From The Potting Shed November
Still very little rain to fill up the soil moisture levels. I keep banging on about mulching but this is one of the best ways of keeping rain water in the soil. It slows water down during heavy rain stopping it from flooding away allowing it to seep into the soil. It also reduces evaporation from the soil. So, use whatever you can get hold of – leaves, garden compost, manure, sheep’s fleeces, grass cuttings, straw, anything to keep the moisture in the ground.
As Sue Lelliott said in her talk on ‘Garden trees for all year-round interest’, now is the best time to be planting trees, it also goes for fruit, shrubs and even herbaceous plants, getting them established before next summer.
Planting of broad beans, onion sets and garlic is still on the agenda. Sweet peas for good early flowers can be sown now. I am going to try onions from seed this autumn as the growing conditions this last year caused many of the sets to bolt (produce flower stems).
I won’t mention lawns, it’s a painful subject. Just hope it recovers and next year is not as hot.
October 14th Meeting was with Sue Lelliott telling us all about ‘Garden trees for all year-round interest’.
Again, local expertise and knowledge guiding us through a range of Malus, Prunus, Cornus, Crataegus and other small trees for our gardens. Advice provided on species to grow and how they gave us blossom, fruit and leaf colour to enhance our gardens. The benefits on wildlife in our gardens was also noted. Sue also popped in the odd folk lore interest that makes these trees so special in our gardens. The talk again shows your Gardening Club has great talent and expertise which it shares with its members and community.
Next meeting is on November 11th @ 7.30 pm – ‘House Plants’ with Geoff Hawkins.
The talk will give advice on ‘why have house plants, what to put in your house and where and how to keep them free of bugs and happy’.