SPRING FLOWERS

SPRING FLOWERS

Spring is long overdue, and this feature on spring flowers had to be put back a couple of times as spring flowers were hard to find. The early flowers such as snowdrops and aconites were in full bloom when disaster struck as the “Beast from the East” descended upon us and a couple of feet of snow flattened all the flowers. Brief moments

John and Serge admire the spring flowers

with brighter days allowed the crocus to appear, but they also suffered due to cold temperatures and lack of sunshine. Cold winds continued with more snow in the following weeks and there was little improvement in the garden till the middle of April.

Some

Forsythia

plants however continued to push up flowers despite the rotten weather. Tubs of polyanthus and hanging baskets with pansies have been in full flower from late February and looking great, but Myosotis, the Forget me Not, was very unhappy and quite a few died out. Early flowering tulips planted in between these spring bedding flowers have appeared but flowering is still a couple of weeks away.

My early Rhododendron praecox which normally flowers in March, attempted to flower in early April but the cold winds and overnight frosts shrivelled them up. Other Rhododendrons and azaleas are in no rush to flower so nothing to report back till some time in May.

It was mid April before any decent spring weather arrived, (apart from Easter day) and warmed

Anemone blanda

up the garden to let other flowers have their moment in the sunshine.

Forsythia was a pure golden picture against a blue sky. Forsythias are great value, very easy to grow shrubs, but can grow quite large so need plenty of room. If you have the space to let them grow they will reward you every spring with a dramatic display of golden yellow flowers.

My pink Camellia Donation came out at the same time and put on a great display, just ahead of the red Camellia Adolphe Audusson. This one makes a large bush so some size reduction pruning was done last year immediately after flowering. It soon grew more young shoots which had time to mature and ripen up the wood to produce flower buds ready for the next year.

Camellia Donation and Betula jacquemontia

Back down at ground level flowering bulbs are definitely three weeks late this year, but still the show goes on. Narcissus February Gold (definitely in need of a change of name) was one of the first to arrive in mid April, and although the flower is small it forms a carpet of yellow when mass planted in large drifts in grass verges. Other daffodils and narcissus continue the show, though my two scented varieties, Cheerfulness and the Jonquils are not yet in flower.

Hyacinths appear all over the garden and are a delight to see as they brighten up numerous dull spots. I use them in tubs to flower alongside other spring bedding plants, and then after the display is over and the

Narcissus February Gold

plants get removed, I replant the bulbs where ever I see a bare dull patch. They then naturalise and reappear every year.

Tulips are late this year, and my plan to group them amongst other spring flowering herbaceous and rock garden plants with similar flowering times is not working as well as I hoped. Tulip Scarlet Baby, just made it in time amongst my yellow saxifrage which had been in flower for a fortnight.

Other tulips amongst my blue Pulmonaria and my yellow Doronicum have yet to flower, but there is still time if the Pulmonaria and Doronicum can hang on a bit longer.

The dwarf bulbs, Anemone blanda, Scilla siberica, Grape hyacinths and Chionodoxa in their various shades of blue are all above ground and flowering whether the sun shines or not. They are happy to be left alone to multiply up, but watch the grape hyacinths as they can dominate an area if allowed.

Wee jobs to do this week

Pink orchid

House plants enjoy a warmer environment than those outdoors, so start into growth earlier. This is a good time to give them a spring feed to encourage new growth. Phalaenopsis orchids seem to have their own ideas on the flowering season. I purchased one in full flower last August at our City Road Allotments open day. It continued to flower right up till Christmas. Then it had a break for a month, got repotted in January as it was growing out of its pot, and with a monthly feed it has come back into flower again. It has been great value and very easy to grow, but keep it out of direct sunlight.

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FRUIT TO IMPRESS

FRUIT TO IMPRESS

Gardening is no longer just about growing a few basic fruit and vegetables. There is such a variety of different plants to grow, and with climate change we can now try a few exotics that previously would only be considered in the warmer southern end of UK.

Autumn raspberry Polka

Over the last twenty years, I have tried figs, peaches, outdoor grapes and autumn raspberries and strawberries, cherries, saskatoons, aronias and only the goji let me down failing to fruit after four years. When they work, they can cause a lot of interest and provide a great gardening challenge. Many however require warmer sheltered locations on fertile but very well drained soil.

Figs

Ripening figs in July

Figs need a warm spot to ripen its fruits, so plant against a south facing wall or fence. It can grow into a very large bush or small tree so plant it in a prepared pit 18 inches deep lined with slabs to restrict root growth. Back fill the pit with broken brick for drainage then add about nine inches of fertile soil to get it started. It will then concentrate on producing fruit. Brown Turkey is the best variety for outdoors in Scotland. I got one hundred and ninety ripe fruits last year.

