Dorset Country Gardener Winter 2021

Dorset www.countrygardener.co.uk

Issue No 193 WINTER 2021 FREE

LET’S ENJOY

winter!

IN THE COLDEST, DARKEST MONTHS THE GARDEN IS STILL A GREAT PLACE TO BE

INSIDE: Traditional orchards; It’s not too late to get planting; Looking ahead to the local snowdrop displays; The right wood for your open fire; The language of roses; Devon’s fruit lady; Returning sparrows; Let’s ban peat; Gardening news in and around Dorset

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Country Gardener

CUTTINGS

Gardeners cuttings

in Dorset

A LOOK AT NEWS, EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS IN YOUR AREA

IS IT TIME FOR WHERE YOU LIVE TO ENTER BRITAIN IN BLOOM?

NGS offers grants for Dorset community garden projects The National Garden Scheme has re-opened applications in Dorset for its popular Community Gardens Award programme after a year’s break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

What’s your view about Britain in Bloom, the nationwide gardening competition for cities, towns and villages? From its roots in post-war tourism, the competition in the early 1960s was about grand floral schemes, hanging baskets and window boxes. It is now about a balanced and inclusive campaign and organisers are keen to dispel myths built up over the years.

“The emphasis these days is still on good gardening standard but about caring for our environment and encouraging communities to work together to improve the standard of life for all,” said Peter Holman, chairman South & South East in Bloom.

“Anyone can participate as we have categories Dorset has a history of successes of entry for individual gardens, balconies and in ‘Britain in Bloom’ smaller business entries and parishes right up to the more traditional ‘Bloom’ villages, towns and cities and the newer town centres “.

Entries can be made from the end of November through to February and judging and assessment takes place between mid-June and mid-July and awards held in September.

The South & South East region includes amongst others West Sussex, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, East and North Dorset and East Wiltshire.

For more information go to www.sseib.com or www.inbloom.org.uk or email Peter Holman at peter@sseib.com

“We’re delighted to be offering our Community Gardens Award grants again,” says National Garden Scheme Chief Executive, George Plumptre. “These popular grants provide funding to amateur gardeners from community groups to create a garden or similar project such as an allotment, with a horticultural focus for the benefit of the local community or charitable group.”

In 2020, 44 grants totaling over £97,000 were awarded supporting community allotments and gardens, rehabilitation, and regeneration projects, as well as gardens designed to support mental health and wellbeing, and training and development for young people.

Submissions close on 28th February and applicants will be notified in April. For more details and an application form visit: https://ngs.org.uk/cga-application/

Holme for Gardens set to make Christmas special Holme for Gardens is a family run garden centre business in Wareham which is pulling out all the stops this Christmas.

You can choose from hundreds of Scottish and Dorset Christmas trees, like Nordmann, Fraser, Nobel, Spruce, with minimal needle drop, delicate scent, making them perfect for decorations this year. Plus, tree stands, holly, mistletoe, Christmas baubles, Seasonal gifts and cards. A real focal point is the Holme Farm Shop which specialises in an array of Dorset chocolates, ciders, beers, pickles, meats, cakes and breads - plus ingredients for a bespoke Dorset hamper.

From Wednesday 1st December, you can enjoy the Orchard Café’s new festive menu, no booking required or for an extra touch of Christmas magic you can book a ‘Christmas table’ with festive tablecloth, crackers and decorations.

Holme vouchers are available as a great gift for any gardeners in your home, £5, £10 and £20 available.

For further information visit: www.holmeforgardens.co.uk or Tel: 01929 554716 Holme for Gardens, West Holme, Wareham BH20 6AQ

DORSET CHRISTMAS MARKETS GALORE TO CHOOSE FROM There’s an impressive line-up of special Christmas events in Dorset over the next few weeks.

DORCHESTER’S VEGAN MARKET is on Saturday, 4th December in a safe outside environment with free entry and 35 stalls, all 100 per-cent vegan. The venue is the Dorchester Borough Gardens ATHELSTONE HOUSE & GARDENS hosts a popular Christmas market on Saturday 4th and Sunday, 5th December tickets £5, a slightly smaller fair this year to keep people safe. www.athelhampton.com. Athelhampton, Dorchester, DT2 7LG SYMONGDSBURY ESTATE CHRISTMAS MARKET is a two-day event on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th December admission free from11am to 6pm. www.symondsburyestate.co.uk THE SHIRE HALL Christmas Market is being held at the Courthouse Museum, Dorchester hosting 30 stall holders on Saturday and Sunday 11th and 12th December. 10am to 4pm.

Country Gardener works hard to ensure we have up to date and correct information when it comes to garden events and openings. However, events can be cancelled at short notice with the uncertainty surrounding Covid 19, so we urge readers to double check with venues before setting out on a visit.

www.countrygardener.co.uk

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Country Gardener

02/09/2021 10:09

CUTTINGS

New Dorset countryside show for 2022 Dorset will host a new countryside show next April.

The organisers of the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show have announced plans for the Spring Countryside Show on Saturday, 23rd and Sunday, 24th April on the Turnpike showground on the Gillingham to Shaftesbury road.

The show will host a discussions tent that will welcome a range of demonstrators and speakers relating to rural life in Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset.

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Horse society joins campaign to save Dorset footpaths

This is the favourite time of the year at Hillier Garden Centres in Wimborne when thousands of real Christmas trees arrive and instant magical tree ‘forests’ are created ! All the premium quality, UK grown trees are hand-picked by horticultural experts from dedicated UK Christmas tree growers.

The most popular choice is a real, cut Christmas tree. The extensive range of trees includes the classic Nordmann Fir, or varieties such as the Blue Spruce for those looking to make a seasonal statement.

The tree will be netted for you and carried to your car once you’ve finished your shopping – or stopped at the Mulberry & Thyme restaurant for a festive bite to eat!

Hillier Garden Centre Three Legged Cross, Ringwood Road, Three Legged Cross, Wimborne, BH21 6RD

Time Off gardening club events in Dorset

We hope our popular and comprehensive coverage of gardening club and association events free listings Time Off will resume in full in our March issue next year. If you have events, meetings or trips you wish to publicise then email the details to timeoff@countrygardener.co.uk

December 3RD Bournemouth in Bloom: The Bournemouth Horticultural Society CHRISTMAS FLOWER ARRANGEMENT SHOW Details on 01202 752014

7TH Parkstone Gardeners Society AGM, CHRISTMAS FLOWER COMPETITION & AMERICAN SUPPER

15TH Milford Gardeners’ Club MONTHLY MEETING Details on 01425 612287

January 25TH West Parley Gardening Club ‘ORCHIDS’ - ROGER FRAMPTON Details on 01202 896711

February 22ND West Parley Gardening Club ‘THE HISTORY OF DORSET’ - CHRISTOPHER LEGRAND Details on 01202 896711

Gardening themed gifts lift Seasons Green out of the ordinary Shops like Seasons Green Gift Shop and Gallery in the heart of Corfe Castle come into their own at this time of year and the popular gift shop isn’t disappointing.

More organisations are gearing the public up to be aware of the threat to tens of thousands of footpaths and bridleways across England and Wales which could be lost forever.

Access to many public routes not formally recorded on the Definitive Map (the legal record of rights of way) by the cut off date in 2026 will vanish forever, due to changes in the law introduced by The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.

One of the latest to campaign is The British Horse Society (BHS) who are calling on all walkers, cyclists, and horse riders to check that the routes they use are on the Definitive Map and, if not, to ensure they are registered. The society is committed to protecting the rights of way network so future generations can continue to enjoy safe off-road access, an asset we cannot afford to lose.

For those who particularly love their snowdrops a plaque

by Rachel Dein features real snowdrops in relief and makes for a simple yet tactile piece of art. It can be wall hung or propped on a shelf or mantelpiece.

A Growbar makes a thoughtful gift or fun family project for any pizza lover. It looks like a big bar of chocolate but is so much more fun - and healthier too! All the recipient will need is a small container, water and a warm, sunny spot on the windowsill. In six to eight weeks the seedlings will be ready to plant into the ground or into pots and they’ll be on their way to their very own pizza garden.

Seasons Green, 14 West St, Corfe Castle, Dorset BH20 5HD www.seasonsgreen.co.uk

NT OFFERS GARDENERS GUIDANCE ON HOW TO HELP SAVE THE PLANET Saving the planet can start in your garden, backyard or even balcony with just eight simple steps, says the National Trust whose properties throughout Dorset are following the guidance rules.

The steps include: • Buying peat-free compost and plants grown in peat-free compost • Ordering bare root shrubs • Installing the biggest water butts you can collect • Mulch garden soil • Try no dig gardening to boost soil health and grow plants which need less water and feed • Use manual tools as much as possible and when you buy garden machinery look for rechargeable, battery powered equipment Rebecca Bevan, who advises the charity’s gardens on environmental sustainability said the Trust wants to be carbon net zero by 2030.

Country Gardener will be back for a new gardening season with our March edition available on 26th February www.countrygardener.co.uk

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WILDLIFE

The house sparrow is back!

The last 18 months have finally seen some good news for the humble, yet endearing sparrow whose decline in numbers seems to have been halted

The house sparrow is an endearing, friendly little garden bird whose almost consistent year-round presence is always welcome. However, despite its notoriety as being one of the most sociable and gregarious birds in existence, it’s an understatement to say the sparrow has had a very tough time throughout history.

Never found far from humans, their antics are fun to watch, although a small flock can be aggressive towards other birds and prevent them feeding, hence a ‘quarrel’ of sparrows!

Brown, of muted colour, and incredibly humble, house sparrows have managed to colonise most of the world. They are, without doubt, fantastic opportunists, and the fact that they eat almost anything gives them a great advantage when feeding in the garden.

Sadly, they were becoming rarer with drastic population declines in recent years. The slightly better news for lovers of this garden bird is that the last few years may have seen a halt in their decline and in 2020 numbers increased for the first time in many years.

House sparrows nest in small colonies, usually in holes in buildings such as under roof eaves, but sometimes they will build nests in thick vegetation or plants growing against walls. Nests are lined with dry grass and feathers, but also all sorts of other items including hair and paper!

House sparrows pair for life, and usually use the same nest site year after year. They will readily use nest boxes, including ready-made sparrow terraced houses!

If there are sparrows living in your area then providing a bird table with seeds and scraps, and

hanging some feeders with nuts and seeds, may well attract them. Since they are usually in flocks they need some space, and open ground will help.

There should be cover nearby, ideally being hedgerows and large shrubs that may also offer nesting places. Otherwise, place several nest boxes together, or a purpose-made sparrow colony box.

A wild area of the garden that attracts insects, including some butterfly-friendly plants that will encourage them to lay eggs and hence produce caterpillars, will give sparrows (and other birds) an excellent food source for their chicks.

WHAT CAUSED THE DRAMATIC DECLINE OF THE SPARROW? •

Less availability of favoured food, either for adults, chicks or both • Greater levels of pollution • Loss of suitable nesting sites • The spread of disease • Increased levels of predation, especially by sparrowhawks • Introduction of unleaded petrol, which produces toxic compounds such as methyl nitrate For those few who wouldn’t be able to recognise a sparrow, watch out for a bird with a chestnut brown back, white underparts and a grey crown. They tend to congregate, hence the use of sparrow colony nesting boxes, so look for them in groups in your garden.

The voice isn’t particularly distinct, with a continuous, relatively incessant collection of cheeps and chirps.

Daniel Hayhow, an RSPB

HOUSE SPARROWS - MAKING A COMEBACK

HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HOUSE SPARROW AND A TREE SPARROW The simplest way to tell the difference between house sparrows and tree sparrows is to look at their crown! Tree sparrows have a solid chestnut-brown head and nape, whilst house sparrows (males at least) have a light grey crown.

• House sparrows are slightly larger than tree sparrows, measuring up to 15cm from head to tail.

• Males and females have quite different plumage. Males have a light grey crown, black around their eyes and a black patch covering their throat and upper chest.

Females have a buff-coloured crown and lack the black around their eyes and throats.

• Measuring around 14cm from head to tail, tree sparrows are normally seen around hedgerows, farmland and woodland edges.

• Males and females look the same and mate for life. Pairs will often nest in holes in trees and produce two to three broods of up to seven eggs each year.

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conservation scientist, said: “Small birds suffer during long, cold winters but the warmer January weather this year appears to have given species such as the wren and long-tailed tit a boost. Over the survey’s lifetime, we’ve seen the increasing good fortunes of birds such as the coal tit and goldfinch and the alarming declines of the house sparrow and starling. But there appears to be good news for one of these birds … giving us hope that at least a partial recovery may be happening for the sparrow. It is too early to say the issue has gone away.”

Beccy Speight, the RSPB’s chief executive, said: “Despite everything that’s going on in the world, nature is still doing its thing. Birds are singing and blossom is bursting. Watching wildlife, whether from a window or a balcony or even online, can offer many of us hope, joy and a welcome distraction, and so we are keen to help you carry on connecting with the natural world.”

As one of the most social bird species, sparrows create their own flocks, take communal “dust baths,” and often build their nests side-by-side with their friends - adorable, right?

Sparrows are known to choose one mate and stick with them for life. Once they start their own little bird family, males often help females cover their eggs and even feed the babies once they hatch.

These birds don’t just like other sparrows - they’ve lived alongside humans since the stone age! sparrows have evolved in order to digest starches they love feasting on leftover human food.

Country Gardener

Sparrows have thrived for centuries alongside people but being our companion has come at a cost.

• The decline of the house sparrow in British gardens appears to be reversing, according to the latest RSPB national garden survey.

• As well as a rise in house sparrows, the milder winter also brought long-tailed tits, wrens and coal tits to British gardens in huge numbers this year.

• The house sparrow was the most counted visitor this winter with nearly 1.3 million sightings over the bird-watching weekend.

• Since the Big Garden Birdwatch began in 1979 house sparrow numbers have declined by 53 per-cent. But in the past 10 years their numbers have begun to recover, with a 10 per-cent increase in sightings.

• This year the house sparrow remained at the top of the rankings as the most commonly seen garden bird. Starlings were the second most sighted, followed by the blue tit.

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TREES

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NOW IS THE TIME TO START PLANNING YOUR

potato crop Maincrop

The weeks through to the New Year are now thought to be critical when it comes to getting that perfect crop of potatoes

Maincrop potatoes are those like your common baked potato and mash spuds. They store well and you can eat them months after harvest. The plants and their tubers are much larger than first and second early potatoes and as such take longer to mature at about 15-20 weeks.

A recent survey on the most successful potato crops has suggested it is in November through to January where most of the secrets in great potato growing lie.

Preparing the soil, choosing, buying and chitting tubers and getting a really early start in the New Year are all included in what needs to be done.

For instance, it is best to prepare your planting area well in advance of planting your potatoes - preferably in November or December, so the soil has a chance to settle.

Turn over the soil to loosen it, removing any weeds or large stones, and while you’re at it, incorporate plenty of well-rotted organic matter.

Selecting the right variety for your soil is also important and may need some research.

What is chitting?

It is the practice of letting tubers sprout prior to planting. Well chitted potatoes will lead to stronger plants once in the ground. It also allows you to identify any potatoes that fail to develop so they can be discarded before planting.

Regardless of buying seed potatoes or choosing from your own stock, chitting is strongly encouraged. Around six weeks before planting out, place your seed potatoes on a bright windowsill or in the greenhouse with the eyes pointing up.

Potato plants, like all root vegetables, need to gather a lot of energy and store it to grow large and tasty tubers. Potatoes take a lot of nutrients from the soil – nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Potatoes prefer a slightly acidic environment but can tolerate most soil types. These hungry plants will exhaust your soil, so don’t plant potatoes in the same place next year!

But take care, there might be problems

Potatoes are cool weather crops, which means they like to do most of their growth outside of the high heat of summer. Potatoes, therefore, are most planted in the early spring, a few weeks before the frosts have passed.

There are three main types of potato, separated by their planting and harvesting times.

First early As this suggests, first early potatoes are those varieties which can be planted and harvested first -plant out from end of February and harvest from June. These are ‘new’ potatoes, harvested while the tubers are still small. They take 10 to 12 weeks, and they are good for growing in containers and bags.

Second early Like first earlies, second early potatoes are eaten as ‘new’ or salad potatoes and don’t store very well but take a few more weeks to mature than the first early varieties - about 14-16 weeks. These are also a good choice for growing in containers and growing bags.

Some second early potatoes can be grown for ‘Second Cropping’, which means they can be planted in August for harvesting at Christmas time. These will need frost protection and are best grown in bags in a greenhouse. There is no need to chit these potatoes, as the ground is already warm enough to speed them along their way.

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POTATO BLIGHT – a fungal disease which turns leaves yellow/brown and can result in rotting tubers. Often occurs in excessive humidity – too wet and too warm. There is no complete remedy for potato blight.

