ALLOTMENT LIFE

ALLOTMENT LIFE

This is the time of year when we reap the benefits of our garden and allotment, in theory.

Most crops will have been sown or planted, the flower beds full of flowers and so we relax on our sun loungers, enjoying the warmth of the early summer on the patio as the scent from our climbing roses wafts over the scene. Ok, now let’s get back to reality. Tayside has had too much cool easterly winds and not enough warmth this spring, at least up till the end of May. This has been fine for cracking on with the digging and soil preparation ahead of sowing and planting, but not great for those seed crops trying to germinate. Carrots, pickling onions, spring onions and even my leeks are all looking proper miserable. Germination on all, except leeks has been very poor, though parsnips, turnips and beetroot have excelled. I have used the clubroot resistant swede Marion this year. You do not get many seeds in a packet, and the germination has been a bit wanting so I may have to fall back onto a standard variety if I don’t get a few more seedlings appearing. Last year I used the other clubroot resistant variety Gowrie and got great results.

A lesson for 2015, or change my seed supplier as too many packets gave poor germination.

It has been too cold to plant out sweet corn, courgettes or pumpkins. The latter were outside hardening off from early May, but looked really sad, so I had to pop them back into the greenhouse to cheer them up. They will get planted out sometime in June when warmer weather arrives.

This will give my green manure crop of clovers and tares more time to rot down after I dig it in ahead of planting. The pumpkins and courgettes will get extra compost worked into their patch before planting as they are both gross feeders and require ample moisture all summer. This year I will separate my planting of pumpkins and courgettes just in case I get some cracking pumpkins and wish to save the seed. Previous experience has shown that bees have no respect for my horticultural principles in preserving a good strain of pumpkin. They are quite happy to jump onto my large golden yellow pumpkin flowers after first visiting my courgettes. This cross pollination does not show up in the developing pumpkin, but it does give you quite a surprise the next year when the pumpkins all grow very oval in shape and are useless for a lantern.

Numerous wee tasks

Turnip Golden Ball and Purple Top Milan have now been thinned out to four to six inches apart and kept weeded. Parsnips have also been thinned out to six inches apart.

Blackcurrants and gooseberries needed another spray to kill greenfly which seem to be in plague proportions this year. However there are no signs, yet of any gooseberry sawfly, and it seems the cabbage white butterfly is a bit slow of the mark with its egg laying so caterpillar removal has not yet started.

Peach leaf curl is still a big problem so infected leaves still need removal as the disease appears.

The wet cool spring has not been favourable for my pear tree. Conference and Comice shoots have now been infected with scab and opened up wounds allowing bacterial canker to girdle a couple of shoots. These had to be pruned out.

Wallflower seeds have been sown in between the rows of cabbage and cauliflower as they all like the same type of soil, (limed) to prevent clubroot. Hopefully I will be lifting and transplanting the wallflower as young sturdy seedlings before the other brassicas need the space.

Later sowings of cabbage and cauliflower in small batches have now been planted in the ground dedicated for my brassicas rotation. This will give me a succession of cropping as the young plants are about two months later than my first batch. They have all got protection from the war against pests and diseases which brassicas suffer from. The ground has been limed in winter and dressed with Perlka before planting. Perlka is a nitrogenous fertiliser high in lime content which helps ward off clubroot. Nets will keep the pigeons and butterflies away. All plants have collars around them to prevent the cabbage rootfly laying eggs which then hatch out into root eating maggots, and slug pellets have been spread for slugs and snails which after the mild winter seem to be very numerous.

First harvests

Low polythene tunnels planted with lettuce, radish, spring onion and beetroot are now giving us our first tender delicious salads, and hopefully by the time this appears in the magazine I will be sampling my first strawberries also grown under low polythene tunnels.

The wind has just turned around and now a warmer breeze is blowing up from the south, high pressure is overhead so the sunny spell could last a good few days. I am well ahead with garden tasks so now it is time to relax on the patio and maybe open up a wee bottle of Saskatoon wine to see if it is ready yet.