Grapes

Black Hamburg is very popular under glass, but now many people are trying a few hardy varieties outdoors on warm south facing walls. I grow the ornamental variety Brant on my south facing house wall. It is very successful with a regular one hundred bunches every year. They are small, but the black grapes are very sweet and juicy. These get used for a delicious sweet grape juice for immediate use or it can be frozen. I have also tried several others, but so far only Phoenix, Rondo and Regent are successful, but as they all have pips, they are great for wine but not dessert.

Peaches

Outdoor peaches can suffer from disease so I am trying Avalon Pride which has some peach leaf curl resistance. It also flowers late so is less likely to get the flowers damaged by a late frost, but I still hand pollinate the flowers as there is not too many flying insects around at that time.

Cherries and Goji (Wolfberry)

I am trying Cherokee grafted onto a new very dwarfing rootstock called Gisela 5

Goji berries

trained as a fan on a south facing fence. Once the cherries ripen up they need to be netted as birds just love them. I keep the tree pruned to six feet so netting is not too big a problem. Goji got dug out as a failure.

Saskatoons

Saskatoons are similar to blueberries but grow faster and crop heavier. The black berries which are very high in antioxidants, are ready in July, and can be eaten fresh or used for jams, pies, compote, summer puddings, or even used for wine making. They can grow on any soil and are best after a severe winter as they need cold winters to initiate ample fruit buds.

Chokeberry

Aronia Viking

Chokeberries, (Aronia melanocarpa Viking) have extremely high levels of antioxidants in the fresh fruit, but are a bit astringent if eaten raw, so the fruit is best used in jams, compote, pies and smoothies. They are not troubled by any pests or diseases and our soils seem to suit them perfectly. They can be grown as a single bush or even as a hedge. I use mine for a healthy home brew wine!!!

Autumn fruiting raspberries and strawberries

Broad beans ready to plant

Raspberries and strawberries may not really be exotic, but with new varieties we can now enjoy these berries well into autumn. Try Polka for huge raspberries in September and October and strawberry Flamingo will also fruit during this late summer and autumn season.

Wee jobs to do this week

Plant out broad beans grown in containers. They are quite hardy, but this has been a long cold winter so no great rush as the soil may still be cold. I plant mine in a double row two feet apart spacing the plants nine inches apart. They are heavy feeders so use soil that has been well manured or composted and add some fertiliser after planting, then water them in if necessary.

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ROOT CROPS

ROOT CROPS

We seem to have missed out on global warming this year. Spring weather often starts erratically in March, but this year we have had to wait till April. My sowing and planting schedule drawn up a couple of months ago is based on past experiences, but is now running two to three weeks late. The ground is only now beginning to warm up.

John trims the swede and parsnip

Easter day was a gift. The sun shone all day and although snow was forecast to arrive the next day (it duly arrived on time) this was an opportunity not to be missed, so it was up to the allotment for me and Anna for a wee bit of graft in the sunshine. I had hoped to have a more relaxed day in the sun enjoying a chocolate Easter egg, but I never got one. It must be an age thing!!!

However weeds got removed, clover green manures got dug in and two rows of first early potato Casablanca got planted. The soil worked beautifully as it was moist but not wet, so deep furrows were taken out and well rotted compost placed along the bottom onto which my spuds were placed. Rows were then filled in but leaving a slight ridge to mark the row. My second early potato Charlotte got planted early April. Main crop potatoes continue to get planted, including Maris Piper and new to me Setanta.

Now we are in the middle of April and the ground is warming up we can get on with more vegetable sowing and planting plans.

This year I have reverted back to onion sets, rather than seed after last year’s disaster with a sweet Spanish onion variety that got wiped out with white rot. I am trying Centurion and Stuttgarter Giant. These will go together

Freshly picked beetroot

with my carrots which will get hidden in the middle out of sight of the carrot fly. I’ve never had much success with carrots. A few years’ back I tried surrounding the rows with two foot tall barriers, but our local carrot flies appear to be very athletic and just jumped over them. Next year I tried fleece, but the local allotment black cat used it over night as a hammock then as a scratching pole in the morning. Carrot leaves poked out all over the place. This year I am trying Nantes 5 amongst the onions and hoping for some degree of success.

Turnips can now get sown. Turnip Golden Ball is a well tried and tested reliable variety that with a couple of sowing several weeks apart should keep me supplied till autumn when Swede Best of All takes over, though this wont get sown till early May.

