This what those who do not receive the weekly bulleting of
gardening.telegraph is missing:

Regards,
Emrys Davies.





Dear Emrys

27 March 2003 Special offers

What to do in your garden this weekend: March 29 - 30

Strictly for the birds

More than 300,000 people took part in this year's annual Big Garden
Birdwatch, organised by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
This was the largest number of people ever to take part in an event of
this kind, and reflects the massive interest gardeners have in
preserving and encouraging wildlife.


The top 10 garden birds this year were (in descending order): starling,
house sparrow, blue tit, blackbird, chaffinch, greenfinch, collared
dove, great tit, robin and wood pigeon.


Although house sparrows were the second most common garden bird, with an
average of 4.8 birds seen per garden, studies over the last 25 years
have shown that their population has more than halved and the reason for
their decline is still not known.


The RSPB is now planning to find out more about house sparrow numbers
throughout the UK with a survey, which will run from 3-11 May 2003. If
you would like to take part, call the RSPB's house sparrow hotline
number 0870 601 0215, (calls charged at national rate) or log on to
their website at www.rspb.org.uk.


Our interest in birds is also reflected in the fact that we spend more
than £180m every year on bird boxes, feeders, nuts, seeds, and other
avian delights. If you are one of the many concerned gardeners who
delights in attracting birds into your garden, this weekend is the ideal
moment to put up a nest box.


Every year, thousands of well-intentioned bird-lovers spend hours
hammering nest boxes on tree trunks and fences, only to be disappointed
when the majority remain empty - which is usually because they have been
poorly sited.


Daniel Butler offers the following golden rules for tempting songbirds
to nest in a box near you:


Birds like to be sheltered from the prevailing weather and full sun - so
north and east facing sites are best. Big tree trunks are better than
small ones.


Height is critical. Put boxes to attract tits at least 6ft ((1.8m) off
the ground - although wrens, marsh tits and willow tits like them
closer, preferably below 5ft (1.5m)


Open-fronted boxes favoured by robins and warblers need to be hidden in
hedges or amongst climbing plants - anywhere that offers some protection
from magpies, cats and squirrels.


Overcrowding is a common problem so placing more than a couple of nest
boxes in an average-size garden is probably counter-productive.


House sparrows are an exception and like to nest close together. Given
the much publicised decline of this species, and the fact that lack of
suitable nesting sites is thought to be one of the factors, you could
experiment and put several close together near the eves of a building.


We often think of garden feeding as a way to help birds through the
winter months, but feeding throughout the year can be beneficial if you
choose the right foods - especially now during the breeding season. In
order to attract a range of bird species (and to reduce competition) try
to provide a range of different foods in a number of different bird
feeders spread around the garden.


Put some food near to cover and some in a more open situation, watching
out for cats. Distract larger birds with food on the lawn, while
secreting grated cheese and nyger seed under shrubs for dunnocks and
robins. Place feeders right inside bushes and trees if cats or
sparrowhawks are regular visitors to your garden.


Provide good quality bird food, like black sunflower seed, premium
peanuts and sunflower hearts in hanging feeders. These will attract
finches, tits and sparrows.


Jean Vernon put bird feeders to the test. Read her verdict by clicking
here.

Greenhouse: time to get sowing

Greenhouse gardeners enjoy a fantastic advantage over those who soldier
on without one - especially at this time of the year when light levels
are rising daily but outside temperatures are still too low to sow
successfully in open soil.


If your garden lacks this essential ingredient, John Cushnie offers some
practical tips on finding and assembling a perfect glasshouse. Click
here to read his advice.


Although it has been extremely warm during the day over the past two
weeks, night temperatures have dropped to freezing point: the protection
which even an unheated greenhouse offers is a boon. Making efficient use
of your greenhouse now can make an enormous difference to how your
garden will look in midsummer and beyond.


Sarah Raven says now is the perfect time to get sowing. She now sows
almost everything in modular, divided trays, rather than the traditional
rectangular seed trays. This avoids competition between neighbouring
plants and means she can skip the fiddly stage of pricking out.


To sow, fill pots, trays or tray insets with fine, multi-purpose potting
compost to within 0.5in (1.25cm) of the top and firm down gently to get
rid of air pockets. Water the compost and then sow thinly, placing each
seed individually if possible. If sowing into cells, sow two in each
compartment. If the seed is too small for this, put it in the palm of
your hand and sow quickly, a pinch at a time. Never pour from the packet
or directly from your palm.


Always label and date each sowing - you will curse later if you don't.


Cover the seed with a very thin layer of compost: with very small seeds,
leave them uncovered. No need to water again, but cover the tray with
newspaper or a polystyrene tile. This retains heat and water to promote
germination.


Check for signs of growth every day and remove the covering as soon as
the first shoots appear.


Once germinated, the seedlings need good light levels, cool air
temperatures (just above freezing) and warm roots - exactly the
conditions provided by a propagator in a frost-free greenhouse. If you
still haven't built that greenhouse, Sarah suggests finding a cool but
light windowsill. Water sparingly.


Pot on the seedlings the moment you see white roots appearing in the
holes at the bottom of the pot. A pot-bound plant never quite recovers.

What to sow


Chillies and sweet peppers: once germinated, they are easy to grow. The
RHS at Wisley have several cultivars including 'Apache' and 'Gypsy'
under glass and outside. The key is to provide the germinating seedlings
with 68F/20C bottom heat. Sow two seeds into 1.25in/3cm plugs of compost
and within 10 days the seedlings will emerge. Keep well watered and pot
on when well rooted.


