My gardening diary
MONDAY Fresh herbs are at a premium during the winter and though they’re easier to germinate and grow faster during the summer, we’re trying several. We’ll grow most of them in the cold greenhouse. If it works it will be a treat to harvest chervil, coriander, dill and parsley when we need them.
TUESDAY There’s so much weeding to do, it’s hard to know where to start. As each bed is declared a weed-free zone, at least for now, mulch is laid thickly on the beds. We still have quantities of properly broken down leaf mould, compost and some well-ro ed dung, too.
WEDNESDAY Digging the last of the dahlias from beds and large containers. They’re going into big pots, packed round with old compost and plonked into the tunnel for their winter vacation. They’ll only be watered, and even then very lightly, if the compost is becoming powdery.
THURSDAY In Alice’s garden we planted a li le flowering cherry, prunus ‘Hally Jolive e’. It’s one of the pre iest trees imaginable in spring with frilly, pink and white flowers. It flowered well this spring but there was some die-back on a few of the weaker branches. We’re cu ing them back, although they should have been pruned in early summer to avoid silver-leaf.
FRIDAY We missed the boat with our garlic last autumn so we’re planting some now, but we’re pu ing each clove into an individual module compartment. Our heavy soil’s too wet at present, so we’ll plant them out on li le ridges.
SATURDAY Seeds of hesperis, foxgloves, sweet Williams and wallflowers didn’t get sown this July. Rather than sowing them outside when we should have done, we’re experimenting with sowing them now, very sparingly, in seed trays.
SUNDAY Trying to decide where to plant out all the narcissi! Narcissus ‘Petrel’ will probably go into Alice’s garden. In late April, there’s li le competition and their foot-high stems, each bearing two or three white flowers, are highly visible and a pure delight!