GARDENING
The
Secret Garden…
Catherine Howell, a kitchen gardener at Preston
Park Museum and Grounds in Stockton, shares
her tips for success in the garden…
HINTS
AND TIPS:
AUGUST/
SEPTEMBER/
OCTOBER
L
ate summer through to early autumn is
the traditional period of harvest, with
festivals held across the country to
celebrate times of plenty.
Our own Walled Garden Feast (taking
place on the September 22) is an opportunity
to show off the garden and its bounty, to
say thank you to our extraordinary team of
volunteers and to invite you all to feast on the
lush growth that a summer of warmth and rain
(unlike last year’s drought!) affords.
For the gardeners, it also marks a time to
take stock, to look back at the growing season’s
successes and failures, and begin tentative
planning for next year.
One aspect of the Walled Kitchen Garden
that’s been particularly successful in 2019 is the
increase in wildlife.
We’ve made deliberate provision for
butterflies, bees and birds with wildflower
planting and we’ve interspersed vegetable crops
with companion flowers. This approach has
been great for children too.
Bug hunting is one of the most popular
activities for families in the garden but all
visitors, young and old, have found the bright
colours and humming sounds of our little
pollinating friends joyful!
Of course, this has the added benefit of
increasing our yields too – without the insects,
many of our crops would be lost.
The orchard is at its most fruitful in autumn.
The tree fruits – apples, pears and, for us,
quince and medlar too – are ripe and ready.
We’ve been picking and sharing some of the
heritage varieties not available in the shops.
Stop and ask us for a Pitmaston Pineapple
taster next time you visit!
• It’s possible to see an
overnight frost as early as
August, so watch the forecast
avidly and protect tender
crops with horticultural fleece
or cloches if the temperature
shows signs of dropping.
• As the days shorten, plant
growth slows, but there’s still
time to sow hardy lettuces for
winter growth under cover.
Oriental leaves like mustard,
mizuna and mibuna are a
great choice for winter salads.
Sow sprouting broccoli for a
an early spring crop.
• Early winter is perfect for
planting garlic as the low
temperature causes the bulb
to split into cloves. If you
don’t make it to a garden
centre, split a shop-bought
bulb, choose the fattest cloves
and place each slightly below
the surface, blunt end down.
They’ll be ready to harvest
next July.
• However tempting it is to tidy,
wild areas are habitat heaven
for overwintering insects!
Leave hollow stems, logs, leaf
piles and unmown lawns for
bees, beetles and bugs. They’ll
reward you with fewer pests
and a better harvest next year!
PAY A V I S I T…
T
he walled kitchen garden at Preston Park Museum and Grounds is open Tuesday to
Sunday (closed on Mondays except during bank holidays and school holidays). An
adult ticket costs £2.50 and you can visit as many times as you like throughout the year.
The gardeners are happy to answer any questions that you may have and you may even be
lucky enough to pick up some produce to take home – freshly harvested and chemical free!
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