.
• Lawns are now crying out to be cut. If your grass is long make sure to cut it on the highest setting first and then go back over with a lower one.   
• You may have noticed your pond if you have one, looks green and cloudy, and this is due to a rapid increase in algae, as a result of the warmer spring temperatures. Once the pond plants start to grow again, these will use up the nutrients and create shade, reducing the amount of algae and you can speed up the process by .  dropping a string bag of barley straw into the pond.
• Tidy up any remaining leaves and general garden rubbish. It's home to slugs, snails, vine weevil and woodlice and can introduce disease and infection into your garden.

Our annual Summer Show schedule is now out and available at the village stores (or downloadable from the website). We are still finalising entries for open gardens, and our AGM is taking place in May followed by a talk by Ian Nex.

We are seeking new members as well as new  committee members and we are  in particular need of a  secretary, so we would be pleased to hear from anyone who would consider joining us. To have a look at the summer show categories–if you are considering entering chutneys, then now would be a good time to make a start, similarly photographic competition has called for different sections with plenty of opportunity to win a prize. We are hoping to attract more children to have a go this year (as well as more adults). It really is a fun event and is not aimed at horticultural experts. Last year quite a few new entrants were surprised to find they had won a trophy so have a look and see what you could enter.

March, April, and early May can still bring a frost!   
Don't be tempted to increase the garden centre margins by losing tender plants. Some plants need to be hardened off gradually, then they will get used to colder conditions.


Other tender plants such as marrows, tomatoes, dahlias, begonias, and a lot of other half hardy bedding will curl up their toes at the slightest bit
of frost.

You can however start off onions, garlic and shallots by planting in modular trays indoors in a cool environment until the roots come through in about a month's time.  Other jobs you can do are to take cuttings of perennials such as phlox, and delphiniums, or why not try growing radishes in a strip of guttering indoors.

After the first cut on the lawn, a bit of lawn edging using a plank and a half moon cutter will make a world of difference. Feed your daffodils and tulips, and they will then make better bulbs next year. If you can get a high potash feed, so much the better. If not, any general fertiliser will help.

I tend to use compounds at this time of year, as I have problems if I use fish blood and bone - it seems to attract every badger and fox in the district and then they try to dig up my favourite bulbs. I have had an apple tree nearly dug up because I put bone meal in the planting hole.

Sue Ellis one of our committee members, is organising this year's Open Gardens event on 22 June. If you would like to volunteer your garden, or volunteer your help, she would be pleased to hear from you. Please e-mail [email protected] or telephone me on 01386 861438.

Don't forget the Spring Show on the first Wednesday in April.  There are 28 different categories for you to enter to show off what you have managed to grow at the start of the gardening year, with daffodils, tulips, and other spring flowers and shrubs. Florists also can try their hand at winning a prize. And if you're in a competitive mood, why not try to scoop the jackpot with the Spring Show Challenge Cup?   Download the brochure or pick one up at the village shop.   But even if you can't make entry, come and admire the lovely displays we're expecting on the 2nd.

For more information about what we're up to, please see our website at wwwbishamptongardeningclub.org.uk

Cheers, Pete

Have you started your lawnmower since last year?  Might be a good idea if it’s a petrol model to run it up – if it’s ‘no go’ book a service now in good time for when you need it.

Snowdrops, polyanthus and crocuses provide some much needed colour to the garden and even with all this rain, it is good to see the days getting longer again. 

Daffodils will be blooming in succession if you’ve planted different varieties.  If you have a gap in flowering, make a note to buy some to fill the season next year.   Specialist catalogues always give information on when they flower so you can have a non-stop display.

Whatever you think of sowing direct into soil, be it flower or vegetable, make sure the soil temperature below 3’’ (75 mm) is at least 45 degrees Fahrenheit or certain failure awaits you.

Have you pruned your roses yet?  Hybrid teas can be cut back hard but modern shrub roses need a lesser haircut – more of a shape and trim!

Wisteria shoots can be cut back to two buds to encourage flowering – my guess is that we will have a bumper flowering year again due to the wet weather.

Plants in the greenhouse that look like starting into growth will like being repotted in fresh compost.  Geraniums in particular will repay a bit of attention.  Any bits you cut off to shape a plant are worth popping in a pot to root to make another free plant. 

You can start off dahlia tubers either in a greenhouse or indoors to provide shoots for cutting.  Plant the tubers in a 6” (15cm) tray of moist compost, just covering the tubers.  Once shoots appear give them plenty of light.