Young plants should be kept at 64-68F/18- 20C and fed with a liquid
tomato feed. They should be ready to plant out in mid-May.


Cucumbers and melons: these are often overlooked as plants for the
vegetable garden. They need the warmth of a greenhouse or conservatory
to start with, but should fruit well after being planted out in May.


Using multi-purpose compost, sow two seeds into the centre of a 4in
(9cm) pot, ensuring that they are covered by 0.5in (10mm). Water in and
place in a heated propagator at 20C. The seedlings will germinate within
a week. Thin to the strongest in each pot, and grow them in a warm
greenhouse until ready for planting out.


Tomatoes: seeds of outdoor varieties need to be sown now in pots of
soil-less compost indoors for planting out as soon as the risk of frost
has passed.


Sarah Raven plants four varieties. Cherry tomatoes are by far the
easiest to grow in our climate, which does not have quite enough sun for
the huge and tasty beefsteak tomatoes of the Mediterranean market stall,
she says. The classic 'Gardeners Delight' is hard to beat for a
thin-skinned, large, red cherry tomato with good flavour. It is a heavy
producer and easy to grow.


Sarah was introduced to a new cherry variety - 'Yellow Butterfly' - at
Titsey Place, a wonderful walled vegetable garden on the North Downs at
Limpsfield in Surrey. Head gardener Barry Holdsworth ran informal trials
for Simpson's Seeds, which specialises in tomatoes. 'Yellow Butterfly'
has good flavour and slightly elongated, oval fruit. But what really
caught Sarah's attention was the extraordinary number of fruits on each
truss. If you have limited space this is a good one to try.


For pretty-coloured, tasty fruit over a very long season she usually
grows 'Sungold'. She was still picking small bowlfuls in November from
the polytunnel. As sweet as tomatoes come, it is almost too much in a
salad on its own but lovely in a mixture or for sauces and soups.


And finally, one huge monster - the Heritage tomato 'Brandywine'. As
well as the usual dark maroon-red ones there are also the rare, but
equally tasty, yellow and purple forms. This is a weird-looking fruit
with great wrinkles and crevices but the flavour and texture can't be
bettered.


One tip to growing 'Brandywine': it is a poor pollinator and needs a
helping hand. Watering from the top will wash the pollen from the upper
flowers down into those below. Until Barry Holdsworth let Sarah into
this secret she was producing only two or three trusses per plant. The
right technique can triple the crop.


Sweatpeas and Morning Glory: seeds of the latter and its multi-coloured
relative, Mina lobata, are best soaked overnight and then sown in module
trays. Large seed can be sown directly or seedlings pricked out
individually.


Sweatpeas are, of course, best sown in the autumn, but if you were
remiss last year, now is the time to make amends. Elspeth Thompson's
three all-time favourites are 'Midnight' (burgundy-black), 'Wiltshire
Ripple' (like blackcurrant ripple ice-cream) and 'Matucana' (the oldest,
and most fragrant with two-tone mauve and magenta flowers).


Sow six seeds each to a 6in (15cm) pot now for flowering late June and
July and continue at regular intervals until May. To improve
germination, carefully nick each seed with a penknife, removing a small
piece of seed-coat opposite its eye. Do not soak the seeds, since they
rot easily. Sow in sweet-pea tubes using a multi-purpose compost. Keep
them at about 15C until they germinate, and plant them out in May.

In the garden


Protect and pollinate: the blossom of peach, nectarine and almond should
be protected from frost. In exposed areas, roll woven nylon netting down
to cover the tree but held away from the flowers by canes.


The low numbers of insects at this time of year, coupled with the
netting (which also protects against peach leaf curl), mean that you
will need to hand-pollinate. On a warm dry day take a small soft brush
and transfer the pollen from the anthers of one flower to the stigmas of
another.


When hand-pollinating do not be greedy. If too many fruits develop this
will weaken the plant and they will never swell to a good size. When the
fruitlets are the size of hazelnuts, thin to one per cluster. Later,
when the plant has naturally shed more, thin again to leave one fruit
every 8in (20cm).


Low-growing evergreens: to stop heathers becoming leggy and producing
shorter, less attractive flower heads, trim them now.


Using a pair of sharp shears or secateurs, clip back the dead heads and
any straggly growth of summer- and autumn-flowering erica, calluna and
daboecia. Winter-flowering heathers can also be trimmed once they are
over. Cut back most, but not all, of the previous season's growth
because it will not break readily from old wood.


An exception is the tree heath, Erica arborea. Established specimens
should be trimmed after flowering in late spring or early summer. It
responds well to severe pruning back into old wood.


Dead-heading bulbs: naturalised bulbs in grass do not need much
attention, but do dead-head them. This helps keep the bulbs healthy.
Regular removal of faded blooms extends the season and improves the
vigour of the bulbs. After flowering, pinch through the stems just below
the seed-head.


Early-flowering bulbs such as narcissus need to be left unmown until at
least six weeks after they flower, or until the foliage is turning
yellow. Otherwise, the bulb will not have stored enough energy to flower
well again next year.


Staking: providing support for herbaceous perennials and climbers should
be a key operation in your mixed borders now. Staking should start when
the new growth has just started - ideally when it is 6- 8in (15cm-20cm)
tall.


