Press Articles
MERCURY ARTICLE 26th July (week 31)
TASKS FOR THE GARDEN THIS WEEK
- Take cuttings of patio and container plants such as begonias, pelargoniums and fuchsias ready for next year
- Tidy up fallen leaves, brown and discoloured leaves from around plants all around the garden and add to the compost heap - this will prevent pest and disease problems
- If you have bamboo plants, check for any tall, flowering stalks and remove them promptly. If they are left to flower they seriously weaken the plant which may subsequently die
- This is the last time to apply summer lawn fertiliser, especially if a spring feed was not given. A soluble feed and weed product is useful if there are weeds in the lawn
- Keep a watch for young wild animals in the garden – baby hedgehogs, woodmice and foxcubs are around at this time of year and may be encouraged to visit your garden if you can keep part of it as a wild life area – try putting out hedgehog food
IN THE KITCHEN GARDEN
- Plant out a winter supply of brassicas and leeks – young plants are still available for brassicas and seeds can be sown for many other autumn vegetables
- Once your climbing beans have reached the top of their supports, stop the plants by pinching out the growing tip – this will encourage the crops to grow and ripen
- Ensure you continue to water tomatoes regularly and evenly. This can be difficult in dry weather but irregular watering will cause ‘blossom end rot’ which is sunken brown patches on the end of the fruit which makes them inedible
- When the summer-fruiting raspberries have finished cropping, cut out the old canes that have fruited leaving the new canes for next year’s fruit
PLANT OF THE WEEK
The plant Hypericum comes in various guises – as a small herb as St John’s Wort and as an invasive low-growing shrub as Rose of Sharon. However, there are a number of varieties which provide the same ground cover and which flourish under trees and on dry banks and are therefore very useful plants without being over-invasive. Hypericum ‘Hidcote’ or ‘Gold Cup’ grow to about 6’ tall and bear numerous large saucer-shaped gold-coloured flowers through the summer. Hypericum ‘Tricolor’ is smaller is size and in flowers but it has striking variegated leaves. This deciduous shrub will grow in any garden soil and any position – sun or shade. Trim back by about a third in the spring to keep a good shape.
NATIONAL GARDENS SCHEME – LOCAL GARDENS OPEN FOR CHARITY
Saturday 31 July & Sunday 1 August: Muirfield, Chester Road, Pershall, Eccleshall ST21 6NE is open both days 1-5pm.
Sunday 1 August: The Beeches, Mill Street, Rocester ST14 5JX is open 1.30-5pm.
Park View Garden, 227 Gressel Lane, Castle Bromwich B33 9UL is open 12.30-5pm.
For more information visit www.ngs.org.uk
GARDEN SOCIETY NEWS & EVENTS - New members are always most welcome.
Yoxall Gardening Guild is holding its Potato Competition with a Cheese and Wine At Home on Sunday 1 August.
Streetly Horticultural Society is meeting on Tuesday 3 August at 7.45 in the Community Centre on Foley Road East to hear a talk from Julia Wareing on Gardeners and Their Backs.
On Wednesday 4 August, Stonnall Gardeners Guild is meeting at 7.30 in the Youth & Community Centre when Sylvia Buckley and Sandra Dudley will be talking about Badgers.
Colton Village Produce Guild members are visiting Grafton Cottage at Barton-under-Needwood on Thursday 5 August
MERCURY ARTICLE 19th July (week 30)
TASKS FOR THE GARDEN THIS WEEK
Watch out for the sudden collapse of apparently healthy clematis – this could be a fungal infection known as clematis wilt. Cut back to ground level and hope they recover. To avoid this problem in future always plant clematis an inch or two deeper than its normal level- Clip back fast-growing hedges regularly, especially Leyland cypress hedges which can easily become unmanageable
- Start collecting seeds from annual flower plants such as poppies, calendulas and nigella (love-in-a-mist) that you can plant next year
- Continue to hoe the borders to kill any annual weeds that are growing – tougher perennial weeds will need a careful application of a systemic weedkiller such as glyphosate to kill the roots as well as the leaves
- If your hanging baskets and containers are looking a little tired, trim back the plants and give them a good liquid feed to encourage new growth and flowers
IN THE KITCHEN GARDEN
- There is still time to sow lettuce, radish and spring onion seeds for a succession of quick salad crops – fill in any gaps left from harvested produce
- Ensure your peas and beans are well watered to help the seed pods set
- Sow some ‘Earlies’ seed potatoes for a crop which should be ready before the frosts of the autumn begin – even keep a few of your own crop to plant for autumn.
