A Meldreth Garden

Late flowering perennials and annuals, e.g. dahlias, cosmos, zinnias, helenium, crocosmia, rudbeckia, gladiolus, sedums, etc. are in their glory at this time of year. Some of the summer perennials cut back earlier in the year are coming back, like the hardy geraniums. To keep it looking good well into the autumn, the late summer garden requires attention, including deadheading, the removal of dead and fading foliage and filling in gaps with annuals or perennials.

It is difficult to beat the flowering capacity of dahlias for the late summer garden. These plants come in a great range of colours and shapes. In my garden there are two white cultivars, Eternal Snow and White Onesta, a species type, and Bishop of Llandaff. I invested in seeds of Bishop's Children, dark stems and leaves with different coloured flowers. It is important to deadhead when the flowers fade to keep them flowering. The new flower bud has a button shape while the faded flower head has a pointy triangular shaped seed capsule.

I have been taking cuttings of tender perennials as backups in case of a severe winter. These will be kept in a frost free greenhouse or other location until next year; not that it saved them last winter. Penstemon, pelargoniums, lemon verbena and half hardy salvias should also be given this treatment.

In the fruit cage I have been pruning gooseberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants and summer fruiting raspberries now that cropping is over; what a bumper year for soft fruit!. Note that redcurrants fruit on old wood, blackcurrants fruit on new wood and pruning is therefore different. For redcurrants, take out about a third of the oldest stems and cut back new leaders by about a third. The fruited wood of blackcurrants can be cut down near the base to allow growth of the new stems that will fruit next year.

There is a wide range of garden-worthy hydrangeas. I have two cultivars of the white flowered Hydrangea paniculata in pots, one of which is a rescue from 25 years ago, a rooted cutting surplus to requirements on the compost heap at Winderwath Gardens in Cumbria! Oh so worth the donation of a fiver, this Hydrangea paniculata siebold, a lacecap type, is more delicate than the robust cultivar from the garden centre. I had the climbing hydrangea, Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris, but that succumbed to the cold of last winter; the skeleton is retained to grow something through. Hydrangea are easy to propagate from softwood or semi hardwood cuttings at this time.

This year has seen far fewer slugs and snails in the garden.

Flower Garden Activities

 Start sowing hardy annuals for next year to get well developed plants for the border.

 Summer prune wisteria, taking whippy growth back to about six leaves.

 Remove weeds before they set seed.

 If your lawn is important apply a high potash low nitrogen fertilizer.

 August can be a very dry month where watering is necessary; try to use grey recycled water.

 Continue to collect seeds as they become available.

 Pot-on self-seeded perennials if required in other areas of the garden.

 A range of hardy annual flowers can be sown outside in August, preferably after a period of rain, plants include pot marigolds Calendula officinalis, larkspur, poppies Papaver somniferum, cornflowers, Bishop's Flower Ammi majus, love-in-a-mist Nigella damascene, quaking grass Briza media, etc.

 Clip back topiary and pyracantha, trim lavender to old wood after flowering and trim hedges after checking that birds have fledged.

Vegetable Garden Activates

 Strawberries can be grown from new runners. Strawberries have peak fruiting after about three years and then go into decline. Plant up runner replacements to keep the stock vigorous and fruitful.

 Plant Japanese onions; these will over winter.

 Sow oriental salad leaves, winter lettuce, radishes, kohlrabi, turnips and winter cabbage.

 Sow green manure on areas of the veg. garden if not to be used.

 I harvested garlic early this year due to severe rust infection they are now thoroughly drying out.

Good Gardening.

Iain McPhee mcpheia1@gmail.com

www.jumblebee.co.uk/meldrethmatters

Village Footway Access

Now is the time of year to cut back hedges that are encroaching on the village footways. The threat to nesting birds is mostly over, but check first before cutting. The cutting back of encroaching hedges is greatly appreciated by footway users, including those more vulnerable groups in our community and parents with children in prams, etc. who need unimpaired access.

The Parish Council monitors the situation through the year, taking appropriate action where needed for the benefit of footway users.

Please note that a footway is the council term for a footpath along the highway. It includes pavements and footpaths.

Transport Working Group

The Letting Centre is a dedicated letting agency established for 29 years, operating from High Street premises in Melbourn. We offer an expert, tailored service to suit each clients’ individual needs. Covering Cambridge, Royston, Melbourn and surrounding villages.

Friendly, no obligation advice on how to achieve the best possible return on your rental investment with clear and simple guidance on your legal obligations.

The Letting Centre (Cambridge) Ltd, 107 High Street, Melbourn, Cambridgeshire, SG8 6AP. Tel: 01763 263039. Email: enquiries@letting-centre.co.uk. www.letting-centre.co.uk

Spotted Flycatchers in Meldreth

You may recall from our article in the July issue, that we did not see the Spotted Flycatchers in their usual haunt after 17th May. However, shortly afterwards a pair (possibly the same pair) was seen nearby and a watch was established to see how they got on.

By June, the female was sitting on eggs and on 20th June she was seen feeding her chicks. This was great news, as it is a rare privilege to see Spotted Flycatchers breeding in the village.

Close observations continued and on 30th June a quick photograph confirmed at least four chicks were present. They were well feathered and therefore too large to ring safely. On 2nd July two adults were seen feeding the chicks. The following day the chicks were seen exercising their wings, in preparation for leaving the nest, and fledging began on 4th July. The nest was empty the following day.

Usually the parent birds will continue to feed the chicks once they have left the nest. Sure enough, about a week later, a lone flycatcher was spotted nearby feeding three fledglings, who were all perched on a branch of the same tree.

If the weather is fine, and insects are abundant, there is always a chance that the adult birds will try for a second brood …

Jan Butchers

MM is Available in Colour Online

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N J Chapman

Garden Services

Handyman

Mobile: 07592 725 169

Email: nigeljchapman3@gmail.com

Little Hands Nursery School

The Moor, Melbourn

A Private Nursery School specialising in quality care & preschool education for the under fives High staff to child ratio, individual child centred planning & learning, Flexible booking system for the 08.00am –5.30pm nursery day. Optional holiday clubs available, dedicated baby room for children under two

We accept nursery funding giving 15 & 30 hours/week of free funded nursery for all 3 and 4 year olds & eligible 2 year olds

For further information contact Sharon Tutty,nursery manager on 01763 260964 lh-melbourn@btconnect.com

Little Hands is also at Bourn, Linton and Newton visit the website at www.littlehands.co.uk