Cut away affected leaves where possible but cutting back too much will prevent good tuber growth.

GREEN POTATOES - potatoes turn green when exposed to sunlight.

These are poisonous if ingested. This is easily avoided by keeping covered by mounding up while in the earth and storing in darkness once harvested.

COMMON SCAB - a soil-borne disease that is often left undetected until harvest time arrives. It presents as dark murky lesions on the skin of the potatoes. The bacteria that cause scabby potatoes can remain in the soil for a long time, living off decaying plant matter, so remove as much as you can once harvested. Crop rotation will aid prevention in future crops.

POTATO ROT - a common problem with homegrown potatoes that can occur during and after lifting due to wet conditions. Avoid over-watering during maturation and ensure potatoes are dry before storage.

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Plant Country Gardener

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Path through the winter garden at RHS Rosemoor. Credit: RHS Clive Nichols

RHS STEPS UP TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAREER SEEKERS For almost 200 years the Royal Horticultural Society have been offering work-based training to those passionate about a career in horticulture.

The huge increase in interest in horticulture as a career for many across all ages has led to the society to increase increasing the number of places available starting in August and September next year which open for application on Wednesday, 1st December this year.

All work-based learners earn-while-they-learn, working alongside experienced and inspiring horticulturists to gain a real understanding of the seasonal work involved in an ornamental garden.

Opportunities are available for those with no existing horticultural qualifications or experience as well as those already with some knowledge and qualifications, looking to explore their next steps and grow confidence with hands-on practice.

The RHS Diploma in Horticultural Practice is open to those with an existing Level 2 horticultural qualification and some experience, and is a two-year programme, resulting in a formal Level 4 Qualification.

Based at RHS Garden Wisley, students work around the garden working alongside experts, whilst learning about all areas of ornamental horticulture; where they develop supervisory skills, including management practices, budgeting and communication.

Students are involved a range of opportunities such as helping at RHS shows and events such as RHS Chelsea, designing and building a garden in the local community, other garden visits, bursary opportunities and managing their own allotment space.

Student accommodation is provided with the programme, so re-location is possible.

Anna Mortimer who grew up in rural Devon and changed her career to move into horticulture, wanted to do the RHS Diploma to provide her with the experience and confidence to move to a full-time career. She said, “I found that I was getting interviews for roles but eventually falling short due to the lack of experience. I applied to the RHS L4 Diploma to try to remedy this and increase my knowledge.

“The way the diploma is structured means that you get hands-on experience in a RHS garden, with lectures and assignments designed to really deepen your knowledge 10

Anna Mortimer from Devon now works with RHS Diploma in a 22 acre garden outside Wells.

Credit: RHS/ Joanna Kossak

and understanding of what you are doing and why it’s done the way it is”.

Anna now works in a 22-acre garden just outside Wells, which is undergoing extensive redevelopment works by a leading landscape designer, with Anna and the head gardener assisting with the process on the ground. She said, “It showed me how varied the field of horticulture is and how it can appeal to a range of skill sets and interests – from soil chemistry, plant physiology and ecology to garden design, garden history and health and wellbeing.

It has given me a recognised qualification that has genuinely opened doors”.

If you are you interested in plants, gardening or horticulture, but new to the industry, an apprenticeship could be the opportunity to work alongside experienced horticulturists to gain an understanding of the seasonal work involved in an ornamental garden. No experience or horticultural qualifications are required, just a passion for nature and gardening.

RHS Apprentices spend two years (three years for Level 3) working in one of the gardens, learning on the job with some college attendance.

Lucy Brann completed has apprenticeship at RHS Garden Rosemoor last year. She said, “The apprenticeship provides a huge variety of horticultural experience. The large garden means there is a huge variety of tasks to carry out throughout the year and something which I have always found, and been most appreciative of, is the willingness of the team to let you have a go. Whether that be learning how to train a redcurrant bush to maximise fruit production, or how to plant a tree”.

RECRUITMENT WINDOW Applications open for all programmes on 1st December.

Diploma and SHP positions close on 1st February 2022 Apprentice applications close on 1st March 2022 Visit: rhs.org.uk/rhsschoolofhorticulture Contact: schoolofhorticulture@rhs.org.uk Country Gardener

Lucy Brann completed her apprenticeship at RHS Garden Rosemoor last year.

Credit: RHS/ Guy Harrop

CHARITY LAUNCHES GARDENING-FORHEALTH DIPLOMA Gardening-for-health charity Thrive has launched the UK’s only higher education level certificate for people wanting to learn how to use therapeutic horticulture to support health and wellbeing.

The Thrive Diploma in Social and Therapeutic Horticulture will offer two years of study leading to a level five diploma certificate.

The diploma is a process where gardening and plants are used by practitioners to support health and wellbeing.

The aim is to equip students so they can use it to provide a personal approach to help people’s health, social care and education needs.

The diploma consists of seven modules offering a total of 1,200 hours of learning over two years.

Students need to complete regular assignments and will be supported through individual tutorials.

Thrive tutors and expert guest speakers will provide students with varied learning opportunities, from online to face-to-face in classrooms, gardens and visits to projects. www.thrive.org.uk

JOBS FOR THE MONTH

JOBS IN THE

winter garden

Of course gardening tasks scale down over the coming weeks but there will always be times when brighter, sunnier days rightly tempt us out and remind us there’s still a lot we can do

1

Make your soil the priority If you do nothing else in the garden over the next few weeks, then just focus on your soil. Winter is a good time to dig a new border. Leave the soil in clumps. The winter rain and frost will help to break it down naturally. This will also expose any pests to natural predators and the cold.

Digging over vegetable plots or preparing new ones can also be done during winter for the same reasons.

You can use autumn leaves as a mulch (cover) during winter weather. If necessary, cover with fleece to prevent wind blowing everything away.

For those with heavy soils, this is the perfect time to dig, so that winter frosts can help break down newly turned clods.

In the vegetable garden, this is the ideal opportunity to work in goodness in the form of organic matter. The contents of the compost heap, well-rotted manure or even composted bark can be worked into the bottom of the trench, where the worms will redistribute it to improve soil consistency. Be systematic: remove a trench a spit deep and take it to the far end of the plot to turn into the last trench when you finally reach it.

Fork over the bottom of the trench if your soil is very heavy and add the organic matter in a generous layer before turning in the next spit.

On ‘new’ ground, where you are preparing beds, you can go through the same process. If it is lawn that you are taking up, turn the sod into the base of the trench where it will rot down, but on weedinfested ground you need to fork out live roots as you go. Superheavy soils can have a generous layer of sharp grit spread over the surface after digging, but light soils are best dug at the end of the winter and the organic matter spread over the surface now. The mulch will protect the soil from winter rains and can be forked in rather than trenched in late February and March.

2

Winter pruning – the time is perfect All wild nesting birds are protected by law. These means that you cannot deliberately disturb a wild bird’s nest between 1st March and 31st July.

For many woody plants anyway, winter is the best time for pruning and it avoids disturbing nests.

Winter pruning often includes plants that need to be pruned very late in the autumn, during winter and some very early in spring.

Winter pruning often involves woody growth and therefore takes longer and results in large amounts of cuttings. However, by doing these heavy, more intense tasks in winter, you can concentrate on regular maintenance during the growing season.

Some woody plants can bleed if pruning is left into the new year. Begin now on those that are prone. Acers, birch and vines fall into that category. Vines can be pruned hard, back to two buds of last year’s growth, to encourage fruiting spurs, and – in the case of the ornamental Vitis coignetiae – larger foliage, but acer and birch need shaping carefully, as so much of their elegance is in the delicate growth of the limbs. The key is to shape gently and regularly so that you never have to cut into old wood, feathering growth back to a limb further within the canopy.

Apples and pears, currants and autumn-fruiting raspberries can be pruned any time from leaf drop until March, but never prune stone fruit in the winter, as the retreating sap can draw in the airborne fungus, silver-leaf.

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3

Winter frost and rain will break down newly dug soil

Welcoming in the birds

Other than just inviting birds into our gardens for the uplifting effect the have on us, you can also encourage wild birds to visit your patch to the benefit of your plant life too. Birds are fantastic at keeping pests in check. Caterpillars, beetles, grubs, and larger insects like spiders are all part of their diet and some birds absolutely love snails and slugs.

The best thing you can do to attract birds is to leave areas messy. Not only to dead leaves and stems make a great habitat for them, but seed heads are a wonderful food source at this time of year. Of course, they also rely heavily on bird feeders and water sources.

So, these need to be regularly topped up because they soon become a lifeline for birds when the weather turns cold. Birds feed during winter’s limited daylight to consume enough food – as much as 30 per-cent of their body weight – to build the necessary fat reserves to survive long, cold nights.

4

Look forward to some early sweet peas

If you haven’t already sown your sweet peas, you can do this now under cover. Sown now, they’ll give you earlier flowers in greater numbers and a longer season. All legumes, these included, thrive with a long root run, so deep pots or rootrainers are ideal. Water the compost and then push a pair of seeds in to about an inch below the surface.

Cover with newspaper to keep moisture and warmth in and light out. Some heat will speed up germination but is not essential. They’ll germinate in about 10 days. Watch out for mice, they love them!

11

JOBS FOR THE MONTH

5

6

Start forcing rhubarb

Have a look at your rhubarb and if there are signs of growth you can cover the crowns with terracotta forcers to speed up the growth of tender early pink stems. Alternatively use sturdy black plastic tubs. A little straw inside will help with insulation. Forcing rhubarb produces small, tender stems but it does wear out the plants and they should be allowed to grow naturally for the next two to three years to recover.

Jobs that need doing in winter

1. Don’t stop weeding. Hoe off/pull out any annual weeds and dig out perennial ones that are revealed. Compost green foliage, but not seedheads nor perennial weed roots.

2. Keep off wet soil in all parts of the garden to avoid compacting and damaging the structure. If you absolutely have to walk on it in the wet, stand on a plank to spread your weight. This is especially important for clay soil.

3. Garlic can be planted until March.

4. Prepare a ‘compost trench’ using the old stems from Brussels sprouts, kale and other tough brassicas once cropping finishes. The trench should be about a spade’s depth, and positioned where runner beans, or other peas Make comfrey leafmould and beans will grow next year. Lay the stems along the bottom of the trench, and then roughly chop them up with a sharp spade. Other uncooked vegetable scraps can also be added. As the veg waste reaches the top of the trench, cover over with soil.

5. Make comfrey leafmould. Cut two thirds of the plant’s leaves (leaving the remainder to die down and feed back into the comfrey plant) and fill a container (such as a dustbin) in alternating layers of leafmould and chopped comfrey leaves. This will take up to 18 months to rot down, but it is an excellent medium for seed planting.

6. Start planning your crop rotation for next season’s vegetable plot. If you already have a rotation plan, just make a note of where next year’s crops will go. If this is your first year, make a list of all the vegetables you would like to grow.

7. January seed sowing - try some early sowings in trays. Germination temperatures of around 13°C are adequate, so you need a bright, cool windowsill. Try lettuce, summer cabbage and cauliflowers, plus round varieties of carrots, spinach, salad onions and turnips. If you have a heated greenhouse you can sow greenhouse tomatoes as early as January.

8

7

• Sow some delicious crunchy radishes, and you’ll have a salad feast within six to eight weeks. You can grow all this sort of thing in gutter pipes. It is the best way, especially if you don’t have lots of room in your garden and keeps everything easy to look after and under control. Radishes can be picked straight from the gutter – they don’t need to see any garden!

Mustard and cress is something to grow all winter long

Keep on growing Everything doesn’t stop in the winter and there’s nothing to stop you growing your own. Start by sowing seeds on a windowsill, using the heat from your home to get them off to a flying start.

Good old mustard & cress is a great favourite for kids to help with, but there are so many more options you can try! Growing fast-cropping microgreens will give you the best nutritional return on your time. They’re a great way to get the growing season started and benefit your health into the bargain.

Try basil, radish or even broccoli, sunflower, beetroot or pea shoots – it’s such an easy process.

12

Salads and herbs to the winter rescue

Use damp seed compost or cotton wool in a small plastic tray. Sow the seeds evenly over the surface, cover with a plastic bag and keep out of direct sunlight until they germinate.

Once you can see shoots, move the tray to the windowsill, remove the bag and spray frequently with water to make sure they stay moist. Once they’re about five cms tall, they’re ready to eat, so chop them off at the base and enjoy – once harvested they’ll keep fresh in the fridge for a few days, or simply cut as required.

Rhubarb is another winter growing favourite.

You can plant now if you choose a dry day with no frosts.

Country Gardener

• You can sow some herbs under cover now too – really hardy annuals and biennials such as chervil, parsley and coriander. Wash the parsley seeds in warm water the night before you want to sow them and then lay them out to dry on kitchen paper overnight. This washes off the germinator inhibitor in the seed coat and will give you a harvest in a shorter time.

• Dig up and pot up roots of mint to force early shoots.

• There are a few perennial herbs that you could start off now too – French sorrel, chives, lovage and leaf fennel. There’s no hurry on these, but with a little bottom heat, they will germinate fine and get you ahead.

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13

The flower language

of roses

Floriography is the language of flowers. And perhaps no more relevant for flower arrangers or rose growers than when they take part in the now popular trend of making sure the right colour means the right thing

Roses are red, violets are blue. Let’s rewind that a little bit.

Roses come in all shades, and blue is just one of them.

The best part is that there is a rose colour for pretty much every occasion, every mood and every feeling! And it’s becoming an increasing trend amongst those arranging roses or growing roses that the colour of the rose has exactly the right meaning.

Whether you’re gifting roses to your significant other as a celebration of your love, to a friend to show them your appreciation, or to express compassion, roses have a special meaning in the hearts of many of us and specially those who grow them.

YELLOW ROSES - FOR FRIENDSHIP The warmth of the yellow rose symbolises friendship, joy and gladness.

Some gorgeous yellow roses to consider sending are the lightly fragrant and deep yellow ‘Gold Strike’, or the long-lasting favourite ‘Aalsmeer Gold.’ For very special friends consider the spray rose ‘Rhumba’, with five yellow-fringed-with-orange blossoms on each stem.

Yellow roses, though actually an ancient flower as shown through fossil evidence, weren’t prevalent until discovered in the Middle East in the 1700s. Since then, it’s been a popular favourite in gardens and bouquets alike.

Luckily, each colour has a specific meaning, and depending on the occasion, one will be better suited than the other and its important not only when considering cut blooms it is also critical when it comes to what to grow.

During the Victorian era, flower language, also known as floriography, gained prominence. Flowers, especially roses, were used to convey a secret message without having to speak.

This tradition has carried through today, and roses are much appreciated as a stand-alone gift, as well as a sentimental complement to a main present.

Rosa ‘Rumba’

Rosa ‘Gold Strike’

White roses - a symbol of purity and innocence One of the oldest varieties of rose, ‘Rosa Alba’ or the white rose has been a favourite of all civilizations, ancient and modern alike. White roses symbolise purity and innocence. For use in bridal arrangements, ‘Escimo,’ is a small, almost pure white rose that is very delicate in appearance and opens beautifully.

No wedding would ever be the same without a white rose implemented in the décor or the bride’s bouquet. In fact, white roses hold as much significance as something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.

Featuring white roses in a wedding is a spell for a long-lived marriage. They are associated with the beginning of new creations; such is the divine unity between two lovers. It also symbolises peace, innocence, and pure love.

In ancient Greece, white roses were often used as a healing potion and were found in herb gardens throughout the land.

Gift a single white rose for trust and peace, and a bouquet of more than five roses to signify everlasting love. Be wary that if the bride’s bouquet consists of less than five white roses, it can bring about a difficult marriage. They are also the emblem of Yorkshire, so you can make someone from the region happy by giving them a white rose.

Rosa ‘Alba’ 14

Country Gardener

BLUE ROSES IMBUED WITH MYSTERY AND WISHFUL THINKING

Red roses - a classic love token

Legend has it that when Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, found her lover, Adonis, wounded by a wild boar, her tears and his blood mixed and created an astonishing red rose bush when they fell on the ground.

Later on, during the Victorian era, Shakespeare monumentalised the red rose-gifting as a supreme expression of love. Since then, the many of shades of red in roses has symbolised the multitude of layers of love. For example, deep, velvety red nuances represent meaningful romance, while bright red roses are a symbol of courage and bravery in love.

Violets may well be blue, but roses are too! Well, not naturally, but the advancements in genetic engineering have made our desire for royal blue roses come to fruition.

The number of gifted roses is also of high importance. Give a single rose to your long-term partner to tell them that they’re still the one.

Two roses signify mutual love and affection, while twelve roses scream something more significant And, of course, the classic 100 roses are a gesture of ultimate devotion.

