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Hi (members name), Claire here, your
Gardeners Club Secretary,
Welcome to our latest newsletter and
to all our new members. I was going to say welcome to our
winter newsletter, but for many of us winter has yet to
arrive. My garden is literally budding all over given the
recent wet and mild conditions of the last month or so. A
couple of harsh days of frost and icy windy conditions, as we
experienced last February, will soon kill off much of what has
started so soon to grow.
Do you have problems with neighbours’
cats on your lawn? Did you know cats are scarred of
snakes? Get some of those rubber joke ones and leave them in
the grass, you’ll find it’s one of the best ways to keep cats at
bay. However, it might give the postman a shock too.
We have some tips here in this
newsletter about problems and solutions in the garden. Also,
don’t forget to check our ‘what to do in the garden in February,
from our own resident expert gardeners, Michael Barrett in his
Garden Shed section in the
Gardeners Club website – click
here. |
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What did the carrot say to the
wheat? Lettuce rest, I'm feeling
beet. |
| Recently, I
visited Greenwich and strolling through the lovely Greenwich
Park was surprised to find a specially laid out herb garden
with dozens of different herbs, with information on each, and
open for people to wander round. This herb garden was
laid out only a few years ago and I’m pleased to say looks as
though it has escaped unnecessary vandalism, giving much
pleasure to local residents and visitors. Growing our
own herbs in our gardens seems to have gone out of
fashion. |
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If you
hanker after fresh natural flavours to add depth to your
cooking during these dark winter days, but don't have time or
space to grow vegetables, herbs could be the answer. The
winter varieties take up little room and can be harvested year
round. Be especially careful though if you are pregnant or on
medication as many are powerful
medicines. |
| Over the
past 50 years in this country our knowledge and use of herbs
has diminished as we increasingly rely on shops for foods and
medicines. Few today could identify which herbs are available
in the wild. In other countries - South Africa, China, Japan
and Eastern Europe especially - they have continued using the
rich pickings available, developing their knowledge of
beneficial local herbs. |
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| What do you get if you divide the
circumference of a pumpkin by its diameter? Pumpkin
pi. |
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| Here we re-print parts from an article
we found that you might find useful by Bunny Guiness a regular
contributor on the Daily Telegraph gardening
website. |
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“Even
now, a wide range of herbs is available outside and my parsley
is green and lush. I grow large quantities, adding it to
salads, coleslaw, soups and risottos. It loses a lot of
flavour (and goodness) on cooking so should just be thrown in
at the end for hot dishes. That way it will retain as much as
possible of its vitamin C, iron and other minerals and
vitamins. Parsley, a biennial, should be sown in the spring
and the drill watered with boiling water to speed up
otherwise-sluggish
germination. |
| Rosemary is also easy to grow, and the
flowers are as tasty as the leaves. Both rosemary and sage
have antioxidant, neurological and anti-ageing properties.
Mint is invaluable in cooking, of course, but try putting a
bunch of Eau de Cologne mint under the hot tap - the aroma
beats any from a bottle - while peppermint oil really soothes
aches and pains. |
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Other
great evergreen perennials are winter savoury (fabulous with
pulses) and chervil. Chervil is ideal in slight shade and is a
biennial like parsley. It helps with circulation
disorders.” |
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Why do cowboys always die with their
boots on?
So they won't stub their toes when they
kick the bucket. |
| Never have stuck
garden hose attachments again! |
Sometimes,
for various reasons, you can leave a garden hose attachment,
like a watering wand, a spray gun, sprinkler, or spray nozzle,
on too long and then it is a bear to remove.
They can
get stuck on from calcification from the water, or sometimes
they can rust on. Many people may end up cutting them off.
The problem can be avoided all together by simply
doing this: |
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| Before you ever attach anything to your
garden hose, first wipe the threads with petroleum jelly, so
that the attachment's threads don't get stuck to the hose
threads. Pretty simple - huh? We found this useful little tip
on www.weekendgardener.net
– a very useful site for garden
tips. |
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What do you call a mushroom who buys
everyone drinks & is the life of the party?
A
fun-gi. |
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| Caring for plants
after waterlogging |
| Unfortunately, many gardens have suffered from
heavy rain and there has been a great deal of flooding in
parts of the country. The RHS has some advice on what you
should do if your garden has become waterlogged:
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Plant roots require water and
air to function properly. Waterlogging leads to a lack of
oxygen and results in poor root function, root disease or root
death. Flood waters deposit silt, debris and, all too often,
sewage and oil. Once the waters have receded from a flooded
garden, wash down hard surfaces with clean water and collect
debris, particularly if it is strewn over delicate-leaved
plants. Wear gloves and overalls to minimise contact with
pollutants. Pick over plants and remove dead leaves to reduce
fungal diseases such as botrytis. |
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If
neccessary, lift the plant and remove the parts of the root
system that are affected and replant into fresh compost. Use a
pot that is just big enough to accommodate the existing
rootball with a little fresh compost. The plant shoot may need
to be trimmed back to compensate for the loss of
roots.
Edible crops near to harvest are best not eaten:
no assurances can be given that root crops will be safe to eat
so they should be discarded. Plants eaten raw should be
discarded too, and it is prudent to avoid growing salads and
other uncooked crops for two years in case pathogenic spores
remain in the soil. The following year it should be safe to
grow crops that are to be cooked. |
| For more
information visit the Royal Horticulture Society website, Help
and Advice section at www.rhs.org.uk
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And
finally...
Here's an unlikely tip to
keep cut flowers fresh in doors for longer - A tot of vodka!
The spirit will keep vases clear of algae. Simply pour a small
measure into the vase of cut flowers when adding the water.
The alcohol sterilizes the water and keeps your cut flowers
lasting longer. |
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Happy gardening,
Claire, your Gardeners
Club
Secretary |
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