May week 1

Rhubarb beds looking towards vegetable garden

One of the most important but so often neglected steps in good gardening is planning. A friend contacted me the other day to say “I’ve dug a area of ground to put plants in. What work should I do with the soil?” So I asked, “What’s plants are going in?” Emmmm I don’t know, Nice things”. Was the response.

Before you undertake any task in the garden or buy nice plants, take an hour or two in an evening and just plan. Look at photographs of other gardens/vegetable gardens, see what you like, what you don’t and use that as your first steps to decide what your going to create. This will give you the basic plan you will need to get started. Too often we go to the garden centres/on line shopping and come back with all these plants, that looked nice but then they don’t like where we put them or worse we can’t find the room for them.

This week in the Helmsdale Garden planning has been the big focus this week. We have grown all our seedlings, Peas, Broad Beans, Kale, Turnips etc. And we now need to plan which plants are going in which bed to make sure we have a plentiful supply of each crop though out the summer season.

Netting attached to shed wall for Sweet Peas.

Flower Garden

We are entering May now but we aren’t guaranteed frost free nights yet, so please take caution.

A lot of the herbaceous perennials, will start to need staked now, things like the Peonys,  Delphiniums and possibly lupins (in wind prone areas).

Sweet peas that have been planted out will need to be trained up netting now.

One of the garden highlights of the next week to look out for is Clematis montana. Lots of different varieties to choose from, all stunning. Good rich moist soil, but requirements are quite light as not a demanding plant. Prune once it’s finished flowering if required.

Newly made wooden arch for Runner Beans.

Vegetable garden

Plant out vegetable seedlings now with some protection if possible and keep well watered.

Tomato seedlings may need potted up now before they go into their final home.

Continue to sow if you have the space to continue the vegetable production.

Sow lettuce crops in between vegetable crops to make sure all space is used efficiently.

As we enter May, things in the garden are about to get even busier but do make sure to take time to enjoy it and also set aside some time to plan!

Clematis montana in full bloom

April Week 4

Peas being planted

What beautiful weather this week, non stop sun; not a sentence you get to write very often about the Highlands! But with this sun comes a drying easterly breeze so keeping on top of the watering has been the big challenge this week. Twice daily, morning and evening for all the vulnerable seedlings.

Lots of jobs done this week in the garden, Peas planted out, netting put up for the Sweet Peas, Brassicas planted and protected from frosts with fleece (Kale, Kohlrabi, broccoli etc.) grass cutting, shrub planting, weeding, the list goes on. But such perfect weather to do it in.

Flower Garden

Many flower seeds sown in seed trays may need pricked out now. This means separating the seedlings in the tray and potting them on into individual pots to let them grow on until the risk of frost has disappeared and they can be planted outside.

Dahlia tubers can be planted outside now but plant them deep enough so that the shoots wont appear until the risk of frost has gone.

Finished Spring flowering shrubs and those grown for winter stem colour can now be pruned; Forsythia, winter flowering Viburnum, dogwoods etc.

Tulips are really a highlight at this time of year. Planted in autumn and as long as you don’t keep planting them in the same area your guaranteed flowers. You need to plant new tulips every year as they rarely flower for a second year. Always plant them in large numbers as the colour impact of the flowers are lost on their own.

Tulipa praestans

Vegetable Garden

Radish "Cherry Belle"

Continue sowing seeds.

Finish planting the last of the main crop potatoes.

A lot of the hardy vegetable seedlings can now be planted outside, try and harden them off first before planting outside, either cover with fleece or put in cold-frame for week or so before planting into the ground, this would be things like the Brassicas, the Onions, Peas, Broad-beans etc.

Keep on top of the weeds in the vegetable garden, now warmer weather is here and the soil is warm the weed seeds are now sprouting in abundance.

Plenty to do in the garden and the weather to do it in. What more could your want. Just please make sure to keep on top of the watering, especially with your seedlings!

Runner Bean "Enorma" seedlings being planted

 

April Week 3

April always brings such a mixed selection of weather, especially here in the Highlands! Glorious sunshine at the weekend, rain the next day, frosty mornings then 40mph winds. At least we are heading in the right direction and we will be hopefully seeing more of the sunshine.

Winter Squash

This week a rare feeling came across everyone in the garden as we suddenly felt on top of all the jobs to be done But it was short lived as we soon realised there was some forgotten seeds to be sown, a new bed that could be dug and soil that could be turned. A gardeners work is never done!

One of many pages from the garden seed log.

This week we have sown most things now and are moving onto second sowings to help give our second crop to extend the period of harvest in the summer. Broadbeans (Robin Hood), Dwarf Beans (Caledonia) Mange Touts (Sugar Ann) and Leeks (Northern Lights) are just some examples of the seeds sown.

We have begun planting some of the winter squashes (Uchiki Kuri) seedlings into polytunnel beds and are filling the space in between with Coriander seedlings to make use of the spare bed space while we wait for the squash to grow.

Flowers

Spring flowers are continuing their seasonal show, once daffodils are finished flowering make sure to remove the spent flower heads so the goodness goes back into the bulb.

As the next week progresses start to think about hardening off non hardy plants. Bedding, or young seedlings, putting outside on the nice days and bringing in when cold. This helps get the plants toughened up for going outside permanently once all risk of frost has passed. (Usually the 2^nd week of May with us.)

