Streamside News…Spring ‘22
As we move slowly towards the warmer spring days, there are more tasks to consider in order to keep your garden, allotment or any outside space looking good. We are pleased to forward your Newsletter for the next few months.
INTRODUCING THE MEMBERS’ FORUM ON THE WEBSITE...
We are delighted that Streamside membership has been booming for the last couple of years with many new members joining the association after discovering the joys and benefits of gardening during the pandemic. Plus, Streamside has hundreds of longer-term members who have been supporters of the association for many years, so we wanted to find a way that all members can socialise and share their horticultural experiences and are thrilled to announce that we have added a “Members’ Forum” to the website.
We hope that the Members’ Forum becomes an enjoyable and useful way for members to “chat” to each other about their gardens, allotments or indeed any outside space.
The Members’ Forum is there for members to upload photos of their gardens; to share any tips they have; ask for advice from other local gardeners who have joined the Forum; swap seeds, share surplus cuttings they have; post photos of plants they have seen; talk about gardens they have visited that may be of interest to other keen gardeners....or anything else with a horticultural theme!
Unlike other more general social media groups our Members’ Forum is going to bring together people with a shared interest, who are mostly local so will face similar challenges to others in the group – how to garden on heavy clay soil for example, which most of us are dealing with in this area!
It’s really simple to join –
Select the “Members’ Forum” button either from the drop-down index on the top right-hand corner of the website, or there is a “Members Forum” button right in the middle of the home page which you can use. https://www.streamside.store/
You will then be asked to “sign up”, if you have an existing “Google” or “Facebook” account you can use these login details, if not, then just enter your email address and create a new password and then you’ll be in! - you will use these details for each future visit.
From there you can see existing members and “follow” them to see the posts they have made, commenting on anything that you may find interesting, or are able to help with. Plus, you can add details to your own profile and share information that you think will be of interest to other members, (photos and/or comments) by using the “share something” field at the top of the page.
Please do join the Members’ Forum. The more who join, the more interesting, enjoyable and beneficial it will be.
We hope we have made the Members’ Forum user-friendly and that you won’t experience any technical problems but anything new can sometimes need a bit of tweaking, so please can you flag up any issues that you come across so we can smooth out any “teething problems”. The best way to do this is by using the “contact us” option on the website.
STREAMSIDE PLANT AND BULB PROGRAMME FOR 2022
SPRING PLANTING BULBS FOR SUMMER FLOWERING: available at the store from Sunday 13 February. - over 1000 bulbs in twelve varieties. Later in the month plants will be at the store too.
Members will receive detailed information by email.
SUMMER PLANTS: from early May: Bedding favourites, perennials, vegetables and herbs.
AUTUMN PLANTING BULBS FOR SPRING FLOWERING: from late August
And if “growing your own” is of interest to you then we currently have onion sets, shallots and seed potatoes available all at extremely competitive prices.
CAN YOU SPARE A FEW HOURS TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION…?
Streamside is a local association run by a team of volunteers, and are looking for some new recruits to join us, and reduce the work-load for the existing Streamside team. We need members to help out on Fridays for preparing the products for sale in the Store and also for helping during trading hours on Sunday mornings (which is run on a rota basis and generally involves a duty every 5/6 weeks). If you have a few hours to spare, please do contact us, we would be delighted to expand our team to include you.
Benefits include 10% of all purchases at the hut, plus working, meeting and socialising with a great bunch of like-minded people!
Either call into the Store on Sunday or use the “contact us” option on the website.
STREAMSIDE DAYS OUT IN 2022…
Sadly we were not able to fulfil our planned days out to Penhurst Place and Gardens and Great Dixter in 2021 as we had hoped, but are delighted to confirm that we have rearranged trips to these fantastic gardens in 2022, plus we will also visit RHS Wisley in September.
Unfortunately given the large increase in fuel costs and in turn a higher price now being charged by the coach company we have needed to increase the price of the outings slightly as outlined below.
Some members opted to “rollover” their booking from 2021 to this year. If you were one of those members, please call into the hut to register your interest, and to pay the difference, or if it is no longer convenient for you to join an outing that you paid for in 2021, we will arrange to refund you.
The dates for your diary are -:
PENSHURST PLACE and GARDENS TUESDAY 17TH MAY
The medieval Baron’s Hall and gardens are set on the banks of the river Medway in the beautiful Weald of Kent. Historic, famous gardens, (self-guided tours of house and garden).Cafe and full facilities.
Cost £33.00 coach departs 0830hrs
GREAT DIXTER THURSDAY 7TH JULY
The family home of gardener and gardening writer Christopher Lloyd with 17th and 18th century furnishings. Historic, famous gardens. (self-guided tours of house and garden). Cafe and full facilities.