Plant of the week

Lilac Michel Buchner has warm purple coloured flowers. Most lilacs are very scented and give a great show in late spring before other summer flowers appear. These large shrubs or small trees are very easy to grow, so even those with a small garden can usually find space for one.

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EARLY SUMMER FLOWERS

EARLY SUMMER FLOWERS

The spring flowers have long since faded away and the summer flowers are only just getting started but the year has been very favourable so there seems to be no shortage of flowers around with herbaceous plants, shrubs and rock garden plants. It is possible the long hot summer of 2013 helped to ripen up buds in autumn then nothing much suffered in the mild winter so now we are reaping the rewards when the climate is in our favour.

Early summer can be a bit quiet when the roses and summer bedding plants are only getting started, but then the herbaceous border comes alive, clematis adorns our fences and the air is heavy with the scents of the deciduous azaleas and lilac.

Azaleas and rhododendrons have been fantastic this year from early February right through till June. It has been cool and moist with some strong winds but not enough to worry the garden plants.

The brightest dwarf azaleas I have seen are those in the open fully exposed to the sun. Although a lot of these shrubs are recommended for cool moist positions with dappled shade as they cannot stand drying out, we do not often suffer too much drought and scorching heat in Scotland so full sun seems to suit these plants just fine.

This year my ceanothus thyrsiflorus, now about ten years old has settled down and instead of putting on loads of growth it has covered itself in a mass of bright blue flowers. The bee’s just love it and one bush had about thirty bees all working away happily. Where were they a few weeks ago when I needed them to pollinate my plum, pear, peach and apple fruit trees.

They are also having a great time now that my oriental poppies have started to flower at the back of my herbaceous border, and there is no shortage of them on my chives at the front of the border.

I have a small group of dwarf evergreen azaleas as well as some taller deciduous ones and keep the low growing theme going with drifts of heathers. However to add height I have planted the taller tree heath Erica arborea. It is very slow growing but at eight years old has now reached four feet tall. Every year in late May to June it is covered in scented white flowers which also attracts loads of bees. Every time you disturb this heath in flower it sends out a cloud of pollen which is quite a sight to see. Unfortunately once the flowers die the stems are left quite bare as growth restarts from the top of the shoots.

Another shrub in full flower just now is the Cistus Silver Pink and Cistus purpureus. The flowers do not last very long, but there are a lot of them so these low growing evergreen shrubs still put on a marvellous show.

Coming down in scale the biennial Iceland poppies are now at their best, but these plants can last well into summer. The large flowers held high above the foliage come in reds, pinks, orange and white and are a perfect flower for the artist wishing to capture them on canvas.

Since they grow one year then flower the following year there is still time to sow some seed now to grow on into small bushy plants. These can then be transplanted where they are to flower in the autumn spacing them about six to twelve inches apart randomly in drifts.

Now coming down even further in scale is the ground hugging succulent Delosperma. The species nubigenum grows about two inches tall but smothers the ground with rounded succulent shoots that burst into flower with daisy like yellow flowers. Another type, Delosperma cooperi grows to about four inches tall and flowers in June to July with purple flowers. They are both perfect for a very dry and stony soil in a sunny location. They will colonise the surface of a wall very easily if you poke a few shoots into a crevice holding them in place with some soil, where they will root within a few weeks.

Plant of the week

Peony suffruticosa commonly known as the tree peony has been grown and hybridised in China for hundreds of years. This flowering shrub is very culturally significant in China and has been used in Chinese medicine for over 2000 years.

It is slow growing eventually reaching up to ten foot tall and needs a moist soil rich in organic matter. It flowers best in dappled shade, but in Scotland it should be fine in a sunny position as long as it is kept moist. Although the species has a white flower there are numerous hybrids with large flowers six to twelve inches across in colours ranging from white to pink, red and yellow.

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CHECKING OVER THE FRUIT CROPS

CHECKING OVER THE FRUIT CROPS

The fruit season is just about starting as the early strawberries under my polythene tunnels begin to show the promise of the first fruits. To make sure we bring in a decent harvest crops must be checked for pests and diseases and birds. The mild winter has helped most fruits, but not all as some prefer a period of cold weather with frosts to keep them dormant and give them a decent rest. Frost also helps to kill off some pests and diseases. Plants are affected by weather patterns occurring in the two previous years as well as last winter. The wet year of 2012 did not help to ripen up wood for fruiting last year so some crops failed to produce any fruit. However this helped them to build up their strength in the off year and now this year there is a huge potential crop everywhere.

