June gardening newsletter from Jane Follis
CHELSEA is over for another year and with a week of glorious weather it gave hope for things to come? What a hideous bank holiday weekend we have had. All plans for a relaxing and peaceful couple of days in the garden thwarted by incessant rain. The show was fabulous though and I loved the tranquillity offered by designers such as Tom Stuart-Smith, Cleve West and Andy Sturgeon. I have always admired their work, but this year I thought they surpassed themselves.
Personally, I love tackling shaded gardens and the flowers that thrive seem to give an ethereal feel, bobbing so proudly amongst the sea of green. What I wouldn?t give for just one of those beautiful Carpinus cloud trees, although I am not sure my bank manager would endorse such a frivolity! We are all wondering where Tom found them ? probably some far-flung corner of the globe? Rumour has it that he sources his trees first and then designs his gardens around his find. What a luxury.
I rarely get to Chelsea but the TV coverage is probably more satisfactory anyhow. The crowds are such that you can only really go in one direction whilst desperately trying to glimpse gardens through a sea of heads, usually about 12 deep. I find the whole experience rather frustrating. Next year I think I might try one of the horrendously expensive pre-show dinners or try and get a ticket for Press Day on the Monday. Now that is bliss. You can wander around, talking to designers and friends and actually see and feel everything.
I really do love this time of year in the garden with all the perennials coming in to their own. The new area I created seems to be doing well and I can?t wait for all the new stock to come through. I can see it here from my office and hope it doesn?t distract me from my work too much in the coming months. My excuse is that the beauty of it will inspire my designs?
Business continues to be brisk, to say the least. It gets increasingly difficult to fit everything in to a normal working week. At least we are at a point in the year where it is impossible to build a garden for this summer and this does begin to release the pressure. I still find it hard to say ?no?, but I am getting better!
This year I hope to take the best part of July off to re-charge the batteries and spend some quality time at home, see my family and take a break away. I seem to have been neglecting all of these for too long and feel it is time to re-address the balance.
Remember to look at The Garden Boutique Website ? www.gardenboutique.co.uk. Quote the promotional code JF268 and you will be entitled to a discount.
RECIPE
BAKED ASPARAGUS WITH OLIVE OIL, LEMON AND PARMESAN
Bunch of Asparagus Parmesan cheese
Olive Oil Lemon Juice
This is such a simple recipe and I often put Parma Ham over the top of it for extra flavour. Break the asparagus stems. Take the tip in one finger and the stem in the other and bend. The asparagus will break naturally and what you are left with is the edible bit without any stringy bits. Throw into a tray and liberally cover with olive oil making sure it is covered well. Sprinkle on some freshly ground pepper.
Pop in the oven to bake, turning occasionally. It takes about 10minutes. When the tips feel soft add the parmesan shavings and return to the oven for a few moments. This would be when I add the Parma Ham.
Take out of the oven and squeeze over a little lemon juice and add a little more parmesan. Serve with crusty bread.
SEASONAL TIPS
With all this rain we have had the lawns are growing well. Mow regularly but don?t set the blades too low as this could create bare patches which
in turn can lead to moss invasion later.
I know it sounds daft, but if you do have a new lawn, don?t rely on the rain, it will still need to be soaked thoroughly whilst it is getting established. The same goes for any new plants ? the odd sprinkle with a watering can is simply not enough. However, avoid over-watering Mediterranean style plants such as Lavander and Rosemary.
Deadhead early flowering perennials to encourage a second flush of flowers. Now that the primulas have finished flowering, dig them Up and divide for next year. Remember these are great indicators of lack of water in the garden. If the leaves are looking limp and sad it means your garden needs watering.
Lift tulip and narcissus (daffodil) bulbs and store in a cool place ready for re-planting in the autumn. I tend not to do this and leave them to multiply in situ.
Continue to stake taller perennials. Deadhead spring flowering shrubs such as Azaleas and feed with sulphate of ammonia to encourage new growth and flower buds for next year.
Roses, of all types will probably need spraying against aphids. Remove dead flowers and feed towards the end of the month.
VEGETABLE & FRUIT GARDEN
Despite the rain make sure any newly transplanted seedlings are watered in well and kept watered whilst they are establishing themselves.
Start a new compost heap. There are plenty of grass cuttings available at this time of year and for me, loads of bits from the kitchen and garden. Compost tends to break down in the heat of summer more quickly.
Thin vegetables sown in April and May and earth up potatoes.
