Gardeners Tips

Unfortunately, the vegetable gardeners’ best laid plans can be spoilt be two large pests – rabbits and pigeons.

Rabbits are on the increase in our local area, and if not careful, they can decimate a crop overnight. Scent barriers have limited success and need regular replenishment. Noise barriers are even less effective in my experience. Fencing has some protection but burrowing and jumping are sports in the Rabbit Olympics.

Pigeons can also pick at vegetables, especially in the winter months they will attack your purple sprouting broccoli.

The best solution, short of standing outside all night with a shotgun is to cover up the vegetables in netting. It’s not ideal if you are aiming for an ornamental vegetable garden but, it is less unsightly than leaves with big holes in veg.

This is a simple contraption with six stakes topped off with a flower pot. A net is then secured over the top, providing an effective barrier against wild animals.

Common names can be used for more than one species.

Cleome hassleriana

If you are looking to grow something a little unusual, it is worth having a go at growing Cleome, sometimes known as the ‘Spider Plant’

The genus Cleome encompasses about 170 herbaceous annual or perennial plants. A common garden variety is Cleome hassleriana.

• Cleome’s can grow quite tall, upto 4 feet in some cases. It has attractive spider shaped leaves and after flowering leaves seed pots streched out horizontally. The flowering season can last for 2-3 months.
• In the beginning they are susceptible to the usual pests like slugs and snails and will need protection. Once established Cleomes can reproduce at a quick rate.
• They may need staking as they become susceptible to windy conditions.

Cleome spinosa is good for dry conditions.

Houseplant called Spider Plant
Chlorophytum comosum is often called the spider plant. It has interesting, frondy, generally bicoloured leaves and they are the main reason for growing this plant. Small white flowers are found on mature plants.
Plantlets form on the end of arching stems and these spidery stems make propagation simple.

Elegant Hollyhocks can grow and flower up to 9 feet tall on slender stalks that do not take up too much space. Cottage gardens thrived on the added height that Hollyhocks provide and many old varieties survive close to walls in these gardens.

General Tips on Hollyhocks

• Hollyhocks like a moist soil but a dry air to avoid rust. Only water at the base of the plant.
• The top half of the Hollyhock bears a spike of large showy flowers either single, semi-double as well as double.
• If growing from seed use the freshest seed you can get. I sow in summer after flowers have set seed but you can wait until May the following year.
• Hollyhocks are perennial (although I treat them as biennials) and if they stay free of Rust Virus (and some are better than others at this) then you can take cuttings or divide the plants to get more stock.
• Fertilise a couple times during the early part of the season with a general purpose fertiliser.
• When the 3-4 inch flowers fade cut them down to the ground.
• Seeds can be found under the name Althaea rosea in self colours of white, yellow, rose, scarlet and black. …

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I have to admit I do not like the smell of Achillea but some of the new hybrid varieties are making me reconsider growing the plants. Achillea ‘The Beacon’ looks brilliant in large groups of 2′ high, swaying flowers.

Achillea Growing

• Growing conditions and variety influence eventual height from 18″ to 6′.
• These perennial plants get taller each year if not divided and replanted each Spring.
• The leaves are ferny, attractive grey green and sometimes silver or woolly white. The leaves give Achillea millefolium it’s name meaning thousand leaves.
• In the Iliad, Achilles’ soldiers used yarrow to treat wounds hence the common names “All Heal” and “Bloodwort”.

Flowering Conditions

• The flower heads are long lasting and attract hoverflies, bees and other beneficial insects.
• Most Achillea have flat flower heads in a range of shades with many yellow varieties.
• Achillea are hardy and drought tolerant, preferring free-draining soil in sun or light shade.
• Deadheading will result in more flowers with repeated flushes of flower.
• Most varieties gradually fade in colour after opening or pollination, giving a pleasing harmonious effect.
• To vary flowering time, usually June to September, practice the Chelsea Chop by cutting plants back by about 6in in late May.

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