Country life
HEADING FOR SPRING
by Matt Noyce , Head Gardener at Quarr Abbey
With the lengthening daylight hours , we are now seeing are a very welcome sign that we are heading out of winter and spring is round the corner .
Already , we can see signs of buds swelling and leaves unfurling . Lush new growth is emerging and an example of this is our Parrotia persica , which is smothered in a fresh new glow of ruby red flowers . The birds even seem to be singing in celebration . During the last month or so we have been able to take a look at how well the vegetable plot and fruits have grown and compare this with previous years . We all know that working alongside the elements as we do , there is only so much we can control . Variations will occur , but we can still see what grew and what ( possibly ) didn ’ t grow as well . This information can then be used to steer this year ’ s growing plan with the addition of a few extra more unusual varieties .
I can say that the nice surprises from last year were the Jerusalem artichoke ‘ Gerard ’, the interesting cucamelon and our mix of coloured carrots . Sowing of our array of vegetables and ‘ chitting ’ of potatoes will be soon underway , ready to get an early start to the growing season . This is also a time of preparation in the beds and borders , pruning winter flowering shrubs , deciduous grasses and the last of the hedges before the bird nesting season starts . Lifting and dividing overgrown clumps of perennials and making sure that shrubs are fed with a good mulch gives them a good start to the season . The last few months have seen our flock of hens confined to our largest polytunnel . In a precautionary bid by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs ( DEFRA ) to prevent the spread of avian flu , all keepers of domestic birds were instructed to prevent their stock from having contact with wild bird populations . To be honest , on the cold , wet days I think they were quite happy to be inside !
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