When are you cleaning you green house or cold frame this winter?
Probably not the most glamorous of tasks completed each year but one worth investing some time and elbow grease in is cleaning stuff. Thats cleaning your tools , soaping down your green house and/or cold frame, repairing wheelbarrows and equipment and emptying out the readies from the compost heap. Winter is a good time for this of course as there is plenty more time (ha ha ha) in our calendars with the planting end of things on the quiet side. I usually have great plans at the beginning of winter, this year December, and often end up scooting towards Spring trying to fit it all into one weekend. Not this year! My tools are cleaned, sharpened and ready for action and last weekend it was the run of the cold frame and free standing mini greenhouses. I had help from my nosey puppy who ended up getting wetter than the cold frame and muddier too. Perhaps not something for her to participate in next year. The recent upturn in temperature and the burgeoning feeling of spring arriving made the task more vital to complete.
All this cleaning has obvious benefits in terms of disease prevention and reducing the transportation of muck about the place and of course in the case of the green house / cold frame in terms of maximising light and warmth to the plants on the inside.
Over the winter many plants have gathered into the cold frame, mostly to protect them from greedy fat grey squirrels hunting a mid morning snack.
With the top mostly down for 3 months and nothing much in the way of consistent freezing temperatures rather nasty slimy algae has taken up residence on the inside of the panes and some considerable leaf litter has wafted down curtesy of a rather beautiful but very leafy nearby Beech tree. All in all it’s looking in need of attention.
Poppy 'helping'
This year we didn’t have the cold really so the bubble wrap hadn’t come out to insulate the plants inside. If you’ve insulated your cold frame (or greenhouse) then take this down before attempting to clean. I hose mine down and dry it on the washing line before folding it away for next year, yes I am mean frugal. Emptying the cold frame being careful not to damage delicate plants, we did this on a warmer day so they weren’t shocked into dormancy again by the outside temperatures. Poppy (the puppy) felt it important to help with this task, sticking her nose in to smell each pot as it came out, not really helpful, but amusing.
Leaf litter raked off the gravel base
I’ve covered the base with 10mm pea shingle over some black horticultural fabric to help drainage and suppress weeds but it also acts as a bit on bottom insulation too. Once empty we raked up the leaves and debris, gathering them into a large bucket ready to go onto the leaf litter heap.
Leaf litter and debris heading for the compost heaps
We also found one or two snails lurking in the bowels of the frame so they were duly popped onto the bird table, providing lunch for the local hungry blackbird. A good clean also helps clear out overwintering pests such as red spider mite, aphids, mealy bugs and of course disease such as botrytis and mildew. Cleaning out the gutters between lid and base eases the lifting and closing. For a green house, sweep down benches, rake over gravel and soil and sweep out debris collecting it into suitable rubbish containers.
Use the spongey side of cloths as you don't want to scratch the transparent surface.
Then the messy bit starts. I used warm soapy water and an old kitchen cloth, being careful not to scratch the surfaces and so reduce light entering the frame. The detergent was an ecological brand with no harmful chemicals to leave a residue, no brands mentioned but you know who I mean!. Make sure you wash the metal bits down too and the outside as well as the inside.
My surfaces were not big enough to require a squeegee scrape but if you have large panes then a window cleaners scrapers is great for getting all the drips off and windows sparkling in the sunshine!. I have used vinegar before (1 vinegar :8 water) to clean the windows but the smell is ghastly even though it evaporates quite fast, it is an option though and works really well on glass.
All sloshed down and cleaned out
After all the green gunge had been removed, cold water was used to sluice it down, washing entire frame inside and out. Poppy decided leaping in the chilly back-wash was the most fun she had had that day, clearing her muddy paw marks from the kitchen floor afterwards was not mine. With a cleaned up, de-cluttered cold frame ready for use I found some worthy inhabitants in the form of autumn planted sweetpeas and some fresh seed trays of tomato, brussel sprout and beetroot. Now it just needs to warm up some more and the growing season will be upon us!
