GARDENING
The
Secret Garden…
in spring
Beka Lee, park and garden co-ordinator at Preston Park Museum
and Grounds in Eaglescliffe, shares her tips for success in the
garden during the spring.
HINTS
AND TIPS:
FEBRUARY/MARCH/APRIL
A
s the days get longer we’re treated to
more sunlight and rising temperatures.
The bulbs we planted back in autumn
might soon start to poke their heads through,
inviting colour back into the garden. We just
love this time of year!
Planning your crops
These next few months will see the start of
the busy seed-planting period here in the
garden at Preston Park. Through the winter,
we planned our beds and ordered seeds, this
year trying new varieties such as the patty pan
squash. When planning ahead, it’s important
to keep a journal of planting dates to refer to
at harvesting time and to help with your plans
next year.
Beautiful hanging baskets
Though it’s only just spring, it’s time to plan for
the summer ahead. Hanging baskets bring a
burst of colour to the garden, so start thinking
about the varieties you’re going to plant in
yours. Instead of flowers, you could try bush
tomatoes or strawberries, which both grow
really well in hanging baskets.
Creating the perfect bouquet
Bringing fresh flowers indoors is a great way to
brighten up a room and your mood! If you’re
cutting flowers from your own garden, this
is best done in the morning. Cut the stems
at a 45-degree angle and put them into water
as quickly as you can. Once indoors, display
flowers in a cool part of the room away from
direct sunlight and change the water regularly
to help keep them fresher for longer.
• If you haven’t already, give
your greenhouse a good scrub.
Cleaning windows maximises
light availability, removes any
potential disease and gives
your crops a better chance of
growing healthily.
• Check ties on any of your trees
and loosen them if needed.
Ties that are too tight will
cut into the trunk and hinder
growth. At the same time,
mulch your trees. Not only will
this provide great nutrients but
it will also keep moisture in the
soil.
• Looking for gift inspiration
this Mothering Sunday? Create
your own patio planter using
a nice pot. Add some fresh
compost and the bulbs of your
choice and water occasionally.
When choosing your bulbs,
make sure they have roughly
the same flowering time.
Potato Planting Season
Good Friday (April 10 this year) traditionally
marks the start of potato-planting season.
Before you start, however, it’s important to
make sure that the soil is workable and the last
frost has gone, as this can severely hinder the
harvest potential.
In preparation for planting, make sure
your seed potatoes have had enough time to
"chit" (sprout heads to grow). You can join
our gardeners on Good Friday when they’ll
be planting potatoes in the Walled Kitchen
Garden. We’d love to see you there!
T
he Walled Garden at Preston
Park will reopen for the
Easter holidays and throughout
the summer months. An annual
adult pass costs just £5 and
includes entry to the museum.
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