Tees Life Tees Life Issue 12 | Page 57

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. tees-life.co.uk 57