Welcome to the GardenAction newsletter. | NOVEMBER 2009 |
EXCLUSIVE TO GARDENACTION GardenAction
Laminated Action Sheets
BEETROOT
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
CABBAGE - WINTER
CHICORY / RADICCHIO
LEEKS
ONIONS
POTATOES - MAINCROP
and NEW
RADISHES
RHUBARB
SPINACH
TOMATOES
APPLES
November is a great time to plant your new apple tree. The GardenAction article has over 60 pictures of different apple varieties. It also has extensive coverage of when and how to plant your apple tree. Apple tree rootstacks are also covered in depth. November is also the time to put greasebands round the trunks of apple trees to guard against the Winter Moth. It's also best to sweep up all fallen fruit and leaves regularly this month to prevent the spread of disease next year. If you live in a cold area then winter pruning of apple trees can begin mid to late November. In most areas though, December and January are the best months for this task. Click here for easy to follow instructions. PLUMS
BLACKBERRIES
BLACKCURRANTS
CURRANTS (red and white) Up to Mid-November currants bushes can be planted. Ideal for the small garden, they are tasty and full of vitamin C. HARDWOOD CUTTINGS
PEACHES
PEARS
RHUBARB
PARSLEY, ROSEMARY
and MARJORAM/OREGANO
This month the spotlight
is on:
CUTTINGS FROM DECIDUOUS SHRUBS November is a great month for taking cuttings from deciduous shrubs. This includes Buddleia, Cornus (dogwood), Deutzia, Forsythia, Roses, Spiraea, Viburnum and Wigleia. November is the best time because most of the leaves are or have dropped off but next years buds have not yet begun to form. Taking a cutting at this time of year ensures that the cutting will put all its efforts into producing roots. The cutting process
is simple. Select a
healthy stem and cut it
to about 30 cm (14 ins)
long - choose a portion
that has three buds in
it. Trim up the cutting
and then insert it
carefully into a patch
of dug soil. Choose a
spot which will be out
of direct sunshine in
the summer. Leave it
there until next autumn
and you will have more
free shrubs! It really
is that simple. GARDENACTION ADDRESS:1 Gaydon Hill Farm Cottage, Gaydon, Warwick CV35 0HQ |
This Month's Recipe
This is probably our
most ambitious recipe
but it is worth the
effort. It looks
spectacular and tastes
even better, this is
Indian cuisine at its
very best. Forget the
restaurant vesrions and
spend a very enjoyable
few hours cooking our
Biryani recipe. THYME FOLKLORE
The name Thyme is
derived from from the
Latin thymus, which goes
back to Greek thymós
"spirit", originally
meaning "smoke".
Its name has also been attributed to Theophrastus, the Third Century B.C. philosopher and naturalist, though it was well known and well used prior to his naming it. Thyme has been given several properties by the Greeks which include its use to restore vigor and clarity to the mind, and its ability to clear the air of illness and disease. Thyme was burned as a religious incense, and also to give courage in difficult circumstances. It was one of the chief ingredients in ritual altar fires, purifying the animal sacrifices to make them acceptable to the gods, and also to season them. Thyme was also used to mark the key human events - at funerals, placed in the coffins of the dead. It was thought that the souls of the dead took up residence in the flowers of the thyme plant. Ever been in the garden or the allotment and wanted some key facts about the vegetables you grow? Well our plastic laminated vegetable sheets can be stored in the shed or the garage, ready when you are. There is a sheet for each vegetable or fruit and they wipe clean so easily. At only £1.99 per fact sheet they are ideal for you or as a present. To cap it all, all the dates are personalised for your home town. Click here to order yours now. |