Arthur's top tips

• Plant out container-grown roses and shrubs.
• Fork compost into flower beds to prepare soil for summer bedding.
• Continue to plant dahlia and lily bulbs, come summer you will be glad you did!
• Pick rhubarb stems as they develop, and water clumps with a liquid feed.
• Sow seeds of the following crops this week if conditions are fine: beetroot, parsnips, turnips, onions, peas and mangetout, broad beans, lettuce and salad leaves, spinach, radish, rocket, pak choi, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.
• Thin out seedlings from earlier sowings.
• Prune early-flowering clematis, such as Clematis Montana, immediately after flowering to control their size.
• Keep newly planted trees and shrubs well watered until established.
• Spray peaches and nectarines with fungicide to prevent an attack of peach leaf curl.
• Place collars around the stems of brassicas to prevent an attack of cabbage root fly.
• Collect hellebore seeds from ripe pods, and store in an envelope in the shed or sprinkle over prepared soil.
• The vigorous growth of many herbaceous perennials and climbers often needs a helping hand to prevent them flopping onto neighbouring plants or over the edges of lawns and paths. Putting plant supports in place early means they even the most obvious ones can be hidden by the foliage in just a few weeks.
• For clump-forming border plants such as Lupins, Rudbeckias, and Phlox, tie soft string around a circle of canes pushed in around each plant.

Give it a try… There’s nothing quite like home-grown lettuce to make a lunchtime sandwich into something special. Every week or 10 days I sow a small batch of assorted salad leaves in pots or trays, then cover the seeds lightly with compost. I keep the containers moist, to create a constant supply of fresh leaves. It’s easy to get started, with a ready-mixed packet of seed. Or better still; buy several packets of suitable crops, including a good range of lettuce colours and shapes, perhaps including some coriander, parley or mustard. Just mix the seeds together in a jar, and sow small batches at regular intervals. Don’t sow all at once or you will have a salad over load!

Growing under cover 
With the unseasonably harsh weather, it’s handy to have a poly tunnel or glasshouse so you can continue on  gardening.  If you’re planning to buy a new greenhouse or tunnel, make sure you get the very best from it by placing it in the right location in your garden. This can make all the difference between success and failure. As you would imagine good light is very important, so keep it away from the shading of large trees.  They will also leave you with a build up of green algae and leaves that can damage and block guttering.  Preparing the area is essential before building; choose a level site, avoiding a sloped area if possible.  If you’re planning on growing in the beds inside your tunnel or greenhouse, I would choose a spot with decent soil. Stony or rocky ground can make the construction process harder than it has to be. Ventilation is key to success, so leave plenty of space at the front and sides, especially when it comes to poly tunnels as opening the door is usually the only way to ventilate it.  If your garden is windy, position your greenhouse or poly tunnel side on to the prevailing wind so it blows up and over, rather than slamming into one end. It also might be worth creating a wind break by planting a hedge. Of course, it may be that there is only one possible position you can put it, but if you do have a choice it is worth while giving it the best possible position you can.

• Spring clean with the range of ‘Hero’ outdoor cleaning products. Easy to use with very little work.
• Sprinkle sulphate of potash fertiliser around clumps of tulips to boost flowering
• Secure emerging clematis shoots to supports, taking care not to snap their fragile stems and apply slug pellets
• Plant out onion sets and shallots
• Continue to use ‘Osmo Moss killer’ on your lawn after applying a PH stabilizer
• Start to regularly spray roses that are vulnerable to disease, I always alternate between different sprays so they don’t have a chance to build up a resistance against it.
• Start sowing salad crops at regular 3-4 week intervals to ensure a regular supply for picking
• Tidy up hedges, but before you start cutting make sure no birds are nesting in them
• Throw sheets of fleece over fruit trees on frosty nights to protect blossom
• Plant up pots with spring colour and scents

