NEWSLETTER
ARCHIVE
May 2007
Newsletter
Time to get growing
Market news
Book Signing Event May 5th
Summer is on its way
Garden Club Talk, May 9th
10 gardening tasks for May
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Buckingham
Garden Centre
Tingewick Road
Buckingham
MK18 4AE
Telephone:
01280 822133
Fax:
01280 815491
www.hedging.co.uk
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Please note that any special offers and prices mentioned may not now be current.
 Time
to get growing
Who could have believed that after the wettest winter for many
years following last year's drought that this spring has seen
some of the driest and warmest days for years? Our plants, however,
have been shocked into growth, fuelled by the moisture reserves
and the unseasonably warm days of April. At time of writing April
showers are not on the forecast, so the key task for all newly-planted
stock, hedging, fruit, trees and shrubs, must be water, water and
more water. Those of you who cannily mulched around your plants
back in late February should be smiling because this will certainly
help in moisture retention around the roots. Remember, mulches should
only be applied to wet soils, never dry ones. But, even if you did
mulch, irrigation is still required to maintain the moisture barrier
you have created.
Chatting to many of you, and the questions you are asking, it
seems the season is around 2-3 weeks ahead of a 'normal'
spring, but please don't be placed under a false sense of
security. Night frosts are still a major threat, and in view of
the lush growth formed in the warm weather, it would be prudent
to keep an eye on the weather forecasts and have horticultural fleece
handy to cover just in case those night temperatures plummet.
Market news
Buckingham's Market Garden is now open and busy selling a
wide range of vegetables, herbs and potted fruit plants and cell-pack
young plants. We are also selling a range of vegetables through
our website, and offering an extensive range of vegetable varieties.
What's more, do look out for our raised cropping bed displays
over the next few months. These are aimed to show just how easy
it is to grow a wide range of food crops in a relatively small area.
We have used re-cycled wooden pallets lined with landscape fabric
to create the beds – something anyone can do.
For advice, do come along and have a chat with our vegetable experts
Patrick, Pauline and Chris, who will be happy to answer your questions.
Book
Signing Event May 5th
| An unusual event will be taking place at
the Garden Centre on 5th May, that is the book signing of
a newly published book by Julian Hunt and John Clarke called
'Castle House, Buckingham'. The present owner
of the house, Mrs. Barbara Edmondson and Julian Hunt will
be here between 11.00 and 12.30 then again 2.30 to 3.30 to
talk to interested people about all aspects of the book, house
and its beautiful gardens.
Castle House is Buckingham's own stately home. Many
people only know the 18th century south wing of the house
which faces on to West Street in Buckingham but hidden behind
this façade are a wealth of older parts some with beautiful
gothic windows and elaborately carved roof timbers. Long-term
residents of Buckingham will remember the Buckingham Council
converting and using the house as Council offices, but in
1978 it was purchased by Barbara Edmondson and it was on her
suggestion that the book was written. In trying to do justice
to this ancient and complex house, the authors have produced
far more than a house history. They have put Castle House
in its architectural, economic and social context and have
also compiled full biographies of many of Buckingham's
leading citizens. In other words a 'must read'
which will be available for sale from the Garden Centre.
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Summer
is on its way
…so it is time to prepare for the great outdoor living. It
is good to dream of having a quiet read in a comfortable chair in
the garden but it is better to get prepared as this time of the
year there is a really good range of furniture and barbeques to
choose from – something suitable for every garden. If you
have room for a swing seat what could be more attractive and enticing
than the Willerby Swing Seat at only £199.99. This sturdy
wooden swinging seat with an arbour is practical as if you wish
to create a shady seat for high summer, climbers such as honeysuckle
or Montana clematis can easily be trained up and over the arbour,
giving colour and perfume.
 At
the other extreme for furniture there is the 'Tea for Two Bistro
Set', a dainty modern set comprising of a round metal table and
two chairs available in three colours, orange, willow or linen and
selling at £159. Apart from these there is a wide range of
tradition wooden sets and also children's sets to choose from.
 To
go with the furniture are the BBQs and these range from the very
sophisticated Weber outdoor cooking stations, to the Bucket BBQs
which sell from £9.99. An excellent portable BBQ available
from Weber is the 'Go Anywhere' Charcoal BBQ. This is a sturdy,
compact BBQ which could easily be carried to the beach or elsewhere,
and retails at £49.99 is a good investment. Alongside are
all the fuels and accessories to enable you to make the most of
the warm summer evenings.
A downside to summer is the emergence of flies and wasps but a
brilliant and most effective way of clearing these unwanted guests
is the 'tennis racquet zapper'. This is made to look
like a tennis racquet but its strings are metal and are cunningly
connected to batteries, so the beasties can be swatted and quickly
disposed of. Armed with this weapon, and with plenty of the attractive
glass flytraps hanging in the garden, and citronella candles you
should be able to enjoy a bugless summer!
Garden
Club Talk, May 9th
'How To Grow 5 A Day' is the next talk for Garden Card
members on Wednesday 9th May at Buckingham Golf Club from 10.30am
and lasting approximately one hour.
