HOME & GARDEN
DIGGING DEEP
Gardening with Pulse
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lthough still some way off, the new season is drawing that little bit closer, and our garden reflects the approach of spring; we get our first peek of bulbs breaking through the soil, and things are warming up just a little bit, or rather a lot; those record breaking new year temperatures show that things are changing. A number of shrubs and plants can be pruned now, including wisteria and climbing roses, but be sure to leave spring-flowering shrubs alone – instead of stimulating growth, getting busy with the secateurs will damage your chances of blooms. Generally speaking, there should still be more than a chill in the air, so if you are going to plant hardier seeds, a snuggly environment helps ensure the best chances of success. A heated greenhouse is perfect, but is a luxury many of us don’t have, so seed trays should be brought inside instead. As for flowers? Sweet peas are a delicate delight in the summertime garden. They deliver a dazzling array of colours and a fragrance that takes this gardener straight back to her childhood gardening roots – where I spent hours learning about seeds and flowers and vegetables as my grandfather’s little helper. But though they may look dainty, sweet peas are hardy and super easy to grow – and now is the time to get them started, planting them into biodegradable pots. They will be perfectly
Top Tip... If you want to learn more about the comings and goings in your garden, consider installing a nest box and camera. Watching birds raise their young is a wonderful thing, and needn’t be confined to episodes of Springwatch! Birds will be looking for suitable homes to nest in from the middle of February, so fly to it! If you have old boxes already in place, ensure they have been cleaned out; empty old nests and rinse through with boiling water. Cameras are an affordable way to grow your appreciation of nature, and you don’t need to stop at birds; garden cameras will show you who is making the most of your outdoor space while you sleep. You might be surprised at just how busy a place it is!
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How does your garden grow?
Sweet peas give off amazing scent and make excellent cut flowers
fine in an unheated greenhouse, and in time when they are transferred outside, they can simply be planted in their pots. It’s a good way to guarantee a great bloom later in the year. Now is also the ideal time to chit potatoes. Chitting simply means to encourage and prepare the seed potatoes prior to planting. If this is new to you, don’t try to use supermarket purchased examples as seed potatoes – they are more prone to disease, and many shop bought spuds will have been treated to prevent the act of sprouting. Once you have your seed potatoes, simply let them sprout shoots; Pop them in an open box or an old egg box, not too deep, and use newspaper to divide the box into sections for the pre-sprouters. Anywhere between four and six weeks after the chitting process is started, the green shoots should arrive.
“About 35 years ago, when we were designing the garden, we planted two crab apple trees, whose labels have long-since gone,” remembers Ralph Westmoreland from Denton & District Gardening Club. “The smaller tree has yellow fruits which drop off as soon as they ripen, however the other one can be relied upon to bear the most brilliant red fruits in great profusion, which are held throughout the winter. “On dull, misty mornings, although the russet colours of the autumn leaves are long gone, it looks as if it has been decorated with festive lights,” Ralph explains, conjuring up a magnificent image in his mind. “Most years it provides a feast for visiting flocks of Redwings and Fieldfares from Russia and Scandinavia. They soon strip the tree of all its fruit before flying to another promising location. “The fruit is particularly important at this time of year, as the ground is often too hard for the birds to penetrate in their search for worms. “Now the short days are lengthening and the colours in the garden are changing, we may be surprised to catch the scent Sarcococca confusa, and see the fluffy yellow flowers on the bare branches of Cornus mas, growing above a carpet of snowdrops.” Denton & District Gardening Club is a small, friendly club which meets on a Monday evening every month. New members and visitors are always welcome. > For more information please contact Margaret at m.pateman@yahoo.co.uk or 01604 890875.
February 2022 | NN Pulse Magazine | 22,000 Copies delivered every month door to door across Northamptonshire
