Spring is when lots of new vegetable crops that were planted the previous autumn come into their own, and perennial vegetable and fruits are ready for harvesting.  Perennials do take up a lot of space but they are reliable early croppers, Rhubarb and Asparagus are two classic examples.

If you want leeks for spring harvesting you need to sow those March – April and plant out in July for cropping the following spring.  They will spend the winter gathering strength and not appearing to grow much at all, then suddenly they take off like a rocket and come May they will be delicious.  Spring Onions do much the same and will liven up your salads and stir fry dishes.

Swiss Chard and some varieties of Spinach will overwinter and can be picked constantly from mid to late summer right through until the new crop is ready.  ‘Bright Lights’ is a good variety of chard, and it can be grown in the borders rather than the vegetable garden as the stems and leaves are such wonderful colors.  I plant radish between the rows as they grow quickly.

Provided you don’t have too many slugs around you should have spring greens ready for eating from sowings planted out in early autumn.  Again they grow slowly over the winter, then suddenly put on a spurt as the weather warms up and the gentle spring rains fall.  It can be worth netting them to stop the birds taking too much.  I wage a constant war against sparrows who regularly dine out on my spinach patch.

With the warmer weather new beetroot can be picked.  The thinnings, beetroot beads, are delicious in salads.  They are best once they get to an inch or two in diameter, much more than that and they take too long to cook.  I succession sow through the year to always have a good supply.  Salad leaves to go with those beetroot beads can be grown in large pots so you always have some ready, just picking what you need each day or so.  I have four 10 inch pots and that keeps two of us in salad most of the year.  I grow a mixed variety of leaves so you never know quite what is going to be on your plate.

It’s time to plant out beans and peas, give them plenty of space and put the canes in when you plant them so you don’t damage the roots later on when they need support.   I grow dwarf French beans between the wigwams I build for my runner beans and that always works well.  Peas need to be netted so once the spring greens are eaten you can just transfer the netting across.

The Brassica family is prolific and is good value for the space.  We eat the cauliflower leaves like cabbage, or finely shredded and stir fried.  The same with Calabrese so it’s two vegetables for the price of one.  Again, I succession sow so that we don’t have a glut all ready at once.

You need to think carefully about where your root vegetables will go as they take up space for a long time.  Carrots grow well in a dustbin full of compost, sow them in layers as you fill the bin and you will have a much bigger crop than you think possible.  Planting some salad potatoes now will give you a good crop in about twelve weeks time, just ready for those summer evening barbecues.

Spring Vegetables is a post from: The Garden Magazine

One of the biggest garden maintenance jobs in April is your lawn.  They are beginning to stir after the winter rest, and so are the dandelions and daisies!  We all feel differently about those.  I love to see the daisies but loathe the dandelions!

Established lawns should be mown, but set the blades fairly high for the first few cuts.  Newly sown lawns, or recently turfed areas should be left well alone until the grass is a good 7 cms long.  A spring feed and weed treatment is a good idea too.  Before you do that get out the scarifying rake and go over the whole lawn thoroughly to get rid of any loose moss and thatch that has developed.  It will look horrid for a few days but the hard work will pay off very quickly.

If you have any serious lumps, bumps and holes in the Lawn now is a good time to carefully peel back the turf and level up the soil underneath.  Remember to allow plenty if you are filling a hole as it will tread down.

Garden Ponds also start crying out for attention now as well.  It is probably time to start feeding your fish if you haven’t already.  Taking early preventative action in the war against algae never goes amiss.  I like to use Barley Straw Pads and they work well.

Take a good look at your pond plants too, splitting waterlilies before they really get going again or they are unmanageable.  Other perennial pond plants can be cut back or divided now.  I always take this opportunity to make sure that the pond is still easily accessible for birds and other wildlife by softening the sides to provide easy access.  Check all the material you have round the edge of the pond before everything starts growing so that you know you have firm footing if you have to do maintenance work on the pond later in the summer when it’s not so easy to see through the foliage.

These are probably two of my favorite garden maintenance jobs for this time of year as you can really see where you have been and the garden starts to look loved and cared for.

