RHS launches its first ever garden holidays brochure, Hannah Stephenson finds out the questions green-fingered travellers should be asking before they book

Themed holidays have been around for a long time, suited to hobbyists whose pastimes have included painting, cooking or indeed gardening.

While garden-themed holidays simply used to involve trips to well-known gardens to admire the scenery and perhaps enjoy a guided tour, today’s offerings are more sophisticated, and if you pick the right holiday, you may have smaller groups, visits to private gardens and even a bit of hands-on experience.

Tailor-made garden cruises featuring talks by TV gardening experts, visits to exotic gardens where guests can sample the locally grown tropical fruits and trips which incorporate some of the major horticultural shows are all available.

Kew-trained horticulturist Sue Macdonald, who founded Boxwood Tours (www.boxwoodtours.net) in 1990, which specialises in quality garden holidays, says that green-fingered travellers are becoming more discerning.

“They want more private visits and want to meet the garden owners or head gardeners. That’s a big draw on a tour. They want to hear about the garden, how they cope with recent weather difficulties and plans for the future. They need someone there who can tell them the key information.

“Gardeners want a tour leader with a horticultural background, rather than just going around a National Trust property without meeting anybody, just looking. They want questions answered.”

Some organisations offer workshops for people who want to learn some practical gardening, but they are difficult to incorporate on a garden-themed holiday, Macdonald explains.

“Setting up tours which are more practical is not easy to do because it involves extra insurance if people are using knives or pruning shears or digging.

“Gardens also have to have enough space to bring people in for hands-on gardening experiences, so they might need enough space to take a group of 10 people, for instance, to take cuttings from a shrub.”

But the yearning for knowledge among travellers is ever-increasing, she points out.

“We have started looking more at different plant groups, which we’re doing on our Cornwall tour this year, so the head gardener is going to talk about and demonstrate the propagation of camellias, but it’s not set up like a workshop.”

The Royal Horticultural Society recently launched its first ever RHS Garden Holidays brochure in conjunction with escorted tours expert Collette Worldwide Holidays, featuring horticulture-themed holidays around the world, including itineraries to the US, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, The Azores, France, Italy and Spain.

Celebrating the centenary of RHS Chelsea Flower Show, its China tours follow in the footsteps of the original plant hunters and offer visitors an element of discovery.

“For somebody who really wants to get down and dirty in plant hunting, looking under rocks, in damp bark, under leaves, up in the trees, in search of orchids or clematis or magnolia or whatever we are looking for, following in the footsteps of the original plant hunters, the plant seekers’ trip would be one for them,” says Sue Biggs, RHS director general, who has a background in travel.

Biggs notes: “A lot of people will be happy to go to beautiful gardens, be told what the plants are and where they grow best and how to grow them at home, but if you want really top level – where you find out the Latin names, how to cultivate and graft plants, the real horticultural knowledge, then it would be best to choose a tour that’s escorted by an RHS curator or horticultural specialist.”

So, what should holidaymakers check when choosing a garden-themed break?

:: Check the inclusions because you may discover that food is not included and optional excursions can bump up your costs.

:: Take note of single supplements. Many gardeners go on horticulture-themed holidays on their own.

:: Look for unique experiences where you won’t be on a well-worn trail behind a fleet of other tourist coaches.

:: Try to find out the calibre of your tour escort – are they just a courier or a horticultural specialist with plenty of knowledge?

:: Consider the schedule carefully. How many gardens a day will you be covering? You might only be doing three or four gardens in the whole tour and be at the hotel the rest of the time.

:: Watch out for the term ‘private visits’ because the garden may be privately owned but open sometimes to the public. You may be greeted by crowds if you go on a day when it’s open to the public.

:: Don’t always go for the peak time. There’s a broader season and lots to see – without the crowds.

:: Check group sizes. A good yardstick is 25 maximum to be able to see and hear most things, but if you are visiting a small garden, even that can be too many.

