Monthly Planting Team Update
Planting Report - November 2017 by Jan Alen
These planting team reports are compiled from the perspective of the ‘Wednesday Working Party’ which is only one part of the Kingsbridge in Bloom team. There are several ‘In Your Neighbourhood’ projects around town where neighbours get together and manage a ‘green space’. Many of the shopkeepers in town have also joined in with displays of their own. Together we aim to make Kingsbridge a pleasant place to live, work or visit.
So, as far as the Wednesday team are concerned we’ve been very pleased with how our summer planting has performed this year, both from our colour choices and the plants used, and were even more gratified to be rewarded with GOLD in the Britain in Bloom competition. Although we as volunteers enjoy gardening primarily for the befit of Kingsbridge, it is satisfying to know that our efforts are recognised by the experts too. The displays have lasted longer than in previous years, even the hanging baskets, though this is mostly down to the more rigorous watering regimen with its own team of volunteers. Even though all the baskets have reservoirs which help to keep the soil moist via a wicking system, they still need a regular top-up of water. As we know from out baskets and tubs at home, rain rarely makes a significant difference, they still need watering regularly.
The baskets were taken down as they began to get past their best and the contents composted. Similarly the tubs and troughs were cleared of summer annuals in mid- October, and storm Brian made deciding to dismantle the Embankment boxes an easier decision. Unfortunately we did find vine weevil in some areas which we have yet again treated. In talking to the experts in the Royal Horticultural Society it seems that vine weevils are almost becoming a fact of life these days so we’ll just have to manage them as and when they appear and perhaps adjust our plant choices accordingly.
Now we’re into November and with the weather on our side for the past two Wednesday Working Parties the Kingsbridge in Bloom volunteers are well on the way to completing the Autumn planting. Several of the containers around town have been planted with Spring bulbs,(fragrant narcissi) along with pansies, wallflowers and polyanthus, very similar to last year, hopefully to give a colourful start to the new year.
The trial last winter of having fewer winter baskets seemed to work well so we decided to do the same this season. They are currently hanging on the toilet block at the head of the estuary to make room for the Christmas lights. The baskets will be relocated to the town square after Christmas.
The starfish, seahorse and anchor on the display bed have been removed to make way for some Spring colour and anything that will survive the winter will be re-planted in the new square planter in the Recreation Ground. Did you know that this planter is made from recycled milk bottles! The begonias on the display bed are still flowering well so we’ll leave them for now.
Also in the Recreation Ground, more hyacinth bulbs have been planted in the two large raised beds. Both of these beds had a lot of work done on them through this past year. The ‘red’ bed was completely cleared, manure and soil improver dug in and then replanted. We were able to re-use many of the plants, just siting them more appropriately and taking note of the shade cast by the large trees close by. The bed as a whole has thrived throughout this growing season and may now need a bit of thinning out. The ‘blue’ or ‘sensory’ bed also had a revamp and is doing well though there is probably more work to be done there too.
The beds on the town square are in the main planted with perennial plants as are the two rectangular raised beds on the Embankment and the large raised beds in the Recreation ground. Now that the winter annuals and bulbs have been planted we’ll turn our attention to these areas and give them a good tidy up in the next couple of weeks or so, preparing them for whatever the winter weather brings.
Although Winter is supposedly a quieter time in the gardening calendar, the planting team have been busy planning colour schemes for next year and thinking about the design for the display bed in the centre of town. We will take notice of the judge’s comments when we plan future displays whilst carefully monitoring what does well and what not so well so we can plan for an even better show of colour year on year. We are in contact with the nurseries and listen to their advice. We shall be placing our orders any time now so the grower s have just what we want when we need it.
We look forward to a perhaps slightly quieter time as far as plants are concerned over the next few weeks although many of us have plants at home – eg, geraniums which we’ll look after in the hope that some may survive to be used again next year.
The maintenance team will be out and about keeping an eye on anything that needs attention before next growing season.
So, as far as the Wednesday team are concerned we’ve been very pleased with how our summer planting has performed this year, both from our colour choices and the plants used, and were even more gratified to be rewarded with GOLD in the Britain in Bloom competition. Although we as volunteers enjoy gardening primarily for the befit of Kingsbridge, it is satisfying to know that our efforts are recognised by the experts too. The displays have lasted longer than in previous years, even the hanging baskets, though this is mostly down to the more rigorous watering regimen with its own team of volunteers. Even though all the baskets have reservoirs which help to keep the soil moist via a wicking system, they still need a regular top-up of water. As we know from out baskets and tubs at home, rain rarely makes a significant difference, they still need watering regularly.
