Gardening Hints – June/July 2024
In the last issue I wrote about my discovery of the box moth in my box hedge, and my plans to use an organic treatment for it. Since then I have seen one moth which I was able to identify from the description on line, and found two caterpillars. I sent off for the paraphernalia- two iron stands with Bo Peep shepherd’s crook tops from which to hang the plastic catching cages, and the pheromone lures to entice the male moth. Have I caught a single moth in the fortnight that it has been installed? No! What a disappointment. Our gardener advised a spray, which I inspected and it seems to be acceptable to organic standards in that it only kills the caterpillars of the box moth by poisoning the leaves that it eats, so the hedge was sprayed. It doesn’t sit well with me. My neighbour, who has a lot of box hedges and topiary had all his sprayed last week. I think that we will not be planting box in the future.
Matthew Parris wrote in the The Times on 22 May about the ‘Tree from Hell’- Ailanthus altissima ‘tree of heaven’. He describes it as “An Asian tree from hell. It can grow up to 25m, at up to 2m a year, it wrecks pavements and drains, poisons the ground for other plants and emits a horrible stink. It is enlisted as an invasive tree in the UK”. He says never plant it and root it up wherever you see it. We read this and Mr Maintenance said “My friend David told me that the tree in his garden was a Tree of Heaven”. So obviously I had to go and have a look, just up the road in Kingsmead. It is a fine tree and I couldn’t detect any smell or suckers so I rang the bell and spoke to Margaret, David’s widow. Yes, they had been told that it was a Tree of Heaven, but, subsequently, tree surgeons have told her that it is a Black Walnut. It might be one of the original trees growing in the fields before these houses were built. What do you think? One thing is for sure- don’t buy a Tree of Heaven.
I’m writing this, as usual very close to the dead line, and it is Sod’s Law that it is also the time that I am getting the garden ready for Open Gardens on Bank Holiday Monday. There is a lot to prepare, and in many ways it is good to have a deadline so that jobs get done, but the garden is large and 37 THEATRE AT THE TROUT A Samuel Beckett classic at The Trout This June, we’re thrilled to present a production of a Samuel Beckett masterpiece, ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’. Renowned for its profound exploration of memory, identity and the passage of time, this play promises to be a captivating and thought-provoking experience. Moving, funny, insightful – and appropriately performed in the intimate setting of the Creel Bar – this 40-minute show is a performance that we think will stay in the memory for a long time. The show dates are Friday 7 and Saturday 8 June, with the performance starting at 7:30pm. Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets cost £5.00 and are available from The Trout 01367-252313 or online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/TTC. We hope to see you there! Andy Pritchard Dave Headey in rehearsal as Krapp in ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’ (photo: Andy Pritchard) tempus fugit. There is really only so much re-wilding that a garden can take! So I have come to a Big Decision. This will be the last time that we shall be part of an Open Gardens scheme. Of course, friends and neighbours can come at any time, but I want to remove the anxiety and pressure that comes from people paying money to come into the garden. I can still write about the garden and its trials and tribulations, with more time, for the Bridge.