'Garden Column - November 2007'

PROTECT TENDER SHRUBS.

Tender shrubs out of doors should be given some protection for the oncoming winter months. Myrtles, Ceanothus, Abutilons, Palms, Musa etc. are just some of the varieties that will need protection.
If you are not sure on a particular plant then speak to me at the garden centre and I will be happy to tell you if you need to protect it.
The old fashion method used to be to cover the plants with some bracken, straw or mats, or even very twiggy branches from trees. Of course this day and age we can use protection fleece.
The fleece can be very awkward to keep around the plant with it being such a light material it can easily blow off from around the plant and then leaving the plant exposed to the elements.
The best thing to do is build a temporary frame around each plant which needs protection; this can be done by using some timber built into a box shape frame work.
Once the frame is built; use battens to connect the fleece to the top of the frame then role down the fleece each side of the frame work. Trim the fleece so it sits onto the surface of the soil and then connect a second piece of batten to the end and then coil the fleece around it. Then with use of either two large cup hooks or bent nails on each side of the frame work; then place the rolled up fleece into them.
How it works is when the plant needs protection all you do is unroll the blinds of fleece and then use netting pegs to secure the fleece blind in position. Once the frost/bad weather spell has past is then recoil the blinds back up this will make it easier than storing masses of fleece in the winter months thus saving you space in your shed and greenhouse.

PREPARE TO GROW YOUR OWN

This month is an ideal opportunity to prepare and plant for all kinds of top fruit and soft fruit.
First of all double dig the area over and as you turn the soil over dig in some well-rotted farmyard manure compost or a tree and shrub planting compost and remove all weed growth.
Once the area is prepared decide on which varieties you are going plant and if the plants are going to be trained up boundary fences of walls then place their support in place.
Choose from soft fruit such as delicious Blackberries to supple Grapes to juicy Currants and in top fruit - bowlfuls of Apples and Pears. Plums and Cherries by the punnet full also some exotic fruits can be grown in sheltered gardens such as Apricots, Kiwi fruit, Nectarines and Peaches.
If your planting an area and you are limited on space but you would like to have an orchard but only have room for a couple of trees then help is at hand because now you can get fruit trees which will grow and fruit on a single stem. These trees are known as Minarettes and can be grown in rows on the vegetable plot, dotted amongst ornamental plants as useful dot plants or if you have no more room left in the garden then you can always grow them in containers on the patio.

TIME FOR A BIT OF PRIVACY?

With winter waiting in the wings; November is an ideal time to plant hedging.
There are many trees and shrubs that can be used as a screen or barrier; but the first question to ask yourself is - Do you require a formal or an informal screen?
A formal hedge is obviously a screen which has been shaped and trimmed and an informal hedge is where you allow the plants to keep their natural shape and only trimming them when required.
Once which type of barrier has been decided then comes the tricky point; which plant shall I use?
On an informal hedge you can plant any mixture of plants as long as they all grow at similar rates and will eventually screen your property; there is nothing more horrific for a gardener to see an informal hedge that resembles a rollercoaster.
Formal hedging is easier and is much simpler to create; chose a single species to create your barrier and then plant it at the recommended spacing. For coniferous hedging plants like Leyandii; the spacing should be at least 90-120cm apart. On deciduous plants like Beech, Quickthorn etc. the spacing should be slightly less at between 45-60cm apart.
Whatever you decide to use as your screen ensure that the area is well-prepared. Once the hedge starts to grow in spring allow the plants to get to the required height before you start training.
If you are not sure of the range available feel free to visit the garden centre and pick up our FREE leaflet on plants for hedging & screening.