Gardening Tips
Your fortnightly gardening tips for indoors and outdoors |
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Hedges
Although most conifers can be left another month, most hedges should be trimmed in the
next few weeks, if left too late, they will produce soft growth which may be damaged by
frost later on.
Apples
Well- developed sideshoots can be cut back to three leaves now. If fruits are crowded on
the branches, thin these out. The crop will be smaller but the individual fruit will be
better quality.
Iris
Lift congested clumps of rhizomes and snap off the outer lengths with their healthy fans
of foliage. The central, leafless parts can be thrown away. Trim the length of rhizome on
the retained parts to no more than 6in (15cm).
Take off any roots and trim the foliage with a straight cut to 6in (15cm) high. Replant
the fans in the soil about 6in to 10in (15- 25cm) apart, according to the height of the
plant. Bury the rhizomes to half their depth.
Clematis
If you have stray clematis stems that can be pinned down to the ground, it is easy to make
more plants by layering them. However, a faster way to make many more new plants is by
taking cuttings. These should be taken within the next month while the new shoots are firm
but not too woody. If a long shoot is divided into cuttings, some of these are bound to be
at just the right stage and you will have some success. Select a strong, healthy shoot
with expanded leaves. Cut off any flower buds as well as the soft shoot tip. Then cut the
shoot into sections, each with one pair of leaves, midway between the nodes (leaf joints).
Clematis root from the stem between the nodes, so cut the stem just above the node and 2in
(5cm) below it. Trim large leaves to reduce their surface area and dip the ends of the
cutting in rooting hormone. Insert the cuttings in a pot of gritty compost so that the
whole stem is in the compost and the bases of the leaves are at the surface. Water and put
the pot in a plastic bag to retain warmth and humidity.
Violas
Pansies and violas that have become straggly can be trimmed hard now. They will rapidly
make new shoots if fed and watered and these can be used as softwood cuttings to grow new
plants.
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The blood donor session in Sheringham on Thursday 19 June
2003 proved to be the most successful session in the town since April 1998. In total 144
people gave blood on Thursday and 155 people attended the session. |
| There were 13 new or lapsed donors. Over the past year the
Sheringham blood donor sessions have shown a rise in attendance and donations, and the NBS
would like to thank everyone who comes along and helps save lives in Sheringham. Ruth
Greenaway, Communications Officer for the National Blood Service, Anglia, said: "This
was the best ever blood donor session in the town since 1998. On behalf of the NBS I would
like to thank everyone who is supporting the NBS in Sheringham and the surrounding area.
With each donation potentially saving up to three lives many lives have been saved or
improved by the generosity of donors in Sheringham." |
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| Embarrassing
Stories |
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I met a girl at a dance and she was a real cracker. I
walked her home and we arranged to meet the following Tuesday for a game of tennis at
Victoria Park.
She didn't turn up, so I went round to her house and asked for Ann. The lady told me she
was at University, but invited me in for a cup of tea and a slice of cake.
By this time I realised I had come to the wrong house, the one I wanted was two doors
down.
I pretended that the Ann in question was the one I had met, ate my cake and beat a hasty
retreat. |
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| On 19th June the Hog Roast organised by Bryan Pigott was a
resounding sucess. Helped by Ruby Pigott, Pat Pearce and Joan Garrett, the hall looked
beautiful, the food marvellous and the atmosphere wonderful. |
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Over ninety people turned out for the Hog Roast cooked by
Graves Butchers of Briston. The huge bowls of strawberries to follow were delicious. many
businesses in town had donated prizes for the raffle. |
| These varied from a useful set of gardening tools to
Dinner for two, Chocolate, wine, Car Valet Vouchers, Travel Vouchers, framed prints, a
wonderful top quality tie and of course, a cuddly toy! |
Daves Fish Restaurant footed the bill for all of the meat
and the Cromer and Sheringham Rotary Club donated
£100 towards other costs. |
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| The Sheringham Shantymen gave a foot tapping
performance as usual which was fantastic, they too performed free of charge. Total
raised, over £1300!! |
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