As usual there are just too many vegetables to cover in this issue. In my own garden the tomatoes are enormous and are actually fruiting. I nurtured them from seedlings in my office and then potted them on and left them in an unheated greenhouse from about the beginning of May.
The aubergines, squash and pumpkin are desperate to be potted on. These are in the greenhouse, but as I am growing an Aubergine capable of growing outside these will be put outside early this month.
The leeks, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbages, fennel and endive are all ready to be transplanted into the vegetable patch.
Growing outside and coming on apace, I have Broad Beans, French Beans, Jerusalem Artichoke, Horseradish, Greek Cress, Salad crops, Spinach, Carrotts, Onions and Garlic. Hopefully, I can sow much more this weekend. The Goji berries and raspberries (my only fruit) are doing well although there is no sign of fruit of the Goji berries as yet.
If any of you love growing your own vegetables and enjoy cooking them I can highly recommend Jamie Oliver?s ?Jamie at Home?. He is the inspiration for growing so many tomatoes this year. ISBN 978-0-718-15243-7.
Net soft fruit against birds.
Don?t forget to water all fruit trees.
Plums should be thinned in two stages. In early June prune lightly and then in late June thin to 5-8cm apart.
Lay straw under strawberries. Cut old canes of raspberries and other cane fruits to ground level once the new suckers have appeared.
Thin gooseberries.
Thin out apples and pears to encourage larger fruits. Spray against scab and mildew at the end of the month.
Pinch out the tips of new fig shoots once they have five leaves.
GREENHOUSE
This is the month for feeding. Nitrogen and potash are the foods most
needed at this time of year. It is a good idea to get into the habit of
feeding once a week.
Sow cucumbers for late summer and autumn fruiting. Pinch out male
flowers on those already established.
Thin out grapes.
Ventilate regularly and apply shading. Damp down and keep the door open on warmer days.
Watch out for pests and diseases.
Conservatory/greenhouse plants benefit from being moved outside
during the summer, but if tender bring them in at night.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Patio Heaters. I know I keep going on about these, but here are some
facts. I shall leave this item in the Newsletter for some months!
* One hour of heating uses the same energy as making 400 cups of tea.
* We could power a small town with the energy needed to power the UK?s one million patio heaters.
* They do not heat your patio, they heat the atmosphere.
* They are hugely unattractive
* By burning wood or charcoal, we are releasing back into the atmosphere carbon which has only just been locked up in that wood.
* The Market Transformation Programme has calculated that a heater used regularly in a pub or restaurant produces 2.2 tonnes of CO2 per annum. The average household only produces 6.
Portable firepits or bowls are fashionable and stylish options. Please take a look at what is available and help redress the balance. I?d be happy to help or even design a permanent sunken firepit as a feature in your gardens.
The Soil Association has launched A Taste of the Good Life. These are classes held on organic farms throughout the UK. Anything from sausage making, yarn spinning to hedge laying. www.soilassociation.org/masterclasses.
Reduce your Carbon Footprint. Schumacher College in Devon is running a practical course (7-11th April) to help you do just this with facts and inspiration from leading experts in sustainability.
Tel: 01803 865 934. www.schumachercollege.org.uk
The Plant Exchange. Buy and sell plants from small local growers or offload anything surplus in your own garden.
www.theplantexchange.co.uk / tel: 01387 370707
Japanese knotweed is a highly invasive plant and if you know of anyone who has it perhaps you could get them to contact www.environet-uk.co.uk . The website shows how to identify it and what action to take.
This stuff can grow three meters in a year, overwhelms other plants, causes extensive damage to property and can lower property value.
BBOWT
I have a great friend, Maggie Piggott, who works at the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust as the Community Wildlife Officer for Bucks. She is an expert on wildlife gardening. BBOWT has a Wildlife Information Service which takes over 700 calls per year. The service is open on a Monday ? 01865 788307. There are over 38 fact sheets available. For a list please visit ? www.bbowt.org.uk. Maggie will send me an article each month which I am happy to forward on to anyone.
This month she is covering ?Batty about Bats?.
PLACES TO VISIT
Schooldays in the Garden
Offer garden events at various venues all through the summer.
www.schooldaysinthegarden.com / Tel: 01962 760346
Leeds Castle
Castle of Roses Flower Festival and Gardening Weekend
18-22nd June Tel: 0870 6008880
www.leeds-castle.com
Open Garden Squares Weekend
See London?s secret green spaces 7-8th June
Tickets from www.opensquares.org
Hampton Court Flower Show
8th ? 13th July
Charity Gala Preview Monday 7th July 6 ? 11pm Tickets from
