This week I cover structure and ground cover in the garden, floral diversity in January, the benefits of looking and learning, testing seeds for viability and more
No flowers in my garden yet. We've still got at least 2 more months of winter here on the Canadian prairies. I would like some native crocuses in the front flower garden to give pollinators some early food, but this year we're focusing on just expanding the total number of flowers throughout the summer for pollinators.
Yeah, I should have tested my 7 year old chilli seeds ah, well, we’ll see if they show! 🙂 My Mt Aso willow is just starting to open, it’s pink catkins, so lovely.
Ah, no walls in my garden 😕 I may tray propagating this year, as it should be easy to do. I am TRYING to grow a short clematis through it for summer interest, sot sure how well that is going yet, lol.
Willows should be easy - I had some red stemmed willow rooting in the vase over christmas - I couldn't bear to throw them away so put them in ground! re the clematis will look good once it gets away. Nice idea.
Those are great suggestions Katherine - thank you. I had completely forgotten about the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) - I used to have one in my garden in Frensham in Surrey - its one of the those plants that brings back memories of the Botanic Gardens in Cambridge where I first ate the fruits. That is def. on my list and thanks so much for the suggestion.
Have you tasted Arbutus honey? - its one of those honeys that are a bit of an acquired taste, bitter and quite antiseptic but full of phenolic acids (antioxidants)
My snowdrops are already out! And I saw a daffodil the other day, in the local park. (NW England).
Just noticed your planned talk "Coping with Droughts and Flooding in your Garden", I would like to add to your ideas for that. My allotment is on a slope so it copes with standard rainfall very well. What I have done though is dig hugulkultur beds (rather than raised mounds). These are about 3' deep, with logs and branches at the bottom, then alternating layers of leaves, grass cuttings, compost, with a final layer of woodchip on top (when I can get it).
So if there was an excess of surface water running down the hill, it would flow into the trenches through all the mulch layers, and stay there, thereby slowing the flow of water down the hill, and preventing soil run-off.
In droughts it acts like any other mulched bed, and holds moisture in.
I did an experiment once at a local community garden, which had low beds. Mine were all mulched, whereas neighbouring beds were bare soil as is far too common. I think it was 2018, when we had a long dry spell. My beds were still moist 6 weeks into the drought, whereas the nearby ones were all dry and cracked like crazy paving.
Thanks Mark - great to read about hugelkultur on a slope - really useful example - do you have any photos I could include in the talk? - I find they are brilliant in summer too
I also wanted to add a couple of trees for your winter garden list. Daphne for amazing fragrance and flowers now. And strawberry tree for flowers in late autumn - winter (so popular with late bumble bees in my garden); berries for the birds in winter and the evergreen dense foliage for shelter. It's such a do gooder for wildlife.
Love that you’ve managed to germinate 15yo sweet pea seeds! Always worth trying those old packets.
Absolutely - nothing to lose
No flowers in my garden yet. We've still got at least 2 more months of winter here on the Canadian prairies. I would like some native crocuses in the front flower garden to give pollinators some early food, but this year we're focusing on just expanding the total number of flowers throughout the summer for pollinators.
Thats a good starting point!
Yeah, I should have tested my 7 year old chilli seeds ah, well, we’ll see if they show! 🙂 My Mt Aso willow is just starting to open, it’s pink catkins, so lovely.
Mt Aso is so pretty - I see it in a friends garden and it looks delightful against a wall.
Ah, no walls in my garden 😕 I may tray propagating this year, as it should be easy to do. I am TRYING to grow a short clematis through it for summer interest, sot sure how well that is going yet, lol.
Willows should be easy - I had some red stemmed willow rooting in the vase over christmas - I couldn't bear to throw them away so put them in ground! re the clematis will look good once it gets away. Nice idea.
Those are great suggestions Katherine - thank you. I had completely forgotten about the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) - I used to have one in my garden in Frensham in Surrey - its one of the those plants that brings back memories of the Botanic Gardens in Cambridge where I first ate the fruits. That is def. on my list and thanks so much for the suggestion.
Have you tasted Arbutus honey? - its one of those honeys that are a bit of an acquired taste, bitter and quite antiseptic but full of phenolic acids (antioxidants)
My snowdrops are already out! And I saw a daffodil the other day, in the local park. (NW England).
Just noticed your planned talk "Coping with Droughts and Flooding in your Garden", I would like to add to your ideas for that. My allotment is on a slope so it copes with standard rainfall very well. What I have done though is dig hugulkultur beds (rather than raised mounds). These are about 3' deep, with logs and branches at the bottom, then alternating layers of leaves, grass cuttings, compost, with a final layer of woodchip on top (when I can get it).
So if there was an excess of surface water running down the hill, it would flow into the trenches through all the mulch layers, and stay there, thereby slowing the flow of water down the hill, and preventing soil run-off.
In droughts it acts like any other mulched bed, and holds moisture in.
I did an experiment once at a local community garden, which had low beds. Mine were all mulched, whereas neighbouring beds were bare soil as is far too common. I think it was 2018, when we had a long dry spell. My beds were still moist 6 weeks into the drought, whereas the nearby ones were all dry and cracked like crazy paving.
Thanks Mark - great to read about hugelkultur on a slope - really useful example - do you have any photos I could include in the talk? - I find they are brilliant in summer too
I can take some, and have old photos, but no idea how to get them to you :) Substack is a new environment for me.
I have direct messaged you
I also wanted to add a couple of trees for your winter garden list. Daphne for amazing fragrance and flowers now. And strawberry tree for flowers in late autumn - winter (so popular with late bumble bees in my garden); berries for the birds in winter and the evergreen dense foliage for shelter. It's such a do gooder for wildlife.
Thanks for the idea to check seed viability first - it seems kind of unsurprising that this works, but I have never thought of it!
Thanks - Its a quick and easy, saves the time and space having to pot up seeds which then fail.
I will certainly do this - I have a nice collection of seeds from previous years that are officially "expired"!
It could be quite useful from a genetic diversity point of view to mix in seeds saved from different harvests