Garden Maintenance In April – 3 is a post from: The Garden Magazine

In spring there is a lot of tidying up to do in the garden, all the winter leaves and rubbish that collect, and those plants that need spring pruning. As space is at a premium in most modern gardens you nedd something easy and ‘user friendly’ to gather up your rubbish.

I use a Spring Bucket – it holds tons of rubbish and is lightweight and easy to carry. It’s is great for fallen leaves, grass clippings, weeds, plant material and so on. The one I use is the Toro which is made from mildew resistant and UV treated mesh-supported plastic canvas, and it has an extra strong sleeved spring for secure upright standing. The four cushioned handles make lifting and emptying the bucket easier and more comfortable. The spring bucket also comes with a quick, detachable and adjustable length free rotating shoulder strap with a padded shoulder pad. To open or collapse the Spring Bucket you simply attach or detach two quick connectors.

Leaving rubbish around your garden at this time of year is to invite pests and diseases in and welcome them with open arms. The thing I like most about the Toro is that it collapses so small I can store it in the corner of my shed without using up too much space. It comes in handy when I’ve got large amounts of stuff to carry round the garden as well, not just as a rubbish container.

Getting Rid of Garden Rubbish is a post from: The Garden Magazine

I had planned to write about some of my plans for the water features in my garden – I want to do some new things this year but something far more important has happened!  Whilst peering into the depths of our pond this morning what  should my other half spy but a huge mass of Frog Spawn…. Spring has Sprung – even though we are being battered to death by high winds and rain.

It never ceases to delight me that we have managed to create an environment where frogs, newts and toads live in relative harmony, the birds dip in and out of the pond, dragonflies flash around over the water showing off their bright colours whilst the fish do the same in the water.   It is enormously satisfying to watch this hive of activity only three feet from the patio doors that open out from our Dining Room.   One of my favourite activities, if you could call it that, is to sit outside on the Garden Bench next to the pond with an early morning cup of tea and just watch the comings and goings of all the various creatures as they go about their business.   It makes all the effort and work that went into creating that little spot so worth it – the only downside is you have to watch out for baby frogs that wander into the house when you leave the patio doors open!  I don’t quite know who jumps highest – them or me…

Spring is Springing! is a post from: The Garden Magazine

Garden Water features are so much a part of what we expect to find in our gardens that they are almost one of the first things that goes into your garden plan. However in these days of climate change we do have to consider carefully the use of that precious resource – water.

I live in an agricultural area that is prone to flooding so it may seem a little ironic for me to talking about preserving water but, along with the floods, we get some baking hot weather that has the clay soil in my garden drying out and cracking like craters on the moon. We lurch from one extreme to the other and I think we have to accept that this is the way life is going to be from now on and take adequate steps to ensure the well being of our gardens, especially if you depend on them for your food.

The first water feature that has to be considered in my opinion is a water butt or some form of storing rain water – as much as you can. You can use ‘grey water’ from baths, showers and so on but you shouldn’t really store it for more than 24 hours for garden use. If you run out and it’s dry that is when you turn to your water butts. They are relatively inexpensive and it is worth investing in a good quality one with a tap at the bottom, and a stand so you can draw off the water easily. Simple to fit on your downpipes they can soon repay the investment by reducing your water charges. The amount of rain that runs off any roof is enormous and if you can harness that you will be helping your pocket as well as the environment.

Water Features and Climate Change is a post from: The Garden Magazine

Welcome to my online Garden magazine. I love to garden, it is something I have enjoyed for as long as I can remember. There is nothing more satisfying to me than wandering round outside, tweaking at plants, selecting freshly grown vegetables for our meal, or just sitting in the peaceful surroundings of our garden.

There are so many aspects to gardening these days, organic or not, container or open ground, hydroponics, square foot and so – as many theories about the best way to garden as there are plants I expect. I am going to share with you my experiences and opinions on all of these and maybe pass on the tips that have come down through my family for generations and I am fortunate enough to live in an area which is fertile and kind to the gardener – though I ‘ve had my fair share of tough gardens in the past!

Gardeners are a friendly bunch – they share their produce and their knowledge – I can’t share the former with you (unless you happen by) but I can share the latter and you can dip in here just as you would your favorite garden magazine.

The Garden Magazine is a post from: The Garden Magazine