- Continue to harvest your own grown fruits such as strawberries, raspberries and currants for a real taste of summer
PLANT OF THE WEEK
A popular and colourful mid-summer flowering perennial plant is the Penstemon. The spikes of bell-shaped flowers give some height and structure to the herbaceous border, growing to 1.5 to 2.5 feet high. The colour range is from white through shades of pink and red to lilacs and purples. Like most perennials, once the flowers have faded, cut back the flower spike to encourage fresh growth and further flowering. Penstemons flourish in any well-drained soil and prefer a sunny position.
NATIONAL GARDENS SCHEME – LOCAL GARDENS OPEN FOR CHARITY
Sunday 25 July: 23 St Johns Road, Stafford ST17 9AS is open 2-5pm.
Also, Four Seasons, 26 Buchanan Road, Walsall WS4 2EN is open 10-5pm.
Windy Arbour, Hollis Lane, Denstone St14 5HP is open on Sunday25 July and Monday 26 July from 1-5pm.
For more information visit www.ngs.org.uk
GARDEN SOCIETY NEWS & EVENTS - New members are always most welcome.
Yoxall Gardening Guild is having an outing on Saturday 24 July to Charlecote House & Garden in Warwickshire. They leave The Golden Cup at 9.30am.
Etching Hill Garden Guild is meeting on Wednesday 28July at 7.30 in the Village Hall to hear a talk from David Tideswell on Attracting Birds to your Garden. The Guild is also having a trip to Ashwood Nurseries and Gardens on Sunday 25 July.
On Thursday 29 July, Lichfield City Gardening Guild is visiting The Secret Garden at Little Haywood.
Open Gardens – a national institution
By Diana Muir, The Plant Plot garden nursery, Lichfield
The National Garden Scheme (or ‘Open Gardens’) will see over 70 Staffordshire gardeners opening their gardens to the public this year to help raise funds for a number of UK charities. If you want to help raise money and gain endless inspiration for your own garden, then you should make a date to visit some of the fabulous, local gardens in the region.
Dave and Diana Muir of the Plant Plot in Lichfield are avid supporters of the scheme. “We feel it is important to have a reliable source for your plants and we work with many gardening enthusiasts, sourcing specific plants for people who know exactly what they are looking for” explained Diana. “As we grow hundreds of thousands of our own plants each year, we know all about quality control and make sure our customers have healthy plants that are robust and suit their conditions.”
Since it began in 1927, almost £42 million has been raised for charity. Today’s list of beneficiaries includes: Macmillan Cancer Relief, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Help the Hospices, Crossroads Caring for Carers and The National Trust among others. The National Garden Scheme raised £60,000 in Staffordshire alone in 2009.
The tradition has continued to the present day of course and, for 2010, you will find the current list of Staffordshire gardens in a bright yellow booklet situated in garden centres and other public places. Information can also be obtained on the extremely helpful website: www.ngs.org.uk.
How does it work and why do people get involved?
Opening begins as early as February and goes right through to the end of October, with many gardens open on a number of occasions to show off different elements of their garden. People take part because they are proud of their gardens, spend a lot of time on them and like to see others enjoying what they have created.
Many owners offer refreshments – a cup of tea and slice of homemade cake or scone with homemade jam and cream. It takes good organisational skills to offer this throughout the day so neighbours and friends are often drafted in to help serve, wash up, set out tables and chairs and clear away.
Owners try to be imaginative with their open sessions – some even doing an evening version with helpers dressed in evening dress, serving canapés and bubbly! This means visitors get to see the garden in, quite literally, a different light.
Some gardens are able to accommodate group visits whilst others prefer individual appointments to be made. Each visit and garden is as individual as the owner.
Peter and Margaret Hargreaves live in the pretty village of Barton under Needwood and have opened the “Grafton Cottage” garden to the public for 19 years. They enjoy meeting people through the scheme and have made many new friends through a shared love of gardening.
“I think visiting other people’s gardens provides new ideas and can be very inspirational” explained Margaret. She commented on how she likes to buy a plant when she visits other gardens as they act a lovely reminder of the visit.
“The biggest compliment to me was last year when visitors were amazed at the variety of insects our garden attracted – it shows how planting can bring diversity and encourage wildlife to the garden” she commented.
“I enjoy helping people by sharing the knowledge I have gained over the years. I also love to cook so enjoy providing refreshments to make people feel at home when they view the garden” she finished. Another important factor in motivating the Hargreaves is the fund-raising aspect. “We raised £4000 last year over 3 days including some group visits” she finished.
John and Sue Weston, have been county organisers of the Staffordshire National Garden Scheme for the past 3 years. Sue shared her vetting criteria by explaining that they research gardens a year in advance and look at the interest factor (there must be at least 40 minutes worth), access, health and safety and parking.
