Streamside News…Winter ‘22
2022 has been quite a remarkable year to date...and the weather too has been newsworthy with some of the hottest days ever recorded in the UK, and some very long spells of fine weather, which has mostly had an extremely positive effect on our gardens and outside spaces. 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 LOOKING FORWARD TO 2023 ...
We plan to organise three garden outings and will announce details of next year’s destinations in the Spring newsletter which will be available for members to read on the website end of January/beginning of February 2023
We plan to hold sales of plants and bulbs at various times of the year, and will advise members of the dates when sales will commence as soon as we can confirm them.
We will be holding our AGM In April, the date will be confirmed in due course, but please do join the committee for a glass of wine and to share any ideas you have on how we can enhance your Streamside membership; we would love to hear your views.
COMMON GARDENING MISTAKES TO AVOID...
Even the most experience gardener can sometimes be guilty of making a mistake, here are some of the most common mistakes to avoid.
Not warming up before you start digging…
If your body isn't used to it, digging can be really damaging, potentially leading to strained or pulled muscles, and lower back pain. Warming up before digging can save hours of aches and pains – simply do a few stretches beforehand and make sure your body is ready for the challenge.
Letting weeds take over…
Weeds are easy to manage when they're small. Simply hoe off the tops of annual weed seedlings every couple of weeks, and dig out young perennials while they have a small root. But let them grow and before long you'll have a huge problem on your hands. Weeds grow quickly - annuals develop flowers and set seed within a short amount of time, while perennial weeds can take hold and grow from even the tiniest pieces of root. By weeding little and often, you can avoid weeds becoming a problem, and keep your borders weed-free.
Consider wildlife…
It's easy to forget that wildlife use our gardens as much as we do, and that some areas of the garden can be dangerous for animals. If your pond has steep sides then hedgehogs can fall in and drown. If you use pea netting then birds, reptiles and small mammals can become trapped and starve. Birds can get their legs trapped in plastic netting surrounding fat balls, while a new fence or wall can cut off a wildlife corridor, prevent animals from finding food and a mate. What's more, not checking before you strim can cause injury and death to slow worms and hedgehogs.
Pruning at the wrong time of year…
Pruning shrubs and climbers requires a little know-how to ensure you don't harm the plant, remove the following year's flower buds, or even shock the plant into producing masses of leafy growth at the expense of flowers and fruit. Did you know grapes must only be pruned when dormant to ensure the plant doesn't bleed to death? Or that plums and cherries must be pruned in summer to prevent the spread of silver leaf disease? Arm yourself with a little knowledge before you start pruning, for the outcome you intended.
SEASONAL RECIPES USING PRODUCE FROM YOUR GARDEN…
Sausages with Winter Veg Mash – serves 2
Ingredients
4 sausages, regular or reduced-fat
2 parsnips
2 or 3 medium potatoes
175g Brussels sprouts
4 tbsp milk
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
Method
STEP 1
Grill the sausages for 10-12 mins, turning frequently. Meanwhile, peel and roughly chop the parsnips and potatoes, then cook in boiling salted water for about 10 mins. Shred sprouts, add to the pan for the last 2-3 mins and cook until all the vegetables are tender.
STEP 2
Drain and mash the vegetables, then beat in the milk and mustard with salt and pepper. Serve with the sausages.
Winter Vegetable Pie – serves 4
Ingredients
2 tbs olive oil
2 onions sliced
1 tbsp flour
300g (about 2 large) carrot cut into small batons
½ cauliflower broken into small florets
4 garlic cloves finely sliced
1 rosemary sprig, leaves finely chopped
400g can chopped tomatoes
200g frozen peas
900g potato, cut into chunks
up to 200ml/7fl oz milk
Method
· STEP 1
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a flameproof dish over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 10 mins until softened, then stir in the flour and cook for a further 2 mins. Add the carrots, cauliflower, garlic and rosemary, and cook for 5 mins, stirring regularly, until they begin to soften.
· STEP 2
Tip the tomatoes into the vegetables along with a can full of water. Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 mins, then remove the lid and cook for 10-15 mins more, until the sauce has thickened and the vegetables are cooked. Season, stir in the peas and cook for 1 min more.
· STEP 3
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes for 10-15 mins until tender. Drain, then place back in the saucepan and mash. Stir through enough milk to reach a fairly soft consistency, then add the remaining olive oil and season.
· STEP 4
Heat the grill. Spoon the hot vegetable mix into a pie dish, top with the mash and drag a fork lightly over the surface. Place under the grill for a few mins until the top is crisp golden brown.
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
Prune espalier and cordon apples now.
Take hardwood cuttings from redcurrant, blackberries and gooseberry bushes for planting as new bushes next winter.
Finish clearing old crops from your veg plot – put healthy plant material on the compost heap.
Keep winter crops such as kale and other brassicas covered with nets to protect from birds.
Support the stems of Brussels sprouts to prevent them getting blown over.
