OVERWINTERING FUSHIAS

I’ve been attempting to salvage some of my summer bedding plants this week. There are a few plants that I have in my garden that are worth saving for next year.

I have a few geraniums, or pelergoniums as they are really called that I am putting in my polythene tunnel for a few weeks along side some begonias. Both these types of plants are sensitive to frost so I will eventually have to bring them indoors where I’m going to try to over winter them for next year. I have a very bad track record for keeping plants indoors though as they either die from lack of water or get eaten by greenfly. I remember last year trying to microwave the pests growing on my busy-lizzies. The greenfly survived but the plants ended up in the compost bin. Space is at a premium in our house and the window ledges aren’t practical for putting pots on, as they are too narrow so I try not to have too many plants in the house. The only one that has survived my neglect is a money plant (Crassula argentea) or Jade plant, as they are also known. This plant has managed to live quite happily with little or no attention for the past six months.

I have a couple of fuchsias in the garden that will want some form of shelter now that the nights are getting cold. There is the common hedgerow fuchsia and other hardy ones such as “Tom Thumb” that will withstand the frost around the coast, all they need is a mulch of straw or dry grass put around their crowns to protect them. The more tender shrubs that are in containers and hanging baskets will need that little extra care.

OVERWINTERING FUCHSIAS.
After flowering all summer, fuchsias, like gardeners, need to have a rest period. If you have the plants in larger, mixed containers, take out the fuchsia and pot up into it’s own container, make sure that there are no grubs in the old soil such as the dreaded vine weevil (small curled up white grub with an orange head) as these will eat the roots over the winter and you will be left with a dead twig stuck in the pot in spring. The compost should be just damp to the touch, as they don’t need much water when they are not growing.

Cut back the stems of the plant by about half with a sharp pair of secateurs. The aim is to create an even, well shaped specimen that you can start into growth again next spring.

The leaves will probably have started to die and drop off already, but if there are any left on the plant they are best removed as they could cause pest and disease problems when the plant is in storage.

Label the plant and put it in a cool frost -free place, check the plant every six weeks and give them a drop of water if the compost is very dry. Don’t over water, as this is the main reason for the plants dying.

REVIVING IN SPRING.
It’s probably a bit early to talk about what to do in spring but if I don’t tell you now I will probably forget until next summer and by then it will be too late. So, in late February or March, bring out the plants and put them in a warm, well-lit place. Don’t be alarmed if they look dry and twiggy (unless you didn’t check for vine weevil) because in a short space of time they will be covered in fresh, new growth. If you are worried that the plant might be dead, scrape back a tiny piece of bark to see if the wood underneath is green, if it is then the plant is still alive.
Give the pots a little water every few days and mist the woody stems with tepid water as this will help to soften the stems and encourage the buds to break. If you have the plants somewhere near the kitchen the steam from the pan full of boiling spuds will have the same effect. When the plant is safely back in growth, start to feed with a balanced plant food.

FUCHSIA CUTTINGS
When the new growth on the plant reaches a couple of inches, nip them off, pinch out the growing tip and either push into a small pot with some moist potting compost added or simply rest them on the side of a glass of water, they root very easily. This will increase your stock and save you money on your bedding plants next year.

CARING FOR STANDARDS
If you have a standard fuchsia (the ones that grow on a long stick) then you would probably have paid a lot of money for it. For this reason alone it would be worth trying to hold on to it until next year. The stem is the most vulnerable part of the plant, so protect it with a length of pipe insulation tubing. The pot head can be protected with horticultural fleece or bubble plastic. When you revive it in spring, lay it on its side to encourage the sap to flow to the top of the plant.

SWILLY GARDENING CLUB

SWILLY GARDENING CLUB IS ONE YEAR OLD
One year ago this month a group of gardening enthusiasts living around Buncrana got together and formed the Swilly Gardening Club. These intrepid enthusiasts realised there are plenty of other keen gardeners in the area that were looking for somewhere to learn more about horticulture. “You only have to look into peoples gardens around Inishowen to realise that there is a wealth of knowledge and interest when it comes to plant care” says Ian Gomersall, a member of the group. When the group was formed a year ago the committee didn’t really know what the reaction to it would be. They were not disappointed. In fact the attendance on the first night last February was fantastic. They practically filled the main hall at the local school! Over the first year the club has had some very prominent speakers to entertain and enlighten the members. Gordon Toner from Limavady, started the year by talking about spring bulbs and alpines and showing slides of his fabulous collection. Danny Mc Laughlin from Carndonagh came in and gave a talk about what to do in the garden in April. Stephanie Stephens from Greencastle talked about organic gardening in July and Patrick McCartney from Moville sang songs and cracked jokes in October. Other events throughout the year included a quiz night, a very successful plant sale and a bus trip to visit gardens of interest around Northern Ireland. In August there was a show night where members could bring their own grown plant or vegetables to be judged.

