91热爆

It was snowing leaves this week.

At least that鈥檚 what it felt like when I went to meet up with Keith Crawford to record a piece for this week鈥檚 programme on timely tasks for the garden in October. Leaf blowers and municipal lorries were doing their noisy, but necessary thing in the street as we began to record so there was a bit of stopping and starting as we waited for the sound of the assorted engines to become fainter.

And watching man and machine blowing their way along the avenue I was very nearly tempted to ask if I could scoop up the volumes of dancing leaves to make into wonderful, friable, soil-improving leaf mould. But I resisted.

We had other fish to fry, as Keith, wielding his trusty pink secateurs (think he borrowed them!) got to grips with pruning a pretty dwarf cherry tree, Prunus Incisa 鈥淜ojo-no-mai鈥� and an ebullient ornamental Quince, it鈥檚 small pale fruit begging to be turned into Quince jelly, a tiny sprig of coral flowers well truly ahead of themselves peeping through its tangled leaves and branches.

The satisfying job of re-shaping the tree and shrub accomplished, Keith then turned his attention to plants for winter containers and on his list a lovely variegated Holly, a handy evergreen Euonymus and representing the pretties were bright pink Cyclamen and bi-coloured Violas in lavender and lemon. A container garden in an instant, just the thing to brighten a dull, wintery day.

We鈥檙e not there yet though thankfully and for the moment I鈥檓 delighting in the colours of autumn gleaming out from gardens and hedgerows and surprising me as I turn a bend or drive along the motorway as I was doing on Wednesday afternoon when I went to visit Reg Maxwell in his county Antrim garden.

It was National Apple Day recently so my mission was to take advantage of Reg鈥檚 Apple growing skills and to ask him too about good varieties to grow here. A cup of refreshing Darjeeling and a homemade Cherry and Apricot scone later (absolutely delicious! thanks Pat) and we were out into the garden to talk apples and trees.

So here are Reg鈥檚 key points.

First, location, location, location. Apple trees need sunshine and good air circulation so the situation in the garden and the right pruning regime are very important.

Apple trees like good soil too, so proper preparation is key as well.

And plant with the soil level below the knuckle where the tree has been grafted on to the root stock.

Look for M26 root stock if you have room for a taller tree while M27 and M9 are for dwarf and espalier grown trees ie. trained along a trellis or wall.

It鈥檚 worth noting that a tree supported by a stake will not develop a strong root system to stand sturdily alone.

And finally the varieties which Reg grows are Saturn and Red Falstaff and Raeburn (he thinks) as the tree in question came with the house.

He also recommends Limelight and Greensleeves as good 鈥渄o-ers鈥� for growing locally.

And even though Saturn and Red Falstaff are young trees they have already cropped well, so delicious autumn puddings in the Maxwell house are guaranteed!

Recently we went to visit a very special garden created to mark the service and sacrifice of RUC officers.

This year sees the 90th Anniversary of the foundation of the RUC and the award winning RUC George Cross garden which was designed by Landscape Architect Peter Hutchinson, is contemporary and contemplative. Framed by mature trees the garden slopes and meanders with a tree lined walkway of Beech hedging guiding the visitor into the garden which features a history timeline, specially commissioned works of sculpture, a roll of honour and a palate of plants which reflect the garden鈥檚 special purpose.

The hard landscaping, the pathways, the steps and concrete structures were all locally created or made and they reflect the very particular character of this contemporary memorial garden which may be visited by appointment, care of the RUC George Cross Foundation.