If you haven’t got yours yet, don’t leave it too late to get a ticket for Christine Walkden on 5 March – email us at [email protected]  or speak to one of the committee members – Eddie Morris, Bob Teasdale, Angela Miller, Sue Ellis, or Lesley Miller.

Don’t forget our Spring Show on Wednesday April 2 – take a look at the website to see the categories and download a leaflet or contact one of the Committee to get a copy.

Pete Chamberlain

Winter is a time for planning new ideas. Can you make your garden easier to maintain?  Does your lawn have tight corners that you could eliminate?  Could you get rid of grass altogether?  Small lawns could be turned into gravelled areas, while large lawns could warrant a larger mower, even a ride-on option.

How about some shrub borders with mulches underneath?  December and January is the time to feed fruit trees to encourage good fruit in the summer months.  Sulphate of potash is the best – 2-4oz per square yard (50-100 gms per square metre), and while it is expensive, it works!  Flowering shrubs would benefit as well.

If you haven’t cleaned up the leaves yet, make sure they aren’t covering low growing plants like polyanthus, heucheras, tiarellas etc as they could easily start rots of one sort or the other.

Other things to do include check that greenhouse heaters are working; prune open-grown apples and pears and  harvest leeks, parsnips, winter cabbage, sprouts and remaining root crops.  You can still plant deciduous trees and shrubs and take hardwood cuttings

Why not have a peek at other people’s gardens for plants that look good at this time of year and make a mental note.  Too often we think of gardens as a summertime picture but in fact there are plenty of decorative options during the winter months especially with some hardier varieties of flowers being developed over the past few years. 

Let’s hope that winter is kind to us this year without losses or damage and we have a good start to 2014.

If you have access to a camera, or Santa’s been especially kind and bought you one,  why not get out and about and get snapping for the Summer Show photographic section; you have four subject categories to choose from:  a summer scene; gardening in action; statuary and canals and rivers.     You can download a programme  – as well as find out what we’re doing for the rest of the year.

RHS members are entitled to up to 12 packets of seeds for just £8.50 – see http://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/Seed-list/seed-list up until March.

Our first trip of the year will be to Colesbourne Park to see the snowdrops – why not come along? – we’re a friendly bunch and you’ll find a warm welcome awaits you.  And for March we’re looking forward to our no-nonsense gardener, BBC broadcaster and author Christine Walkden with tickets just £8 for non-members and £6 for members.

Don’t forget to come to our monthly Garden Club meetings.  You can always find someone to solve your garden problems, besides having an interesting talk by one of our speakers – it might even be me!

Cheers

 Pete Chamberlain

Christmas is fast approaching and the Poinsettia will be around the shops enticing us  by its vivid red bracts.  

They do not like temperature change – so don’t buy off the pavement or outside displays but instead make sure they are inside out of draughts or they will show their dislike by dropping their leaves or turning yellow.

As outside temperatures drop, winter colour is a bit sparse but in the last few years an increasing number of hardier varieties such as pansies, violas, cyclamen and primulas give us an extra chance to enjoy an extension of summer.  Cyclamen come in such a brilliant choice of colours and are particularly lovely, but they don’t like direct sunlight, being watered from the top, or being overwatered.  Make sure that dead flowers are removed or the stems will rot and botrytis (a grey furry mould) will spread quickly to kill your lovely plant!  

As our thoughts turn towards the festive season, making a wreath for the front door is one of those pleasures we can all enjoy using seedheads, sprigs of berries, fir cones, leylandii or other evergreen branches, decorated with ribbons and cinnamon sticks for example. Anyone finding they haven’t got any variegated foliage can resort to the spray can as gold and silver sprayed on green leaves will last for ages and give a very professional finish.

When you’re clearing the remnants of perennials and annuals from the garden, spare a thought for the gardener’s friend – the hedgehog.  Hedgehogs are officially in decline so take care when mowing grass as they use long grass and compost heaps to make their nests and hibernate.

At our Christmas ‘do’ on 4th December at the Villages Hall, (still time to get a ticket by the way if you’re quick) -we’ll be handing out copies of our Spring Show programme, including the categories for the summer photographic competition so you’ll have plenty of time to get snapping; as well as our 2014 programme of talks, and visits – including our Open Gardens on June 22nd.  So if you’re stuck for ideas what better than to buy your relative or friend a gift of annual membership to the Gardening Club at just £7.50 – or a ticket to see Christine Walkden at our March meeting (£8 for non-members or £6 for members).  

We will be having our annual brief hibernation until 2014 starts with  a  chance to see what  florist Toni Smith can create with a bunch of supermarket flowers – on February 5th.

So best wishes of the Season for you all, and I hope to see you at our annual knees up!