Hi Everyone
Hope you are enjoying our frost-free weather and a touch of Spring in the Air. Gill Pound has kindly given us some advice with regards to how to handle frost-damaged plants.
v Once you feel that there is no further danger of frost, cut back frosted growth to a healthy new bud to prevent further die back and encourage new shoots. You could also apply some balanced fertiliser to encourage new growth.
v Check any recently planted items - the frost may have lifted them out of the ground, check them and re-firm the soil around the plants, making sure that roots are in contact with the soil.
v It may seem bizarre but a plant can suffer from lack of water during the period just after a frost; once daytime temperatures rise the plant will start to transpire but if the ground is still frozen then there will be no water available to the plant and the plant can suffer or even die from lack of water rather than frost. This is particularly the case with evergreens. If you think that this is the case then water carefully with warm water.
v Be patient; many plants may appear dead but might eventually regenerate from buds below ground but you may have to wait until May or even June for this to happen.
Forthcoming Events (contact me if you would like to attend joanball53@gmail.com)
17th March – Visit to Can Torres Nr. Girona & Talk on Organic Gardening, Companion Gardening & Worldwide Organic Movement
Karen Peirson and Dr David Crucefix are a husband and wife team who have been gardening organically for over 30 years in the UK, Caribbean and now Catalonia.
David trained as a plant pathologist and is now co-director of the IOAS, the International Organic Accreditation Service (http://www.ioas.org/) which overseas the organic global guarantee of national certifiers around the world. He will explain a little about his role in the organization, who exactly decides what is "organic" and what the stamps and seals seen on food and plant packaging mean for the consumer. David travels around the world with his work, but his great joy is to return to the veggie garden and eco projects at Can Torras.
Karen will talk about organic growing at Can Torras, the design of its garden on a budget, growing organically on the windy hills of Catalonia (350 metres above sea level) and some of the ways that wildlife are being encouraged to join them for pest control and pure enjoyment. She specializes in the herbaceous andflowery parts of the garden and her aim is to make them as easily maintained possible so that she can spend more time travelling around the world and sitting reading gardening books under the pergola!
14/15th April Trip to Serignan du Comtat Rare Plant Fair - France
This plant fair is by far the largest and the best the plant fairs in France. There are usually about 80 exhibitors who will gladly sell you plants.
A small group (4-5) will be attending the Serignan Rare Plant Fair over this weekend. They will drive to Serignan, stay in a nearby hotel that evening and spend the next day visiting the Plant Fair and begin the drive home that evening, staying overnight wherever is convenient.
The Languedoc Branch will have several of their members visiting the Plant Fair too and we will meet them for lunch. This is the largest
If anybody is interested in joining the group please contact Brian at brian.constable@gmail.com or 977 059 020 or 622 283 917 for further details
April– Brian Constable is arranging a mid week visit to Tortosa council gardens – Date & agenda to be confirmed
21st April – Visit Irta – Reus Mas Bover & Visit Raimon Corbero’s Private Experimental Garden in Cambrils
12th May – Two Garden Visits - First to Shaunaugh & Crispin Latymers garden and second to Giles Money-Coutts’Garden – Bisbal
12TH/13TH MAY 2012 – MGS EXHIBIT AT CALONGE MUSIC & FLOWER FESTIVAL
This festival has been running for 2 years now by the village of Calonge. Over this weekend people open up their gardens and patios to the public. Also there are a number of music events throughout the weekend. I have decided to put together a small garden exhibit on behalf of our Branch. A local artist has agreed to paint a backdrop garden scene for us and I would like to build on this design with live plants – so I am hoping that our members would be able to help me with regards to providing some plants – which will be sold or returned. Our exhibit will also have live music throughout both days – Classical, Jazz, Blues, Rock & Roll – courtesy of Andy Ball and assoicates. The festival attracts many people from all over Catalonia and it will be a great opportunity to increase the visibility of the MGS Catalan Branch. We are also hoping to have flyers in Catalan, which David Glen has kindly offered to help with. I am looking for people to help man the exhibit over the two days – so please contact me if you can help in anyway – it is a great weekend.