It is important to the Westons that they include a variety of gardens, stating “Most people think that we are only interested in large gardens but in fact smaller gardens are of interest to many visitors as they want inspiration for their own gardens, which tend to be smaller ones“.
Sue and John’s own garden, “Birch Trees”, has been part of the Staffordshire line-up for 12 years. “It is hard work but really worthwhile. We work flat out and hope for nice weather. The visitors enjoy the tea and cakes on offer as much as seeing the gardens – it is all part of it. We enjoy taking the time to sit and chat with like-mined people in our lovely garden.”
If you would like to put your garden forward for consideration, contact Sue and John Weston 01785 850448.
Visit www.ngs.org.uk for a list of dates of open gardens in Staffordshire.
Dates to note:
Mr & Mrs Hargreaves - Grafton Cottage – open Sunday 4 and 18 July, Sunday 8 August.
Mr & Mrs Weston – Birch Trees – open Sunday 6 June, 11 July, 29 & 30 August.
Diana and Dave Muir own the Plant Plot garden nursery in Lichfield and support the NGS: www.theplantplot.com. The Staffordshire Open Gardens booklet is available at the Plant Plot, A51 Western Bypass, Lichfield, WS13 8JA.
June 2010
MERCURY ARTICLE 21st June
TASKS FOR THE GARDEN THIS WEEK
- Trim back spreading and trailing plants such as Aubretia, Heuchera, perennial Geraniums and Alyssum to encouage fresh growth and further flowering
- Prick out and pot on any new seedlings and cuttings that are growing in the greenhouse or coldframe once they are large enough to handle
- Cut back and deadhead Oriental Poppies after flowering – cutting them back to the ground will stimulate growth of fresh foliage and maybe some new poppies
- Now is a good time to take softwood cuttings from deciduous shrubs such as Forsythia, Fuchsia, Philadelphus, Spiraea and Caryopteris – pull off a non-flowering sideshoot, dip the end in a little hormone rooting powder and plant into a small pot of soil-based compost. Place in a cool shady spot and leave them to take root
- Sprinkle general-purpose fertiliser around the base of perennials, shrubs and trees and gently fork in to the top of the soil.
- Lawns need mowing weekly if they are growing well – a ‘little and often’ keeps them looking their best. Apply lawn feed, weed and mosskiller in dry weather.
IN THE KITCHEN GARDEN
- Pull rhubarb stems until the end of the month and then stop as the stems become tough and stringy
- Pick cucumbers in the greenhouse as they become a decent size to encourage more fruit to set
- Earlier sown salad crops such as spring onions, lettuce and radish should be ready for picking now – keep sowing small amounts for a good succession
- Keep on top of the weeds with regular hoeing on warm, dry days – this will discourage re-growth
PLANT OF THE WEEK
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A splendid shrub for smaller gardens and a sunny position is the evergreen Cistus or Rock Rose. The papery, rose-shaped flowers are short-lived but abundant during its flowering season. The showy flowers are out for one day only and come in various shades from white to pink, many with dark blotches at the centre. They are classified as hardy but require a hot, sunny, well-drained spot and may succumb to a severe frost or cold northerly winds in the winter.
NATIONAL GARDENS SCHEME – LOCAL GARDENS OPEN FOR CHARITY
Friday 25 June: 23 St Johns Road, Stafford ST17 9AS is open 2-5pm.
Sunday 27 June: Coley Cottage, Coley Lane, Little Haywood ST18 0UU is open 11am-4pm. The Garth, 2 Broc Hill Way, Milford, Stafford ST17 0UB is open 2-6pm. The Secret Garden, Little Haywood ST18 0UL is open 11am-4pm. Tanglewood Cottage, Crossheads, Colwich ST18 0UG is open 1-5pm.
For more information visit www.ngs.org.uk
GARDEN SOCIETY NEWS & EVENTS - New members are always most welcome.
Brereton Gardeners Association is holding an Open Day on Saturday 26 June at Ravenhill Allotments in Brereton followed by its Open Rose and Sweet Pea and Early Vegetable Show on Sunday 27 June at the Brereton Town Football Club in Ravenhill Park. Staging is 9.30-12.30am, viewing is 1.30-3.15pm and the sale of produce takes place at 3.30pm.
On Saturday 26 June, Etching Hill Garden Guild is hosting Open Gardens with the topical theme of ‘Wimbledon’.
Colton Village Produce Guild members are meeting on Thursday 1 July at 7.30 in the Village Hall for their Rose Show.