Fruit: Maiden strawberries, last year's rooted runners, can be planted
now. To prevent them cropping heavily, remove most flowers so that the
plants can become established, ready for cropping in subsequent years.


Last year's new canes of blackberries and other hybrid berries, which
were tied up in a bundle over the winter for frost protection, can be
untied and trained onto wires. Prune any stems that were damaged by
frost, then spread out and tie in individual stems, leaving space in the
centre for this year's new canes.


Citrus make excellent plants for conservatories and patios. Several
varieties will flower and fruit quite freely in these conditions. They
do well in conservatories all year round but can be moved to a sheltered
position outside during the summer. In winter, they need protection and
should be kept in temperatures above 41F/5C.


Water citrus from the top to make sure that all the compost is
saturated. Allow the pot to drain and dry out before the next watering.
Citrus benefit from humidity, but do not stand pots in trays of water as
the roots will die back quickly.


They require little pruning, although they will tolerate and often need
to be pruned to a frame or trellis where they have outgrown their
position.Keep an eye out for pests as citrus can quickly become infected
with scale and mealy bug.

Last week's email


We hope you enjoy this newsletter. Please send your feedback to


The gardening channel team
gardening.telegraph.co.uk


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Weather warning: the activities suggested in this checklist assume
average temperatures and weather conditions for the time of year. To see
a five-day forecast for your city or town please visit weather.telegraph

I should also have said that if anyone is having difficulty in locating
the Registration site for the weekly Gardening bulletin go to:


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening...arFrag.jh tml

In the right hand column you will find a flashing pop-up which includes
'Gardening bulletin' and that will take you to the Registration page.

Regards,
Emrys Davies.





" Emrys Davies" wrote in message
...
This what those who do not receive the weekly bulleting of
gardening.telegraph is missing:

Regards,
Emrys Davies.





Dear Emrys

27 March 2003 Special offers

What to do in your garden this weekend: March 29 - 30

Strictly for the birds

More than 300,000 people took part in this year's annual Big Garden
Birdwatch, organised by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
This was the largest number of people ever to take part in an event of
this kind, and reflects the massive interest gardeners have in
preserving and encouraging wildlife.


The top 10 garden birds this year were (in descending order):
starling,
house sparrow, blue tit, blackbird, chaffinch, greenfinch, collared
dove, great tit, robin and wood pigeon.


Although house sparrows were the second most common garden bird, with
an
average of 4.8 birds seen per garden, studies over the last 25 years
have shown that their population has more than halved and the reason
for
their decline is still not known.


The RSPB is now planning to find out more about house sparrow numbers
throughout the UK with a survey, which will run from 3-11 May 2003. If
you would like to take part, call the RSPB's house sparrow hotline
number 0870 601 0215, (calls charged at national rate) or log on to
their website at www.rspb.org.uk.


Our interest in birds is also reflected in the fact that we spend more
than £180m every year on bird boxes, feeders, nuts, seeds, and other
avian delights. If you are one of the many concerned gardeners who
delights in attracting birds into your garden, this weekend is the
ideal
moment to put up a nest box.


Every year, thousands of well-intentioned bird-lovers spend hours
hammering nest boxes on tree trunks and fences, only to be
disappointed
when the majority remain empty - which is usually because they have
been
poorly sited.


Daniel Butler offers the following golden rules for tempting songbirds
to nest in a box near you:


Birds like to be sheltered from the prevailing weather and full sun -
so
north and east facing sites are best. Big tree trunks are better than
small ones.


Height is critical. Put boxes to attract tits at least 6ft ((1.8m) off
the ground - although wrens, marsh tits and willow tits like them
closer, preferably below 5ft (1.5m)


Open-fronted boxes favoured by robins and warblers need to be hidden
in
hedges or amongst climbing plants - anywhere that offers some
protection
from magpies, cats and squirrels.


Overcrowding is a common problem so placing more than a couple of nest
boxes in an average-size garden is probably counter-productive.


House sparrows are an exception and like to nest close together. Given
the much publicised decline of this species, and the fact that lack of
suitable nesting sites is thought to be one of the factors, you could
experiment and put several close together near the eves of a building.


We often think of garden feeding as a way to help birds through the
winter months, but feeding throughout the year can be beneficial if
you
choose the right foods - especially now during the breeding season. In
order to attract a range of bird species (and to reduce competition)
try
to provide a range of different foods in a number of different bird
feeders spread around the garden.


Put some food near to cover and some in a more open situation,
watching
out for cats. Distract larger birds with food on the lawn, while
secreting grated cheese and nyger seed under shrubs for dunnocks and
robins. Place feeders right inside bushes and trees if cats or
sparrowhawks are regular visitors to your garden.


Provide good quality bird food, like black sunflower seed, premium
peanuts and sunflower hearts in hanging feeders. These will attract
finches, tits and sparrows.


Jean Vernon put bird feeders to the test. Read her verdict by clicking
here.

Greenhouse: time to get sowing

Greenhouse gardeners enjoy a fantastic advantage over those who
soldier
on without one - especially at this time of the year when light levels
are rising daily but outside temperatures are still too low to sow
successfully in open soil.


If your garden lacks this essential ingredient, John Cushnie offers
some
practical tips on finding and assembling a perfect glasshouse. Click
here to read his advice.


