At this time of year the evenings are light and if we are lucky, warm enough to sit out and enjoy the garden, but as thoughts turn to taking a break from work or school and maybe going on holiday make sure you have arranged for your container planters and greenhouse to be looked after whilst you are away. I am very fortunate and have lovely neighbours, friends and family who check in on my garden for me.
I do love being in my garden, just pottering around, and providing you followed all the necessary seasonal tasks the garden should be quite tidy. There is nothing more satisfying than having time to appreciate your efforts and enjoy the fruits of your labours, flowers blooming, fruit and vegetables almost ready for the kitchen and weeds well under control, well I can dream! From an overgrown garden it can take two or three years to really get on top of the weeds and enrich the soil enough to encourage plants to perform but it’s worth the effort and its good exercise too.
There comes a time in the year when even the most avid gardener has to take a holiday, especially if your other half, or children are not as passionate (or obsessed) as you are about gardening. Yes even I take holidays but as you might guess it generally involves visiting gardens along the way. I am very fortunate that my partner also like’s gardens and gardening but there does become a point when the challenge is somewhat extreme. I am fairly easy going which means that I most often leave the choice of destination to my partner, I like the surprise. Last year we had a short break to Venice and my partner asked what I would like to visit whilst we were there, without thinking I blurted, I’d love to see a garden, well you can imagine the response, but ever up for the challenge she found one!
Through the early part of the summer the plants in our gardens work hard to produce lots of growth and flowers, the energy to do this comes from two things, food and water, both of which are generally running low through July and August. If you haven’t fed your plants since early spring it’s a good idea to give them a boost now. For the general garden I use a pelleted organic general fertiliser, (derived from Sheep or Chicken waste) although they have a rather earthy smell, they are an environmentally beneficial. I guess it’s a bit like the smells you occasionally get when driving in the country. You can also use liquid fertilisers that you dilute in the watering can; these are especially good for containers. I also like to water the garden after feeding especially if I’m using dry fertiliser. With containers it is good practice to water every fortnight, and remove flowers as they fade, this will hopefully prolong the display well into October.
If you find that certain plants begin to fade early or have suffered from pest or disease attack there is still time to plant summer bedding or pot grown annuals. Most nurseries and garden centres have offers throughout the season and you can pick up a bargain or two by scouring the sales shelves. If they look a little drawn or bedraggled, give them a feed with liquid fertiliser and leave them in the pot for a week before planting to give them chance to recover before planting in the garden.
Many of our garden shrubs don’t require heavy or regular pruning except to keep them in shape, but plants such as Philadelphus (Mock Orange) do require attention to ensure that they flower well next year. After the flowers have faded, cut the stem back to the bud just after the last flowering side shoot. Where the plant is quite old you may have quite a number of congested woody stems, it’s a good idea to remove two or three of these right back to about an inch (2.5cm) from the ground. This will encourage better flowering and new shoots to develop from the base which will eventually replace the old ones. Done regularly this practice will keep the shrub healthy and flowering well. Feed and water after pruning with a general fertiliser.
I’m a devil for taking cuttings, it’s a bit of an obsession, every time I see a nice healthy shoot I’m tempted to snip it off and root it in a pot. Some are easier than others but providing the plant material is healthy and you keep the cuttings in free draining compost they should root easily. It’s a great time of year to take Clematis cuttings and there is always a space on a fence or wall to make use of them. Unlike most cuttings that involve cutting the stem just below a leaf joint Clematis can be propagated from what we call internodal cuttings (posh word for the bit between the leaf joints). It’s also useful as the stems are rather long and somewhat twisty. I look for a long piece of stem about 2 ft. (60cm) long, and cut it off just above a leaf joint. Lay this on the bench or table and cut it into sections midway between the leaf joints. You should have several pieces each with a pair of leaves and a short stem above and below the leaves. These can be further trimmed to about 1.5 inches (4cm) if they are a little too long. Fill a pot with cutting compost, I use a John Innes number two or good quality soilless compost and add either grit or pearlite at the rate of three parts compost one part grit or pearlite. I don’t use a rooting powder but they can be helpful if you prefer to use them. Check the cuttings are all the same way up, this may sound obvious but if you put the cutting in upside down it won’t root. The way to check they are the right way up is to look closely at the leaf joint, where the leaf meets the stem you will see a small bud, this should be pointing up. Water the cuttings in and cover with a clear plastic bag. Check daily that they are not drying out, turn the bag inside out and re-cover. Hopefully the cuttings will be rooted in three to four weeks.
Although I am not working at York Gate Garden (retired), I do pop in to see how things are going, it is very hard not to when you have worked in such a beautiful place. The new developments completed this year have meant that we have a great new shop, brilliant toilet facilities and a tea room in the house, something we have been planning for a number of years and it’s a great addition giving a much more comfortable experience. Adam (the new Head Gardener) is keeping the garden in a stunning condition, its well worth a visit if you haven’t visited recently.
Next month, Looking after hedges and climbers, Fruit pruning, saving your own seed from annuals.
Happy gardening,
(York Gate is open until 30th September 2015, Sunday to Thursday, 1:30pm to 4:30pm) York Gate Garden is owned and maintained by the charity Perennial (Gardeners Royal Benevolent Society) which provides advice help and support in times of need or difficulty for people who are working in, or have retired from any of the gardening trades. (Registered Charity no. 1155156). Further details can be found on their website at www.perennial .org.uk
