You can now view any (or all!) past newsletters in our shared Google Drive. Just follow this link:
Category Archives: Gardening
Spring Gardening
Once more, Spring is on its way; and a new year of gardening begins. I find myself asking why we like gardening so much.
Early Spring Gardening
Home made cloche
It’s time to sow broad beans, peas, onions, and leeks under cover, for early outdoor planting. Don’t forget to sow some sweet peas!
Gardening For Year-Round Interest
Daphnes are one of my favourite shrubs, especially Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’, the fragrance is so intense. It does not seem to be widely grown, maybe that’s because it’s not the easiest shrub to grow.
Autumn in the Garden
It’s now late in the season, dahlias, helenium and asters are still flowering, and will do so for a time yet providing they are deadheaded. Herbaceous perennials can be divided now, it is quite easy to do with two garden forks, it helps to rejuvenate the plant, and needs doing every few years.
Dog Days In The Garden
Summer is well underway with plenty of sunshine and just a little rain. The Gunnera has grown huge leaves this year; I expect all that winter rain we had has helped. My roses have done really well this year, probably because of the manure and the bark mulch that was put round them early this spring.
South Hill WI Report April/May 2014
Rhododendrons
Rhododendrons are beautiful shrubs, with gorgeous blooms, and there is a huge range of different varieties from the massive rhododendron sinogrande, which can reach 12 metres in height, to the tiny dwarf rhododendron fastigiatum ‘Blue Steel’, which only grows to about 12 inches.
Notes from the Under Gardener
Apologies to everyone, this is from the ‘Under Gardener’ this time as your usual columnist has had an eye operation. Back in the days when we had a large garden open under the NGS scheme, I used to wear a badge saying ‘Under Gardener’, and people thought (mistakenly) that I knew something about the plants.