Although it has been extremely warm during the day over the past two
weeks, night temperatures have dropped to freezing point: the
protection
which even an unheated greenhouse offers is a boon. Making efficient
use
of your greenhouse now can make an enormous difference to how your
garden will look in midsummer and beyond.


Sarah Raven says now is the perfect time to get sowing. She now sows
almost everything in modular, divided trays, rather than the
traditional
rectangular seed trays. This avoids competition between neighbouring
plants and means she can skip the fiddly stage of pricking out.


To sow, fill pots, trays or tray insets with fine, multi-purpose
potting
compost to within 0.5in (1.25cm) of the top and firm down gently to
get
rid of air pockets. Water the compost and then sow thinly, placing
each
seed individually if possible. If sowing into cells, sow two in each
compartment. If the seed is too small for this, put it in the palm of
your hand and sow quickly, a pinch at a time. Never pour from the
packet
or directly from your palm.


Always label and date each sowing - you will curse later if you don't.


Cover the seed with a very thin layer of compost: with very small
seeds,
leave them uncovered. No need to water again, but cover the tray with
newspaper or a polystyrene tile. This retains heat and water to
promote
germination.


Check for signs of growth every day and remove the covering as soon as
the first shoots appear.


Once germinated, the seedlings need good light levels, cool air
temperatures (just above freezing) and warm roots - exactly the
conditions provided by a propagator in a frost-free greenhouse. If you
still haven't built that greenhouse, Sarah suggests finding a cool but
light windowsill. Water sparingly.


Pot on the seedlings the moment you see white roots appearing in the
holes at the bottom of the pot. A pot-bound plant never quite
recovers.

What to sow


Chillies and sweet peppers: once germinated, they are easy to grow.
The
RHS at Wisley have several cultivars including 'Apache' and 'Gypsy'
under glass and outside. The key is to provide the germinating
seedlings
with 68F/20C bottom heat. Sow two seeds into 1.25in/3cm plugs of
compost
and within 10 days the seedlings will emerge. Keep well watered and
pot
on when well rooted.


Young plants should be kept at 64-68F/18- 20C and fed with a liquid
tomato feed. They should be ready to plant out in mid-May.


Cucumbers and melons: these are often overlooked as plants for the
vegetable garden. They need the warmth of a greenhouse or conservatory
to start with, but should fruit well after being planted out in May.


Using multi-purpose compost, sow two seeds into the centre of a 4in
(9cm) pot, ensuring that they are covered by 0.5in (10mm). Water in
and
place in a heated propagator at 20C. The seedlings will germinate
within
a week. Thin to the strongest in each pot, and grow them in a warm
greenhouse until ready for planting out.


Tomatoes: seeds of outdoor varieties need to be sown now in pots of
soil-less compost indoors for planting out as soon as the risk of
frost
has passed.


Sarah Raven plants four varieties. Cherry tomatoes are by far the
easiest to grow in our climate, which does not have quite enough sun
for
the huge and tasty beefsteak tomatoes of the Mediterranean market
stall,
she says. The classic 'Gardeners Delight' is hard to beat for a
thin-skinned, large, red cherry tomato with good flavour. It is a
heavy
producer and easy to grow.


Sarah was introduced to a new cherry variety - 'Yellow Butterfly' - at
Titsey Place, a wonderful walled vegetable garden on the North Downs
at
Limpsfield in Surrey. Head gardener Barry Holdsworth ran informal
trials
for Simpson's Seeds, which specialises in tomatoes. 'Yellow Butterfly'
has good flavour and slightly elongated, oval fruit. But what really
caught Sarah's attention was the extraordinary number of fruits on
each
truss. If you have limited space this is a good one to try.


For pretty-coloured, tasty fruit over a very long season she usually
grows 'Sungold'. She was still picking small bowlfuls in November from
the polytunnel. As sweet as tomatoes come, it is almost too much in a
salad on its own but lovely in a mixture or for sauces and soups.


And finally, one huge monster - the Heritage tomato 'Brandywine'. As
well as the usual dark maroon-red ones there are also the rare, but
equally tasty, yellow and purple forms. This is a weird-looking fruit
with great wrinkles and crevices but the flavour and texture can't be
bettered.


One tip to growing 'Brandywine': it is a poor pollinator and needs a
helping hand. Watering from the top will wash the pollen from the
upper
flowers down into those below. Until Barry Holdsworth let Sarah into
this secret she was producing only two or three trusses per plant. The
right technique can triple the crop.


Sweatpeas and Morning Glory: seeds of the latter and its
multi-coloured
relative, Mina lobata, are best soaked overnight and then sown in
module
trays. Large seed can be sown directly or seedlings pricked out
individually.


Sweatpeas are, of course, best sown in the autumn, but if you were
remiss last year, now is the time to make amends. Elspeth Thompson's
three all-time favourites are 'Midnight' (burgundy-black), 'Wiltshire
Ripple' (like blackcurrant ripple ice-cream) and 'Matucana' (the
oldest,
and most fragrant with two-tone mauve and magenta flowers).


Sow six seeds each to a 6in (15cm) pot now for flowering late June and
July and continue at regular intervals until May. To improve
germination, carefully nick each seed with a penknife, removing a
small
piece of seed-coat opposite its eye. Do not soak the seeds, since they
rot easily. Sow in sweet-pea tubes using a multi-purpose compost. Keep
them at about 15C until they germinate, and plant them out in May.