The club will be starting up again in February on Monday the 21st of February in the main hall, Scoil Iosagain, Buncrana at 8pm. The speaker on the night will be Clive Alcorn, from Letterkenny who will be showing us how to make colourful planters for this time of year. Throughout the year the club committee will be searching the country for speakers to give stimulating talks on all aspects of gardening.

The cost of the evening will be €2 for members and €5 for non-members which includes entry into the prize draw. At the first meeting there will be the opportunity to pay an annual subscription. Tea and coffee are served and the evening is great for networking with likeminded gardeners.

The club now meet at the Angling Centre

BOGWOOD AND TURF IN INISHOWEN

BUILDING WORK IN MOVILLE

WINTER TREES

If you feel the urge to buy a Monkey Puzzle tree(Arucaria Arucana), make sure it is far away from the house... They get very big!!

STAKING
If you’re buying trees at this time of year and they are larger than a couple of feet tall, then you will probably have to stake them. I was at our local school garden this week, which is surrounded by a ten-foot wall for wind protection and noticed one of the trees had been blown over in the recent winds. The tree is a Hawthorne (Crataegus) and is supposed to be a hardy variety called “Paul’s Scarlet”. The stake had rotted at ground level and the tree, which is at least ten feet tall, was lying on its side. To keep this tree secure over the winter there will probably have to be two or even three stakes secured around it to hold it securely in place to keep the trunk stable so the roots can develop. Because it is the dormant season we may be able to save the tree.

WINTER PROTECTION
Most trees are hardy to our wet and windy weather, but some new trees, especially evergreen conifers need a bit of protection in winter. Conifers tend to suffer from scorching of the leaves, so in really cold weather they could be wrapped up in bubble plastic or an old sack. If you have small conifers in containers it would be an idea to move them to a sheltered spot until late spring

PRUNING
I’ve noticed some tree surgeons with chainsaws around the peninsula pruning the large trees that are overhanging onto the roads. For some trees such as the Oak, Willow and Mountain Ash, now is an ideal time to trim back the dead or old branches. There are some trees that will suffer because of fungal disease though if they are pruned now. Poplars and all the ornamental trees such as plum, peach, pear and cherry should be pruned in late summer so wait until next year before tackling those.

HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS

We made good progress with our front garden this week. The willow fence is bedding in well and we have created a border around the edge to start our planting. I dug the curved beds out of the grass and turned the turf upside down to keep the nutrients in the soil. Then, I covered the dug area with newspapers to suppress any grass that might try to grow and topped it with lashings of rotted cow manure and some more topsoil. I have put in sweet peas and sunflowers as well as some veggies – beans and courgettes. The sweetcorn will go against the wall when the seedlings are more established and of course perennial cottage garden plants for a splash of informal summer colour.


HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS

Last week I was in Iris Doherty’s garden and plant nursery admiring her wide range of herbaceous perennials that are out in force at this early stage of the growing season. I have chosen three here that I think would be an asset in any garden as they are easy to grow and like me, very undemanding!

Geum borisii; Photographs never do justice to the vivid colour of this easy to grow perennial. Single bright orange-scarlet flowers grow in profusion throughout the summer and autumn which are good for cutting. They prefer moist soil and can be split every three years to encourage lots of flowers.

Lily of the valley: Here is a very easy to grow plant, ideal for ground cover. It has attractive white flowers and is used widely as a herbal medicine. Lily-of-the-Valley is fairly easy to cultivate and likes well-drained, rich, sandy loam, and wet ground.


Iris sibirica: This iris likes full sun or partial shade and the roots need to be kept damp. The purple flowers are glorious and the whole plant is resistant to deer should they be a problem in your garden! They are easily propagated by dividing clumps or offsets.

History of Sandwichs

I've actually never really liked food. I only eat it because I kind of have to. Well, at least that's what I've sort been trained into doing. If I was brought into existence in a world by myself with no other people to influence me, I don't think I would decide to eat food.

I found these sandwiches that are in plastic boxes. Being a fan of the sandwich, I decided to try it out. It was labeled "BEEF" because of the sandwich's flavor. This was a pretty basic sandwich. Some lettuce, some tomato slices, a bunch a beef, no sauce, bread not grilled or soaked in eggs or anything. After getting home, I opened up the container and took a bite of it and put it away. I only need one bite of any food for taste testing purposes. I'm not some robot that needs to keep eating sandwiches from now until the end of time.

[BEEF Sandwich]