Here comes summer

NOW that the month of June has arrived and we prepare for summer a lot will be happening in our gardens.

On a window ledge or a balcony and there are herbs and micro-greens to cultivate as well as the conventional crops which you would normally grow outdoors. The modern trend in gardening however is grow in containers and raised beds and no matter how we garden we can be sure of getting a bit of fresh air and if we are lucky some sunshine.

As the summer progresses there will be other large flower shows up and down the country bringing us lots of ideas and wonderful things to see.

Gardenfest online

Cardwell Garden Centre are sponsoring their online garden competition again this year and details and information will be announced in the very near future. Keep a close eye on this page for information on all the categories and all you need to do is to submit up to three photographs of each category and the photographs will be judged after the closing date which will be announced along with the information about the competition. The competition is open to customers of Cardwell Garden Centre and will feature various groups including entries from children.

In-Work event

Saturday 8 June is than Open Day at the In-Work gardens at the Broomhill Hub in Mearns Street, Greenock. The gardens will be open to the public from 10am onwards throughout the day with lots of bedding plants on sale along with shrubs and various other garden bargains. The café will be open all during the day and if the weather is fine visitors can sit out in the open air and enjoy their tea and coffee, otherwise there will be plenty of space indoors giving protection from the elements.

The staff will be only too willing to assist visitors to enjoy their day and the hub is in well served by a bus route and is in central Greenock and central to the town centre I certainly look forward to meeting many readers at the Broomhill Hub on the day and I will be happy to have a chat with you and perhaps hear about your gardening achievements and problems. Do make a point of coming along.

A word about watering

As the weather warms up most of our plants need to be watered and this is best carried out either early in the day – that is morning – or in the evening.

Do not water plants in the middle of the day in the strong sun as doing this will be detrimental to the plants. Tomatoes need to be evenly watered even if they are growing in the greenhouse, never let them dry out.

If you have small seedlings growing in the greenhouse it is a good idea to keep a container of water in the greenhouse and use this to water the seedlings so that the water and the small seedlings are at equal temperatures.

In very warm weather it is better to use a garden hose on plants growing in the vegetable patch and flower borders. Do not overcrowd plants in the greenhouse or cold frame otherwise disease can occur.

Collect rainwater from the roof of the greenhouse or other outbuildings and use this rainwater on ericaceous or lime-hating plants. Rainwater can be stored in a large drum but firstly make sure the drum is clean.

Make your own hanging baskets

Did you know you can make these yourself? The important factor is that baskets are usually between 12 and 16 inches in diameter. It is best to opt for a wire mesh basket rather than a basket made from solid material such as basketry or ceramic material. Using a mesh basket allows you to plant the basket in such a way that when planted up with flowers your basket should resemble a ball of colour. Mesh baskets need a liner to keep the compost within the basket and try and avoid using coconut fibre material or even old bin bags.

Before you proceed too far check out the brackets on the wall to ensure that they are safe and sound. The weight of a basket is quite heavy bearing in mind that a gallon of water weighs ten pounds. Safety is very important when dealing with hanging baskets because wind can cause excess movement on windy days.

The material used as a liner is best to be a thick type of paper or a thin type of plastic and this will allow you to take plants out from the inside of the plastic through to the outside of the basket which is actually quite easy to do.

Use peat-free compost but add some Perlite or grit to improve drainage and allow air to get to the roots of the plants. It is also best to add some slow-release fertiliser granules to the compost to feed the plants over a period of time. Baskets will probably require to be watered at least once per day but often several times. This is because the wind has a drying effect as well as the warm heat of the sun.

Ideally trailing plants can be used to cover the sides of your baskets, but I would try and avoid trailing Lobelia because if this dries out it will never spring back to its original form. There are lots of other plants such as bacopa, million bells and which are ideal for this. Top the display with a large plant such as a Geranium or Begonia or other large plant.