In the garden


Protect and pollinate: the blossom of peach, nectarine and almond
should
be protected from frost. In exposed areas, roll woven nylon netting
down
to cover the tree but held away from the flowers by canes.


The low numbers of insects at this time of year, coupled with the
netting (which also protects against peach leaf curl), mean that you
will need to hand-pollinate. On a warm dry day take a small soft brush
and transfer the pollen from the anthers of one flower to the stigmas
of
another.


When hand-pollinating do not be greedy. If too many fruits develop
this
will weaken the plant and they will never swell to a good size. When
the
fruitlets are the size of hazelnuts, thin to one per cluster. Later,
when the plant has naturally shed more, thin again to leave one fruit
every 8in (20cm).


Low-growing evergreens: to stop heathers becoming leggy and producing
shorter, less attractive flower heads, trim them now.


Using a pair of sharp shears or secateurs, clip back the dead heads
and
any straggly growth of summer- and autumn-flowering erica, calluna and
daboecia. Winter-flowering heathers can also be trimmed once they are
over. Cut back most, but not all, of the previous season's growth
because it will not break readily from old wood.


An exception is the tree heath, Erica arborea. Established specimens
should be trimmed after flowering in late spring or early summer. It
responds well to severe pruning back into old wood.


Dead-heading bulbs: naturalised bulbs in grass do not need much
attention, but do dead-head them. This helps keep the bulbs healthy.
Regular removal of faded blooms extends the season and improves the
vigour of the bulbs. After flowering, pinch through the stems just
below
the seed-head.


Early-flowering bulbs such as narcissus need to be left unmown until
at
least six weeks after they flower, or until the foliage is turning
yellow. Otherwise, the bulb will not have stored enough energy to
flower
well again next year.


Staking: providing support for herbaceous perennials and climbers
should
be a key operation in your mixed borders now. Staking should start
when
the new growth has just started - ideally when it is 6- 8in
(15cm-20cm)
tall.


Fruit: Maiden strawberries, last year's rooted runners, can be planted
now. To prevent them cropping heavily, remove most flowers so that the
plants can become established, ready for cropping in subsequent years.


Last year's new canes of blackberries and other hybrid berries, which
were tied up in a bundle over the winter for frost protection, can be
untied and trained onto wires. Prune any stems that were damaged by
frost, then spread out and tie in individual stems, leaving space in
the
centre for this year's new canes.


Citrus make excellent plants for conservatories and patios. Several
varieties will flower and fruit quite freely in these conditions. They
do well in conservatories all year round but can be moved to a
sheltered
position outside during the summer. In winter, they need protection
and
should be kept in temperatures above 41F/5C.


Water citrus from the top to make sure that all the compost is
saturated. Allow the pot to drain and dry out before the next
watering.
Citrus benefit from humidity, but do not stand pots in trays of water
as
the roots will die back quickly.


They require little pruning, although they will tolerate and often
need
to be pruned to a frame or trellis where they have outgrown their
position.Keep an eye out for pests as citrus can quickly become
infected
with scale and mealy bug.

Last week's email


We hope you enjoy this newsletter. Please send your feedback to


The gardening channel team
gardening.telegraph.co.uk


To unsubscribe from gardening.telegraph.co.uk's email bulletin click
here.

To sign up for telegraph.co.uk bulletins click here.

In accordance with the 1998 Data Protection Act, Telegraph Group Ltd
and
Hollinger Telegraph New Media Ltd are committed to protecting your
priva
cy. If you wish to know more please access our Privacy Policy.

Information appearing on telegraph.co.uk is the copyright of Telegraph
Group Limited and must not be reproduced in any medium without a
licence
first having been obtained. To find out more please access the
Copyright
Policy.





Trailing geraniums
Versatile plants and look superb wherever you plant them.

Fragrant Mimosa Acacia
Masses of fragrant yellow flowers from July to October for only £10.95

For access to the cleverest crossword compilers.
.sign up to The Telegraph Crossword Society.

Win a flight with Ryanair.
.when you sign up to the travel.telegraph.
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Sorry, the page did not open as anticipated. Simply scroll to 'Click
here for your weekly gardening e-mail'

Regards,
Emrys Davies..




" Emrys Davies" wrote in message
...
This what those who do not receive the weekly bulleting of
gardening.telegraph is missing:

Regards,
Emrys Davies.





Dear Emrys

27 March 2003 Special offers

What to do in your garden this weekend: March 29 - 30

Strictly for the birds

More than 300,000 people took part in this year's annual Big Garden
Birdwatch, organised by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
This was the largest number of people ever to take part in an event of
this kind, and reflects the massive interest gardeners have in
preserving and encouraging wildlife.


The top 10 garden birds this year were (in descending order):
starling,
house sparrow, blue tit, blackbird, chaffinch, greenfinch, collared
dove, great tit, robin and wood pigeon.


Although house sparrows were the second most common garden bird, with
an
average of 4.8 birds seen per garden, studies over the last 25 years
have shown that their population has more than halved and the reason
for
their decline is still not known.


The RSPB is now planning to find out more about house sparrow numbers
throughout the UK with a survey, which will run from 3-11 May 2003. If
you would like to take part, call the RSPB's house sparrow hotline
number 0870 601 0215, (calls charged at national rate) or log on to
their website at www.rspb.org.uk.