The baskets were taken down as they began to get past their best and the contents composted. Similarly the tubs and troughs were cleared of summer annuals in mid- October, and storm Brian made deciding to dismantle the Embankment boxes an easier decision. Unfortunately we did find vine weevil in some areas which we have yet again treated. In talking to the experts in the Royal Horticultural Society it seems that vine weevils are almost becoming a fact of life these days so we’ll just have to manage them as and when they appear and perhaps adjust our plant choices accordingly.
Now we’re into November and with the weather on our side for the past two Wednesday Working Parties the Kingsbridge in Bloom volunteers are well on the way to completing the Autumn planting. Several of the containers around town have been planted with Spring bulbs,(fragrant narcissi) along with pansies, wallflowers and polyanthus, very similar to last year, hopefully to give a colourful start to the new year.
The trial last winter of having fewer winter baskets seemed to work well so we decided to do the same this season. They are currently hanging on the toilet block at the head of the estuary to make room for the Christmas lights. The baskets will be relocated to the town square after Christmas.
The starfish, seahorse and anchor on the display bed have been removed to make way for some Spring colour and anything that will survive the winter will be re-planted in the new square planter in the Recreation Ground. Did you know that this planter is made from recycled milk bottles! The begonias on the display bed are still flowering well so we’ll leave them for now.
Also in the Recreation Ground, more hyacinth bulbs have been planted in the two large raised beds. Both of these beds had a lot of work done on them through this past year. The ‘red’ bed was completely cleared, manure and soil improver dug in and then replanted. We were able to re-use many of the plants, just siting them more appropriately and taking note of the shade cast by the large trees close by. The bed as a whole has thrived throughout this growing season and may now need a bit of thinning out. The ‘blue’ or ‘sensory’ bed also had a revamp and is doing well though there is probably more work to be done there too.
The beds on the town square are in the main planted with perennial plants as are the two rectangular raised beds on the Embankment and the large raised beds in the Recreation ground. Now that the winter annuals and bulbs have been planted we’ll turn our attention to these areas and give them a good tidy up in the next couple of weeks or so, preparing them for whatever the winter weather brings.
Although Winter is supposedly a quieter time in the gardening calendar, the planting team have been busy planning colour schemes for next year and thinking about the design for the display bed in the centre of town. We will take notice of the judge’s comments when we plan future displays whilst carefully monitoring what does well and what not so well so we can plan for an even better show of colour year on year. We are in contact with the nurseries and listen to their advice. We shall be placing our orders any time now so the grower s have just what we want when we need it.
We look forward to a perhaps slightly quieter time as far as plants are concerned over the next few weeks although many of us have plants at home – eg, geraniums which we’ll look after in the hope that some may survive to be used again next year.
The maintenance team will be out and about keeping an eye on anything that needs attention before next growing season.
An illustrated view of the planting selection for the Embankment Boxes June 2017 by Jan Alen
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The eight square planters along the Embankment in Kingsbridge have had a bit of a face-lift recently. They have been fully restored after previous damage and have been painted for this season.
At the end of May they, along with all the other planters in town, were emptied of their winter plants topped up with some enriched compost and planted with carefully chosen plants for a colourful display this summer. The colour scheme is very similar to the much admired scheme of last year. It’s no use being coy when planting in a public place, we’ve gone for a bright and zingy, named in the plant catalogues as the Bollywood look! The corners of the planters have Ipomoea which is grown for its foliage of bright lime green or dark purple. These should bulk up and trail over the edges as they get bigger. The central area has been planted with Cannas which will give height and should withstand the winds that whistle down the estuary all too frequently. When in flower they should have stunning red/orange blooms. Begonias are a firm favourite as they bloom almost continually throughout the summer. We have gone for a trailing bright orange and an upright bold pink. We hope they’ll put on a good show. Coleus is a new plant we’re trying this year. They are often grown as house plants but we should be able to get away with using them outdoors in Kingsbridge. This variety is Chocolate covered Cherry which whilst sounding delicious also has some lovely marking on the leaves. This plant although it will flower, is grown mostly for its foliage ,so we hope it will bush out nicely. Finally we’ve used Sanvitalia which did so well last year. The small daisy-like flowers in bright yellow again have a long flowering period and make a bright contrast. This planting scheme has been echoed around town in the various other planters that Kingsbridge in Bloom are responsible for. We are very pleased to see that this year many of the traders in Fore Street have joined in with their own baskets, troughs or pots. Together we’ll make Kingsbridge a colourful, vibrant place to be. |
Sanvitalia Gold Crown
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