End of the road for motor fairs?
Gale-proof your plot for winter and start looking forward to spring
TIME to say au revoir to the traditional motor show? With the Paris event starting next week, this once unthinkable question is being asked, particularly in the wake of significant ‘no shows’ at one of Europe’s largest motor fairs.
The big French manufacturers — Peugeot, Citroen and Renault — will, of course, be there to fly the Tricolore in a showcase for Gallic pride, just as the Germans strut their industrial might a t Frankfurt every other year.
As a sign of the hightech times, Peugeot is unveiling a new prototype, retro-styled, all- electric, self- driving car, the e-Legend.
Stylistically, it’s a modern twist on the classic Sixties 504 coupe, but with a step towards a driverless car in which you can stow away the steering wheel and read a magazine while the car does all the work.
The new Peugeot 508 SW estate and plugin hybrid petrol engines will also have their world premiere.
DS, the PeugeotCitroen’s standalone marque, unveils the DS3 Crossback hatchback costing from about £ 21,000, along with a fully electric ETense version with a range of 200 miles.
But among the big names not turning up in Paris this year are: Ford, Nissan, VW, Volvo, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Jeep, Mazda, Mini, Aston Martin, Rolls- Royce, Bentley and Mitsubishi. And other marques are being represented by local dealers, rather than the manufacturer. This is not a one- off blip, but a growing trend. The last rites were said over the British Motor Show some years back.
In this internet age, it’s felt only tyrekickers, who rarely buy, go to shows while major car manufacturers prefer to hold their own exclusive events.
RECENT gales were a brutal reminder that summer is over. Even in less badly affected areas, branches were ripped off trees and border plants smashed — some of the late ones barely into flower.
The worst casualties in our garden were summer containers. Pots were broken, plants ripped apart and my beautiful pelargonium collection trashed.
After summer storms, tender plants recover quickly. But in September, growth is slow and there isn’t time for them to bounce back. So it’s best to clear the show and plant for spring.
Annuals such as French marigolds would soon die anyway and can be discarded. But tender perennials such as fuchsias, heliotropes and my poor darling pelargoniums live for years. They’ll need to be over-wintered frost free, of course. A greenhouse or conservatory is best, but you can keep some on windowsills and could risk near hardy varieties in a cold frame.
SALVAGE CROCKS
IF GALES left you with smashed terracotta, don’t throw it away. Flower pot fragments are ideal for drainage, if laid at the bottom of a container. Crushed terracotta is also good mixed into potting compost as it helps to create an open structure, which suits Alpines and succulents.
CHECK TREES
IF YOU have tall trees, it’s worth checking that they’re still sound. Look especially for signs of roots having moved or new cracks in the ground beneath branches. If you’re concerned, seek advice from a tree surgeon.
Check ties on young trees and make sure the roots are firmly in place. Trunks are naturally flexible and grow stronger when bent to and fro in the wind. So fix the ties about 60cm from the ground on short stakes.
Prune broken branches on shrubs, making a clean cut.
STORM ALERT
LEARN from plants which have been seriously damaged from storms in a particular spot. In small areas, planting a single evergreen shrub — a dense conifer, perhaps — could reduce exposure. Where damage has been bad, think about changing your design. A new hedge or screen could transform your garden’s environment. Choose wind- quelling evergreens such as yew or holly, or for seaside gardens, Griselinia.
PICK PLANTS WISELY
THROUGHOUT my garden, perennials with standing power include heleniums, mid-height asters, tall sedums, phloxes and penstemons. Grasses — even tall bendy ones — look fine, too.
Among shrubs, those with flexible stems have done better than rigid plants. Philadelphus, thicket-forming viburnums such as V. farreri and forsythias have come through unhurt. But witch hazels, camellias and small maples need shelter.
PUT BULBS IN
TO EASE disappointment after the storm, why not look forward to spring. Tulips and other bulbs are still on sale. You can also buy winter pansies, forget-me-nots, primroses and wallflowers.
All those plants thrive in containers. They’re also lovely as spring bedding or mixed informally among other plants.
No doubt we’ll have more gales. But your spring bulbs will be safely in the ground. Spring bedding plants are also geared to tolerate bad weather.
Be sure to dead-head your winter-blooming pansies and violas and they’ll flower right through until after Easter.