The sun's been out and the sky's been blue as the area enjoyed its sunniest March since the 19th century, but what did that mean for the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ WM garden in Stratford? Bob Brolly visited gardening expert Steve Brookes to take a closer look and we tagged along to see what was happening.
You can take a closer look at the garden - and Bob and Steve - by looking at our picture gallery. Just click on the Images button below to launch it.
ΜύIt was immediately clear that things have come along quite a way since the garden was launched back in January (see the link on the left for a reminder). For a start, all the bushy undergrowth in the borders that surrounded the big shed has gone!
| Μύ |  | New growth in the garden
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Steve has been hard at work throughout spring to clear the tangle and he has been rewarded with glorious virgin topsoil, which is invitingly ready for some spectacular planting.
Among the plants planned for the garden are some acid-lovers, like rhododendron, camellia and magnolia, which will be placed in a special garden, cultivated to have a lime-free compost in which they can grow happily.
The raised beds for the fruit and vegetable beds are now also complete and their should be some mouth-watering fresh carrots, potatoes, pears and rhubarb to enjoy later in the year - providing that Steve works hard to keep the pests away!
ΜύIn the greenhouse, the banana plant, in its special hydroponics system, is coming on a treat!
Liz Flower of the Shakespeare Birthday Celebrations Committee, was interviewed by Bob from the shed in the April broadcast and was very impressed by the bananas and the tomatoes and cucumbers, which are also being grown in the hydroponics system.
Bob planted the tomato plant seeds and was delighted to see how quickly they had come on with the help of the special soil-less growing system, which works by automatically watering and feeding the plants.
A new arrival in the garden were the stones and hardcore, which will form a rockery. Some of the rocks were found when digging over the land but others have been imported in. As yet, the location of the rockery has not been decided but when it is in place, it will be home to some glorious alpines.
ΜύKeeping a handle on things
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One of the most important - and overlooked - aspects of gardening is security. Tools like spades and forks - let alone lawn mowers, rotivators, shredders and other electrical items - are expensive to replace and very easy to steal from an unsecured shed.
| Μύ |  | The impressive banana plant is coming on
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Experts from security firm Yale and from Stratford Police were on hand at the April broadcast to advise on aspects of security - and not least because items taken from a shed, like ladders and spades - can also be used to break into a house.
Sheds and outbuildings should always be kept locked, using the best padlock or key-lock that you can lay your hands on. It is also advisable to find a way to tie or chain items like ladders to shed walls - or to one another - so they are more difficult to make off with if the shed is entered.
A wireless alarm for a shed, garage or other outbuilding is also a useful investment as that could deter potential burglars as well as halt them in the process!
ΜύWe'll be back in the garden with Steve and Bob in May. Keep coming back to get the latest from Stratford.
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