Our interest in birds is also reflected in the fact that we spend more
than £180m every year on bird boxes, feeders, nuts, seeds, and other
avian delights. If you are one of the many concerned gardeners who
delights in attracting birds into your garden, this weekend is the
ideal
moment to put up a nest box.


Every year, thousands of well-intentioned bird-lovers spend hours
hammering nest boxes on tree trunks and fences, only to be
disappointed
when the majority remain empty - which is usually because they have
been
poorly sited.


Daniel Butler offers the following golden rules for tempting songbirds
to nest in a box near you:


Birds like to be sheltered from the prevailing weather and full sun -
so
north and east facing sites are best. Big tree trunks are better than
small ones.


Height is critical. Put boxes to attract tits at least 6ft ((1.8m) off
the ground - although wrens, marsh tits and willow tits like them
closer, preferably below 5ft (1.5m)


Open-fronted boxes favoured by robins and warblers need to be hidden
in
hedges or amongst climbing plants - anywhere that offers some
protection
from magpies, cats and squirrels.


Overcrowding is a common problem so placing more than a couple of nest
boxes in an average-size garden is probably counter-productive.


House sparrows are an exception and like to nest close together. Given
the much publicised decline of this species, and the fact that lack of
suitable nesting sites is thought to be one of the factors, you could
experiment and put several close together near the eves of a building.


We often think of garden feeding as a way to help birds through the
winter months, but feeding throughout the year can be beneficial if
you
choose the right foods - especially now during the breeding season. In
order to attract a range of bird species (and to reduce competition)
try
to provide a range of different foods in a number of different bird
feeders spread around the garden.


Put some food near to cover and some in a more open situation,
watching
out for cats. Distract larger birds with food on the lawn, while
secreting grated cheese and nyger seed under shrubs for dunnocks and
robins. Place feeders right inside bushes and trees if cats or
sparrowhawks are regular visitors to your garden.


Provide good quality bird food, like black sunflower seed, premium
peanuts and sunflower hearts in hanging feeders. These will attract
finches, tits and sparrows.


Jean Vernon put bird feeders to the test. Read her verdict by clicking
here.

Greenhouse: time to get sowing

Greenhouse gardeners enjoy a fantastic advantage over those who
soldier
on without one - especially at this time of the year when light levels
are rising daily but outside temperatures are still too low to sow
successfully in open soil.


If your garden lacks this essential ingredient, John Cushnie offers
some
practical tips on finding and assembling a perfect glasshouse. Click
here to read his advice.


Although it has been extremely warm during the day over the past two
weeks, night temperatures have dropped to freezing point: the
protection
which even an unheated greenhouse offers is a boon. Making efficient
use
of your greenhouse now can make an enormous difference to how your
garden will look in midsummer and beyond.


Sarah Raven says now is the perfect time to get sowing. She now sows
almost everything in modular, divided trays, rather than the
traditional
rectangular seed trays. This avoids competition between neighbouring
plants and means she can skip the fiddly stage of pricking out.


To sow, fill pots, trays or tray insets with fine, multi-purpose
potting
compost to within 0.5in (1.25cm) of the top and firm down gently to
get
rid of air pockets. Water the compost and then sow thinly, placing
each
seed individually if possible. If sowing into cells, sow two in each
compartment. If the seed is too small for this, put it in the palm of
your hand and sow quickly, a pinch at a time. Never pour from the
packet
or directly from your palm.


Always label and date each sowing - you will curse later if you don't.


Cover the seed with a very thin layer of compost: with very small
seeds,
leave them uncovered. No need to water again, but cover the tray with
newspaper or a polystyrene tile. This retains heat and water to
promote
germination.


Check for signs of growth every day and remove the covering as soon as
the first shoots appear.


Once germinated, the seedlings need good light levels, cool air
temperatures (just above freezing) and warm roots - exactly the
conditions provided by a propagator in a frost-free greenhouse. If you
still haven't built that greenhouse, Sarah suggests finding a cool but
light windowsill. Water sparingly.


Pot on the seedlings the moment you see white roots appearing in the
holes at the bottom of the pot. A pot-bound plant never quite
recovers.

What to sow


Chillies and sweet peppers: once germinated, they are easy to grow.
The
RHS at Wisley have several cultivars including 'Apache' and 'Gypsy'
under glass and outside. The key is to provide the germinating
seedlings
with 68F/20C bottom heat. Sow two seeds into 1.25in/3cm plugs of
compost
and within 10 days the seedlings will emerge. Keep well watered and
pot
on when well rooted.


Young plants should be kept at 64-68F/18- 20C and fed with a liquid
tomato feed. They should be ready to plant out in mid-May.


Cucumbers and melons: these are often overlooked as plants for the
vegetable garden. They need the warmth of a greenhouse or conservatory
to start with, but should fruit well after being planted out in May.


Using multi-purpose compost, sow two seeds into the centre of a 4in
(9cm) pot, ensuring that they are covered by 0.5in (10mm). Water in
and
place in a heated propagator at 20C. The seedlings will germinate
within
a week. Thin to the strongest in each pot, and grow them in a warm
greenhouse until ready for planting out.


Tomatoes: seeds of outdoor varieties need to be sown now in pots of
soil-less compost indoors for planting out as soon as the risk of
frost
has passed.


