A very mild start to winter makes it seem shorter already!
Monday, December 23, 2013
I am usually feeling at my lowest ebb at this time of year,
mostly because of the short dark days and weather unconducive to
outside work - but not this year. With the shortest day
already past and some really mild days until mid month, I could
carry on with essential outdoor tasks and after dark (4.30pm
onwards) do some pottering in the relative warmth of the
polytunnels with BBC Radio 3 and the incomparable Sean Rafferty for
company.
My tunnels may be relatively warm but the great
glasshouse at RHS Wisley is positively baking!
The Wisley glasshouse is just 4 years old but already
plants are well esablished and have made tremendous growth. I have
put a glasshouse like this on my Santa list (plus of course all the
finance to support it!) but Moira has cautioned me not to build up
my hopes as Santa would not be able to get it down the
chimney!
I have often struggled for content in previous December postings
but as you will see from what follows, I have been spoiled for
choice this year! As usual I have compiled this news item prior to
Christmas Day. Any items arisiing after publication date will be
included in January 2014 News
Weather
It was good to have such pleasant daytime temperatures and a
distinct absence of frosty nights with only 5 temperatures below
zero, minimum -4C on 5th of the month and a max of 15C on 12
December. In the week commencing 14 December the weather patterns
changed when a strong southerly airflow brought heavy prolonged
rain and howling gales which caused me to fear for the plastic on
the small tunnel which is 14 years old but it held firm - this is
not the month to be replacing polytunnel film. On 19 December
around lunchtime just prior to a vicious hailstorm we had a single
mighty clap of thunder preceeded by an intense lighting flash
almost directly overhead which as I was in the garden cutting off
old hellebore leaves, was a frightening experience. Later on that
afternoon there was an incredibly intense but short lived
snowstorm. Crazy weather!!
Garden update
Repairs to several sheds have been completed, some nursery
benches rebuilt and all the raspberry beds (20 years old) have been
ripped out of the fruit cage in readiness for replanting when
weather permits. To continue to get reasonable crops from canes
that old is quite an achievement showing I believe the merits of
yearly feeding with fish, blood and bone fertilizer and copious
additions of well rotted farmyard manure. All the remaining stray
leaves around the gardens have been swept up and used to top up the
mulch on the more tender plants.
The dry mild start to the month was the perfect
opportunity to have one of my occasional bonfires, only lit after
dark to appreciate the flames. Ever since I was a little boy I have
been fscinated by fire and a good fire like this takes me back to
my childhood.
The remaining vegetables in the garden (brassicas, swede,
turnips, salsify, parsnips, and leeks) look well and are harvested
as we need them. Those in store in the stone shed need regularly
checking especially onions, some of which are rotting at the neck,
even though they were very dry before Moira strung them. Potatoes
in sacks too need careful watching as only one or two blight
infected tubers can quickly spread to all the others and if you
have ever smelt a rotting potato.......!
In the tunnels encouraged by the mild weather, I have propagated
many perennials from divisions of plants in the gardens, and
further cuttings of tender plants (especially salvias). They will
all stay under protection throughout the the winter months. Careful
watering is key to success closely followed by good ventilation to
keep botyrytis at bay, not so easy when it is windy or frosty
during daylight hours.
A hot bench makes all the difference to striking and
overwintering tender cuttings. They may lot look much but when
potted on next spring there should be in excess of 50 plants
capable of growing to 6 feet by the end of next summer
I must briefly mention alstroemerias. We keep a good collection
of the dwarf forms in the tunnels year round as they make great
house plants (although they are reasonably hardy they seem to do
better in pots and there are no winter losses). They have really
thick juicy roots that from a division of just a couple of roots
into 1.5 litre pots in early winter, will fill the pot to bursting
in just 9 months. In order to keep them fresh for the next year
they have to divided and so far we have 60 pots of divided
plants! It is at a time like this when I do worry about my sanity!!
but friends and neighbours benefit from a fabulous plant which can
flower, in a range of colours, almost continuously throughout the
year.
Alstroemeria readdy for splitting
The list of garden jobs is never empty and is regularly added
to. The priority jobs for January are the repair of some wooden
lawn edgings (much copied by visitors), and after the success of
last year, weather permitting, the recommencement of the
"Bittercress Wars" that pernicious weed which is already beginning
to get a foothold in all the borders.
