Gardening Mary Payne MBE

Sustainable gardening for the future

AFTER the freeze before Christmas, the drought and extreme temperatures last summer, not to mention the recent incessant rain, we must all be aware that climate change has become part of our lives that we must learn to live with, and adapt to, rather like Covid.

Sadly, our amazing scientists cannot quickly create a vaccine to solve this situation. So how is it going to affect us as gardeners, and what should we be doing about it now?

A rise in average temperatures will have advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side we may be able to grow a wider range of ornamental plants, although a sudden freeze, as we had preChristmas, is bound to catch us out occasionally.

We may be able to grow a wider range of edibles too, perhaps aubergines and peppers outdoors, or even okra. From the commercial grower’s point of view, a longer growing season will enable them to compete better with overseas growers, which has the added benefit of less new pests and diseases being imported.

Our day length is very much a controlling factor in plant growth but this can be rectified by artificial lighting; however this involves electricity, and we all know about the cost of that.

On the downside, a longer growing season will mean our lawns will keep growing for longer, so more mowing, but that means using more fossil fuels, unless you have a battery-operated mower.

Recent research has seen the development of batteries which use lignin from wood, or sea water, both involving less mining of the precious metals currently required. Robot mowers are becoming very popular, even in large gardens. They recycle the clippings into the lawn, which is returning nitrogen and other nutrients, thus less feeding is required.

The fact that our garden weeds will benefit from a longer growing season is not such good news, especially as the availability of herbicides to control them is becoming more limited. The relative newcomers of acetic acid and pelargonic acid are effective on small weeds, if applied in warm conditions, but do not effectively kill the root system of perennials weeds.

Pests and diseases may all benefit from a change in our climate. We have already seen huge rises in the incidence of the box bush caterpillar, rosemary beetle and fuchsia gall mite, with devastating results.

With less effective control measures it is predicted that some plants may become less popular, and this is already being seen in the industry. Ornamental cherries and crab apples are less popular due to the diseases associated with them and even roses may follow this trend as fungal black spot becomes less controllable.

Our plant geneticists are doing sterling work breeding commercial edible crops resistant to a range of pests and diseases, thus dramatically reducing the application and cost of pesticides.

Biological control has been embraced by the industry for many years and home gardeners can now benefit by using a range of “good bugs” to help control the “bad bugs” especially in greenhouses and poly tunnels.

As I write, heavy rain is falling, prompting me to comment on how our garden landscapes may need to change. Larger gardens should use ponds to take rainwater from roofs, which could then be used for watering when dry conditions prevail and are good for wildlife.

It is vital to keep the soil in good condition to enable it to drain through excessive rain, but also hold moisture in the summer months. To improve our soil structure, we need to be constantly adding organic matter.

This breaks down to humus, which encourages the fine clay particles to aggregate into crumbs, rather like a

With MARY PAYNE MBE crumble topping mix for your plums or rhubarb. This enables better drainage and aeration, especially in soils rich in clay. On sandier soils, the addition of organic matter enables moisture to be retained better. It is also vital to prevent erosion, so keeping your soil covered with some sort of vegetation is necessary. A green manure, sown in the late summer or early autumn, such as Winter Tares, helps prevent erosion and recycles nutrients. Garden designers may need to consider terracing slopes to help prevent water run-off and a generous layer of woodland mulch applied to all planted borders will prevent weed germination and preserve soil structure. Warmer, wetter winters will encourage wooden structures such as decking to be slippery and rot faster, while more algal growth on paved surfaces also becomes a hazard. The surfaces of hard standing areas such as driveways need to be porous. In future articles I will tackle the gritty problem of potting composts and what goes into them, because those containing peat, sold for amateur gardener use, are to be withdrawn in 2024; also how to choose plants tolerant of dry conditions, and what to water, when and how. Our gardens are already havens for a wide range of species and act as corridors for wildlife through towns. Our aim should be to grow as diverse a range of plants as possible. They do not have to be native species but offer our insects flowers for all seasons from which they can gather nectar and so undertake valuable pollination for us. We can face the challenge of climate change, but must all do our bit to help. Remember the 4 Rs – Reduce, Re-use, Recycle, Re-invest and of course buy British.

FEBRUARY GARDEN TIPS

• Before the usual spring rush, paint fences and sheds and get other general maintenance jobs done. If plants are trained onto fences to be painted make certain that the paint you use is plant safe. • Check variegated plants for shoots that have reverted to all green. Remove these by trimming them back to the point where the leaves are uniformly variegated. • Could your garden look better? This is the month when it is stripped to the basic skeleton by winter and when you can assess whether an evergreen shrub, conifer or tree or perhaps an archway, pergola or statue would improve things. • Go through your shed and remove any out of date and discontinued chemicals. The local authority recycling centre should be able to help you dispose of them safely. • Re-pot perennials and shrubs that are growing in pots. Use good compost and add slow release fertiliser to the mix. This will feed the plants for most of the year. • Continue to plant shallots. They prefer soil that hasn’t been used to grow onions, leeks or shallots for several years before and a well-manured plot. Plant onion sets if warm. • Lots of vegetable plants can be sown now e.g. turnips, lettuce, stump rooted carrots, early cabbage, cauliflower and spinach in trays on the windowsill. These could be planted out later this month.

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Open gardens

WESTONHospicecare are looking for people, businesses and clubs to open their private gardens to host dates in its Open Gardens

2023 series.

Open Gardens is a summer fundraising initiative which raises vital funds for the hospice while encouraging the community to meet for an afternoon of soft refreshments and to meet each other. The scheme has raised more than £21,000 since 2016, £6,500 last year.

