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The Spindle pindle Bush… an outstanding choice
As Hallowe’en celebrations end, the fireworks of the plant world prepare for their annual colour explosion. Many direct factors combine to affect the quality of autumn colour; weather, temperature, and soil conditions all have a bearing on the depth and brilliance of the colours. Of course what appears to be a mystical display for our benefit is nature’s way of shutting down deciduous plants for the winter. When temperatures drop and the days begin to shorten, resources stored within the leaves are slowly withdrawn and conserved for the following year. The subtle hues we can expect over the coming days can be truly breath-taking and all who can get out to visit arboreta and parks (especially Fota which has no entry charge) should do so. Butter-yellow and gold, through to tangerine, orange, and scarlet will predominate, whilst the reds can arrive as varied as ruby or crimson.
The most dramatic effects are achieved by combining several plants of contrasting tints but you will need a large garden (mostly free from lime) for just such a collage. Alternatively, choose a single specimen. I can suggest a particular shrub which will thrive on all soils (lime included) and if given a backdrop of dark-leaved evergreens will form a solid block of a single shade, shouting its presence in the still warm autumn sunshine. This use of restraint and simplicity can prove more startling and effective than a multi-coloured scene. My outstanding choice for all soils and all gardens is the winged spindle tree, Euonymus alatus. This attractive shrub comes into its own in autumn when it reliably delivers resplendent colour. The simply-shaped, dark green leaves which are paired up along the stems undergo a metamorphosis to become one of the most striking sights in the autumn garden. They colour dramatically reaching a rich shade of pinkish Tolerant of most soils Euonymus alatus, commonly known as the spindle tree, will glow as spectacularly as any Japanese maple. Suitable for the smaller garden, it will grow to six feet with a spread of half as much again. Suitable for lime soil in sun or part shade it is unlikely to be hard to source. This illustration was captured at Fota Arboretum.
crimson (of startling intensity but especially so down in Fota) and droop rather elegantly from the spreading stems. When a really hard frost arrives it will knock all the leaves off and the bare stems of the shrub will sit in a pool of red debris until they’re absorbed naturally back into the soil. Another distinctive feature of this shrub is its distinctive bark; pronounced corky ridges which form elongated ‘wings’ grow along the surface of the stems and branches! As well, coloured clusters of dangling ruby berries normally add to the decorative effect. To cap it all, its slow growth and medium size make this shrub a welcome addition to the smaller garden where it is certain to become a dominant feature in autumn. Equally good are Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’, a dwarf form that is also suitable for low hedging, and E. alatus var. Apterus, a less common variety that lacks the winged bark but whose colour is every bit as dazzling.
Tips&Advice Most gardeners will have, over time, acquired tips and advice. Here we ask that these are shared with other members. Please send your tips to corkgardenclub2013@gmail.com
BROKEN POTS Last month’s wonderful lecture on container gardening by Hester Forde has surely got us all thinking of our pots! It certainly has spurred me on to look at our container collection for the coming year. Acquired over the thirty-odd years we have been gardening, they have now taken up home in all shapes, repaired. sizes, and ‘qualities’; Broken pot being repair some have an air about them, but others are quite commonplace which can add to their attractiveness. Below are some very cheap pots (which I would not recommend), two of which were knocked over and broke. A repair job using Gorilla glue was affected. This glue should be available in most hardware stores, but Pot repaired with Gorilla glue
mine came from Miko Metals, Ballycurreen, Kinsale Road. It’s very easy to work with. 1. Lightly dampen one surface of the cracked pot with water; do not saturate the surface. 2. Evenly apply the glue onto the dry surface; do not over apply. I recommend wearing gloves or applying with a disposable brush. 3. You must clamp the two surfaces together tightly. Make sure the clamping pressure is distributed evenly across the surface. For my pots I have tied them using very strong string. Clamp objects for one to two hours, but for best results, leave overnight. Once the glue is dry, any excess can be easily removed mechanically: try sanding, chiseling, scraping or picking. The dried glue will not damage tools.
