Sponsored by Upchurch River Valley Golf Course Ltd
Spring has arrived and there is “nowhere to run and nowhere to hide” to quote the late great Muhammad Ali who could “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee”. I do not know if Muhammad was a keen gardener but he must have had an eye for Spring, he certainly had a good jab. After some promising weather in February, March turned a bit wet and cold and the early preparation work stalled a little. However, my cooking has improved and the cook’s glass has been put to good use. More recently temperatures have picked up and good progress has resumed. The Broad Beans are in along with the New Potatoes, the Leeks are well underway and a number of seeds sowed. The rhubarb has put in an appearance and everything is progressing well. April is the really busy preparation month followed by the main planting out month in May.
The lawn can have its first weed and feed of the year this month, then wait a couple of weeks before doing any scratch and patch seed repairs. Summers seem to be warmer and dryer these days and my lawn, especially, struggles each year. It looks like normal meadow grass but most years I work a bit more seed into the bare patches but it is not really improving. So, this year it will be scratch and patch with “Canada Green” which is drought resistant and hopefully, that will be the answer.
Carry on with sowing seeds either into trays or directly into the soil and aim to get the Maincrop potatoes planted by the end of the month. I couldn’t find any Picasso at B&Q this year so have gone back to Cara which is a good all-round spud. Picasso is a hybrid of Cara and in my opinion an improvement, but Cara is still a good fall back option. If you are lucky enough to have an asparagus bed you can start cutting the spears when they get to about 7” in height. Harden off seedlings but keep an eye on the weather and get them under cover if temperatures drop or there is a risk of rain.
Now is the time to get stuck into the borders and containers and get everything tidied up. Penstemons, Phlox and Chrysanthemums will be producing a lot of basal growth which is ideal for cuttings. Other perennials can be divided and plug plants ordered, although I will support the local nurseries which provide a decent range of good quality plants. I have my eye on some white Delphiniums which will contrast well with the metallic blue Belladonna plants that are now well established.
Keep an eye on the fruit as bud burst approaches and watch for early signs of pests. Top dress with compost around the trunks and start applying slow-release fertiliser.
There is a lot to be done, but before long you will be washing down the patio furniture and cleaning the BBQ. Some already have done so now that small groups can meet in the garden, although a patio heater is recommended. Things do seem to be easing and outdoor living this Summer will be very welcome. In fact, I think I am going to take our new junkyard mutt for a walk and then enjoy a Merlot on the patio as the sun sets.
The new “Junkyard Mutt”.
We are always looking for new members and try to encourage a fun attitude towards friendly competition. So if you want to grow your own fruit, vegetables and flowers or even enter any of the 3 shows we hold each year, then please get in touch, we would be happy to hear from you.
Sean Barry - Upchurch Horticultural Society
