Winter Rambles A misty day greeted ten Ramblers on the 23rd of June. Starting from The Kiosk in the Botanic Gardens where nature had created interesting sculptures in the shrubbery the group continued along Armagh St rambling along to Victoria Square. A bleak looking area on a not so nice day in Winter. A Weeping … Read More
August is a month of transition from the cold of Winter to the more changeable weather of the late Winter and early Spring at the end of the month. I can already see the daffodils budding up and other plants around the garden showing the signs of the coming season.
The pruning of fruit trees, roses, grapes and any other trees should be completed by the end of the month. Winter spray of copper and conquer oil should be done before the buds completely burst into leaf to get the most benefit from the sprays. As the soil becomes more workable gardens should be cultivated, green crops and compost dug in to prepare the ground for planting or seed sowing in a few weeks time. Some early seeds may be sown indoors so that the seedlings will be ready for planting out in about six weeks time. This month is still a good time for the planting of deciduous fruit trees, citrus and other shrubs.
Thursday 25th June saw an exciting line up of Midwinter Christmas events for the Canterbury HERB Society’s comeback after the lockdown. The group has begun regular evening meetings on a monthly basis (previously only on alternate months) to accommodate the surge in younger new members. There will also be day meetings through the Winter as … Read More
Ramblers restart Restarting Ramblers post covid-19 lockdown was a delight as 22 turned out to ramble through parts of Fendalton, this included three new faces. Everyone wanted to see a new area from the area they had been walking in while lockdown exercising. After a good frost and a bright sky the group started out … Read More
July is the month where the real Winter weather kicks in. The trees have lost all their leaves, the ground is cold and wet and the garden looks gloomy. But there is activity in the ground, my daffodils are just starting to come through, my snow drops are almost in flower and some of the primulas are beginning to flower.
We are past the shortest day although we will not notice the days getting longer for a few weeks yet. On the fine sunny days take the opportunity to prune fruit trees, roses and other deciduous plants.
We are now thinking about the tasks that we will need to do in the Winter. Pruning, planting new trees and the final clean up of the leaves and weeds in the flower and vegetable gardens. Dahlias and chrysanthemums will benefit from lifting out of the ground and stored in a cool dry place protected from the frosts and wet (chrysanthemums are put into trays of potting mix or compost and put into a greenhouse or a sheltered spot).
Winter has arrived and the weather is much cooler but we are still below average for rain fall and the soil is noticeably drier below the top by a few millimetres.
We are now thinking about the tasks that we will need to do in the Winter. Pruning, planting new trees and the final clean up of the leaves and weeds in the flower and vegetable gardens. Dahlias and chrysanthemums will benefit from lifting out of the ground and stored in a cool dry place protected from the frosts and wet (chrysanthemums are put into trays of potting mix or compost and put into a greenhouse or a sheltered spot).
We have had a very dry autumn. The soil is still relatively warm and the small amount of rain has not penetrated deep into the soil. Some bulbs are confused. Narcissus that usually flower in late winter are blooming now. Narcissus ‘Grande Primo Citronaire’ and Narcissus ‘Nylon’, which usually flower in late July, are coming … Read More
Discover the Effects of the Jasmine Plant on Health Jasmine is a plant believed to have originated in the western Chinese Himalayas. The name is derived from the Persian yasmin, meaning “a gift from God,” because of the strong, pleasant scent of jasmine’s flowers. More than 300 species of jasmine exist, most of which are … Read More
Microgreens As always at this time of year I have started off my micro greens. Although most of my garden is looking good, the summer lettuces are about to finish and my aromatic herbs, basil and coriander, are dying off. Hopefully with the garden centres about to open again I can fix the lettuce problem … Read More
