Gardening

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Co. Landscapers of

G A R D E N D E S I G N S T U D I O

Castle Gardens, New Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5NR

www.thegardensgroup.co.uk thegardensgroup

Planting for colour

With spring in full swing, it’s time to get the garden bursting with colour. Summer bedding plants, such as Begonias, Sweets Peas and Petunias, can add scent and colour to your flower beds and borders, while hanging baskets can bring a whole new level of interest to your garden, however large or small. With our social distancing measures in place, you can pick up your seeds, plants and hanging baskets any day of the week: Monday to Saturday: 9am – 6pm Sunday: 10am – 4:30pm For those still stuck at home, you can place your orders by telephone or via our brand-new Online Store and we’ll deliver free within 25 miles.

01935 814633

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BEWARE THE LATE FROST

Mike Burks, Managing Director, The Gardens Group

Ne’er cast a clout until May is out’ is a phrase describing how there is still a chance of a frost until the end of May and so, gardeners should beware of putting tender plants out too early without some form of protection.

The end of May rule is interesting in that when I lived in mid Devon, the rule we followed was that tender bedding plants would be fine outside after the second week in May, whereas in Sherborne, we usually say the end of May. But in Epsom, the rule for pruning box plants was Derby Day – the first week of June! (Box plants, when pruned, put on lush young growth that is very tender and frost-susceptible.)

Apparently, the frost-free line through the UK takes 84 days to go from the most south-westerly point on the islands to the most north-easterly point, which seems to me to mean that summer hasn’t yet started in North Scotland, before the autumn has set in, which may well be what it feels like. Some Scottish colleagues of mine in the garden centre industry told me that the only frost-free month in 2019 was August!

But what does this mean for us in the Sherborne area? Young growth on plants can be at its most vigorous in May and yet because of that is most susceptible to frost. The temperature changes can also go from being very warm to darn chilly in the same 24-hour period. Often, the frost happens very early in the morning and by the time many are up and about there is no sign. So, it’s best to be prepared and keep an eye on the weather forecast.

If the facilities are available, put tender plants out in the day and then back inside at night, but if that sounds too tedious or hard work, then the use of horticultural

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fleece will help you out. This lightweight white material, if draped over your plants, will keep them a few degrees warmer than the temperature above and plants will be well protected.

We grow in low-tech conditions within polytunnels in our nursery and so, on cold nights in April and May, we cover plants with fleece. In addition to that though, we grow on the ground rather than on benches. The floor of the polytunnel is warmer during the day and acts like a storage heater overnight. In fact, we don’t use any artificial heat at all, and this creates the right conditions for plants to grow. High light levels and relatively low temperatures create tough and compact plants that will romp away once planted out.

With some help from protection, when necessary, it’s a great month in the garden with a vast array of plants that can be planted out to give a rainbow of colour, a nose-full of scent and a source of food for pollinating insects to enjoy. Such plants can be used in the border or in pots or hanging baskets.

All of these will need to be watered regularly and not allowed to dry out. Regular feeding too with a flowerpromoting fertiliser will keep them flowering and as the flowers begin to go over, they should be picked off (dead heading) and so more will be provided by the plants.

Soon, frost will become a memory, long lazy days of sunshine can be looked forward to and all will be right with the world.

Mind you, come to think of it, I remember a frost on the 5th June one year!