Friday Gardening Group: Friday 11th October 2013

'The miraculous power of gardening: it evokes tomorrow, it is eternally forward looking, it invites plans and ambitions, creativity,expectation........Gardening defies time; you labour today in the interests of tomorrow; you think in seasons to come, cutting down the border this autumn but with spring in your mind's eye.' ( from Penelope Lively's Ammonites & Leaping Fish: A life in Time as profiled in the Guardian and read to the group by Julia).

With those inspirational thoughts in our heads we went on to discuss biennials.Biennials have a life cycle that normally takes 2 years to complete, growing leaves in the first year and flowering in the second. Biennials are often used to fill a gap in the gardening year after tulips and alliums are over. They can often be identified by having leaves growing in a rosette - most familiar biennials are foxgloves, forget me nots or echiums. Seeds for biennial plants can be sown in May, June or July and planted out in early autumn.

Wallflowers (Erysimum) are often viewed as biennials but are actually short lived perennials and they tend to be dug up after flowering as they can get too untidy. Wallflowers are part of the cabbage (Brassicaceae} family and are excellent plants to have in gardens by the sea as they tolerate saline conditions. Bridge suggests buying pots of wallflowers now rather than bare rooted plants and dividing up the plant and potting on into smaller pots. These can then be planted in the garden when they have developed good roots during Nov, they like a sunny or partially shady border to do well. In the Garden House these will be planted alongside tulip bulbs as part of the plan for a red border for next year.

Tulips don’t need to be planted until late October or November. The colder temperatures help to wipe out viral and fungal diseases that may infect the bulbs.

Plant ident:

Rosa Gloria Mundi - a small red, repeat flowering shrub rose that would be good in a container
Rosa 'Suma' - a prostrate, spreading rose that works well planted so it can hang over a wall
Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' ( Smoke bush)- a bushy deciduous shrub which grows to 5m - it has deep purple leaves that become redder in autumn and large feathery pink inflorescences in summer. Grow in well drained soil in sun or partial shade
Kniphofia 'Bees Lemon' - a frost hardy red hot poker that is not so dominated by leaves as other pokers. It has deep green grass type leaves and prefers moist but well drained soil in sun or part shade. It flowers in late summer and early autumn. Kniphofias are native to Africa.

Kniphofia 'Bees Lemon'

Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'

Compost

We had further discussion about what should be put into compost heap. All weeds should be kept separate and put in bin in front of the house as compost heap does not get hot enough to kill the seeds, but top herbaceous growth and cut up woody growth can be put into compost heap. There is a separate leaf bin as deciduous leaves break down slower.

Activities in the garden this week

Putting in posts to support the raspberry canes
Lawn care
Taking cuttings of tender perennials
Pricking out wallflowers
Sowing more hardy annual seeds and pricking out and potting on ones that have been sown earlier - they need a set of true leaves before they are ready for pricking out
Sorting out plants in the cold frame, refreshing display of plants in front of garden room