Cost £36.00 and coach departs at 0830hrs
RHS WISLEY FRIDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER
Our annual trip to this famous event. Cost £16.00 (coach only). Entrance to RHS Wisley is £14.95 per person payable on arrival, but it is free to RHS members, who can also take one guest in FOC Coach departs at 0930hrs.
Please do pop into the trading hut on Sundays between 0945hrs and 1215hrs to reserve your place.
If any of the venues need to alter arrangements for any reason then we will of course keep members informed of the situation as any changes arise.
SEASONAL RECIPES...
Jersey royal, onion, sherry and tarragon bake – serves 4 - 6
Ingredients
Butter for greasing
1kg Jersey royal potatoes
4 onions chopped
3 garlic cloves
Small bunch of fresh tarragon
100ml fino sherry
40mil double cream
50g gruyere (or vegetarian alternative)
40g fresh breadcrumbs
Method
Heat the oven to 220°C/fan200°C/gas 7. Butter a 1.5 litre ovenproof dish. Chop the potatoes into even chunks, then put in a pan of lightly salted cold water and bring to the boil. Cook for 10 minutes or until just tender.
Meanwhile, finely slice the onions and chop the tarragon. Toss the potatoes, onions and tarragon in the ovenproof dish. Crush the garlic, then stir into the potatoes along with the fino sherry and double cream. Season.
Grate 50g gruyère or vegetarian alternative and sprinkle over the top, along with the breadcrumbs. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the top is golden and crisp.
Oaty rhubarb and ginger streusel cake – serves 8 – 10
Ingredients
600g rhubarb
3tbsp Demerara sugar
1tsp ground ginger
Juice of ½ lemon
Streusel Topping
50g unsalted butter
60g self raising flour
100g jumbo oats
60g Demerara sugar
For the cake
200g unsalted butter softened
200g caster sugar
100g ground almonds
100g self raising flour
4 eggs beaten
2tsp ground ginger
Pinch of salt
You will also need a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin, base and sides lined with non-stick baking paper
Method
Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Put the rhubarb in a roasting tray and toss well with the sugar, ginger and lemon. Roast for 15 minutes until soft. Set aside. Turn the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/gas 3½.
Meanwhile make the streusel topping. Rub the butter into the flour in a mixing bowl, using your fingers, until it looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the oats and sugar, then set aside.
For the cake, put the butter and sugar into another mixing bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat on a medium speed until light and fluffy. Whisk in the beaten eggs a little at a time then, using a large metal spoon, fold in the remaining cake ingredients using a figure of eight motion.
Spoon half the cake batter into the prepared tin, then sprinkle with half the streusel. Pat the rhubarb dry on kitchen paper, arrange half on top, then top with the rest of the cake mix and smooth over. Sprinkle with most of the remaining streusel and top with the remaining rhubarb. Finally, sprinkle over the last of the struesel.
Bake for 1 hour, then cover with foil and cook for another 55-60 minutes until the sponge is cooked through and the streusel topping is golden. Leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then serve with cream, custard, thick yogurt or crème fraîche.
This cake is great warm. If making ahead, briefly warm slices in the microwave.
Make the cake up to 24 hours in advance; or freeze in slices, wrapped in baking paper, then cling film.
SOME THINGS TO DO IN YOUR GARDEN THIS SEASON...
The following lists are just some of the seasonal tasks that you may like to consider to ensure that your garden or allotment continues to look good, and produce a good level of crops -:
March
Fruit and Veg
Prepare beds for sowing by thoroughly weeding beforehand.
Plant out hardened-off broad bean plants.
Tidy up established strawberry beds, cutting off dead leaves.
Apply organic mulch such as well-rotted compost around young fruit trees and bushes.
Plant onion sets straight into prepared ground now.
Dig up and use the last of this year’s leeks before they flower.
Protect the seedlings of annual herbs from bird by making twiggy cages around them.
Continue sowing indoors in your greenhouse or on the kitchen windowsill –start basil, beetroots, carrots, cucumbers, peas and tomatoes.
Move young plants that are ready for planting out from the warm, greenhouse to acclimatise them to life outside.
Sow lettuces into small pots or modules for planting out in a few weeks’ time.
Plant early potatoes when the soil warms.
Plant asparagus, plus Jerusalem and globe artichokes.
Sow summer cauliflowers in trays every few weeks to ensure a succession of crops.
Complete winter fruit pruning
Flowers
Water flowering amaryllis (hippeastrum) and start regular feeding with tomato fertiliser.
Place seedlings in coldframes for hardening off.
Life and divide established clumps of anemone blanda
Cut back cornus and willow hard now to benefit from colourful stems in winter.
Deadhead daffodils to that they don’t waste energy producing seeds.
Sow sweet peas in small deep pots for summer scent.
Plant gladiolus corms.