Popular varieties include the scarlet red ‘Kardinal,’ the dark red and very fragrant ‘Mr. Lincoln’, and the deep red tea rose ‘Madame Delbard’, which has been brought back due to popularity. ‘Cara Mia’ is another deep red favourite of rose growers.

Rosa ‘Madame Delbard’

There is a legend that accompanies the origin of the blue rose. In Chinese folklore, an Emperor’s daughter was to choose her husband, and her only requirement was that the chosen one will be the one who brings her a blue rose.

She turned down all candidates who attempted to fabricate a blue rose. Some brought her a rose painted in blue, one carved out of sapphire, or a magical one, yet none of them were suitable for the princess. Until the gardener’s son, whom she had her heart set on, brought her a blue rose one day and she said yes to him.

However, blue roses signify new beginnings, and they’re a great gift for someone starting a new career, going on a journey, graduation ceremonies, and birthday celebrations.

Rosa ‘Cara Mia’

Mystical lavender roses Probably the most mystical and fairy-tale perfect colour of rose is lavender. It is said if someone gives you a purple rose it means they fell in love with you at first sight, just like ‘Cinderella’s Prince Charming’.

It’s interesting as well to note that purple is a royal colour, so sending a single purple rose means you find her majestic, opulent and special. If you are seeking to voice your deepest love and admiration, consider sending the dynamic ‘Blue Curiosa’ or the blend of colours in ‘Lavender Duet’.

Rosa ‘Blue Curiosa’

PINK ROSES

Black roses - a symbol of death and rebirth True black roses don’t exist, but blooms that are the darkest red can look black. Giving someone black roses would mean the death of a relationship or idea. Some, however, suggest that black roses could symbolize rebirth or the beginning of something new. If these unique dark blooms interest you or would thrill a loved one, consider choosing the mysterious and beautiful ‘Black Magic’ rose.

A symbol of death and tragic love, the black rose has been incorporated into literature and pop culture.

Originally, it symbolised power and strength amongst ancient cultures, and it became really popular in the Victorian era as part of gothic and macabre literature. But the floriography of the black rose has quite a dark meaning. For example, the Sicilian mafia would send a black rose to someone to notify them that death was coming. In popular culture, this particular flower has been associated with anarchist ideology since 1982.

In literature, characters are often gifted a black rose when they start a new chapter of their life to signify a change of character.

Rosa ‘Black Magic’

The most ancient of all roses which dates back 40 million years and the most iconic one is the pink rose. Imbued with rich symbolism of love, beauty, and gratitude, it’s a staple gift for women that alludes to their grace and femininity.

Rosa ‘Bridal Pink’

Pink roses appear in ancient literature, music, and paintings, and are part of many cultures around the world. They are an emblem of Bulgaria, where flocks of people go to savour the rose valleys and indulge in the gamut of rose products, from rose perfumes and lotions to rose liqueurs and chocolates.

Other Mediterranean countries, alongside places like Persia and China, are also prominent for their abundance Rosa ‘Lady Diana’ of pink roses. According to some Hebrew texts, the only flowers that were allowed in the Holy City of Jerusalem were pink roses.

In terms of gift-giving, you can never go wrong with a pink rose.

There are many different variations of pink, from a pale blush to a gentle medium pink to a vibrant pink, each having its own meaning and implication.

The palest pink roses are a sign of gentleness, joy and grace. ‘Bridal Pink ‘is a perfect pale pink floribunda rose that is long lasting and offers a spicy scent. The light to medium pink roses can show sympathy or admiration.

‘Lady Diana’ is a beautiful light pink rose perfect for either emotion. Deep pink roses, such as ‘Laser’ and ‘Diplomat’ are perfect choices to show someone how grateful you are to have them in your life.

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15

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

GARDEN

advice

The final advice column of the gardening season as readers continue to seek help, advice and guidance on a whole series of winter gardening problems. Keep your queries coming in over the next couple of months by emailing to alan@countrygardener.co.uk or writing to Country Gardener, Mount House, Halse, Taunton, Somerset TA4 3AD How can we screen an ugly road sign next to our garden?

Eric Foster Castle Cary

Why don’t seed packets have dates on them?

The main question is how instant and how big do you want the screen to be? Try for something a bit unorthodox as you will be living with the new screen for some time hopefully.

The culinary bay Laurus nobilis is a fast-growing evergreen that can be shaped and clipped to suit whatever shape you are looking for. If you want to be a bit more patient the Irish yew,Taxus baccata ‘Satndishi’ has yellow tinged foliage but does take a while longer to become established. For an upright tree which flowers in winter then the purple leaved plum Prunus cerasifera will grow to six metres tall and three metres wide.

There are sadly no regulations which make it mandatory for seed suppliers to put dates on their packets. The sow by date varies depending on whether the seed are in foil which means they will keep for longer. If you look on the back of your seed packet, there should be some type of dated information, at least with most reputable sources.

For example, it may have a ‘packed for’ date, which is typically when the seeds were packed, not necessarily when they were harvested.

Neil Brown Waterlow

They key point is that although seeds do not technically ‘go bad,’ expiration dates are used on seed packaging as a measure of the likelihood that the seeds will be viable. Some seeds will maintain high germination rates for up to five years but others, such lettuce, will lose vigour as soon as one year in storage.

We have lots of sleeping ladybirds in our shed. I am not sure if I should move them?

Mark Adantilli Bosham No, in spring the hibernating adults will wake up, mate and lay eggs. It’s not uncommon to find ladybirds huddled together in large groups, sometimes hundreds of them. During hibernation, ladybirds will not eat. They rely on stored fats gained during the warmer months. If they are disturbed and moved out into cold temperatures, it’s possible they will not be able to find proper cover or warmth to survive.

We are about to move to a new house and garden so will it be too late to plant our spring bulbs?

Jason Long Romsey

The truth is that it is not too late to plant spring bulbs - but get on with it! Tulips are very comfortable with a January planting, but crocus and narcissi are likely to do better in their second season than first if planted later than November.

Tulips are in fact among the last spring bulbs you can plant. November is the ideal time as the colder temperatures can help stop tulip fire disease and other fungal and viral diseases which remain in the soil when it is warmer.

Planted later in the year daffodil bulbs will almost certainly bloom later, and some may come up ‘blind’, flowering the following season.

Small, weakened bulbs will clump-up more slowly, although they should eventually recover.

You can always plant bulbs in containers and once in growth place them in your borders alongside other plants.

16

How can I get rid of nettles without chemicals? I have several batches in the garden which are proving very resistant even to lots of digging up.

Jane Morel Clovelley If the problem is an established stinging nettle patch, then it’s a problem you will need some patience with. The only way to get rid of stinging nettles permanently is to remove the whole of the root. Leave a minute piece of root in the soil and that’s enough for the nettles to regrow. So, it’s a two-pronged approach; firstly cut down any stinging nettles that are on your plot. Then remove all the roots from below the surface. This will take time as you’ll have to return to it after a couple of weeks to see if any new nettles have started growing.

Another approach that you might like to consider is to add garden lime to the area. Stinging nettles don’t like the soil to be too alkaline, they prefer an acid soil. By adding lime, you will change the soil’s chemical balance and help to eradicate the nettles. Another option is to lay down a thick carpet or substantial black plastic which will cover the whole nettle area and will prevent photosynthesis and this will starve the plants root system resulting in the death of the plant. But beware, it isn’t a quick process.

I’d like to make a small pond, but I have been told it will be very difficult and without running water which isn’t available. Is it worth the effort?

Liz Wakefield Exeter Water circulation is not essential, but the use of a pump will allow you to keep more fish and it will keep your plants healthier. A pump is required to run a filter, fountain, or waterfall.

Most ponds will benefit from the use of a biological filter.

It also all depends on what plants you want to grow. Too much organic material will rot so regular cleaning is necessary. The right number of oxygenating plants will keep a small pool crystal clear but too many will cause it to be choked. You could try a small solar pump which will create movement at the water’s surface for dissolving oxygen.

Country Gardener

Where have my earthworms gone. Suddenly this summer they seemed to have disappeared.

Christine Laytonl Kidderminster Their disappearance generally means poor soil fertility, lower crop yields and loss of carbon from the soil. But it needn’t be a permanent problem.

If the soil is dry the earthworms often delve deeper in the soil awaiting moisture conditions. But even if they have died there may be eggs in the soil. You can try and give the soil a dressing of lime as the worms will love this. And apply a mulch of well-rotted manure and keep the soil moist and perhaps even sprinkle some grass cuttings sparingly on to the surface, and the worms will almost certainly return.

g Gardenin r e in a t n Co dshaw hris Bear C y b t h g Tau

Why are my parsnips always pronged? I love growing parsnips but just lately the whole crop has been deformed - mostly with pronged or twisted roots.

Graham Daw Kenton The parsnip root forms underground and has an appearance like a white carrot. The seeds are slow to germinate and need certain growing conditions to prevent parsnip deformities. Deformed root crops are common. Roots may become stunted, twisted, or knotty. Parsnip deformities can also produce forked roots or splits and may break when you try to pull them. Parsnips do best when direct seeded into fertile, well-worked soil. Garden beds full of rocks, clumps, and other debris aren’t suitable for growing parsnips. The soil needs to be broken up and loose to prevent parsnip deformities. When you use compost as a fertilizer, be sure the fertilizer is completely finished and free of clumps that can cause parsnips to misshape as they try to push through the thick clods.

Will lawn moss rot in a compost bin? I have been adding some in for a while now and nothing seems to be happening to it and I regret adding it.

Paul Stapeley Barnstaple Moss is notorious when it comes to composting and is incredibly slow to break down. It will eventually and it is worth doing anything to speed up the process. Add it in relatively small quantities at a time - one part moss to four parts other material and never overload the bin with too much of it as it will hinder the whole process.

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How can I eradicate Jerusalem artichokes from my garden?

Adam Bawn Salisbury These are now considered to be one of the most invasive cultivated plants. Jerusalem Artichokes are an edible tuber, much like a potato.

They spread by way of their tasty tubers, which divide beneath the soil. Even one tiny piece of tuber means a new plant the following year, and they’re almost impossible to irradicate.

Hard work is the best option. Dig over the area three times and if you do a reasonable job you will have broken the back of it. However, the tubers do break into small sections and they form a new plant so you will still see shoots.

So, persistence is needed. Hand fork out any shoots that appear and gradually you will eliminate any remaining tubers.

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17

READERS STORY

Peat-free

- IT IS DOWN TO US ORDINARY GARDENERS TO ACT Since he retired two years ago, former Somerset lawyer Malcolm Taylor has become passionate about gardening and determined to act on the switch to peat free gardening

Since I retired two years ago gardening has become more important to me. I always loved it, but family life and a demanding job limited the time I could devote to it.

build-up to this my frustration has always been that with no ingredient list on compost bags how am I supposed to know if they contain peat or not, or what else might be in them?

I’ve now become both passionate and principled about it. It has simply come about because I have some time!

The exact recipe for each potting compost seems to be a closely guarded secret. Yet I understand most composts rely on the same ingredients.

Top of my list is peat-free gardening. I know this is something that a lot of gardener’s support but often don’t follow it through.

I’ve been able to read up on this and it’s clear more needs to be done and faster.

So, if I want to buy organic, I look for the Soil Association accreditation. If I want to avoid peat, I should be confident when a bag says peat-free.

First for a change I can share some good news.

But bags of compost are only half the story - getting peat out of the potted plants we buy is even more challenging.

Compost manufacturers are currently putting the finishing touches to a new labelling scheme aimed at telling customers clearly and importantly for the first time exactly what’s in their bags of compost- and the environmental impact of those ingredients.

I have spoken to some nurseries around us here in Somerset who say they are trying to follow this peat free trend, but it adds about 30 per cent on to the price tag of every plant and they question whether people will pay the extra.

The new Responsible Sourcing Scheme has already started to appear on some bags and will appear at point-of-sale next year.

I understand they feel they must pass that on to the customer but until they try, they won’t know and surely there is a lot of kudos to be gained by being at the forefront of change.

They will list ingredients in order, largest amounts first – exactly like food labelling.

Then each is given an eco-rating. To qualify for a rating, each ingredient is measured against seven criteria, from water and energy use to biodiversity, social impacts such as employment and renewability, although not yet carbon emissions, which I understand will be added as the scheme develops.

This is very important to me. And it’s good, isn’t it?

As a consumer I should be able to expect retailers to put something environmentally friendly in front of me. In the

Sadly, in my eyes about a quarter of the plants we buy are still being imported from growers in Europe where totally peat free growing is rare.

So, if I am limited to the number of opportunities, I must buy peat-free plants and then am I supposed to buy them with peat and them shake of all the compost and replant?

I just don’t see how it is going to be possible to take peat out of production completely.

I remain sceptical how far the Government will go to achieve its promise to force the gardening world to stick to its deadline to be completely peat-free, compost, plants and all by 2030.

So here is the point of my letter to you.

I know from my gardening friends there is a groundswell of concern over the issue of peat extraction.

Yet I understand only one in 20 bags of compost is peat-free and the average bag of compost contains more than 40 per cent pure peat.

Peat-free is still in a minority in many garden centre displays

Professional composts are even worse and are still 62.9 per cent peat. A very specific figure that so I assume someone has done a proper calculation!

18

Country Gardener

The new Responsible Sourcing scheme has already started to appear on some bags of compost

Environmental charities including the RSPB, National Trust and now the Royal Horticultural Society are all calling for an outright ban on the use of peat in compost by 2025 – five years ahead of Government targets. This is all good, but I still have a fear that it will take decades to stop what appears to be statistics which show we are currently planting our way through two million cubic metres of peat every year.

“But bags of compost are only half the story - getting peat out of the potted plants we buy is even more challenging” It will happen I believe if we gardeners demand that’s what we want and only what we will buy. It should be possible to drive the industry to peat free because that’s what millions of consumers want.

Gardeners will lead the way in this, and I am sure growers will follow if they see the strength of principle we hold.

I sincerely hope that many of us will be willing to pay more for our compost and plants to put an end to peat extraction.

What else are they going to do?

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19

TIME TO PLANT

Why the next weeks are still No, it’s NOT TOO perfect for planting

Gardeners are often caught in the dilemma of when it is too far into November or even December to get plants in the ground but the good news is there’s a lot more flexibility than many If you still have plants in their nursery pots, getthink. them in the ground before winter, no

LATE to plant

Autumn runs a close second to spring as an ideal planting time but when it comes to trees it is by far the best time to get things in the ground in general and trees specifically make a quick and easy change to any landscape. Despite the cold weather lurking around the corner, autumn provides ample At this time of the year the opportunity for plants to grow desire to plant new trees and roots and get off to a good start in shrubs is always tempered by their new home. the question – ‘Is it too late for Youto can plant up to six weeks me plant?’ before your ground freezes.

A good rule of thumb is that if Once the ground is frozen, root the trees in your area still have growth will cease almost entirely leaves, you can plant new trees. until spring, and that six-week Any time up to mid-October is window gives the plant time to get an ideal time of year to plant established enough to withstand new trees, though, that time any low temperatures. The frame can be stretched into date that your ground becomes November and December. If unsuitable will vary from year to your soil is consistently 50° F or year, of course, and some areas higher, you’re good to plant. won’t have frozen ground at all. If Ideally, trees and shrubs needis a you’re unsure, mid-November about six weeks to establish safe planting deadline for nearly roots before a heavy frost but everyone. it’s OK to plant them anytime the ground is workable, and many bare-root trees and shrubs are planted in very early spring while they’re still dormant.

matter how late it is. The plants will be much happier and better protected in the ground than in their thin plastic pots, so even if it’s getting quite late in the season, just plant them where you can. You can always move them come spring if you change your mind.

Provide supplemental water when needed. Autumn weather can be quite cool and rainy,any butadjustments that doesn’t to mean newYou plantings ignored, if or make theirthat shape. want toshould prunebe hard at theparticularly end of winter weather beenbefore dry and/or windy.

Water all and plants thoroughly after planting and very earlyhas spring any new growth starts after the cold temperatures. continue to water them as needed until the ground freezes.

Ideally, hedges should be pruned in late winter, when plants haven’t produced Mulch- just as you pile on blankets quilts when the temperatures dip, mulch acts buds—particularly if you’re cuttingand back drastically. as insulation for plants. Mulch also creates the ideal environment for vigorous root Prune too much or too early, and you may stunt the tree just at the point where it growth, which helps new plantings get off to a good start. While even established plants needs lots of top greenery to support the development of its new root system. benefit from a nice layer of mulch, newly planted specimens especially appreciate the Shade trees,ittoo, willfrom be stimulated intoof new growth by assertive pruning, but they protection offers the challenges winter. do not require the same vigorous pruning that multi-stemmed shrubs do.