WINNING TIP: Sea Garden, Varna

The Hotel Capitol has a nice tucked-away position in the city; it’s small and stylish. Just over the road is the Sea Garden (a park full of amenities for kids and sports with huge Soviet-era statues and gardens), which is adjacent to the beach. Stroll north through the Sea Garden and go to one of the many clean beaches: walk till you hit the Rappongi, a classy cocktail bar/restaurant with a sandy beach in front. Great value and top quality.
Hotel Capitol, 40 Petko Karavelov,+359 5268 8000, capitol.bg, doubles from €90; Rappongi, Coastal Avenue, +359 8 8290 9090, rappongibeach.com
max900

Bansko

Chalet Diana
We stayed with Piste and Peaks in Chalet Diana for our second holiday in Bansko and it was better than ever. You can see big improvements in Bansko and the slopes were very well looked after. The lessons were excellent; the instructors were great with the kids and they really improved over the week. The food was great and the sauna was just what we needed at the end of the day!
18 Hristo Silianov, 0161 408 2089, pisteandpeaks.com
boopie

The courtyard at Rila Monastery. Photograph: Alamy

Rila Monastery
For skiers, Bansko must be the best. A magnificent mountain, with runs of all colours and a village that is like a doughnut: at its core is the old town, wiggly streets with mehanas (bars/restaurants) dating back hundreds of years, surrounded by modern hotels, restaurants and apartments. If anyone comes to Bulgaria and does not visit the Rila Monastery (rilamonastery.pmg-blg.com) they will have missed a world heritage site. Bulgaria is even better when the snow is gone, with its walking, birds and butterflies.Bulgaria, for a British person, is still cheap. The locals are ridiculously friendly. The skiing and snowboarding is good.
attillathehen

Pamporovo

Lodge at top of Pamporovo mountain
This was a totally unexpected mountainside gem. This restaurant/cafe is right at the top of the Pamporovo mountain resort in southern Bulgaria. After a hard morning’s skiing we walked in to find a roaring fireplace by which we hung up our jackets, gloves and hats so they were warm and dry by the time we left. We settled ourselves at a log table close enough to the fire to feel the warmth and ordered a spit-roast chicken and chips from the menu. A limited number are roasted at lunchtime daily, and this was genuinely some of the best chicken I’ve ever had, served by friendly staff.

The Rhodopi mountains themselves offered a great number of slopes for beginners, which made up the majority of skiiers on the mountain when we were there. The runs were well graded and signposted clearly, and at the end of the week there were still new (parts of) red and blue runs we were discovering.

It was only on the penultimate day that we first plucked up the courage to tackle the (appropriately named) “Wall” – a steep black run with some fantastic moguls to challenge us. From the top the views were breathtaking. Get there as soon as you can.
sarahcunliffe1

Sofia

Borovets resort
You get a sense of both the communist and the royal past at the ski resort of Borovets. The Samokov hotel gives a glimpse of the communist era with its huge, 11-storey building, within which you can find a full-size swimming pool, bowling alley, conference centre and shooting range – entertainment and brutalist architecture for the masses. The sense of a royal past is provided by the Royal Bistria hunting lodge, nestling in the woods. It was built at the end of the 19th century for Bulgarian monarchs. Regardless of whether you are a communist or a royalist, the skiing is good: there are enough descents through pine forest to keep most people amused, and it’s cheaper than the Alps. The Rila mountains are beautiful. You get a glimpse of their many lakes on the way up from Sofia and if you don’t want to ski, mountain biking and walking are alternatives. Mitropolitska church in Samokov, between Sofia and Borovets, is also worth a stop to see its remarkable wood carvings.
Samokov hotel (+359 750 32032, samokov.com, doubles from €61 BB)
callens17

National art gallery cafe
Arriving two hours late on the overnight sleeper from Istanbul, after five stops for checks by Turkish then Bulgarian border police in the middle of the night, it was bliss to find the National art gallery cafe. There were worn, squashy leather sofas surrounded by a sculpture garden, a warm unhurried atmosphere, and it provided the best hot chocolate I have ever had – pure, smooth, rich, dark nectar that lifted the spirts on a grey October day. The art gallery was not particularly memorable; the hot chocolate was.
1 Prince Alexander Square, Sofia, +359 2 980 0093, nationalartgallerybg.org
victoriahoward

Sozopol

Photograph: Alamy

A tiny, beautiful Greek-influenced peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea that is the final resting place of St John the Baptist, as well as vampires from the middle ages and hundreds of marinated little fish that are perfect with the local wine. Watch the old ladies boiling up fig jam in the streets, stroll around the traditional stone and wood houses and then relax on the beach safe in the knowledge that a beer will cost you €1 at most. Perfect!
rafaelawomble