Next task? cleaning and sorting pots of all shapes and sizes and de-rusting the rotavator blades…*sighs*
Other writing on this subject:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/sandg_greenhouses1.shtml
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=731
http://www.greenhousegrowing.co.uk/greenhousemaintenance.html
RHS London Plant and Design show – Horticulture Halls 14/15th Feb 2012
Not having been to this RHS showbefore I was delighted to find out it was free to members, I knew that membership card would come in handy one day. Half term is not the best time to be schlepping down to the Big Smoke on the first ‘off peak’ train but beggars can’t be choosers I suppose. The London gridlock was much much worse than I recall, according to our cabbie it’s all in preparation for the July Olympics. Seriously Boris? isn’t this a bit ‘day late $ dollar short?’
Plant Hall at RHS London Plant and Design show
We made it through the traffic and arrived at the packed show which is located on two sites close together. It works quite well, the hubbub of the jostling plant sales hall versus the slightly more silent and serious hum of the design rooms. Starting in the plant hall I was immediately floored by the rows and rows of gorgeous spring plants that are available and had to put my purse firmly at the bottom of my bag.
Ashwood Nursery Garden Hybrid - Variety names no longer feature on labels, which will be confusing for buyers
The show could feasibly be renamed, the Galanthus and Hellebore show for indeed these varieties were being shown off to their full capacity with block after block of delicate bloom tempting one and all. Avon Bulbs, Ashwood. Foxgrove Plants and Broadleigh Gardensto name a few of the participating nurseries. It was fun to get up close and personal with one or two of the Galanthus without having to grovel about on the muddy ground. I will admit to something along the lines of galanthophile envy at the range and clump size displayed.
Galanthus 'Wendy's Gold'
The Design Hall was awash with colleges vying for new students and industry bodies selling their expertises. The SGD hosted a HUGE stand offering a showcase of MSGD’s work and offering quick, free garden design consults to all comers. It was exciting to see the photoshopped illustrations of the upcoming Chelsea Gardens and it looks to be another good year in 2012. Personal favourites were Laurent Perrier Garden by Arne Maynard. Is that a brown or purple pleached alle we are going to see I wonder? and The Telegraph Garden by Sarah Price of Olympic Park renown.
A fine lunch followed at the Blanche eatery, not a stones throw along Horseferry Road from the Channel 4 building and a quick jaunt around the British Museum foyer, due to the Grayson Perry exhibition being entirely sold out!
Timeless and elegant architecture at the British Museum
Snow and the brick path – a cautionary tale
So the South East has been hit by more than a little flurry of snow and much to our collective joy it happened on a Sunday so that one and all could frolick gleefully in the snowy activities of snowman making, snowball throwing and generally larking about in the white stuff.
Snowy Great Ouse River Salix
After that might I turn your attention to rather more mundane but eminently important things such as your plants and your paths.
Paths of BRICK are vulnerable to frost damage no matter how frost proof the bricks. WHY I hear you shout, bad workmanship? not a bit of it it’s more to do with the slow seep that happens with the melt of snow, instead of running off like rain (assuming you have the appropriate drainage ’tilt’ on your path that is) as snow slowly melts the resulting water seeps into the brick, one sharp re-freeze and unsurprisingly all that soaking brick work on your path is liable to ‘blow’.
Frost damage on a beautiful rich red brick path.
What to do? well sweeping remains your best option, so before it melts, sweep the snow off the path or wall. Simple and far fewer winter damaged bricks to replace in spring
Galanthus – more on the imminent SNOWDROP season
Since my last slightly concerned post about my teeny ‘collection’ of the White Gold they have finally begun to spring forth to much excitement and daily watching, although this fails to assist them in growing any faster, for a week or so it will entertain me at least! No flowers yet but nice healthy looking leaves.
I realise there won’t be such a great showing of snowdrop-ery so am planning visits to gardens with an overabundance. As a public service announcement I thought I might also announce some of the Snowdrop days I’ve found. Of course there will be other things to spy in the gardens now such as Hellebore and look out for Hamamelis and Daphne too.
For opening times please check the garden website, they usually open on reduced hours at this time of year due to light restrictions.
Anglesey Abbey, Cambridge – 23-26 Feb, follow their blog to find out upto date info
Bennington Lordship, Stevenage – 4th-26th Feb (4-10 free for RHS members!) 100′s of varieties.
Brandy Mount,Hampshire – National collection holders for snowdrops and Daphne and in it’s final year of opening to the public, open days are on 8, 11,12,19th Feb
Chelsea Physic garden – 4th-12th Feb, normally closed to the public
Colesbourne, Gloucestershire – all weekends in Feb and first weekend in March
Coton Manor, Nothants – mor for Hellebore than Snowdrops but they do have Snowdrops!