June 2010
MERCURY ARTICLE 14th June
TASKS FOR THE GARDEN THIS WEEK
- Ensure tall-growing perennials such as Delphiniums, Foxgloves, Lupins and Hollyhocks have plenty of support for their flowerheads
- Cut back spring-flowering perennials such as Hellebores, Doronicum and Pulmonaria to encourage fresh, compact growth
- Protect the greenhouse from the fierce summer sun by applying shade paint or put up shading material and always give maximum ventilation
- Prune out any new shoots on winter pruned trees and shrubs that are crossing other stems or are overcrowded
- Sow spring bedding plants for next year such as Pansies, Primroses, Bellis and Wallflowers to give plenty of early colour
- Check roses regularly for pests and diseases – spray with a multi-purpose product and feed the plants to encourage strong growth
IN THE KITCHEN GARDEN
- Once the early potatoes are in flower it is time to harvest them – take care when digging them up so as not to damage the potatoes
- There is still time to sow courgette, marrow and pumpkin seeds into the ground – make sure you give them plenty of room to grow and water well
- Continue to sow crops of basil and coriander in the herb garden every two weeks for a succession of plants
- Cover young brassica crops such as cabbage, cauliflowers and sprouts with netting to prevent the pigeons destroying them
PLANT OF THE WEEK
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One of the most spectacular blue-flowered shrubs around just now is the Ceaonothus or Californian Lilac. There are many varieties to choose from and they fall into one of two groups – the samller-leaved evergreen group or the slightly hardier deciduous group. The flowerheads are made up of clusters of tiny flowers and they perform best against a south or west facing wall. They take many forms – some varieties such as C.Burkwoodii are tall growing and need some support whilst others such as C.thysiflorus repens are low growing and create brilliant blue mounds.
NATIONAL GARDENS SCHEME – LOCAL GARDENS OPEN FOR CHARITY
Friday 18 June: Shepherds Fold Garden,Wildwood,Stafford ST17 4SF is open 6.30-8.30. Also Yarlet House, Yarlet, Stafford ST18 9SU is open 2-5.
Sunday 20 June: Lightbounds,Wood Lane,Uttoxeter ST14 8BE is open 2-5; Silverwood, 16 Beechfield Road, Trentham ST4 8HG is open 2-5; and also 91 Tower Road, Mere Green B75 5EQ is open 1.30-5.30
Wednesday 23 June: Bankcroft Farm,Tatenhill DE13 9SA is open 2-5.
For more information visit www.ngs.org.uk
GARDEN SOCIETY NEWS & EVENTS - New members are always most welcome.
Lichfield City Gardening Guild members are meeting on Saturday 19 June for a Sausage Sizzle. Also on this date, Kings Bromley Gardening Guild members are visiting Hawkstone Hall & Garden and the Dorothy Clive Garden.
Yoxall Gardening Guild meets on Wednesday 23 June and is visiting Derek Higgot’s Secret Garden.
April 2010
Contain your excitement!
By Diana Muir, The Plant Plot garden nursery, Lichfield
May is an ideal time of year to plant up pots, hanging baskets and other containers for splashes of colour and added interest to your garden, driveways and pathways. In an age where recycling is a big issue for us all, how about potting your spring bulbs and bedding plants in more unusual containers this year?
Hanging baskets and pots are always popular - they can be moved so the situation suits their contents and are easy to put together and look after. They are extremely flexible and can be used for all sorts of planting from traditional flowering plants, ornamental greenery, spiky grasses to herbs and strawberries right the way through to tomatoes and potatoes!
Anything that will grow well in a pot will most likely flourish just as well in an old watering can, Wellington boot or lined basket. Unusual containers add interest and sometimes a touch of fun to a garden area and can bring areas to life. There have been sightings of really odd receptacles including old ceramic sinks, toilets, bathtubs and even a rowing boat! Ruttle, a business in Whittington, near Lichfield, that specialises in construction equipment plants up old digger parts for a lively display at its main gates.
So where do you look for unusual containers? A trawl of your shed, garage or loft may inspire you. We’ve come across all sorts of ideas from old tyres, terracotta pipes, wheelbarrows and barrels. A quick browse on the Internet unearthed a photo of 3 Heinz tomato soup cans filled with flowers – an image that makes you smile and looks really effective.
The Plant Plot offers its own, extremely popular recycling system whereby customers bring in their old hanging baskets to be refilled with plants and flowers in the colours of their choice. Eventually, even with the best linings, they do have to be replaced as they grow tatty after several seasons.
Probably one of the ultimate applications of unusual planting schemes has to be the concept of skip allotments. This is where people with limited land available actually plant up skips and use them as allotment space. A London based charitable organisation called Global Generation started a series of these opposite St Pancras Station with ‘generators’ – volunteer helpers from nearby schools. Each skip has wooden steps with raised beds built inside. You walk right into the skip and garden at a sensible height. The aim is to use the produce in a local restaurant and the canteen of the Guardian newspaper.