PAST EVENT
4th February – Marimurtra Botanical Gardens – Presentation - Soils of Catalonia and Plant Health
Peter Steadman gave an excellent presentation on the soils of Catalonia and Plant Health – it was a great opportunity for members to understand how important our soil is when planting and choosing the right plant for the right place.
After the presentation we toured the gardens and Jordi Fabregas, who previously worked at Marimurtra , gave us lots of information on the various plants along the way. It was a lovely day which ended with a lovely lunch at Restaurant Melangies in Blanes.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Plants for Difficult Situations
Alec Cobb has been experimenting with some of the plants members recommended for planting under pine trees. His report is attached.
Filming and photography of gardens
The MGS President recently wrote to the Branch heads to distribute to members the following:
“We are all probably very proud if someone wants to photograph or film our garden and in our first flush of enthusiasm we may perhaps not stop to consider all the ramifications and potential pitfalls. MGS member Martin Stead has thus drawn up for us a very useful note of the points that need to be borne in mind to ensure that the experience is a happy one for both garden-owner and photographer.” If anyone would like a copy of this note I can forward it by email.
Katherine Greenberg’s garden in California
A description and photographs of the garden of Katherine Greenberg, one of our past-presidents, have been added to the ‘Members’ Gardens around the World’ section of the MGS website. Here is the link http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/california.html
The Journal in pdf form
For the year 2012, as a trial project, The Mediterranean Garden will be available to readers in pdf form. If you would like to receive this year’s journals electronically, please notify the Secretary at mgssecretary@gmail.com .
Making a donation to the MGS
In order to make it easier for those who wish to support the society by making a donation, an on line facility has been introduced. It can be found on the website at http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/donate.html . The webpage explains how to make a general donation, one for a specific purpose or to donate 5€ to receive the 2012 journal supplement.
WHATS GOING ON ELSEWHERE IN THE MGS
PORTUGAL BRANCH - 23 - 24 -25 March - Spring Conference - Algarve Mediterranean Flora
FRANCE
Monday 26th March – Friday 30 March - Garden Design course in Malaucène (84).
Thursday 12th April at 6.00pm in Malaucène - Talk on vegetable gardening in a mediterranean climate by Dick Handscombe
Tuesday 22nd May at 3.00pm - Talk “Managing climate change in Mediterranean gardens” by Trevor Nottle
Please contact Christine by email at cs.savage@btopenworld.com if you are interested in attending any of the above events.
20 October – 1 November - AGM 2012 in Australia
The event has been arranged in three separate packages to allow flexibility for participants. The pre-AGM Melbourne package October 20 – 23
The AGM Adelaide package October 24 – 28
The post-AGM optional days October 29 - 30, plus October 31 - November 1
More details are on the website at http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/agm-2012.html
Gil Pound will be giving the following courses at
La Petite Pépinière de Caunes - France
An Introduction to Pruning - Thursday 15th March, 10am to 4pm
This will be an introduction to the principles and practice of pruning, why, when and how. The formative, on-going and renovation pruning of trees, shrubs, climbers and roses. Practical work in the garden here will be included and we will focus on pruning practices relating to plants frequently found in gardens in the region. Course fee: 45 euro
Gardening with Mediterranean native plants - Thursday 22nd March, 10 am to 4pm
There is increasing interest in gardening with Med basin native plants - as those most likely to be drought and cold tolerant and to be good for wildlife gardening. This course will include a discussion relating to the Mediterranean climate and the adaptations shown by plants. We will then visit an area of garrigue countryside about 10 minutes from Caunes for a 4km walk looking at native plants and their potential for the garden before returning to Caunes for further discussion about the use of native trees, shrubs etc in our gardens. Course fee: 45 euros
