May Gardening Articles

• Woodbine Covered Garden Arches
• Is the Grow Bag Finally Growing Up?

• Potty Veg

• Patio Flower Power

My first encounter with 'woodbines' led to feeling very sick and almost getting six of the best at school! Recent encounters have been more pleasant and woodbines, or as they are now more commonly known, honeysuckles bring far more pleasant memories!

 

There can be few other climbers that are so quintessentially 'cottage garden' and English. In fact the honeysuckle with the strongest and sweetest scent is our native hedgerow variety but this is a very variable plant. Over the years sharp eyed, or should I say nosed, country dwellers have selected the best and given them names. In this woodland garden belonging to local friends, a plain rustic arch frames a view to tempt one to investigate the bluebell carpeted area beyond. This variety is probably the early flowering Lonicera periclymenum 'Belgica' but could equally be the slightly later form 'Serotina'. To my mind it matters not which as both are excellent and, more to the point, easy plants to grow. About the only problem that is encountered is easily remedied. Honeysuckles are like magnets to greenfly in spring. These are easily controlled with an insecticide and could perhaps be avoided altogether if one sprays regularly with organic garlic. Forget this at your peril because in a very short time those promising flowering tubes are quickly distorted and may even fall off without even opening to release their divine scent.

 

Most flowers are produced by this type of honeysuckle in May and June but, given a fairly drastic chop back and generous feed immediately after the main flowering flush, they can be persuaded to flower again later. Just about any type of soil will suit them provided that it doesn't get too dry. Dryness leads to mildew problems. A strong plant chosen and planted now will give you the odd flower this year but should create, as early as next year, the kind of spectacle my friends enjoy year after year with the minimum of fuss. And with these woodbines there is absolutely no risk of sickness or the 'wacks'!

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I recently received an email requesting a list of suitable vegetables to grow on a first storey balcony and it set me thinking about how easy it is to produce wholesome fresh vegetables without even having a garden! There is certainly no shortage of good varieties and no time like the present to start.

 

One of the characteristics that I demand of a vegetable for growing in this intensive way is that it yields heavily and crops over a long period. It might seem like stating the obvious, but it must also have a very good flavour and this method lends itself particularly to vegetables that quickly loose their flavour from field to plate. Kenyan beans and Mange-tout are fine examples of flavourless veg that would be better home grown on the doorstep and that's without a consideration of the incredible food miles they consume relative to the calories they deliver!

 

So what else do we grow? Forget the Brassica family and all slow maturing root veg. These plants have to work for their place on the terrace!

 

Early potatoes are well worth growing but that will have to wait for next spring now. Tomatoes are a must and I prefer the sweet cherry varieties like 'Sungold' or 'Gardener's Delight' myself. Incidentally, the best potting compost to use for these is the contents of a grow bag which is taylor made for this plant. For other veg I would favour a soil based compost.

 

Freshly pulled bunch carrots take some beating and it is important to grow a fast maturing variety like 'Early Nantes'. If carrot root fly is a threat, which it wouldn't be due to their inability to fly much higher than 45cms to reach the first storey balcony that prompted my thought process, sow a resistant variety such as 'F1 Maestro'.

 

Beans, if looked after well, are very heavy croppers and can be especially attractive too. The dwarf runner bean 'Hestia' is very pretty and the climbing variety 'Painted Lady' is attractive and productive too. Dwarf French beans are heavy yielding and are best sown in succession. 'Safari' is a personal favourite but there are lots of good ones. 'Blue Lake' is a superb climbing French bean and can be cheered up by adding some sweet peas or nasturtium seeds to the pot when planting.

 

I would always make space for courgettes but it is vital that fruit is harvested regularly, even if that means throwing it away! If the courgettes are left, they quickly turn into marrows and that's the end of your courgettes for a while.

Bulb onions are best grown in the soil and, if you must grow some, concentrate on bunched salad varieties.

 

This neatly leads me on to a major group that is a must to grow. 'Cut and come again' salad leaves couldn't be easier and mature so quickly. Like French beans, repeat sowings are worthwhile but unlike them you don't have to stop sowing when we pass mid summer. In fact some varieties will produce salad leaves throughout the year in a sheltered spot.

Some seed companies have developed a range of fast maturing vegetables to make the gardener's choice easier and the Speedy Seeds range from Suttons is an excellent place to start.

 

Finally, we mustn't forget herbs! Tender annual herbs such as basil, coriander and dill can be planted or sown now. Perennials herbs are best potted separately and never, but never, mix mint with others. Mint is such a thug that it will quickly dominate any mixed container so should always be grown in isolation. That said there are lots of others that are worth growing in pots. Sages, thymes, parsley, tarragon, chives and oregano are all easily grown.

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There is no excuse for a poor display! There have never been so many varieties of good plants to choose from to decorate your patio in summer!

 

In fact, it can all get a bit bewildering, so which ones are the best?

 

If your garden faces south and the patio receives sun for most of the day then Gazanias, Osteospermum [Cape Daisies], Verbenas and Marguerites will do well.

 

If its' cooler and only gets sun at the beginning or the end of each day then grow plants that enjoy cooler conditions. Impatiens [Busy Lizzies], Begonias and Fuchsias will flourish here but if, as is often the case, things aren't so clear cut there are masses of plants that will grow well as long as they get a bit of sun sometime during the day. New varieties of Nemesia, Diascia and Sutera [Bacopa] are great performers and may be less familiar than the ubiquitous red Salvia, white Alyssum and blue Lobelia of the past but they are just as easy to grow. These less familiar varieties are well worth trying and I promise you won't be disappointed.

 

However, if you are feeling a bit patriotic and want to show support for the lads in the World Cup in June, then fill your pots with red and white Petunias now. I can be sure about the success of that team!

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