Cleaned carrots

Parsnip Albion and Student can now be sown. Always make sure you get fresh seed as germination falls away with older seed. I sow fairly thick along the row just in case germination is erratic. If they all come up then it is easy enough to thin out to four to six inches apart. Parsnips are now high up the table of healthy foods as they are packed with a wide range of minerals and vitamins.

Beetroot gets a special place in my rotation as although it goes with other root crops, I also sow some seeds early in cellular trays in the greenhouse then transplant them outdoors under low polythene tunnels to give an early picking. Beetroot, as well

Purple Top Milan Turnips

as all other root crops like rich soil that has been manured for a previous crop. This helps to prevent root splitting. It has also become one of the especially healthy crops to eat along with rhubarb, saskatoons and aronias.

The leaves and stems are rich in calcium, iron and the vitamins A and C. The juice of beetroot root and leaves is used as a health drink. Roots can be pickled, make a brilliant soup, a risotto, chutney and a beetroot dip, as well as spiced beetroot, beetroot cake and roasted beetroot. My favourite has to be beetroot soup where the leaves and stems are included

Sowings continue outdoors in April, June and late July to give a succession of beetroots over as long a period as possible.

Wee jobs to do this week

John digs in the clover green manure

Green manure crops that have been allowed to overwinter can now get dug in. This gives them a few weeks to rot down and provide nutrients and humus for the next crop. You can leave some green manure crops another couple of weeks for late planted crops such as courgettes, pumpkins and sweet corn.
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RHUBARB

RHUBARB

Rhubarb was always popular in childhood days as most folk with a garden had a wee patch. It was free food, happy to be left to grow in a dark corner. Mother used it for pies, crumbles, and we kids often got a wee treat going to school with a stick of rhubarb and a poke of sugar. We always looked upon it as a fruit. No-one had any idea of its nutritional merit. Today it is a different story as it has been well studied and just about reached super

Is this rhubarb ready to pick ?

food status, so long as you cut back a bit on the sugars. It is a very healthy food being high in anti-oxidants, calcium and potassium, manganese, and magnesium. dietary fibre, protein, vitamin C, vitamin K, and B complex.

Rhubarb has been in use for thousands of years though mainly as a medicinal drug, but then in the 19^th century a London nurseryman looking for ways to use the new imported sugar, added the sugar to the rhubarb waste products to make a sweet tart. His rhubarb tarts took off in a big way.

Planting rhubarb crowns

Rhubarb grows best on clay soils so Yorkshire became famous for its forced rhubarb grown in huge sheds in complete darkness. This area in Yorkshire became known as the rhubarb triangle from Leeds and Wakefield to Bradford. They had the best clay soils, a woollen industry to supply shoddy, an organic manure, a coal industry to supply cheap heating for the forcing sheds and a road and rail network to get the product to markets.

During the last war its popularity faded due to restrictions on imported sugar, then later on there was a surge of imported tropical fruit from all over the world. The humble rhubarb could not compete, until today as research is discovering just how important rhubarb is for our good health.

Cultivation

Rhubarb grows best on well drained clay soils that have been well manured and deeply cultivated. Give them a dressing of fertiliser in spring and keep them well weeded and watered in summer. Regular picking will encourage new leaves to continue to form. Remove all flowering stems as they appear. Plant crowns with two or three buds in winter about three feet apart in well prepared soil. Do not pick off any leaves in the first year. They will then grow and crop for up to five years before needing dug up, split up and replanted. Some mature roots can be forced to give an early crop. Good reliable varieties include Timperley Early, Stockbridge Arrow and Queen Victoria follow and then Cawood Delight crops later but with the best deep red stems.

Fresh forced rhubarb

Forcing

Use mature roots about three to five years old. Dig them up in early winter and let them get their cold period of frost. An excellent spot for forcing is under the greenhouse staging with light excluded with black polythene. Keep them moist, but don’t water the stems otherwise they could rot Sticks are ready for picking in four to six weeks. Always twist and pull them, do not cut them off. When the crop is finished put the old crowns on the compost heap as they will be spent.

Cooking

Rhubarb

Rhubarb crumble and rhubarb and saskatoon jam

crumble, pies, tarts and stewed rhubarb with custard is heavenly. However try rhubarb and fig jam, or rhubarb and saskatoon jam. This one is our favourite. Crush 3 pounds Saskatoon berries and 2 pounds chopped rhubarb and add to jam pan with a half cup of water, juice of one lemon and a teaspoon of citric acid. Add 5 pounds sugar and bring to a rolling boil for ten minutes then test. It is quick, easy and delicious.

