YOUR GARDEN
MAKE THE MOST OF THIS
FINE WEATHER AND SHAKE OFF LOCKDOWN LETHARGY BY GETTING STUCK INTO SOME OUTDOOR JOBS
YOUR garden is your haven, now more than ever. If we are lucky enough to have a plot behind our house, it’s a place where we can feel secure and to an extent continue to have social contact with neighbours by chatting over the garden fence at a distance.
A reassuring voice can do wonders and let you know that we’re all in this together.
So what does lockdown mean for us gardeners? Let’s call it cocooning. It means staying safe and only going outside for essentials. Even though we can’t visit garden centres and nurseries, there is plenty of work to be getting on with.
The rain and winds have been replaced for many by sun, and all of a sudden pots and containers will need watering. I have lots of them with tulips growing away but I was surprised how dried out the compost was so they got a soaking from a watering can.
Sap is rising, blossoms are bursting and bulbs are flowering. Examine what you have in the shed in terms of plant feed and give a little liquid boost to pots and containers so they will be at their brightest. Cupboard bare? You can make great home-made liquid feed from steeping nettles or comfrey in water.
You might not have used many of your garden tools over winter and some may require cleaning, particularly any cutting tools such as secateurs, loppers or shears.
Clean sharp cuts are much less likely to cause damage or disease to your plants.
If, like most gardeners, you occasionally leave your secateurs outside because you temporarily mislaid them, they might be a bit rusty. An easy solution here is to soak them overnight in a solution of vinegar and water (or cola). The next morning, use a wire scouring pad or some scrunched up tinfoil and scrub away the rust.
Rinse off and rub in a bit of oil as lubricant and they will be as good as new. Worn blades can be sharpened with a whetstone.
It’s a great time to catch weeds before they start flowering and spreading. Young weeds can be easy to grab in a couple of fingers – just yank them out.
I spent a very satisfying half hour yesterday taking out dandelions which were establishing in the soft compost of my potted roses.
Mind you, the Geraniums palmatum has seeded everywhere and so have foxgloves, and I’m going to leave them to grow wherever they want so the look of my garden might be haphazard this year!
I will move some of the many Echium pininana seedlings as they are sprouting everywhere and blocking pathways – they’re easy enough to move when they are still small.
I’m going to give the paving on the terrace around the house a good scrub using some Jeyes fluid, and trim off the dead flowerheads of my hydrangeas.
The bamboo in the ground thrives on a
good watering from mid-March so I do plenty of soaking them.
Start planning what you can do with children in the garden at home.
Why not dig over a little patch outside in preparation for your children to sow a mini wildflower garden?
Alternatively, get them started on germinating sunflower seeds or nasturtiums which are easy as can be.
Many nurseries, garden centres and online retailers are still delivering plants, seeds and equipment, and it’s a great way to support them through this tough period.
To help with your garden requirements during this challenging time I’m going online every day, through my Instagram feed, for an hour answering questions and talking to gardeners from around the world about how they are getting on through this emergency. Find me @diarmuidgavin between 7 and 8pm each weekday evening and 11am on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
I spent a very satisfying half hour yesterday taking out dandelions which were establishing in the soft compost of my potted roses.