the garden
F. A . B
A Multi-trade Company
Fast Affordable Builders Tree surgery - Landscaping - Garden Work Drive-ways & Patios Tel: 07979 003 291 / 01303 875246 30 years y Experience p - fullyy insured - www.fabbuilders.com
• • • • • • • •
Mushroom Compost Hugh Nichols Topsoil Ornamental Bark Garden Service Manure Crushed Concrete Free Quotes Sand & Ballast & Advice Road Plannings Muck Away, Plant & Tel: 01580 766559 Tipper Lorry Hire Mob: 07774 757001 • Trade Enquiries Welcome
Advertise Here £19 per month plus VAT T: 01233 720488
E: info@thevillagedirectory.co.uk 6
‘ Trust your local experts’
All Aspects Of Tree Work Carried Out to the Highest Standard • • • • • •
Felling, Pruning & Shaping Conifers Reduced Fruit Trees Pruned Hedge Cutting Stump Grinding Seasoned Firewood
• Fully Insured and Qualified • Free No Obligation Written Quotations For a friendly & professional service please call:
01233 730800 / 07771 970570 www.arbourtreesurgery.co.uk Warehorne, Ashford TN26 2ER
Growing Peppers Growing your own peppers is not much more involved than growing tomatoes, so why not give it a try? Pepper plants can be unbelievably pretty too, with fruits in a range of shapes and colour, generally on compact plants and preceded by small and very pretty white flowers. This is a plant with great ornamental as well as edible potential. Both chilli and sweet - or bell - peppers can be grown in a greenhouse border, in a sunny spot in the garden in warmer parts of the country, or on a sunny, sheltered spot on the patio. The heavier, earlier crop will come if you grow the plants in a greenhouse or conservatory, but it is well worth growing them outside too. Sweet peppers, especially the red ones, are very high in vitamin A and both red and green peppers are also very high in vitamin C. Chilli peppers also have a good supply of vitamins C and A and in addition, contain both beta-carotene and something called capsaicin which is believed to have a useful effect on blood cholesterol levels. The seeds are readily obtainable from many catalogues or garden centres but make sure you take into account the level of heat that each type delivers. Most seed packets and catalogues do make it very clear. Sow the seeds between now and early April. I use a multi-purpose or a seed compost, but for good germination you will need to provide a bit of extra warmth, ideally from a heated propagator positioned in a spot where it receives plenty of natural light. If you don’t have the time or facilities to raise your own from seed, you can always buy a few plants in a garden centre or send off for them. We offer two tasty varieties as part of my ‘Grow Your Own with Pippa Greenwood’ system (see www.pippagreenwood.com for details). Keep the plants a tiny bit drier than you would a tomato plant and feed regularly