Hi, and welcome to my first writings for our local paper. I feel very privileged and will do my best to fulfil your trust in me. I hope to make gardening a happy and positive experience for you,
As some of you know my mother passed away a little over a year ago. So, I thought I would dedicate this article to the Mothers and Grandmothers out there in the gardening world. One of my favourite memories is my Mum making my birthday cake. A sponge cake with fresh cream and strawberries. Most purists, I think, would agree with me nothing goes better than strawberries and fresh cream.
THE STRAWBERRY
Strawberries are mentioned in Roman times, and even Henry VIII lost his head over strawberries. Strawberries love the sun. Growing healthy plants is good soil preparation with cow manure and compost, mounding up the garden beds, ensuring good drainage, as strawberries don’t like wet fee. They do like a soil that is slightly acidic.
Strawberries start producing runners in January and these are planted out in March. Fertilizing with a liquid Fish or Seaweed once a fortnight will keep them happy and healthy. They also grow well in large pots, using a good premium potting mix. For those growing in pots a liquid feed is required once a month. Mulch – the garden doctor – use either Sugar Cane or Lucerne giving them a nice bed and keeping them off the soil and away from pests.
There are good garden varieties that can be purchased from garden nurseries. Also, popular is the little sweet Alpine strawberry, small in stature but producing bags of flavour. Strawberries are high in Vitamin C, also, iron, calcium and phosphorus. Replant into a newly prepared bed every 3 years.
Good Companions – catnip, chives and thyme
Bad Companions – tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes and mint.
LOVE IS IN THE AIR
Roses are wonderful cut flowers. They are deciduous shrubs growing between 30cm to 2 metres plus. The best time to plant is in Winter. Prune your roses in July. Reducing their height by approximately half. Using clean secateurs making the cut 5mm above a bud on a 45-degree angle.
Plant in a sunny, open position. For established roses use cow manure around the plant and when you see the first flush of new growth apply some Sulphate of Potash. Feed with Rose Food in early Spring and mid-Summer. A tip prune in February is helpful. If you are cutting the blooms to place in a vase, this is a natural prune. For a tip prune, count down to 3 leaves on the stem, and cut above the third leaf.
Mulch to keep the roots cool and moist. A good deep watering is better than a light sprinkle. AVOID wetting the foliage as this encourages fungal diseases.
There is all manner of roses from, Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, Standards, Climbing and Patio Roses.
There are also Special Releases. One of these is Mother’s Love. A profusion of beautifully formed double and sweetly fragrant blooms. A delightful vase specimen. Companion plant for roses is Lavender, which it is said increases the scent of the rose.
BETTER THAN A BUNCH OF FLOWERS
With Mother’s Day fast approaching, living potted Chrysanthemums will last inside the home for at least 2 weeks or more if kept in good light and kept moist.
Thought to have been cultivated in China as early as 500BC. Chrysanthemums like a well-drained well composted soil. Use a complete fertilizer 2 weeks before planting. When transferring the potted plants to the garden, cut off the old flower heads and remove the entire root ball from the pot. They can then be planted directly into the garden. Mulch and then fertilize every 4 to 6 weeks. Deadheading meaning removing spent flowers will put energy into the plants encouraging longer and more prolific flowering.
DECORATIVE EVERGREENS
Azaleas – flowering in late Winter and early Summer. These are acid loving plants. They can be planted in shade, filtered sunlight and sun.
Azaleas have tight fibrous root systems. When transplanting ‘score’ the root ball to encourage good establishment in the garden. Don’t plant too deep. Being acid loving plants, use an Azalea and Camillea planting mix. Peat Moss can also be dug in. Water at ground level not overhead, especially when flowering, as it can damage the flower and cause petal blight. If growing in pots, Peat Moss can be used as a mulch.
Azaleas should be feed in late February, and then no fertilizing till October. If lace bug appears, don’t bother spraying until October when the flowering has finished. Azaleas don’t need a lot of pruning, and it is best done after flowering and before new growth appears.
AUTUMN/WINTER
Displays of flowers in the garden gives your garden the wow factor. Encouraging bees and beneficial insects. Enhance your garden now with Pansy, Viola, Polyanthus, Primula, Stock, Ranunculus, Calendula and Poppy
Cheers,
Jill
You will notice I have given you a Cocktail recipe. So, I raise my glass to you all.
HAPPY GARDENING
CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL
6 Strawberries
1 Orange, peeled and sliced
3 tablespoons of Caster Sugar
2 tablespoons of Lemon Juice
100-125mls of Cognac
1 Bottle of Champagne, well chilled.
Chop the strawberries and orange very finely
Sprinkle with caster sugar and pour the lemon juice along with the cognac over the fruit.
Chill the mixture for an hour. Immediately, before serving divide the mixture between 6 chilled champagne glasses. Fill the glasses with champagne
Enjoy