Gardening

Notes from a Small Garden

Sadly this is the last time I will contribute notes from our garden in Chiswick End to Meldreth Matters. It’s now nearly fourteen years since Jim Eggleton and I first contributed our copy to the Editor and I am 80 in a few weeks’ time, and I feel it is time to hang up my boots! Jim was a professional gardener; full of practical hints and expertise. I and many others in Meldreth learned so much from him, particularly about growing vegetables and fruit and I missed him greatly when he died a few years ago. I loved writing the monthly article together, but getting copy to our Editor of Meldreth Matters on time was not always easy. Jim wrote about vegetables and I contributed the section on flowers, but putting the two sections together was always rather last minute! But I have learned much from writing this column. It’s been so enjoyable and put me in touch with many gardeners in the village. Thank you all so much for your positive feedback over the years. So, June seems to be going like a flash, though the weather has been distinctly odd. Some beautiful days, and at last rain arrived in the first week, but lots of colder and windy days. My vegetables are behind, especially my tomatoes, with some climbing French beans suffering from the cold nights. Like many others in the village, we are bemoaning the destruction of our box hedges by the box caterpillar. I would like to offer many congratulations and thanks to those who ran the plant stall at our Jubilee Community Church Fete. The plants were in tip top condition, beautifully potted up and all with legible labels! They raised a record £450, with total takings of about £5000! It was such a happy event, and weren’t we fortunate with the weather? So what should we be getting on with in the garden in July? Here are some of the jobs that need attending to:  Frequent dead heading of bedding plants and roses. This keeps plants looking attractive and encourages more blooms. I especially dislike taking the dead flowers off petunias; always a sticky job, but I know its worth it!

 Water containers, hanging baskets and new plants frequently, especially if we continue to get dry spells, but be water-wise.  Pick courgettes frequently before they become marrows  Cut lavender for drying  Hoe and hand weeds borders and the vegetable patch often so that plants don't have time to set seed! Good gardening to you all as ever, and please pop in to 23 Chiswick End. We would love to see you.

Julie Draper juliedraper@dumbflea.co.uk

Editor’s Note:

Many thanks to Julie for fourteen years of gardening columns. If you are a keen gardener and would like to contribute to MM on a regular basis, please email meldrethmatters@hotmail.com with your ideas.

EVE CONSTRUCTION LTD

Experienced professional local builder

Extensions, garden rooms, home office, alterations, structural work, carpentry, block drives, landscaping, and all types of general building work Contact Mark 07889 669138 | 01223 264909 enquiries@eveconstruction.co.uk www.eveconstruction.co.uk