The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies. – Gertrude Jekyll.

Just thought I’d share this with you.

It’s raining like mad here again which means my allotment is going to be very soggy when I go out to see if there are any runner beans for tea.

Gardeners World is worth watching if you like listening to the softly spoken Monty Don. He’s the lead presenter at the moment and makes a very relaxing gardening experience come to life from the TV. It’s described as ‘Gardening show packed with tips, advice and timely reminders from the experts’ and it is.
Nice Friday evening TV.

You can watch them online for a limited time via the iplayer or they’re repeated again at least once.

It’s time to keep an eye out for plants that are setting seed. You need to collect seeds when they’re ripe and drying nicely. Picking them too early might mean you don’t get properly ripe seed. Leaving it too late means they fall on the floor.

Ripe seeds are generally darker – change from green to a browner colour, and the seed pods start to open. They also become very loose and easily fall out.
Try to wait until a dry day – but chances are you will have to check daily for particular seeds. It’s easy to shake them into an envelope (label it!) or cut off flower heads and harvest the seeds insie. Always label the seeds and make sure they’re dry! If they’re not dry they might rot!

Gardeners’ Question Time Recording for BBC Radio 4 (92-95FM)
Tuesday 18th September 2012,
Broadoak Hotel, 69 Broadoak Road, Ashton-Under-Lyne OL6 8QD.
Doors open 5.30pm. Starts 6.30pm.
******All welcome******

tickets are £2 . 50. From the Broadoak or audenshaw allotments.

when you prune trees or shrubs if you have lots of long pieces of stem to cut out then keep them to one side. You can use them to make plant supports and frames. Let them dry stood up in a corner of the garden – don’t use them fresh as some plants will grow from having stalks pushed in the ground.

This means you have free canes!
Plants like buddhleia are good for cutting canes from.
You could easily get several crops of sticks from one tree. If you want thicker sticks then leave the tree to grow more.

Look after your garden tools well especially those you use for cutting. Clean and oil after use if they need it and don’t leave tools in the rain!

If you have friends or family who garden then they can help you reduce the cost of buying plants and seeds.
Share seeds between you – there’s usually far too many seeds in one packet for one person to use up.

Buy plant offers together – if you’re buying bedding plants with a couple of friends then you can have more types and share them!
Bulk buying compost and pots can work out cheaper too – especially when the 3 for 2 offers on are.

Split and share plants with people too. Many perennials are divided up by splitting the root ball. Check the info for each plant as some like to be done at a particular time of the year.

Learn to save seeds from plants. This is useful for flower seeds as well as peas, beans and even tomatoes. Some thing need a little more than just drying on the plant and then being picked before they seed naturally but it’s not complicated at all.
Ask neighbours to save you seeds too – they might even offer to let you have plants from their garden! Offer something in return!
Sometimes you’ll see a garden that’s really lovely – if someone is in it doing the work then stop and say how much you admire their garden! Ask them about the plants – but don’t take too much of their time up! By making gardening friends you’ll find new people to get plants from and give your excess to!

Write a plan before you buy seeds. Otherwise you end up buying too many of the wrong sort of seeds. Remember rotating crops is good for the crops and the soil.

Grow your own herbs if you use a lot of them! Insects love flowering herbs so they have a dual role in the garden. Learn to preserve them too to get maximum yield from your plants.

Save pots for growing seeds in. Plastic pots and trays can be very useful. Don’t use ones that have had meat in though.

Scavenge old pallets to make a compost bin from. Spend time collecting leaves and compost them separately. Compost all your vegetable waste and lawn cuttings. You can make lots of compost at home and once you start you realise than every bin full of green waste that leaves your garden to the tip is a bad thing!

I’ve been to the Olympics this weekend! It was amazing – the swathes of flowers really are so beautiful!

Why not have a look at how to create your own mini meadow

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Use comfrey plants around trees in an orchard and it’ll smother weeds. If you strim it’ll fertilise the tree too!

Worried about rats and mice in your garden? If you have a shed then it’s not uncommon to have pest problems. What can you go?

It isn’t just water on the rise: rat population is booming!
Procter Pest-Stop helps with infestation

With some areas across the UK having as much as a month’s rainfall in 24
hours, it’s not only the wet weather that is causing problems – rat population
is also on the rise.

In the recent humid weather and high water levels, people in the West Country
in particular have reported seeing as many as 600 rats within 20 feet of their
homes.

Pest control experts, Procter Pest-Stop know that rats can be a serious problem.

The high number of new developments on floodplains doesn’t help with this
situation. With water not draining away as quickly and naturally as it should,
the wet conditions create the perfect habitat for rats to breed and survive.

Surveys have proven that the rat population in this country has increased by more
than 52% in a four-year period. Today there are more rats than humans in the UK.

Rats, like mice, can be a serious risk to health due to the various diseases they
carry, including salmonella. They can also cause structural damage to properties.

Easy-Setting Metal Rat Trap
Product Code: PSESRT
The Pest-Stop Easy Set Rat Trap is a long lasting powerful trap that is simple
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• Easy to use
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• Reusable
• Powerful action
• Individually boxed with hanging tab
RRP £3.50

Little Nipper Rat Trap
Product Code PSLNR
This wooden-based, traditional rat trap is one of the most powerful on the market
due to its strong spring. The treadle bait-station is based on the Little Nipper
wooden mousetrap design.
Bait is placed on the treadle, which is raised when the trap is set.

High catch rate
Supplied in full colour display box
Powerful spring ensures a quick kill
Full setting instructions included
Quick and humane
Pack of one trap
RRP £3.50

Electronic Rat Killer
Product Code: PSERK
State-of-the-art ‘smart’ electronics control this unique device. When
a rat enters the electronic rat killer to reach the bait, it reaches a point where
it touches both killing plates and completes an electrical circuit, which kills
it in seconds. Because of the open design to suit rats rather than mice, the rat
killer is intended for use by professional pest controllers and agricultural workers.

• Four C-size batteries (not included) provides enough power for up to 12
kills
• Warning light flashes when batteries need replacing
• Also kills mice
• Warning light signals a capture
• Full instructions for use provided
• Individually packaged in full colour box

RRP £59.99

Procter Pest-Stop advises using bait such as peanut butter and chocolate which
are the most appealing smell to rats.

You can purchase these products direct from a selection of online retailers listed
on the Procter Pest-Stop website. Visit www.pest-stop.co.uk,
navigate to Rats under Get Rid Pests, select your preferred product then click
the Buy Now tab to compare retailers’ offers. The products are also stocked
by many independent DIY and hardware stores.

Remember, rats carry a variety of diseases, and should never be handled without
protection.

Procter Pest-Stop is one of the UK’s longest-established manufacturers of
pest control products for the home and garden with a history dating back to 1740.
The company publishes extensive background and practical information about all
aspects of pest control at its website – see web address above.