Varna

I arrived in Varna from Istanbul, where I attempted to find the great youth hostel promised in my guidebook. Maybe it was the map, maybe it was the late hour, maybe it was the fact that it was dark, raining and not an English-speaking soul was to be found, but after 10 minutes walking around I gave up and checked in to a concrete monstrosity of a hotel. It was expensive and shoddy and next day I found the hostel in about five minutes. My tip? Find two French guys with a car and head up the coast stopping in fishing villages and in rural shops to pick up homemade yoghurt, and soak up the glorious rock coastline of northern Bulgaria. In fact, French guys with a car are optional.
charlesfreedman

Nun’s restaurant
Restaurant near the park. Great food, lovely courtyard, quiet and good prices. This was the first restaurant I ate at on my trip to Bulgaria and I don’t think I topped it for the rest of the trip. A really beautiful place to stop for lunch.
47 Primorski Boulevard, +359 5261 1830, monahini.com
hungrymacaw

Veliko Tarnovo

Church of Saints Peter and Paul
Match the visual quality of the town with a magnificent aural feast: at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Veliko Tarnovo, often in the main and the shoulder season, three or four members of the choir sing beautiful hymns for 10-15 minutes. One competed at LLangollen International Musical Eisteddfod 20 years ago.
davidmeurigthomas

slideshow

Before you know it, local vegetable gardeners will be planting and preparing for a great harvest of fresh produce. Being able to reap the rewards of all of your hard work is a sense of accomplishment for many Gordon County citizens. Having success in your vegetable garden is not always a given so you must prepare for that success.

Today, I will be sharing some tips on vegetable gardening that hopefully will tip the scales in your favor for a positive gardening experience. I will be sharing tips from a UGA publication by Bob Westerfield, UGA Horticulturist and David Linvill, Chatham County Extension Agent.

Proper site selection is a starting point in vegetable gardening success. If you think about it, we select proper sites for our trees and shrubs so a vegetable garden is no different. The first key is that the site needs to be one that receives good quality sunlight between eight to 10 hours per day. Stay away from those shady areas.

Try to find a spot where the soil drains well and also keep in mind that it is better that the site is close to the house and your water source. If the area is already fairly weed free that is going to be a plus too.

Make a plan on what you want to plant and where you are going to plant that particular vegetable. If you have your garden mapped out, you can use that in planning your crop rotation in that space for future plantings. You can plan according to sunlight too by planting your taller growing items on the north or west side of the garden so they will not shade out the lower growing items.

I learned a long time ago to not sway folks on varieties. Tomatoes for example are personal preference. There are also some items that are just family traditions such as Silver Queen corn. Our family garden would not be a garden without Silver Queen. From time to time, you may want to try a new variety of some things to see if you like that new variety item.

I probably could have put this earlier in the article, but soil sampling is something you should not overlook. We are naturally more acidic in NW Georgia. This means we are dealing with a lot of low pH soils. When the pH is low then it leaves you open for fertility issues and vegetables that may never take full advantage of that good fertilizer you are applying. Plus, a soil test will take out your guess work on how much lime to apply and will also give you fertilization recommendations.

Right now is a great time to send in that $9 soil test through our office to the UGA Soil Test Lab. You can call us for sampling details or pick up a sample bag with the directions on the back.

Fall is a great time to add fallen leaves or other organic materials such as compost to gardens to help build up the soils with organic matter. You can turn that material deeply in the soils.

Another thing to remember is that vegetable gardening is work. Now, it can be a healthy outdoor activity, but the larger the garden, the more effort and responsibility it takes. Keep in mind that weeds can be an issue so you may have to put some elbow grease into cultivating or buying a hoe for the garden. Mulching the garden can not only help with weed issues, but can help with reducing cultivation and helping soil moisture. If you use straw or manures in the garden, make sure they are coming from a herbicide free source.

Finally, there will be periods of time that you will have to add supplemental water to your garden. That is why being close to a well or other water source is important. Using soaker hoses or irrigation tape is better than overhead sprinklers. You want to soak the ground and not the foliage. Foliage that stays wet for extended periods of time creates an environment for disease when you add in our heat and humidity along with disease pathogens. Just like row crop producers will scout large acreage for insects and disease, you need to investigate your garden for issues that you can handle early instead of letting the problems get more widespread.

