November 2021 Newsletter 

Hi, as we are moving towards Christmas and colder days and nights my thoughts are very much directed to looking forward to colour as we enter next year with a multitude of flowering bulbs of all kinds and seeing my many varieties of Hellebores come into bud and poke through the frost.

Just a few questions and answers which you may find of interest:

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 1. Q- How can I stop leaf spot on my Photinia hedge?

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   Photinia leaf spot is considered a symptom of stress triggered by cold winter winds, waterlogging or drought or even a combination    of all three. So perk up plants with a tree and shrub fertiliser in Spring and they will respond

 2. Q- What kind of soil should we use to start off a shaded wildflower area?

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   Wildflowers bloom better on poorer soils where there is less competition from grasses and weeds. When sowing use screened            topsoil with a mix of fine green waste compost. A shade tolerant wildflower seed mix would be ideal.

​3. Q- Should you feed bougainvillea during winter or let it dry out?

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​    Bougainvillea’s enjoy a cool, bright overwintering space with some air movement and regularly remove dead leaves and bracts.          Keep the compost just moist and lay off the feed until April time.

4. ​Q- How should you treat black spot on roses?

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    The fungus causing this can overwinter from fallen leaves and debris beneath the plant. So remove fallen leaves and look out for       tiny, often only pinprick-sized, purple-black spots and if possible prune these out. You could also consider using a proprietary             fungicide that carries a recommendation for leaf spot control.

           Happy gardening to all