GARDENER'S WORD

A few years ago I planted the raspberry called Polka which is an autumn fruiting type but which I also allow to crop during summer, sacrificing the quality and size of the autumn crop.  I've discovered that they grow quite tall, well above my 6ft fence and each year I've trimmed off the tops so I can actually reach the fruit.  This year, I have decided to try and grow them in cordon fashion, pulling them down as neatly and as horizontally as I can.   I realise it's rather different to growing cordon apple trees, etc, which have a main central stem off which the branches are tied horizontally but I like to experiment and I think I will be able to protect these better from the birds and also access the fruit quite easily.  We'll see.   Polka raspberries canes It'll be interesting to see what the results are.  The quality of these raspberries, compared with the supermarket raspberries, is far superior; by that I mean taste.  It's f...

Perhaps it is a bit hasty of me to say this, but it feels like spring is in the air and if I'm being fooled that it's on its way (considering that in late  March early April 2013 snow was covering my garden) well I can only say that I am feeling hopeful that we will be spared this year.  I took my mobile phone/camera into the garden this morning and took some shots of the budding plants.  I'm getting the urge to garden. Snowdrops - always first to herald spring Despite the fact that the UK has had an awful lot of rain and flooding this winter with thousands of acres of land, particularly in the south of England, underwater (and it will remain so for weeks if not months), the climate in the north of England has been relatively kind when compared with previous years.  This winter I can only remember two days when it has been frosty, so far .  We've had only a scattering of snow once or twice, so far , and a lot of rain.  Fortunately, m...