Hello and welcome to the first of a series of regular features on gardening and all things horticultural in the Vale.

VALE GARDENS

Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Bob Priddle. Born in Dinas Powis, I have spent most of my life living and working within the Vale of Glamorgan and the majority of it connected in some way with horticulture.

My current role is that of senior lecturer in horticulture for Neath Port Talbot College based at Twyn yr Hydd House in Margam. As well as bringing you tips and advice on what to sow, prune or plant, I hope to give these features very much a Vale of Glamorgan based flavour by looking at some of the great gardens and gardeners who work either professionally or for pleasure within the county.

So, if you’re the secretary of a gardening society or have a garden that opens either for charity as part of the National Garden Scheme or for any other organisation please let me know. If it’s connected with gardening and in the Vale of Glamorgan it would be great to hear from you.

At this time of year your hanging baskets and tubs are probably just past their best. Plants, like many other living things, use a great deal of energy as part of the reproductive process. After flowering a plant’s natural life cycle means that it will go on to make seeds thereby using a great deal of energy. By regular ‘dead-heading’ i.e removing the spent flower heads from the main plant, you will divert much of this precious energy back towards helping the plant make new flowers and give your containers a second flush of flowers.

Plants that live in confined spaces, such as baskets and containers, are also prone to looking a bit tired due to lack of nutrients. A liquid fertiliser high in potash, such as tomato feed, should help promote continued flowering.

It’s worth noting at this point that a lot of plants used in pots and troughs are tender and will not go through the winter unless, of course, you can provide them with protection.

A popular choice for both gardens and containers are Osteospernums. These, together with Pelargoniums are easily propagated by taking cuttings. Choose non-flowering stems or remove any flower buds or visible seed heads.

It’s asking a bit much for your cuttings to produce new root systems and flower at the same time. Use a sharp knife or secateurs and cut off stems two to three inches long and make a cut just below a leaf joint or node. Remove all but three or four leaves and place your cuttings in some good quality compost with a little grit sand or perlite added and place in a three inch pot. Water them sparingly as too much water will cause them to rot off.

It’s often said that good gardening is all about presentation and planning. Well, it’s true that you need to think and act now if you want to enjoy great displays of spring bulbs to cheer up those cold damp days in February. Daffodils and Narcissi are not too fussy and if you follow some simple rules you should be well rewarded for your efforts.

First, always buy top quality and good sized bulbs. Yes, size does matter! Plant bulbs at a depth that is approximately two and a half times the height of your bulb. Bulbs do not like standing in water so try and spread a layer of lime-free horticultural grit sand in the base. This should prevent them from rotting off. Avoid planting in single or straight lines – it just never looks natural. Avoid mixed bags of daffodils. You may end up with a very patchy flowering pattern. You’re better off buying small quantities of individual varieties and planting them near each other. Combine bulbs with some of the popular biennials - Red Riding Hood tulips together with Forget-Me-Nots make a stunning display.

Did you know that the Vale of Glamorgan is now the centre for daffodil growing in Wales, due to the excellent work of the good people at Really Welsh? They specialise in supplying numerous companies such as Waitrose with pure yellow Daffodils. So, if you ever see any orange, or even a hint of it, in any other Daffodil, you know that it’s not Really Welsh. They have 100 acres of shiny yellow Really Welsh Daffodils popping up from January right through until the end of Spring. And to save you doing the maths, that works out at about one million bunches each year brightening up people’s lives. The company has 27 varieties of Daffodils, including the variety Cardiff. You can find out more by contacting them at www.reallywelsh.com Continuing the Welsh theme, there are also Daffodils called Katherine Jenkins and Welsh Rugby Union and these are available from R A Scamp who are based in Cornwall. You can find them online at www.qualitydaffodils.co.uk

Gardens open to the public as part of the National Gardens Scheme Sunday 24th August Bordervale Plants Ystradowen nr Cowbridge Mature woodland, stream and bog gardens. Please check the NGS website www.ngs.org.uk for further details