A well grown Wisteria is an amazing spectacle displaying a huge curtain of pendulous flowers, available in shades of mauve, pink and white, they are usually trained up a strong pergola or on a house wall, their heady scent guaranteed to relieve tension and lighten the stresses of the day.
For the longest flower spikes choose Wisteria floribunda, cultivars, Wisteria sinensis, has shorter flower spikes and is slightly less vigorous. Strong fixings are essential for their thick woody stems. They may take two to three years to establish in the garden but are worth the wait and the extra effort of careful pruning encourages them to flower well. A vigorous climber that needs pruning twice per year, by July they have generally produced very long whippy stems that appear to be searching for a place to take hold. If left these will produce masses of growth that will shade out the flowers next year, so now is the time for the first pruning. If your plant has covered its allotted space then all these new shoots should be cut back to a bud about 15cm (6 inches) from where they started growing, this will encourage the plant to concentrate on flowering spurs rather than lots of growth. It is good practice to water well after pruning especially in dry weather and a general liquid fertiliser will help keep the plant healthy. In the following February, cut all of these shoots back again by half and this will keep the plant within its allocated space.
We are in the height of summer and all our flowers, are hopefully doing their thing, but in order to keep them going well into late summer it is essential that we give them regular attention, watering in dry spells and more regularly if they are in containers. Removing faded flowers from container plants and some flowering shrubs such as roses encourages more flower production as if left they will turn their attention to developing seed. General liquid fertilisers encourage plant growth and are fine early in the season, but to encourage flowering a high potash fertiliser is best. Liquid tomato feed is ideal and will encourage more flowering than leaf growth. Follow the instructions on the container and don’t be tempted to give them a little extra, it is much better to give a weaker feed every week than a strong one once a fortnight. Water containers the day before you plan to feed as feeding onto dry compost can damage plant roots.
Adding herbs to seasonal dishes in the kitchen can open up a whole new world of flavours and whether used in the cooking process or as a sprinkling of garnish they add charm and in most cases a delicate taste to salads and barbecue dishes. For those who are a little adventurous you could try making your own salad dressings, mixing fresh chopped herbs with olive oil, crushed garlic and a little honey. Although fairly straight forward there are a few tips on how to get the best out of your herb patch. Those that come back year after year, such as Rosemary, Sage, Oregano, Thyme are hardy and providing your soil is not waterlogged will last for years. Fresh young growth shoots are by far the best succulent, soft and good flavour they are much more flavoursome than dried herbs and you don’t need quite so much. Using scissors remove the soft fresh tips and place in a sealed container to avoid drying out too much, If the plant is growing a little leggy then you can tidy them up by cutting back the plant by about one third, water and feed to encourage new growth. Although fresh herbs will store for a few days in the fridge I find it much better to harvest just the amount we need and ideally as close to the time we are using them as possible. I guess this is why all the books on growing herbs advise creating a herb garden near to the kitchen. Fresh herbs can be frozen in ice cubes and are a great addition to summer cocktails. If space is an issue or your soil is heavy clay then you can grow in containers. I have used an old wooden pallet to create a herb garden. Mark around an upturned 2 litre pot and cut a hole with a jig-saw 5mm (1/4inch) smaller than the mark, then the pot won’t drop through. You only need to cut the circles on one side of the pallet spacing them about 30cm (1 ft) apart you will get 18 to 20 pot holders. Stand it on a few bricks or cut logs and hey presto a herb garden that can be moved about. If space is limited then simply cut the pallet down to suit.
Next month, (pruning soft fruit, winter brassica jobs, summer lawn care).
