Gardening Tips
Your fortnightly gardening tips for indoors and outdoors |
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Late - flowering clematis such as ' Jackmanil' flower at
the end of shoots that are produced this year, and are treated rather like buddleia- the
harder you cut them, the better the display. Cut all the shoots away now, to between
1 ft and (30-60cm) above the ground, cutting above a pair of buds or green shoots. Mulch
the plant and give a general feed to encourage strong, healthy growth. Sow bedding
plants now for summer displays.
You can sow in pots, trays or half- trays. Never sow too thickly, so check how many plants
you need before choosing the container. Use fresh compost that has been kept in the
greenhouse for a day to warm up. Firm the compost gently by tapping the tray on the bench
a few times or pressing gently with a wooden tamper. Water the compost before
sowing, and allow it to drain for a while. Then sow the seeds carefully. If the seed is
very fine, It is best to sow very thinly, then go over the tray again rather than sow
thickly and run out of seeds before reaching the end. Some fine seeds do not need to
be covered, and those that do often fare better with a thin layer of fine Vermiculite
rather than compost because you are less likely to smother the seeds. Then, either place
the tray in a covered, heated propagator or cover with a plastic bag and put somewhere
warm.
Bougainvilleas. Like other deciduous conservatory plants,
bougainvilleas are ready for a good soak to spur them into new growth. Prune out old,
crowded, diseased and dead stems and spread out and tie the remaining shoots in place.
Prune back passionflowers and plumbagos.
Roses. In mild areas, make a start with pruning roses, beginning
with climbers on walls that will have some protection from frost.
Mint. Dig up roots and replant in fresh soil for the best plants.
Don't forget to pot some up to force in the greenhouse for use early in the season. |
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| Embarrassing
Stories |
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| I was once chasing cows that had broken out of their field
and decided to head them off by going behind the cow shed. Sadly, I mistook a pile of
slurry for just a hill and ended up covered from head to toe in cows poo. I even had to
empty out my wellies. My mother hosed me down in the yard in front of all my friends. |
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| READERS LETTER |
Hi, I am trying to locate a chap named Rob (Robin/Robert)
French, whom I last met at RAF Cosford in August 1964. Robin and 67 others, joined up from
school as Craft Apprentices, and spent some 9 months together training at RAF Cosford,
either as Telegraphists or Photographers. This September will be the 40th anniversary of
our signing on the dotted line, and to celebrate that a reunion dinner has been organised.
Some 40 plus ex-apprentices have been contacted so far. I would be extremely grateful if
you could put something in your paper that might help me to contact Rob.
Yours sincerely, Colin Jones.
+44 (0)1423 712201 Mobile 07740436658 millcliffe@tiscali.co.uk |
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