Have Your Say with our Blogs and letters from St Albans Review

One time Watford Observer columnist Ann Janes returns to the newspaper fold with her gardening blog in which she shares some personal views and tips on how to prepare, plany and maintain your garden. Ann has a life long love of beautiful gardens, both great and small, and is particularly interested in the history of garden design. She will also aim to address your gardening problems if you post them at the end of her column.

AT LAST, AT LAST - DAFFODILS ARE HERE!

I have heard from several reliable sources that spring has been on hold and is running four to five weeks late. As if we hadn’t noticed. Given the cold and miserable weather of the last few months I think we can be forgiven for getting excited over the first sighting of this year’s crop of daffodils, with their glorious bright colour. Driving to St Albans a few days ago I was enchanted to see the progress the plants were making and that at long last they are beginning to show colour.

Another burst or brilliant colour - Primulas

Whatever the weather throws at them hardy primulas can be relied on to bring a blaze of colour to our gardens, containers and baskets. They come in a wide range of colours from subtle whites and soft pastels right through to flamboyant purples, reds and rust.

A BURST OF BRILLIANT COLOUR

Just mention anemones and we immediately think of the brightly coloured blooms that create such an impression in florist shops and on market stalls. As soon as they appear they are in huge demand as cut flowers and it’s easy to see why. With their combination of vibrant colours and simple open shapes it’s no wonder they are irresistible. But the story doesn’t begin and end there, these ever popular flowers are only one part of an easy-going family, many of which are fully hardy, and can do a lot to enhance your garden.

Go on - try growing your own vegetables

We are told that we are now out of the recession, well just. For most people money is still tight and it makes sense to make the most of what money we have, and also make full use of what assets we may have, ie garden space.

SNOWDROPS - A SIGN OF HOPE IN LATE WINTER

Snowdrops are one of the joys of late winter. With their nodding heads of exquisite little white flowers, tinged with the freshest of green, they are a promise to gardeners everywhere that a new floral year is beginning.

A STRONG ANSWER TO AN UNSIGHTLY PROBLEM

What better time of the year to be making plans on the best way to sort out problems in the garden. Do you look out onto an ugly fence, unsightly shed or a dead tree and want a quick fix? There are quite a few ways of dealing with this but it would be hard to find something that would do the job more quickly and efficiently than the commonly called Russian vine, equally well known as the ‘mile a minute’ vine (Fallopia species). This latter name gives a warning of the plant’s potential!

The plant is not for burning

At one time it seemed that every other front garden in suburban streets made a spectacular statement with its huge pampas grass. Even today they retain their popularity and a question I am often asked is ‘are there alternative ways to pruning other than burning?’

A GARDEN FOR ALL SEASONS - EVEN WINTER

Over the last few weeks our gardens have been turned into winter wonderlands and with the intense cold weather there has been very little incentive to think of getting on with any jobs that need attending to except, of course, clearing paths etc.

WAYS TO HELP THE BIRDS SURVIVE THE COLD

Why is it that snow and really cold weather always come as such a surprise to us? It happens often enough, not usually as early as this, but at sometime during the period from December to the end of February we will have snow and ice. The last few days have been awful, particularly for travellers. We all ask how can high-tech trains like Eurostar just stop working, leaving people stranded for hours in distressing conditions?

Love your Christmas tree

Every year millions of us celebrate the season by buying a real Christmas tree and statistics show that the time we are most likely to do this is during the second or third weekends in December.