Feeling the climate

Dogwood Midwinter Fire

It’s been a hot one! Early in the month I was drawn into the garden by irrepressible sunshine and got absolutely loads done. I had a pictorial record of beds cleared, compost laid, biennials planted (well, 9 wallflowers – an impulse buy whilst getting paint at Homebase) and the last beans, courgettes and tomatoes harvested. Took soft-wood rose cuttings, planted out the hydrangea cuttings that had been rooted in a jar of water and and made my first batch of apple rings (of more later). Then my graphix card corrupted so no pictures and no blog. Disaster! However a trip to 02’s guru then a short wait for a new chip got me up and running again but completely out of synch with these written meanderings. What would have been two busy October posts is now condensed into one.  Oh dear (sighs heartfeltedly), the tyranny of blogging.  Still, redeemed myself a bit with a shot of this dogwood...

I had fully expected to see the final demise of half hardies but we’re two days short of November and the nasturtiums and calendular are still glowing and I have a superb specimen of a fairly common variegated fuchsia (magellanica gracilis. By the way, came across an interesting historical link about fuchsias...). Its arching branches against Sedum “Autumn Glow”

Sedum 'Autumn Glow'

Artemesia, ajuga and also a tiny viola
make a fab combination

make this an unexpectedly pretty combination. (Talking about combinations, I came across this one as I was retrieving some apple windfalls. Sometimes it’s only when you get up close and personal with the garden that you see things you would otherwise miss. I have a tiny alpine artemesia which pops through a spreading chocolate-leaved ajuga. Fab.) Oops, digressing a bit... There is no doubt that our climate is changing. The worrying thing is that it is so perceivable. Climate fluctuations (as opposed to weather) are usually long term and as such imperceptible, but it would take the most determined climate change deniers to refuse to accept the issue. They should take a look at the RHS book written as long ago as 2007 “How to Garden in a Changing Climate”( see below and for other climate related gardening titles) and after the last two hard winters the RHS are also in the process of reclassifying plant hardiness as a result of their recent survey.

Anyhooo... apple rings. Being a total fan of Alys Fowler I was looking forward to making dried apple rings to store for wintry cheese-and-biscuit delight just like wot she did in one of her Edible Garden programmes. So I cored about 5lb of apples cut thinly, dipped in lemon juice, placed on a scrubbed bamboo stick and placed in a window... where after a whole week of damp languor the rot set in. Clearly they needed to be dried more quickly. Another 5lb of apples were similarly treated but placed on baking sheets in the oven, gas mark hardly anything. 8 hours later and the rings were still damp (though it must be said cooked to perfection).  So... if anyone is reading this and if you have any advice on drying apples please post a comment.

Too late now really for me to overwinter some veg. I just didn’t manage to get round to it. Too hasty and so less tasty next spring. Part of the problem is that my neck of the woods has a more-than-average snail population. Not to put too fine a point on it, at night after a rainfall I'll simply be crunching my way down the drive they're that bad. So am going to trial a garlic spray come the spring. Saw something on Gardeners World about this. The recipe of the spray is here in case the link becomes redundant.

1 x Bulb Garlic
1 x Litre of water

Crush the garlic bulb, add to the water + boil for 5 minutes. After cooling, strain the liquid and store in the fridge. Dilute the solution 1 tablespoon per litre and spray the plants and surrounding soil.

I know there is a similar spray using chillies but not being a fan of painful food I have a more natural inclination to go the garlic route.

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Recommended Reading from the Radish Webstore:

RHS New Gardening: How to Garden in a Changing Climate
Gardening in a Changing Climate by Ambra Edwards
The Dry Gardening Handbook: Plants and Practices for a Changing Climate by Oliver Filippi
The No-Nonsense Guide to Climate Change by Danny Chivers

Decay and the New

Everything decays.  Everything.  I think the scientists and philosophers call it entropy.  That's why it takes so much energy to keep it all going.  Gosh - a bit deep.  Anyway today decided to use my energy on two things.  (Always best else would get overwhelmed with all the things to do).  Spent a good half hour on taking hardwood rose cuttings and then brushing up leaves to use for leafmould next year on the fruit bushes.