Know what to expect. You won’t see much top growth emerge on fall-planted shrubs, Itbut may not youany seenew much progress garden over winter, this is seem a goodthat thing: growth that in thethe plant produces now willbut be too soft deciduous hedges grow rapidly in the early part of each year, which happens be a to survive the impending cold anyway. Autumn planting is all about giving theto plant in the peak of winter. chance to put on root growth, which continues until temperatures average about 48°F. Cutting these of to hedge backspring in winter is a to necessity ensure they Plantings willspecies be raring go come thanks the rootstothey create indon’t autum. become out of control, but be mindful not to cut them back too much to avoid them becoming sparse.

Pruning and trimming hedges is an essential gardening skill that involves removing the dead or overgrown stems, roots and branches on hedges, trees and shrubs. By trimming each year, it encourages healthier, thicker and more symmetrical growth of your plants.

It is best to plant trees when they are dormant (because you aren’t as likely to disrupt their growth), so you need to consider if the tree is deciduous or evergreen.

Flowering hedges and trees will also experience prolonged flowering if the old flowers are removed before going to seed. In essence, pruning and trimming are techniques which follow the natural processes of nature, only in a more controlled and managed way.

Deciduous trees do well if they are planted at the end of autumn, when their leaves are falling and they are beginning to go dormant, or even the beginning of spring, before they have begun to bud.

As a rule of thumb, the dormant period over winter is generally considered the best time to prune and trim back your hedges. There is no optimal time for removing dead wood and smaller branches.

Evergreen trees, on the other hand, aren’t as finicky when it comes to their growth.

You have a little more leeway, but you should still avoid planting them when it’s slightly warmer outside or very cold.

Regular trims and pruning allow your plants to benefit from increased sunlight, better airflow and improved water delivery to the roots. All of these can help prevent bacterial, viral and fungal diseases taking hold while keeping your plants in tip-top condition.

There are some standard rules to follow: • If you do nothing else, make sure to keep the newly planted trees watered. The worst part of cold damage is caused by desiccation or drying out. Keep new shrubs watered every week or two until the ground freezes, and especially right before a heavy freeze.

• Mulching is important when planting trees and shrubs in the cooler times of year. Mulch will help to maintain constant soil temperatures. Plants can grow roots when the soil temperature stays above 45° . By applying a good layer of mulch, you will not only extend the time in which the soil maintains that temperature, it will also keep soil moisture at a constant level.

• Avoid stimulating growth: Don’t fertilise or overly boost the soil. You can add a little compost and bone meal but hold off on fertiliser until spring.

• For trees planted in the winter if you live in a windy area, you should consider staking the trees to prevent undue stress on the new roots.

• Don’t disturb the plant: avoid pruning and be very gentle with the roots while planting. The shrub won’t have time to recover from damage, and it’s going to be stressed enough as it is. The exception would be if the tree is damaged in shipment, then trim the broken branches.

Is it too cold to cut back hedges?

The answer cannot be straightforward due to the various hedge types grown in domestic gardens. But as a rule, it’s fine to cut back deciduous hedges, but not evergreen trees, which should only be cut back in the spring.

Quality willows from Easterhill Herbs and Willow Easterhill Herbs and Willow in Starcross , Devon grow over 30 varieties of willow (Salix) for ornamental and wildlife value, living structures, basketry, and craft.

Colourful, ornamental willows make great statement shrubs and wonderful winter interest in gardens. From greens and yellows to bright reds and purples, black, orange, textured or curly, there are so many attractive variations. Many of which can be used for floristry, craft, and basketry.

Robust varieties are excellent for creating willow structures in gardens or community spaces. Vigorous and thicker growing willows make effective windbreaks, fences, and hedges.

Willows are beneficial for wildlife with early spring catkins a source of food for pollinators. Willows can also improve soils, can be used as a rooting hormone, dye plant, and has medicinal properties!

Willows can be planted as stem cuttings or rods in the winter making growing willows very simple.

For willow sales, commissions & willow workshops visit www.reallyusefulplants.co.uk reallyusefulplants@outlook.com

Most other plants are dormant during the winter, which is typically the best time to

20

Country Gardener

TIME TO PLANT

QUALITY EVERGREEN HEDGES AT PERRIE HALE

How to achieve stronger roots systems in your new trees and shrubs

Evergreen hedges are a great way to introduce structure to your garden, as well as providing a backdrop for showier plants such as perennials and grasses. They also provide good cover and nesting sites for birds and small mammals so they are wildlife friendly too. Depending on your clipping regime, they can also flower, Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica) for example has very pretty racemes of flowers loved by bees and butterflies followed by purple berries loved by birds. Other evergreen options include common laurel, eleagnus, holly, lawson’s cypress, yew, thuja or griselinia.

Mycorrhizal fungi is an essential ingredient if you want your plants to establish quickly and stringly once they are in the ground. They create a secondary root system, supporting plants and trees throughout their lifetime, helping them to grow stronger and healthier.

Perrie Hale Nursery is a long-standing family business in Devon, orders can be placed online www.perriehale.co.uk or via email: faye@perriehale.co.uk.

Collection from the nursery or contact them to see if they can arrange local delivery.

Trees are the lungs of the planet, store carbon, stabilise soils and support a vast amount of wildlife both above and below the ground. Below ground one of the most important fungi that help the tree grow are mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi naturally colonise any new tree in a couple of years, but why not give them a helping hand by planting the tree with rootgrow mycorrhizal fungi?

The friendly fungi will colonise the tree in a matter of weeks leading to better establishment, earlier growth and a happier healthier tree.

www.rootgrow.co.uk

Northcote Hill, Honiton, Devon, EX14 9TH Tel: 01404 43344

'Growing in Devon since 1957'

Growers & suppliers of native & ornamental trees, shrubs & hedging for: • Native, Formal & Evergreen Hedges • Screening • Woodland • Specimen Trees • Gardens Large range of ornamental and fruit trees Trade discount available • Delivery available

Order online at www.perriehale.co.uk Email: faye@perriehale.co.uk

ERHILL HERB T S EA & WILLOW S

✔ Willow Growers ✔ Wildlife Friendly Plants ✔ Herbs & Edibles Starcross Devon www.reallyusefulplants.co.uk

AVAILABLE ONLINE OR FROM ANY GOOD GARDEN CENTRE rootgrow.co.uk

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21

Traditional orchards in Somerset and Dorset - with trees looking natural in meadowland

WHY TRADITIONAL ORCHARDS ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR From 1,500 registered apple and pear growers in traditional orchards in 1987, there are now just 500 and some counties have lost up to 90 per cent of these special places. Thankfully, action on many fronts is beginning the comeback.

Traditional English orchards are something very special.

The definition of them is important as it explains exactly what they are.

They are defined as orchards that are managed in a low intensity manner as opposed to those more aggressively ‘farmed’ for fruit production.

They are areas of grassland with trees growing in pasture and parkland.

These traditional orchards are perhaps easier to see in the mind’s eye. They belong mainly alongside farms and larger gardens and in villages. They have spaced out apple trees and some have an often-unkempt look to them.

Some trees are perhaps old and deformed and often other animals, horses, sheep and pigs share the orchard.

However, the traditional orchards are distinguished from other habitat types by certain characteristics.

Tree species composition is usually primarily from the Rosacae family and are often only planted on a small scale and can include plantings of nuts, particularly hazelnuts but also walnuts.

While counting methods vary, more than half of traditional orchards have disappeared in England since 1950, according to Government figures: squeezed out by changing agricultural practices and development. Unlike their commercial counterparts, they often contain old trees where fungi and small mammals flourish and insects thrive because no pesticides are used.

The herbaceous vegetation growing around such orchard trees is managed through grazing or cutting whilst grafting and pruning to increase the yield of fruit or nuts from the trees.

The trees within traditional orchards often decay quickly and so provide crevice and hollow nesting sites for birds 22

such as spotted flycatchers and can also provide roosts for bats. The bark itself supports many fungi, moss and lichen species.

The traditional orchard represents a primeval forest- a beetle driven place which takes you back in time.

Traditional orchards were once an important part of the West Country landscape especially in Devon, Somerset and Dorset. The counties supported many orchards and produced a wide range of fruit, with each area having its own speciality or distinctive fruit variety. Most older farms, smallholdings and cottages still have remains of orchard trees either in the garden hedgerow or in grassy paddocks set close to the house.

Evidence of orchards is also to be found on Ordnance Survey maps and in field names across the whole area.

In recent times the number and variety of orchards has declined. However, the loss is far greater than fruit growing alone, along with trees have gone traditional crafts, wildlife havens and landscape features.

The Orchard Project, a national charity dedicated solely to the creation, restoration and celebration of community orchards, is trying to improve their miserable state in urban areas. Through a growing patchwork of traditional orchards, the organisation aims to make sure there is one within walking distance of every household in the UK. In the gardens of former monasteries, on the edge of housing estates and in school grounds, the organisation is helping local people enthuse about how to restore, create and maintain traditional orchards. It has so far supported more than 430 projects.

They believe that orchards have the potential to build stronger communities by providing cherished, naturerich, community spaces and empowering people to contribute to reducing food miles.

Country Gardener

The project runs courses for designing and surveying orchards, organises certificates for community orcharding, advises on raising funds and celebrates apple days all over the country.

“Fruit trees have something called early senescence, which is an unusual quality. What it means is that by the time an apple tree reaches 50 years old it will already start showing veteran characteristics – things like cavities and standing deadwood. And those are crucial to host invertebrates, which kind of makes the biodiversity world go round,” says Ella Hashemi, head of operations and programmes at the Orchard Project.

“That’s really different from planting something like an oak where it will take about 250 years to reach the same kind of stage of the tree’s life. If you have an orchard which is 50 years old, you’ll have these trees with cavities, they’ll be hosting hoverflies, they’ll be hosting rare fungus, there will be pollinators living in trees.

It’s creating a habitat for other species, which is really needed as part of the ecosystem.”

Alarmingly 90 per cent of traditional orchards have been lost since the 1950’s to neglect, development or conversion to intensive modern orchards which contribute a negative impact on biodiversity. A further 45 per cent were found to be in a declining condition as a habitat. By far the most common reason for this is lack of replacement tree replanting, meaning these old orchards will continue to disappear unless action is taken. Traditional orchards are fantastic for wildlife as they are made up of several different habitats including elements of woodland, hedgerow and meadow grassland.

This mosaic of habitats is home to a range of biodiversity including butterflies, bumblebees, birds, bats and beetles. The unique way fruit trees age creates an

Traditional orchards are often unkempt and slightly wild

What is behind the long-term decline in traditional orchards?

The decline isn’t difficult to explain. It is down to a few very specific reasons • Intensification of agriculture - traditional orchards were planted at about 150 trees per hectare with pasture beneath. Modern orchards are often planted on dwarf rootstocks at 2,200 trees per hectare and they are grubbed up every 12 to15 years, they are sprayed with pesticides (up to once a week during the summer), they are heavily pruned, and a strip of bare earth is maintained beneath the trees.

• Increased imports of foreign fruit • Commercialisation of British fruit farming • Removal of traditional orchards for development or more intensive farming

‘The traditional orchard represents a primeval forest- a beetle driven place which takes you back in time’

• Neglect

indispensable habitat for a range of rare and interesting species.

This fruit source benefits all manner of birds like thrushes and fieldfares, mammals such as hedgehogs, hares and badgers and a huge variety of inverterbrates such as butterflies, beetles and wasps Of the 17,486 hectares (43,210 acres) of traditional orchards in England, only about 14 per-cent are in a favourable condition. Nearly half are classed as ‘unfavourable’ and ‘declining’. Almost no traditional orchards are in protected areas.

In 1987 there was an audit which registered 1,500 apple and pear growers in traditional orchards. There are now just 500 and some counties have lost up to 90 per-cent of them – most to development but some which have been lost under the pressure for more traditional crop growing farming land.

Since 2010 the Orchard Project has been working with local authorities and landowners to save orchards and carry out sympathetic and gradual restoration of veteran trees to prolong their lives. Veteran trees have features such as hollow trunks, rot holes, deeply cracked bark, dead wood and sap runs which provide a home of hundreds of vertebrates.

The National Trust has also been active and has pledged extra resources to improve traditional orchards on its properties, and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species has collated a more extensive database to find out more information about their state.

The trust emphasises the rich folklore around apples and orchards in the country.

But many say they are best understood as a part of our national history that has been neglected.

Successive governments have more recently taken up the cause with passion and financial commitment in the forms of grants and support systems.

Government stewardship grants are now widely available for the upkeep of orchards to provide a range of healthy young and mature fruit trees.

The grants are tied down to some very specific disciplines about how traditional orchards should be maintained. For any community orchard to quality for financial help the Government asks that any scheme restores tree numbers by planting fruit trees on vigorous root stock. They also need new trees to be formatively pruned with the base kept free of vegetation for at least three years after planting and want all trees protected from livestock and wild animals.

One specific demand is that all mature and over-mature trees are kept standing and are not cut down; grass is managed by grazing or cutting for hay and that during the autumn and winter some of this grass is allowed to go to seed.

There are also some things which must not happen if any community orchard is to be given financial support.

They include formal requests not to: • Plough, cultivate or re-seed • Roll or harrow • Apply any fertilisers or manures • Apply lime • Carry out supplementary feeding • Use pesticides, except for herbicides to spot-treat or weed-wipe to control nettles, bracken, injurious weeds or invasive non-natives • Use fungicides to target specific pests and diseases www.countrygardener.co.uk

One of the few growth areas for traditionally managed orchards are community orchards.

Any orchard which is accessible to a community group whether it’s a school, local street or country park, can apply for trees.

The grant scheme aims to get new trees planted on old orchards and to help community orchards be planted with at least a few vigorous trees.

The product of orchards is of course apples themselves and the Orchard Project in the past five years has trained and worked with over 1,300 volunteers to produce community-powered craft cider and apple juice.

Getting more people involved in projects is the key for the future. Some events being run, not just by the Orchard Project but by others include echoes of traditional things such as wassails and blossom picnics, while there’s the more contemporary projects such as film screenings, ‘orchard bathing’ bird call walks, storytelling events and art workshops.

Apple Day events during harvest season with apple tasting and apple bobbing were hit by the pandemic but are slowly returning alongside what thousands of people see as a concentrated effort to save these magical places. www.theorchardproject.org.uk 23

The curtain rises to shadowy low lighting and what appears to be an empty, unoccupied stage, time seems to stand still as we wait for the play to begin.

Chimonanthus praecox

The December garden concludes with a splurge of glorious jewel colours of red, gold, deepest emerald evergreen foliage and berry beaded shrubs and takes a memorable final bow.

There is no doubt that as the end of the calendar year moves into the New Year thoughts turn from parties and celebrations to plans for the new garden year ahead…. does your garden look like an empty stage or are there some points of winter interest but nothing that entices you to venture out?

As you dash to the bin maybe something more elusive and obscure like a waft of scent alerts you to the presence of the garden and triggers that desire to be outside rather than indoors. Scent, even though invisible is incredibly powerful and after weeks of breathing dry centrally heated air what a joy, to step into the garden and take a lungful of sweetly scented fresh air.

Getting ready for THE CURTAIN TO RISE Carol Smith writes that even in the depths of winter there’s work to be done, plans to be made and the countdown to the new season to be enjoyed

A vibrant autumn act takes some following, but some winter flowering shrubs now deliver an encore of delicate, sweetly scented flowers on bare stems throughout December, January and February. Yellow, orange, and red Hammamellis (witch hazel), creamy white Lonicera ‘Winter Beauty’(winter honeysuckle), sugar pink Viburnum bodnantese ‘Dawn’ and pale yellow Chimonanthus praecox present a superb support act that fills the air and enables us to enjoy the unseen assets of these plants. Deep evergreen foliage and delicate snow-white flowers of Sarcococca confusa, sunshine yellow flowered Mahonia ‘Winter Sun’ and Jasmine nudiflorum are sure to entice you into a winter garden that is not only a pleasure to see but also provides an uplifting, heady mix of scents.

Grab your secateurs or scissors, cut an assortment of sprigs from each, add some ivy or other evergreen trailer and with your inner florist create a fragranced winter arrangement which visitors will find irresistible, far superior to any commercial air freshener.

Memories of jazzy ‘cannot be missed’ flower beds are replaced by the attention grabbing yet less flamboyant lead character of scent whose sensory impact is more far reaching, hence being one of the major plant groups used in sensory gardens, their presence made apparent by the scent they release.

In the weak but welcome winter sunshine an ‘aromatherapy’ walk around the garden reveals that life and growth are returning. It’s as if the scent filled air has flicked on our internal inquisitive human nature alerting us to the garden activity unfolding around us. Tucked away in cosy houses we have been oblivious to all the backstage activity working towards a new season in the garden.

