Gardening Tips
Your fortnightly gardening tips for indoors and outdoors |
 |
Houseplants. Clean leaves of plants with a waxy surface.
Most plants no longer need to be fed and watering should be reduced but not stopped. When
the home heating is switched on it can dry out the atmosphere so mist sensitive plants
with clean water. Spot disease. Spuria and Pacific Coast Iris can be divided now, or left
until the spring.
Chrysanths. If you still have frost tender plants outside in the garden they must be
brought under glass now, or they will be damaged by cold. Pelargoniums, chrysanthemums,
freesias cyclamen and other greenhouse plants should be picked over to remove slugs,
caterpillars and other pests, and, on a dry, still day they can be sprayed with a suitable
insecticide or fungicide to clean the plants before bringing them into the greenhouse or
conservatory. The greenhouse itself should be cleaned thoroughly to remove plant debris
and pests. If you can empty the greenhouse, you could light a sulphur candle to fumigate
the structure. Moss and algae quickly build up between the overlapping sheets of glass and
should be cleaned away to allow as much light in to the plants as possible. Put up bubble
polythene to save on heating bills, but do not cover all the vents because good
ventilation is essential if the chrysanthemums are to open and develop without any grey
mould (botrytis). A fan heater, that circulates the air, is also a useful wepon against
marking of blooms by grey mould.
Spring Bedding. Clear away the last of the summer bedding, chop it up or shred it and add
it to the compost heap. Fork over the soil and plant varieties for early colour next
spring such as wallflowers, bellis and pansies. You can add the spring bulbs between them.
Collect and compost your autumn leaves. Rake up the leaves from beds and borders. Although
they protect plant crowns from cold, they also harbour slugs, especially on heavy soils.
Use a mower fitted with a grass box or, on smaller areas a garden vacuum to collect the
leaves on lawns. You could ask your neighbours if they would be prepared to donate their
leaves too. Collect the leaves in black bin bags. If you do not have any room for a proper
leaf bin, you can allow the leaves to decompose in the bags, but make some holes in the
sides and water the leaves well before sealing the top. Mix in some grass clippings with
the leaves to help speed up the rotting process. If you have lots of leaves, make a leaf
bin about 3ft (90cm) square, with four posts and chicken wire. Throw the leaves and grass
clippings in the bin and when filled, give it a soaking with water and cover with
polythene. Within a few weeks the level will have dropped and you can add some more
leaves. |
|
| Embarrassing
Stories |
|
| Back in the days of Break Dancing (you oldies who can
remember the trend!), I used to really fancy myself as a dancer. I would spin round and
round on my back, shoulders and the ultimate skill, the top of my head. (I now have a bald
patch, so be warned). One evening whilst performing (no, not showing off) I somehow
managed to go so fast on my head, I spun across the floor like a top and took out a lovely
young lady who until then had been watching in fascination. |
|
|
Always remember, you are a very small cog in a massive machine you cannot control
|
|
|
 |
Macmillan Coffee Morning |
| On Friday 26th Sept, the Macmillan Cancer Trust promoted a
National Coffee Morning to raise funds and national awareness of the Trust and at the same
time attempt a world record to hold the Worlds Largest Coffee Morning, (qualifying for the
Guinness Book of Records). I am pleased to say I participated in this and with an
enthusiastic band of helpers, raised in the region of £560.00 for the Appeal. May I offer
my sincere thanks through you, to my helpers on the day, and all those who gave so
generously by means of prizes, cakes etc, and of course those who attended, spent money
and made the whole event so successful. Yours Sincerely, Aileen Eke |
|
 |
STAR WARS UPDATE |
Mike Edmonds is unable to make it this year as he has been delayed filming in France but
the good news is that Biggs Darklighter alias Garrick Hagen is replacing him for the
weekend. The actors will be arriving Friday, 17th October and will be signing autographs
all day Saturday 18th October. Jeremy Bulloch aka Boba Fett and Carrie Fisher aka Princess
Laya have signed a poster, which will be auctioned off. There will be many events on
Saturday including Dealers Tables, and Radio Broadland's Black Thunder Girls will be
there.
Star Wars Fancy Dress Competition
sponsored by Norfolk a2z. |
|