So why not think a little differently this year and start to look at objects that are destined for land-fill as an alternative vessel for a stunning flower display or as a practical container in which to grow this year’s vegetables?
Diana and Dave Muir own the Plant Plot garden nursery in Lichfield: www.theplantplot.com
March 2010Salad Days
By Diana Muir, The Plant Plot garden nursery, Lichfield
April is the ideal time to start thinking ahead to the long, lazy summer days where we enjoy salads and chilled glasses of wine sitting alfresco, tending the barbecue and watching butterflies dancing round the Buddlea. Well, OK it may not happen very often in the UK but we definitely tend to eat more salad as the weather gets milder.
During the summer months, there is nothing as tasty and so satisfying as eating fresh, home-grown salad, picked exactly at the time we need them, not left to wilt in the fridge a week after you bought them from the supermarket! What’s more, you know exactly how and where they’ve been grown. You can, of course, minimise the amount and types of chemicals you use and opt for more environmentally-friendly pest deterrents.
The types of salad you can plant now include celery, chilli peppers, lettuce, peppers, radish, spring onions and tomatoes. Add in a few salad vegetables such as minted peas, asparagus and beetroot and your salad mix will have an abundance of colour and crunch. Cucumber is best planted slightly later, in late Spring.
A variety of fresh, home-grown herbs are easy to grow and also excellent salad accompaniments, dramatically changing the flavour of your salad combination. They can also be used in the cooking of your other dishes all year round. Rosemary is especially hardy and will provide a bushy crop at any time of the year as well as a wonderful fragrance – plant along pathways and other places where people walk by so they can appreciate it too.
Tomatoes are an excellent introduction to the world of growing your own. At the Plant Plot garden nursery in Lichfield, they grow many varieties and encourage growing your own under a scheme called ‘GRO4U’. To help local gardeners, the Plant Plot has both a model allotment and a supervised area called ‘the Yellow Brick Road’ where customers can walk through and see produce being grown on-site.
Most people can find space to grow tomatoes as they thrive in all kinds of containers (or directly from grow bags) and can be positioned on a windowsill, in a covered porchway, conservatory or other sunny spot. When the weather is truly frost-free and warms up during the spring, they can be transferred outside. The aroma of home-grown tomatoes is wonderful and inspires many people to give it a go.
We all know salads are healthy and good for us but the actual reasons lie in how low calorie they are, the fact they are excellent sources of vitamins (including A, C and others) and that red and dark leafy greens are best of all with the highest levels of nutrients. Add the food benefits to the exercise you get whilst in the garden or greenhouse and you are well on your way to a very healthy lifestyle!
If you manage to plant and cultivate a good variety of crops, you’ll be enjoying lovely bowls of salad by July. Try it with the salad dressing suggested below – making your own means you can experiment with the amounts of the ingredients to suit your own palette.
The Best Salad Dressing
(recipe supplied by local company - Just Oil, Hill Ridware - suppliers of rapeseed oil to the Plant Plot)
1 level teaspoon English rock salt
1 clove garlic
1 rounded teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
6 tablespoons of extra virgin rapeseed oil
Use a pestle and mortar to crush the salt flakes, garlic and mustard powder together to form a smooth paste. Add the vinegar and oil and blend together. Store in a screwtop jar and shake well before use.
Diana and Dave Muir own the Plant Plot garden nursery in Lichfield: www.theplantplot.com
February 2010One potato, two potato, three potato… MORE!
By Diana Muir, The Plant Plot garden nursery, Lichfield
Charles Darwin, whose Grandfather Erasmus lived in Lichfield, said of the potato: "It is remarkable that the same plant should be found on the sterile mountains of Central Chile, where a drop of rain does not fall for more than six months, and within the damp forests of the southern islands."
This quote from Charles Darwin shows that the humble potato is an extremely adaptable plant and very easy to grow. There are 3 groups of potatoes – First Earlies, Second Earlies and Maincrop. As their names suggest, the first to be planted and harvested are First Earlies – normally planted in March, followed by Second Earlies in April and Maincrops in May. The later potatoes have better keeping qualities but there’s nothing quite as tasty as the Earlies, or ‘new’ potatoes.
The range of potato recipes must extend to hundreds from the simple fried chip to the more exotic, creamy, layered ‘Dauphinoise’. Search under potato recipes on Google and you get an astonishing 14 million pages of results! Little wonder then that potatoes grace UK dining tables on a regular basis in a variety of forms. Mashed, chipped, sliced, croquettes, roasted, the list is endless. However you can’t beat a freshly dug and prepared potato with a dot of butter and a sprinkling of parsley – what a treat! It also gives you a real buzz to know you have provided such a staple part of a meal for your family – kids will feel very important if they are let loose and allowed to grow them too.
