We are pleased to announce the return of Reg’s gardening talks in our restaurant (upstairs). The first of these will take place on Tuesday 1st February – as usual there will be two sessions; one at 11am, the second at 2pm. Masks must be worn!
For those of you who are self-isolating, elderly or unable to shop for themselves, Rowberry’s are offering a free delivery service within a five-mile radius.
This includes fresh veg, fruit and fresh meat from our butchery department. Tinned goods and other items can also be supplied subject to availability.
To place your order please telephone our farmshop on 01562 777003 or email at rowberry@btconnect.com
Payment can be taken by card over the phone or cash on delivery although the former is prefered.
This is a time of change in the garden as we take out all the summer bedding plants in borders and containers and replant them with Autumn and Winter colour.
We have a great selection of suitable plants including Winter pansies, with their larger bright, blousy blooms, and violas, altogether more demure but very attractive providing reliable colour even in duller weather.
Our miniature Cyclamen are particularly suited to planting in mixed containers, especially when they are placed in a sheltered spot, although they are hardy to -5 C, it is the cold driving rain they dislike.
Another group of flowering plants to consider for borders or containers are the winter flowering heathers (Ericas). We currently have a wide selection of these versatile plants, perfect for popping into pots or planting-up an all year round colour border, especially when teaming them up with some of our dwarf conifers. Winter and early spring flowering heathers do not require acid soils so they can be grown anywhere and they require little maintenance.
If you prefer to go for more traditional autumn bedding plants we have Wallflowers, Sweet Williams, Polyanthus and P rimroses, along with the very colourful ornamental cabbages, providing a splash of spectacular foliage colour.
In fact evergreen foliage plants are a vital part in any Autumn and Winter container arrangement as they make a perfect foil to show off the blooms of their flowering counterparts.
As you would expect we have a wide variety of these including Skimmia Rubella, which is also festooned with tight clusters of pink tinted buds throughout the winter, colourful Ajugas, Lamiums and lower growing ornamental grasses to enhance your displays.
We also have ready planted containers available if you prefer them.
EARLY JANUARY.
Protect vulnerable plants from frost damage and scorching due to cold winds.
Warm up the soil for early sowings by covering an area with a polythene sheet, or cloches. If weed seedlings germinate under this all well and good, just hoe them off.
Seed potatoes are around now, buy them soon while there is still a good choice of varieties available. Stand them in trays with the end with the most buds uppermost in a light, frost-free place to begin to sprout or “chit”. Plant them outdoors in late spring.
January is the best month to winter wash fruit trees and rose bushes, using Vitax or Growing Success Winter Tree Wash.
Keep off frosted or wet grass. If dry give the lawn a trim over before getting the mower serviced.
Check over Hellebores and remove any foliage showing the characteristic black blotches of leaf spot disease. Even if this means removing most of the leaves the plants will soon recover.
Remember to feed your garden birds and make sure that water is also available for them.
MID JANUARY.
Continue to prepare the vegetable garden for the new season, unless it is too wet to dig. If you get desperate you could always spread your weight by working off a plank.
Apples and pears, but not plums, cherries or any stone fruits, as well as currants, gooseberries, and summer fruiting raspberries can all be pruned now.
If you have a heated greenhouse, plant up some sprouted seed potatoes in 12 inch pots of John Innes compost No 3. The crop should be ready in April.
Seeds are uppermost in gardeners’ minds at the moment. Make sure that you buy yours soon as some varieties may be in short supply.
Check over your trees and shrubs, as this is a good time to prune off any dead, diseased or misplaced branches except on plums and cherries.
If your greenhouse is empty, clean and disinfect it ready for the new season. In an unheated greenhouse, or cold frame, sow some early salads. Try winter lettuce, forcing radishes, spring onions and stump-rooted carrots.
Avoid overwatering foliage plants, while plants in flower are likely to need more frequent watering. Keep an eye open for pests and diseases.
LATE JANUARY
Cut back climbing plants, like Virginia creeper, ivy, climbing hydrangea etc. grown on house walls by at least 45cm (18in) from all window and door frames. The plants can continue growth in spring without obstructing them.
The ready germinated seedlings and young plug plants should be available now ready for growing on in a heated greenhouse. This method removes some of the risk of growing your own plants from seed, as well as offering young plants that can only be propagated by cuttings.
Privet hedges that have been allowed to get out of control can be cut back hard at this time of year. This will encourage strong new growth from the base.
Hedges are often ignored when it comes to feeding, so give them a dressing of pelleted chicken manure now. It will provide a gentle boost through the growing season.
This is a good time to apply garden lime, especially in the vegetable plot. Lime and manure should never be applied at the same time, so where manure was dug in during the autumn, put the lime on now.
Reg Moule, BBC Hereford and Worcester’s gardening expert has been part of the team here at Rowberry’s since July 2016. After working full time in the horticultural trade for 51 years Reg is now taking it a bit easier and he is here to help solve your gardening problems for three days per week: Monday, Tuesday and Saturday, during normal opening hours.
Reg also gives a monthly gardening talk in the functions room above our restaurant on the first Tuesday of every month- except for January when it is slightly later. These are currently suspended due to the ongoing COVID restrictions.
New dates will be made available as soon as it is safe to do so.