Streamside News…Winter ‘21
We are pleased to forward your winter newsletter from Streamside Horticultural Association which we hope will give you help and advice for the season ahead.
STREAMSIDE ROUND UP OF 2021…
We were delighted to see the Association thrive with literally hundreds of keen local gardeners either renewing their membership or joining Streamside for the first time. The interest and enthusiasm for gardening that many discovered during the lockdowns of the pandemic seems to be here to stay with many enjoying and appreciating the huge benefits – both physical and emotional – that can be achieved by tending an outside space, however modest.
Our plant and bulbs sales throughout the year were hugely popular, with us selling out as members keenly snapped up some fantastic plants and bulbs at extremely competitive prices.
We have continued to source new products that are available all year round in our trading hut. There are some great new tools, pots and other gardening sundries available plus we continue to provide much needed essentials such as canes, fertilisers, composts and grass seed.
Unfortunately, we had to once again cancel two of our planned outings this year as the country slowly recovered from the pandemic. In September members did go with us to the Wisley Flower Show and had a hugely enjoyable day there. Next year we remain committed to being able to arrange days out and will be confirming our plans for 2022 in the New Year.
Our number one aim is to continue to give our members value, in a friendly, helpful environment and look forward to seeing all members again in 2022 – please do recommend us to your family and friends.
CAN YOU GIVE A FEW HOURS OF YOUR TIME TO HELP US? ...
Streamside is run entirely by volunteers, and we would love to expand our Helper team by welcoming some new faces into the fold. Duties would involve a Sunday morning duty around every six weeks. We would be grateful for help in preparing the products on Friday to sell on the Sunday..
If you have a few hours spare and would like to join us then please contact Peter on Peter_harwood@btinternet.com.
THRIFTY CORNER...
5 money-saving tips for gardeners
· Buy bare-root plants: bare-root plants are available in the dormant season only. They’re dug out of the ground when dormant and come without any soil or pot around the roots. They’re much cheaper to buy – saving you around 60 per cent compared to pot-grown plants. You can buy trees, shrubs and some perennials bare-root. They require a little extra care initially to help them establish, but are otherwise easy to plant and grow.
· Split perennials when you buy them. Many herbaceous perennials can be divided to make more plants, so when you buy them from the garden centre or nursery, rather than planting them immediately, split them first. Depending on the plant, you can either cut the rootball in half with a bread knife or sharp garden spade, pull the rootball apart or pot on little offsets growing around the main plant. You can also treat supermarket herbs in this way. These will bulk up quickly, providing you with much more than you expected from your initial outlay.
· Cut potatoes in half before planting: before planting seed potatoes, cut each tuber in half to double your crop. Make sure each piece has a couple of buds, from which the stems grow. Allow the cuts to dry before planting.
· Buy plants from the reduced section. In garden centres, plants that have already flowered and gone to seed, or not been watered thoroughly, may be sold at a discounted price Often there will be a ‘bargain’ shelf where customers can find a wide range of plants past their best For gardeners who know what they’re doing, many of these plants can be revived into full health, requiring only a little TLC.
SEASONAL RECIPES USING PRODUCE FROM YOUR GARDEN…
Honeyed Winter Salad -serves 4
Ingredients
1 butternut squash , cut into thin wedges
2 red onions , halved and cut into wedges
4 parsnips , cut into wedges
3 tbsp olive oil (try garlic or basil infused)
1-2 tbsp clear honey
1 small ciabatta , roughly torn into pieces
1 tbsp sunflower seeds , optional
225g bag leaf spinach
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Method
· STEP 1
Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Put the vegetables into a large roasting tin, drizzle with half the oil and season to taste. Roast for 20 mins, turning once in a while until softened. Drizzle with the honey. Scatter the torn ciabatta and sunflower seeds over the top and return to the oven for a further 5 mins or until toasted.
· STEP 2
Put the spinach into a large bowl and tip in the vegetables and ciabatta. Whisk the vinegar, mustard and remaining oil together, season to taste and toss into the salad until the spinach wilts slightly. Serve immediately.
Roasted Red Pepper, Sweet Potato and Smoked Paprika Soup – serves 2
Ingredients
1 sweet potato, roughly chopped into dice with the skin still on
1 red pepper, de-seeded and cut into chunks
1 red onion, peeled and cut into chunks
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp olive oil
200ml coconut milk
200ml chicken stock
½ tbsp sriracha
1 tsp maple syrup
Method
· STEP 1
Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Put the sweet potato, pepper, onion and garlic on a baking tray. Sprinkle with the paprika and seasoning, then drizzle with the oil. Toss together. Roast for 30 mins or until beginning to brown.
· STEP 2
Tip the roasted vegetables into a blender (or use a stick blender) with the coconut milk, stock, sriracha and maple syrup. Whizz until smooth. Pour back into the pan and heat until piping hot. Check for seasoning, and pour into a flask. Serve with soda bread or toasted sourdough
SOME THINGS TO DO IN YOUR GARDEN THIS SEASON……
There’s no denying this is a comparatively quiet time for the garden, but there are still a few jobs to consider doing now which will ensure your garden, allotment or outside space looks good now and in the coming months
December
Fruit and Veg
Hold newly harvested leeks upside down when trimming off and rinsing muddy roots to prevent mud entering leaf layers.
