June gardening Tips

Bearded iris

Talk about blowing hot and cold, wet and dry! This Spring has been so changeable, that it has made planning crops or splitting clumps of perennials very difficult to do successfully. The late frost caught my beans and potatoes, to my dismay.

In spite of last Summer’s drought, rhododendrons and azaleas have performed well in my garden.

There are still jobs that must be done in hope of kind weather continuing… here are some suggestions:

Ornamental garden

Gently remove spent flowers from Camellia, and rhododendrons to make room for the leaf buds emerging behind. You can also trim back overgrown shoots to make the shrubs more compact, next year’s flower buds will form on the new growth of side shoots that this stimulates.
Divide bearded irises after flowering; plant with the rhizomes facing south.
Sow biennials like sweet William, viola and wallflowers
Divide spring-flowering bulbs.
Remove spent flower heads of Euphorbia by cutting flowered stems to ground level. Wear gloves for this, the sap causes skin irritation.

(more…)

Trading Shed Re-opens for Members

Alec Grant (Chairman) writes :

I trust that you and families are well and staying safe in these difficult times. During lock-down I would hazard a guess that you have been gardening and in need of items from our trading shed.

We are delighted to announce that the trading shed will re-open on revised hours and conditions in order to accommodate the Covid-19 2m social distancing rule and possible transmission of the virus. The health, safety and well-being of our members and volunteers is our highest priority and hence the new process will be as follows:

As a member you can now view the attached list of goods and send an order by email or text to the Chairman, Alec Grant alecjgrant[at]icloud.com or 07856 532477. Alec will confirm or otherwise if the required items are in stock and the total price for you to pay by Bank Transfer (BACS) direct to the CCGS account – sort code 40-21-27 account 01459961 using your name and member number as a reference. Please note that there will be no cash taken at the shed
We would prefer not to receive cheques but if you are unable to make a bank transfer then send your cheque made payable to Church Crookham Garden Society to the Treasurer (Roger Greenhalgh – 15 Kent Road, Fleet). – please ensure you annotate the envelope with CCGS
Following receipt of funds you will get a collection date and time (15-minute intervals).

(more…)

Charity Plants

Helen Baker of Crondall Produce Show and Crondall Open Gardens fame, has been collecting plants for her plant stall. Since the open gardens event has been cancelled this year, she has a list of plants for sale in aid of Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice.

Click on the link for more details. Charity Plants Stock List 20 May 2020

May gardening tips

A Late-May Border

27^th April – 3^rd May is National Gardening Week

There is nothing more rewarding to most gardeners than to see healthy, vigorous plants in their garden. BUT there are some plants that thrive too well and start to ‘take over’. In my garden, primroses have been a joy, but when they are seeding into the vegetable plot and into the lawn, they become weeds; similarly, Japanese anemones, the yellow flowered, variegated Lamium galeobdolon and even Camassia quamash can take over and squash less vigorous plants. I even have Dutch irises and tulips which are proliferating to an embarrassing extent. These all love a light, well-drained soil.

There is a perfect answer. Share and swap with other gardeners who may be populating a new garden or have less success. Unfortunately, until the current pandemic has been resolved and social distancing relaxed, we cannot hold plant swaps at the trading shed on Saturdays.

Here are some jobs for you to consider in your splendid isolation!

Kitchen garden

Earth up potatoes when the foliage reaches 23cm/9in to prevent green tubers or, if frost is expected, cover smaller sprouts with soil for protection.
Sow carrots, radishes, beetroot, lettuce and spring onions for successional harvesting.
Harden off courgettes and squashes that were started under glass and protect with cloches or fleece if cold nights are forecast
Start to harvest asparagus spears
Direct sow French beans and sweet corn.

(more…)