Aubretia

One flowering highlight of the gardens up here at this time of year is the Aubretia. Coming in colours of pinks, violets, purples and whites, you will usually see them cascading over the drystone walls. They like full sun, well drained and slightly alkaline soil. Short lived but take from cutting very easily. A mut have plant to grow if you have the right place for it.

Vegetables

Start sowing more of what you have already sown to help extend your harvest. If you haven't started already sow some salad crops, (Little Gem, salad bowl green/red, rocket and radishes “Cherry Belle” are some of what we have growing)

Tomato seedlings can be potted up now if they are growing in small seed trays before they get planted in their final position.

House plants

As the weather warms up outside pests and bugs can start to appear on houseplants (now the windows are being opened again). Keep an eye out for aphids and mealybugs. There is organic treatments available, a solution of dishwasher detergent mixed with water sprayed on them usually controls aphids. Mealybugs can be more difficult and may require neem oil which can be bought online.

View over the empty vegetable beds, all ready for planting.

Thank goodness the days are getting so much longer now, so much work to be done in the garden and with the weather changing so quickly it’s trying to get the jobs done before it changes again!

April week 2

Grass cut around veg beds ready for planting.

Beautiful weather we have been having this week, with the odd April shower! Tattie planting has been the main task of the week in the garden along with seed sowing.

Our new lawn mower arrived this week so we have been doing the first cut (of many!) of the season.

All around the trees are opening up, tulip flowers are teasing colour and the cherry trees are giving amazing displays of solid colour that we wont see again until next year.

Flower Garden 

Dog Tooth Violets (Erythroniums)

Spring bulbs should be the main source of colour in the flower garden at the moment, with some help from Wallflowers, Aubretia, forget-me-nots, Primulas and Violas. Other plants worth considering for this time of year are Dog Tooth Violets (Erythroniums) sometimes called the pagoda plant. Buy as tubers in autumn. Great for semi-shade and doubles in flowers every year!

If your looking to prune your Forsythia, after it’s finished flowering is the best time to do it so keep the secateurs handy.

Sweet pea seedlings can begin to be planted outside now in most areas, they can take a light frost but hold back if there’s a deep freeze still expected in your area.

Continue sowing seeds for summer flowering and plant summer flowering bulbs such as gladioli and lilies.

Strawberry flower in polytunnel

Vegetable Garden

Plant seed potatoes.

Continue to sow seeds, now is the time for sowing runner beans, dwarf beans, cucumbers, courgettes and basil.

Keep sowing lettuce, radish’s and peas as the season progresses, this way you’ll be guaranteed a constant supply throughout the summer.

Final chance to make sure the vegetable beds are fully prepared before planting begins.

House plants

Houseplants will have begun growing again after winters dormancy now, so regular feeding is always appreciated.

Now is a good time to have a go at some easy cuttings; if you have a begonia or a coleus cut a stem with leaf and stick in some water in a bright but not in direct sun position. Replace the water once a week and in a few weeks the stem will have rooted for potting on.

April is a glorious month for colour, the bright greens of the new leaves, the vibrant whites and pinks of the cherry and apples trees and the many glorious colours of all the spring bulbs so make the most of these seasonal highlights.

Magnolia

April week 1

Chionodoxa

This time of year is always so busy but so exciting; the flowers of May just around the corner and the promise of the summer to come.

In the garden the Sowing continues, this week Runner Beans, Parsley, carrots and basil, to name a few.

We have finished the mulching and edging of our vegetable beds, all ready for planting into once our seedlings are big enough!

The rest of the garden continues into the full rhythm of Spring now, the daffodils are all out, the fruit trees are starting to open bud and the blackcurrant bushes are very nearly fully open.

Flowers

Primula denticulata

Now is a good time to take cuttings of herbacous plants, this means cutting the new shoots of things like Lupins and delphinums, just below soil level then put into sandy light compost inside a propagator for rooting.

Continue sowing indoors.

Hardy annuals can be sown outdoors about now, things like pot marigolds (Calendula) Candytuft (Iberis) Cornflowers (Centaurea) and nasturtiums (Tropaeolum) but just remember the adage:

“One for the pigeon, One for the crow, one to rot and one to grow”.

Lawn cutting season starts in the next week or two, or possibly earlier if you’re an impatient sort but leave areas where daffodils/spring bulbs are growing in lawn for another month or so yet, wait for them to start die back before mowing.

Now is also a good time to start a lawn from seed.

Lettuce, Rocket and Radish seedlings.

                                                     

Vegetables

Keep seed sowing!

Start the squashes and cucumber seeds, (Which will require some bottom heat to start growth)

The first of the potatoes can be planted now. A few weeks prior chitting helps give a good start, and before planting remove some of the shoots on the tuber to just 2 or 3 of the strongest.

Get the beds where the vegetables are to be grown ready for planting, good manure or fertilizer and keep weed free.

Houseplants

Still time to re-pot the house plants if you haven’t yet!

Now the light levels are better indoors, now is a good time to sow some herb seeds for indoor growing. Basil, Parsley, Coriander etc. Perfect for the kitchen windowsill.

Squash seedlings

This time of year is always so amazing, the changes that happen almost before our eyes. Within the next few weeks the trees will be opening their canopies and the spring flowering will have gone so make the most of the next few weeks while they are here!