ELDER

I’ve noticed berries on the elder trees are ripening nicely. The elder tree is more like a sprawling bush than a tree really, which is handy when it comes to picking the fruit. Most people associate elderberries with wine making. I know I have made a few bottles before and they were delicious…. Well they were better than the previous attempts at making wine anyway.

My brother and myself, being inventive teenagers, decided to make a brew and store some wine in a wardrobe in our bedroom away from parental eyes. We were a bit limited for ingredients so we decided to make the concoction out of trebor mints and polo mint, which were easily available from the local shop. These were added to the water, yeast and sugar. After they were mixed and left for a few weeks to ferment we put the liquid into bottles and screwed on the tops. They lived happily in the wardrobe for another few weeks until the pressure got too much. Whilst we were at school one day the bottles exploded, sending the nurtured wine and glass all over the clothes in the wardrobe and flooded the bedroom carpet. That put an end to our bootlegging business…

Back to the elders. The trees are very tolerant of pollution so they will grow practically anywhere. They have attractive flowers that come out around May to June. These can be covered in batter and dipped into hot oil for a minute until they are brown and crispy. They smell a bit like cat spray when they are fresh, but cooked they taste delicious!

The flowers can also be made into a drink, similar to lemonade if sugar is added or if it is mixed with equal parts of yarrow and peppermint, a refreshing hot drink. Later in the year, from now until October, the berries ripen. These berries are rich in vitamins C and A They are good for making wine as I have mentioned and also syrups, jams, and chutney. Herbalists have used all of the elder for years. The tree is shrouded in ancient mystery, one being that you shouldn’t cut down or burn the wood without asking the elder mother, who lives inside the tree. If you have ever tried to burn elder wood you’ll know how reluctant it is to burn, maybe it’s true… I’ll ask the elder mother in future!There are other uses for the plant. The leaves can be used to make a brew to protect plants from aphids and other pests. Old bark makes black dye, the leaves make green dye and the berries can make either blue or purple dye, depending on how ripe they are.

Horticultural.

JOBS TO DO IN AUTUMN

AUTUMN IS APPROACHING

This month as autumn approaches it is time to give some thought to getting the garden ready for the colder months ahead. It is an ideal time to begin getting plants ready for the winter and to plant spring bulbs, harvest fruit and vegetables.

Plant bare-rooted, deciduous trees and shrubs now, during their dormant season. Some people have a fear of buying bare rooted plants, but if you buy them as soon as they appear in the shops/garden centres, there is no problem at all, they are much cheaper than potted ones and will establish quickly, especially if care is taken in soil preparation.

Plant spring bulbs as long as the ground is workable

If any major tree pruning is required to remove large branches, now is the time to do it. Remember, major jobs require a tree surgeon.

Keep an eye out for unwanted seedlings of native trees and pull them out while still small. This will save a lot of trouble later on.

The bulbs of spring flowering tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and crocus are planted during the autumn months of September, October and November. Select good firm, disease free bulbs. Plant the bulbs three times deeper than the greatest diameter of the bulb. For example, crocus bulbs that usually have about a one-inch diameter should be planted three inches deep. The bulbs will grow and flower best in well-drained soil.


Pot up some spring flowering bulbs for indoor colour during the winter. Store the pots in a cool, dark place, until new growth emerges from the soil, and then move them to a bright window.

TAKING CUTTINGS
Take semi-hardwood cuttings of holly, cherry laurel and evergreen conifers. Select a stem- tip from the current season's growth. Cut straight above a node to give a cutting 10-15cm in length. Remove all but the top two leaves. Slice 3cm of bark from one side of the cutting at the base. Dip the wound in hormone rooting powder, then insert into cuttings compost or a free draining mixture of peat and bark. Ensure the cutting will stand upright. Firm in and water well. Kept humid and frost free (in a cold frame or propagator) cuttings will root in the winter and can be potted on in spring. A good hint for you, put your cuttings around the edge of the pot, this way, they will not get too water bound, and will root better and quicker.

As perennials fade away, mark their locations with small sticks. Some might not be apparent after the winter and might be disrupted by spring cultivating.

Herbaceous plants can be tidied up and cut back now. Don't be in too much of a hurry, though, as the 'skeletons' of many plants can be very decorative in their own right. If your soil is light, you can lift, divide and replant many perennials over the next couple of months, but only when it's not too wet.

Plants divided in very wet weather or planted in heavy soil are prone to rot.

Plant spring bedding now so that it gets a chance to establish. This will give an earlier display next year.

If you want to add some colour to the garden this winter, try pansies. The pansies are particularity nice to plant when planting bulbs, because they reach their peak of beauty in the springtime, just about the same time the bulbs bloom.