 

Top fruit

As usual apple Arbroath Pippin was very early to flower and now there are plenty of young fruitlets. Last year all apples cropped very well, so this year although there was plenty of flowers, I reckon they are a bit down on last year. Fiesta has a tendency towards biennial bearing and last year cropped brilliantly. I expected a poor result this year, but it had plenty of flowers so looks like another bumper year.

My pear tree has not given any fruit for several years but had been grafted with new varieties which take time to grow before ripening up fruiting wood. This is their year, with plenty of flowers and ample small fruits forming.

I reported a few weeks back that although my plum was a mass of flowers I never saw a single bee anywhere near my tree so I was not hopeful for a crop as the flowers need insects for pollination then warmth for fertilisation. Someone must have been on nightshift, as there are plenty of wee plums along most branches. The tree suffered a major attack of greenfly, so I had to get the sprayer out and give the whole tree a good soaking with insecticide.

Cherry Cherokee was also a mass of flowers and now a good crop of cherries are swelling up. So far no signs of blackfly, but I will keep checking as they can build up quickly.

Soft Fruit

Strawberries look very promising, but I have scattered some slug pellets around just in case a wet spell comes along. They will soon need to be bedded with straw to keep the fruit clean from soil splashing when it rains.

Gooseberries appear to be having a huge crop, but I will keep an eye on them as no doubt the sawfly will have a go at them soon. Growth is also strong, so some summer spur pruning will get done to assist easier picking. Some greenfly attacked the tips, so an insecticide spray was needed. Blackcurrants were also infected by greenfly so got sprayed at the same time. Roses nearby also needed the spray as greenfly seem to be having a field day.

Exotics

Peach Peregrine was hand pollinated as there was no signs of any pollinating insects. At this moment I would appear to have about thirty young peaches on my tree, but a lot of things can happen so I am hopeful, but time will tell if they all ripen. Peach leaf curl disease is still a problem even though the tree has been sprayed frequently. I remove all infected leaves as soon as they are seen.

Figs just loved the mild winter and now I must have nearly a couple of hundred wee figs. However it is too early to judge as I expect a fair few to fall off.

My Goji did not survive the mild winter. I can see no obvious reason for its demise. However the most likely cause could be the spread of the root rot phytophthora introduced on raspberries several years ago. They died within two years then many other bushes died down the slope from the rasps. There are many strains of phytophthora that can infect plants. The reason I have this as the culprit is that I have also lost my two outdoor grape vines which were brilliant all last year and even fruited, but none has grown this year. Grapes Phoenix and Rondo were planted where the diseased rasps used to be. Other grapes not in this area are all doing very well. Disease spores could be getting transmitted in my garden compost, or by soil on my boots as I walk over my plot.

Greenhouse grapes are all showing plenty of bunches so I will let these grow a bit longer then start my pruning by tipping all the fruiting shoots at two leaves after the last bunch. Later on in summer all shoots get stopped at one leaf otherwise they will take over the greenhouse.

 

Plant of the week

Bluebells can be very attractive planted amongst trees and allowed to spread into thick drifts. However take care as they can soon become very established and will want to spread well beyond their intended area. The bulbs can be quite deep in the soil and also spread by underground runners and seed on the surface. Do not compost the bulbs or seed heads as these will all grow again.

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PLANT SOME SUMMER FLOWERS

PLANT SOME SUMMER FLOWERS

The spring bedding displays were brilliant as the cool weather prolonged the show, but as it came to an end we look forward to the next display of flowers as we begin to plant the summer flowers.

There is any amount of summer bedding plants available in garden centres, nurseries and stores. However be quite selective for colour and type to make sure your flower beds have the best and don’t just go for basement bargains as the chances are these will be inferior colours.