The source of the fragrance is a mystery and entices us to find its whereabouts, the search also reveals young bulb tips poking through the soil, a delightful discovery that loud and clearly proclaims that having closed with a standing ovation the ‘Year of the Garden’ stage production will continue with further acts.

Winter is in retreat we realise with a deep sigh and sense of relief, uplifting images spring to mind of cheerful egg yolk yellow narcissus, amethyst purple crocus and sky blue muscari turn thoughts to warmer weather and all that the next garden year will bring, giving us a renewed sense of purpose rather than just waiting. If it’s been a mild winter some early hellebores in white, pale pink, deepest purple black and red may be making their star appearance giving mid height colour to the border – if the foliage is looking decidedly tatty cut if off for a full view of the buds and flowers.

Mahonia ‘Winter Sun’ 24

Country Gardener

‘Grab your secateurs or scissors, cut an assortment of sprigs from each, add some ivy or other evergreen trailer and with your inner florist create a fragranced winter arrangement.’

In January a repeat performance by snowdrops signifies spring is on its way and planted alongside cyclamen, winter aconite and early violas will create front of border interest; all will deliver a warm welcome when planted as a path edging.

There are elements of the January garden which look decidedly bedraggled and past their sell by date, such as weather battered grasses, brown dead herbaceous foliage and winter weary shrubs. Check for signs of fresh growth, and carefully cut down to ground level deciduous perennials and grasses avoiding the new shoots. Summer flowering shrubs can be tidied; do not prune back spring flowering shrubs until after flowering or you’ll remove the show to come.

February can be a month where TAT (tired all the time)! reigns supreme and is experienced by all to a greater or lesser extent.

During these months our energy seems to peak and trough, similar to a play or emotive opera where the story builds to the sad part – think ‘Madame Butterfly’! For some time now media attention has been focussed on the benefits of being out and amongst nature, whether countryside or our own greenspace.

The benefits are such that gardens have been developed in many medical establishments and ‘outdoor garden activity’ is being prescribed with astounding improvements to both mental and physical health, a much preferable alternative to prescribed medicines, although these may still be necessary for some conditions. For most of us medical care is not required, it’s simply a case of mild SAD (seasonal affective disorder). The slump in activity and motivation can be relieved by some garden/outdoor therapy; nature works in mysterious ways and will re-energise us if we let her.

On the other hand, you may just feel a little house crazy and need to get out to garden. Those annoying, unsightly broken stems and drooping leaves need to be removed! Be cautious – check the soil and if wet avoid walking on it, as wet soil is very prone to compaction.

With a warm hat and coat on and mug of warming hot chocolate in hand, take a short walk around your garden to see what is happening out there. Look out for those scented shrubs, early bulbs, and new buds appearing on bare stems and before you can say ‘daffodil’ you will be feeling uplifted.

Early flowering trees such as Prunus subhirtella (Japanese apricot or rosebud cherry) and Autumnalis www.countrygardener.co.uk

‘The benefits are such that gardens have been developed in many medical establishments and ‘outdoor garden activity’ is being prescribed with astounding improvements to both mental and physical health.’

rosea will add height and take your attention to the sky. Mid-level interest can be provided by pink or white Camellia, pale pink clustered buds of Viburnum tinus ‘Eve Price’ also scented and zesty yellow Forsythia. Guaranteed to bring a smile to anybody’s face is a colourful underplanting of sapphire blue Iris reticulata, sugar pink or white Cyclamen coum and yellow ‘Winter Aconite’.

An outdoor view is uplifting, intriguing and beautiful to see when bare branches, seed heads and objects are covered in twinkling hoar frost, or the garden is illuminated with light. Our outdoor space can be transformed into something quite magical with careful placement of a few lights, the stage is set. Up lighting a tree or shrubs shows the fascinating patterns of bare branches against the dark night sky and shadows create a sense of mystery. The feeling of winter confinement is forgotten as we enjoy our garden at night, we may feel inspired to wrap up and sit out with a warm blanket and hot toddy to watch as the garden curtain lifts to a new season performance!

Clockwise from top right: Viburnum bodnantese ‘Dawn’; Sarcococca hookeriana; Lonicera fragantissima; Hammamellis japonica; Viburnum tinus ‘Eve Price’ 25

GARDEN HOLIDAYS

DON’T LEAVE THAT GARDEN HOLIDAY BOOKING TOO LONG Don’t leave it too late to get the green fingered holiday you’re dreaming of - high demand has led to a shortage of places for next summer as well as inflated prices, a trend which is expected to continue into next year.

For those who want to plan a gardening holiday for next year the background is also likely to be one of reduced availability due to postponed bookings from this year.

A garden holiday is an excellent way to celebrate your love of the activity, get to know like-minded people and meet some horticultural experts along the way. The problem is two Covid affected years has left the market still uneasy and uncertain.

During one of the world’s best garden tours, you can visit glorious gardens, such as Holland’s stunning Keukenhof and the Isles of Scilly’s Tresco Abbey Garden.

The Royal Horticultural Society’s fifth garden was planning to open in 2020 but this was postponed due to the pandemic. RHS Garden Bridgewater is now open, and holidays are on offer including a tour with the garden’s designer Tom Stuart-Smith in July or August.

This year, those nervous about committing to overseas holiday plans turned to UK stays instead.

If you’d rather see what the UK has to offer when it comes to gardening delights, you’re in for a treat. The gardens and hotels of Cornwall are again expected to be in huge demand. Visitor figures for Cornwall this summer broke all records, and many companies are now saying that repeat bookings are at an all-time high.

So, if you’re hoping to secure your chances of a trip by sticking to local again next year, should you book in advance now - or is there really no reason to rush?

For those keen to go abroad in search of gardening delights then the prediction is Italy will figure high on the wish list.

According to several holiday companies bookings are up compared to the same period in the past few years. But while bookings seem to be rising, research shows that there’s no need to panic.

Italy not only has many of the greatest 16th and 17th century gardens in Europe, it also has some which have been extensively restored and indeed created in the 20th century.

Keep an eye on availability, especially as we head into the New Year as normal boom time for bookings is in the Christmas to January rush, and that’ll be when it’s critical to book if guests want to have real choices.

Gardening holidays normal kick start into life in and around Easter, the perfect time to start dreaming about the gardens of the world and planning a future garden-themed tour to take in the sights and sounds of nature at home and abroad, now we can travel again.

Boscrege, a breath of Cornish fresh air Boscrege Caravan and Touring park in Cornwall is a peaceful and picturesque park, set at the foot of Tregonning Hill, Godolphin National Trust and amongst Cornish lanes in an area of outstanding natural beauty. The park, open all year through, is close to the Cornwall coast and only a few minutes drive to Praa Sands, one of Britain’s nicest beaches. St Ives, Penzance, Hayle, Lands’ End. If you are looking to take a luxury holiday (doggie friendly with dog friendly homes and on-site designated fields for the dogs too) in Cornwall in either a self-catering caravan, lodges touring or even purchasing your very own holiday home then contact Boscrege Caravan and Touring Park. And new is an exciting development of single/twin lodges available to buy with a 20 year site licence and two years free site fees. Enjoy a two night free which is on offer to genuine buyers.

Boscrege Caravan Park, Boscrege, Ashton, Cornwall TR13 9TG Tel: 01736 762231 www.caravanparkcornwall.com

We’ve some special recommendations:

ITALIAN GARDEN HOLIDAYS TO DREAM OF Here’s your chance to explore and enjoy the iconic Renaissance gardens of the Rome area - Villa Lante, Villa Farnese at Caprarola, Villa d’Este - plus the hauntingly beautiful garden of Ninfa. Expressions Holidays organise tailor-made holidays for individuals who want to visit the beautiful gardens of Italy and provide flexible dates and stays. They also arrange garden holidays for individuals to Tuscany, the Italian Lakes and the Amalfi Coast.

Small group tours also take place for up to 14 people per departure.

Special offer for Country Gardener readers: Expressions Holidays offers Country Gardener readers a reduction of £75 per person off any of our holidays for booking before 31 January 2022.

Contact Expressions Holidays on 01392 441250 for full details. www.expressionsholidays.co.uk Fully protected by ATOL 3076

Meudon Hotel is one of Cornwall’s best kept secrets

One of Cornwall’s best kept secrets - a hidden valley hotel with its own secluded beach, Hotel Meudon is a coastal paradise near Falmouth, Cornwall.

BOSCREGE CARAVAN & CAMPING PARK

THE MOST PICTURESQUE CARAVAN PARK IN CORNWALL With a welcoming atmosphere and set in 12 acres of Cornish countryside only two miles from the beautiful sandy beaches of Praa Sands, Boscrege Caravan & Camping Park is the best place to enjoy your Cornish holiday.

Each of our luxury holiday homes comes with a private garden and Wi-Fi. Perfect

for families and couples, we are open all year, and offer seasonal pitches.

We offer the following: • Designated dog walking fields • Pet friendly accommodation • Comprehensive storage • Luxury holiday homes for sale

Recently refurbished, the hotel is a stylish retreat boasting nine acres of sub-tropical gardens, stunning sea views, 29 bedrooms and a treatment room. Restaurant Meudon, The Drawing Room and Freddie’s Bar are open to all, whether you’re staying at the hotel or simply passing by and thinking of popping in. All menus feature a variety of dishes and are created using Cornwall’s bountiful larder.

A stay at Hotel Meudon will offer you time to sit back and unwind whilst enjoying stunning surroundings and top-quality service.

Tel: 01326 250 541 www.meudon.co.uk

01736 762231 • enquiries@caravanparkcornwall.com www.caravanparkcornwall.com 26

Country Gardener

ITALIAN GARDENS

TAILOR-MADE HOLIDAYS & SMALL GROUP TOURS TO ITALY

THE

ART

T R A V E L

OF

INTELLIGENT

O R G A N I S I N G

SMALL GROUP TOURS of up to 14 people only

TAILOR-MADE GARDEN HOLIDAYS FOR INDIVIDUALS

Italian Lakes, Tuscany, Rome area

Italian Lakes, Tuscany, Rome area

and Amalfi Coast

and Amalfi Coast

Visit some of Italy’s most famous

Visit some of Italy’s most exquisite

gardens in a small group with the

and influential gardens. Tailor-made

expertise of local garden guides.

arrangements specially for you.

• Maximum 14 people per group

• Flexible departures and durations

• 6 nights each, in two different places

• We include hotel, flights and transport

• Flights and luxury coach transport

• Local transport by hire-car if you want

• Included local garden guides for visits

to drive or by car with driver

• Stay in 4 star and 5 star hotels

• Detailed notes on gardens provided

• Departures in May, June and

• Local garden guides for personalised

September

visits can be arranged

• Full financial protection offered with all

• Full financial protection offered with all

holidays

holidays

From £2,580 per person

From £1,370 per person

01392 441250 Founded 1989

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Cornwall’s best-kept secret...

The stunning subtropical valley setting of Hotel Meudon is a short hop from the South West Coast Path. Our hpg l^\en]^] Zg] b]reeb\ [^Z\a ;k^Zf <ho^ bl cnlm perfect for wild swimming, snorkelling, stand-up paddle [hZk]bg` hk cnlm _hk k^eZqbg` hg' If wanderlust takes hold, then there are some truly wonderful walks nearby. Stroll to the mouth of the Helford River and beyond via Rosemullion Head, taking in ancient woodland and fishing villages on the way. +)++ kZm^l _khf {,.+ _hk Z mph&gb`am [k^Zd hg Z ; ; basis including afternoon tea.

MAWNAN SMITH, FALMOUTH CORNWALL TR11 5HT ;HHD :M F>N=HG'<H'ND • 01326 250541 Package price excludes Christmas, New Year, February Half Term and Valentine's Day

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S TAY • E AT • CE L E ; R AT E 27

DANCING FLAMES AND GLOWING EMBERS How do you make the perfect wood burning open fire? It’s down to choosing the right wood, knowing how to stack it properly and having a store of perfectly dry kindling The effect of flames and glowing embers in a fireplace is a simple pleasure to have in our lives. The perfect wood fire on any sort of winter’s day is a magical and much sought-after experience. Understanding everything that underpins the perfect wood fire makes it even more enjoyable.

To get the best from your fire you need good firewood. It sounds obvious but poor unseasoned, damp wood which spits and sparks destroyers any benefits of a good open fire.

So, your fire will only be a good as the ingredients you use.

Planning for winter fires should start in spring. It’s the perfect time to find, cut and store your wood, giving it then summer at least to dry out.

The number of homes now with open fires and in particular wood burning fires has been steadily increasing over the past ten years .

So, wood has become an essential element in keeping us warm.

Doing it properly, planning your winter supply, choosing the right wood, building up a store of dry kindling all makes the task easier - and warmer!

How long do your logs need to season?

Wood that’s been freshly cut is called green wood and it’s not what you want to burn in your fireplace.

Firewood must age or season and get rid of most of its moisture. Different woods have different water content, but they all need to really dry out. If you use freshly cut wood, you’ll wind up with lots of creosote build-up in your chimney and a smokey home.

Significantly it also won’t provide as much heat.

The general rule of thumb for ageing most types of wood is to ‘season for a season.’

Giving your firewood at least six months to cure will rid it of most of its moisture.

How to stack your logs properly Stacking firewood is a vital part of storing wood and may seem like a simple thing, but how and where you stack it is important.

Make sure your wood burning logs are under cover but open on one side. This is particularly important if you use polythene to cover your logs as they need to breathe to avoid sweating.

Improperly stacking or poorly placing your firewood can lead to exposure to the elements, mice infestations, fungus, and the wood that just does not burn as well.

You also want to orientate your stack of wood so that the prevailing wind will blow

Beech

WHICH WOOD TO BURN Ash This is the number one of trees to burn in your fire. The so-called gold standard. It produces a strong steady flame in fires with a good heat and can be successful in a fire even if on the green side and not really seasoned.

Ash is a hardwood which means it will burn hotter and will provide the most heat for the weight. It burns clean with no smoke, and it throws few sparks.

Oak

Ash 28

The density of the wood affects how long it needs to be seasoned for. Oak is a very dense wood and can take up to two years to season fully so this is significant when it comes

to how well it burns. Oak is probably the most sought-after firewood. The density makes it very heavy but also means that it has a huge amount of energy to release when burned. It burns very hot but also for a very long time. One idea is to mix oak with other less dense wood.

Birch This wood smells great and has good heat but burns quickly. It will also burn unseasoned but can cause gum deposits in chimneys over time. So, don’t use the green wood too often. Birch can season in one year or less if split and stacked right away. Black birch can season even faster. Its lovely aroma makes it a popular wood to burn.

Country Gardener

THE FIREWOOD POEM

by Celia Congrove Beechwood fires are bright and clear If the logs are kept a year, Chestnut’s only good they say, If for logs ’tis laid away.

Make a fire of Elder tree, Death within your house will be; But ash new or ash old, Is fit for a queen with crown of gold. through it. Having a large amount of air circulation around the wood will also help it dry more quickly. Stacking your firewood directly on the ground will not allow proper airflow around the bottom of the stack. This will cause your green wood to remain wet.

Simply throwing your firewood into a pile will not allow it to dry properly. The wood in the centre of the pile can remain moist or green. Green wood does not put out as much heat when burned as seasoned firewood does.

So, stack loosely rather than trying to pack it tightly to save space. This will allow air to circulate between each piece of wood and cause it to dry more quickly and evenly.

And stack your firewood with the cut ends exposed. These cut ends are where most of the moisture is released, so keeping these ends exposed will help your wood season properly over the summer.

How to split firewood Splitting wood doesn’t have to be a backbreaking experience. Start with the right tools, the proper technique, and the following tips, and chopping logs will feel like a labour of love.

First, check that you’ve got the proper equipment. Always use a good splitting axe to maul or split the wood – cutting along rather than against the grain as this is the point of least resistance. use a good solid chopping block. It needs to be large and sturdy and withstand the blows you are going to deliver to your logs.

Logs are ready for burning when they have lost as much moisture as possible. A seasoned piece of wood will lose half its weight when it dries out.

Remember the size of logs you need to fit your fireplace. It may sound obvious but there is nothing more frustrating than logs which are too big for the fireplace and need cutting again. So, a bit of planning helps.

Birch and fir logs burn too fast Blaze up bright and do not last, it is by the Irish said Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.

Elm wood burns like churchyard mould, E’en the very flames are cold But ash green or ash brown Is fit for a queen with golden crown Poplar gives a bitter smoke, Fills your eyes and makes you choke, Apple wood will scent your room Pear wood smells like flowers in bloom Oaken logs, if dry and old keep away the winter’s cold But ash wet or ash dry a King shall warm his slippers by.

Sycamore

Beech Beech has a high-water content and needs a long seasoning period. A good firewood but due to its high-water content it must be seasoned very well.