Here’s a brief run-down on how to ‘grow your own’!
PLANTING
Before planting, it is advisable to start your potatoes off by growing shoots – this is called chitting. Set your seed potatoes out in egg boxes or seed trays containing 1” layer of dry peat or shredded newspaper and place them in a light, frost-free room. After a few weeks you will have some sturdy shoots – do not remove these shoots. Chitting is essential for Early varieties and recommended for Maincrop varieties. Prepare the ground for planting by incorporating some natural organic material or compost into the soil. Plant the chitted potatoes in a 5” trench, 12” to 15” apart and cover carefully with soil and make a low ridge over the planted row. The earth can be dressed with a high potash fertiliser after planting.
GROWING
When the shoots appear above the ground and are about 9” high, it is time to earth them up by carefully raking soil from either side of the ridge to produce a bigger ridge to almost cover the growth. This process is repeated 2 or 3 times during the growing season and prevents the tubers greening (green potatoes are poisonous) and is effective in controlling weeds. Water well in dry weather and spray with a fungicide such as Dithane or Bordeaux Mixture to control potato blight.
HARVESTING
Earlies are ready for harvesting about June to July time. Open flowers indicate that the first potatoes are ready – they should be about the size of hens’ eggs. Dig into the ridge carefully, well away from the main plant and lift the roots forward into the trench. Earlies do not keep well, so just dig up what you need and use immediately.
Maincrops take about 14 weeks to mature – allow for the plant to actually die back and then remove the foliage. Now leave the potatoes in the ground for a couple of weeks for the skin to set firm so that once the potatoes are dug up they can be left to dry out. Place them in a wooden box or hessian sack before storing in a dark, frost-free shed or garage.
When harvesting, always try and remove all potatoes, however small, as they will grow again next year.
Recommended potato types:
- First Earlies - Rocket & Home Guard
- Second Earlies - Maris Peer & Vivaldi
- Main crop - King Edward & Desiree
- Salad - Charlotte second early and International Kidney
( or Jersey Royal) main crop - Novelty - Pink Fir Apple (main crop) Shetland Black (2nd early)
- Good for containers - Carlingford 2nd early
For some inspiration on cooking your potatoes, we liked the website of the potato council – www.lovepotatoes.co.uk. There are some fun articles and ideas as well as nutritional advice.
Need help? If you need any guidance, please do ask at the Plant Plot – we’re on a crusade to get more people growing their own! Diana and Dave Muir own the Plant Plot garden nursery in Lichfield: www.theplantplot.com
January 2010The spice of life!
By Diana Muir, The Plant Plot garden nursery, Lichfield
February is the month of love, the spice of life. Valentine’s day brings us passion and excitement – all excellently encapsulated in the fire of the chilli pepper! For those of us who enjoy the edge a chilli pepper can add to our cooking, home-grown chillies can offer a broader range of flavour and intensity than shop bought ones.
Chillies come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colour from the well-known red, green and yellow varieties to the more unusual purple and brown ones. A really good website that lists all the different kinds of chilli, from the Jalapeno to the Scotch Bonnet, together with a guide to heat levels is www.chillipeppermadness.com.
It is important to handle chillies with care. The heat is mainly found in the seeds so very hot chillies sometimes are best de-seeded. Contact lens wearers need also be especially vigilant to minimise direct contact as handling lenses can result in the painful realisation that no amount of washing gets rid of the burning sensation for many hours afterwards. A handy tip is to soothe any burning with dairy products such as milk or yoghurt – ingredients often used to make Indian cuisine less spicy.
February is the ideal time to source chilli seeds and start them off in a heated greenhouse, in a propagator or on a warm windowsill. They do need some looking after and ideally benefit from being kept uniformly moist and at a steady temperature in a damped down greenhouse. From May time, they can be hardened off and planted in your vegetable patch although they will always do better in a greenhouse.
If you plan to grow your chilli plants outdoors, warm up the ground for a few weeks beforehand (using cloches or fleece) for better results. You should also choose a sheltered, sunny spot and include some multi purpose compost at the time of planting. They aren’t the hardiest of plants so keep an eye on them and cover them up when outside if the weather does get cold.
Watch out for the usual suspects when it comes to attack – slugs, snails and aphids. The red spider mite is also fond of snacking on chilli peppers so spray your plants with rainwater to deter these greedy pests. Use your preferred deterrents and always welcome the ladybird to your greenhouse as they are most definitely on your side and will offer a good course of natural control against these pests.
