Dear Helen: I am confused by the concept of mulching. When should I apply it? How much? What types are best? How are ground covers mulched? Will a mulch smother them if applied on top? T.D. For. . .
I agree that, for gardeners, nothing else quite matches the pleasure of seeing fresh green shoots appearing out of the soil where seeds have been sown. I’ve been trying to figure out what has made the past month in the garden so sumptuous, with an exceptional amount of bloom all at once. The answer probably lies in the summer-like weather last month that brought on mid-April bloom in plants like a flowering cherry and a species tulip that routinely delay bloom until May. Tulipa bakeri ‘Lilac Wonder’ for years has been a Mother’s Day flower in the garden. This spring, it began opening its distinctive mauve pink and soft yellow blooms three weeks early. After the unseasonal warmth in April came a return to temperatures cold enough to prolong the early flowering well into its more typical timing and beyond, in a sort of “perfect storm” of bloom. It’s really no surprise that we’re all rejoicing in our gardens this spring.
As I’ve added plantings to my four vegetable plots, I’ve chosen spaces for seeding flowers, mainly calendula, alyssum and nasturtiums along edges and, in corner pockets, sunflowers with cosmos. Flowers in vegetable gardens not only add colour, beauty and fragrance to the plots, they attract and nurture beneficial insects that help to control pests.
Sites to savour. We all probably have our favourite garden spots at particular times in the year. This spring, several have caused me to stop what I’m doing and spend time in sheer enjoyment. Corydalis solida grows from small tubers, and blooms in March and April before dying back. HELEN CHESNUT
The very best protection for plants against drought is a humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil. Preparing a soil before planting with generous additions of a nutritious compost, home-made or purchased, and/or well-composted manures helps to create a spongy soil that fosters a lively community of beneficial micro-organisms, which in turn act to support plant health. Mulching is a useful secondary protective measure. As air and soil temperatures warm significantly, usually in late spring or early summer, give a target area a long, slow, deep watering, preferably in the early morning, then mulch around the plants with more good quality compost or topsoil.
Helen Chesnut s Garden Notes: April a time of resurrection in the garden timescolonist.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timescolonist.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.