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Gardening
Tips For Week Ending 9th August 2009 Hello
Folks
The
Tomatoes in the greenhouse are doing well and I must make a special note
of the name of them, as some of the trusses are 17-18 inches long with
tomatoes from top to bottom. They are a new variety of Tomato that
produces “pop in the mouth size ones” and it is strange how one will
always find it’s way into ones mouth when picking them! Runner
Beans are flowering, but the bees seem to have gone on holiday, as they
are not setting very well. Gooseberries and Black Currents have done
well this year, but the wet has spoilt some of the Raspberries. The wet
has prevented me from doing much in the garden, but I have at least
managed to get the Forsythias cut back although it was a bit late. They
will catch up, as will the Phlomis Fruiticosa that I have cut back
severely now it has flowered. Phlomis make a large shrub and are very
showy, with soft, furry, silvery grey leaves and fairly large, bright,
yellow flowers that the bees love. We have three Buddleias that are
beginning to flower now, a very dark blue one, a white one and a yellow
one. The
food, in the compost, in baskets, tubs and window boxes will all have
been taken up now by the plants, so you should feed them each week.
Amaryllis
bulbs from previous years should either, be in flower, or coming into
flower, so gentle watering should be done, then, when the leaves start
growing, start feeding them. My red one, which has flowered each year
for about 5 years and a pink and white one for about 3 years, are now
both in flower yet again. Lavender
has been lovely this year, but do remember that when the flowers have
all dropped the plants should be cut down to just above the old wood,
but not into the old wood as that will not shoot again.
Gardening
Tips Week Ending August 7th. Hello folks
A
gentleman at the coffee morning passed me a leaflet about an insect that
is attacking the Allium family which includes Onions, Leeks, Garlic and
the “ornamental” Alliums, so keep a look out for them. Tomatoes
are doing well in the greenhouses, but if the leaves start to go yellow
give them a drink of Epsom Salts, (a teaspoonful dissolved in a pint of
water) as this is a sign that the plants are getting short of magnesium.
Water the solution round the roots or in the pots but not on the leaves.
Large leaves can be taken off to allow the sun to get through to ripen
the tomatoes better. If
you have the lovely lilies growing in pots or in the garden, take
the seed pods off when you see them forming after the flowers have
finished, or they will weaken the bulb which won’t flower so well next
year. Lilies can be grown from seed, so if you want to try them leave
just one pod on the plant to ripen. If you have more than one colour the
seedlings may be mixed through pollination. They are fairly big seeds
and when they are growing keep them in a frost free place through the
winter but keep them damp. They will flower after 2 years. Some lilies
form tiny bulbs in the leaf axils on the stem of the plant. These can be
carefully taken off, potted and grown on. Again they will take a while
to reach maturity before they will flower. Well
that's all for now Have
fun with your plants Frances
Hartley Gardening
Tips week Ending August 9th 2008 Hello
folks
Even if you put slow release fertilizer in baskets and pots the plants will still appreciate a liquid feed about once a week. If slow release fertilizer is sprinkled round Dahlias and Lilies it will build up the Dahlia Tubers and Lily bulbs for next year. Runner Beans will want plenty of water now. If the tops have gone down on your Garlic it may be ready for taking up about now. Dig them up and put the bulbs in a sunny dry place. When the tops come off easily and the bulbs are dry store them in a frost free place in netting. The nets of fruit packs such as Oranges or old tights are good for storing bulbs.
The
Oenothera or Evening Primrose, seem to be very good this year, with
their bright yellow flowers about 3 feet tall. They are supposed to open
in the evening, but seem to be open most of the day, especially when it
is dull. Well
I think that’s all for now. Cheerio. Frances
Hartley
Gardening Tips 20/8/06
Hello Folks
Here are a few more tips for you.
There have been some lovely new
impatiens or Bizzy Lizzies about this year and cuttings can be taken off
them. Remove most of the leaves from the cutting that should be about
2-3 inches long and using compost and silver sand, or compost and
perlite, place in an unheated propagator, or put the pot in a polythene
bag and tie the top leaving some air in. They will not need heat. When
the cuttings are rooted pot them up and keep damp and frost free.
Shrub cuttings can still be taken
using semi ripe wood which are stems that are still flexible and have
not toughened up.
There is a very big range of bulbs in
the garden centres now ready for planting, but don't rush because it is
still very early. Well
that's all for now. Cheerio Frances Hartley |
The
Hazelnut bush I grew from a nut bought at the greengrocers about 6 years
ago has now made a large bush that had some lovely catkins on in the
Spring and yes, this year we will soon be picking our own nuts!
Fortunately I have not seen any squirrels round where we live yet.
The
soft fruit has come a cropper this year because of the wet and could
well give a very poor harvest, but the later fruit such as late
Raspberries may be all right if it dries up and stays sunny for a while.
There
are some lovely varieties of Sweet Peas about these days, but it is the
old fashioned ones that seem to have the most scent. It is important to
keep cutting the flowers, because the more you cut the more you will
get. If they are allowed to start forming seedpods they will think that
they have done their job for the year and will stop flowering.