Water them regularly and include a very mild liquid feed once the flowers appear – tomato feed is ideal but use a much lower strength than is advised for tomatoes.
Chilli plants are attractive, have good strong green leaves and a display of white star shaped flowers – these flowers become the chillies in late summer.
You’ll know when your chillies are ready to pick as they’ll appear vibrant, full of colour and firm to the touch. If you pick them regularly, you’ll be rewarded with regular new chilli growth from the same plant. Use them fresh, dried or frozen. You can add a mix of chillies to a jar of olive oil to give it a great flavour – it also looks good too and makes a thoughtful and special gift, especially as the chillies are home-grown.
Once harvested, from July onwards, your chillies can be used in a whole host of ways, from a simple sweet chilli dipping sauce to curry flavouring, Chinese spare ribs, guacamole – the list is endless. A twist to the more delicate flavour of fish is to mix some finely chopped chilli with garlic, lime and olive oil when pan-frying monkfish, prawns and other tasty seafood. Use it sparingly though until you know the level of heat you (and your family) can tolerate and enjoy.
You could try to grow chillies next year from seeds saved from dried peppers you grow this year. Just collect the seeds, store them in a marked envelope in a cool dry place and plant next February.
So as you plan your vegetable plot or allotment and are wondering what to grow this year, why not try the more exotic chilli pepper for its colour and interest – both in the garden and in the kitchen.
November 2009Thinking of keeping chickens?
By Diana Muir, The Plant Plot garden nursery, Lichfield
Keeping chickens is a rising trend once more – the idea of having fresh eggs laid regularly in your own back garden is irresistible. As a nation we also have an increasing interest in the provenance of the food we eat and the carbon footprint we use to get it to our table. The nature and charisma of these birds also make them entertaining and rewarding family pets. Keeping hens is the whole package!
Looking after chickens is as complicated as you want to make it. On a basic level, they need somewhere to live and lay eggs – a purpose built hen house and attached run is ideal. This needs to be well-constructed and as predator-resistant as possible. This includes the chicken’s notorious enemy, the fox, but also badgers and rats too. There are many available to choose from to suit the space you have available and, of course, your budget. You could also consider the innovative eglu – a futuristic looking plastic hen house. It is ideal for the first-time owner and provides everything you need for 2 chickens to sleep and lay eggs.
Your chickens will need somewhere to roam and peck! This can be within their run or if you have a hard back yard area, you can hang up a cabbage or bunches of broccoli that will provide them with nutritious pecking balls. Ideally, a small area of land with shade, where they can wander and scratch in the dirt will be chicken heaven. Chickens will scratch around almost anywhere so it isn’t a good idea to let them roam openly round your garden unless you don’t care about the state of it! They love grass but be warned, it doesn’t last long!
You need to think about how many chickens you can keep. Most experts say 1 bird to every square metre, excluding the henhouse. Chickens like perches (branches make ideal perches) and need at least 8” each – this isn’t much as they do like to be close to each other! They keep warm by nestling close to each other and fluffing up their feathers. Battery hens will struggle to live outdoors as they won’t be used to the climate but free-range hens often sleep outdoors, even in winter.
You need to think carefully about the breeds of chicken you want to keep and talk to experts before you make your decision. Some pure breeds are showy and beautiful but not necessarily great layers whilst others may not look so impressive but fill their laying box regularly and without much hassle. Think ‘performance’ versus ‘looks’! Most hybrids will lay an egg a day except when they are moulting in late autumn. There are even clubs across the country dedicated to specific breeds so if there’s a particular chicken you fancy, you can find out a lot by visiting the club websites and reading up on their behaviour so you know what to expect.
There is no need to keep a cockerel unless you have very understanding neighbours, or better still, none at all! Chickens will lay very happily without a cockerel around.
Like most creatures, chickens need a good supply of clean, fresh water, changed regularly. Their food diet is made up of a combination of whatever they can forage for themselves – grass, worms and insects - together with special feed prepared specifically for laying hens – a mix of corn, layers mash or layers pellets and grit. Layers mash or pellets are made up of wheat, barley, oats and maize and preferably soya.
Chickens need regular attention - feeding every day, putting away when you aren’t there to check for predators and their eggs need collecting to keep them laying. They also need a clean pen and henhouse. It’s also a good idea to have a friendly neighbour who will be happy to look after them when you are on holiday.
In the Plant Plot’s model allotment, we have 2 good-sized chicken runs with a variety of hens. We chose most of our hens for their looks, not their laying prowess! We are enjoying them and their quirky behaviour enormously, not to mention the delicious eggs that we sell in the farm shop. They are certainly earning their keep.