Beech is reddish-brown in colour, with a fine texture. It is a strong wood, and it is also quite dense, making it heavy.

Cherry

Cherry

Cherry wood burns slowly with a good heat output in a fire or wood burning stove and gives off a lovely aroma. The logs need to be well seasoned, although

strips of the bark can also be used as natural firelighters for your log burner or fire.

You should expect it to take eight months or more to season cherry firewood.

Sycamore Sycamore is decent firewood and produces a good flame, but it does only have a moderate heat output and does need to be well seasoned as it does have a very high moisture content when live.

www.countrygardener.co.uk

29

GIFT SPECIAL

IT MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE TIME TO FIND THE PERFECT gardening gifts It’s never easy finding the right gift at Christmas.

It’s perhaps easier when you are trying to fit it in alongside a hobby, pleasure or pastime such as gardening . That’s when the thought and planning come in.

The good news is that there are some wonderful specialist gifts to be sourced with just a little research. The passionate gardener for instance won’t mind an addition to his perhaps depleted range of gardening tools.

So, when it comes to the often stressful and demanding task of finding suitable Christmas presents again this year why not use their pastime as a theme for finding a present.

Fresh flowers are a classic and popular present, and people love having them around on Christmas Day. Specialist websites deliver high quality houseplants with detailed instructions about how to care for them.

If you are looking to make the gift a little more personal then look at the range of personalised items on the market, for that extra special touch, and indulgent luxury garden products. Personalised garden gloves, garden tool belts, aprons, trowels - even plant pots with your name on them make great gifts.

There are ideas for wildlife gardeners and small gifts to save on space, as well as an inspiring selection of gardening books, from coffee-table art to practical guides to help gardeners get growing.

All our gardens could do with more wildlife themes so nest box kits, bird baths and feeders fantastic wooden insect hotels - and hedgehog houses all have a common theme of helping nature.

Terrariums - glass gardens that make great gifts Terrariums are miniature gardens in glass containers and what’s great about them is that they are selfnourishing and require little maintenance. They make great gifts for friends and family, so you can make a few and give them away, or you can make an ecosystem together with the family.

Tropical Glass offers everything you need to create and look after a stylish, miniature garden, including DIY Terrarium kits with step by step guides to make your own terrarium in the comfort of your own home this winter.

Each component has been hand-picked by us to deliver a truly unique kit. www.tropicalglass.co.uk

The choice is clearly huge but we’ve some more details on some specific ideas.

A CHRISTMAS ‘BACK DOOR’ SOLUTION Backdoorshoes’ have three new designs just released in time for your Christmas gifts - Green Camo - Bees in a Chunky Tread and Slate.

They were created to solve the problem of how to make quick trips into the garden without getting soggy socks or fiddling with boots or laces. Made of a foam EVA formula that won’t crack or perish, with removable washable insoles, they’re waterproof, lightweight, durable and comfortable.

With such a vibrant, unique range there is something for everyone on your list! Available in UK sizes 3 to 8, while the men’s Chunky Tread range comes in sizes UK 8 to 14. Backdoorshoes, everybody needs a pair!

For more information, visit www.backdoorshoes.co.uk

Christmas gifts for everyone

Wire Anchors for Concrete Fence Posts

www.rivelinglenproducts.co.uk Tel: 01246 462666 Email: info@rivelinglenproducts.co.uk

Plus many gifts including practical and decorative items for the garden and home We are delighted to introduce some of our new range - Bees (In a larger size), Green Camo and Chunky Tread Slate. They are lightweight, waterproof, durable and ideal for slipping off / on when you need to go outside. Available in sizes UK 3-14, with over 30 designs online, there is something for everyone!

To see our full range visit www.backdoorshoes.co.uk or talk to us on 01202 232357 30

10% DISCOUNT ON GIFTS USING CODE CG10

Country Gardener

Rivelin Glen helping to decorate garden and home Alongside designing and manufacturing wire anchors for concrete posts and teaming these with Gripple Trellising system, Rivelin Glen Products have lots of practical gardening accessories and ornaments for around the home, garden and greenhouse. These items have been sourced for their designs to help decorate garden and home to make eye-catching displays and features.

Most of the items can be used both in the garden and inside the home. Rivelin Glen products offer great gift ideas for your green fingered friends, and family and friends.

Free delivery for all items for a minimum order of £10. There’s a 10 per cent discount on gifts using code CG10.

Email: info@rivelinglenproducts.co.uk Tel: 01246 462666 www.rivelinglenproducts.co.uk

BEES & OTHER POLLINATORS QUARTERLY THE UK'S FIRST BEES & OTHER POLLINATORS MAGAZINE FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE NATURE AND WANT TO HELP IT THRIVE.

CHRISTMAS AT COIRPRODUCTS! CoirProducts has a diverse and extensive range of coir products, everything for gardening and growing. Every item is 100 per cent natural and biodegradable to keep your garden happy, healthy, and eco-friendly, making sure that all products are ethically produced and sourced to help you make your gardening more sustainable.

For the holidays this year, whether it’s for your gardener friends and family, or even something for yourself, CoirProducts are introducing Christmas packs, filled with all the essential coir-based products you need to get your garden flourishing. With a whole variety of products included in the packs, such as the wonderful Coir Pots, multi-use Coco Peat, and innovative Coir Coins, they are the ideal Christmas gift to get gardens blooming in the new year.

CoirProducts also do free delivery to mainland UK! Shop online now at www.coirproducts.co.uk

COUNTRY GARDENER EXCLUSIVE! USE THE CODE

SUB10 FOR 10% OFF SUBSCRIPTIONS

01227 831837 WWW.BQ-MAG.COM INFO@BEESANDPOLLINATORS.CO.UK www.countrygardener.co.uk

31

REVEALING A GARDEN’S SECRETS EMMA HARRIS-CURTIS-MONAHAN MEETS THE HEAD GARDENER OF DORSET’S CAREY’S SECRET GARDEN, PAUL SCRIVEN, WHOSE LOVE AFFAIR WITH NATURE EXUDES FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE GARDEN

Carey’s Secret Garden, outside Wareham, focuses enthusiastically, entirely and explicitly on restoration and replenishment of nature and every generation’s connection with it.

Paul Scriven, head gardener, embodies this philosophical approach and when we meet he is among the dahlias; a kaleidoscopic backdrop of salvias, late roses and rudbeckia behind him, offering the horticultural promise of ensuing years.

Head gardener at Carey’s Secret Garden, Paul Scriven

Yet, Carey’s Secret Garden is unusual.

Simon Constantine, famous perfumer creator of the popular änd fragrance has a clear vision, “this garden’s for everyone’” he smiles, “it’s inclusive”.

One could exchange inclusive for embracing. Maybe it’s those expansive red brick walls, like two strong arms, opening up and proffering the garden to those who venture through that restored brick arch with its gothic, ornate pillars. The diapering of the brick pattern is extraordinary and, to date, no brick specialist has identified the precise style. This just reinforces the atmosphere; everything is unusual here. Rather than a four-sided walled garden, the fan of wall faces south, nurturing figs, soft fruit, banana and a heady diversity of scented leaf pelargoniums such as attar of roses, mabel grey 32

and peppermint lace.

Paul and Simon are passionate about odoriferous stock and are ambitious for the aromas of future years. Right now, visitors can carry these scents with them, infusing their skin and clothes by rubbing those powerfully aromatic leaves as they meander.

Working closely with a modest team of part-timers, Paul and his long-standing collaborator in all things horticultural, Dan, are “…entirely complementary. He does the plans, I am the plantsman”, chuckles Paul. Together, they met Simon some years ago, as gardeners in the latter’s home. Paul had previously accumulated 30 years of gardening knowledge and experience and Simon “liked their ethos”.

When in 2018 the site was acquired by Simon’s family, they knew they wanted to create something special; a showpiece blending nature-oriented, sustainable gardening devoid of chemical input, focused on recycling, low watering, self-propagated stock and scented and medicinal plants. There was a desire to sell the vegetables, herbs and cut flowers grown by the team, to bring joy and connection to nature to visitors.

Moreover, of pre-eminent importance to Paul and the team is to entice everyone, especially children, to revel in their inner wild; that innate and inexorable place within nature which we all hold.

None of them realised the size of the challenge at the garden, however, “The scale!” exclaims Paul, gasping in recollection, and they burst into laughter. Dan hired a drone to photograph what was already there and it helped in the designs. They wanted to use the history to their advantage, so asked the previous guardians of the gardens for old photographs and details.

Country Gardener

Taking what existed as a base, Dan designed the garden in consultation with Paul and Simon and the ideas have already evolved in the two years since the garden’s inception.

Paul says, “So many people say, …’last time I was here I was being chased out by the Farmer!’” Local people treasure this wild space. This sense of adding to history, rather than eradicating it, is omnipresent, such as the fruit cage supine against the wall, once again, producing heavy crops of raspberries, vast wooden composting bins steam, creating luscious nutrition for the beds.

Similarly, the fledgling medicinal garden builds on past knowledge and a herbalist is being consulted to elaborate this area. It already includes Astragalus (immune support), Sambucus (antioxidant/flavonoids) and lemon verbena (digestive disorders) and stirs visitors’ conversation. The amphitheatre lawn near the entrance is encircled by aromatic western red cedar that will expand to separate it as a garden room.

Designed as a bijou entertainment space its autumn plant harmony includes vibrant bananas, Salvia ‘Royal Bumble’, Rudbekia fulgida v. fulgida and Pensham penstemons.

Paul suggests, “there is much left to do and our plans will change”, but it is clear he has a viridescent vision that he will bring to fruition.

When the pandemic engulfed the world solace could be found in this garden. Socially distanced and following the rules, they tilled the land, infusing it with their energy and passion whilst being rewarded with the tranquillity, sense of purpose and recompense that only nature offered. “It made us more determined”, explains Paul, “people have lost their connection with nature, especially the young”. He stretches out to deadhead a rose pensively, “my wife’s a teacher; she sees it all the time.”

Young ones often think they are so connected via social media, yet they have no idea that they are so disconnected from nature, wildlife, the weather...’

‘In every gardener there is a child who believes in the seed fairy’ ROBERT BREAULT – OPERA SINGER AND GARDEN LOVER He sighs. “Our aim is to encourage everyone to garden”. He explains how the team want to have a stumpery, a pond and a variety of stimuli to ignite the imagination.

Children will be welcomed and their explorations encouraged. This will be enhanced by the regular children’s gardening activity days and regular toddler groups; details of which can be found on the website. Building on the Victorian emphasis on children’s gardens, Montessori believed it necessary for the early childhood brain to be engaged constructively and creatively in reality. Nature, natural objects and neutral stimuli were the key to her philosophy; thus, Paul says, “a long-fallen log can be a pirate ship, a dolls’ house or a science lab.”

This is the vision Tracey, Paul’s wife and Becky, also a teacher, who advocate for the child focused element of this garden. They want it to be an adventure, to reveal its secrets slowly and to teach without dictating. For example, providing fruit on dwarf rooting stock along with berries, strawberries and thornless blackberries in a meandering path around a centenarian mulberry tree will bring joy and knowledge and help instil a genuine love of nature to fledgling gardeners.

Three quarters of the garden will be designed to be diverting; engaging to those with a sense of fun. For example, runner beans will be grown in wigwams and children able to frolic within; there will not be any ‘keep off the grass’ signs here!

Paul’s philosophy is about more than the plants; those are but the final flamboyant and odoriferous seduction. He suggests this garden is about reminding us how vital our connection with nature is for our wellbeing, for medicines, for art and for understanding wildlife, weather and the environment.

One of the Earthshot Goals is to ‘protect and restore nature’, one feels Careys Secret Garden is making its own, quiet contribution. As head gardener Paul wants to share his love affair with nature and to imbue in visitors the sense that plants propagated for free, food magically emerging out of the ground and the accessibility of medicinal plants is part of everyday life.

As we turn back towards the huge oak that has seen the garden’s crepuscular glow of secrets slowly, carefully revealed, he puts me in mind of what someone said recently:

www.careyssecretgarden.co.uk CAREY’S SECRET GARDEN - open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 10am - 4pm, £5 GARDEN TOURS are 10.30am - 11.30am on Fridays, cost £10.50 per person and include admission to the gardens Proceeds from garden tickets go to towards the further development of the gardens and keeping the team in tea and biscuits!

33

WINTER WALKS

THE PULLING POWER OF

snowdrops

For snowdrop lovers, or galanthophiles, late January and February is the month to venture out of the house to admire snowdrops and source out the many gardens which proudly display this popular winter flower Snowdrops capture the imagination of gardeners for many reasons.

Perhaps the most significant is they are a sure sign that spring is on its way. The delicate dropping heads of these small white flowers are a charming sight on a winter’s day and in February particularly, gardens up and down the country open to celebrate their arrival with snowdrop events. Pull on your hat, grab your gloves and feast your eyes on some of mother nature’s finest snowdrops.

Perhaps the best known of the winter flowers, snowdrops are thought to have been introduced to British gardens in the late 15th century from mainland Europe.

Snowdrops often start appearing across the Southwest at the turn of the year – a welcome sign that spring is not far away.

In the 1950s, snowdrops would not typically flower until late February, but during the past few decades the teardrops of white have appeared ever earlier, and in particularly mild winters, snowdrops may not even wait for a New Year to begin.

Recent discussions have gone into whether they are a wildflower or not. None of this really matters though; the great drifts of them we enjoy in damp woodlands, hedgerows, roadsides and churchyards make them a much-loved wildflower. Traditionally, clumps of snowdrops are bought and planted ‘in-the-green’, soon after flowering in the spring.

Visiting snowdrop displays may well inspire you to add them into your own garden.

WINTER SNOWDROP AND HELLEBORE TRAIL AT CERNEY HOUSE GARDENS Cerney House gardens is a romantic English garden for all seasons at north Cerney near Cirencester which has both informality and tranquility.

There is a beautiful secluded Victorian walled garden, which is filled with herbaceous borders, and overflowing plants. The end of January marks the arrival of the fabulous winter display of snowdrops and hellebores. A snowdrop trail guides you around the woodland walk packed with drifts of naturalised snowdrops.

Rarer snowdrops are spotted in the walled garden.

A selection of plants are for sale.

Open all year round, 10am-dusk. No bookings required. Groups welcome by appointment.

Cerney House Gardens North Cerney Cirencester GL7 7BX Telephone: 01285831300 Email: janet@cerneygardens.com For more details: www.cerneygardens.com

The snowdrop may appear delicate, but it is a hardy little plant, surviving snowfall and cold temperatures. It has long been associated with the winter – its Latin classification, Galanthus nivalis, literally means ‘milk flower of the snow’.

You’ll often hear the phrase ‘snowdrops in the green’ around snowdrop time year. ‘In the green’ simply refers to how most snowdrops are sold: in leaf, in February. It’s a great way to establish big drifts of these beautiful bulbs, quickly and cheaply.

‘Its Latin classification Galathus nivalis, literally means milk flower of the snow’

Visit the beautiful cottage garden of gardening legend Margery Fish in February to enjoy the: * Snowdrop Ditch * Snowdrop displays * Snowdrop tours * Snowdrop sculptures * Snowdrops for sale

When replanting, be random. Clumps will naturally spread downwards as seeds fall, so siting new clumps on higher ground, and banks, will aid the impression of natural distribution.

Make sure the soil in the planting area is healthy – dig in some compost or leafmould.

Then plant each bulb singly, burying them up the point on their leaves and stems where the white part turns green: a helpful indicator of how deep they were before. Although the single bulbs spaced out may look a little spartan at first, they will soon bulk up to form clumps of their own and create natural looking drifts.

Double snowdrops Galanthus nivalis f. pleniflorus do not set seed, but they bulk up quickly and soon make clumps ripe for division. They do however produce viable pollen but need a non-double flower to bear the seeds.

Planted with single snowdrops nearby they will cross-pollinate and produce variable progeny enabling the double form to spread and become established without man’s intervention.

Snowdrops have many meanings and symbols associated with it. They can mean purity, innocence, and sympathy. The white of the snowdrop symbolises innocence and purity.

Because it is the first flower to bloom at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, it also symbolises hope.

As one of the earliest flowers to bloom in spring, snowdrops are useful for pollinators.

When air temperatures rise above 10 centigrade and insects are likely to be flying, the snowdrop petals move up and out opening the flowers and making it easier for insects to get inside. They also have a medicinal value.

As members of the family Amaryllidaceae (along with leucojum and narcissi) snowdrops contain galantamine used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Galantamine can be synthesised artificially, but this is a difficult and expensive process so it is mainly sourced from plants.