For more information contact Gordon County Extension at 706-629-8685 or email gbowman@uga.edu.

Hellebores have made a real comeback among the gardening community over the past 20 years. I’m one of their biggest fans and the garden here at Glebe Cottage, especially on its shady side, is full of them. 

Each day, I have a quick wander to see what has opened and to lose myself in their pristine beauty.

What is it about hellebores that makes them so alluring?

Part of it is to do with when they put on their best show. Perhaps if they flowered in the midst of summer they might go unnoticed? They are not tall plants and none of them could ever be accused of being flamboyant.

Their “flowers” are composed of sepals rather than petals, which is why they last for months and all fade to a subtle green. The range of colour when in flower is staggering, from immaculate white to almost black and in between through pinks, purples, clarets, yellows and greens. Some have the subtlety of a wood pigeon’s breast, others the depth and strength of the best red wine.

They hang their heads demurely so that all you can see at first is the back of their flowers. This is what makes them so mysterious and unpredictable. Half their charm is this secrecy and everyone who grows them understands the joy of gently turning up their flowers to appreciate the subtleties within. 

Winter wonder

Sometimes there are spots and blotches arranged in symmetrical patterns, sometimes subtle shading with perhaps a picotee edge. At their centre, all have a breathtaking arrangement of nectaries and a boss of golden stamens topped with pollen-rich anthers.

The reason the flowers hang their heads is to protect this pollen from destruction by wind and rain. After all, these are flowers at their peak when the weather is at its most deplorable.  

Looking at some of these magnificent clumps, loaded with buds, you can hardly believe that a couple of weeks ago they were covered in a thick blanket of snow. A plant which braves such inhospitable conditions must earn our respect but it also earns our thanks for giving us such a display and transforming our gardens at a time when they could be worse than discouraging.

A further attraction is that hellebores are easy-going plants that fit in with the modern gardening ethos. 

They lend themselves to naturalistic schemes and informal plantings. Not only are they easy to place, they are also easy to grow – providing conditions are right, their successful cultivation needs no special skills and anyone can propagate them. Every year at this time, we try to help create new hellebores, transferring pollen from the anthers of one plant’s flowers to the stigma of another. The cap of a black biro is the most efficient -tool to pick up the pollen and transport it to the mother plant. 

If you rub it on your sleeve or the knee of your jeans, this creates static and the pollen grains almost jump on to the lid of your pen. Gently pull back the sepals (petals) of the mother flower and transfer the pollen to its stigma.

Good breeding 

We mark our pollinated flowers with different coloured threads and keep a record of them in a notebook, recording which plants were the fathers – the pollen donors – and which the mothers, receiving the pollen and yielding the seed from which new plants will grow.

In the garden, unless they are -religiously dead-headed, established plants are soon surrounded by hordes of seedlings. Without their prompt removal, these children can overwhelm their parents. They can be dug up and transferred to other parts of the garden. Although each one will be unique, the chances of them being exciting are negligible. 

As time goes on, they are liable to descend to the lowest common denominator. But it’s a shame to put up with second best when breeding your own is so simple. If you decide to grow your own, the only requirements are two really good hellebores and a large quota of patience. If your plants are mediocre or you just don’t have any, treat yourself.

Choose two quite different ones or if you want to concentrate on a particular characteristic or colour, choose plants which display these features. Select the mother plant, the one to be pollinated which will bear the seeds, for its vigour and a good, even flower shape. Choose the father plant to supply the pollen for its colour and the shape of its flowers.

Plants can be pollinated in pots under cold glass or outside in the open ground. It’s warmer work in the kitchen or -greenhouse but pollinated flowers are more subject to rotting indoors.

ROCKY MOUNT —
Ronnie E. (Conetoe) asks: What is the best temperature and method to store fresh pecans?