Chris Day will be looking at vegetable growing, new techniques
and how to grow a wide range of food crops where space and time
is limited. As last month there will be a free raffle to be drawn
back at the Garden Centre at approximately 12.15pm.
Our monthly talks are being well subscribed, so be sure to book
your place early to avoid disappointment.
10
gardening tasks for April & May
START FEEDING. Months of rain through autumn and
winter will have washed away a large proportion of the soluble nutrients
in the soil. As soon as trees, shrubs, roses and hedges surge into
new growth their roots will be searching for food, so this is an
ideal month to provide it. Sprinkle a general fertiliser, such as
blood fish and bone, Vitax Q4 or slow-release fertiliser Osmocote,
over the soil between established plants. Where possible, hoe into
the soil's surface. Clumps of fading spring bulbs and perennials
also benefit from feeding now. Later in the month, apply a high-nitrogen
feed to all lawns.
Apply sulphate of potash around strawberry plants, fruit bushes
and trees. Three applications, one now, one at the end of May and
in early July are essential for encouraging strong flowers (and
the developing fruit) and later, the developing flowering wood for
next spring.
SLUG STOPPERS. Watch out for slugs and snails.
There are numerous ways of dealing with these blighters. You can
trap them under tiles or grapefruit skins and dispose of them daily
(a bucket of salty water usually does the trick!). Sprinkling a
layer of sand, grit or crushed eggshells around plants may help.
Alternatively, sparingly scatter slug pellets around plants most
at risk, such as hostas, delphiniums and lupins. Never leave pellets
in piles. Cover pellets with a tile resting on pebbles to keep them
out of sight of birds and pets.
ON THE MOVE. Control the growth of climbing plants
on walls of houses and outbuildings if they start to block gutters
or grow under roof-tiles. Cut them away from doors and windows too.
Tie in non-clinging climbers as required.
SPRING COLOUR. A little attention to spring-flowering
pots will ensure they look their best right through until May. Pick
off dead flower-heads from primulas and winter-flowering pansies
to encourage plants to develop further flowers. Also pick off the
faded heads from spring bulbs, such as tulips, but leave their foliage
intact. Compost in pots can also dry out, especially this spring,
so check with a finger to see how moist it is, and water well if
it has dried out.
BULBS TO GO. Many summer-flowering bulbs can
be planted in April. From late April dahlia tubers can be planted
outside, covered with about 10cm (4in) of soil. In the coming months,
plant groups of gladioli at intervals to extend their flowering
season. Grow lilies in pots (remember the layer planting method
for extending the flowering season) so that they can be moved into
the garden to fill any gaps.
PRUNE FOR GROWTH. Hard prune tall old stems on
butterfly bushes (Buddleja davidii), Leycestera formosa and other
fast-growing shrubs that flower on new wood. Many dogwoods and willows,
grown as clumps and valued for their colourful winter stems, should
also be pruned back hard now, right down to a stubby base, about
30cm (12in) from the ground. Other shrubs that respond well to hard
pruning include the golden-leaved elder (Sambucus), smoke bush (Cotinus)
and purple hazel (Corylus), which will then produce fresh young
growth and often brighter and larger leaves.
NEW BUG KILLER. Look out for new formula Pravado's
Ultimate Bug Killer Ready To Use offers the broadest spectrum of
pest control currently available, providing protection for a more
extensive list of vegetables, fruit and herbs than ever before.
It can be used on the following; almond, apple, aubergine, bilberry,
blackcurrant, blueberry, brassicas, cherry, chestnut, courgette,
cranberry, cucumber, gooseberry, hazelnut, herbs, hybrid berries,
lettuce, Mirabelle, pear, pepper, plum, raspberry, redcurrant, strawberry,
tomato, walnut and white currant.
THE BIG SOW. Sow tomato plants in a warm place
for growing in unheated greenhouses or planting outside in early
June. Also sow aubergines, capsicum, celeriac, peppers and celery.
Cucumbers and melons can be sown in late April. Half-hardy bedding
plants can also be sown this month in trays in the greenhouse or
on windowsills. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick
out into small individual pots or space out in seed trays. If bushy
plants need more space, pot up on their own. Water regularly and
feed weekly. If you miss the boat for sowing, remember to check
out the extensive vegetable and bedding plant range available at
the Garden Centre.
SPUDS. Plant maincrop potatoes and earth up any
early varieties that have produced foliage. These should not be
left exposed as they are vulnerable to frost damage.
SUMMER COLOUR. Prepare patio planters and hanging
baskets, but retain in the greenhouse, porch or conservatory until
towards the end of next month when the danger of frost has passed.
If you have recently potted up plug and KinderGarden Plants, do
make sure you keep them well watered and give them plenty of light,
turning them regularly on the windowsill to achieve bushy growth.
Nipping the plants back is good, especially fuchsias which will
bush out and branch, giving more stems to carry more flowering stems
through the summer.
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