Spring is here and the plants and trees are all looking hungry after the long winter. Feeding is the key to getting the best displays and crops from your garden. A number of chemical elements are essential for plant growth. Three are required in relatively large amounts, nitrogen for leaf growth, phosphorus for root development and potash for strengthening resistance to disease.  A general purpose fertilizer will have all these elements in the right amounts. Never apply fertilizer too close to the stem of your trees and shrubs as you can cause detrimental scorching.  A small handful of fertilizer sprinkled around the plant 30-40 cms (12-14”) out from the stem, little and often is better than one big feed.  Manure or fertilizer - the age old argument.  Actually, there is nothing to argue about, both are vital and neither can be properly replaced by the other. The role of bulky organic matter (farmyard manure, garden compost) is to make the soil structure good enough to support a vigorous and healthy crop. The role of fertilizers is to provide the plants with enough nutrients that they reach their full potential in this soil. In your vegetable garden, one of the most important uses for a general purpose fertilizer is to provide a base dressing just before sowing or planting. Crops which take some time to mature like purple sprouting broccoli or curly kale will need one or more top dressings during the season.  You can always use a slow release fertilizer to steadily release nutrients into the soil or compost for 6 months. Always read the instructions as every feed is different and if you can, choose an organic brand.

• Plant bare rooted hedging now, spring growth is on the way.
• On dry days cultivate areas for planting.
• Finish pruning fruit trees and bushes.
• Cut the lawn at a high level.
• Begin treatment for moss, use Osmo, your lawn won’t go black and you won’t have to rake it out.
• Repot and feed houseplants that have been resting all winter.

High up in the Himalayas in one of the remotest places on earth there is a valley that stretches for hundreds of miles, this valley is inhabited by a nomadic people, nothing strange about that you might say, what is remarkable is the fact that these people have never seen a tree as no trees grow at high altitude. There are no trains, planes or roads so these people don’t travel the great distances that we take for granted.  Apart from anything else just imagine a world without trees.  For starters, the world as we know it wouldn’t exist as trees are the lungs of mother earth.  From a practical point of view, we have used the timber produced by trees in every conceivable way and of course, the fruit produced by trees is part of our natural diet and many of our medicines are derived from trees.  After all that, most people nowadays who plant trees plant them for less commercial reasons, the beauty of their flowers, leaf colour and shape, the texture and colour of their bark. 

Trees give us protection in winter and shade in summer, trees add a beauty to any landscape be it urban or rural and there are so many to choose from with new or unusual varieties becoming available every year.  There are trees to suit all locations , all soil types, they come in all shapes and sizes, most are very easy to grow and you can buy a seedling tree for as little as a euro.  Not that long ago our forefathers undertook perilous journeys to far-flung corners of the earth, returning with many of the species we know today.  These great adventures nowadays are for the very few but you can create your own mini-adventure this Plant a Tree Week by getting out to your local garden centre, choosing a tree that will add beauty to your home and maybe find out where the tree originated, perhaps its origins are in Tibet, china or south America or it could have good Irish sap running through its veins.

• Gather up the last of the fallen leaves as accumulation can cause damage to your lawn or shrub beds.  Ideally, put them in a compost heap.
• Prune bush and shrub roses to prevent root rock.
• Weather permitting give your roses, fruit bushes and beech hedging a winter wash with Armillatox, this will help to prevent black spot and greenfly attack next season (you need a dry day).
• Keep an eye on houseplants, don’t over water but most will benefit from been misted on their foliage twice a week if possible.  This helps to prevent the edges of the leaves turning brown.
• If the weather is agreeable try and get out for a walk in the lovely countryside of Westmeath.
• All those gardening books you got for Christmas will have some new ideas, armchair gardening in moderation is allowable.

Getting your garden into shape

You would be forgiven for a lack of enthusiasm to get into the garden this time of year.  But if you are suffering from cabin fever there’s always loads to be done.  Plants are at their most dormant now so it’s the ideal time to do any moving i.e. plants that have outgrown their space or ones that need to be divided as long as the ground isn’t frozen solid, now is the best time.  It’s also the best time to plant beech hedging, whitethorn and all types of trees, plants planted now will have a head start.  Pile on farmyard manure around rhubarb for an early crop in spring. 

