Continued from previous page

My choice for a new orchard of eating apples would be Discovery, Laxtons Epicure, Ellisons Orange, Coxes Orange Pippin, Rilston Pippin and Blenheim Orange. What a collection of the finest apples. We must not forget the apple pies, Keswick cooking, Monarch and Howgate Wonder, and for a large garden, Brambley seedling.

How would you like masses of blooms in your glasshouse in early spring that would be the talk of the neighbours? Giving scents and colours that normally occur later in the year outside in the garden. It’s not difficult if plants from my list are potted into large containers, grown outside during the summer, allowed to become frozen in the depth of winter, and then brought into the glasshouse in January or February.

Years ago when every Public Park in the City of Hull had its own conservatory, lots of trees and shrubs were treated in this way and what a display they gave to the public who liked to visit the Parks. In those days, all children had to be accompanied by an adult before being permitted to enter those conservatories. Those wonderful glass structures were havens of peace and quiet, fine places for a young gardener to work in, the gravel paths raked every day, dead foliage carefully removed from the displays, always a member of staff handy to answer visitors’ questions. How times have changed!

So what about the plants? Varieties of Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Lilacs, Laburnums, Genistas, Hydrangea species, Philadelphus and Deutzias and Camellias all in large pots being fed and watered in outdoor plunge beds in the summer, these together with a large collection of pot plants such as Cyclamen, Primulas, Begonias, Ferns galore, and dozens more ornamentals gave a fantastic show in the dark days, followed by the many summer flowers in pots; so why not try a few now ready for next New Year?

God made rainy days so that gardeners could get the housework done.

A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.