Holiday season is upon us and our attention turns to a little break from the busy world we live in. Whether you’re planning a trip abroad or just seeking a quiet spot to relax in the UK, it is important that we find time to recharge and take it easy. ‘Forest Bathing’ is a term that is being used to identify a particular type of relaxation and although fairly new to many it originated many year ago in Japan, where it is known as ‘Shinrin yoku’. It could be likened to a type of meditation where being calm and quiet amongst the trees and in touch with nature is said to help both children and adults to de-stress, boosting health and wellbeing in a natural way. I would like to think that I do the same in my garden, like ‘Forest Bathing’ I think ‘Garden Bathing’ is something we can all do, just find a quiet spot on a comfy lounger with a cup of tea and take a break.
My first experience of growing tomatoes was in my makeshift greenhouse back when I was 15 years of age. A fairly simple approach, starting a few seeds of on the windowsill growing them on, firstly in small pots before finally planting them in a 10 inch (25cm) pot and trained and tied to a bamboo cane. Today it seems that there are many ways to do essentially the same thing, the range of containers, training methods, tying materials, composts and not to mention liquid feeds and potions to control pest attack is huge. I guess like most activities in life there are so many gadgets and accessories it can be quite confusing, but for me I still follow essentially the same process. The only thing I have changed is that I now use ring pots on top of a grow-bag, planting the tomato in the pot and allowing it to root through into the grow-bag. I find that this helps produce a strong plant with a big root system and a volume of compost that can hold quite a lot of water which helps with watering. I still use bamboo canes tied to the greenhouse frame and twist ties to secure the plants, and use a regular tomato fertiliser to feed. I use greenhouse disinfectant to wash down the glass and frame before I start planting and grow six pots of french marigolds alongside the tomato plants to control whitefly, it works for me. It can be a little tricky to start your own tomatoes from seed, so to save you the trouble there are lots of nurseries and garden centres who grow plants ready to put in their final pots or grow-bags, although if you are searching for a less common cultivar then you may have to resort to seed. I do try a couple of different cultivars every year, but stick to the old favourites, ‘Shirley’ (salad type) and ‘Sungold’ (small sweet cherry type).
I am sure many of you have been itching to start planting your summer containers, indeed some will have done this back in April, during the easter break. Thats fine if you can give them some protection but I find that the autumn planted bedding and tulips can still be looking ok, and I like to get my money’s worth. If you haven’t already done so then it is time to replant your summer display containers, there are lots of colours and shapes to choose from. Bear in mind that you will need a strong dominant plant to create a focal point, a tall argyranthemum, or pelargonium can do this, trailing plants for around the edge, and infill to bridge the gap between them both. Most nurseries and garden centres will have a huge section crammed with summer bedding plants so spend some time with your trolley placing plants next to each other to work out which you like best and which look good together. Remember the choice is yours, soft and subtle or whacky and way out, it’s up to you. I don’t replace all the compost in my containers, but save as much loose compost from the previous planting and mix it 50/50 with new container compost. Generally you will be applying liquid feeds throughout the season so there really is no need to throw all the old compost out unless you had a pest or disease problem. There are lots of liquid feeds to choose from but I tend to use whatever I have at hand, and if I am feeding the tomatoes I will use the same.
Everything in the garden is growing rapidly and whilst this is fine for many plants, the twining and scrambling climbers, especially clematis may need a little help. Tying them to either a support frame, trellis or the plant you are growing them through will ensure that they just don’t end up as a tangled mess, venturing off into entirely the wrong direction. I generally use a soft twine to avoid damaging tender stems and shoots. Check out for pests whilst you do this and a couple of times over the coming months apply a liquid feed. The same as you use for your containers or tomatoes.
Happy Gardening
Martin.
(Next month, sowing and planting vegetables, keeping the borders tidy, and don’t stress your lawn.)
