Page 29 - Real Rochdale Issue 14 Summer 2022

GARDENING TIPS

FOR SUMMER

ABOUT THE WRITER
Roy Down is an engagement and development worker
at Petrus as well as the chairman of Rochdale in Bloom.
His role at Petrus is to help improve the mental health
and wellbeing of volunteers through gardening, as well
as those referred via NHS social prescribing.

Summer is the time when gardens are at their
best with lots of beautiful blooms and bright
colours to cheer up those days when the sun
doesn’t shine.

Despite the fact that Rochdale gets its fair They make a wonderful display that’s lovely to look at, and useful to cook with too.
share of rainfall, newly planted flowers are
prone to drying out at this time of year. Water At Petrus PIER, our favourite herbs right now include chocolate mint, oregano and coriander.
conservation and capturing water is really Do watch out for herbs like mint, which can take over a container and dominate the display.
important. If you have room, consider installing It is better to grow these separately or plant them in their own pot within the container to
a water butt to collect excess rainwater - much control their growth.
better for your plants than tap water too. If
a water butt isn’t an option, a bucket left out Whatever you do this summer, make sure you take a moment to enjoy and take solace in the
to collect rainwater will do just as well - every green spaces you have access to, and feel free to head down to Petrus PIER to see what we
drop counts. have got ‘growing’ on.

Your vegetables and plants will need feeding
to encourage growth, meaning more flowers
for your display, or fruits and vegetables for
your table.

Organic fertilisers (such as seaweed feed)
work well for a general weekly feed of flower
beds. In the vegetable patch, tomatoes and
peppers will need a high potassium fertiliser
every week to encourage flowers and fruit to
develop and to help keep pests and diseases
at bay.
As the soil continues to warm up and veg and flowers grow stronger, so do the weeds. Keep them at
bay by hoeing weedlings as they germinate. Tackling them at this stage will be easier and less time
consuming than letting them dominate your vegetable and flower beds.

If you have limited growing space, think about growing some herbs in a container by the back door or
on a windowsill. There are lots of herbs to choose from and many have attractive foliage and scent.

REAL ROCHDALE - summer 2022 28 29 REAL ROCHDALE - summer 2022