Answer: Lowering the moisture content of pecan kernels is an important step for maximum storage life of pecans.  Pecans should be stored at a moisture content of about 4 pecent. Shelled pecans stored at non-freezing temperature should be maintained in an atmosphere of about 65–70 percent relative humidity to hold the 3–4 percent moisture content. Humidity above these values can cause kernel molding and pecan texture deterioration (pecans become soft and rubber-like), whereas lower humidity will cause excessive drying. In-shell pecan kernels will darken under high humidity as a result of the tannic acid being dissolved from the shell lining.

Lower temperatures usually result in longer storage life of nuts. Pecan pieces have a shorter shelf-life than pecan halves. This time reduction is in proportion to the surface exposure of the pieces. Storage of nutmeat pieces should be limited to 1 or 2 months at temperatures about 32°F. The greatest benefit of storing at low temperature is retention of fresh flavor, followed by color, aroma and texture.

Because pecan meats absorb odors and flavors readily from the surroundings, a storage area free of odoriferous materials and commodities is necessary In-shell pecans can remain good for 4 months at 70°F, but can be stored successfully for 18 months at 32°F to 36°F. Storage life of in-shell nuts may extend to 5 years or more when stored at 0°F.   Learn more at: http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/H-620.pdf

Don A. (Leggett) asks: (While we’re on the subject of pecans), How many years will it take for a Stuart pecan to bear nuts? We live in the southeast and just planted one.

Answer: Stuart is a good disease-resistant variety of pecan for the southeast, although the variety Elliott might have been a better choice (smaller pecan but higher quality). Stuart takes a long time to bear pecans, at least eight to 10 years. If you take good care of it by watering, fertilizing, and controlling weeds, this time will be shortened somewhat. Elliott comes into production in six to eight years.

Brenda E. (Tarboro) Asks:  I have a delightful winter bloomer in my yard that a friend gave me when she thinned a shade bed in her garden a few years ago, and don’t remember its name?

Answer: The plant is a Lenten Rose, Helleborus orientalis, and, yes, they usually are blooming in February and March.  The evergreen foliage is glossy and grows 6”-10”and has blossoms of pink, white, lavender, green, or even burgundy that last for about 6 weeks.  As well, it is a shade loving plant that grows best in fertile, well-drained soil.  Rich organic matter such as that from decomposed leaves provide the needed nutrients. The Lenten Rose is also a plant that deer will not chew on, is drought tolerant and heat resistant, bugs don’t like it.

The name “Lenten rose” comes from its bloom time, near the Lenten season, although due to global warming they are tending to begin blooming earlier in January.  These “roses” are great plants to cut to bring inside where the blossoms will last about a 7-10 days — and the hearty foliage will last even longer.

Now, while the plants are blooming and the desired color can be selected, is a good time to thin them out and share with fellow gardeners or can usually be purchased this time of year, but they are somewhat pricey ($5-$6 dollars per quart size plant).  They do reseed and provide dozens of seedlings the following spring although they tend to slowly get started.  

These plants and many others are collected from among the Master Gardeners and are sold at plant sales in the spring; maybe even earlier.  Contact the Extension Office at 641-7815 to find out when the Master Gardeners will have any lenten rose plants for sale.

Katie S. (Tarboro) asks: I have number small mounds of soil beginning to develop in the turf in my back yard – what is causing this and what can I do?

Answer: The most likely culprit to cause soil mounding that matches your description would be earthworms.  Earthworms are clearly beneficial in soil for aeration, water penetration, thatch control, addition of bacteria, organic matter and other benefits. Most soils are probably lacking in worm populations and much has been written about the benefits of worms and using

them for soil improvement. Extremely high populations may disrupt roots or create so much upturned castings on the surface as to smother low growing blades and create a bumpy surface.

Learn more about this problem at: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/OT/lawn/note125/note125.html

“Ask A Master Gardener” is a weekly column providing our readers solutions to common problems concerning horticulture, gardening, and pest management. Trained Extension Master Gardener Volunteers have access to the research that provide answers.

Submit your questions by email to @gmail.com, or call the local Extension Center at 641-7815 and tell them you have a question for a Master Gardener; a volunteer will return your call with a solution to your problem, or write to “Ask A Master Gardener”, c/o The Daily Southerner, P.O. Box 1199, Tarboro, NC 27886.

www.dailysoutherner.com

Snow business: It looks like we’ll miss most of this weekend’s projected storm, but a wintry mix can certainly do plenty of damage to our landscape. There’s not much you can do to keep municipal road chemicals from your landscaping, but you can control your personal use of salt and ice melt products. Sand and kitty litter can also give you traction and save your plants in the process.