34

T J US TE S U IN HE 4 M OM T R F A303 H

T OU AT S ERTON H PET

Festival of Snowdrops 1st to 27th February

Over 125 varieties of snowdrop with many rare snowdrops for sale Garden, café and nursery open Tues- Sun | 10am-5pm Garden entry £6.50 | Over 65s £6.00 | Groups £5.75 U16s free | Snowdrop tours £3.00 East Lambrook | South Petherton | Somerset | TA13 5HH 01460 240328 | enquiries@eastlambrook.com Book at eastlambrook.com or pay on arrival

Country Gardener

WINTER WALKS

COLESBOURNE PARK OFFER 10 ACRES OF WALKS AND SNOWDROPS Started by Henry John Elwes FRS with the magnificent Galanthus elwesii, the historic snowdrop collection at Colesbourne Park is the acknowledged home of snowdrops in England. The gardens, restored and extended by Sir Henry Elwes and his wife Carolyn, have around 250 varieties mixed with aconites, cyclamen, iris, miniature daffodils, snowflakes, hellebores and shrubs.

Visitors can walk beside the beautiful blue lake and along the woodland paths of the 10 acre gardens to see the snowdrops and planting schemes of winter and spring bulbs.

The gardens are open to the public every weekend from 1pm between 29th January to 27th February. Plant sales and teas are available (subject to any Covid-19 guidelines in place).

Colesbourne Park is halfway between Cheltenham and Cirencester on the A435.

www.colesbournegardens.org.uk

300 varieties add to the delights of

Old Court Nurseries

The Picton Garden at Old Court Nurseries in Colwall may be best known for the displays of Michaelmas daisies which fill this one and ahalf acre plot in autumn but, tucked away waiting for February to come round is a collection of over 300 varieties of snowdrop. Explore the serpentine paths and discover a treasure trove of late winter delights from the bright whites and fresh greens of snowdrops to the cheerful golds and purples of Eranthis and Crocus. If temptation proves too much many of the varieties are also available for purchase from the adjoining nursery.

Old Court Nurseries, Walwyn Road, Colwall www.autumnasters.co.uk 01684 540416

GARDEN OPEN FEBRUARY 2022

In association with Shaftesbury Snowdrop Festival Come and see the beautiful drifts of snowdrops in the ornamental lakeside garden During the month of February, Springhead’s garden in Fontmell Magna will be open Monday to Friday from 10am - 3pm and also over the weekend of 12th - 13th.

Old Court Nurseries & The Picton Garden The Michaelmas Daisy Specialists since 1906

Entry to the garden will be free but donations welcome Assisted wheelchair access Dogs on leads welcome

It’s a great time to plan your 2022 autumn displays

The Springhead Trust, Fontmell Magna, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 0NU Tel: 01747 811853 www.springheadtrust.org.uk info@springheadtrust.org.uk Registered charity no: 1112083

MAIL ORDER CATALOGUE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST OR ORDER ONLINE www.autumnasters.co.uk FOR DELIVERY IN MAY.

Snowdrops at Colesbourne Park ‘England’s greatest snowdrop garden’

The historic home of snowdrops in the heart of the Cotswolds and home to 250 named varieties. Open to visitors during the February display of these popular flowers. Coaches are welcome by appointment: we offer both exclusive guided tours and self-directed visits for coach parties. Colesbourne Park is on the A435 halfway between Cheltenham and Cirencester.

For more information please Telephone: 01242 870264 Email: hwg@colesbourne.net

Please ask to go on our snowdrop list and be among the first to see what we have available.

We are closed from 20th October until February but please get in touch for help and advice.

OPEN FROM FEBRUARY, THURSDAY-SATURDAY, 11AM-4PM AND FOR THE NGS ON SUNDAYS 13TH AND 27TH FEB. Or see our website: www.colesbournegardens.org.uk

Tel: 01684 540416 www.autumnasters.co.uk

Old Court Nurseries, Walwyn Road, Colwall WR13 6QE

www.countrygardener.co.uk

35

WINTER WALKS

Wander through drifts of Snowdrops at Batsford Arboretum

East Lambrook Manor celebrates fourth Festival of Snowdrops Throughout February Somerset’s famous cottage garden at East Lambrook Manor in South Petherton celebrates the snowdrop season with its fourth Festival of Snowdrops.

Winter can be such a special time at Batsford Arboretum, near Moretonin-Marsh - it’s the chance to wrap up warm and meander along paths beside frozen streams and ponds and take in the views across the stunning Cotswold countryside. During February, the arboretum is alive with drifts of beautiful snowdrops, plus aconites, crocuses and hellebores.

Snowdrops have long been a feature of the garden, since celebrated plantswoman Margery Fish created the iconic cottage garden in the 1940’s, 50s and 60’s and started collecting rare snowdrops. She planted them in an area she named The Ditch, which she and husband Walter landscaped from the drainage channel between two orchards.

The garden has a collection of around 150 different named varieties Snowdrop tours for small groups offer an introduction to the genus and highlight favourite snowdrops Around 90 varieties will be on sale in the nursery along with hellebores and spring plants. Sculptor Chris Kampf will be exhibiting his popular steel snowdrops. Visitors should check the website for the latest information.

Batsford Garden Centre is a haven for garden and plant lovers too, offering a fabulous range of quality, affordable plants and gifts.

Open daily, dogs welcome on a short lead.

The garden opens Tuesday to Sunday throughout the festival from 10am to 5pm. Garden entry £6.50, over 65s £6, under 16s free. Tours £3. The annual NGS Snowdrop Open Day is on Thursday 10th February, with all entry money going to charity, and RHS members have free entry on Wednesdays. No charge if just visiting the nursery.

Pre-book your Arboretum tickets online via www.batsarb.co.uk

Batsford Arboretum & Garden Centre, near Moreton-inMarsh, Gloucestershire, GL56 9AT. Tel 01386 701441

East Lambrook Manor Gardens, Silver Street, East Lambrook, South Petherton, Somerset TA13 5HH T: 01460 240328 E: enquiries@eastlambrook.com www.eastlambrook.com

Cerney House Gardens A Romantic English Garden in the UK Cotswolds

Walled garden set in 46 acres of countryside

Enjoy magical winter walks at Batsford Arboretum and browse a wonderful selection of gifts, gardening essentials and plants in our Garden Centre.

A perfect day out for all the family – including the dog!

* Large variety of snowdrops & hellebores * Medicinal Herb gardens * Wildlife and woodland walks * Refreshments available Open daily, 10-7pm Admission: £5 adults, £1 children

Open every day except Christmas Day.

Telephone 01285 831300 www.cerneygardens.com Cerney House Gardens, North Cerney, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 7BX

Shaftesbury Snowdrops SHAFTESBURY RARE SNOWDROP SALE “The Best in the West”

Book your Arboretum tickets online at www.batsarb.co.uk BATSFORD ARBORETUM AND GARDEN CENTRE Batsford, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire GL56 9AT. Tel: 01386 701441 E: arboretum@batsfordfoundation.co.uk BatsfordArboretum

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Saturday 12th February 2pm-4pm

The Guildhall, High Street, SP78LY Details of tickets from www.shaftesburysnowdrops.org or from the Tourist Information Centre on 01747 853514 Country Gardener

Image: ‘Snowdrop Words’

by Jane Shepherd

Snowdrops IN DORSET

to look forward to Snowdrops are the signs of everything reawakening after the dead of winter – so the chance to visit a garden with carpets of snowdrops to walk through is sure to lift the spirits and feel that spring is really on the way.

There are beautiful gardens opening for the National Garden Scheme with snowdrop displays in Dorset next February, raising much needed funds for nursing and caring charities. THE OLD VICARAGE at East Orchard, Shaftesbury SP7 0BA, which opens regularly through the year for the NGS, gets the season rolling when it opens for the NGS on Friday 11th and Monday 13th February.

This is a wildlife garden of 1.7 acres with lots of different snowdrops and other winter flowering shrubs. A wonderful stream meanders down to a pond and there are lovely reflections from the swimming pond which was the first swimming pond built in Dorset. There’s a

Galanthus lovers have only a few weeks to wait before displays will be ready to view throughout Dorset in private gardens and for the NGS

tree viewing platform allows visitors to look over the garden and to the wider countryside.

The Old Vicarage opens its gates between 2pm and 5pm on both open days. Admission is £4, children free. Refreshments will be available, dogs are allowed and plants will be for sale. Coaches are welcome. If the ground is very wet it will not be suitable for wheelchairs.

The garden is also open for visits by arrangement, and the NGS requests that enquiries are made directly to the owner: Miss Tina Wright on 01747 811744 or email tina_lon@msn.com LAWSBROOK, Brodham way, Shillingstone, Dorset DT11 0TE has been opening for the NGS for more than ten years; it’s a garden that opens regularly during the spring for snowdrop displays and in autumn for the great colours of the collection of more than 130 different tree species spread over six acres. There’s a variety of

garden areas, a stream, meadow and wildlife to be seen.

It will open for the NGS on Wednesday 23rd, Thursday 24th, Friday 25th, Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th February between 10am and 4pm on each day. Admission is £4, children free (and there are activities for children), all day teas and cakes will be available, dogs are allowed, and it is wheelchair accessible, with a gravel path at the entrance and grass paths over the whole garden.

Visits by arrangement are available from February to November. In line with the request from the NGS that enquiries are made directly to garden owners, please contact the owner, Clive Nelson on 07771 658846 or email cne70bl@aol.com www.facebook.com/Lawsbrook Readers are advised by the NGS to check on openings before starting out on a journey. www.ngs.org.uk

...and a National Trust property with great carpets of snowdrops KINGSTON LACY, at Wimborne Minster, the lavish Italianate mansion with its fine art collection, and home to the Bankes family for more than 300 years, is a great place to visit for a country walk in the winter and early spring.

There are swathes of snowdrops from late January and through February in the Japanese Garden of seven acres that was created in the early 1900s, set against the delicate pink and white blossoms of the winter flowering cherry, bamboo and other trees and shrubs.

With its authentic Japanese tea house and granite lanterns it offers a different type of snowdrop walk – but don’t miss the Lady’s Walk, the Fernery, the formal gardens, parkland walk and there are 8,500 acres of countryside estate to enjoy.

Kingston Lacy - huge swathes of snowdrops

Kingston Lacy, Wimborne Minster, Dorset BH21 4EA www.nationaltrust.org.uk/kingston-lacy

The famous SHAFTESBURY SNOWDROP sale, part of the annual flower festival at Shaftesbury takes place on Saturday 12th February from 2pm to 4pm in the Guildhall, High Street, SP7 8LY. Legend has it that Galanthus grew from a special bulb planted during the reign of Alfred the Great, and is enticed from his fastness under the local hill by chanting a unique verse, which happens as part of the parade. Snowdrops bloom around town from late January into March providing a hopeful glimpse towards the coming spring.

Tickets at www.shaftesburysnowdrops.org or from the Tourist Informtion Centre on 01747 853514. www.countrygardener.co.uk

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Melbury Vale vinery open to visit on Fridays and Saturdays in December Melbury Vale is a Dorset based family owned, rural business specialising in the production of wines, liqueurs, brandies and cider and is open to visit from 10am to 4pm every Friday and Saturday, and 10am to 2pm on Sundays in December. Their aromatised wines, liqueurs and spirits make fantastic gifts, only available at Melbury Vale Winery.

A Melbury Vale gift voucher can be emailed straight to you.

A Winter Wine School will run in February and March on selected Saturdays inside the winery where you can learn to write your own wine tasting notes with professional descriptors, whilst tasting Melbury Vale’s range of wines, finishing with local cheeses and crackers for lunch.

For more details see www.mvwinery.co.uk Melbury Vale Winery, Foot’s Hill, Cann, Shaftesbury SP7 0BW

WIN A PAIR OF SPECIAL OUTDOOR ‘EXPLORER’ BOOTS We are again offering Country Gardener readers the chance to win a pair of unique garden and all-weather boots. It is the third in a series of hugely popular competitions offering different varieties of this awardwinning Leon boot. Our final competition features the Explorer, a boot which is an all-round , all-weather all-purpose boot.

This is one of the most popular in the range of EVA polymer in direct injection moulding technology, this combination makes these unique boots one of the most durable (resistant to splitting and cracking). Sole thickness ranges from 25mm at the heel to 20mm at the front making it entirely shock absorbent.

ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS ANSWER THIS QUESTION: What is the range of sole thickness on the Leon Explorer boot?

Send your answer to us at Leon Boots ‘Explorer’, Mount House, Halse, Taunton TA4 3AD. Entries close on Friday, December 17th and the winners will be included in our earliest possible edition. Please include your shoe size - UK 3 to 14.

WIN A SAFE SOIL UK TEST KIT AND FIND OUT ABOUT YOUR SOIL Safe Soil UK provides quality testing services for gardeners keen to test their soil. Whether you want to test your soil for quality, contamination or both, Safe Soil UK has your testing needs in hand!

Country Gardener is offering readers the chance to win one of ‘State of Your Soil’ prize value £70 or a ‘Basic Metals Screen’ prize valued at £50 The ‘State of Your Soil’ provides analysis of soil pH, texture and organic matter as well as a measure of the three major plant nutrients: potassium, phosphorus and magnesium.

The ‘Basic Metals Screen’ covers ten common metals that can be present in urban and rural soils, in some cases at levels that can contaminate growing spaces and pose serious risks to our health. Chief among these are the big three of lead, mercury and arsenic.

To enter, readers can email Safe Soil UK direct with their answer, stating which test kit To win a kit, all you must they’d prefer at contact@safesoil.co.uk do is answer this question: Safe Soil UK will provide a detailed How many common metals are tested for with interpretation of the results once tested the “Basic Metals Screen” Test Kit? and suggest how to best improve your Email your answer to contact@safesoil.co.uk and soil quality with appropriate fertiliser sate which test kit you would like to receive. For recommendations to help you get the most more information, visit www.safesoil.co.uk from your garden.

A new dimension for adventurous herb growing in winter Fresh herbs! What better way to revivify your cuisine as winter draws in? The availability of such seasonings has never been better. It goes without saying that fresh supermarket herbs cost just a few pence. It’s also an open secret that they involve unusable quantities of bland leaves wrapped up in nonrecyclable plastic. Hence many of us grow our own.

Growing herbs is a simple affair. Seeds, pots, substrate, and a sunny-whenneeded spot are all that’s required. But even the mildly ambitious gardener wants to explore beyond this. Flavour, variety, and that old chestnut ‘experimentation’ are all excellent excuses for further tinkering.

At AutoPot we’ve developed a wide range of systems with which gardeners can produce a plethora of intriguing herbs. We know that simplicity and efficiency are essential. That’s why all our systems are compact, gravity-fed, and zero-waste. No electricity, running water, pumps, or timers are required.

Rosemary, sage, lemongrass, coriander, basil, dill, parsley, watercress, and mint are but a handful of the tried and tested AutoPot thrivers. Micro herbs such as earthy, sweet, grass-inflected Amaranth, crisp, spicy Radish, summery, healthenhancing Broccoli, pungent Mustards, and divinely aromatic Basils are all proven with AutoPot. Easy to grow, simple and delicious to use; herbs reinforce the connections between plants, eating, and living every day.

Their revelatory flavours urge growers on to greater feats of cultivation - feats we aspire to enable.

Find out more at www.autopot.co.uk

The veranda route to a more outdoor life How many of us would like to be able to ‘live outside more’?

The opportunity to be outside and enjoy the garden and the fresh air even on winter days is very tempting.

One solution to make more use of being outside comes in the form of All Weather Canopies, who offer bespoke verandas to extend your house and provide sheltered outdoor living areas.

“It is an important and fast-growing trend’ says Brian Johnson from All Weather who cover Devon, Somerset, Dorset and Cornwall.

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Country Gardener

“There’s no reason why having a covered canopy that you can’t enjoy being outside 365 days a year.”

All Weather Canopies are the sole distributor for the Milwood Group within the southwest supplying canopies, car ports, verandas, glass rooms, pergolas, and aluminium decking.

“Over the years we have learnt that every house is different.”

“Verandas are now much in demand not only for private homes but for care homes and shared buildings such as apartments.” Said Brian: A veranda canopy protects against UV rays and are completely waterproof keeping those underneath dry and sheltered’. www.allweathercanopies.co.uk

Celebrate the first signs of spring in our snowdrop gardens

South & South East in Bloom, part of Britain in Bloom, is open for entries 2022.

Find your perfect garden: ngs.org.uk/snowdrops

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The Nursery is NOT Open to the public except on specific occasions 39

A very fruitful venture

Lori out fruit picking: ‘We grow for flavour’

Kate Lewis meets Lori Reich whose working fruit farm overlooking Devon’s Teign estuary has been the source of a famous line of award winning and traditional jams, preserves and cordials

Many of us have evocative childhood memories of filling punnets - and tummies - full of strawberries, raspberries and other berries at pickyour-own farms. But lots of farms are now offering much more variety to their customers beyond their summer berry crop.

sugar snap peas the day after they are picked. If it’s not fresh, then it ends up in my chutney or we eat it. I have even refused to sell produce to people if they are going to keep it to use for a dinner party at the end of the week!”