SECATEURS REFURBISHMENT If you have a Felco secateurs that look a little weary, then consider sending them to ‘hospital’. Yes, I do clean and oil them regularly (honest), but I feel it’s time they had some extra tlc. When out in the garden pruning the other day, mine weren’t quite hitting the mark, and it’s really important to get clean cuts when pruning, so as not to invite infection. Back in 2011 I sent my No.7 to Burton McCall in Leicester, UK, who gave the secateurs a complete service. They came back like new, so this month they will be sent again. As we are not in the UK it is best to make contact with customer services, who are very helpful, before sending your secateurs off to Burton McCall Ltd, Felco Servicing, 163 Parker Drive, Leicester, LE4 OJP enclosing your return address. You can telephone 0044 116 234 4646 to make the necessary arrangements. Though I have yet to contact them I believe that for about €25.00 (including return postage) the servicing will be done to perfection!
Gardener’sDiary
WINTER The clocks have ‘gone back’ and we embrace the arrival of winter, a season of waiting and being open to new growth. Some hate the interference and change to wintertime, but how comforting to be living in a geographical area where we can experience each of the four distinct seasons. How boring it must be living in a country where there is little or no change from one season to the next! For many however, winter is hardly their favorite time and their hearts dream of nothing but spring and the returning light. GARDEN BIRDS The crab apples are glowing in the hedgerows and in local gardens varieties of Malus, Sorbus and Rowan trees are loaded with berries in various hues and tints. Most of the rowan group exhibit some good autumn colour, but certain species excel. One of the most popular Chinese rowans is the superb ‘Joseph Rock’ with apricot berries which are set off by leaves that gradually darken and change to a rich, tortoiseshell hue. However, many are already littering the ground beneath their spread and greedy blackbirds have arrived to feed like gluttons on nature’s beneficence. Always the most pragmatic of birds, the blackbirds will take all that’s available as soon as it is ready and sometimes even before that. NERINES These truly magnificent flowers have almost finished flowering having begun their autumnal display as far back as the first week in September. In my book, that’s a full eight to nine weeks of bloom, something equalled by very few plants in the garden. Part of this grand return I attribute to the removal of the bulbs leaves during mid-July Nerine bowdenii
and the odd feeding with the likes of tomato food. Lift and divide overcrowded clumps. This becomes evident when the bulbs are pushing and lifting themselves one on another from sheer numbers. Replant mature bulbs immediately and put the smaller offsets in new quarters or give away to friends or garden club members. PRAIRIE FLOWERS The Helenium sold as ‘Moorheim Beauty’ is beloved of gardeners old and new for its velvet-curtain bronze petals and dark doorknob centres. The lovely Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii is another really Helenium Moorheim Beauty bright autumn daisy with yellow petals and a large dark eye which adds immeasurably to the autumnal garden. These two attracts late butterflies especially red admirals who sup their nectar as the last hedgerow flowers finish. LABELS Replace ragged plant labels while you can still remember what is growing where. You think you’ll remember, but before the days begin to lengthen again you’ll really have forgotten what should have been marked properly. BARE-ROOTED Bare-rooted hedging will become available this month of November and if you have to replace frosted and dead stock then this is the way to buy it. Costs are far less when bare-root plants are purchased and it is possible to make considerable savings especially when a large number of replacements are required.
GRASSES Lightness and elegance are the hallmarks of ornamental grasses for all have an attractive form of growth with arching, linear leaves in colours ranging from biscuit and bronze to tan and fawn. They make loose tufts and are especially eye-catching in winter when their brownish tints become more pronounced. Generally, the deciduous ornamental grasses are not cut back until late February although it is down to aesthetic judgment as to whether the dead and bleached leaves are still looking good to be retained or removed. The exception is the very lovely Molinia caerula variegata which grows in graceful arching style among substantial box balls growing up along the driveway. This variety holds well until the middle of November, then suddenly, following one or two nights of heavy frost, it melts away into a lax, straw-coloured heap which begs to be cleared. Gathering up the remains is easy and rewarding, though I must admit to using a secateurs in order to leave behind a neatly cropped stump, out of which new shoots will emerge during late March. This is a grass that in a word, has distinction. KAFFIR LILY Gardens that look good in winter have a mesmeric quality. It derives from the fact that their dormancy makes them static; they are not springing into new life or bursting with blooms or blossom. As against this, there’s much to be said about the summery-looking kaffir lily, Schizostylis coccinea which is hardy enough in all counties, blooming for all of November and sometimes well into December. This plant makes a few demands, not least the fact it has a preference for pretty damp soil for most of the year. Put it in shade, and it goes to leaf. However, in an open position and a decent nourishing soil, it will produce exquisite flowers that have something of the freshness of spring about them. At garden clubs, you will always be offered the pink form for the taking away, but seek the larger, more pronounced red-flowered ‘Major’ and you’ll delight in what it can do when days are at their most dismal.
CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE As yet more fallen leaves are raked up and carried away, I look around and try to convince myself that this is surely the garden’s lowest, most dreary time in the year—or would be but for winter scent and an exciting local event! Scent encompasses all that the garden has to offer as days grow murky and dark. Even our senses seem to withdraw in sympathy in these wan days, touch being first to shrink from cold and damp followed by hearing which must get by between the squelching of mud underfoot and the hollow call of rooks in a stand of nearby beech trees. The mood is indeed subdued, except for the annual opening of D. J. Murphy’s Bride Park Cottage at Killumney during the last two weekends of November. As in previous years, every room within this listed building is amply filled and seasonally decorated with both dried and living plant material. Seasonal berries are evident everywhere, and they look dramatic as they continue to fatten in their waxy skins. Common holly and ivy will once again be painted and glittered, and wound around ribbons on picture frames and mantelpieces while fairy lights of every hue will be hung in swag fashion along the picture rails which are home to pewter plates and brass ornaments. The informality at this annual event is quite unique. Unlike any other such openings visitors can come and go at will or lounge in any of the rooms before adjourning to the kitchen where seasonal refreshments are served in non-stop relay! There will also be a chance to take part in a monster raffle (with very worthwhile prizes) or purchase arrangements from a huge display especially created in one of the many courtyard building. The beneficiaries of this year’s opening are the very deserving Marymount Hospice and Our Lady of Good Counsel Ballincollig. The open days are Thursday to Sunday November 21 to 24 and again from Thursday to Sunday November 28 to December 1. Times of opening are 6.00 to 10.00pm on Thursday and Friday, and noon to 8pm each Saturday and Sunday. Admission, which includes refreshments, is €10. Parents should note that Santa will be in attendance in his garden grotto with parcels and light refreshments on Saturdays and Sundays from early afternoon! All in all it is going to be a wonderful experience and a great day out. I may have fanciful notions about this particular event, but is this not this the time of year for fancies?
MonthlyWork General duties
FLOWER BEDS & BORDERS Herbaceous perennials are difficult to beat for their colour. There are so many to choose from, they can provide interest more-or-less all year round. This is a brilliant time to plant perennials, as the soil should still be reasonably warm and moist, providing it isn’t waterlogged or frozen solid. To get the best out of them, make sure you dig over the soil where they’re going to be planted, remove any perennial weeds and dig in plenty of organic matter, and add some bonemeal to the soil/compost mix. Plant firmly and water in well afterwards. A 5-7.5cm (2-3in) thick mulch will ensure they get off to the best possible start, will help keep weeds down and retain soil moisture in spring and summer. Hellebores niger, the Christmas rose, rarely flowers naturally at Christmas, despite its common name. Plants can be encouraged to flower a little earlier by covering them with cloches or Hellebores niger, potting them up and bringing them into a warm greenhouse or placing them on a windowsill. Half-hardy bedding fuchsias overwintered indoors are best given a rest period over the winter. Allow the compost to dry out ever so slightly so the plants drop their leaves, rather than
