In the Beechgrove Garden, Jim is in the conservatory showing how to prune camellias, while Carole puts together hanging baskets with some new plant introductions.
This is Carole’s second visit to new gardeners in a mature garden, Mark and Aileen Snowden, in Newport on Tay and this time, Carole creates a fruit border for the family.
Carole is also treated to a spectacular spring show in the ‘auricular theatre’ at Rumbling Bridge Nursery.
The Beechgrove Garden episode 7
This week Jim and George were in the Conservatory keeping out of the rain. The citrus plants are looking splendid with pest-free, healthy-looking growth. They have been kept inside over the winter with a little watering to keep them going. Jim commented that plants in glazed pots can be very easily overwatered, whereas those in unglazed pots lose moisture quickly, so you need to be careful with watering.
It is easier to keep plants in the same type of pot so that moisture levels can be more easily monitored.
Camellia pruning
It was still raining outside so Jim stayed in the Conservatory. Rather than working on the vegetable plot, Jim decided to look at the
camellias in here. They were shown on the programme a few weeks ago and some viewers have asked for more information about how and when you prune them. Jim’s advice was to take pleasure from the flowers first and then prune them once the flowers have faded.
Some of the young camellias needed shaping up, woody stems and buds won’t develop along these.
Hanging baskets
Carole was also staying dry inside the Keder greenhouse. It’s time to plant up hanging baskets for summer colour. Once planted these should be kept under cover
for frost protection and to bulk up. In this part of the world they can then be put outside at the end of May/early June.