Brother Cadfael

I have to admit it was Monty Don that reminded me of how to do them.  Back in the day it would be a garden centre visit but those are past.  No reason why I can't grow my own roses and I have two I'm particularly fond of.  Ballerina is a prolific shrub rose - you often see it at the roadside as it's as tough as boots but very pretty.  Its only downside is it doesn't have much perfume.  Second one has perfume in spades and it can grow pretty tall - it's a cultivar from the fabulous Brother Cadfael from David Austen. I have it peeping through in between a large conifer and a laurel and it is about 8ft tall.  (If you give them something to climb up they will, even though their height is usually described as much less).

Any way as my mate Monty will tell you (I lie, never met him), you just find a large shoot, preferably one that hasn't flowered and you cut it into bits: bottom bit below a bud and the top bit above.  Top bit has to be slanted and the bottom straight so you know the difference and the top doesn't rot off.   He puts it in grit in a small trough in a nursery bed. I just stick it in spare ground in what is known as the sink or swim method.  Potentially I've got 6 roses to plant next October. 

The next job...collecting leaves.  Not all of them because of the hoggies and creatures that want to make homes in them under benches etc., but enough for about 3 bags.  Bit early yet as still waiting for a good leaf fall but when it happens out will come a few sacks and ventilated bin bags. Will water the leaves then tie up for a year. Hopefully this will stop me having to buy barkchips to go under the fruit. 

Locked up the garage after the half hour and couldn't resist taking this picture.  It felt like I was walking under an arch of lollipops.  My apple tree has been identified by my friend and apple fiend Ronnie as Bell de Boskhoop.  It was planted as a Spartan (like them sweet and crisp).  Instead it turned into this giant with canonball apples that are a tad tart for my pallette.  Still they make fab apple sauce when unripe and I'm learning to live with it.  The French, apparently, consider it a delicacy... and these lollipops look great.

Recommended Reading from the Webstore
Grow Your Own Winter Food by Linda Gray
The Garden Organic Guide to Making Compost by Pauline Pears

Beginnings

I was in my garden one morning and was struck by the very little amount of time I spend in it and yet it seemed to be doing everything I want it to do. It has to be both low maintenance and productive in equal proportion - hasty and tasty. Bearing in mind I live a more-than-averagely busy life and given that this website is largely dedicated to ideas of a green persuasion, this page might provide me with the inspiration to keep going and some readers with inspiration to start something. So with this reasonably immodest premise here goes...

18th Sept 2011

Was urged into the garden by the sunlight giving me an invitation I just couldn't refuse. Being recently semi-retired and on a fixed income (unless Radish was to suddenly provide me with a reasonable living) it dawned on me that my frequent visits to expensive garden centres had to stop. Therefore decided that sowing seeds had to be the cheapest way forward so this particular patch was reserved for a scattering of annuals, my usual planting of half a dozen cut and come again lettuces and three runner bean plants historically provided by my next door neighbour. Lettuces finished too early - didn't cut them enough due to being at the caravan for three weeks in August. Runner beans late but a success - still cutting them after giving them a drenching to encourage more flowers before the first frosts - but the annuals were a complete bust! However, to see this picture you wouldn't think it! Obviously some errant nasty-tershums set unexpected seed and filled the gaps. Anyway, did a bit of a clean up, popped some stale bread on the squirrel table in the hope that the birds get there first. Talking about creatures, got a bee/bug box from Wiggly Wigglers. It's an expensive do, so gave youngest offspring their catalogue from which to choose a Crimble present for me.  Good choice and the colour is fab. Can't say I've seen much creaturely signs yet but that could be because I couldn't even see the box until  cut away some of next door's viburnum that had covered it up completely.

Courgettes are still going strong. I only ever have two plants as they are prolific and am not very good with gluts. Have decided to pop one into a gap in the front garden next year - not so much because of the fruit but the leaves are actually really attractive and would make a good structural contrast with a non-berrying and fairly boring holly. Well it's either that or a rather nice hosta...Have got to revitalise my fruit patch next. Waited for my goosegogs to ripen and my decision to harvest them coincided with some blackbirds who had the same idea (mental note, is netting safe? Investigate.) Also apples. Have got an idea to fence off the 'annual patch' with step-over apples and cherries. Will keep you posted.

Recommended reading from the Webstore:

The Edible Garden by Alys Fowler
Grow Your Own Food Reading List on the Radishwebstore