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Outlook


WITH Christmas but a few weeks away it will soon be t im e to c h o o se th e CHRISTMAS TREE and there is more on offer than the traditional Norway Spruce with its annbying habit of. dropping prickly needles all over the carpet. More and more people are


discovering the value and attraction of the NORD- MANN FIR (Abies Nord- manniana) with its elegant, tiered branches and dense , soft, bluish-grey foliage which will remain long after the festivities are over. A cheaper alternative is


have a rooted Christmas Tree then a young NOR­ WAY SPRUCE is the best


the LODGEPOLE PINE (Pinus Latifolia) - so called because of its use by the North American Indians’ as the central pole of their huts! A stocky, bushy tree with soft green needles - again remaining on the tree for many months ahead. If however, you must


HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE


time for planting fruit trees and soft fruit bushes, pro­ vided that the soil is not too wet and frostbound, and there is now a wide variety of fruit available for the home gardener. A relatively new plant is


choice and provided it can be kept cool with enough moisture at its root whilst indoors, and sprayed regu­ larly to prevent moisture loss, then it can be moved outdoors and transplanted; bearing in mind that it will still require plenty of water until well established in the garden. Late winter is an ideal


the blueberry — a culti­ vated form of the Bilberry, which, as well as producing large crops of juicy, richly- flavoured fruit has attrac­ tive lily-of-the-valley flow­


prove a popular choice and can provide us with fruit from early summer through to late autumn. Prepare the ground by digging in as much compast, peat or humus material as possible as raspberries have a shal­ low rooting system and this will not be possible in later years. Cut the canes hard back at planting time to within 6/8in. of soil level in order to promote strong growth during their first


ers in spring with fine autumn tints. Planted in peaty soil, or one of the good proprietary ericaceous composts, it makes a fine subject for a pot or tub. Raspberries too still


year. BLACKBERRIES and LOGANBERRIES are less demanding in their requirements than raspber- rie, but still thrive and fruit better in good well prepared soil, and now available in thornless varieties making picking of the fruit much less painful.


mild weather continues, CHRISTMAS ROSES (Helleborus Niger) should be in bloom for our festive table decorations and a pane of glass, or polythene cover, will protect the waxy white blooms from the rain and frost. On no account should you cut away the leaves after the flowers have died


If we are lucky, and the


as this plays a vital part in keeping the soil moist and cool during the summer when the new buds are forming. Give them a peaty mulch during the year and


they will reward you by producing even more flow­ ers next winter when very little else is in flower. Barkers Primrose Nur­ series and Garden Centre


A BRIEF look at some wines for Christmas and some pointers amongst the many thousands of wines on sale. Christmas is for many the first and last time they


will drink wine in the year, so it is important to get it right, rather than grab the first thing from the supermarket shelf. Remember that your local wine merchant will be able to give you advice on a wine that will suit your taste and your pocket, as will some of the more forward looking national chains; including one or two supermarkets, most notably Booth’s. For a Christmas dinner aperitif, try a tasty, dryish, but


A bottle to go with the festive meal


sweeter wines from California, such as Essencia by Andrew Quady or Brown Brothers Orange Flora and Muscat from Australia, quite yummy! Then if you have space for cheese try a tawny or


fruity wine like a good Muscadet, a Gewurztraminer from Alsace, a nice soft Chardonnay like Macon Villages, or per­ haps an English Wine (as opposed to British). Chilled fino sherry is excellent, but to get the tongues wagging you can do a lot worse than a bottle of one of the cheaper Champagnes. A nice bottle of Moselle, with the meal will keep Gran


suggestions. If you have been tempted to serve prawns or fish as a starter, try something crisp like Chablis, but if you are serving it with a Mayonnaise type sauce, don’t spend a lot on the wine as the sauce will mask the wine. Pate is tasty with wines such as the Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand and the Loire Valley (Sancerre, Menetou, Salon, etc.,) With the turkey, I like a good bottle of Beaujolais or


and those occasional wine drinkers happy, the word “Kabinett" on the label indicates the wine will be medium dry quality wine whereas “Spatlese” is medium sweet. For the wine drinkers amongst us here are some other


LBV port, keep the vintage port for another day. Alterna- tivly a good bottle of a rich Rhone red will polish just about everybody off. For those who are fortunate enough to have been invited


to a party, why not take along something; a bit more interesting than Piesporter. How about a rich red from southern France, such as Fitou or Faugeres, or a fruity Italian red such as Dolcetto D’ Alba. If white wine is more to your taste Italy is now producing


there is a low, or better still no, alcohol range of drinks available, as lemonade is not only boring all afternoon, it’s likely to make for the odd burp. Have a Merry Xmas from Howard and all at Whiteside’s Wine Merchant’s.


some very good examples; such as Chardonnay Ca Donini, while some Frascati’s like that of Villa Catone are super. There are simply hundreds of good wines at under a fiver; just ask for your merchant’s advice. Finally, don’t forget those who have to drive. Make sure


rT , _ , Howard Roche.


even better when I can afford it red burgundy like an 83 Beaune, or almost any tasty white wine, but not too dry. Again, try a Chardonnay, but this time from Australia or California rather than breaking the bank with a Meur- sault, though it would be rather nice! The wines from Germany, Moselle, Spatlese Trocken and


Rhine Kabinetts are good, but I tend to find them too grapey and fruity for my taste. If you don’t want to spend to much on the wine look for the Chardonnays from Bulgaria and a decent Hock such as Oppenheimer Krotten- brunnen and you should get change from about £5 the pair. After all that, when the pudding and pies are ready to


serve, why not try Asti Spumante, for a change. It compli­ ments a pudding remarkably well. JDr try one of the.


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