keeping them in active growth with lots of heat, water and feed. Just keep them ticking over at a temperature of around 4-5C (40-42F) in the greenhouse, conservatory or in a cool room. Lily bulbs can still be planted for a riot of colour next year. PATIO GARDENING Even during wet weather, you can easily be convinced that your containers are getting enough water. But don’t be fooled by the weather, check containers regularly – especially hanging baskets – to ensure the compost is kept moist. Garden centres often have great deals on potting composts this month. So pop along to your local store and see if you can save yourself some money, and get in your supplies ready for spring planting. Remember to protect pots and roots from freezing weather as this can cause damage to even otherwise hardy plants. Use feet under the pots. This will help to keep them off the very cold ground helping them not to become waterlogged. LAWNS Avoid walking on the lawn during frosty weather. It can damage the grass and lead to brown, footprint-shaped areas if you don’t. Individual toadstools on the lawn are usually harmless to the grass, but are best removed if small children are present. Sweep them away before the caps open and spread their spores. If you’re putting away the lawnmower for winter, ensure it is clean and dry before storing. Drain out fuel from petrol mowers, as unleaded petrol doesn’t keep, and may cause problems. Have your mower serviced now; most people leave it until spring when you may have to wait weeks to have the work completed. Rains have softened and greened lawns which were parched up to very recently. Those who scarified can now expect to get an almost immediate re-establishment of green growth especially if they were wise enough to follow with a balanced feed. The sight of a scarified lawn is a sorry sight for about three weeks following the thatch removal but it will recover and be a joy to cut and tend in the new season beginning in early spring. Sharpening up scruffy lawn edges is another time-consuming but most rewarding job-the results are immediately visible. Use a proper half-moon edger (if you can rise to a stainless steel model, you’ll find it leaves a much cleaner, sharper edge) the lawn will look good all winter. On no account use a spade for its plade is far too curved.
VEGETABLES Now is a good time to dig over vacant areas of vegetable plots on clay soil, as the cold weather will help to improve the soil structure by breaking down large clumps into crumbly particles. Light, sandy soils are best left until spring, but you can help improve soil structure by putting a thick layer of organic matter over the soil now. Thoroughly dig over any bare areas of soil, incorporate plenty of well-rotted organic matter, and, at the same time, remove any weeds. Winter digging not only helps improve soil structure, it also exposes soil pests to frost and bird predators. Once the soil has been dug over and any large clumps broken down, you can cover it with thick black polythene, weed control membrane or similar coverings. This will keep the soil in good condition until spring, when it will be easier to prepare for planting and sowing and keep weeds down. Clear away crops as they go over and put them on the compost heap or, if they are suffering from severe disease, dispose of them. Crop and other plant debris left lying around will become a home and breeding place for pests and diseases. If slugs and snails are active during mild, damp periods, protect plants with your favourite control method, such as SlugClear Ultra, sprinkling the pellets thinly, according to the directions for use. FRUIT It’s time to get the secateurs busy, as there are plenty of pruning jobs to get on with. Start winter pruning established, free-standing apple and pear trees, not cordons, espaliers, pyramids or fans, which should be left until summer. Pruning of all stone fruit must be left until spring or summer. Make sure you have a plan of attack and don’t just prune for the sake of it. You should be thinking about removing the following: 3 The four Ds – any growth that is dead, dying, damaged or diseased (such as infected by canker). 3 Growth that is crossing from one side of the tree to the other, as this can reduce airflow and increase disease problems. 3 Any branches that are rubbing, as this can cause damage. 3 Any branches that are growing too low and any that are growing too tall. Currants and gooseberries can be pruned now. Start by thinning out very old, very thin and diseased growth.
