Homes & gardens
SPRING IN THE GARDEN with Hadlow College
Gardeners probably know that spring has two official start dates. The astronomical seasons vary in length and so the start date of spring varies from year to year. This year it begins on March 20 and ends on June 10, whereas the meteorological first day of spring commences on March 1. No doubt there is a third date that relates to the individual gardener’s gut feeling.
for their scent and plant them in tubs and pots near doors, windows and in sitting-out areas. Choose them for their colours to brighten dull areas. Choose them for their height and other attributes to fill in gaps in beds and borders. Wonderful value, they will multiply and give pleasure this year and for many years to come.
A couple of warm days and a shower
or two encourages a spurt of growth – especially weeds. Don’t let them get the upper hand – take control now; that old fashioned tool, a hoe, comes into its own.
It is less expensive to establish a new Jeremiah Colman made a lot of money
as a result of unused mustard being thrown away; nurseries and garden centres make money from summer bedding that suffers frost damage. Two swallows never a summer make, so play safe and don’t plant bedding until the very end of May.
Something that can be planted now – summer-flowering bulbs. Choose bulbs
lawn from seed than laying turf. Mid- spring or October are the best times for this job. Make sure you choose a seed mix to suit location and usage. Desiring a fine carpet-type lawn that gets little use is very different from establishing a grass area that will mostly be used for children’s games and fun for the family dog. Consider the conditions - is the area shady, partly under trees or in an exposed area that dries out quickly? Also, the seed bed must be prepared thoroughly. Take time to make a note of these, and other considerations, and visit a garden centre to ask for information and advice.
All gardens need water - some more than others, depending on location, soil and design. Check water butts and other
containers to ensure they are clean and located where they will harvest the maximum amount of water. This will make a contribution in environmental terms – and also save money.
• “Grow your own” has really taken off in all age groups. Children who grow and pick their own greens are far more likely to eat and enjoy them than those who are presented with the “same old” day after day. Enthusiasts have probably invested in a greenhouse or are using an existing conservatory to give their seeds a good start – but there’s not much wrong with a window sill. Anyway, many experienced gardeners swear they achieve brilliant results by sowing directly into the ground. And shortage of space is no excuse; seed processors such as Suttons offer ranges particularly suitable for small gardens – even in pots, tubs and hanging baskets.
Editorial supplied by Pat Crawford Mid Kent Living 45
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