Weeds, shoots & leaves
02/03/2007
At last February has arrived after a seemingly endless January; and, as the nights get lighter, the month heralds the start of much activity for us gardeners.
And it's just as well the nights are lighter and longer - there's so much work to be done. In fact it seems that every part of the garden is screaming out for attention - the lawn needs trimming, aerating and feeding; crops and flowers need sowing; and the herbaceous perennials can be divided to provide more plants. Shrubs need pruning, beds need digging... it seems endless doesn't it? But investing all this work now pays dividends later in the season when you harvest the fruits of your labour.
It's also a really good idea to try to tackle the weeds now, before they really get a hold. There's no need to make it an arduous task. Just try to spend a little time each day so that the job doesn't become too strenuous, and dare I say it - boring (can't say it's my favourite job). Hopefully by the time your crops and flowers are coming up, there will be less competition from weed growth.
In my garden the daffodils are about to bloom - thanks mainly to the very mild winter - but all too soon they will be over and I'll be looking forward to the summer-flowering bulbs. Of course the optimum time to plant summer-flowering bulbs is late autumn but many will put on a show this year if they are planted within the next few weeks. I have planted Alliums (a particular favourite of mine) in March and they have provided flowers in the same summer.
Alliums have been in fashion in the last few years featuring at Chelsea and many other Garden Shows. Although available in a white variety the purple variety has been the most popular colour on display. The pom-pom like flowers are easily recognisable atop a single stem which makes them stand out proudly in any garden. They range in height from about 20cms to 1 metre and the flower head is proportionate to the height. They like well drained, fertile soil in sun. Alliums will put on a great show in your garden but you will find a great variety of summer flowering bulbs for sale at nurseries and garden centres right now. And if you are quick and plant them in the next few weeks you should get a summer display.
DIY stores are not my favourite places to buy plants but I've noticed that some of the bigger chains are offering collections of colour themed summer flowering bulbs. Colour theming a garden may sound a bit twee but it does give a garden, especially a small garden, a sense of unity and design.
Plants grown in blocks of colour have much more impact than sporadically planted schemes and provide a ready matched bunch of flowers for the house. Of course, you don't need to buy ready-made collections from DIY stores. It is a very simple matter to buy matching colours from any source. Just decide on your colour scheme and stick with it. You'll soon find out what works and you can change what doesn't when you plant out the bulbs again next year.
Remember that colour works in the garden in a similar way to colour used indoors. Darker colours tend to advance and cooler colours tend to recede. Using cool blue colours at the end of a border tends to distance it and make it appear longer. Dark red advances and appears nearer.
That's it from me for this month, I must dash - I've got a lot to do you know!
Image: Martyn Davies