Hands off. Ice-encased branches can be especially brittle. Allow the ice to stay put until it melts of its own accord. Prune broken branches to prevent further injury.

Snow brooms. Heavy, wet snow is another matter. Use a broom to brush snow from your evergreens to keep the boughs from breaking. Start with the low branches and work your way up.

Early birds. Emerging spring bulbs showed their cheery faces with the warmth several weeks ago. A return to frosty weather sent them back into hibernation. There’s not much to do to prevent this early emergence, other than to enjoy the show. Just know that what blooms now won’t bloom again when we have our proper spring.

Forcing spring. Instead of just dreaming of warmer weather, make it so, by taking cuttings of forsythia, witch hazel or pussy willow and bring them indoors. Look for branches with an abundance of fat buds, which are more likely holding flowers rather than the slender foliage buds. Smash the woody stems with a hammer to help them take up water, place them in a bucket of warm water in a cool, dimly lit location so the buds open slowly, then move them to where you wish to display them.

Love blooms. Woo your favorite gardener with something more than a cliche this Valentine’s Day. Go beyond the expected rose bouquet and think about colorful potted orchids or cyclamens. Or even better, order a magnificent rose bush for bountiful blooms. For the spring dreamer, gift certificates to a favorite garden center or seed catalog may be the perfect fit.

Plant prep. Planning to start your own seeds? Sanitize any flats and potting utensils you will reuse. You’ll also want to check other supplies, like your lights and heating pads, to ensure you’re prepared.

Ready to go. Let the seed packets be your guide for planting. Each will tell you how many weeks the seeds should be started before planting in the garden. Hardy crops go in before our last frost date average of May 15, tender plants after. So count back each week, arriving at your start date.

Seed sense. To do a germination test for packets of old seeds, moisten a paper towel, add a reasonable sample of seeds, fold it up, place it in a warm area and check periodically to monitor sprouting over two weeks. If you have less than 50 percent germination, it’s time to buy new seeds.

LANDSCAPE BARGAINS

If you plan to add woody plants, fruit trees and other larger plants to your landscaping, be sure to pick up a brochure from the Lancaster County Conservation District’s 39th annual tree seedling sale. Most offerings cost about a dollar.

The order deadline is March 11 with pickup date of April 11 at the Farm and Home Center. The variety ranges from conifers like Eastern red cedar, Eastern white pine and Colorado blue spruce, to hardwoods like white oak, black cherry, sugar maple, river birch and sycamore to wildlife species like witchhazel, chokecherry, silky dogwood, winterberry, American craneberry and redbud, to ornamentals like white dogwood and arborvitae. Perennials like dianthus, daylily and Russian sage also will be available, as will groundcover like sedum and myrtle. Crimson Gold and Fuji varieties of apple trees are available, as well as Redhaven peaches, Stanley plums and Encore red raspberries. Additionally, containerized seedlings of basswood, chestnut oak, hornbeam and persimmon will be available. Bring a bucket when you pickup your trees for free compost. For more information, call 299-5361.
dainasavage@gmail.com

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A low-maintenance landscape can be beautiful. Low maintenance means the plants require little watering, pruning or spraying, and have few pest and disease problems.

Start by studying your landscape area before planting. Check drainage and sun and shade amounts. This will help you when you start buying plants.

Ornamental plants take more care when they are planted at the wrong site. For instance, azaleas prefer well-drained soil and a mostly shady location. When planted in poorly drained soil or full sun, azaleas become stressed and require more care.

If low maintenance is your goal, you probably should not plant a rose. Roses provide season-long beauty, but require season-long attention. They need an inch of water per week. They are prone to black spot, a serious foliage disease. With the proper care, it can be treated.

Here are some tips for establishing a low-maintenance landscape:

Size: A small, well-kept landscape is better than a large one that is overgrown. Reducing size is the best way to reduce landscape maintenance.

Arrangement: Arrange plants according to their water use and soil pH For example, azaleas are acid-loving plants, so plant all acid-loving plants together. Most junipers need less water, so plant them together. Plant requirements should be on the tags.

