Monthly Tips & Tasks – October

Monthly Tips & Tasks – October

Fruit & Vegetables, Lawns, Monthly Tips & Tasks, Plant Forum, Spring Gardening

Spring has now arrived and in my garden plants are really moving into growth. The weather has been on the dry side with only 4mm of rain at the time of writing, for August we would expect 40mm so it is dry. The Spring bulbs will need to have some water if this dry spell continues so that they can grow well and be in good condition to produce flowers next year.

The apricot, peach and nectarine are in full flower now which is about 2 weeks earlier than usual so hopefully there will not be any hard frosts that can damage the flowers. The soil is now dry enough to dig over and work up to make a good friable soil ready for seed sowing or the transplanting of seedlings. read more…

Monthly Tips & Tasks – September

Monthly Tips & Tasks – September

Blog, Fruit & Vegetables, Monthly Tips & Tasks, Spring Gardening, The Flower Garden

Spring has now arrived and in my garden plants are really moving into growth. The weather has been on the dry side with only 4mm of rain at the time of writing, for August we would expect 40mm so it is dry. The Spring bulbs will need to have some water if this dry spell continues so that they can grow well and be in good condition to produce flowers next year.

The apricot, peach and nectarine are in full flower now which is about 2 weeks earlier than usual so hopefully there will not be any hard frosts that can damage the flowers. The soil is now dry enough to dig over and work up to make a good friable soil ready for seed sowing or the transplanting of seedlings. read more…

Monthly Tips & Tasks – August

Monthly Tips & Tasks – August

Fruit & Vegetables, Lawns, Monthly Tips & Tasks, This Month in the Garden, Winter Gardening

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.

Winter HERB Society Update 2020

Winter HERB Society Update 2020

Herb of the Month

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

Monthly Tips & Tasks – July

Monthly Tips & Tasks – July

Fruit & Vegetables, Monthly Tips & Tasks, Winter Gardening

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).

Monthly Tips & Tasks – June

Monthly Tips & Tasks – June

Fruit & Vegetables, Monthly Tips & Tasks, Winter Gardening

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).

Discover the Effects of the Jasmine Plant on Health

Discover the Effects of the Jasmine Plant on Health

Blog, Herb of the Month

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

Growing Microgreens

Growing Microgreens

Autumn Gardening, Blog, Fruit & Vegetables, Uncategorized

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

Monthly Tips & Tasks – May

Monthly Tips & Tasks – May

Autumn Gardening, Fruit & Vegetables, Garden Life, Monthly Tips & Tasks, News & Events, This Month in the Garden

May is the month that we see the days getting much shorter and cooler so we need to get the gardens ready for the coming winter.

There is not much to do in the way of seed sowing and seedling transplanting but we can plant trees and shrubs so that they can make new roots and get established before the colder wetter ground of the late winter. Once the leaves have finished falling we can think about pruning fruit trees and getting the sprays on for pest and disease control in the coming growing season.

The last of the spring bulbs should now be planted; be careful to mark were they are so that you do not damage them when weeding near the time that they will be emerging. read more