Shute Fruit in Bishopsteignton, overlooking the beautiful Teign estuary, is one such farm where husband and wife team Lori Reich and David Lamboll not only grow a range of seasonal fruit, vegetables, edible flowers and flowers for cutting, but also use their produce to make a range of award-winning preserves.

Another key focus for the farm is working with nature and creating a sustainable farming system that encourages wildlife. Lori said: “We really love our wildlife and try to convey that to our customers. We don’t have perfectly manicured paths - we have stinging nettles, thistles and thorns because they are good for wildlife - so we tell people not to turn up in sandals. We are rough and ready… a working farm!”

The couple moved back to Devon from working in Africa 30 years ago to take over the family dairy farm. Noticing the lack of pick-your-own farms in the area, and their own farm’s perfect location, they soon moved away from dairy to set up Shute Fruit - planting fruit on their 11 acres.

Nowadays the farm attracts locals who come to pick their own produce, passers-by stopping to buy pre-picked fruit and veg, school groups and even brides looking for white pumpkins for their upcoming nuptials.

Lori, originally from Minnesota in the United States who has a regular stall selling their produce and preserves at local farmer’s markets, explains that the flavour of their produce is so important: “The fertile red soil helps to produce the most flavoursome produce and, while we are not officially organic, none of the produce gets sprayed.

“We grow for flavour and only sell freshly picked produce. It must be fresh to have the best flavour. For example, I won’t sell sweetcorn and 40

Country Gardener

The farm has an abundance of wildlife including rare Curl Buntings, bats, and glow-worms, and the couple work with the RSPB and other wildlife agencies to help maintain their populations.

Lori is well-known in the area for her extensive line of award-winning preserves. For more than 20 years she has been transforming the produce from the farm into jams, jellies, pickles, chutneys and cordials using traditional recipes, family secrets and her own creations.

“It’s like having a farm in a jar. Anything David can grow I can preserve. The only exception is broad beans - they just don’t work well in pickles and chutneys. We also forage the hedgerows for wild fruits and often get donations from neighbours when they either have a glut or just don’t know what to do with their produce.

“My most popular jam by far is strawberry and my best seller is runner bean relish. Growing up I was used to seeing my mother and aunts making preserves. I clearly remember them chopping up

Sweet peas flourish in the sustainable farming system

watermelon rind to make watermelon pickle. Nothing was wasted and I have the same ethos.”

As is the case for most businesses, the last 18 months have been challenging. Lori said: “This business isn’t easy because everything is so weather-dependent, but Covid was especially hard because we had to close and all the farmer’s markets were closed too. But the few wholesale customers who order preserves from us were an absolute god-send.”

Pre-Covid she was sharing her wealth of knowledge through workshops and masterclasses, something she hopes will return: “I used to run a day course here in the village. We made a jam, a marmalade, a chutney and a lemon curd to cover the four types of preserving. At lunch we had a ploughman’s where the students could try all my pickles and chutneys and at the end of the day, we made scones and all sat down to a cream tea. I would love to go back to doing that.”

And during lockdown she kept her neighbours and local customers happy with a mid-afternoon treat: “I ran a ‘golden hour’ cream tea delivery service. On Sundays and Wednesdays at 3pm I delivered a proper cream tea - home-made jam, cream and scones - to people who ordered it.

I called it ‘golden hour’ because you have just one hour after scones come out of the oven when they are magic.”

Shute Fruit is open July - November and closed on Monday, and often if it is raining. It is better to call before visiting. Telephone: 01626 777570 Preserves are available to order on the website at www.shutefruit.co.uk.

‘It’s like having a farm in a jar.

Anything David can grow I can preserve.’

And here are two of Lori’s famous recipes for you to try TRADITIONAL OLD-FASHIONED CHUTNEY

SWEET CHILLI JAM

Step one

Makes about 6 x 227 g jars

Put into the preserving pan:

Lori says: “This is a cross between a jam and a chutney. It is simplicity itself: just whizz everything in a food processor and cook until thick. Adjust the hotness by using hotter chillies or leaving the seeds in. Serve it on cheese scones with cream cheese for a savoury cream tea.”

900 g apples, peeled, cored and chopped Stew the apples until tender.

Step two Add to the pot:

Step one

900 g green or red tomatoes, roughly chopped

Whizz the following together in a food processor or blender (you may need to do this in batches):

350 g onions, peeled and chopped

8 red peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced

10 red chillies, roughly chopped

225 g raisins

Small knob of root ginger, peeled

900 ml malt vinegar

8 cloves of garlic, peeled

350 g demerara sugar

400 g tomatoes, roughly chopped

20 ml salt 15 ml mustard seeds

Step two

25 ml curry powder

Put all this in a preserving pan along with:

5 ml cayenne pepper

750 g demerara sugar 250 ml red wine vinegar

1. Bring to the boil.

2. Reduce the heat and cook until thick, stirring occasionally, for about two hours.

1. Bring to the boil.

Test by drawing a spoon through the chutney. There should be a clear trough in the wake of your spoon for a few seconds before the chutney collapses back into itself.

2. Reduce the heat and cook until thick, stirring occasionally, for about one hour.

As it gets thicker you will need to stir more often.

3. Pot while still hot into sterile jars. Label when cool.

3. Remover from the heat and cool slightly. Pot while still hot into sterile jars. Label when cool.

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41

READERS LETTERS

Have your say...

Please send your comments , views, advice or anything you’d like to get off your chest to Country Gardener, Mount House, Halse, Taunton, Somerset TA4 3AD or email editorial@countrygardener.co.uk

We should stay real this Christmas

Leafmould - its magical!

I don’t have as much time as I would like for gardening, but I always insist at this time of year on collecting up leaves and preparing them for leaf mould. Reading your November issue reminded me of the first time I made it. I just shoved the leaves into three strong black bin liners and pushed them behind the shed and forgot about them. Then of course I found later that they had turned magically into dark crumbly compost. It was amazing. Even the kids were impressed!

In the build up to Christmas I would like to make a plea for the real Christmas tree and what happens to it in the New Year. Artificial trees are typically made of non-recyclable plastic and twisted wire which on disposal could harm wildlife.

But with real trees you can be environmentally friendly and help charities too. More than 50 UK hospices offer Christmas tree recycling schemes where in return for the optional donation the tree will be collected and responsibly recycled. This Christmas over 7,000 trees will be composted to make soil improver for farmland. So real Christmas trees is the plea.

Anna Turner Martock

Rik Butchers

How to get a bonus crop of raspberries In a recent issue you gave a standard advice to cut back all canes of autumn raspberries in February. However, I find that leaving newly grown canes and cutting back only those that have nearly completed fruiting in the autumn I get a bonus crop before the following summer.

Tim Baker Stratford

MY HIGHS AND LOWS I love reading your magazine and sitting reading it the other night I wanted to write just to share my highs and lows this season. My great success was my outdoor tomatoes which avoided blight for the first time in years and ripened wonderfully and we have had what in the future will be a legendary crop. I also tried growing summer squash for the first time and was amazed how it romped across the garden, producing cricket ball sized fruits.

My surprise failure was my potatoes. I have always had success growing them in bags and large pots but this year the returns were very poor, and I just don’t know why. And I think I have given up trying to grow carrots on my patch. They always get off to a good start and then mysteriously disappear as if attacked from below. I’ve got the message!

Cork oaks are a delight I loved the article on cork oak. I live in North Devon and my cork oak is doing very well.

I think more people should have a go at looking after one.

Barbara Carlyle

via email

Tom Grahamy Liss I ADMIT IT THE BAMBOO HAS WON THE BATTLE I read with interest your response to the query about controlling what I believe is called running bamboo. I am sure it is possible in some cases to get control of it but not in my case. I inherited the bamboo as it was in the garden when we moved ten years ago. It formed a sort of hedge on one side of the garden so we left it in place. The problem is how the rhizome shoots pop up almost anywhere in the garden – several metres inside the fence and in my neighbour’s garden. Digging it out isn’t an option. It is just too dense. I refuse to use chemical control and even if I did, I wouldn’t know how to start applying it with any sort of spray. The only solution is to chain saw it down at the roots and then try to live with it and control it.

Mike Portland Fareham

THIS CORNUS KOUSA IS AN AUTUMN DELIGHT I’d like to recommend a wonderful shrub to your readers which will brighten any autumn garden . It has mine for many years. It is Cornus kousa ’Nicole’.

It is an upright, spreading, deciduous shrub with wavy-margined, dark green leaves with big cream flowers in June and then transforms, turning red and purple in autumn. Small green flower heads surrounded by four prominent, white bracts in early summer are followed by lovely strawberry-like fruit in autumn which I am told are edible but I have never tried!

Cath Smith 42

Petersfield

School gardening scheme a success – thanks to RHS I would like to praise the RHS for the job it is doing helping encourage children in gardening projects.

Our primary school sought some help this autumn in starting a long-term scheme to educate the children into not just growing food but how gardening helps the communities and the supported environment. The RHS supported all the teachers here with information, practical training days, prizes, day to day support by answering queries and longer term rewards. The scheme has really taken off and we seem to have already inspired a future generation of gardeners. I would urge more schools to go down this route.

Margery Davies Plymouth

via email Country Gardener

Lynch Lane

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We stock up to 200 varieties throughout the year

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Easy reach sea, moors & lovely days out. £125-395pw. Discount couples. Nice pets welcome. 01769 540366 www.snapdown.co.uk CORNWALL, NEAR ST JUST. Chalet open all year, sleeps 2/4. Nearby gardens, coast, golfing. Prices from £350pw. 01736 788718 BOSWORLAS NEAR SENNEN/ST JUST, CORNWALL. Cosy Cottage, rural views, Sleeps 2-4 01736 788709 www.bosworlas.co.uk

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TREE SHOP mail@tree-shop.co.uk MON-FRI 830-330 Office at Harts Barn, Monmouth Road, Longhope GL17 0QD

Local suppliers of good quality trees and shrubs

Commissions welcomed.

Hazel, Beech, Field Maple, Quick Thorn/ Blackthorn & many more hedging trees.

Silver Birch, Walnut, Cherry, Golden Locust, many more native & unusual trees & plants to choose from. NO MINIMUM ORDER.

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1. Asian tree of the Magnolia family known for its fragrant flowers (7) 5. Early Modern English word later changed to pumpkin (7) 9. Shrub that produces berries particularly enjoyed by bears (3,4) 10. Also called windflower, this genus belongs to the buttercup family (7) 11. South American palm tree (5) 12. Their buttons are commonly known as cornflowers (9) 13. A Christmas reindeer (6) 14. Dickensian character whose employer unexpectedly changes his ways on Christmas Day (8) 17. Sword lilies (8) 20. Genus of plants often called wild ginger (6) 23. Bitter fruit from any variety of this tree (5,4) 25. Also called Flinders rose, its buds and fruit are generally eaten pickled (5) 27. Person of low social status who works on the land (7) 28. According to nursery tradition, it bore only a silver nutmeg and a golden pear (3,4) 29. Glorious gardening weather between July 3rd and August 11th? (3,4) 30. Is growing this plant the best policy? (7)

DOWN

1. A small piece of dry food (5) 2. Genus to which the baobab belongs (9) 3. Expensive product made from certain flower petals (7) 4. An informal Christmas (6) 5. A Christmas reindeer (7)

6. Actress who played Flower Belle Lee in My Little Chickadee (3,4) 7. Large hardwood tree from the coast of West Africa (5) 8. Favourite vegetables to accompany haggis (5) 13. Turn over in bed (3) 15. True lover’s knot - a plant found in cool areas throughout Eurasia (4,5) 16. Dickensian Christmas character not large at all! (3) 18. Japanese flower arrangement (7) 19. Excellent gardener who gave his son Odysseus forty fig trees (7) 21. A coarse grass grown for hay in parts of the USA (7) 22. The killjoy who stole Christmas (6) 23. A Christmas reindeer (5) 24. Monkey who enjoys mostly fruit (5) 26. Tall and slender; like marshy grass (5)

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LEARNING MORE ABOUT COIR Our feature in the November issue of Country Gardener on the use of coir, the fibrous material between the hard shell internal shell and the outer coat of a coconut, in gardens caught the imagination of readers who wanted to learn more about this intriguing alternative to peat. It resulted in a series of questions which we are happy to help with

Q1.

Can you mix coco coir with soil?

Coir is naturally sterile. It won’t harbour weeds, so nothing unwanted will grow in it.

While it may look like soil, soil nutrients are not naturally present in coco coir. So it can be enriched with compost or nutrient-rich soil. Alternatively, nutrient-rich plant food can be added.

Mixing coco coir into existing garden soil can be a boon for plants. Bringing a versatile combination of water retention and natural drainage, the coir will loosen the texture of clay soil, reducing waterlogging.

It will do the opposite for sandy soil: allowing it to better hold water.

Mixing long-fibre coconut coir with coco peat or other substrates helps to aerate compacted soil structures, keeping the ground fresh and fertile for healthy root growth.

For planting seedlings, mix two parts coir with two parts compost and one part perlite.

For a more general organic potting soil, mix one part coir with one part of well-aged compost, one part humus and one part builder’s sand. Leftover coir can be covered and stored for several years without losing its helpful properties.

Q2.

Can earthworms live in coir?

Coir is completely natural, holds water and provides air pockets in the composting mixture, which benefits the compost mixture and the worms within it.

This bedding provides a comfortable environment for worm life, creating an ideal burrowing environment that is neither too dry nor too damp. Worms need bedding to thrive and break down the food matter they’re given.

Q3.

Can you grow tomatoes in coco coir?

Growing tomatoes with coir may help produce more abundant crops.

Coco coir stays moist and sustains any nutrients added to the medium, while oxygenating plant roots. Tomatoes are prone to garden pests and rot. However, since it is naturally resistant to insects, growing tomatoes with coir discourages infestation and external issues that cause decomposition. Furthermore, the addition of coir to a tomato garden has been shown to produce a more prolific tomato harvest.

Q4.

Kate Lewis timeoff@countrygardener.co.uk

Editorial

Publisher & Editor: Alan Lewis alan@countrygardener.co.uk Tel: 01823 431767

What are coir bricks used for?

Coir bricks are just one convenient buying option of the product. They are solid concentrated bricks which need to be soaked in water.

Bricks can be bought in several different weights – a good rule of thumb when deciding how much water to add is four to five gallons per five kilo brick. Allow the water to absorb for at least 15 minutes.

Once absorbed, fluff the coco coir up until it resembles the ideal soil-like consistency.

It should take about an hour for the coir to completely expand up to seven times its volume. As a rule of thumb, small 250 gram or half-pound bricks will fill a half gallon tub. A medium-sized 650 gram/one-and-ahalf-pound brick will expand to about two and a half gallons.

Q6.

You can buy coir support poles

How do you use coir discs?

This is again another way to purchase and use coir.

Simply place coir pellet in a tray of water (or seaweed solution) & leave for a couple of minutes until fully expanded. Plant the seed by placing on the top of the pellet & pushing in slightly with your finger, then keep moist until germinated either by watering daily or leaving in the shallow water tray.

Q7.

Where is coco peat produced?

The production of coco peat is largely based in the continent of Asia, predominantly in Sri Lanka and India. Indeed, the name Kerala, which is a key Indian state renowned for its coconut-related products, translates to “land of coconuts”.

The coco industry also plays a significant role in the economies of other countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Through using a range of processing methods, coco peat is a by-product of the coconut, generated from the coconut husk. Factories or small-scale producers will differ in the processes and techniques used to extract the coco coir, but production should follow a certain structure and level of standards, as outlined below.

Coir Products have a whole range of coir products including lots of ways to buy and use coir. The full range is at www.coirproducts.co.uk

Coir is perfect for both tomatoes and strawberries

Time Off

Magazines

Q5.

Coconut coir is made using the coconut’s husk. Most people only think of the inside of the coconut when it comes to the usefulness of this seed. Many consider the coconut’s milk and flesh to be a delicacy, but it’s the thick husk that protects the treasures inside and acts as a valuable resource.

What’s the advantage of growing in coir pots?

Coir pots are 100 per cent biodegradable and are an ideal method of growing plants without having them grow through any transplanting shock. In traditional methods of growing, you would have to relocate the plants as they grow bigger, and this could sometimes damage the

root system, sending the plant into shock and slowing its growth. There is no need to relocate the plant as the roots penetrate through the pot and grows through it.

Therefore, all you need to do is simply relocate the coir pot itself into the ground where it will gradually disintegrate, enriching the soil.

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Country Gardener