Gardening

Gerry Daly tells us why we shouldn't overlook forsythias when planning a garden, and why tying tights around a tree is a good idea!

Fabulous forsythia
If forsythia were difficult to grow, it would be among the most sought-after of garden plants–such a wonderful show of bright yellow blossoms on bare branches each spring and yet this superb plant is considered common and not very interesting. However, anybody with an eye for a good garden plant will not ignore its charms.

Although not much more than a century since forsythia was brought from the Far East, it appears to have been around forever. It was a standard item in cottage gardens for many decades, often seen, and still sometimes seen, as a hedging plant mixed with flowering currant. The combination of the two, yellow and red, is remarkable.

The reason it was so popular in cottage gardens was its ease of cultivation. It grows from any slip or branch simply stuck in the ground. This made it easy to pass around to new gardens and such a showy plant was bound to be passed around by those who loved colour, and colour was what the cottage garden was all about.

The bush is quite large but can be cut back to keep it to a suitable size. This should really be done by thinning the flowered shoots as soon as flowering ends. If it is done each year before the bush gets too large, it will be easy to keep small. But even if it gets really big, it can be cut back hard and will sprout again without any difficulty, although it is likely to take a couple of years to flower fully again.

This Month in your Garden...

• start regular lawn mowing as early as possible this month
• complete planting of bare-root deciduous trees, shrubs and hedges
• lift and divide over-grown herbaceous perennial flowers
• start spraying roses to prevent blackspot disease
• complete the annual pruning of bedding roses, if not already done
• re-pot all kinds of pot-bound house plants in the coming few weeks
• repair damaged areas on lawns with sods from less busy parts
• tidy old stems and weeds from flower borders before new growth starts
• for home-grown vegetables, plant as soon as soil conditions allow
• sweep paths clean and apply path and driveway weedkillers

Using Garden Tools

Watering Can
A watering can is a very useful piece of equipment as it can be used for feeding plants as well as watering. It can be used for distributing weedkiller and mosskiller too. Watering cans are usually plastic although metal ones are also available. The plastic ones are cheaper and do not last as well as the metal kind. The metal ones are usually made of galvanised steel, which means they last for many years. While they are somewhat heavier, this is negligible, and with a broader base, they are much more stable when being filled. Fancy watering cans in copper are more of an ornament than a practical tool but the better kinds can be used for watering too!

Care for the environment: Tie trees with tights!

Nylon tights make excellent tree ties. At this time of year, it is important to check that young trees are still securely tied to their support stakes but not so tight that the tie cuts into the bark of the tree. If the tree is tied with strong rope or a rigid tree tie, this can cut into the bark, and if not released it can cause the top of the tree to be blown off the stem at the weak point where it is tied.

Nylon tights are very stretchy and can accommodate the expanding of a tree stem quite easily. They can be left on for the several years that it takes the tree to establish its own anchor root system with any fear of the stem being damaged.

Energy Saving Safety Tips

• A Residual Current Device (RCD) gives you extra protection against electric shock should a fault develop or if a cable is damaged.
• If your overall electrical installation does not have an RCD fitted, at least have one fitted to the socket controlling the garage or outdoor equipment. You can also buy a special plug-top that incorporates an RCD within it. RCDs are available at all major electrical stores nationwide.