Home & Garden Plumbing work fit for a King! Hannah’s horticulture

Welcome to the monthly Q&A session!

We are overrun with ivy. How can I get rid of it?

Ivy has a bad reputation, sometimes for good reason, as it’s a very ‘successful’ plant! It has long been claimed that ivy kills trees, but in fact that statement is much disputed. In a healthy tree, the canopy blocks out the light enough to limit the growth of the ivy, and both coexist without issue.

It is also one of the best plants and habitats for wildlife because of its evergreen cover and nesting facilities, the number of critters that live in it providing food and a whole healthy ecosystem of its own. The berries are great food for birds, and the nectar is a rich early source of food for bees and pollinators.

However the problem comes when there is wind!

As you can imagine, the ivy acts as a sail, and weak trees, plants and structures will cope poorly with the extra weight and force exerted.

Ivy can be controlled by regular pruning, and in places where it’s out of control cut the stems just above the base.

Cut a portion of the stems out, about an inch, to leave a gap. If you don’t do this the ivy can heal the cut and keep its nutrients and water supply to the tops.

Dig out the roots as and when you can.

What is the best variety of potato to grow for jacket spuds?

There are a few potatoes suitable for jackets, and many will also be fine if dug up a little earlier for roasting/boiling/ mashing, etc, too.

The best jackets have a creamy texture and an easy to crisp skin.

You also have to consider the growing conditions. Potato blight is very widespread now, and can really damage a crop if it gets hold.

Thankfully, there are blightresistant varieties that are brilliant in vigour, flavour and texture. Any variety beginning with the name ‘Sarpo’ have been bred to be blight resistant, and consistently come out best in tests of blight resistant varieties, but if you want to chance it, in my opinion the best for texture, flavour, and tuber production is ‘vivaldi’.

What is the best way to get grass to grow?

To establish a new lawn, start with the soil: Ensure it is well raked and fine with most stones removed, level, and moist but not wet.

Then choose your seed depending on your situation,

Hobbs-Chell is a horticulturist and garden designer/consultant. If you have a question for her, email:hannah.hobbschell@ outlook.com including a picture if relevant shady lawns, general purpose, etc.

Grass seed is usually made up of four or more varieties, and these different varieties have different advantages and are more suited to different situations, the combination and percentage makes the seed mix for different situations.

Sow grass seed liberally at the rate suggested, never less, for a thick sward, put a board/plank over the seed and tread down lightly.

Keep well watered until it’s established – this is the main cause of failure.

Also consider netting areas to keep birds from eating the seed! Hold off mowing until the grass is at least two inches high, and mow on a high setting for the first cut, and then treat as normal lawn.

As always, please do email me with your questions and queries for inclusion in the next Q&A, include a photo if relevant. You can ask me about things such as design, pests and diseases, plant choice, plant and garden maintenance, trees etc.

by Lorraine Gibson

In March 1990, armed only with a vision to enrich and positively impact the lives of people in rural Dorset through creative and cultural experiences, Arstreach was launched. It has grown from organising events in nine venues to staging more than 130 thoughtprovoking, life-affirming performances a year to 40-plus local communities.

It seems fitting then, that more than three decades later, this spirit of foresight is reflected in one of the programme’s shows that comes to Dorset, for one night only, during Women’s History Month.

Nothing On Earth, is an inspiring piece of theatre that celebrates real-life heroines and explores the tenacity of pioneering women.

It begins when Jade, who has had to give up her high-flying life as a cabin crew member and now works as a carer, steps into a room in the care home that no one ever goes into.

As she crosses the threshold, voices from the golden age of adventure surround her. They are from women who flew Spitfires, crossed continents in pursuit of Chairman Mao, parachuted from rickety hotair balloons or shouted ‘No Surrender’ into the mouths of the guns.

Their long-forgotten stories unfold through the voices of the ground-breaking women that chime around her.

Written by novelist Anna Reynolds, Nothing On Earth is billed as an anarchic comedy; its characters, Edwardian balloonist Dolly Shepherd (18861983), suffragette Constance Lytton (1869-1923), and interwar explorer Violet Cressy-Marcks (1895-1970) evoke the past and link it to the present.

Each true tale is remarkable, colliding with Jade’sa 21st century woman coping with the loss of her beloved grandfather while grounded by the Pandemic.

These women are strong and witty and their experiences and achievements are told with humour and eccentricity. The play navigates history while contemplating the reality of being in care, of getting old, of grief, and the impact of uncontrollable global events.

Described as ‘fantastical, heartcatching, time-travel’, Artsreach director Kerry Bartlett is excited about people in Dorset having a chance to see it.

“This project celebrates the lives of real women from history, highlighting contemporary resonances from their experiences which are still relevant today.”

Corfe Castle Village Hall, Saturday, March 25, at 7:30pm. Suitable for ages 13+. Call 07590 352219 or visit artsreach. co.uk.