By Isle of Wight Observer
As is customary, I like to give a round-up of the weather over the last month, as it plays such a vital role in what we do as gardeners.
What a dreadful start to the year we have had, with yet more heavy rainfall. However, it looks like we’ve turned a corner and are now experiencing a cold but, thankfully, dry spell.
As ever, there are always jobs to be doing in the garden, and January and February are no exception. If you have a propagator, now is the time to sow tomatoes, chillis and aubergines. They will need the extra heat to germinate. When your ground is workable, then you can plant shallots and onion sets, but it’s a good idea to cover them with netting to deter birds from pulling them out of the ground.
Seed potatoes are available in our Island garden centres, so it’s a good time to get them and start chitting them by laying the potatoes in a tray; egg boxes are great for this. Over the next few weeks the eyes will begin to show and then it will be time to plant them from around mid-March.
Summer bulbs will soon be available, so keep an eye out for some wonderful flowers to brighten your gardens. Last year the show benches were filled with some incredible gladioli, so I suspect many of us exhibitors will be keen to give these stunning flowers a try this year.
Our Island gardening clubs have been busy organising some great events for the coming year, and Brighstone Hortcultural Society is holding a ‘How do you do’ workshop on February 10, 1.30pm-4.30pm in the Scout Hut.
Then on Sunday, February 25, at 1.30pm, at the Memorial Hall in Freshwater, Tom Hart Dyke, plant hunter and creator of the World Garden at Lullingstone Castle, and Jim Buttress, former head of the Royal Parks and one of only 83 holders of the RHS Victoria Medal, will be talking about their lives in horticulture.
Happy gardening everyone; see you again in February!
