With the much needed rain the district has received, our gardens should have had a great soaking – and at the perfect time for those who have planted their Spring Flowering Plants and Bulbs.
If you have not yet planted Spring Bulbs, then it is not too late to plant out or why not plant a brilliant spring display in a container or pot. You can create a riot of Spring colour to brighten up your patio with the careful selection of bulbs. I have planted pots with a Grape Hyacinth border and Yellow and White Daffodils in the centre, Anemones and Ranunculus together and also Pink Hyacinths and Snowflakes together in a pot. Use your imagination and fill some old cans, containers, teapots, watering cans, timber crates or pots with some good soil based potting mix and plant your bulbs as soon as possible. In Spring make sure you take a photograph of your potted bulbs and send them into the village voice, we would love to see your creation. When choosing bulbs ensure that they are plump and healthy looking without cuts, bruises or mouldy bits.The bigger bulbs will bear the best flowers.
In the winter months our herb gardens tend to die off due to the frost, but if you have a sunny protected area on your back patio then why not plant an old basket with herbs such as parsley, sage, Chives, Oregano and Thyme. If protected you should be able to use these throughout the winter such as I do and the herb garden makes a nice healthy display. Basil, Coriander and Chillies will be OK out of the Cold or on a Sunny windowsill.
Autumn is an ideal time to plant to enable your plants to ready for their Spring growth. My next project at home is to build a conifer, leucadendron and heath bed. Heathers and conifers grow well together and require the same conditions such as an open, sunny site with plenty of fresh air and neutral or acid soil that neither dries out too much or becomes waterlogged. My soil is neutral but a little on the alkaline side but I have had success with Conifers and varieties of heathers such as Erica Darlyensis and Ruby Shephard. The thrive in our cold climate and mixed amongst the green of the Conifers they provide a wonderful display in Autumn and Winter. A mixture of conifers of different colours, shapes and textures will provide an evergreen year round display. If you are looking for conifer varieties then explore the endless varieties of Abies, Cedrus, Chamaecyparis, Cupressus, Juniperus, Picea and Thuja. For Leucadendrons the Red Devil, Yellow Devil, Safari Sunset are all hardy varieties and for the heaths there are many Frost Hardy varieties of Ericas now available.
