Vale Life’s resident garden expert Bob Priddle lifts the lid on composting and gets to grips with the horticultural preparations for the coming season.

VALE GARDENS

Winter is slowly but surely coming to an end. We have become so used to mild winters in recent years that this one came as a bit of a shock to plants such as Echiums that have been enjoying the previous mild winters and have taken a bit of a hammering.

Also, what were described as ‘frost resistant ‘pots have been shown to be not as resistant as they have been in the previous years. As well as my pots garden birds have also had a tough time of it. I always think that having birds feeding in the garden is a real bonus. Leaving aside the pleasure of seeing and hearing them there is also the fringe benefit of birds as part of your pest control system. A good bird population can help control pests such as slugs, snails and aphids. If you’re growing fruit you may need to provide netting to keep them from eating your crops but I think the inconvenience is worth it.

Spring is my favourite time of year in the garden with all the promises of the season ahead. If winter is a time for cutting back and clearing then spring is the time to start sowing seeds.

Hardy annuals are a group of plants that are sadly overlooked, especially when it comes to growing climbing hardy annuals. Although you can sow the seeds directly into the ground at the end of March through April I also like to sow some in containers, then transplant into pots.

They then can be used to fill in gaps in borders. They’re much cheaper than bedding plants, most of which are half hardy annuals, and still provide great colour and interest. When preparing compost I generally add some perlite to the mixture. Perlite is a naturally occurring rock that is heat treated. As it is heated it expands up to forty times its own size. This lightweight white rock then absorbs water and helps to improve the air to water balance and also stops the compost becoming too wet and seedlings rotting off.

For starting off your annual climbing plants a tip is to use the cardboard tubes from the inside of toilet rolls. Climbing plants need long cool root runs and these tubes are ideal. Because they’re bio degradable you can also plant them straight into the garden. Good garden compost does not happen by accident. But the ingredients to make good compost are not as difficult as you may think. A container is helpful but no essential. Because I use so much of it I make my own containers which will hold the largish quantities.

Good compost is about getting a suitable balance of nitrogen, carbon, water and air combined with some suitable bacteria. Your household waste can be added to the heap, just remember not to include man made materials, cooked food or meats. Toilet roll tubes or tubes from the centres of kitchen roll provide great sources of carbon. Corrugated cardboard, as long as its not waxed, can also be included.

These simple tips will help ensure you get a fantastic compost:
■ Don’t just pile loads of grass clippings on as it creates too much nitrogen and not enough carbon.
■ Try and make a simple lid for your heap. Weighing down a few plastic bags will do - no lid and rain can make your heap too wet.
■ If we do get a dry summer, leave the lid off and give your heap some water to stop the material drying out.
■ Add the occasional spade full of top soil which will help to give the bacteria you need to increase the speed at which your heap rots down.

Get these things right and next autumn you’ll be digging out marvellous dark brown humus-rich compost!

BOB’S TOP TIPS Climbing annuals that can be easily grown from seed Ipomea – Morning Glory As well as the stunning Heavenly Blue there are also the darker colours of varieties such Black Night. Sweet Peas Probably the most popular of annual climbers. Make sure you go for a scented variety such as Percy Thrower. Thunbergia - Black Eyed Susan As well as being great climbers they also work well as subjects in hanging baskets. Quamoclit lobata - Mina lobata or Spanish Flag This is an absolute stunner and once you’ve found how easy it is to grow from seed you’ll grow it again and again. Chilean glory vine Although this is technically a tender perennial it can be grown from seed and will flower in the first year of growth.