If you don’t feel like doing any digging, it’s a good time to take a look at your garden and see where changes or additions need to be made and if there is no colour in your garden right now, plant any or all of the following to rectify the situation. Hamamelis Mollis (Witch-hazel), Viburnum Tinus, Viburnum bod. Dawn, Mahonia Winter Sun to name but a few.  One of the fundamentals of good garden design is that it should contain a minimum 20% of evergreen plants to give it substance and background during the months of winter.  Oh if you’re like me I’ve just found a packet of autumn bulbs I meant to plant weeks ago, I’m going to do it now.  So that’s all for this week, they’ll still flower

• With spring on the way, it's worth preparing your lawn for the season ahead. Try installing lawn edging which creates a neat and tidy appearance and makes maintenance easier.
• Sprinkle sulphate of potash fertiliser around fruit.
• Crops to sow in heated propagators include tomatoes, aubergines, onions, celery, and peppers.
• Cut back the old foliage from ornamental grasses before growth begins - clip them to within a few centimetres of the ground.
• Prune overwintered fuchsias back to one or two buds on each shoot.
• Sow seeds of broad beans, carrots, hardy peas and parsnips outside in soil that's been warmed with cloches.
• Lift and divide snowdrops still 'in the green' if you want to move them.
• Prepare vegetable seed beds by removing all weeds and forking in plenty of compost. Cover prepared soil with sheets of black plastic to keep it drier and warmer in preparation for spring planting.
• If you garden on heavy clay soil but want to make an early start in the garden, build raised beds before the growing season gets under way. The soil will warm up faster and raised beds drain quickly too.
• If all you can see from your windows are unattractive sheds, composting areas, and bins this winter, think about using evergreen climbers such as Clematis Armandii or Clematis 'Freckles' to screen the area, or just to add winter interest. Bamboo plants also make a fantastic screen.
• The weather is still cold this month so hang fat balls and keep bird feeders topped up to attract birds who will, in turn, eat pests in your garden.
• Add height, structure and year-round interest to your garden, with a specimen tree.

Spring is fast approaching and shortly it will be time for planting out vegetable plants and seeds.  If you are a beginner and not just sure on how to start and which system to use, I hope you will find the following recommendations helpful.   The first bit of advice I would give anyone contemplating starting a vegetable patch for the first time is to think small.  There is nothing more off-putting than a large area at the bottom of the garden becoming an unproductive mess.  If you start small, sow varieties that are easy to grow, you will be making mistakes on a small scale and the success you have will encourage you to extend the area and if you decide that’s it’s just not for you the job of putting the area back into grass or maybe using it as a fruit growing area won’t be as daunting.  If you are starting off don’t expect to get it right all the time and as I have already said start with the easier crops salads, parsnips, carrots, cabbage, radishes, garlic, peas and beans and many more.  The location of your vegetable plot, the depth, and fertility of the soil are of paramount importance.  Vegetables will not do well if you grow them in too much shade and you will be disappointed with the return from heavy, wet soil.  Having chosen a reasonably sunny spot, preparation is next. If the area is in grass, this will have to be killed off, use Roundup or Resolva, they do the job efficiently and do not leave harmful residues in the soil.  At this stage you have to then decide are you going to do raised beds, lazy beds or ridges.  Let me explain all three and why one is preferable over the other.  Raised beds are a modern phenomenon , are usually constructed using some kind of timber, a typical raised bed would be 12-14 feet long, 4-6 feet wide and 1, 2 or 3 feet high filled with soil,  for all the world it’s a large box with no bottom.  This type of bed has lots of advantages, it’s easier to work on raised beds because of the height, you don’t have to bend as much.  The soil is usually drier which makes it easier to work with especially earlier in the season.  However, there are a number of possible disadvantages, the cost of the timber and the necessity to fill them with soil.  They dry out quicker than ground level beds so you may have to water more during the summer and some crops especially the ones that need a lot of room like potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli do better on level ground.  Raised beds are ideal for salads and varieties that like drier ground if your garden has to be shared with pets they’re a better option. Next week we will concentrate on lazy beds or ridges and the recipe for soil fertility.

