Pigs Dartmouth Gardener
The Boys are Back in Town
As I sit and write looking out over the Dart estuary, the sky is grey and the rain is falling and has been since the early hours of this morning, “
This time last year I began the column with the above statement, and strangly enough the same applies as I begin to write now.
It’s no wonder the English talk so much about the weather for we surely have an abundance. The false spring in March caught out many of us and the cold rain in April stopped all growth dead. It was not untill mid May when the night-time temperature rose above 10 degrees, vital for steady growth in young plants.
Anyhow things are now on the move thank goodness.
Over the Jubilee weekend our new pigs arrived. This is always a sign that summer is on the way and brings great merryment to the allotmenteers and visitors as the piglets run about. The animals soon understand that people equal food.
It was suggested that we name them after the current males of the Windsor household, with the small ginger piglet being Harry. But it was pointed out that naming live stock is not a good idea for it makes things a little difficult when one faces it on the plate. So they are just referred to as the boys.
I recently attended the Arts and Craft Garden Festival at Coombe Trenchard, an Arts & Crafts style house in a peaceful parkland setting with gardens left largely undisturbed for decades.
The owner’s mission is to restore the gardens to their Belle Epoque glory and to share with others the pleasure in seeing the progress and results of the restoration. Part of the plan is the Arts and Craft Garden festival, now in its second year and currently sponsored by Gardens Illustrated Magazine.
Summer normally gives great opportunity to visit gardens around the south west. The Lost Gardens of Heligan and the recently restored walled garden at Knightshayes being two fine examples.
Many private gardens open their gates for charity and these may be found in the Yellow Book which lists all gardens throughout the country that open to the public. It’s always good to see what others are up to in the garden and more often than not you will come away with a few ideas for your own plot. The tea and cakes are pretty good too!
Jobs to Do this month
Sowing and planting
• Sow spring cabbage, turnips, oriental vegetables, chicory, fennel, and autumn/winter salads.
• Carrots can still be sown, but beware of carrot fly
• Last chance to sow French beans and runner beans
• Plant out leeks and brassicas for a winter supply, if not yet done.
General care
• Ensure all vegetables get a regular, consistent supply of water.
• Continue to hoe off weeds in dry weather. The weeds are liable to re-root if done in wet weather.
• Don’t forget to stop cordon tomatoes by removing the main shoot. Look for the leaf that’s above the fourth truss (set of developing fruit) & cut it off here.
• Climbing beans may also need stopping, to maximise cropping on existing sideshoots. Stop them when they reach the tops of their supports.
Tree fruit
• Continue training fan-trained trees.
• If necessary, prune cherries straight after harvest.
• Check tree ties as tree trunk girth increases.
Soft fruit
• Water cranberries and blueberries regularly with rainwater.
• Complete summer pruning of gooseberries and red/white currants.
First Published July 2012 By The Dart