It costs £4.5million each year to run the charity, with 80% of funding coming from supporters every year. The hospice serves Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset and Sedgemoor areas and provides palliative care to people in those areas with a life-limiting condition.

Abi Smart, Community Fundraising Officer for Weston Hospicecare, said: “I’m personally really delighted to be developing this programme for the hospice again post-pandemic.

““I know the community enjoy these events and they are incredibly valued by everyone at Weston Hospicecare.”

Details: Abi 01934 423900 email: Abigail.smart@westonhospicecare.org.uk

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Timberwork Buildings

Bespoke buildings to suit you

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East Lambrook snowdrop festival

THROUGHOUTFebruary Somerset’s famous cottage garden at East Lambrook Manor will be celebrating the snowdrop season with its fifth Festival of Snowdrops.

They have long been a feature of the garden, ever since cottage garden doyenne and “galanthophile” Margery Fish started planting rare snowdrops there in the 1940s.

Owner, Mike Werkmeister, said: “Everyone loves the uplifting sight of snowdrops carpeting the sides of the famous Ditch in February. It’s where all the unusual snowdrops named for the garden or previous owners were found, most notably Galanthus ‘Margery Fish’ and G. ‘Walter Fish’.”

The garden has a collection of around 150 different named varieties and many of these are used to make a special display in a raised bed.

There will be snowdrop tours for small groups and around 90 varieties will be on sale in the nursery along with hellebores and other spring plants. Sculptor Chris Kampf will also be exhibiting his popular steel snowdrops.

Details: enquiries@eastlambrook.com www.eastlambrook.com

Learn from palace experts

GARDENING enthusiasts are invited to The Bishop’s Palace in Wells to join the expert gardening team for a number of workshops aimed at getting the most from their gardens this year.

On Friday, January 27th, head gardener James Cross will lead a hands-on rose pruning workshop and on Friday, February 3rd attendees of a winter borders workshop will learn how winter borders can be interesting all year round, including exploring colourful, scented and diverse winter planting. Both workshops run from 9.30am until 12.30pm and are suitable for all abilities.

Tickets for both workshops (£37.50/Bishop’s Palace Members £33.75 with valid membership card) are prebookable on site or online at www.bishopspalace.org.uk

PERFECT PAVE

Perfect Pave, based on the Valley Line industrial estate, in Cheddar, has built an enviable reputation over the last 16 years for the quality of its work installing block paving and other landscaping products. Now founders Alex Howley and Simon Bethell have set up a new service run by James Starmer supplying these products to both the trade and public, as well as continuing to expand their installation team. e company now has contracts all over the South West and offers a wide choice of projects.

It’s not only friendly, professional service that sets us apart, we can’t be beaten on price and ensure our prices beat those of builders’ merchants and garden centres.

Showroom open 8am-5pm Mon-Fri 8am-12noon Sat

NGS GARDENS OF THE MONTH

Blackmore House

THISis a hidden terraced cottage garden with dry stone walls and gravel paths, designed for year-round interest, complementing the Georgian listed house.

It has wide borders packed full of perennials and selfseeded surprises. Two intensely scented ten-foot daphnes, sarcocca and a plethora of hellebores in winter invite you outside while most gardens sleep.

Roses, rudbeckia and helianthus bring bright colours to autumn.

The open day dates have been chosen since they are the current owner’s two favourite weekends that give her the most joy. The previous owner designed and planted an amazing array of year-round interest.

It’s a plantsman’s garden –not perfect, a bit eclectic but full of interest. Slow worms and hedgehogs keep the slugs and snails at bay and the resident house sparrows keep the roses free of greenfly.

On sunny days the garden is filled with honeybees from neighbouring hives and four varieties of bumblebee. Address: Holton Street, Holton, Wincanton BA9 8AN. Contact: Lisa Prior, 07773 440147, lisa.prior@ngs.org.uk https://www.instagram.com/lisaprior/. Opening dates and times: Saturday, February 11th, 11am3pm and Saturday, September 16th, 1-5pm. Admission: £4.50, children free. Cashless payment available. Period of Opening by Arrangement: February 1st to September 16th for groups of six plus.

To see more gardens open for the NGS, see The Yellow Book, or Local County Leaflet, available from local Garden Centres, or go to: https://www.ngs.org.uk

What is a tussy mussy?

MARGARETAndrews, a resident of Henton Nursing Home, is holding a tussy mussy, one of many made by members of Henton and District Gardening Club at their recent festive social evening.

Historically, the little posies of evergreen plants and herbs, were carried to bury noses in when our cities were full of evil smells and diseases.

Lost trophies are a blooming revelation

Up for the cups. Glastonbury in Bloom coordinators Mark Penton (far left) and Gerald Morgan (far right) with town councillors Michael White, mayor Jon Cousins and Margaret Oakden

A BOX of trophies from Glastonbury in Bloom competitions from many years ago has been discovered during boiler replacement works at Glastonbury Town Hall.

Few of the cups, shields and other awards were known to exist. The awards range from Best School which was dated 1995 and which was awarded to the Abbey School. In 2000 it went to St Benedict’s School which still takes part in the competition. In total there were 11 awards in the box.

The discovery will allow the Glastonbury in Bloom committee to expand the competition categories and encourage more of the town’s residents to enter the “domestic” competition. l More volunteers are being sought to help maintain the floral displays. Contact Sarah Marks (Glastonbury in Bloom Committee Clerk) on 01458 831769.