• Clear leaves from greenhouse gutters  And check heaters daily to ensure they are working efficiently
• Scoop leaves and debris from ponds and water features
• Remove pond pumps and filters to wash and store
• Pick off yellowing leaves from the stems of Brussels sprouts and keep harvesting early varieties
• Check fruit and vegetables in store, removing any showing signs of deterioration
• Cut down canes of autumn-fruiting raspberries to soil level
• Prune greenhouse grapevines once their leaves have fallen
• Check overwintering plants for signs of greenfly and other pests, and treat if necessary

Even at this time of the year, your garden should have some interest as many shrubs start to flower now. Most of them have the added bonus of having excellent scent. Walking around my garden this morning, I noticed that one of my favourite shrubs which have an exquisite fragrance coming into flower. It is not that well known but is well worth seeking out, Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’. An evergreen form of Daphne, slow growing which will reach a height in time of two metres plus. Extremely hardy and will grow in any good free draining soil. As it flowers in January / February give it a little bit of shelter from our chilly winter winds. Witch hazel (Hamamelis mollis) is another shrub that’s looking fantastic at the moment. When planting for best effect, try and have a neutral green background for best effect. This time of the year is a very good time to do a bit of planning for the coming season and if you have to replace a low growing hedge or are thinking of planting a new one, a note of caution. The traditional box hedging has been under siege with a killer disease. My recommendation would be to use Christmas box/ sweet box (sarcococca) as an alternative. It makes a super low growing neat hedge with the added bonus of sweet smelling flowers in mid winter. It will grow in sun or shade. If a hedge is not on your agenda plant a few sarcococca for scent alone where you might pass by them at this time of year. If the winter sunshine continue take the opportunity to enjoy a walk in some of the lovely Westmeath countryside and hopefully you will engendered and inspired by the simplicity and wonders of nature

• Winter prune apple trees and give them their first Winterwash of the season
• Repair and treat fencing and timber structures while climbing plants are dormant
• Bring all watering equipment indoors, including hoses and sprinklers
• Scoop fallen leaves and rotting plant debris from ponds
• Rake up fallen leaves that could be sheltering slugs
• Net cabbages and other brassicas to protect them from pigeon damage
• Trim autumn-flowering heathers
• Collect fallen rose leaves that could carry diseases over to next season and plant new roses
• Start to winter-prune your Wisteria, cutting back summer side-shoots to 2 or 3 buds.
• Prune climbing roses now; cutting away diseased or damaged growth and tying in any new shoots to their support. Prune older flowered side shoots back by two-thirds of their length.
• Plant up winter containers with hardy cyclamen, ivy, skimmia and evergreen grasses such as carex to add colour to your garden. Place them in prominent places beside entrances and well used paths to enjoy their winter display.
• Plant some shrubs for winter interest.  Sarcoccoca confusa adds colour and fragrance to your garden at this   time of year.
• If you still haven't planted your tulip bulbs there is still time, provided the ground isn't frozen.

Bring your Garden in from the cold.   

A screen that protects your house from the cold is akin to wearing a wool hat on a cold day.  The screen you use around your house needs careful consideration, the type of plant you use, your location and your practical requirements will determine your choice of plants.  Ask yourself the following questions, am I looking for privacy, if this is the case, it needs to be 5-6 feet high.  Do I want a formal clipped hedge, remember that this requires a lot of work and if maintenance is not carried out, fast growing varieties can get out of hand very quickly and can cause you and your neighbours a lot of problems.  The advantage of fast growing varieties is that they are usually cheaper simply because it doesn’t take so long in the nursery to produce them.  Slow growing plants can be more expensive but in the long run maybe more cost effective as they don’t need so much clipping.  As I write this I am looking out on an informal hedge of holly covered in berries at 8 feet high, it has taken 10 years but the advantages were worth waiting for.  It is extremely hardy as I live on a very exposed site, no clipping, loads of winter berries for me to enjoy and the birds.  It makes a perfect backdrop for most planting and if you live in an area where noise is a problem holly is considered the best choice.  The density and shape of leaf seems to absorb noise.  Anybody in the Mullingar area who wants to see a glorious beech hedge should visit Belvedere but the beauty of beech is everywhere to be seen at the moment, not the fastest hedge to grow but if planted properly in any reasonable soil (it does not like wet) and kept weed free which is most important 18” each side of the young plants and fed in spring and again in august, you should have a spectacular 6 feet high hedge in 4 years.  To help keep the russet leaves on beech throughout the winter the hedge should be trimmed in august.   On very wet or heavy soil use hormbeam, it will thrive where others will fail.  Laurel is a very popular hedging plant that can be kept trimmed to a reasonable height, grows quite quickly is very hardy and evergreen.  Yew makes a beautiful hedge and should be planted much more and is the perfect choice on a dry sandy site.  It is extremely hardy and if you want to attract thrushes to your garden, the berry it produces is their favourite food. 