Divide large clumps of snowdrops and winter aconites to reduce overcrowding and spread them over a wider area.
Divide polyanthus after flowering to rejuvenate them ready for next year.
Plant new climbers after fixing trellis or supports in place for them.
Plant out bulbs forced for earlier blooms indoors and give them a sprinkling of fertiliser.
Sow summer bedding such as cosmos and verbena.
Cut down the stems of hardy fuschias.
Prune back thick stems of overgrown ivy plants.
Add annual weeds to your compost heap.
Pot up dahlia tubers and place in a bright warm position.
Pot dormant canna rhizomes now to start them into growth.
Miscellaneous
Look out for slugs and snails which will be particularly active and tempted by young seedlings.
Top up stocks of composts and fertilisers.
Cover any patches of bare earth with twigs to discourage cats from using it as a litter tray.
April
Fruit and Veg
Renew and replant herbs that have winter damage.
Harden off citrus plants.
Transplant cabbages to their final growing positions.
Check nets protecting fruit plants to prevent animals gaining entry through small holes to eat flowers or fruit.
Sow sweetcorn in pots for planting out next month.
Check for gooseberry sawfly damage and pick off any larvae which can soon strip a plant of its leaves.
Sow cucumber seeds now in an unheated greenhouse.
Pinch out the ends of grapevines, two buds beyond each flower truss, and remove any sideshoots.
Feed blackberries, blackcurrants and hybrid fruit with a high nitrogen fertiliser.
Plant main crop potatoes now.
Feed spring cabbages outside with a high-nitrogen fertiliser.
Harvest asparagus cutting stems below soil level.
Use nets to keep pigeons off brassicas.
Tie the new growth of cane fruits to supports.
Sow outdoor crops now that the soil temperature is warmer – peas, parsnips, carrots, leafy greens and spring onions.
Snip off flowers of newly planted strawberry plants to encourage a bumper crop next year.
Flowers
Increase watering on houseplants.
Remove the winter wrappings from tree ferns.
Lift and divide overgrown perennials to make new plants.
Reduce watering of potted cyclamen and place on their sides to rest over the summer.
Make more begonias by taking cuttings.
Deadhead spent early flowering tulips.
Plant out autumn sown sweet peas, tying their shoots to netting.
Cut out any plain green shoots on variegated shrubs.
Repot exotic plants into clean pots of oil-based compost.
Be on alert for red lily beetles that will attack new shoots of lilies and crown imperials.
Place supports over or around tall growing or floppy plants.
Pull away dead outer leaves from phorniums.
Plant up your hangings baskets and let them establish under protection before being hung outside after the risk of frost has passed.
Miscellaneous
Treat fences and wooden structures with preservative.
Protect plants from slugs using gritty barriers.
May
Fruit and Veg
Sow courgettes, pumpkin and squashed under cover.
Keep potting on and transplanting tomatoes , aubergines and peppers.
Tie in shoots of wall-trained peaches and plums with sturdy ties.
Net developing soft fruit to protect the crop form bird and squirrels.
Harvest mint regularly to help plants remain bushy.
Sow basil under cover.
Water acid-loving plants such as blueberries and cranberries with rainwater.
Remove strawberry runners so that the main plant has energy for flower and fruit production.
Thin out rows of carrot seedlings.
Continue to earth up potatoes.
Harvest spring onions.
Pot up chillies for the patio.
Keep harvesting asparagus spears.
Sow a crop between onion rows to maximise use of space.
Take cuttings of rosemary plants to stop it becoming straggly.
Pick rhubarb by holding the stems close to the base and twisting slightly as you pull them cleanly away from the crown
Flowers
Let spring bulb foliage die down naturally, so it can pass its nutrients into the bulb to strengthen it for the following year.
Sow seeds of perennials like achilleas outside.
Cut back and divide pulmonarias and doronicums after flowering to boost next year’s display.
Begin feeding containers with a weekly liquid feed.
Repot agapanthus once the plant’s roots have filled the original container.
Cut back herbaceous perennials such as Echinacea, helenium, aster and anthemis in late May to get more blooms, later in the flowering season.
Plant clematis near warm, sunny walls.
Dig up and dry off tulip bulbs after they have flowered.
Clear spring bedding composting plants that are disease free.
Train sweet peas to supports.
Thin out hardy annuals.
Move self-sown plants to more suitable locations.
Sow biennials like wallflowers and sweet Williams for flowering next year.
Keep taking cutting of tender perennials, they will root quickly this time of year.
Plant out dahlia plants into well prepared soil after the risk of frost has passed.
Miscellaneous
Shade the greenhouse against strong sun with shutters, netting or shade paint to reduce hot temperatures.
Give your compost a turn to accelerate the decomposing process.
The Summer newsletter will be available at the end of May/ beginning of June 2022.