Prune red and white currants and gooseberries by cutting back main branches by half to three-quarters and sideshoots on these branches to one to three buds from their base. For blackcurrants, cut back up to one-third to a half of all the older branches to their base to give plenty of room for young, vigorous growth. Grape vines can be pruned now; major pruning at other times can lead to severe bleeding, which will weaken the vine and may even kill it. This year’s sideshoots should be hard pruned to one or two buds. Carefully rubbing off the old, loose bark of indoor grape vines can help deter overwintering pests. Cut down and remove the fruited canes of blackberries and hybrid berries and tie in new ones. TREES, SHRUBS,ROSES & CLIMBERS December is a great time for moving deciduous small trees, shrubs and climbers that are growing in the wrong place or have outgrown their allotted space. Older plants may not establish well and so may not be worth taking the risk. Where possible, start by pruning back up to half of the top growth – moving puts a stress on the plants and you can reduce this stress by reducing the amount of stems and leaves the plant has. Water the soil around the plant thoroughly the day before. Dig up as big a rootball as possible/you or you and a friend can manage. Replant in well-prepared soil with plenty of added Rose, Tree & Shrub Compost and bone meal root builder, so that the rootball sits at the same level as it was originally, covered with no more than an 2.5cm (1in) or so of soil. Tall shrubs and trees may need staking to keep the roots secure. Water in well after moving and for the first year to ensure the plants establish properly. Hard pruning and renovation of many overgrown deciduous trees, shrubs and hedges can be carried out from now throughout the winter; it’s easier to see what you’re doing when the plants have dropped their leaves. The exceptions are tender plants, and also Prunus species (such as ornamental and fruiting cherries), as these are vulnerable to diseases if pruned now. Evergreens are also usually best left until the spring. When doing any pruning, take the opportunity to examine branches for signs of disease. Small cankers, dieback, and rotten, hollow stumps at the centre of old shrub bases, are best removed early before they spread further.
GardenNotes
Snowdrop Gala & Other Spring Treasures
Venue BALLYKEALEY MANOR (near Altamont, County Carlow) Date Saturday, February 1, 2014 Programme Richard Hobbs 9.30am: Registration, tea/coffee, biscuits. 10.00am–11.00am: RICHARD HOBBS Tales About Snowdrops…The people, the plants, the past & the future 11.30am–12.30pm: JOHN MASSEY Winter into Spring John Massey, Ashwood Nurseries, will give a lecture which follows his garden at Ashwood from mid winter into the unfolding of spring and looks at all the treasures in his garden from snowdrops to hellebores and many more. John Massey
Club Agenda
Thursday, 14 November JANE McCORKELL Garden & Landscape Design Association Garden Design Plant Sale, Tip of the Month, Garden forum, Raffle, Refreshments. Competition: Class 1: Three stems of Autumn Flowers (distinct or mixed) Class 2: Three Stems of Berried Shrub
Thursday, 12 December CHARLIE WILKINS Cannabis No Plant Sale, Tip of the Month, Garden forum, Raffle, Refreshments No Competition Thursday, 9 January, 2014 AGM Shane Lehane: Beekeeping & What it Entails No Plant Sale, Tip of the Month, Garden forum, Raffle, Refreshments No Competition
12.45pm–1.45pm: Lunch at Ballykealey Visit to Altamont 2.00pm: Bulb Sale 3.30pm: Guided T Tour of gardens with Paul Cutler 4.30pm: Refreshments. NURSERIES Avon Bulbs (snowdrops), Paul Cutler Richard Hobbs (snowdrops), hellebores supplied from Ashwood Nurseries and Harvington. Also many more specialist nurseries Cost €70 (final booking date January 17, 2014) includes lectures, lunch, refreshments, admission to bulb sale, guided tour. Early booking advisable. No refunds. Ticket event, limited number. For further information and bookings forms please contact Hester Forde (Coosheen Garden) 086 8654972 Robert Miller (Altamont Plant Sales) 087 9822135 BOOKINGS can also be made in writing by advising on the number of tickets required, and enclosing names, addresses, telephone numbers, together with cheque (€70 per person) made out to Robert Miller, Altamont Plants, and posting to Hester Forde at 15 Johnstown Park, Glounthaune, Co Cork, by January 17, 2014.
Gardening Adverts
OOPS! SORRY, NO ADVERTS We have no advertisements this month, so I invite any members who may have plants, or garden related items, FOR SALE to submit advertisements (their free!). Indeed, also we would very much like to see members who have specific WANTS to submit adverts. Please remember this Newsletter is for you, the members of the Cork Garden Club. Please use it to its fullest, and enjoy. Cork Garden Club meet on the second Thursday of every month (except July and August) in Ashton School, Blackrock Road, at 8.00pm. Membership €30.00, Partners €50.00, Visitors €5.00 per lecture. Comments, articles, notes, photographs, and advertisements greatly received by the Editor, Cork Garden Magazine. Please email to corkgardenclub2013@gmail.com