Start planting bulbs for spring display now. As a quick rule for depth of planting, bulbs should be planted 3 times the height of the bulb.
Prune late flowering shrubs and finish trimming evergreen hedges by mid September to make sure they are in shape for winter. Divide herbaceous perennials if they have outgrown their space or are looking tired. Doing this will improve their flowering and shape and invigorate them. [Read more…] about Gardening Tips for September by Wellie
Summer is in full swing, and to keep your garden looking lovely there are a few things to do this month.
Dead head regularly to maintain flowering, cut back perennials that have collapsed. Continue to summer prune wisteria. [Read more…] about Gardening Tips for August by Wellie
Every infantry man in a combat zone loves to hear a Chinook. Wop, wop, wop, you can hear the characteristic sound, you know what it is but you can’t see it. The twin rotor helicopter is coming in at 160 mph with 10 tons of stores and ammunition or re-enforcements. Once it lands, it will be there for 60 seconds, there will be no departure delays, no last calls for passengers, no check in queues. What isn’t taken off or loaded within the time is left where it is. [Read more…] about Chinook
Dead head roses and bedding plants regularly to prolong flowering.
Keep containers watered and fed to ensure continued good performance. [Read more…] about Gardening Tips for July by Wellie
Everything in the garden is in full swing now. Dead head spent flowers so that the plants don’t use all their energy into making seedheads, rather they can produce more blooms instead.
Carry on cutting the lawns regularly, mow in different directions to prevent wear patterns and to encourage upright growth. [Read more…] about Gardening Tips for June from Wellie
Summer is approaching but don’t be tempted to put out summer bedding until the risk of frosts are over, and make sure they have been hardened off before planting out.
Dahlias can be planted out at the end of the month. Stake any herbaceous plants that will flop over or be damaged by high winds. [Read more…] about Gardening Tips for May from Wellie
Prune Chaenomeles (ornamental quince) and Forsythia after they have finished flowering. Check roses for black spot, remove any infected leaves and treat with a fungicide. [Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips for April
Lift and divide overgrown clumps of herbaceous perennials that were not split in the Autumn.
Overcrowded clumps of snowdrops and winter aconites can be lifted and divided after they have finished flowering. [Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips for March
Complete pruning of climbing and bush roses before new growth becomes too strong. Once winter flowering heathers have finished, trim them back with shears to the base of flower stalks.
Cut back ornamental grasses and other perennials left for winter interest. Prune shrubs hard such as Cornus and Salix grown for winter coloured stems. [Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips for February
Midwinter can be a tough time for wildlife in the garden. Make sure there is a continuous supply of food and fresh water for them. Prune redcurrants and gooseberries, if there is no risk of frosts.
Rhubarb can be forced by covering crowns with a bucket, box or forcing jar. Winter prune wisteria by reducing last year’s growth to spurs of two or three buds. Remove any leaves on winter pansies and violas with downy mildew and black spot. [Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips for January
Keep raking up those leaves from the lawn and borders. If it’s a mild winter, continue to cut the lawn if it’s growing, but raise the height of the mower blades.
From now until the end of March is the time to plant any bare rooted trees, shrubs and roses. Check stored fruit, throw out any that are rotten. Reduce watering on houseplants. [Read more…] about Gardening Tips for December by Wellie
Jobs to do as winter approaches and the garden quietens. Rake up leaves on the lawn. Tie-in long whippy shoots of climbers and wall shrubs.
Bare rooted roses can be planted now. Prune bush roses to prevent wind-rock and clear up any fallen rose leaves, especially if they suffered from black spot and rust, to reduce the chance of infection next year.
[Read more…] about Gardening Tips for November by Wellie
This is a lovely month with the trees starting to change colour, but the temperatures are dropping and the nights are drawing in, so get as many jobs done in the garden before it gets too cold.
Wallflowers can be planted now, providing foliage ground cover all winter, and fragrance and colour next spring. [Read more…] about Gardening Tips for October by Wellie
In the week when the centenary of that marvellous writer, Roald Dahl, is celebrated, I thought about whether the tools a writer uses matter.
Dahl (and the brilliant Wodehouse) had their faithful typewriters, Shakespeare swore by his current quill (and probably at it when the nib broke, how many did he get through?!) and of course story telling originates from the oral tradition. [Read more…] about Writing Tools: Why I use Scrivener Writing Software
Make the most of the warmth in the air and soil, before the temperatures drop at the beginning of Autumn.
Start planting bulbs for spring display now. Tulips are better left until November, but daffodils need to be planted now. As a quick rule for depth of planting, bulbs should be planted 3 times the height of the bulb. [Read more…] about Gardening Tips for September by Wellie
Summer is in full swing, and to keep your garden looking lovely there are a few things to do this month.
Dead head regularly to maintain flowering, cut back perennials that have collapsed. Summer prune wisteria. [Read more…] about Gardening Tips for August by Wellie
Dead head roses and bedding plants regularly to prolong flowering. Keep containers watered and fed to ensure continued good performance.
Cut back hardy geraniums to ground level after they have had their first flush of flowers to encourage new foliage and more flowers later in the year. Divide congested clumps of bearded iris after flowering. Check clematis for signs of clematis wilt. [Read more…] about Gardening Tips for July by Wellie
Further to my interview with Jacci Gooding last week which focused on her adventures in self publishing, this post now looks at Jacci’s writing life.
She also reveals what she looks for in a good story as she prepares to launch her own short story collection, A Collection of Unsettling Short Stories. The anthology will be available as an ebook, as a paperback and in audio formats. [Read more…] about Interview: Jacci Gooding – The Writing Life
One of the things I love about writing for Chandler’s Ford Today has been the chance to interview fellow authors, to share news from the publishing world and so on.
Today I talk to Jacci Gooding, who I met at the Winchester Writers’ Festival. As well as learning a great deal from talks at conferences like this one, the other big joy has been making friends with other writers and knowing you are not alone out there. Mike Sedgwick touched on this theme recently with his post about the Secret Lives of Chandler’s Ford anthology. [Read more…] about Interview: Jacci Gooding – Adventures in Self Publishing
Everything in the garden is in full swing now. Dead head spent flowers so that the plants don’t use all their energy into making seedheads, rather they can produce more blooms instead.
Carry on cutting the lawns regularly, mow in different directions to prevent wear patterns and to encourage upright growth. [Read more…] about Gardening Tips for June by Wellie
