April in the Garden
Area Aims / themes / strategies Apr-19
Gate borders Umbles theme. Plants that can be used for flower arrangements and wreaths. Plus a clump of climbing green beans to illustrate for story stompers jack and the bean stalk. Sow annual umbles. Plant out ornamental alliums that are in pots.
natural kitchen play area Provide young children with a multi sensory natural play experience. Setting for story stompers. We need to erect the bean pole this month ready for Jack to climb down…
Beds 1-9 of the upper four crop rotation and bed 10 perennial veg bed. Theme for 2019 – Red Veg. Aims :- demonstration beds for how to grow attractive unusual varieties or red veg. Duel purpose plants as edible and ornamental.
bed 1 brassicas
bed 2 salads
bed 3 onions
bed 4 garlic and salads
bed 5 brassicas seed bed
bed 6 roots
bed 7 Brassicas
bed 8 Legumes
bed 9 Sow April UGH
bed 10 – Perennial veg bed harvest asparagus for 3-4 weeks only
Kitchen garden / seating area How to plant a kitchen garden, and harvest the produce from it through out the year. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been working on this border for just 5 months. We will be harvesting most of our winter sown salads and replacing them with new lettuce from modules. We’ll be planting out more spinach and several of our edible flowers – marigold and later nasturtiums and borage. There is germination in our direct seeded beds and these rows need weeding/thinning. The broad Beans and Peas are in flower and beetroots developing. More seeds to sow this month
Green roofs show how to reduce run off and collect rainwater
Woodland area as a wildlife habitat.
Wildlife habitat providing bug hoel, dead hedge, stag beetle stack and signage plus tree identification signs.
Woodland soft fruit growing area Show how to grow soft fruit, & how to, prune, support, take cuttings and harvest.
Weed around bushes, then put up nets to protect fruit from birds.
Woodland – Top fruit – i.e. fruit grown on trees rather than bushes Show how to grow top fruit, & how to, prune, support, take cuttings for grafting and harvest.
Top fruit growing in the herb garden. Show how to grow top fruit, & how to, prune, support, take cuttings for grafting and harvest.
Soft Fruit growing in the herb garden how to grow, propagate and harvest strawberries
Top fruit growing in the upper garden. Show how to harvest and use to make jams.
Grape vine in the upper greenhouses. Show how to grow, prune, maintain good health, take cuttings from and harvest.
Fern bank Show how to grow ferns, (spore bearing, shade loving plants. Educational resource for plant evolution. Keep ferns weeded
Bog garden Grow a range of plants that like to grow in boggy conditions weed
wildlife pond maintain a wildlife pond which is an important habitat and breeding ground for beneficial garden insects and other wildlife weed aquatic plants.
Perennial meadow Maintain a perennial meadow as attractive visual feature seen from the front gates. Good resource for pollinating insects and wildlife.
Raspberry bed To grow raspberries Net area – to protect from birds
Tomato / Solanaceae bed
Education bed Vegetables and flowers that the education team want to grow for school sessions etc.
Squash / Cucurbita bed grow 3 varieties of squash, 2 summer squash and one winter squash. late April start off seedlings under glass.
Gherkin bed late April start off seedlings under glass.
Greenwood working area
Upper Greenhouses 1. produce for growing under glass.
Upper Greenhouses 2. plants for planting out into our garden.
Upper Greenhouses 3. plants for retail.
Herb garden
Sensory Bed
Hot border With shoots on all the Cannas and some gingers too we’re happy that we’ve got through a relatively mild winter. A good weed is needed and the bananas can be released from winter wraps this month.
Cold frames
Passive greenhouses plant bell peppers in planter
Deck planters
Oudolf border After being cut down in February the perennials are all now showing. There are still some clumps of confrey that need removing and some annual weeds as well. We are low on stock if any replacements are needed.
Dye stock bed
Oriental veg bed
Lower four crop rotation – 4 beds
Bed 1 brassicas once plants in brassica seed bed are large enough to be planted out plant into this bed.
Bed 2 legumes construct plant supports. Companion plant Summer savory to protect beans from blackfly
Bed 3 roots keep autumn plants shallots and garlic weed free. Sow carrots successionally
Bed 4 Solanaceae potato bed plant out chitted potatoes
4 crop beds companion plants grow a range of companion plants to plant among veg beds to repel common pests plant out amongst 4 crop beds. Keep some pot grown Tagetes in the UGH as a deterrent against whitefly.
Herbs
Parsley flat leafed
Parsley curly leaf
mint
Chervil (tasteresembles caraway)
Bronze fennel
Lemon verbena