Some plants such as fuchsias, tuberous begonias, geraniums and impatiens, (Bizzie Lizzie) can be retained from year to year once you have got the best colours in each group. My begonias and geraniums have been with me for over fifteen years, but I lost my impatiens a few years ago when an attack of red spider devastated them.

Tubs, hanging baskets, flower beds and any other spare land can be planted up or sown down with annuals from seed. The allotment has a display border at the front which gets all my spare plants as well as a chrysanthemum bed and a few rows of gladioli for cut flower for the house.

Sweet peas were planted several weeks ago and are now beginning to climb up their weldmesh supports.

Flower beds and tubs

I have two main beds which I alternate each year, so my main bed will get the tuberous begonias this year as they got geraniums last year. The geraniums are quite hardy so they were the first to get planted as most had stood outdoors in a sheltered spot since the beginning of March. I got lucky as the threat of frosts just did not happen. I have planned my colour schemes for harmony or complete contrast. Salmon pink geraniums will be central in a tub with deep blue petunias and my white geraniums will have pink and red petunias and impatiens. Red geraniums will be planted with Nemesia carnival and some deep blue lobelia.

One tub of fuchsia Swingtime, an old favourite, was left outdoors plunged into my compost heap hoping the fermentation process would generate enough heat to keep it cosy after my greenhouse was destroyed in last Decembers gales. It was later transferred to the new greenhouse in April and has never been happier. It has started to flower already but that is a wee bit too early.

Tuberous begonia corms are well sprouted and getting quite big, so I usually cut a few in half in early May when potting up to increase numbers as long as each portion has several young shoots. I never loose any as they are quite tough.

Hanging baskets

These get planted up in early May and kept in the greenhouse till they bulk up. I line the basket with a plastic sheet cut from an old compost bag with the black colour facing outside. Half fill with compost (home mixed with added garden soil, sand and rock dust) then cut a few holes in the side and push a few plug plants through before topping up with more compost and completing the planting. There should be enough trailing and bulking up plants such as nemesia, impatiens and petunias to create a complete ball of colour once established. My baskets sit on a large pot for several weeks before erecting them on the wall brackets. Keep them well watered and fed all summer. I always use some dark blue petunias in baskets at front door entrances as they have a fantastic scent which makes visitors very welcome.

Chrysanthemums and gladioli

Chrysanthemum stools are retained from one year to the next but usually topped up with new varieties as some often die over the winter, or I just fancy a new variety. As stools grow, cuttings are taken and rooted indoors. These are then potted up and grown on under glass before hardening off in early May. I plant mine out in a bed three foot wide planting about nine inches apart. They are supported by weld mesh wire slowly raised up on four supporting posts as the plants grow. I grow spray varieties for display and cut flower so do not need to disbud. Depending on the variety, early  chrysanthemums may need two foot spacing if grown in a single row and staked individually.

Gladioli are planted in rows a foot apart spacing the corms four to six inches apart depending on their size. They are planted about four inches deep. Each year I buy in a few extra varieties to increase the colour range.

Plant of the week

Azalea Hinodegiri is a dwarf evergreen Japanese azalea with scarlet flowers. However this one which I have had for over thirty years may be Vyuks Scarlet, the label getting lost in the mists of time. The plant explorer E H Wilson discovered this range of hybrids of Rhododendron obtusum growing in the mountains above the Japanese city of Kurume. He brought back his selection of the best fifty in 1920 which became famous as the Wilson Fifty. They come in a wide range of colours from pure white to pink, mauves, orange and scarlet. They root very easy from cuttings taken in autumn and kept cool and moist.

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Exhibition of Paintings, ceramics, fabrics and jewellery

The Angus Open Studios is holding an exhibition of members work at Inverquharity Castle, a historic 15th century castle set in the Angus Glens just north of Kirriemuir.

Open from Saturday 17th May to Tuesday 20th May 2014.

Open from 11am to 5pm, (4pm on Tuesday)

I will be showing some paintings before I exhibit paintings and prints in Arbroath at the Old Ladyloan School on the seafront.     More information on this event on this link to my website exhibitions page.

Tulip Carnival de Nice

Pink Lady

Alyth Bridge

Falls of Dochart

Forfar Loch