June in The Garden
By Anne Edge-Rowe & Ivor Spade
From Forum
The Magazine of Chester City Council
June in the Garden By Anne Edge-Rowe & Ivor Spade
Pandora's back!!! Apparently when she called round for the rent from 'Enery nextdoor, he'd spent it all at the pub with Titus and Ivor. So Pandora being Pandora she evicted them immediately, changed the locks and moved back in bringing Arthur with her, she said the caravan wasn't as luxurious as he'd promised, and anyway they could do any reconciling they wanted in the comfort of their own home. Ivor's pleased as you can quite well imagine especially as Arthur doesn't seem to like gardening much, so Pandora's back in the shed picking up a few tips from Ivor on how to reconstruct her garden after the kids had ransacked it.
Now is a good time to prune your spring flowering shrubs to get a good display next Spring, Forsythias welcome a good pruning, and Lilac should be pruned as soon as the flowers die off to prevent the seed setting, and suckers should be taken off as near to the root as possible. Not forgetting clematis, the general rule is the earlier it flowers the less pruning it needs.
Lift and replant daffodils, tulips, crocuses, snowdrops, winter aconites to make room for summer bedding.
Ivor is busy building an arbour. He's off looking for a suitable bench and has put up some trellis to grow clematis, honeysuckle and roses. Remarkably, in a pretty secluded spot at the bottom of the garden. I wonder why. He's also taken great care to secure the trellis on strong posts and has concreted them in, although I did wonder at the squiggles in the concrete which looked suspiciously like I L P!!
Initially I was very worried. But Ivor says it is to remind him that I Loath Pandora, which I do. So that makes it alright, I think.
Ivor's Top Tip. Sing to your plants. Stroke them gently and they will really flourish. It works anytime day or night. But if you do it just before it goes dark they respond best of all and especially if you sing a lullaby while stroking them. I saw it on TV last year. Didn't believe it. Tried it and wow, what results.
Go on give it a whirl and then tell us about your successes. Ring Mike McCabe on 402517. We really do want to know.
Talking of miracles. Anne has finally decided that Titus and I can go on our own for a week in Pandora's luxury caravan in Bagillt. We plan to do a spot of sea-fishing, and collecting seaweed, which is excellent when mixed in with your own compost, if a bit smelly. We plan to look up the couple who Anne and I met when we were on our tour of garden shows last year. We think their names are Cecil and Myrtle, you may know them. They said they ran Bagillt's finest hostelry. Can't be too many pubs there. We don't go until July so contact us if you are able to help us locate them.
This years RHS show at Tatton runs from 20 to 23 July. Last year was great. We're going again with our Club. �16 -- The bus is free. If you would to join us. Get in touch. There may be spare seats.
Good gardening.
Anne & Ivor.