May 2011
Newsletter
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The seemingly endless bank holidays are sadly over (though we still have that one to come at the end of the month, so don’t despair!). I hope you’ve spent some of that extra time in the garden enjoying the glorious weather and setting things up for the summer.
The warm spring has ensured strong growth, and those of you who have visited the centre recently will know that we’re full to the brim with gorgeous plants at the moment, including:
- Summer bedding by the lorry load! Almost all varieties of bedding are now available. These can either be bought in packs of 6 small plants, or in individual larger pots.
- Herbs, in the wonderful “Hairy Pots”, now including some of the more tender varieties. We’ve had excellent feedback about these herbs, with one professional gardener telling me that they are “the best herbs I’ve ever bought”. High praise indeed!
- Vegetable plants. More and more varieties of vegetables are becoming available each week (in strips priced at £2.95). I’ve been told by several customers that the pak choi they bought from us last year was fantastic.
- Stunning Japanese Acers. These are the ideal ornamental tree for a small garden, and aren’t as difficult to keep as you may have been led to believe. I recently visited a garden in Kent that had several varieties growing in it - they looked breathtaking, Plant them in a shady or semi shady spot, with ericaceous compost mixed in with your garden soil, and ensure they are well watered. Voilą!.
Other matters now …
- Vintage Shed. I’ve done two big buying trips recently, and am delighted with some of the treasures found. Come and see the lovely French armoire in which we have displayed some pretty china, along with a fabulous low four-door pine cupboard that I just KNOW would be perfect for someone’s large hall to contain boots, shoes, tennis rackets and much more. Eagle-eyed Emily came with me and found some smaller items, including two charming sets of French leather dice shakers – the perfect gift for someone who plays backgammon regularly.
- Our Indian fire pits are proving very popular. These incredibly attractive pieces are brilliantly designed to allow you to comfortably barbeque using the high stand, then transfer the fire pit easily onto the low stand to sit around after dinner.
- Fire trunks. If you want a blaze of fire without buying a fire pit, you’ll love these amazing trunks of wood, that had been spliced in the middle and had a layer of flammable fat coated inside the splice, so that when you put a match to it the trunk lights and burns beautifully for approximately 3 hours. A real “boy’s toy”!
- Rootgrow. Newly in stock is this RHS endorsed granular form of the friendly mycorrhizal fungi which has been proven to significantly improve the root growth of newly planted or transplanted items. A real boon in helping establish strong healthy plants. Pick up a pack with your plants, and just sprinkle a little in the planting hole
- Chemicals and fertilizers. The downside of all this warm weather is the increase in pests, so ensure you have sprays to hand to combat this problem. The upside is that many plants are flowering earlier than usual, so make sure you feed them with an appropriate fertilizer (we love the Maxicrop seaweed range) so they don’t get exhausted and give up too soon.
Wishing you all a continued delightful spring, with firm hopes for a splendid summer too.
Warmest regards
Karen
PS PLEASE READ! During this busy time, if you come to the centre in your car, please be respectful of the fact that the open space outside the centre provides access to the garages of local residents.
Opening Hours for May:– Monday -
Saturday 9:00am - 6:00pm Sunday 10:00am - 4:00pm
Tel:020 8670 7788 www.alleynpark.co.uk
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Garden jobs in May
It’s been feeling more like August than April and I hope that we don’t plummet back to March in May! Bluebells bloomed 3 weeks ahead of normal, as have many things in the garden, so we really need to get out there and get on top of everything before it runs away from us....
General maintenance and planting
- Stake your plants now! Leave it any later than mid May and you will be fighting a losing battle. This is essential for herbaceous plants before they get too tall, or for those - like peonies - that produce heavy blooms
- Continue to tie in shoots on climbers that are growing madly, such as clematis, roses, honeysuckle, jasmine and trachelospermum.
- Clematis montana can be pruned after flowering to keep it in check.
- Plant up troughs, pots and hanging baskets with tender summer bedding plants now. Incorporating water retaining crystals and slow release fertilizer in the compost will help to ensure a continuous display throughout the summer.
- It’s time for the ‘Chelsea chop’ – the term given to pruning and cutting back around the time of the famous flower show. Chopping back perennials in late-spring will make bushier plants that flower later on in the season and often flower more prolifically. To do this, cut or pinch back plants by half. Sedum, rudbeckia, echinacea, helenium and golden rod will all respond well to this technique.
- Evergreen hedges that are formally shaped and topiary can be lightly clipped to keep them neat. Make sure your shears are clean and well oiled before use. Pick an overcast day, or wait until after the sun has set, to avoid leaf scorch.
- Keep watering any recently planted shrubs, trees or other plants. They won’t have had time to get their roots down yet, so are vulnerable to dehydration. And don’t forget to water your containers very regularly.
- On the subject of watering, doing so by hand is a more effective method than with a sprinkler. Always water the compost rather than the leaves. Water early in the morning or in the evening to reduce evaporation and reduce leaf scorch. Look up ways of using grey water – water from the kitchen or bathroom can be used for the garden when water is short, as no doubt it will be this year. Install a water butt to collect precious rainwater – there are many different styles on the market now.
- Thin out direct sowings of hardy annuals. This is best done in two or three stages at fortnightly intervals.
- Sweet peas need training and tying in to their supports to encourage them to climb and make a good display.
- Lift clumps of Forget-me-nots once the display starts to fade and before they set too much seed. They can become invasive if left unchecked.
- Sow biennials now (wallflowers, foxgloves, forget-me-not) for flowering next spring or early summer.
Vegetables
- Regularly check on and earth up your potatoes
- All 3 beans (French, broad and runner) can be sown in the open. Ensure climbing beans have strong supports and tie in if necessary.
- Pot on tomato and other young vegetable plants into larger pots and continue to grow indoors.
- Weed, feed and mulch strawberries.
- Devise a routine of feeding and weeding your vegetable garden and containers, and water regularly.
Companion planting
- Companion planting can really help in the battle against pests, and help with pollination.
- Many herbs have nectar rich flowers which will attract beneficial insects to the garden. Try planting sage next to cabbage-family plants to repel cabbage-white butterflies, chives next to apples to prevent apple scab, or next to roses to prevent blackspot.
- Nasturtiums will attract blackfly away from precious crops.
- Carrot fly will start to appear in May. Sow carrots with annual flowers such as Love-in the-mist and Cornflowers in a roughly 50:50 ratio to keep them at bay.
Lawn maintenance
- Continue with your lawn maintenance routine this month, increasing the frequency of cutting.
Garden pests
- Continue to protect lily, delphinium, hosta and other susceptible plants from slugs and snails.
- Encourage natural predators such as birds into your garden with bird boxes & feeders. Frogs and toads will also eat slugs, and a pond (however small) will encourage these amphibians to take up residence.
- Vine weevil larvae can be a serious pest of plants in containers, and become active this month. Tip out the rootball of suspect plants, and inspect for the creamy, orange-headed maggots, which tend to curl up into a ‘C’ shape. There are various chemical and biological controls available.
- Aphids can multiply rapidly during mild spells. Remove early infestations by hand to prevent the problem getting out of hand.
Wildlife
- Remember to keep feeding the birds as they begin to nest and raise young. Leave water for them too.
Enjoy yourselves!
Opening Hours for May:– Monday - Saturday 9:00am - 6:00pm Sunday 10:00am - 4:00pm
Tel:020 8670 7788 www.alleynpark.co.uk