Cut back this year’s asparagus stems right down to ground level – make sure you disturb the ground around the stems as you do, to disturb asparagus beetles which will have hidden here for the winter.
Take notes or draw a sketch to record the positions where last season’s crops grew to assist with practising crop rotation, which will help to prevent soil-borne pests and diseases.
Harvest sprouts now either by picking individually or cutting a whole stem which can be kept in a bucket of water in a cool place.
Clear and clean paths around and between your veg beds which can harbour weeds and pests which will colonise your beds when the weather warms up.
Plant new fruit trees by digging a hole to the same depth of the roots of the tree but twice as wide.
Winter-prune fruit bushes and trees.
Start sowing onion seed under glass after Christmas.
Plant garlic cloves to give them the benefit of winter chilling.
Harvest winter cabbage, cauliflower, celery, leeks, forced chicory and winter salad leaves.
Check stored crops to ensure they are still fresh.
Rejuvenate large, mature clumps of rhubarb by lifting and dividing into several sections ensuring that each one has at least one strong shoot bud and lots of fleshy roots.
Flowers
Prune ornamental vines trimming shoots back to two buds away from the main framework.
Sow seeds of alpines and leave outdoors, but protect the pot from rain with a sheet of glass.
Continue potting up lily bulbs and leave outside.
Sow pelargonium seeds for summer bedding.
Cut the thickest straight stems of this year’s growth on deciduous shrubs like viburnum and weigela, to make hardwood cuttings now that they are dormant.
Bring sprays of fragrant winter blooms indoors to enjoy.
Trim back untidy, soggy perennials when you notice them.
Clear dead leaves from the base of permanent container displays.
Check buds emerging from forced hyacinths and when they have reached 5cm long bring them out of the dark.
Snip back the stems of young sweet pea seedlings as this will encourage development of more shoots from the base.
Check hellebore foliage for dead, brown patches which indicates the plant may be suffering from leaf spot, remove any affected areas and destroy immediately.
Move deciduous trees and shrubs that are wrongly positioned.
Miscellaneous
Continue making leaf mould using fallen leaves.
Protect outdoor taps from freezing weather by taping bubble-wrap over them.
Keep a supply of gritty sharp sand handy in the garden and make salt for paths go further by mixing the two together.
Recycle plant labels, by washing mud off and using an abrasive cream cleanser and scourer to remove the writing.
January
Fruit and Veg
Make more gooseberry plants by taking hardwood cuttings now.
Keep picking leaves from winter salad crops in your greenhouse.
Apply lime where you plan to grow brassicas if your soil is acidic.
Keep planting fruit trees and bushes if the weather permits.
Continue harvesting kale, Brussels sprouts, celeriac, leeks and other winter veg.
Warm up seed beds with a plastic sheet so that you can start sowing seeds earlier.
Dig up a clump if rhubarb to bring and force tender early stems.
Start winter pruning apple trees – cut out damaged branches or any that are growing inwards and crossing. Leave young side shoots to mature on horizontal boughs but cut back last year’s growth by a third. Thin out fruiting spurs where they have become crowded.
Sow chilli seeds and keep in a controlled temperature of 18 – 25 degrees centigrade to germinate, early sowing gives the plants to time grow to a good size, which will help achieve a good harvest.
Prune autumn fruiting raspberries by cutting back all stems to the base.
Flowers
In mild weather continue lifting and dividing large clumps of herbaceous perennials,
Make more plants by taking root cuttings of your favourites..
Sow sweet peas.
Prune climbing hydrangeas away from windows and gutters.
Perennials with hairy leaves are sensitive to wet conditions, so remove any soggy stems or leaves covering them.
Check stored dahlias and throw away whole mouldy tubers or cut off any mouldy parts.
Move small shrubs and young trees while they are dormant – give them a short stake if needed.
Remove suckered shoots and prune out stems to ease congestion at the base of established deciduous shrub such as lilacs.
Bring snowdrop bunches indoors to benefit from their beauty and scent.
Miscellaneous
Open cold frames on warmer days.
Mulch borders generously.
Wash and disinfect all used seed trays and pots to protect against pests and diseases.
Treat and repaint wooden fences, sheds furniture and tubs.
Clean and maintain your mower or book a service from a professional.
Refresh bark chips on paths where they have rotted down to prevent weeds.
Shred your Christmas tree and add it to the compost heap.
Prolong the life of your spade with careful cleaning before you put in in the shed. Once the blade is clean and dry, dip a paintbrush into some engine oil or lubricating oil and paint over the blade, including the cutting edge. Wipe off any excess with a rag
The next newsletter will be emailed in January 2022
We will re-open for business Sunday 6th February 2022