Wee jobs to do this week

The last winter harvest

Enjoy the remains of stored crops as not many keep beyond April. Apples dessert and cooking, onions, potatoes, beetroot, carrot and parsnip kept in a cool airy place have lasted till the end of winter. Some potatoes have sprouted, so it helps if you remove these as soon as possible otherwise they suck the tubers dry. Outdoors, cabbage, sprouts, leeks, kale and swede have all but finished, although the freezer is still bulging with fruit and vegetables.

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Still life paintings

Pink Champagne

Still Life paintings

Spiritual inspiration was in great supply as I used festive gifts and wedding presents as subjects for a few still life paintings. The first one completed in January was Amber Nectar with Talisker Skye, followed by A Wee Dram in February. Then in March I went upmarket with Pink Champagne and in April it was the turn of a few special malts for  The Whisky Tasting.

The Whisky Tasting

A Wee Dram

 

 

 

Amber Nectar

THE GROWING SEASON BEGINS

THE GROWING SEASON BEGINS

Our gardening activities are always dictated by the weather, so although my sowing schedule indicated it was time to sow tomatoes, sweet peas, broad beans and a few salads, the winter has kept its grip and so delaying plans. Seeds sown indoors and germinated on a sunny windowsill in a warm room are fine until they all need pricking out.

Hardening off the spring bedding flowers

Windowsill space is limited so the hardiest types will go into my cold greenhouse, but I will put in a fan heater for any cold nights.

This has been a very challenging time as winter shows little appetite for going away and letting spring take over, though the occasional sunny day in mid March has allowed coffee breaks to be taken outdoors on the patio.

Early

Broad beans germinating

March has been a hectic time for windowsill gardening as there were so many seeds to sow, but once the seeds germinated and needed more room after pricking out into larger cellular trays the problem of space was a real headache. The hardiest of young plants such as geraniums, broad beans, sweet peas and some young fuchsias had to go into my cold greenhouse. By mid March it was the turn of young salads needing more space so spring onions, lettuce Lollo Rossa, cauliflower Clapton and leek Musselburgh all had to go to the greenhouse. Tomatoes all germinated well, even though some seed packets were not quite bulging with seeds, (twenty seeds per packet) but after pricking out into cellular trays they will all need the warmth of the house on a sunny windowsill for at least another fortnight. Tomatoes are just too tender for a cold greenhouse in March.

Seed sowing continued indoors with Sweet corn Incredible, cabbage Kilaton and Brussels

Tomato seedlings pricked out

sprouts Crispus. Once they germinate in about a couple of weeks they will need to go into the glasshouse, but hopefully by that time we shall see some warmer weather.

The glasshouse is beginning to get a wee bit crowded as I still have overwintered chrysanthemum stools for cuttings and my two hanging baskets of winter flowering pansies and a batch of polyanthus needed some protection. I got one warm day in mid March

Drift of crocus

so they all went outdoors to be hardened off. Chrysanthemum cuttings are taken as growth allows.

Outdoors on a sheltered spot early salad crops of lettuce, radish, spring onion, turnip and beetroot can be sown to mature after the earlier sowings most of which will get planted under the protection of a low polythene tunnel in early April.

Carrot fly has always been a major problem on the allotment plot, so this year I will sow a row in between four rows of onions to test the theory that the onion smell will mask the presence of my carrots and the fly may not notice them. Time will tell. This year I am trying out onion sets rather than growing from seed as last year I picked a sweet Spanish

Cornus Westonbirt

variety only to find it did not like our wet Scottish summer. They all died of a severe dose of white rot.

Tree planting continued with a plum Victoria to replace last year’s plum bought locally but was full of disease so never survived to autumn.

 Now is the time to cut back the cornus and willow bushes grown for their coloured stems in the winter garden. I do this annually, cutting back nearly to ground level. This allows visual access to my drifts of crocus (which survived the snow blanket), and tulips planted under these bushes. They share the space happily as they both have different seasons for growing and flowering.

Wee jobs to do this week

Taking geranium cuttings

Now is a good time to take some geranium cuttings from those plants propagated last autumn and now beginning to put on good growth. They were happy all winter on my sunny windowsill, where they rooted readily, then got potted up into small pots. They were getting too big for the windowsill, so after the “Beast from the East” snow had melted, the plants were transferred to my cold greenhouse. To keep the plants stocky I remove the growing points, but use these as cuttings to increase stock numbers. Although winter held its grip for another couple of weeks, the geraniums seem to be just fine under glass.

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