Propagation: Monday 26th March, 10am to 4pm
An introduction to the principles of propagation - how to increase your own plants by layering, division, seeds and cuttings. Fill in those gaps caused by the cold without too much expense. Plenty of practical work included. Course fee: 45 euros
For more information or to reserve a place just get in touch by phoning 04 68 78 43 81 or emailing Gill@lapetitepepiniere.com
Also if anyone is interested in Gill doing similar courses here in Catalonia please get in touch with me joanball53@gmail.com
| Leaflets Making a Dry Garden Mulches and Compost The Waterwise Garden | These are now available in English, Spanish Portuguese, German and French as printed leaflets or as .pdf attachments to an email. |
| CATALONIA BRANCH SITE | http://mgscatalonia.blogspot.com/ |
| The MGS Seed List A seed exchange for MGS members run by Chantal Guiraud. New seeds added following the AGM in Majorca and visits to Costa Blanca as well as donations received in December. | A list and information on how to order, see MGS website: http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/seedlist.html MGS members entitled to 10 free packets each year |
| The MGS Forum A new, live, internet forum for anyone interested in mediterranean plants and gardening. Send your garden/plant queries to the forum. | Moderated by Alisdair Aird, Oron Peri and Fleur Pavlidis this can be accessed at www.mgsforum.org/smf/index.php |
| TMG Index/Archive service Articles from past issues of The Mediterranean Garden journal | To receive the text of past articles by email contact the editor, Caroline Harbouri, at petrie.harbouri@on.gr. Find articles by going to the website, go to MGS Journal, then click on ‘General Index’ for an A-Z by topic. |
| Information about the administration of the MGS Minutes of General Assemblies and Administrative Committee meetings Financial Statements | Minutes of the October 2011 General Assembly and Administrative Committee meetings and this year’s Financial Statements are now available. Copies of any of these documents can be sent by email. Contact me. |
THINGS TO DO IN OUR GARDEN DURING FEBRUARY
GENERAL
· Check plants, shrubs, & trees damage, adjust plant ties & posts, and cut out dead or damaged branches. Plan for possible future winds
· Watch out for the commencement of pests with the passing of the lower temperatures. – red spider (arenas rojas), mealy bug (cochinillas), & pine tree caterpillars (procesionarias); use a general multi-purpose insecticide such as fungicida polivalente.
· Turn last year’s compost heap and sieve out fine compost for use in seed & potting compost mixes
· Hoe flower beds & remove weeds, and mix in well-rotted compost, manure, and other fertilizers
· Good time for re-potting pot plants into larger containers.
· Plant roses from bare root or tubs – David Austin and other suppliers will ship to Spain.
· Take cuttings from geraniums & pinks.
· Continue planting trees and shrubs, and stake firmly.
· Prune early flowering acacias after flowering.
· Plant lilies, begonias, dahlias, & gladioli, and summer flowering bulbs & rhizomes towards end of month.
· Make first sowing of annuals. Sowings can be repeated throughout spring.
· Plant out non-tender herbaceous perennials if not done in the autumn.
· Plant out spring flowering annuals in protected positions.
· Check the lawn for adequate drainage, and remove weeds.
FRUITS
· Clean up strawberry beds, put down mats / straw, and plant new plants. Prune currant bushes.
· Cut out dead raspberry canes, cut back new growth by a third.
· Spray citrus fruit trees with insecticide before flowering. Weed around trees & bushes.
VEGETABLES
· Sow trays of lettuce, spinach, annual herbs, tomatoes, courgettes, pumpkins and water melons, and other spring crops in the greenhouse or garden frame.
· Plant potatoes; earth-up potatoes as first leaves appear and spray earth with horsetail solution to prevent fungi.
· Sow seeds for cabbage, cauliflower, beetroot, swiss-chard, broad beans, carrots, lettuce, peas,spinach, & tomatoes, and plant more leek & onion plantlets.
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