Gardening: Good luck in your hunt for naked ladies...

Naked ladies... difficult to find at garden centres.

My word the weeds are growing like mad in our garden at home.The saving grace is that our best friend Kevin keeps the lawn in perfect condition, it’s like the carpet in your best room.

The ground was clear of weeds and then the rain fell as if there was no tomorrow and the weeds just smothered the soil.

Bear in mind these weeds absorb nitrogen in the soil and if they are hoed off before they flower they make an excellent layer in the compost bin. Keep sprinkling on one part urine to seven parts water and sprinkle not pour on the layers in the compost heap.

It’s been difficult to find colchicum bulbs this year, perhaps because people bought them as soon as they arrived at garden centres. If you would like to give a child a nice surprise. Here’s what to do…

Buy a colchicum bulb as soon as possible and put it in an egg cup on the child’s bedroom windowsill without any water. It needs to be in the light indoors. Children like things to happen quickly and after a short while your phone will ring and a little voice will say: ‘Grandma, you know the bulb you put on my windowsill? Well it’s got a lovely flower like a water lily.’ Things like this make my day and I expect you feel the same.

The children will enjoy more flowers and after flowering plant the bulbs out in the garden and make sure you label them because in spring the leaves will appear and look a bit like the leaves of the dreaded dock weed. You wouldn’t be the first person to dig them out and then realise it was colchicum.

If you like quick results, plant a group of three colchicums in a light, sheltered (they are often ruined by strong winds) place.

Gardening: Good luck in your hunt for naked ladies... | Brian Kidd