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It's not long now until the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships, which fills me with thoughts of strawberries and cream.
Strawberries have taken a bit of a pounding of late thanks to the heavy rain, which can lead to mouldy fruits and additional damage from slugs and snails.
But if you will have provided your crops with ample protection by covering them with net tunnel cloches to stop birds from pecking at them and also kept slugs at bay by going on night hunts with a torch and picking them off by hand or setting beer traps, you should be harvesting healthy strawberries from now for the next few weeks.
Unlike many other soft fruits, strawberries fit in any sunny border in well drained but moisture retentive soil.
Alternatively you can grow them in raised beds or pots, which will need liquid feeding regularly during the growing season and should be moved around on a three-year cycle.
For the best results, young plants should be planted in August or September to be established in time to start cropping the following summer, although most mail order suppliers sell bare-rooted plants in October and November.
You can, of course, buy strawberry plants in late autumn or spring, but you might find that the first year's crop is lighter than that of those planted earlier.
If you have plenty of space you can plant the strawberry plants 45cm (18in) apart, with 90cm (3ft) between rows, although in other situations such as raised beds or pots, plants can be placed closer together provided you feed them well on a regular basis.
On beds, spread a layer of garden compost or use a general fertiliser such as Growmore in spring.
In early summer, when the fruits are forming, place straw or synthetic strawberry mats on the ground around the plants to stop the rain splashing up mud onto the strawberries and preventing the excessive damp which causes fruits to rot. If you have to water the plants (which, given the recent weather we've been having, is unlikely) water carefully between the strawberries to avoid the leaves and fruits getting wet. Once cropping has finished, remove old foliage
There are many new varieties of strawberries on offer and recently Which? Gardening, the Consumers' Association magazine, grew 18 new types and asked children and adults to select their favourites.
Researchers bought the strawberries as bare-rooted plants in autumn 2005 and planted 20 of each variety 30cm apart and 60cm between rows.
The best crop comes in the second year, so assessments were made in 2007. Favourites included 'Alice' (Mr Fothergill's - 0845 166 2511, Thompson & Morgan - 01473 695 200, and other stockists), a vigorous plant producing large amounts of big, glossy fruits on long stalks which seemed to help prevent fruit from growing mouldy. They were harvested from mid-June and provided the longest cropping season.
Other good varieties included 'Elsanta' (Blackmoor Nursery - 01420 473 576, Highfield Nurseries - 01452 740 266, RV Roger Ltd - 01751 472 226, Welsh Fruit Stocks - 01497 851 209), which was rated well for appearance and texture, and the later cropper 'Amelia' (Mr Fothergill's), which fared well with all the tasters, although the yield was slightly less than other crops.
:: Which? Gardening is a subscription-only magazine. For details on how to receive three issues of Which? Gardening for 3, telephone 01992 822 800 or visit www.which.co.uk.
BEST OF THE BUNCH - Lupin (Lupinus)
They are the stalwarts of the cottage garden and among the most popular perennials, their spikes of impressive flowers appearing in early summer above clumps of palmate leaves.
Lupins are also really easy to grow from seed, so save yourself some money next year by sowing seeds under glass in spring. Lupins come in a huge range of colours and bicolours, last well when cut and are great plant partners for delphiniums and Oriental poppies.
They should be deadheaded when the first flowers have finished, to encourage a second flush. Good varieties include the Russell hybrids which grow to around 90cm (3ft) and are among the earliest and most reliable hybrids. Others which will make an impact include L. 'Noble Maiden', a creamy white variety with densely packed flower spikes, and L. 'Beryl, Viscountess Cowdray', which produces rich red flowers.
Lupins will grow in reasonably fertile, well-drained soil in sun or partial shade. Be warned, though, that slugs and snails love them so keep young plants well protected.
GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT - Pak Choi (Brassica rapa var. chinensis)
I love this deliciously crunchy oriental veg with its thick, white bulbous stem and spoon-shaped leaves. It makes a great addition to stir-fries or can simply be steamed and then flavoured with garlic and oyster sauce. Pak choi needs to be grown quickly and the roots kept moist. Checks to growth, brought on by overcrowding or drought, will cause plants to bolt.
It should be sown outside from mid-June to August where you want it to grow and then thinned out to 15-20cm (6-8in) apart.
Keep plants well watered and weeded while growing and also protect them from slugs and snails. Those sown in June should be ready for harvesting by late August.
Whole plants can be pulled when their swollen bases reach about 2.5cm (1in) in diameter, but don't let them grow too big or they won't be as tasty.
Good varieties include 'Joi Choi' and 'Riko'.
THREE WAYS TO... Make the most of climbers
1. If climbers become bare at the base, use their bare stems to support fast-growing decorative annual climbers such as asarina or canary creeper.
2. When planting a climber to grow up through a tree, site it on the north side of the tree if possible, as the climber will grow towards the light. Prepare a large planting hole and allow room to work around the tree roots, mixing plenty of organic matter with the soil.
3. To encourage self-clinging species to climb, dampen the wall with water, especially on hot days. Alternatively, when growing up brick pillars, fix netting in place to give them something to grip on to.
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
:: Plant out dahlias and chrysanthemums raised from cuttings, giving each a strong stake to support the flower stems as they grow.
:: Plant winter brassicas and protect them from pests.
:: Cut down the faded foliage of bulbs.
:: Take cuttings from pinks.
:: Watch out for suckers on roses, growing on rootstocks from under the soil. Find the point of origin and pull cleanly away.
:: Remove duckweed and blanket weed from ponds to prevent them clogging up water features.
:: If you want blue hydrangeas, water regularly with a solution of colorant to ensure blue varieties remain blue next season.
:: Prune Clematis montana which is overgrown and out of control.
:: Remove old flower stems of hellebores. Collect and sow hellebore seeds in the process.
:: Damp the greenhouse down regularly and apply shading paint if it's very hot.
:: Take cuttings from tender perennials including pelargoniums and fuchsias.
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Weather for Bedford
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 2 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: North west