Mulches: Use mulches around plants to minimize weeds and conserve moisture.

Fertilizer: Do not overfertilize plants.

Pruning: Put the right size plant in the right place to reduce the amount of pruning necessary. The potential height and width should be on the container.

Booker T. Leigh is the director at the Tipton County Extension office. Email your gardening questions to bleigh1@utk.edu. Include your name and the area where you live. For more gardening information, call the Tipton County Extension office at (901) 476-0231 or the Shelby County Extension office at (901) 752-1207.

Posted: Wednesday, February 6, 2013 6:15 am
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Updated: 7:52 pm, Tue Feb 5, 2013.

Gardening tips offered at meeting

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Join the North County chapter of Trinity Homegrown Foods at the Young Family Ranch, Weaverville, at 2 p.m. Feb. 16 for its general meeting, including a presentation by Tom Cook on garden protection systems for gardening season extension.

Give your summer crops a head start and lengthen your growing season. Detailed instructions on building your own mini-hoop-house will be provided.

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Wednesday, February 6, 2013 6:15 am.

Updated: 7:52 pm.

ROCKY MOUNT —
So, what will tomorrow bring?  At this time of year, we are riding the roller coaster up and down as winter and spring duke it out.  While it is still too early to start most seeded varieties of annual flower and vegetable varieties, it is not too early to prepare for the upcoming gardening season.  In addition to cutting back ornamental grasses and targeting cool season weeds with herbicide spot treatments, it is likely that your gardening tools and equipment require a little pre-season attention.

A wonderful publication out of Purdue University, Sanitation for Disease and Pest Management, makes the point clear: “A clean greenhouse [and clean gardening tools] lead to healthy plants, and healthy plants lead to happy growers.”

For the gardener, the obvious tools include pruners, saws, shovels, rakes and hoes. Hopefully at the end of 2012 you washed all dirt and debris off of your equipment with soap and water and then applied a generous coat of lubricant to the cutting surfaces.  Although the visible dirt may be gone, invisible fungi, bacteria and viruses can sometimes remain on the assortment of hand tools, seed flats, pots and benches leading to infection in the upcoming crop.  The initial washing step is critical because soil and plant residues interfere with contact between sanitizer and the disease causing organisms. Soil residue and organic matter can also inactivate the sanitizer. Some of the most commonly used disinfectants include commercially available quaternary ammonium compounds and hydrogen dioxide in greenhouse operations and liquid bleach and alcohol on the homeowner level.  Each product will have different properties and will require different application methods and contact times.  Most products will require a swipe or a dip method followed by air-drying or rinsing.  It is also important to note that some products are more corrosive than others and can damage metal parts if not rinsed after treatment.  View the complete chart of “Treatments used for sanitizing tools, equipment, pots, flats, surfaces, and other related items” by Kelly

Ivors and Mike Munster, NC State University at http://tinyurl.com/cbme2ex.While we often resort to these chemical disinfectants, steam and

solarization provide another set of options. For steam, plastic items

should be heated to 150 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes, while less sensitive items can be heated to 180 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. The second option is to place gardening tools and equipment on a clean, solid surface and cover tightly with clear plastic.  As a result of the sun passing through the film, the temperature will rise rapidly and solarization will occur.  Extension specialist Dr. Kelly Ivors notes that temperatures exceeding 140 degrees Fahrenheit for 4-8 hours per day over the course of seven days should kill most pathogens.

Other simple practices that will help to reduce the spread of pathogens include:

• Storing tools and equipment off of the ground when not in use,

• Avoiding the contact of hose ends and watering wands with the soil surface and hang all watering equipment on walls or suspended hooks between irrigation cycles,

• Removing diseased plant material from your garden immediately and wash your hands frequently to avoid transmitting disease organisms, and

• Using sanitizing wipes on pruners after each cut when disease is suspected.

IF you’re still planning what to grow in your garden this year, there’s a plethora of new books out in the spring to provide inspiration and guidance. Hannah Stephenson leafs through some of the best

If you’re still scratching your head as to what to do with your garden this year, whether trying veg in pots for the first time, creating a wildflower meadow or completely re-landscaping your outdoor space, there are new books coming out which should provide you with plenty of ideas.