• Check roses for suckers and break off any you find  just below ground where they are joined to the stem
• Trim evergreen hedges to neaten their appearance and control height
• Empty pots of faded early summer bedding, adding old plants to the compost heap and replant with Autumn colour, include your Spring flowering bulbs when planting remember when buying bulbs, large size bulbs give you the best flowers
• Feed all roses and fruit trees with potash now.  This year’s potash feed is next year’s fruit
• Potash applied now to tender shrubs will harden up the wood and ensure their survival in Winter
• Keep picking summer-sown salads to prevent the plants running to seed
• Plant garlic cloves and Winter onions outside, it’s still time to plant Winter salads outside.
• Cut laurel and photinia hedges using secateurs so you don't damage the remaining leaves
• Stake tall Brussels sprouts to stop them from blowing over

Repair any patches in your lawn. Bare patches can appear in your lawn after a thorough raking, where the grass is undernourished or where it's been worn out. These gaps should be reseeded to prevent moss and weeds colonising the soil and to allow your lawn to look its best all year round. Sow the patch with an appropriate seed mix, sprinkling half the grass seeds in one direction and the rest in the other. Lightly rake over the seed and protect it against birds with netting. A small sheet of polythene pegged over the area will encourage the grass seed to germinate quicker

Trim lavender after flowering to keep its shape, but avoid cutting into old wood.

Summer Pruning apple trees. Once apple trees are established it's best to summer prune the spur-fruiting varieties. This will encourage the development of short flowering shoots or 'spurs' that go on to bear clusters of fruit. Summer pruning is ideal for keeping the trees in shape and involves pruning the soft, current season's growth before it has chance to become woody. Cut back the leading shoots of each branch by half their length to encourage the production of side shoots. Only prune the current season's growth in this way, cutting to just above a leaf. Cut back all remaining side shoots to two or three leaves from the base of the current season's leafy growth, cutting just above the bud. The soft stems and leaves that are cut off apple trees during summer pruning are perfect to add to the compost heap where they'll rot down quickly. Always prune to an outward-facing bud so that the centre of the bush or tree is kept open. This helps reduce problems with pests and diseases.

Give it a try... While many container displays are looking past their best by August, a late-summer display will brighten up a corner of the patio right through autumn. Flowers that peak in late-summer are pretty wide-ranging, as are shrubs, climbers and herbaceous perennials. Ornamental grasses and chrysanthemums will give you a display that will revival any summer planter. The use of ornamental cabbages and chilli’s brings some extra colour to pots and creates interest. I particularly love cabbages grouped together in either rustic garden planters or low baskets. They also can bring some great colour and texture to mixed container planters.  Sedum, also known as stonecrop, is a classic autumn plant for containers because that’s when it looks its best. Blooming in late summer to early autumn, sedum is easy to grow in containers, preferring good drainage and full sun, though most will tolerate some shade. Sedums are a particularly good choice of plant for an autumn container that you want to leave out all winter because the dried flowers can look beautiful, especially covered with frost.

• Prune out plain green shoots from variegated trees and shrubs.
• Water runner beans, celery, marrows, courgettes and salads.
• Thin heavy fruit crops, leaving developing fruits about 10-15cm apart.
• Sow seeds of herbs now, including basil, parsley and coriander.
• Water tomatoes regularly to prevent fruit splitting and blossom end rot.
• Ventilate your  greenhouse daily, blight warning for the coming week.