Buy and plant garlic now to harvest in July.
Harvest beetroot from your veg plot as you need it.
Mulch celeriac with straw for protection against the hardest frosts.
Brighten up winter salads with nourishing sprouted seeds grown on the windowsill
Check fruit tree ties and loosen where necessary.
If your brassicas were affected by club root disease this year add lime to the soil over winter to help deter the disease next year
Flowers
Take hardwood cuttings from roses and forsythia.
Move any deciduous flowering shrubs that have outgrown their space if the weather is good.
Prune and train climbing roses now to prepare them for the spring growth that will be the framework for next summer’s flowers.
Pick and remove faded leaves from tender plants like pelargoniums.
Deadhead cyclamen to encourage more healthy blooms.
Keep monitoring your sweet pea seedlings, if they are more than 10cm tall or look leggy pinch out the tips to encourage more shoots from the base.
Sow alpines, the cold weather will break the seeds’ dormancy and they should germinate during spring.
Protect tulips from mice using wire mesh.
Move plants growing in containers closer to your house, or into a more sheltered position in the garden if the weather turns very cold.
Miscellaneous
Give secateurs a quick clean and sharpen.
Make sure wildlife has access to unfrozen water and can get in and out of ponds easily.
Give the birds a tasty treat by leaving out any stored apples that have started to rot.
Organise your greenhouse to allow more light in.
January
Fruit and Veg
Lift and divide clumps of rhubarb to restore their vigour – especially clumps that were forced last year.
Prune greenhouse grapevines, cutting the lateral shoots to two to three buds from a main stem.
Harvest kale when the leaves reach 20cm in length and discard the thick central veins.
Plant bare root raspberry canes now, plant shallowly after adding plenty of organic matter to aid drainage.
Prune gooseberry bushes now whilst still dormant.
Regularly sow salads such as cut-and-come again lettuce, corn salad, rocket and mizuna.
Feed spring cabbages with a nitrogen rich fertiliser to encourage leafy growth.
Protect apple tree bases from rabbit damage with chicken wire.
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.
Sow early leeks, carrots, lettuce, onions and summer cauliflowers under cover.
Check stored produce and remove any that are starting to rot,
Flowers
Order flower seeds now to sow in early spring so you can enjoy blooms this summer.
Check dahlia tubers that are in storage and discard any that are showing signs of rot.
Winter prune wisteria now whilst the sap flow is low – remove any whippy stems, select and tie in branches needed to make the framework of the plant, and trim back laterals shortened in the summer to two buds.
Remove debris around the emerging foliage of early bulbs to prevent them being trodden on.
Remove old hellebore leaves to reveal emerging buds.
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.
Take root cuttings from Japanese anemones and Oriental poppies.
Plant bare-root roses now while the plants are dormant.
Miscellaneous
Dry out wooden garden furniture and apply wood preservative to the timber.
Clean up bark paths by weeding and removing any vegetation, then top up with bark chips.
Service garden machinery and drain the fuel.
Top up bird feeders for a constant supply of food.
Scrub and clean dirty pots to dislodge overwintering pests and to remove any fungal spores.
February
Fruit and Veg
Plant onions sets in modules under glass.
Chit your seed potatoes in a light, cool place before planting.
Sow broad beans in modules ready for planting out in spring.
Hoe between rows of broad beans and winter salads on dry days.
Hand-weed overwintered onions and garlic and re-firm any bulbs that have come loose.
Keep harvesting brassicas as and when you want them.
Sprinkle a high potassium plant food around the base of your fruit bushes growing in the ground.
Prune autumn-fruiting raspberry canes to the ground.
Check potted citrus plants for pests and lightly prune if required.
Plant Jerusalem artichokes – grow in a container if you are concerned about them spreading.
Flowers
Plant up containers with primroses for spring.
Prune late-flowering clematis, cutting each stem to about 15cm from the base.
Plant lily bulbs in pots
Position pot grown hyacinth bulbs in a cool spot to keep them stems short and sturdy, and to help them flower for longer.
Divide clumps of snowdrops now to increase stock levels.
Cut right back deciduous ornamental grasses ready for the new leaves to take over.
Deadhead winter bedding plants and remove any that have succumbed to wet or cold weather.
Snip off diseased leaves from hellebores to improve their display.
Give winter-flowering heathers a trim to remove old flowers and keep the bushes neat.
Force tulip bulbs into flower earlier by bringing them into a warm bright greenhouse
Sow fast-growing biennials like hollyhocks and rudbeckia into modules now for plants that will flower in the summer.
Miscellaneous
Open greenhouse vents, doors and windows for an hour or two in the afternoon on bright days.
Leave out food at dusk for hedgehogs that have come out of hibernation.
Check for snails in crevices, under stones and bricks, and among evergreen foliage particularly behind wall plants.
The next newsletter will be available in February 2023
We will re-open for business 5th February 2023