Get your garden in shape

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Welcome to ‘Mad’ May, a very busy time in the garden, hopefully with plenty of sunshine too. The bedding plants e.g. geraniums, begonias (pictured right), fuchsias, petunias etc. can be planted out in the garden at the end of the month. If we are lucky with the weather, the frosts should have finished now until the autumn. However, beware, as many supermarkets will have been selling bedding plants for a few weeks now, encouraging you to buy and plant out, but it is still too early as they can easily be killed off with a late frost.

Many years ago, I worked for the council in Bridlington, in the nursery at Sewerby Park. We grew 1000’s of plants from cuttings and seeds but they were never planted out until the 2nd week of June at the earliest.

Your lawns should be looking good now. Moss and weeds can be a problem, but treatments are available from your local garden centre. In order to keep your lawn in tip top condition, make sure you cut your lawn when it is dry and bright. If we get a drought, cut it less often. Last year I didn’t cut my lawn in June or July because it was too hot and sunny and many peoples lawn became yellowish because they had cut it in the hot temperatures.

Any trees or scrubs which have been planted recently, do need to be watered regularly to get them established. Water early in the morning or late evening to avoid evaporation, also trees and scrubs drink a fair amount of water, especially if it is sunny or windy.

Some varieties of roses, like Canary Bird (pictured below), will flower in May so keep an eye out for greenfly or aphids and spray with an insecticide and make sure you follow the instructions on the container.

Also, keep an eye out for slugs and snails if it is wet weather as they can do a lot of damage. You can use crushed egg shells or bits of grit to keep them at bay or there are many kinds of pellets available from your local garden centre.

And finally, the later flowering bulbs in your garden like tulips etc. may well have finished now for this year, so snap off the finished flowers and let the old leaves die back. This method helps the bulbs for next year to feed on the old leaves. Then sit back and relax with a good book, and great company but remember to keep on top of the weeds by regular hoeing.

Fiona Dwyer, broadcast journalist, PR & media consultant, slave to 2 children and a husband.

Too much squash?

Have you noticed that supermarkets are now selling diluted squash in ‘quadruple concentrate’ bottles? It’s no doubt a way to save even more plastic waste which should be commended. However, it’s far too easy to put too much into your glass before you add water, so it kind of defeats the object…. So while, in theory, you are getting four times the amount for a similar price, is it just a sneaky way of pretending to do the right thing but actually selling the same amount as ever. Or am I being too cynical? My children put the same amount of squash in their glass regardless of concentration despite my best efforts to point it out. To be fair, it’s actually pretty hard to just put the tiny amount you need in. So you end up drinking a bit that’s far too strong so you can fill it up again with more water. I understood selling the ‘double concentrate’ but I think ‘quadruple concentrate’ might be a step too far! What do you think?

Sully coming back to Hull Truck

It’s great to see ‘Sully’ coming back to Hull Truck theatre from June 6th – 10th. This year, the late, great rugby legend Clive Sullivan would have celebrated his 80th birthday - and Sully tells his story. Written by Hull playwright Dave Windass, it’s being brought to life by local Hull theatre company Mosaic Productions under the direction of Scott Solway.

Many newcomers to East Yorkshire and lots of our youngsters only know Clive’s name because of the Clive Sullivan Way, so it’s a great way to remember him as well as to bring his story to a new generation - the proud Welshman who became a son of Hull, uniting a city, representing both Hull FC and Hull Kingston Rovers. He was also the first black captain to represent his country in any sport and went on to win the Rugby League World Cup in 1972. Such an incredible man who sadly died in 1985 when he was just 42 years old. He has just been included in the Rugby League Hall of Fame and “The Sully Ball” was used in the recent Rugby League World Cup in tribute to him. So amazing –and I’m really looking forward to it. Maybe I’ll see you there!

Have a great month everyone! Let’s hope we see a bit more sunshine!

Fiona x

Twitter: @fionadwyer • Facebook: Fiona Dwyer PR

10am - 4pm • Mercure Grange Park Hotel, Willerby

Now in its 16th year the 2023 Expo offers visitors free entry, free business seminars and workshops, free speed networking and free parking. So, come and join us… and let’s ‘TALK BUSINESS’

10am - 4pm • Mercure Grange Park Hotel, Willerby

Now in its 16th year the 2023 Expo offers visitors free entry, free business seminars and workshops, free speed networking and free parking. So, come and join us… and let’s ‘TALK BUSINESS’

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2 Great Events For The Price Of 1

BRINGING EAST YORKSHIRE BUSINESSES TOGETHER FOR OVER 15 YEARS

1. The East Yorkshire Business Expo

2023 EXPO SPONSORS

80+ Exhibitors showcasing their products/services to 100’s of businessmen and women from across the region in what is acknowledged as the ‘ Effective Business to Business Expo’

2. Exclusive Exhibitor Networking Lunch

This is your OPPORTUNITY to build business relationships with your fellow exhibitors in a relaxed atmosphere before the Expo!