Perennials can be started from seed this month. Simply scatter the seeds in a row or in open beds. Then the young seedlings can be transplanted into a permanent spot next spring.

Put in new heathers. Plant them an inch deeper in the soil than in the pot so they are nice and sturdy.

IN THE VEGETABLE GARDEN
Dig up your rosemary, basil, tarragon, oregano, marjoram, thyme, parsley, and chives to grow them inside as houseplants. Keep them in a cool, sunny spot, and allow the soil to dry out before watering. Snip off the leaves as needed in the kitchen, but do not strip them completely

Tidy up your mint, I have mine in a pot, and every year or so, I empty out, and remove the older part of the plant, and pot up the younger growth.

Cut and store marrows before the frosts.

Put cloches over late salad crops such as lettuce and radish to keep them cropping. Look out for slugs

Horticultural.

JOBS TO DO IN OCTOBER

I see that a local council in England have decided to chop down the chestnut trees that line the roads around the town. The wisdom behind this is because it could endanger cars when children throw the sticks to get the conkers down. Another reason mentioned was that the sticks that are thrown could land on the unfortunate child’s head. The council are putting in what they call “Less dangerous trees” to try and ease the problem. It goes to show that the world of horticulture can be a hazardous place. I have chosen some safer jobs to do in the garden this month as we are starting to wind down the garden for the winter. If you feel really energetic you can start by taking down any tired and sad looking hanging baskets and pot up some colourful winter flowers that are appearing in the garden centres now.


JOBS TO DO IN OCTOBER
Plant nerine bulbs and divide old clumps after flowering. The best place for the heat and sun they need to flower is at the foot of a south-facing wall. Plant the bulbs with the nose just showing above the soil and give protection in cold areas. Nerines are one of the longer lasting flowers at this time of the year and they make excellent cut flowers for the table.

Finish planting spring bulbs in the next couple of weeks. Tulips can be planted this month. Plant dwarf narcissi, species crocuses and reticulata irises in pots and outdoors for late-winter colour. Use peat free potting compost with some coarse sand or grit mixed in.

Lift the corms of gladioli when the leaves turn yellow, cut off the stems, dry the corms, rub clean, label the varieties and store in a cool, mouse-free place.

Check ties on recently planted young trees to see if they have become tight and restrictive. There should always be a little play there. New research shows that trees grow better if they don’t have a stake. If your tree has been in for a couple of years and looks secure, take the stake and tie out altogether.

When the leaves have been blackened by frost, dahlia tubers should be dug up. Cut off the stems at 2-3in above the tuber, remove all the loose soil, and dry them in an airy place. Dust with flowers of sulphur, and label and store in a cool dark place. The easiest way to apply sulphur is to shake the tubers in a plastic bag with handful of flowers of sulphur. Large old clumps of tubers are better divided next spring, when you plant them out again. Division now only makes wounds for mould to enter.

Dry off potted tuberous begonias under cover, and when the stems have yellowed and fallen away (do not cut or pull them off), store the tubers in a cool dark place, either just as they are, potted in dry soil, or with the soil and roots cleaned off, and dusted with sulphur.


Gather fallen leaves regularly. If you do not have a compost heap, put damp leaves into bin-liners and store for eight-12 months. The resulting leaf mould makes excellent mulch. Alternatively you can put the leaves straight into the soil around your shrubs and in the borders. Work them in gently to stop them blowing away and the worms will do the rest

IN THE VEGGIE PATCH
Lift root crops such as beetroots, carrots and main crop potatoes and store in vermin-proof bins (clean metal dustbins with lids will do), layered between fresh coir fibre or dry sand. Make sure you remove all damaged or rotten tubers before you store them, as the rot will quickly spread to the other vegetables. Harvest pumpkins, marrows and squashes. They will store well if kept dry, cool and frost-free in the garage.

ALPINES
Top up grit mulches around alpine plants to provide a free-draining layer between the foliage and the ground. Some alpines will need a haircut if they look as though they are going to go mouldy in the damp weather. Weed out any unwanted plants, especially creeping buttercup as they can completely ruin the bed in a very short space of time.

Horticultural.

SEAL PUPPING STARTS EARLY

Photo: A new born seal pup lies on the rocks in Buncrana. They could be mistaken for being lifeless! (Thanks to Emmett for the photo)

Dog walkers might notice baby seals lying alone on rocks when walking around the beaches of Inishowen this month. The mother will leave her pup lying on the shore while they go and feed, returning to the pup when the tidal conditions are right. They are very weak when first born and will lie on the rocks for up to 2 to 3 days in one spot before the mother returns, when they will move on to another location together.

Our resident seal population, (the Grey Seals) have started pupping early this year and like any baby, the pup does little except feed and sleep during its first three weeks of life. Grey seal pups are normally born in mid too late October but can be born sometimes as late as the end of November

When they are newborn they have a light woolly covering and they avoid swimming until they moult into their adult oily fur. This usually takes 2 to 3 weeks.