Easton Lodge, Essex – 19th Feb, Snowdrop Sunday
Easton Walled Gardens, Lincolnshire – 18-26th Feb, there is also a photographic workshop for those keen on capturing these beauties on film (or digital!)
Hodsock, Nottinghamshire – 4th Feb – 4th March, in 2012 celebrating 25 years showing off their snowdrops.
Heale Gardens, Somerset – 5, 12th Feb for a snowdrop extravaganza
Marks Hall Gardens & Arboretum, Essex – Snowdrop weekends 10-12th Feb, 17-19th Feb, 24-26th Feb, Hamamelis and hellebores
Painswick, Gloucestershire – Mid Jan- end Feb
Rodmarton Manor, Gloucestershire – 5, 12, 16 and 19th Feb
Snape Cottage, Dorset- 25-26th Feb, 100′s of varieties
Steve Owen – A new national collection holder is having his first open day, Saturday 25th February, 127 Stoke Road, Linslade, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 2SR.
Waterperry Gardens, Oxford – Snowdrop event 18/19th Feb and 25/26th Feb
Welford Park, Berkshire – 26th Jan-4th March
And for more on Hellebore events an old article from the Telegraph identifies some great places to see them – beats cutting out newspaper clippings to store in an old file !
How well do you know your Postie?
Well I have seen my postie most days for the last few years, he’s a friendly sort but professional. Always business like not stopping to chat but he’s busy I guess. Then there are the delivery guys some more professional than others. One will not leave it with anyone but the addressee, another MUST have a name and address if leaving with a neighbour and a ‘white van man’, local delivery chap who knocks on every door looking for someone to take in parcels if the addressee’s not home and isn’t worried at all who takes it. And lastly the delivery man who leaves it behind the hedge, the bin, the wall, under the side gate somewhere with a note through the door to say a parcel lurks about the property ‘Go Search!’
I have always rather preferred the ingenious chap who hides things and leaves a note, until today that is.
WRapped in plastic saves the day - Back
Grubby remains of packaging - Front
Today as I was clearing up behind my green waste bin – out of use from Dec to Feb I found a book in it’s plastic wrap and about an 1/8th of the cardboard outer ‘melted’ onto the plastic wrap. The book is warped a little and bowing nicely as it dries, hardly surprising seeing as it has been outside on the soil behind the green bin, in the wind and the rain since god knows when. I say that because what is even odder is that I already have this book ( Dan Pearson’s Spirit),
I bought it a year ago. I have not ordered this book again, not for a friend or for myself. ( If some kind friend has sent it for Christmas, then Thank you, any message or delivery information was obliterated by the weather!)
So dear Postie, PLEASE put a note through the door, the addressee is not psychic and doesn’t know that you’ve thrown something behind the bins so it won’t get stolen …….but then it might just rot away from neglect!
How do you clean YOUR garden tools?
Bit of a nerdy topic I will fess up to but really I am curious I have watched numerous YouTube videos espousing the virtues of one brand or another of American lube or cleaner but on trying to obtain same here have drawn a virtual blank.
Homebase: No sorry we don’t do anything like that. Me: really, not even WD40?, Homebase: No sorry, don’t think we do that. This followed by 3 tannoys and a heated conversation to someone on a break who didn’t care to come and find out if they infact had stock of WD40.
Wickes fared no better though they did at least know what WD40 was and had sand paper sponges though not wire brushes or WD40 alternatives.
In the end Tesco had WD40 AND a wire brush (good on yah Tesco!)
Gleefully I looked up the lovely Felco lube, but to no avail, Felco UK don’t sell their own product to specially clean their products, apparently! Though they do have rather wonderful instructional videos showing how to dismantle your secateurs to clean them. I won’t be doing that as I know from experience that I will lose a) patience once they are fully dismantled whereupon they will sit for a month or two or so in a bag marked ‘to be fixed’ , b) some vital working part that will render them unusable or c) I will proudly disassemble, clean, sharpen and reassemble them only to find a lone piece still sitting on the table. No, ordinary cleaning, sharpening and oiling will suffice.
