Tim Carr's Gardening Rescue

Tiger moth caterpillar and adult moth. The moths can be seen flying during late afternoon in June and July, when it is sunny. Mostly found in damp areas across the south and western areas of the country. The caterpillars are seen mostly feeding on comfrey and alkanet.

The humble snapdragon growing through broken tarmac on a front drive. Flowering really well this year due to cooler , damp conditions, westerly sun and free draining soil underneath. Plants such as our common w**ds growing as perennials with a relatively deep root system can flower really well in the poorest of conditions.as their survival is based on seed dispersal.

There are two forms of the plant, hedge bindw**d (Calystegia sepum} and field bindw**d, Convolvulus arvensis . Both have extensive root systems but hedge bindw**d is the one who most people will have trouble with.
Vertical roots can reach depths of up to 20 feet or more. There are several methods of control but in the spring and summer when growth is so rapid I have found the best method is to cut stems at soil level. Pulling it breaks the root system and stimulates more root growth. Removing leaves will prevent photosynthesis and eventually deprive the root system of energy reserves that it needs to feed the shoots. More intensive w**d control can be carried out in winter.

A beautiful demoiselle, damsel fly. A male, seen within a mile of the River Severn. Feeds on midges, small flies, caterpillars and aphids. A particularly encouraging factor about seeing these beautiful insects are that because of their sensitivity to pollution they will be indicators of clean rivers, which the Severn has proved to increasingly be in recent years.

I am very lucky to have a wild honeysuckle growing in my garden. In the evening this amazing scent fills the air and attracts night pollinating moths and bat's. It also provides cover for many nesting birds. It is extremely easy to grow, growing in shade and grows very quickly so can be cut quite hard back in late winter.

This is the start of a job where a Mediterranean gravel bed is going to be created. Once the clay clods are removed , layers of sharp sand and topsoil will be put down with a membrane on top followed by 10mm gravel. Plants will be planted through slits in the membrane. The 150mm pvc edging will retain the gravel from the surrounding grass. The pegs are made from approximately 200mm bamboo cut to size and hammered in at 45 degrees (less costly and stronger in my opinion). The great thing about pvc edging is its flexibility on curved areas. Quality does vary among manufacturers though so choose a product that doesn't look too flimsy.

Comfrey is a must have plant for any wildlife and organic gardener. If you grow enough of it some can be grown for pollination whilst the remainder can be cut for composting or liquid fertiliser. Just cut it low down at the base and put it into cold water and use after a few days. It will last quite a while but will get a bit smelly! Its asset is primarily potassium for fruit and flowers but it is also high in nitrogen so can be used on young plants and leafy greens.

A mechanical turf lifter is a good option on saving time and energy if you want to create a large bed from a grassed area. Once the grass is removed the turf can be reversed and then bulk loads of manure or compost mulched over the top. They are relatively inexpensive to hire and will save alot of spadework.

I have started planting out my young spinach and oriental salad plants.However with all the wet weather the slugs and snails are a particular problem. To avoid using slug pellets and with a shortage of chemical free alternatives to hand I used rose prunings laid on the soil surface around the plants. If you don't have roses any sharp or spiny plants can be used in order to stop them from getting to the plants.

Not a bad guy!
This yellow slug found in a compost heap, unlike its cousin the grey slug, is more preoccupied with digesting organic matter and speeding up the composting process than going out hunting down lettuces and other garden plants.

I have just been fortunate enough to have been gifted some free wood chip from a fallen ash tree to be used on a border as shown in the photo. Fine bark chip decomposes relatively quickly and is an excellent mulch, suppressing w**d growth and conserving moisture as well as building up soil fertility. Around young shrubs and herbaceous plants with relatively shallow root systems nitrogen can become depleted so dress with blood and bone or nettle feed.

Euphorbia
A member of the spurge family. A really interesting plant that provides pollination for a wide variety of insects. Its flowers pretty much go on overwinter and some varieties have strong foliage colours also. One problem is the toxicity of its sap, so handle with care. When cutting always wear gloves, avoiding any contact with the skin.

Chaenomeles (the flowering quince)
The flowering quince is a genus of flowering shrubs from the family Rosaceae. Not to be confused with the flowering medlar (Cydonia), also known as quince or more specifically tree quince. Fertile, single flowering varieties bear fruit after the beautiful rose-like flowers in early spring.
The fruit is commonly used for making fruit when harvested in autumn. It is particularly high in pectin, great for self-gelling. I am intending to experiment with its culinary uses later in the year so will update accordingly.

Ingestion of poisonous plants by dogs is fortunately rare, however if you are a gardening dog lover there are a few dangerous plants you need to be aware of.

Plants poisonous to dogs Common garden and indoor plants can be toxic to dogs. Find out which ones and the signs of plant poisoning.

Promising signs for the year ahead. Quite a few about in Worcester and Malvern residential gardens.

If you worry about bumblebees in cold weather, just remember:

🧥 Bumblebees are covered in thick, fuzzy fur – think of them as little climbers wrapped in belay jackets.
🌡️ They can raise their body temperature by dislocating their wings and shivering their flight muscles to reach the snug 30°C they need to fly.
❄️ Their body fluid acts like anti-freeze, stopping ice crystals from forming and freezing their insides.
⛰️ Bumblebees evolved in the Himalayas around 25 to 40 million years ago, so they have some experience with cold conditions.

Have you seen many bumblebees this winter?

🔎🐝 Buff-tailed bumblebee queen

Any large , overgrown deciduous shrubs can generally be cut back now, though some such as Philadelphus and Weigela flower on their old wood so should be thinned , leaving their younger wood untouched to develop flower buds for this year. Spring flowering Clematis should be left until after flowering.

There are many flowering plants to be seen at this time of year. They are extremely important in encouraging early pollinating insects. One particular favourite is the Hellebore, a very easy to grow plant suitable for shade and availability in a great variety of flower colours ranging from white through to lilac, pink, crimson yellow, green and even black. It needs to be planted in relatively shaded areas away as it doesn't like dry soil or too much heat in the summer months.