What's looking good?
You must have wondered when you would get to the "12 Flowers of
Christmas" a cheeky variation of the well known Christmas carol. I
can't pretend for one minute that the garden is ablaze with colour
but just to have a few outdoor plants in flower at this time of
year raises the spirits as much as any carol, however well loved.
The top plant is the rose with 5 contributors together with a mixed
bag (some surprising) of other shrubs and perennials. In truth
there are more than 12 plants but the headline wouldn't have the
same ring and they are not as floriferous as the main
contributors.
Shrub rose "Golden Celebration"
Shrub rose "Kathleen Jane" which is rarely
encountered, with well shaped but but smallish flowers that
integrate perfectly into a mixed border
"Summer flowering!" anthemis tinctoria
"Kelwayi"
The remaining members of the gang of 12 are:- shrub roses
"Bonica", "Jacqueline du Pre" and "Kew Gardens", a pink achillea
millefolium, erysimum "Bowles Mauve", cyclamen coum, primrose
"Belarina Pink Ice", and 2 shrubs mahonia x media "Charity" and
lonicera x pupusii "Winter Beauty" a shrubby honeysuckle with
scented white flowers until spring..
The "Christmas Rose" (what a stupid name! -it is in the
buttercup family!!) helleborus niger. has a few relaxing buds
revealing glimpses of the beautiful white flowers, as do the
increasingly popular and very vigorous hybrids of sternii and
ericsmithii of which the the best I have found are "Winter
Moonbeam" and "Pennys Pink". Sarcoccoca with its wonderful scent,
is full of buds, amazingly hardy when you consider where it comes
from. It has a large range from Afghanistan, through the Himalaya
to the Philipines although of course some of the species from
warmer climates may not be hardy here. Whatever you buy in the UK
will prove to be perfectly hardy and reliable in most parts and in
all winters.
In the polytunnels we have just finshed cutting chrysanthemums
and still in flower we have the last few flowers on a potted
brugmansia, the never ending flowers on jacobinia carnea a shrub
from South America, the lovely glaucous leaves on Moira's succulent
collection and the remaining tomatoes on "Rosada" just enough to
garnish the starter for Christmas Dinner with friends. As I have
said before it is such a thrill to be able to do this.
You want exotica? Jacobinia carnea provides it in spades
almost year round. I have also a white form and an interesting
bicoloured flowered form introduced from Holland which looks very
promising but is too young to have flowered yet.
Finally and bang on cue, the "Christmas Cactus" are flowering
well after a prolonged spell outdoors in the glorious sunshine of
last summer. Our biggest plant is huge, too big to get your arms
around and covered in flowers. It certainly is ablaze with
colour.
Wildlife and countryside
Until a few days ago I was worried that, aside from the usual
robins, blackbirds and a few other featherd friends, there was
little news to report under this heading. A case of "nature
sleeps,winter creeps". Then all of a sudden there were 2
significant news worthy events.
A substantial flock of starlings landed in the Lodge Field
opposite the house, the first I have seen this winter. It grew and
grew as other smaller flocks joined from all directions. The birds
scoured the grass in a kaleidescope of patterns; some running, some
flying up a few feet above the ground, others just grubbing around.
All the while there was a constant hum or warbling which gives the
name to such a gathering - a murmuration of starlings. There didn't
appear to be any sort of feeding activity. Briefly without any
warning they would all take off only to land a few yards away and
repeat the pattern on several more occasions. All the time (about
15 minutes) I stood primed with camera on 20X zoom, ready for the
moment when, seemingly as one, they would take of to fly to
pastures new, which is typical of this kind of starling activity. I
was pleased to have recorded the moment they all took off, which is
one of the most unforgettable sights of the countryside in
winter.
A section of the murmuration taking off. I rather like
the way the sheep in the background are totally underwhelmed !