Fresh eggs, fun pets, fairly low maintenance - you can see why keeping chickens is a revival that looks set to continue!
November 2009A Fruitful Pursuit
(Plant Plot article for Staffordshire Life)
This is a good time of year to plan for growing your own soft fruits and fruit trees but if you’re wondering what soft fruits can we grow successfully in the UK with our notorious lack of sunshine, you may be surprised to learn that there is a huge variety. The range includes: blueberries, rhubarb, redcurrants and whitecurrants, gooseberries and the more usual raspberries and strawberries. There are, of course, more unusual soft fruits such as kiwi, quince and mulberry.
You can buy and plant up to the middle of December and again in the Spring between February and April when the soil isn’t at it coldest.
Most fruit likes a sunny, sheltered position in soil that never either dries out or gets waterlogged. If your soil is very sandy or heavy clay, dig in lots of bulky organic matter such as garden compost before planting. This improves sandy soil’s ability to hold water and nutrients and opens up heavy soil so the roots can penetrate more easily.
Try and buy some of the hardier disease resistant plant varieties that are available if possible. If you don’t like the thought of chemicals to protect your bushes, you could try a natural spray or you’ll have to be extra vigilant in your care of them once the temperatures start to rise.
Diana Muir, owner of Lichfield’s Plant Plot nursery is a keen advocate of growing your own and making the most of any outdoor space you have. “You can grow practical plants like these in your borders among decorative flowers and bushes” she explained. “The tradition in separating your allotment from your main garden is simply not necessary and often, not practical either”.
You can grow your soft fruits against a wall (for extra warmth) or with the aid of canes to provide some structure and support. You can also make use of tubs and other smaller containers such as hanging baskets.
The Plant Plot has designed its own chart to show what produce can be planted and harvested throughout the year – this can be downloaded from their website (www.theplantplot.com). You can get more information from the products themselves also – most come with planting instructions – or by asking someone knowledgeable in the garden centre.
By growing your own fruit, you’ll save money, enjoy freshly picked goodness and have an amazing choice of options when faced with your pile of fresh berries! From delicious puds to home-made jams and sauces, fresh berries are extremely versatile. There’s something very satisfying about growing and preparing food yourself and you couldn’t source it any more locally than from your own back garden!
October 2009Living off the land
(Plant Plot article for Staffordshire Life)
The Plant Plot garden centre in Lichfield has really taken the concept of ‘grow your own’ to heart by totally transforming a piece of bleak, unused land (just under an acre) situated behind the nursery into a ‘model allotment’ to inspire and encourage the general public to get the bug and see how easy it is to grow your own food from scratch.
Dave Muir, owner of the Plant Plot, believes it is genuinely possible to live off the land, particularly if you have a big enough plot. “Whist it is true that you can grow your own food no matter what size of land you have available, it is easier and possible to grow your core food - a range of soft fruits, vegetables and herbs - if you have a reasonable size space available to you. With the addition of chickens for eggs you really could become self-sufficient” he explained.
However the point of the Plant Plot’s model allotment is to show the scope of what can be achieved no matter what size plot you have. For those with just small pots or a window box, it is possible to grow a few good herbs for a fresh, daily addition to cooking. It is cheaper than buying them from the supermarkets and they can be available all year round with some careful planning.
For those with limited space, tomatoes can be grown in grow bags and potatoes in barrels very easily. Moving on from this level, you can introduce runner beans, a whole host of summer berries and root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips and beetroot. At the next level, using a greenhouse and potting shed until the weather gets warmer, you can grow cucumbers and peppers.
It is important to know what you can plant at different times of the year. Clever gardeners will have a continuous cycle of a variety of seasonal crops being planted and harvested so they can enjoy different produce all year round. At this time of year you can start to plan your winter vegetables: cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts, onion sets, leeks and even garlic.
The Plant Plot has designed its own chart to show what produce can be planted and harvested throughout the year – this can be downloaded from their website (www.theplantplot.com). It is well worth considering the types of food you buy and assessing whether you have the space to grow them instead.
“Growing your own isn’t just about saving money” commented Diana Muir. “It is about better tasting, seasonal food that you know where it has come from. It’s also great exercise and extremely satisfying.”
The allotment is now doing so well that they’ve even started selling what they’ve grown in the farm shop here - how about that for low carbon footprint from farm to shop!
The Plant Plot’s allotment now includes a potting shed, greenhouse, raised beds, seating areas, chickens, an orchard and even a golf putting area! It will continue to be developed over the next year and it is hoped that a group of volunteers will help with its upkeep soon - rewarded by fresh produce of course!
So whether you are considering growing a few easy veggies or going the whole hog and living ‘the good life’, get digging and give it a go!