TITCHMARSH
The stylish woven material works wonders in any weather
Available in all good retailers
THERE is one thing you need more than any other at this time of year in a garden and that is somewhere to sit. Oh, I know if you’re a keen gardener then you’ll never have time for that, and I am as guilty as the next at not being able to perch for long before I see a faded flower that needs dead-heading.
But when you walk out into the spring sunshine with your cup of tea or coffee, it’s nice to have somewhere to plonk your bottom, and you really will be able to drink in the view at mealtimes if you have chairs and a table.
So, if you have always promised yourself a decent set of patio furniture, get down to the garden centre
These days more people than ever are growing tomatoes outdoors, and in a good summer they’ll usually produce four trusses of ripe fruit, which pans out at roughly 5-6lb of tomatoes per plant.
But here in Britain, outdoor tomatoes are at the northernmost limit of their growing range, and since you can’t rely on our weather, it pays to take a few – it’s a great time to invest, since there are lots of offers and the summer is all ahead of you.
The first thing to do is to measure up your space. It is no use thinking precautions to guarantee a bumper crop.
The first thing is to choose the right varieties. It may sound obvious but avoid greenhouse ones as these need the extra warmth that comes from growing under glass. So check the small print and make sure your plants include the magic word “outdoors”.
Also, it pays to check the habit that a 4ft table and four chairs will fit on a 6ft square patio. They will when you put them down, but as soon as someone pulls a chair out, they will fall over the edge.
It follows that, if you are making a patio or terraced sitting area, you should bear this in mind.
Tables and chairs take up more room than you think. In our house (and garden) I always go for shapely and well-designed furniture, and while Mrs T and I have similar tastes in that respect, she sensibly sets comfort on an equal footing.
For this reason, by far the best bet is all-weather wicker. This is not natural wicker, but a synthetic product that looks like woven wicker and can be left of growth. Cordon (aka indeterminate) tomatoes are the sort grown under glass since the upright habit saves space. These varieties have one main stem that needs supporting with a cane or string tied up to an overhead hook. They also need to have their side shoots removed.
When grown outdoors, cordon varieties (which out in all weathers – even in winter. The great delight is it almost always comes with soft cushions (Mrs T’s particular pleasure) and it is only these that need to be taken in and sheltered from rain at the end of each day.
Cleaning is simply a matter of going over furniture with a hosepipe and scrubbing brush once a year, to remove green algae, and you’ll occasionally have to sponge off the odd bit of bird mess.
You can find a range of ultra-modern cubic designs and softer, more rounded forms to suit any garden, and once you have flopped down in your new chair, you will wonder why you did not invest sooner.
ADVICE ON PLANTING
PERFECT YOUR POTS