Thyme To Garden - April 2019

[ABSpareEditor]

Last month's thread is here.

It is now April and the gardens at AB towers have had to be mowed. In doing so we had to rearrange a large army of gnomes.

Is anyone yet to cut their lawn?

[woofgang]

mine is a wild garden so I only cut the grass about 3 to 4 times a year. The frst time will probably be late april. Have had amazing fruit blossom this year though, edible cherries not in bloom yet. The buds on the elderflower are the biggest ansd most plentiful i have ever seen, I hope the cold snap doesn't ruin them. The plan is to freeze some ans make elderflower cordial later in the year.

[Tilly2]

Found it!

Can anyone recommend a summer flowering clematis for a 6 ft high obelisk? Nothing too rampant and preferably with blue, white or yellow flowers?

[Butterbun]

Lawns were done earlier today for the first time this year. Blossoms appearing on the apple trees, sunflowers peeping through. Other flower seeds planted have yet to get going but with any luck, the weather will get warmer and spur them into action.

[woofgang]

Tilly Multiblue is a good one and not expensive to buy. I am also rather fond of Vyvyan Pennell

[Tilly2]

Thank you for those two suggestions, Woof. I'll have a look.

[Tilly2]

I had a look at those Woof. They are both suitable. Any ideas about a white/cream one?

[Tilly2]

I have just spent some time in the garden putting up some trellis and planting two new clematis.

I then realised that I had inadvertently put ericaceous compost into the planting hole of both plants. Is that going to kill them off?

[Tilly2]

Any gardeners about?

[alavahalf]

Extra busy for three days on the allotment .. have lost count of the number of times I have had to cut the grass on the footpaths this year. Tomatoes have grown about 6" or more since they went in the ground 10 days ago.
Been eating asparagus every other evening, for the past week or so. Got loads of chard, great for stir fries. Have covered the container potatoes in compost, for the third time. Planted 30 more spuds today, sown 36 beans including dwarf french, barlotto and runners. Prepared the bean trench, filling it with rotten waste veg .. it stinks so much it takes your breath away. Fennel is sown, lettuce, radish and courgettes. Have peppers in pots and in the ground. Cucumbers went in the greenhouse today, more to go outside later this week.
.. be glad to get back to work tommorow for a rest !

[Tilly2]

...and I thought I'd done a lot planting two clematis!

I love chard but always forget to plant it.

[woofgang]

Hi Tilly, clematis like neutral to alkaline soil so planting them with ericaceous compost wont give them the best start. It depends how much you put in but if it was me I would redo with some john innes number 3 instead of the ericaceous. Sorry I can’t help about a white or cream clematis as I only like blue and purple ones.....you might go and look on the rhs website?

[Tilly2]

Thanks, Woof. I am afraid to dig them up incase I damage them. Grrr!

In the end, I bought a Miss Bateman and a Spiky Blue.

[woofgang]

Its too cold here to do much. Peas are in and I have planted out the squash plants grown from saved seed. Bluebells need to seed before I mow. Redcurrants, cherry plums and figs are all looking promising as heavy crops set on all of them, also elderberries. Nothing on the cherries so far but the blossom is amazing, also on the crab apples....hoping we don’t have another dry summer or I will have to water to get a crop.

[Toorak]

Would it be possible to carefully dig in some lime to counteract the acidity - or put some on the top to permeate down?

[woofgang]

Tilly, you could get some garden lime and dig it in then water well

[Tilly2]

Thank you both. I'll try the lime. I need to go and buy some.