If you want to see some truly amazing pics of huge groups of
starlings check out some of the You Tube videos
Then today whilst cutting off the old hellebore x hybridus
leaves, which revealed some very advanced flower buds, I was
alerted to considerable commotion in a hedgerow of the Lodge field
- quite a bird hot spot this week! I rushed to the scene where I
counted 17 magpies apparently attacking a lone buzzard caught in
the hedge. As I got nearer the magpies took off accompanied by
their menacing machine gun chatter. I expected to see the buzzard
rather the worse for wear but it too flew off leaving me Poirot
like, to investigate the crime scene! The cause was quickly
established by my rapier like powers of deduction! The buzzard had
caught a woodpigeon and as it was about to tuck in, the ever alert
magpies came to join in the feast.
Visits and visitors
Just one very enjoyable talk to Brecon Horticultural Society
this month before the usual mid winter break. Talks recommence in
February on a number of topics in a variety of locations.
We have used this quiter time of year to have a break visiting
Kent, based in Sandwich on the east coast. One of the Cinque Ports,
it is a very old town considered to be one of the finest in
England. There is so much of interest in the area; in stark
contrast to our part of Wales there are no hills, hedges or
livestock but with arable land as far as the eye could see in the
flat landscape, prime vegetables, hops and fruit and near Margate a
modern horticultural development of greenhouses growing year round
tomatoes, peppers and other salads. It is the called "Thanet Earth"
situated on a huge site which is looking to expand even
further.
There are some very attractive towns such as Deal on the east
coast and our favourite Whitsable on the estuary of the Thames,
still a fishing town sitting alongside an eclectic mix of shops in
a bustling and vibrant town centre.
The Georgian seafront at Deal with Hi Macs dragging
shingle up the beach presumably to reinforce sea
defences
Fishing boats launched form the beach deliver their
catch of herrings sold direct from stalls on the beach - 4 for
£1!!
This pic. tells you all you need to know. Reputedly the
finest oysters.
Sky and sea meet in a beautiful abstract way looking
over the Straits of Dover
You cannot however visit this corner of England without a
pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral dating from the 12th Century.
Whatever your personal beliefs, you could not fail to be moved by
the magnificience of the building, the skill of the craftsmen who
built it (and still maintain it) and the vision and conviction of
those who conceived it. The building is full of history, which
imposes itself on visitors in so many ways, from the place where
Thomas Beckett was murdered at which spot a candle burns in
perpetuity, to a simple candle around which is bound a single
strand of barbed wire for all prisoners of conscience, the many
memorial tablets of the great and good and so many artefacts and
historical items held in the Crypt, the oldest part of the
Cathedral. For us though the most special moment was to hear,
accompanied by the organ, the choir sing Parry's anthem "I
was Glad" and Handel's "Zadok the Priest". I have heard these many
times but the majesty of the setting and the purity of the sound
transported them to another, unforgettable level.
Canterbury Cathedral in all its guises.
Thomas Beckett's tomb
Old meets new!
On the way home, and why not?, we took a short detour to
RHS Wisley just a few miles from the M25 to see the garden in
winter for the first time and visit the enormous Christmas Craft
Fair .
A beautiful white form of narcissus bulbocodium in the
Alpine House
A white form of camellia sasanqua with scented flowers
from November onwards. I just wish I could grow this beautiful
simple form with the scent a bonus in the depths of
winter
There was an amazing exhibition of botanical prints of
drawings of chrysanthemums by Keika Hasegawa from "A Hundred
Chrysanthemums" dated 1891. Go to the RHS website at RHS.org to
find out more. They were all beautiful but these were two of our
favourites. This one is "Golden Ball"
of
And there is no English equivalent name for this one but
what a flower
Finally back to the real thing a passiflora from the
Tropical section of the Glasshouse
All that remains for us to do is to thank everyone who
has contributed in some way to our enjoyment of the gardening year.
The visitors of course who provide the donations to the NGS, our
friends and neighbours who support us, the clubs and societies who
invite us to speak to them, the visitors to our website, the
occasional correspondents and for all the kind comments and
encouragement we receive from our many old and new friends in
gardening both in the UK and overseas. May you all have the very
best Christmas, a happy and healthy New Year and a memorable
gardening year in 2014.
A special Christmas card to all our readers - one of the
many exceptional stained glass windows at Canterbury
Cathedral.
With warmest regards,
Keith and Moira.