In the Garden Towards the End of March

In the sense that garden flowers wait for no man. Lupin and delphinium shoots can be taken from the crown, dipped in rooting powder and inserted in pots of sandy com­post and placed in the greenhouse. They should be kept close, but do not require heat.

Gladioli should be planted at intervals of a fortnight from the middle of March to April: they take about ninety days from planting to flowering. Corms should be planted in groups, 6-9 ins. apart, and 4-5 ins. deep; cushions of sharp sand at the base of the corms will help to prevent rotting.

The gardener should stake early and give the plants a good soaking once a week, stirring the top soil so that the water soaks in, after which the plants should be mulched around their roots to prevent moisture from evaporating. Dribs and drabs of water are to be avoided. After flowering, watering should cease.

Gladioli for cutting are best planted in the vegetable garden, for once they have flowered they lose their appearance. Leaves should be left when picking the stem. Small flowered types, the hooded primulinus and the butter­flies provide a wide range of colour in different shades and have more charm than their big brothers.

Shrubs obviously are a longer term project, however they do require maintenance. The beginner should go round his rosebeds a second time to make sure he has left no dead or crossing branches: the best roses cannot be expected from old hard wood. He must also make sure all newly planted bushes are firm in the ground.

Roses should be given a rose fertilizer at the rate the manu­facturers recommend. Preparations should be made for planting evergreens and conifers. Hedges are like shrubs in many ways in that they are a longer term project as well.

Have the shears been sharpened? Privet and lonicera hedges will soon need attention. Laurel should be trimmed with secateurs to avoid mutilation of leaves.

Ian has a great interest in gardening and writes occasional articles. Come and visit his newest website at Krups Coffee Grinder and especially the Krups Coffee Machine