Gardening in Charlbury April 2014

Fri 24 Apr 2015, 11:24

I know its relatively expensive but if your going down this route I'd thoroughly recommend getting some wildflower turf to surface it. Its quite tricky to establish with seed but the turf offers the same floristically rich fine grass results, which you can then over-seed with some local wildflowers if you want to make it more bespoke. You only need to cut it twice a year too so more time for lazy G&T's whilst other mow stripes.

Fri 24 Apr 2015, 09:17

Need to go on a sightseeing trip to Sturt Road, have Googled Hugelkulture, sounds fascinating

Thu 23 Apr 2015, 22:14

Thanks guys looks like I finally have a use for all the sticks the boys bring home...

Tue 21 Apr 2015, 13:37

Not sure if this has become a general chit chat about gardening...

... wondering if anyone else has tried Hugelkultur beds? We're having a first crack at them this year in our front garden. It seemed such a waste as just a lawn we thought we'd try something totally different and grow food there. There are so many lawns which are just grass on our road (Sturt Road) I hope that this will add a bit of variety to what people expect to see. I would be really interested to see what others have done and how successful it has been. This is an experiment for us. Best bit so far has been telling passers by that I haven't buried my wife under the mounds... ;-)

Tue 21 Apr 2015, 13:33

You do not need anything as powerful as a 12-bore to kill a pigeon ... for a clean kill a .410 will work perfectly adequately.

Tue 21 Apr 2015, 12:15

Re pea sticks - I used to use the trimmings from my dogwood - they need pruning about the same time of year as the pea sticks go in - leave them very "branchy". The problem I found with mesh netting is at the end of the year trying to untangle the peas from the netting!!

I understand it is legal to shoot pigeons (and squirrels) but it must be a clean kill - for example if you trap a squirrel you're not supposed to drown it. You have to shoot it or hit it on the head!!

An air rifle can kill a pigeon or a squirrel but I think it should be at least a .22 - a .177 isn't tough enough. And a head shot is desirable to stop any maiming/winging. Anyone any further information on vermin control?

Mon 20 Apr 2015, 21:02

I've never seen pseudo-kites at work, so can't say. I do remember, though, that someone once told me that 12 boars would do the trick with pigeons. At least, I think that's what they said ....

Mon 20 Apr 2015, 19:20

Pea sticks are, at least to me, twiggy branchy sticks and twigs that you let the peas climb up. I've used my hefty printings of my overgrown blavkcurrant bush though I think Might have have to add some canes and string to give some extra height.

I too am struggling with pigeons. It's very tempting to rig up a boys own style trap with a box and piece of string and turning them into pie!

Does anyone know if these red kite decoy things work? I'm tempted to try...

Mon 20 Apr 2015, 17:00

Thanks Geoff - I think you have to take a very philosophical attitude to these things. I grew the wallflowers from seed autumn 2013 and a few flowered and went over last year but most seem to have waited till this year to flower. Very staisfying when things do work! I'm getting netting sorted ASAP gor my remaining peas and beans till they are big enough to defeat the pigeons - and I'll replant the rest this weekend and hope its not too late. What do you mean by pea sticks? I've grown peas up netting before but not sure that would protect them from pigeons as it's vertical not horizontal.

Mon 20 Apr 2015, 15:56

It's so disheartening isn't it? I've always protected my peas with the peasticks that they're going to climb as soon as I plant them. Otherwise it's some form of netting or fleece. And that frost last night was quite sharp but you may get away with it with the peas. It's a bit early for runner beans and french beans but broad beans will take the frost if not the pigeons. Seems to me to be a particularly bad year for pigeons. Or rather a good year for them!!Raised beds are great to work but they do dry out quicker than normal beds. At least it should rain this Friday - and of course for the weekend!
I'm envious of your wallflowers - mine have almost completely failed. Again too dry I think. Years ago Geoff Hamilton on Gardeners World said it doesn't matter how good you are a gardener - every year something unexpected fails. It even happened to him.

Mon 20 Apr 2015, 15:47

I am feeling down-hearted at the moment about my raised beds. The pigeons seem intent on digging up my beans and peas, it hasn't rained for 2 weeks so I'm already having to water, and to top it all therre was a frost last night. On the plus side, the tomatoes in the cold frame are looking healthy and the wall flowers are all out in full flower.

Fri 17 Apr 2015, 17:48

Chunkyish, darkish leaves - shorter and wider than some - the sort that gets used in North African tea. It's *very nice*.

Fri 17 Apr 2015, 17:00

Hmmm, what is Moroccan mint Meraud?

Thu 16 Apr 2015, 17:12

I've got lots of Moroccan mint coming up - I can root you a cutting and drop it round when ready, if you'd like some of that too? Mx

Wed 15 Apr 2015, 11:21

Thank you to the many gardeners of Charlbury - my G+Ts will not now be bereft of mint - hopefully I can keep this batch growing! A new plot is needed I think to see if it likes being somewhere else.

Tue 14 Apr 2015, 07:39

So I'm looking to get my herb selection started for this year and wondered if anyone had any mint running rampant in their garden that they'd be happy to offer me some runners from? Although I know some people struggle with keeping it in control mine does each year without coming back, which is frustrating to me. And it will soon be G+T and Pimms season so I need to get going!!

Thu 9 Apr 2015, 17:42

thanks all - I think I will try again - I didn't cut it down last time but I might risk it one more time!

Thu 9 Apr 2015, 13:07

It's fine to cut Melianthus major to the ground over winter, if you grow tender tropicals it's standard practice. It's also what they do at Doxter which admitedly is further south than here

Thu 9 Apr 2015, 09:52

Just holidayed in a garden in Devon with Melianthus looking spectacular, I think you'll be fighting a losing battle if its major as its evergreen and so you can't mulch it in, you could go for a fleece over the foliage but even now it'd be tender so it'd be bagged up for six months, which isn't ideal.

Thu 9 Apr 2015, 09:44

Kate - start it off in pots, grow it on to a reasonable size (if necessary fleece the pot over the winter), then plant it out and the following winters cut it to ground level and mulch just to be on teh safe side. I had one in the ground on a south facing fence for two years, what finally got it was the slugs last year.

Thu 9 Apr 2015, 09:33

Uh yes that should be 2015. Living in the past? Me?

Thu 9 Apr 2015, 09:17

I've been trying to grow Melianthus because I love its showy leaves but I know it's borderline hardy and twice I've lost one - this spring (2015!) I've looked at it and it's all blackened and shrivelled- I don't think it's going to regenerate somehow, but I'll give it a few weeks more.. Has anyone else in Charrlbury managed to keep one going? If so how?

Wed 8 Apr 2015, 21:30

2014!?

Wed 8 Apr 2015, 18:15

The Charlbury and District Garden Society plans to resurrect its Charlbury gardening discussion including questions and answers.

The weather has improved so that we expect lots of daffodil/narcissi entries to the Spring Show this Saturday, in the Memorial hall, maybe even some tulips.

This is always a difficult Show to time but we have high hopes for a good show this year - you don't have to be a member to enter.
What are people starting to grow in the vegetable line? We've started some mange-tout peas and some summer cabbage so far.
My garden pond is teeming with frogspawn although I fear most of the tadpoles will be eaten by the fish - which have emerged after winter. I thought the heron had got them but they are all still here - although one of the gold fish has changed to a black one.

Has anyone lost anything significant in the garden over this quite mild winter?