Hello, blossom

PLANS are afoot in our garden now the weather has improved and the days are long enough. We are having a shed delivered, so a base has been laid over the past couple of weekends.

Instead of buying new flags, we decided to move some old concrete ones from a patio at the back of the house and temporarily fill the space left with pea gravel.

Gravel has its drawbacks, mainly getting kicked about, but it is cheap and easy to put down. Under the flags was a layer of compacted hardcore and cement which simply needed to be covered for an instant result.

Laying the flags for the shed base was more time consuming. The earth had to be flattened and each slab laid level with itself and its neighbours.

The garden appeared to be flat but actually had quite a slope, so earth had to be imported from other areas after lifting the turf. Don’t think I’ll be doing that again in a hurry.

Spring is a good time to get structural jobs done, but it is also a time to take space in the day to have a look around the beds to see what is going on.

Late April and May sees the blossoming of my favourite spring flowering tree, Amelanchier.

This is such a joy to see in the early weeks on the new season. It grows into quite a large tree if left to its own devices, but is equally happy as a pruned smaller specimen where space is tight or even as a hedge.

Growth is dainty, often with numerous stems rising together from the base of the plant. Clusters of flower buds appear in late winter, eventually opening out into flowers that cover the stems and branches for a few weeks.

As they begin to fade, bronze leaves begin to appear that eventually turn green as spring becomes summer. After that the tree takes a back seat as it puts on growth over the next few months. Berries may appear at the end of the summer as the leaves turn their bright autumn colours before falling.

In the vegatable garden

THE SHED mentioned above is in our vegetable area, so not much planting has been done in there yet, for the area needs to be redesigned around it.

However, the first potatoes have gone in and the remainder will be put into their permanent spot this weekend.

This weekend is a good time to catch up on vegetable seed sowing. The late spring has put many gardeners back but in fact many vegetables will soon catch up once sown.

Broad beans and runner beans will be fine now, as will beetroot, chard and spinach. I prefer to start ours off indoors to give them a good start before hardening them off outside for a few days and finally get them into the garden.

However, hardy specimens such broad beans, beetroot and radish can be sown direct.

Garden fair

FLOWER Power Fairs will hold a spring plant fair at Ness Hall, near Nunnington, on Monday, from 11am-4pm. The £3.50 charge to the fair also includes admission to the beautiful three-acre gardens at Ness Hall, which regular visitors to garden fairs may have seen last summer.

This time the spring gardens will be on show, including more than 500 tulips which will hopefully be blooming in time. Even if they aren’t there will be plenty to enjoy, with 15 plant specialists from the north bringing a wide range of alpines, herbaceous perennials, climbers and shrubs for sale together with garden accessories and homemade cakes. Refreshments will be on sale in the hall.

Open gardens

Today

In aid of the National Gardens Scheme

Cold Cotes, Cold Cotes Road, nr Kettlesing, HG3 2LW, seven miles west of Harrogate off the A59. Large peaceful garden with expansive views, stream side walk, pond, bog garden and woodland garden underplanted with bulbs and perennials. Nursery also open. Open 11am to 5pm, admission £3.50.

Tomorrow

Rewela Cottage, Skewsby, YO61 4SG, four miles north of Sheriff Hutton. Garden featuring unusual shrubs, trees and architectural plants, as well as more than 80 heucheras, 40 penstemons and 40 hostas. Other features include a pond, pergola, stone sunken garden and raised vegetable garden. Many garden raised plants for sale. Open noon to 5pm, admission £3.50.

Terrington House, Terrington, YO60 6PU, east of Sheriff Hutton. Formal garden set in three acres with a shell house, herbaceous and mixed borders with brunnera, narcissi, tulips, azaleas, rhododendrons, bluebells and hostas in spring. There is also a herb garden parterre and vegetable garden. Open 11am to 4pm, admission £4.

Weathervane House, Mill Lane, Seaton Ross, YO42 4NE, five miles south of Pocklington. Two-acre woodland garden with spring-flowering trees and shrubs, bulbs, mixed borders, fruit garden glasshouse with hardy and tender specimens and a large polytunnel with specimen rhododendrons. Plants for sale. Open noon to 5pm, admission £3.

Monday

Whixley Gardens, eight miles west of York off the A59. Three village gardens open within walking distance. Ash Tree House has a steeply sloping site with a rock garden, herbaceous borders with perennials, roses and shrubs. The plantsman’s and flower arranger’s garden at Cobble Cottage has views to the Hambleton Hills. The ¾-acre walled flower garden at the Old Vicarage is festooned with climbers and filled with plants for year round interest. Gravel and old brick paths lead to hidden seating areas. Open 11am to 5pm, combined admission £5.

Gardening TV and radio

Today

8am, BBC Radio Humberside, The Great Outdoors. With Blair Jacobs and Doug Stewart.

9am, BBC Radio York, Mark Forrest. Mark Forrest presents his weekly programme of gardens and gardening advice.

9am, BBC Radio Leeds, Tim Crowther and Joe Maiden.

11.30am, BBC2, The Beechgrove Garden. Chris Beardshaw helps a couple from Dundee with the design of their garden.

Noon, BBC2, Gardeners’ World.

2pm, BBC R4, Gardeners’ Question Time. Horticultural experts Bob Flowerdew, Christine Walkden, Matthew Wilson and chairman Eric Robson answer questions from the audience at East Malling Research Centre in Kent.

Friday

3pm, BBC R4, Gardeners’ Question Time. A local edition with Eric Robson, Pippa Greenwood, Alison Pringle and Matthew Wilson taking questions from the audience at FERA at Sand Hutton, near York.

8.30pm, BBC2, Gardeners’ World. Monty Don, Joe Swift and Carol Klein visit the Malvern Spring Gardening Show.