Time to waken the garden from its winter slumber

I don’t know how you are faring in your neck of the woods but here in deepest, darkest Ayrshire, conditions are still a bit soggy.

A third of the way through the year and the vegetable plot is still reluctant to break down to a workable tilth. I’ve managed to get the tatties in – a bit cold and wet – but things can only improve ( surely?).

Kestrel and Desiree yielded well last year and fed the household right the way through winter. Sarpo Mira does well with me too – a good variety that shows strong blight resistance.

A decent dry spell is required to get the soil into condition for sowing out the other veg. The weather is too unpredictable to leave things to chance – using a polythene cloche should push things along.

It certainly helped with germination of carrots and turnips last year, when direct sowing of dwarf beans proved to be a disaster – very sporadic – so I’ll start them off in cell trays in the glasshouse and plant out later. Montano is my choice for this season. Good disease resistance and heavy crop. Knob of butter and a twist of S and P – delicious!

Crop rotation is an important element in good horticultural husbandry. The problem is I’m running out of room to do it all properly.

The cauliflowers may need to go into an area where there has been an issue with clubroot. I’ve heard that inserting a stalk of rhubarb next to the young plants will prevent them from being affected due to the oxalic acid leached from the cut stem. I’ll let you know how I get on!

Despite the harsh winter, our local bumble bee population seems to be doing quite well. They are making the most of the early flowers on the flowering currant.

Pulborough Scarlet is a vibrant ruby red variety which makes a lovely hardy shrub worthy of a sunny position in any garden.

The camellia has managed to evade the worst of the frosts and has put on a glorious display for the past two weeks. It is tucked away on a sheltered west-facing wall but these cerise paeony-like blooms certainly catch the eye.

Once the flowering has finished, I’ll give the shoots a little nip and tuck and reward the plant with a mulch of ericaceous compost t o keep the leaves glossy green.

Another area in the garden that deserves a bit of nutrition is the heather border. A sure sign that spring has arrived is the emergence of the new growth on Calluna Spring Torch. Vivid flame-red fresh shoots transform this vigorous cultivar from a boring green cushion of foliage into a dazzling eyeful.

These acid-loving plants will appreciate some compost worked in around them to keep the foliage and flower in good fettle for the season.

With the continuation of the dismal weather, it is difficult to find the inclination to do much gardening work. Hedges need to be trimmed and deciduous shrubs like potentilla and spiraea could do with a reduction in size.

One bonus with the lateness of the season is that there is still time to sort out the herbaceous border. Astilbe and hosta are just starting to nervously emerge and now would be an ideal opportunity to split them up and either replant in a new area, or gift to your neighbour.

If you need some inspiration for what plants to have at the front door, then nip along to your local garden centre and look at some examples of ‘ready made’ planters. A common choice for a centre-piece is the box ball or cone. These are quite reliable and hardy, but on there own I think the whole effect looks quite austere.

Better to soften up the image with some compact summer bedding plants like begonias or violas. Alternatively, create a blaze of colour with Pieris Forest Flame and spring-flowering heathers – just remember they will need an acidic compost mixed with loam in order to thrive.

Last year was quite testing for maintaining a display of summer bedding. Too wet, too cold, too dull for many. The ‘sun worshippers’ like gazanias, geraniums and Livingstone daisies had a miserable time. Dahlias were a moderate success, but needed constant attention with staking and dead- heading.

Once again, though, it was the humble begonia that saved the show. Such a cheery plant – bursting with colour in patio container or hanging basket – though I must admit it would be wonderful if summer 2018 was a bit more normal so that we can appreciate the diversity of other bedding plant varieties.

Hopefully, Mother Nature will settle down and we’ll get a bumper growing season, although it looks likely that spring will be given a miss and conditions will move directly from winter to summer (although I haven’t bought the charcoal for the BBQ just yet!).

Maybe a more relaxed approach is required? Perhaps I’ll make full use of the Scotland’s Garden Scheme brochure and take time to appreciate other gardeners efforts.

Happy gardening!

General points:

* Spring flowering clematis will need a trim and bit of training after flowering. Pyracantha on a wall will also need the shoots shortened to promote flower bud.

* If you allow runners to develop on strawberry plants you will lose some fruit yield. Cut them off soon, give the plants a feed and mulch them with straw or rough coir.

* Slugs are on the prowl ready to target your bedding plants. Marigolds and petunias are a favourite choice. Beware.

* Greenfly are likely to start appearing on indoor fuchsias. Check over the rose bed too (and spray for mildew).

* Have a look at the lawn. If you can see a few blades of grass poking through the moss ... consider yourself lucky!

Time to waken the garden from its winter slumber

Better late than never

Now we’re in the month of May

and buds are finally open.

Temperatures are on the rise

(at least that’s what I’m hoping).

Winter has been long and bleak,

let’s leave that in the past.

The garden needs our tender care,

‘cos summer’s coming fast.