Here are just a few of the many gardening titles on offer this year:

:: The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart (Timber Press, £14.99, May 2): This intoxicating and eclectic new book on the hidden botany behind your favourite booze would make a fabulous gift for gardeners who enjoy a tipple. The quirky guide explains the chemistry and botanical history of more than 150 species, showing how they form the bases of our favourite cocktails and also offers 50 drink recipes.

:: Christine Walkden’s No-Nonsense Container Gardening (Simon Schuster, £20, February 28): She may now be a regular on The One Show and Radio 4’s Question Time, but Christine Walkden is a gardener first and a presenter second. In her typical down-to-earth style, she shows you how to recycle tin cans, fruit crates and baskets and turn them into portable growing containers, grow your own lunch in a tub with dwarf varieties and cultivate abundant flowers for cutting and fragrance. Well illustrated and with tips from personal experience, this book will suit the fairly new gardener looking for new ideas.

:: Royal Horticultural Society Grow Your Own Crops In Pots by Kay Maguire (Mitchell Beazley, £16.99, available now): As growing your own fruit and veg continues to gain popularity, this book is one for people who perhaps don’t have room for a vegetable plot or who simply want to have a go at growing produce in pots on the patio, close to the kitchen. Featuring everything from bags of potatoes to grapes on the vine, and delicious combinations such as tomato with basil, the book guides the reader through techniques and tips, as well as sound advice for growing each type of fruit and veg.

:: A Book Of Garden Wisdom by Jenny Hendy (Lorenz Books, £5.99, May 31): If you like to hark to days gone by and restore some traditional methods of gardening on your plot, this delightful book of folklore, organic gardening, hints and tips featuring traditional techniques for sowing, planting and harvesting, as well as age-old methods for controlling pests and diseases, feeding the soil and caring for tools, should fit the bill.

:: RHS Chelsea Flower Show: A Centenary Celebration by Brent Elliott (Frances Lincoln, £25, April 4): Chelsea Flower Show’s centenary couldn’t go without a commemorative book and this offering, by the RHS historian Brent Elliott, explores how the show evolved, how it has formed part of the social calendar and how it has reflected and shaped tastes in garden design and planting over the years. There are short pieces by significant nurserymen and nurserywomen, designers, organisers, visitors and patrons describing what Chelsea means to them, with chapters on the early shows, shows between the wars and decade by decade to the present day. It’s illustrated with images mainly drawn from the RHS Lindley Library archives, many of which are published here for the first time.

:: Abundance: How To Store And Preserve Your Garden Produce by Alys Fowler (Kyle Books, £16.99, June 1): If you’re growing fruit and veg then you may want to learn how to preserve it. Look no further than this guide from the former Gardeners’ World presenter, who covers everything from drying and pickling to cold stores and fermenting.

:: Wild Flowers by Carol Klein (BBC Books, £20, February 28): Master plantswoman and Gardeners’ World presenter Carol Klein celebrates the most exquisite flora growing wild in our woodlands, hedgerows, meadows and moors in this book and then returns to her own garden to see their cultivated cousins. This tie-in book sees Klein delving into the story of more than 30 of her favourite wild flowers, and sharing her practical expertise and suggestions on how to help their cultivated equivalents thrive.

:: The Rurbanite by Alex Mitchell (Kyle Books, £16.99, March 1): Do you live in the city but dream of keeping chickens? Do you look at derelict patches of ground on your way to work and see their potential as vegetable patches? If so, you’re a rurbanite. You have a passion for the countryside but no intention of leaving the city. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. You’re part of a growing band of people who want the best of both worlds. The author shares her passion, practical projects and incredible stories from seed bombers, rooftop beekeepers, guerrilla gardeners and urban farmers to inspire you to be in touch with your green side and change the cityscape for the better.

:: Gardening In Pyjamas: Horticultural Enlightenment For Obsessive Dawn Raiders by Helen Yemm (Simon Schuster, £12.99, April 11): If you find yourself padding about your plot in your nightclothes without really knowing what to do, this book will provide you with all the essential facts to nurture your growing passion. The Daily Telegraph’s much-loved columnist Helen Yemm strikes a happy balance between giving you enough information to get you going but not so much that it scares you or puts you off entirely. She dispenses invaluable advice, minus the mumbo jumbo, with refreshing humour and a clear understanding of her theme.