I must admit to being somewhat amused by references to putting away my tools in ‘The Fall’ since I finished maintenance work in December which by my calculation in the first month of winter. My tools have lain silently and slightly dirtily in their storage cupboard waiting for their winter servicing. Initially it was simply too wet every time I set out to clean them up it rained and then the festive season was upon me, and this week it has been horizontal rain and wind.
I usually clean tools after working at each clients garden. It’s good hygiene for your garden not to pass potential diseases around and as a professional, well needless to say you can’t be sloppy about this task. I don’t molly coddle them with oiling and pimping until the winter rolls in and then they get a once a year primp which thus far has been limited to sharpening and oiling the metal parts. This year inspired by my research there will be sanding and oiling, or waxing of handles as well.
Secateurs and pruners are an exception as they get sharpened at least 2 or 3 times a year, mostly when they have been hard at work in the big pruning seasons. Lately this has been at the local ironmonger, the treasure trove that is Goldings on Bedford High Street. 2012 though is spelling change for this task as I have dug out an old tool file and am planning on a bit of DIY.
Having secured enough materials to do a fair job of clean and sharpen I am sure by the end on Sunday to be happily applying the Swarfega, with tools gleaming in readiness for a return to use in Feb.
Cleaned and Sharpened, oh and veg oiled
For a live demonstration see below, the Felco lubricant is not available in the UK
How to Sharpen Tools – US Style
And for serious primping see Felco’s how to on maintenance and dismantling
Social Networking – I’m sure I said…but then maybe I haven’t?
I have convinced myself that I blogged about setting up a Facebook page. But on searching find I have done nothing of the sort. This year one firm resolution is to return to the wonderful f sometimes tedious habit of todos. Yes the list that drives many people nuts but n the end, in my life at least it means I don’t forget as many things as I do without it. The task may longer for weeks on end but you can be assured I feel guilty about not having completed it at least!
So social networking well Ther is a page on FACEBOOK
www.facebook.com/RosewarneGardens
A new TWEETING stream
twitter.com/#!/RosewarneGarden
a PHOTOSTREAM
www.flickr.com/photos/42165066@N03/
and of course the WEBSITE
Please come and visit and say ‘Hi’
2012 and all that Jazz
So as the new year approaches it’s time for me at least to get down to the business of setting some goals, making some lists and doing some planning. I used to spend the couple of holiday days that inevitably follow new year scribbling and planning and imaging what could happen in the coming 12 months. Sometimes I would re-read the year before and sit amazed at how much had come to pass that had been set down in those early days of the year.
A papery unfurling of the Nectaroscorsum
Being a horticulture bird now I realise it’s mostly about the planning. You know the maximising the year ahead in grow your own terms. Perennials have this great way of just getting on with it but not so the ‘grow your own’ type plants. Ok so some of them do, rhubarb, asparagus, cane fruit, berries, orchardy things and of course artichoke but the regular green stuff like beans of all kinds and rooty things in red, white (well more yellow/beige really) and orange mostly needs to be planned for and hot spicy things and tomatoey type things most certainly need to be planned.
Gardener’s World Magazine (January) kindly provided a most excellent rip out and hang up spreadsheet poster for the most common of fruit and veg. That is pinned to the kitchen wall while I contemplate transferring the keyest info to this years Moleskine.
With all this planning and plotting in mind I am of a mind to plan the blog posts a bit more. and perhaps have regular episodes in the mix. Probably a monthly what to do NOW, a garden to visit and possibly even a review of a designer or two…. it will out in the planning of tomorrow.
Wishing one and all a prosperous and a peaceful 2012.
RR
Galanthus
I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the rather special Galanthus I purchased last year, they have been residing in a shady spot and are tucked up under a layer of beech leaves, I keep checking for greenery but so far not a hint on it. I am holding my breath and hoping they emerge from the undergrowth, it would be too sad if they just gave up the ghost after one season.
Glanathus Mrs Thompson is one I have high hopes for
Slant EU –
I was quite astounded and impressed to receive individual feedback on designs submitted to the Slant EU competition. That it was incredibly positive made it even better.
After much faffing and technological fiddling I managed to get a short video showing the 3d Model made and uploaded to Vimeo, now it’s just finding out where the share button is – steep learning curves are the best!
Flickr Photos
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