LOOKING FORWARD TO 2015
Last week we had a
look back over the 2014 gardening year reviewing the successes and failures.
Armed with this knowledge we can now plan our gardening calendar for 2015 in
the hope that our unpredictable weather doesn’t have too many shocks in store
for us. Looking at weather trends to try and assess what could be ahead for
2015, the only half reliable factor appears to be that every year is different
from the previous year. So if last winter was very mild, following the
devastating December gales, this winter is likely to be colder with snow and
severe frost. Last year we got a long cool spring so maybe this spring will be
short but warm, then summer will be the Scottish normal (you don’t need me to
remind you that means three consecutive dry sunny days and up to five in an
exceptional summer) since last year it was excellent. Since August last year
was cold and wet it just has to be a total heatwave this year so I will not be
on holiday abroad as I don’t want to miss it. Anyway time will be needed on the
allotment for watering the crops in this dry spell. Autumn 2014 lacked warmth
and sunshine resulting in a poor harvest of grapes and apples,
Now we’ve got the
weather sorted out what does this mean for our plans for the garden.
We will still
persevere with peaches, pears, cherries and apples in the hope that the bees
will return on time in spring to pollinate the flowers which are bound to be
numerous as there was no heavy crop last year to weaken the trees.
Clubroot was a major
problem last year as the soil was too wet too often so this year I will be
concentrating on resistant varieties of cabbage (Kilaton) cauliflower (Clapton)
sprouts (Crispus) and Swedes (Gowrie, Invitation or Marian)
I will continue with
my outdoor grape experiments, but will have to find a warm spot free from
phytophthora root rot. The variety Phoenix seems to have survived, produced
several small bunches and put on ample growth, even though it is on land known
to have had root rot.
This year should
give me my first decent crop of Big Ben blackcurrants when I can judge their
size and increased sweetness for the fresh fruit market rather than just for
jam, compote and wine.
New raspberry plants
of Autumn Treasure and Polka should fruit this year so I can see if they really
are so much better than Autumn Bliss.
A new planting of
Bramble Reuben will extend my bramble picking season into autumn as my six year
old bramble Helen fruits in August.
Green manure
experiments have favoured clover as the superior crop. It does not grow as tall
as mustard, but more vigorous than tares, so I will use it at every opportunity
in 2015.
I will again plant
tomatoes direct into border soil in my new greenhouse, after adding fresh
compost and fertiliser, as I feel it should be good for two years before I go
back to growbags.
New landscape works
are planned after the removal of three huge conifers and a massive eucalyptus
which has been threatening to drop branches on my new greenhouse, as it reaches
into the sky and spreads wider. This will be permanent planting to maintain an
attractive area but be easy to maintain. More on this later after I peruse the
plant brochures and select a few special plants.
Most of the branches
will be chipped on site and added and mixed into my compost heap.
Some chippings will
be used to surface my paths on the allotment. This should last a couple of
years before it rots down and needs replacing.
Painting plans for 2015
The short gardening
days in winter allows me more time at the easel to concentrate on my latest art
project. This will be a series of about twenty paintings in oil and acrylic
showing ladies in white sun hats, sarongs and other holiday fashions enjoying
our Scottish beaches including Sandwood Bay in Sutherland, the Coral Beach and
Talisker Beach in Skye. Other beaches include Otters Wick Bay and Cata Sands in
Orkney, Silver Sands of Morar and of course Broughty Ferry Beach in Dundee.
END
Your garden is really impressive. We have great plans for our garden too this year!
ReplyDeleteYour artwork is also,very impressive! Will be following closely!
Wendy in very cold and snowy Ontario, Canada where we can only dream of beaches!
Very little snow around east coast of Scotland this year, but plenty up north. My art project of Lady in a White Hat walking around the Scottish beaches in a warm summer will be shown in my art exhibition in summer. I will be adding images to both my blog and my Facebook page.
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