GARDENS
Over the garden gate Our local expert, John Stubbs of Corwen’s Glyndwr Plants looks at the new growth that spring will bring
DID YOU KNOW? Grow daffodils and sweet peas in March; lilac, tulips and jasmine in April
can be successfully grown on a windowsill. The young leaves can be harvested between seven and twenty days after sowing and are packed with nutrients.
Get ready to germinate seeds
Now that the first flowers and bulbs have begun, it’s time to begin our soil preparations for vegetable growing. Do not be too hasty to plant seed if the soil is not warm enough, the seed will be slow to germinate and in some cases may not germinate at all, so be patient. Apply a couple of handfuls per square meter of Growmore or blood fish and bone fertilizer to the prepared seedbed and incorporate into the soil. For an early vegetable crop to Get digging! plug the ‘hungry gap’ (the time between mid March and the end of May when the over wintered crops are finishing and the new season crops are not ready), consider using cloches to warm the soil and bring the new crops to mature early. Lots of leafy veg will grow well under cloches or for something in vogue how about micro greens which
Plan ahead for rose success This is a good time to replenish the soil for pot grown roses. Remove the top two inches of soil, apply a good Grow food in small spaces quality six month slow-release balanced fertilizer. It is low in nitrogen so you don’t get lots of foliage and few flowers, refill the pot with a good quality herbaceous compost – don’t use multipurpose compost as it is too fine. Shrubs and trees in the garden will also benefit from a good feed. I would recommend one to two handfuls per square meter. Keep plenty of horticultural fleece ready at hand to protect young emerging shoots, young leaves and fruit flowers in case of frost. New plants to look for Camellia ‘Volunteer’: a dark green foliage with beautiful dark pink double peony flowers. Dwarf Rhododendron ‘Tinkerbird’: a rarity in the dwarf rhododendron world with a scented white flower with a chocolate spotted throat, Euonymus Eldorado: a small shrub with striking yellow leaves, great in a pot.
Take care to protect new plants
SPRING IS CALLING
Celebrate a new season in the garden with our special spring selection
This decorative outdoor clock makes an ideal gift for for family or friends. Made from pine and finished with a long lasting durable paint. Kensington large square wooden clock, £49.99, www.jacksonsnurseries.co.uk This charming willow basket can be used in a wide variety of ways in your home and garden. It’s perfect as a flower basket to collect the first spring blooms. Ella James natural willow flower basket, £32, www.ellajames.co.uk
Get your lawn ready with Evergreen Complete 4 in 1 Lawn Food, £17.99, Coedy-Dinas Welshpool, www.coedydinas.co.uk This sweet hanging bird feeder features a delightful motif on the top of a caged feeder. Finished in a shabby chic white. Antique white bird feeder, £10, www. britishironworkcentre.co.uk
This sturdy timber planter is ideal for growing all types of vegetables, particularly deep rooted ones such as carrots and potatoes, plus there is no need to bend when planting as it comes raised on four steady legs. Deep wooden planter, £64.99, www.zest4leisure.co.uk
Welcome in the spring with a unique table display Floristry expert from Reaseheath College Dave Billington has created a simple but effective spring table centre with a foraging feel Materials • Wood off-cuts to give a square base and rounded offcuts for the uprights • Hyacinth bulbs mixed colours and waxed white • Ranunculus ‘cappu super’ • Mini tulips or daffodils • Spagnum moss • Stachys byzantia silver • Sempervivum • Assorted feathers • Wood glue • Bullion wire • Test tubes • Dress pins • Scissors Step 1 Arrange your wood offcuts on the base. Once you’re happy with your design, glue them in place. Step 2 Place, then glue test tubes so they’re ready to receive flowers. Wrap some of them with Stemtex tape to give a natural bark effect. Step 3 Fill in the gaps around the offcuts and tubes with bulbs. When happy with their positioning, glue in place so they don’t slide off the base. Step 4 Carefully fill test tubes with water. Then introduce the flowers as single heads and place them in the test tubes. Leave some foliage on the stem for a natural look. Step 5 Add a few twigs then fresh or dried moss, a few succulents and feathers for added interest. You can add dress pins in a matching colour to finish. After care: spritz the bulbs and succulents and top up the test tubes regularly. If kept in a fairly cool place it should last around ten days. replace the flowers as they fade. www.reaseheath.ac.uk/floristry
98 SHIRE MAGAZINE | March/April 2018
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16/02/2018 13:35