SEED POTATOES NOW IN!

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Welcome to Charlton Park News and Events

On this page you will find information about the activities we run at Charlton Park Garden Centre, many of which are free. During the course of 2009 we have welcomed the Vale & Downland Bee Keepers (and their bees), the RSPB, David Austin Roses... There are a number of specialist workshops during the year and events, such as Plant a Pizza Garden, organised for kids. You will also find our regular Gardening Column. Please call 01235 772700 or click, on the contact us tab, if you would like more information. 

Gardening Column for March 2010

This is an amazing time of year – a few days of sunshine and all the plants are bursting into life.  I have seen lambs in the fields, amazing drifts of snowdrops and the first daffodils have emerged - encouraging signs that spring is well and truly on its way.

I love the sight of Anemone blanda – beautiful blue flowers in early spring and they look great planted with snowdrops and miniature daffodils.  Every garden should have a pot of Iris flowering now – stunning purples, and blues they make a great addition to any container.  One for the garden are Snakes head fritillaries.  This is one of the most amazing native wildflowers – they have bell shaped flowers and come in shades of purple with a checked pattern.  They are very hardy and thrive in free draining soil and love light shade of woodland conditions.

A must have for this time of year are the Hellebores – new varieties available now have a much more upright habit allowing you to see inside the beautiful flowers.  Pink and White beauty send up many stems with up to 20 flowers on each.  Hellebores do well in dappled shade – such as under shrubs or trees.

Another shade lover is the Pulmonaria – Blue Ensign has one of the most vivid blue flowers and makes a great addition to the border.  Also available is Pulmonaria Raspberry Splash which has variegated foliage and very pretty pink flowers.  Pulmonarias tend to suffer with mildew – a way to deal with this is once they have finished flowering to cut the flowers and foliage down to ground level – the new foliage should come through mildew free.

One of my favorite perennials is Erysimum Bowles Mauve – these have masses of purple flowers on blue grey foliage – and flower until the autumn – great value!

Now is the time of year to turn our attention to growing vegetables and fruit.

If you have never grown your own potatoes its not too late.  First select your variety – there are many to choose from – usually described as early, second early and maincrop potatoes.  The names refer to when they crop.  Early potatoes are less likely to suffer from pest and disease as they are harvested early.  First earlies are enjoyed when they are small and fresh in June / July and August.  Maincrop varieties are best left until October.

Once you have selected your potatoes you have to ‘chit’ them – this means allowing the seed potatoes to develop strong shoots or sprouts which will grow quickly once planted – a light frost free place is ideal and an egg box or shallow tray for the seed potatoes to sit in. They are ready to plant when the shoots are 1.5 – 2.5cm long.  Planting times for your chitted potatoes will also depend on your variety.  Potatoes were traditionally planted on Good Friday!  Now we plant from mid- March onwards when the ground has started to warm up. 

Potatoes make a great container crop – 3 – 5 tubers will give you a wonderful crop of new potatoes to have later on.

Now the ground is warming up it is an ideal time to plant soft fruit – Raspberry, Red Currant, White currant, Blackberries, Strawberries, and Rhubarb.  Blueberry are another one to try but they prefer a slightly acid soil so are best grown in a container.

Jobs for the garden

Lift and divide overcrowded clumps of snowdrops once they have finished flowering

Hard prune late flowering shrubs such as Caryopteris, Buddleia and Lavatera

Prune Roses

Lift and divide Hostas

Enjoy your garden!

 Jo – Charlton Park Garden Centre

Free Events

Kids Events

Thursdays in March 4-5pm  

Make newspaper pots,

Plant sunflower seeds to take home

or Plant runner beans to take home

Veg Growing Workshop

With Grove Horticultural Society

Saturday 27th March 2-4pm

Meet Vale & Downland Bee Keepers

Saturday April 24th 2-4pm