Lavender can be used for culinary use. Choose an angustifolia variety. We find lavandula angustifolia “hidcote” the most successful lavender to grow in the midlands. Next time when you are barbequing your meat, try sprinkling some dried lavender on the hot coals. Not only will this add flavour that is good to the taste buds, it will also adds scent that is pleasing to the nose.  We have posted up on our Facebook page a few other uses for you to experiment with. Blueberry and lavender jam?

Patio orchard  Growing fruit trees in large pots on the patio is a great way of increasing the range of fruit you have in your garden without taking up valuable border space. The warmth of a sunny patio means you can try more exotic fruits such as figs that need a good summer to ripen. It is also an ideal way of squeezing a fruit tree into a very small garden without it dominating the whole design. Raising trees in pots allows you to grow fruit that would otherwise fail to thrive in your garden. For example, you could try plums that need a well-drained soil even if your garden is heavy clay, or acid-loving blueberries in a garden with alkaline soil. There are other advantages, too. The trees are easier to protect from late frosts because you can move them inside or cover them with garden fleece. They can be protected from pests and diseases more effectively and sprayed more easily. Since the tree will remain small it will be easier to prune and harvesting is a real pleasure. Cherries make excellent patio trees, with spectacular blossom and colourful fruit. It is essential that you choose a variety on a dwarf rootstock such as Colt or Gisela, even then it will make a medium-sized tree in the garden. However, in a container it will remain quite small, so that it is easy to look after. You can even cover it with near-invisible fine-mesh netting just as the cherries start to ripen to prevent the birds beating you to your crop. A self-fertile variety such as ‘Stella‘ or ‘Sunburst‘ would be an excellent choice for growing in a container on the patio. If you want to try acid cherries for cooking, ‘Morello‘ is worth considering. Plums can make large and difficult-to-manage trees in the garden, but in a container they are kept small enough for any size plot. Choose a dwarfing rootstock such as St Julien A or Pixie. Apples are probably the easiest fruit to grow in a container. Plant one called scrumptious it is scrumptious. Squeeze in a mini peach tree in your glass house.

• Spread mulch around beans and other crops to help conserve soil moisture.
• Thin out heavy gooseberry crops by removing the smallest fruits, and use these for cooking.
• Sow seeds of rocket, spinach, beetroot, carrots, calabrese, mini-cauliflowers, spinach, chicory, endive, kohl rabi, peas, spinach beet, swede and turnips.
• Check pot plants and water if required.
• Pinch out cucumber sideshoot tips two leaves beyond a female flower.
• Tie in greenhouse tomatoes to their supports as they grow.

Plant of the Week      

Sorbaria sorbifolia. A little-known shrub that giving all its superb qualities deserves a home in any Irish garden. In fact, it does most of the things that everyone is looking for. It can be described as a low growing shrub, producing fine pink tinted golden foliage in early spring. It starts to grow much earlier than most plants. Sorbaria sorbifolia Sem resembles a fine Japanese maple called ‘sango kaku’ but is much hardier having originated in eastern Siberia. It’s also much smaller growing 1m high. very easy to grow tolerating heavy damp soil, looks fantastic planted in groups on a bank and after all that produces an abundance of creamy white flowers in late summer. Planting companions would be any shrub with a white or blue flower or silver foliage and it is quite happy in an Irish winter. The good news it does all this for under a tenner.

Veg of Interest

Plan ahead, plant now.

Parsnips need a really long growing season but they're well worth the wait. Sow seeds early in the year and look forward to parsnips roasted for the Christmas table, or in warming winter soups. Do it: February - June. Takes just:30 minutes How to do it: using string as a guide and a trowel or draw hoe, dig a shallow trench about 15mm deep. Sow seeds individually along the row or in groups of two or three at regular intervals, about 10cm apart. You could use a pre-marked board for accurate spacing. Thin out the weaker seedlings to give your plants room to grow, so you're left with just one plant every 10cm.

Good Companions

Carrots and onions planted in alternate rows are good allies. The carrots help drive away the onion fly and the onions drive off the carrot fly.  Plant the variety of carrots called fly away for extra protection. If it’s a big problem in your garden, I would also recommend in investing in some enviromesh cloche