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ST.MARY’S MAGAZINE

http://www.churchatkirkburn.org.uk/page 137.html  Plantsman’s per. 1 of 3 (138-139) Dec ‘07 12/11/08

Well, here we are at the beginning of the 10th volume of the magazine and the beginning of a gardener’s year.  One thing I have learned throughout the time I have been writing  this diary is that it is one thing to give advice,. and another thing to take that advice.  Just as example I advised to plant prepared hyacinths etc. for Christmas in good time.  Well I didn’t - I planted at the end of October so I expect flowers in the first half of January.   My problem was that due to an unexpected cancellation of a pre-booked holiday we had to take pot luck..  We ended up with a Scottish Holiday with Lochs and Glens which we really enjoyed, and we followed that with some days at my son’s holiday home in Hythe, Kent, again which we thoroughly enjoyed.  The result was predictable -not only have my Christmas bulb plantings suffered but I am miles behind with clearing up the garden for the winter, if we ever get one, and about that I have some doubt, quite apart from anything else,  one of my perennials, a scabious, is in full flower  today (Nov. 11) for the third time this year and many others, already cut back, are trying to come again.

I did tell you last December that I had bought 12 plants of raspberry Jean J.  These differ from the ordinary raspberries - the technical name of the variety is “primocane”.  Raspberries of all kinds can be planted between November to March.  The normal type of raspberries throw canes which fruit fairly early in the year, say between June and August depending on the variety.  Fruiting canes are cut out at the end of the season,  new growth tied in.  and the resulting fruit taken in the next year. These primocane varieties are planted similarly but the canes thrown after the first planting bear fruit between July and August and continue
fruiting until  the first frosts.  I am still picking raspberries from these canes (not in immense
quantities but enough for a couple of plates of raspberries and  ice cream) and there are still flowers on the plants.   The fruits of this variety are large and,  if left on the plant to ripen properly, they are much like loganberries in colour. and the flavour is good.  Fruited canes are cut out as soon as cropping is over,  and new canes (they start growing about mid October to November and should contine)  are left to grow, tied in when large enough, and they provide next years crop.  Of my 12 canes, two failed, and I have just received 5 new plants which will go in this weekend.  As I told you earlier, I bought them as in  2006 I lost my crops of ordinary raspberries because of lack of

DEC 2007

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