Under normal circumstances the pups rest on remote and secluded beaches. Unfortunately Inishowen’s major population centres of Buncrana and Moville are in very close proximity to the perfect coastal environment for these seals but they are also busy places for residents and their dogs. If you happen to come across a baby seal, even if it looks abandoned and incapable, try not to disturb them or let your dogs worry them.

Inishowen’s breeding Grey seal colonies are recognised as one of Europe’s most important breeding populations. The grey seal is protected under terrestrial legislation through the wildlife act and also European legislation under the habitats Directive.

If you have or are seeking further information on seals around Inishowen log onto www.nature.ie or contact the Local Wildlife Service Ranger E. Johnston on 087 286 7055

Environmental.

A STROLL IN THE GARDEN- PADDY MCCARTNEY WEEK 2

Photo: Paddy with his chocolate scented cosmos.

This week Paddy McCartney from Greencastle tells us more about his garden and his life in the undergrowth.

So Paddy, what irritations are there in your garden and how do you cope?
People! I have tried sprays and putting down traps… Nothing works! Other than that I have to keep a close eye on the slug population. Every year they make a pilgrimage to the vegetable beds so I try different techniques to keep them away. I practice a No Dig gardening policy. This seems to help, as the slugs can’t find as many places to hide in the soil. I give them cans of beer to drink around the beds in the polythene tunnels and glasshouse. They are not good drinkers! I have also put boards and sheets of black polythene down around the beds in spring. The slugs hide under these and I collect them up and “re-home” them. This depopulates them before the serious breeding starts.

What is your best gardening tool?
I have an oscillating hoe. It sounds a bit painful but actually it’s a stirrup shaped device on a long pole. It is brilliant for getting in between the plants and vegetables to get the invasive weeds out.

Have you seen anything unusual in the garden this year?
I did see the Humming bird Moth. They are unusual in this part of the world, as the adults or eggs don’t survive the cold winters. They bear a striking resemblance to a hummingbird (hence the name!) They are wonderful to watch.

Do you have any tips for growing good spuds?
If you grow spuds then remember they are heavy feeders. I grow a few different types every year to see what does well. This year I have found a great Hungarian spud called Sharpo. They are said to be blight resistant and are proving to be a very prolific crop. I have had a good early crop from one called the Duke of York.

Top Gardening tip?
When growing plants from seed or cuttings get the module trays to plant them in. There is no root disturbance when it comes to transplanting them.

More from Paddy next week





Horticultural.

ME AND MY MOTOR-ALAN DEAN

Volkswagen made the first campervans in 1950. They were an instant hit and have remained popular and sought after vehicles ever since. Most owners are passionate about their vans and Alan Dean from Redcastle is no exception. Alan and his family like nothing more than to jump into their 1980 Viking Conversion model and head off into the sunset as often as possible.


How long have you had the campervan?
About ten years. I was looking for any type of campervan initially, but found most of them too large. I found this one behind a garage with grass growing all around it and saw the potential straight away. The van was in a bit of a mess as it had been laid up for over three years but the chassis was still in good condition.

Any plans to change?
This van is now a family heirloom.

Is it reliable?
Yes. I go for preventative maintenance and fix anything that isn’t 100%. If anything unforeseen does go wrong with these VW vans you can usually get them going again with a stick and a piece of string!

Best thing about the campervan?
The journey is as enjoyable as the destination. We have no rush to get anywhere because we already have our accommodation with us.

What would you do to help motorists given the chance?
I would give everyone a Volkswagen campervan attitude. There would be far less rage on the roads!

What would you really like to be driving around in?
A 1959 split screen VW with a 1959 Lambretta LI 150cc scooter attached to the back. I choose the 1959 models for no other reason than it was the year I was born.

Have you done much refurbishment to the van?
It was resprayed eight years ago and had a new 1.6 engine fitted more recently. I also put in a quick shift gearbox. The engine is at the back so the gear linkage has a long way to travel from the cabin. The old gear stick reminded me of stirring porridge.

Any plans for the future?
In a couple of years the van will get a complete back to the bone strip down and rebuild. I will re-customise the interior as well. I will also convert the engine to LPG. When you own a vehicle such as this you are always working on it!

Do you get lost when you are on your travels?
We never get lost. There are two ways of travelling, the long way and the short way. We choose the long way. I never go on the same road twice which adds to the fun!

Alan is a member of the Born Again Dubbers (BAD) VW club. It is free to join and welcomes owners of all Volkswagen models. Alan would be interested in hearing from anyone who has an old VW campervan that is gathering dust. Give me a ring on 086 401 2755 and I will pass on your details.


Motoring.