Joe’s Jottings
Apart from the really mild winter in general the last two months have been normal. Especially April which true to form has been full of April showers, sunny intervals, a bit of cold weather and a bit of warm weather. The plants will know what time of year it is. That is not to say that May won’t throw up any surprises as it has in the last few years. Red hot May freezing summer and freezing May and red hot summer. I like normal and I hope that is what comes our way. The mild weather has started the season off with a bang and the plants are growing at a pace. Everyday something new pokes its head out of the ground including the weeds which have to be kept in check at this time of year or they will take over the whole garden.
When it comes to grandkids the Kitchen Skirt is in her element, although when she is out with her so called mates she can be a tad loud and boisterous. With the grandchild she takes her responsibilities very seriously. Young Henry was at the house the other day as his parents were having a well-deserved bit of R and R round at the local pub. At nearly two years old he is a bright and happy child who seems to be taking a keen interest in the garden and its contents. He pointed out flower and flowers showing he had started to master plurals. The rest of his conversation centres round the odd decipherable word and chuntering which he obviously understands but the rest of us don’t. On the whole he appears to understand what adults are saying or at least gets the drift. The Skirt took him up the garden where he was pointing out the flowers, passing bees and the birds on the bird table. Bearing in mind this is the day after we had some very powerful winds and one or two plants had suffered some wind damage. On seeing a prone tulip he toddled over the lawn and picked it up, muttered something we couldn’t understand then brandished the tulip like a sword and doing his pirate impression arggh! As the flower was still serviceable, The Skirt quickly told him to be gentle with the stricken stem and unopened flower. Immediately Henry looked round and cradled the stem like he was carrying a baby and walked back over the lawn to The Skirt’s side. “Let’s take it inside and Grandma will put it in some water” she said. Carefully he carried it to the door and then with a flourish shouted Ha arggh! And slapped the hapless tulip against the kitchen wall, as if using it as a pirate sword. The terrible two’s having started. I wait with bated breath to see how The Skirt and I cope with a wild child.
Occasionally something you had given no thought to whatsoever comes out of the blue to slap you in the face. As we all know Buck woods has a sizable Deer population. They are very shy creatures and as a rule stay well clear of humans. You may be lucky to spot one in a clearing or up on a ridge, a sudden rustle of undergrowth as it flees to safety. But to some residents of Brackendale they pose a problem. They have been coming out of the woods and like a hoard of shoppers at Tesco’s been helping themselves to the local flora on offer in peoples gardens. To some people this will not be a problem and they would like nothing better than seeing these magnificent creatures in their backyard. But others who are of a more horticultural bent may have some difficulty in having their pride and joy reduced to a few twigs or a bit of greenery poking out of the ground.
There are several methods which can be used to keep them out of the garden. Fences are the obvious one. The fence will have to be substantial and have no gaps in it, so unless you want your garden to resemble Stalagluft 13 it is not really an option. Marking your garden out as a beast would in nature is an idea. The mind boggles at The Skirt crouching down every few yards. This has its obvious drawbacks of common decency and the rain will wash it away. Lion and Tiger dung if you are able to source some is said to work. Scarecrows have limited success as the deer get used to them and eventually ignore them. Audible alarms are very good at keeping them at bay, but have the problem of upsetting the neighbours at all hours of the night and day. A good way to protect plants while maintaining a healthy, diverse garden is to provide natural, alternative browse for the deer. This can be achieved simply by allowing brambles, rosebay willowherb, rowan (mountain ash), dandelion, campion, hoary cinquefoil, knotweed, sweet lupin, redleg, ribwort and yarrow to grow within the garden. Deer will then preferentially eat these and may avoid your favourite roses. Added benefits include a more diverse garden, richer in beneficial insects and birds. A mixture of effective plant protection and eco-friendly gardening combine benefits and should protect your garden from attack by deer, which can instead be viewed as welcome visitors to the garden boundary.
Vulnerable plants, Bluebell, Calluna, Clematis, Crocus, Fuchsia (hybrid), Geranium, Holly, Honeysuckle, Lupin, Pansy, Pines, Rose, Rowan, Sweet William.
Deer-resistant plants, Camellia, Cistus, Fuchsia, Hellebore, Hosta, Hydrangea, Iris, Lavender, Poppy, Primula, Rhododendron, Sedum
There are sheets from The British Deer Society available on the tinterweb http://www.bds.org.uk/about_the_bds.html http://www.bds.org.uk/deer_in_your_garden.html
Links available http://idlegossiper.blogspot.co.uk/ JOE’S JOTTINGS - GARDENING - DEER
Top ten jobs for this month:
1. Watch out for late frosts. Protect tender plants.
2. Earth up potatoes, and promptly plant any still remaining.
3. Plant out summer bedding at the end of the month (except in cold areas).
4. Collect rainwater and investigate ways to recycle water for irrigation.
5. Regularly hoe off weeds.
6. Open greenhouse vents and doors on warm days.
7. Mow lawns weekly.
8. Check for nesting birds before clipping hedges.
9. Lift and divide overcrowded clumps of daffodils and other spring-flowering bulbs.
10.Watch out for viburnum beetle and lily beetle grubs.
