Last week I applauded the first few days of May and being able to get out into the garden proper and put the worries of winter behind us, but, I spoke too soon. This week so far has seen a dramatic change in outside temperatures in a downward spiral. On Tuesday I took time to plant out some new Rhododendrons and Azaleas into my raised island border at the bottom of my garden and noticed the breath in front of my face at four o'clock in the afternoon, so beware, those tender plants should still be left under cover for a few days further. The good news from the weather centre is warmed days are just around the corner. PLANT OF THE WEEK: TAMARIX will be gracing gardens around the county right now. This superb deciduous shrub will grow to a height of 4 metres but can be trimmed to size once flowering is at an end. The flowers are borne all along long and slender stems and are a powdery light pink especially Tamarix Tentrandra. Other varieties of the same shrub will flower later in the year and T. ramosissima and T. pentandra come into bloom from July into August. TOPICAL TIPS: 1: Check new growth for Aphids and if they are there then zap them with Prado Ultimate Bug Killer or another garden insecticide. If you want to use an alternative then horticultural soft soap can be used. 2: Harden off new seedlings by placing outside during the day and putting under cover over night. This is important while the cooler evenings exist and once conditions improve plants can then be planted into the ground or into containers. 3: Plant water lilies into garden soil in the special pond planters and cover with clean gravel before placing in the pond. The Lilies should be placed in still ponds as they are unhappy growing in flowing water and the depth should not exceed 1 metre. It's also time again for the BBC Gardener of the Year competition. You can find out about this year's competition by clicking the link on the right-hand side of this page. Chelsea Flower Show is from May 25th to 28th. Ticket only available by prior booking. Tel: Ticket Hotline 0870 906 3780 Happy Gardening.
Colin Evans
email: colin.evans@bbc.co.uk | 