Sarah Raven plants four varieties. Cherry tomatoes are by far the
easiest to grow in our climate, which does not have quite enough sun
for
the huge and tasty beefsteak tomatoes of the Mediterranean market
stall,
she says. The classic 'Gardeners Delight' is hard to beat for a
thin-skinned, large, red cherry tomato with good flavour. It is a
heavy
producer and easy to grow.


Sarah was introduced to a new cherry variety - 'Yellow Butterfly' - at
Titsey Place, a wonderful walled vegetable garden on the North Downs
at
Limpsfield in Surrey. Head gardener Barry Holdsworth ran informal
trials
for Simpson's Seeds, which specialises in tomatoes. 'Yellow Butterfly'
has good flavour and slightly elongated, oval fruit. But what really
caught Sarah's attention was the extraordinary number of fruits on
each
truss. If you have limited space this is a good one to try.


For pretty-coloured, tasty fruit over a very long season she usually
grows 'Sungold'. She was still picking small bowlfuls in November from
the polytunnel. As sweet as tomatoes come, it is almost too much in a
salad on its own but lovely in a mixture or for sauces and soups.


And finally, one huge monster - the Heritage tomato 'Brandywine'. As
well as the usual dark maroon-red ones there are also the rare, but
equally tasty, yellow and purple forms. This is a weird-looking fruit
with great wrinkles and crevices but the flavour and texture can't be
bettered.


One tip to growing 'Brandywine': it is a poor pollinator and needs a
helping hand. Watering from the top will wash the pollen from the
upper
flowers down into those below. Until Barry Holdsworth let Sarah into
this secret she was producing only two or three trusses per plant. The
right technique can triple the crop.


Sweatpeas and Morning Glory: seeds of the latter and its
multi-coloured
relative, Mina lobata, are best soaked overnight and then sown in
module
trays. Large seed can be sown directly or seedlings pricked out
individually.


Sweatpeas are, of course, best sown in the autumn, but if you were
remiss last year, now is the time to make amends. Elspeth Thompson's
three all-time favourites are 'Midnight' (burgundy-black), 'Wiltshire
Ripple' (like blackcurrant ripple ice-cream) and 'Matucana' (the
oldest,
and most fragrant with two-tone mauve and magenta flowers).


Sow six seeds each to a 6in (15cm) pot now for flowering late June and
July and continue at regular intervals until May. To improve
germination, carefully nick each seed with a penknife, removing a
small
piece of seed-coat opposite its eye. Do not soak the seeds, since they
rot easily. Sow in sweet-pea tubes using a multi-purpose compost. Keep
them at about 15C until they germinate, and plant them out in May.

In the garden


Protect and pollinate: the blossom of peach, nectarine and almond
should
be protected from frost. In exposed areas, roll woven nylon netting
down
to cover the tree but held away from the flowers by canes.


The low numbers of insects at this time of year, coupled with the
netting (which also protects against peach leaf curl), mean that you
will need to hand-pollinate. On a warm dry day take a small soft brush
and transfer the pollen from the anthers of one flower to the stigmas
of
another.


When hand-pollinating do not be greedy. If too many fruits develop
this
will weaken the plant and they will never swell to a good size. When
the
fruitlets are the size of hazelnuts, thin to one per cluster. Later,
when the plant has naturally shed more, thin again to leave one fruit
every 8in (20cm).


Low-growing evergreens: to stop heathers becoming leggy and producing
shorter, less attractive flower heads, trim them now.


Using a pair of sharp shears or secateurs, clip back the dead heads
and
any straggly growth of summer- and autumn-flowering erica, calluna and
daboecia. Winter-flowering heathers can also be trimmed once they are
over. Cut back most, but not all, of the previous season's growth
because it will not break readily from old wood.


An exception is the tree heath, Erica arborea. Established specimens
should be trimmed after flowering in late spring or early summer. It
responds well to severe pruning back into old wood.


Dead-heading bulbs: naturalised bulbs in grass do not need much
attention, but do dead-head them. This helps keep the bulbs healthy.
Regular removal of faded blooms extends the season and improves the
vigour of the bulbs. After flowering, pinch through the stems just
below
the seed-head.


Early-flowering bulbs such as narcissus need to be left unmown until
at
least six weeks after they flower, or until the foliage is turning
yellow. Otherwise, the bulb will not have stored enough energy to
flower
well again next year.


Staking: providing support for herbaceous perennials and climbers
should
be a key operation in your mixed borders now. Staking should start
when
the new growth has just started - ideally when it is 6- 8in
(15cm-20cm)
tall.


Fruit: Maiden strawberries, last year's rooted runners, can be planted
now. To prevent them cropping heavily, remove most flowers so that the
plants can become established, ready for cropping in subsequent years.


Last year's new canes of blackberries and other hybrid berries, which
were tied up in a bundle over the winter for frost protection, can be
untied and trained onto wires. Prune any stems that were damaged by
frost, then spread out and tie in individual stems, leaving space in
the
centre for this year's new canes.


Citrus make excellent plants for conservatories and patios. Several
varieties will flower and fruit quite freely in these conditions. They
do well in conservatories all year round but can be moved to a
sheltered
position outside during the summer. In winter, they need protection
and
should be kept in temperatures above 41F/5C.


Water citrus from the top to make sure that all the compost is
saturated. Allow the pot to drain and dry out before the next
watering.
Citrus benefit from humidity, but do not stand pots in trays of water
as
the roots will die back quickly.


They require little pruning, although they will tolerate and often
need
to be pruned to a frame or trellis where they have outgrown their
position.Keep an eye out for pests as citrus can quickly become
infected
with scale and mealy bug.

Last week's email


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Weather warning: the activities suggested in this checklist assume
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weather.telegraph

" Emrys Davies" wrote:

Sorry, the page did not open as anticipated. Simply scroll to 'Click
here for your weekly gardening e-mail'

It would be a kindness to those of us with slow phone connections if you
did not post a two-line pre-addendum followed by quoting the entire
previous post. Twice.


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G

'Gary',

I would have appreciated your contribution had you read and digested the
thread, which you obviously did not. You just blasted away
indiscriminately without just cause. So I would simply say that it
would be a kindness if you thought before you leap.

Regards,
Emrys Davies.






"Gary Woods" wrote in message
...
" Emrys Davies" wrote:

Sorry, the page did not open as anticipated. Simply scroll to 'Click
here for your weekly gardening e-mail'

It would be a kindness to those of us with slow phone connections if
you
did not post a two-line pre-addendum followed by quoting the entire
previous post. Twice.


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G

" Emrys Davies" wrote:

I would have appreciated your contribution had you read and digested the
thread, which you obviously did not.

I did, actually. That was just a gentle reminder about a pet peeve of
mine, quoting a whole huge message to add a one or two line addendum

Sorry you took offence.


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G

I have to agree with Gary, a 17k message can take a fair time to download if
you have a slow connection and the entirety of America is online. It's
particularly irritating if the person has reposted the huge message, adding
only two lines. Twice.

Charlie

" Emrys Davies" wrote in message
...
'Gary',

I would have appreciated your contribution had you read and digested the
thread, which you obviously did not. You just blasted away
indiscriminately without just cause. So I would simply say that it
would be a kindness if you thought before you leap.

Regards,
Emrys Davies.






"Gary Woods" wrote in message
...
" Emrys Davies" wrote:

Sorry, the page did not open as anticipated. Simply scroll to 'Click
here for your weekly gardening e-mail'

It would be a kindness to those of us with slow phone connections if
you
did not post a two-line pre-addendum followed by quoting the entire
previous post. Twice.


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G




---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.463 / Virus Database: 262 - Release Date: 17/03/03

'Gary and Charlie',

I totally accept your point of view now that I fully understand what you
were trying to explain. At first I thought that Gary was criticising me
for simply posting two addendums to my post but now, as a result of your
observations, I realise that both of you are only making the point that
I could have done so without reposting the 'huge' message.

I have certainly learnt from this and as a result will be more
economical when posting in the future.

Meanwhile, I apologise for being somewhat curt in my previous reply to
Barry.

Regards,
Emrys Davies.





"Charlie" wrote in message
...
I have to agree with Gary, a 17k message can take a fair time to
download if
you have a slow connection and the entirety of America is online.
It's
particularly irritating if the person has reposted the huge message,
adding
only two lines. Twice.

Charlie

" Emrys Davies" wrote in message
...
'Gary',

I would have appreciated your contribution had you read and digested
the
thread, which you obviously did not. You just blasted away
indiscriminately without just cause. So I would simply say that it
would be a kindness if you thought before you leap.

Regards,
Emrys Davies.






"Gary Woods" wrote in message
...
" Emrys Davies" wrote:

Sorry, the page did not open as anticipated. Simply scroll to
'Click
here for your weekly gardening e-mail'

It would be a kindness to those of us with slow phone connections
if
you
did not post a two-line pre-addendum followed by quoting the
entire
previous post. Twice.


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at
www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G




---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.463 / Virus Database: 262 - Release Date: 17/03/03

In article , Gary Woods
writes
" Emrys Davies" wrote:

Sorry, the page did not open as anticipated. Simply scroll to 'Click
here for your weekly gardening e-mail'

It would be a kindness to those of us with slow phone connections if you
did not post a two-line pre-addendum followed by quoting the entire
previous post. Twice.

Gary, I agree with you entirely, but do you not have some way of
'blocking' long posts? I have a block on everything over 200 lines and
so did not receive any of these long posts and would have known nothing
about them if it hadn't been for your, justified, reproach!!
--
Jane Ransom in Lancaster.
I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg
but if you need to email me for any other reason,
put jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see deadspam.com

Jane Ransom wrote:

Gary, I agree with you entirely, but do you not have some way of
'blocking' long posts?

I do indeed, but I'm pretty liberal on lengths, because some worthwhile
posts like the original of this one, though it contained a bunch of
adverts, which I consider dubious.

And I myself am a member of Overtalkers Anonymous, better known as














On and on and on Anon.

There are lots of garlic shoots coming up, now covered with snow. Just a
typical spring in the American colonies!

I went to a local garden and flower show yesterday; very nice, though a bit
off-topic for here. Nice to see what professional landscapers with all the
money in the world can do though!

And I heard spring peepers on returning home for the first time this
spring. Old news to you folks across the pond, but a real treat here.




Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G

In article , Gary Woods
writes

I went to a local garden and flower show yesterday; very nice, though a bit
off-topic for here. Nice to see what professional landscapers with all the
money in the world can do though!

Some things are the same the world over!!!
--
Jane Ransom in Lancaster.
I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg
but if you need to email me for any other reason,
put jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see deadspam.com