< Previous30 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY Ed Fuller from Fullers Landscaping explores everything you need to do to maintain your beautiful garden this spring. We are now well and truly into spring and while our gardens will be looking more vibrant. Spring is a magical time of year. A time when I feel most aware of the cycle of life played out in front of us on our doorstep each year. Apart from various plants showing, the birds too have woken up. They are becoming more vocal in the dawn chorus, advertising their nest building skills and genetic prowess to anyone who wants to listen. Another indicator to the shifting of the seasons can be found in the garden pond. The frogs and toads will start to spawn this month. So hopefully all the major pond maintenance was carried out last autumn to minimise any harm to the wildlife. If any clearance is needed, then please remember to leave any debris out by the edge of the pond for at least a day or two so any beasties can crawl back instead of ending up on the compost heap! At this time of year, the fish will become more active, so now is a good time to check that pond pumps and filters are all working correctly. When the water warms up the fish will feed more, and the filtration systems will be working harder than they have done in the past few months. April is the right time to start to plan for a good crop of tomatoes. To start with you need a sunny windowsill, and some long plastic seed boxes which come with their own greenhouse lids. After filling the seed boxes with compost sow the seeds about 2.5cm apart. Finish with a covering of compost over them before laying a piece of folder newspaper on top. Germination should take place in around a fortnight at which time you can remove the paper and plastic cover. Keep the seedlings in good light and when they have got two leaves you can plant them into pots. Keep the pots on a window ledge or greenhouse and keep them watered. Between mid-May and June, they should be ready to plant out, and one of the best methods is to grow them in grown bags and create frames with canes. You can also plant Strawberries, and these can easily be grown in pots on your patio. However, if you grow them indoors, they are protected from the elements and you can have fruits earlier in the season. Remember if you remove the flowers in the first year you help to build up the plant giving you a better crop the following year. Hanging baskets are also something that you can be doing now. When choosing The magic of GARDEN ADVICE 30-31.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 15:09 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 31 Specialised Services in Garden Design Landscaping and Tree Maintenance Backed by a highly-skilled and experienced team, we’ve built our reputation on an ability to provide our clients with professional, tailored gardening and forestry solutions FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTATIONS FULLERS Landscaping Call 01522 868717 or 07867 510544 landscapinglincolnshire@gmail.com www.landscapinglincolnshire.com Around the garden • Keep weeds under control • Mow your lawn (lowering the blades gradually) • Dig in a layer of compost into your beds • Deadhead daffodils but leave the foliage intact allowing it to die back naturally, so they will bloom again next year • Sow hardy annuals and herb seeds • Feed hungry shrubs and roses • Keep bird baths and bird feeders topped up to encourage birds to your garden • Plant out perennials in groups of three, five or seven • Protect fruit blossom from late frosts • Divide bamboos and waterlilies plants to fill the basket bear in mind the colours of the flowers and their form. You can have some trailing, such as lobelia, campanula, begonias or carnations. And for height you could use geraniums, fuchsias and petunias to name just a few. You also want to consider using plants that have a long flowering period, and remember once the good weather arrives, they will need watering every day. Although the good weather is just around the corner this is the month where you need to keep your eye on the weather. We can have cold snaps in April with some very cold nights with frosts. These can damage plants and so if they need covering or bringing inside then keep your eye on the forecast. This is also the month of April showers and so water conservation is a good idea and so make sure your water butts are ready. Most of importantly of all make sure you enjoy your garden and being outside in the spring air. The hard work will be worth it when the summer arrives. GARDEN ADVICE 30-31.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 15:09 Page 2The fallow deer – or dama dama to give its Latin name – is somewhere in size between the red and the roe, and perhaps the most elegant of Britain’s deer ensemble. While not a traditional native of Blighty but, like roads, concrete and indoor plumbing, the deer was first introduced to England by the Romans. But it was the Normans who populated the country will frolicking fallows after the infamous conquest. In whatever case, it has since made the island nation its home. The critter is a picturesque and prevalent sight across the country, but particularly in abundance in Lincolnshire where the lush open space and woodland cater the 32 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY As many fallow deer will now be casting off their antlers, we take a closer look at this majestic animal. Lincolnshire wildlife fallow’s tastes. The Kesteven uplands, in southernmost area of the county, support a number of fallows in amongst the scattered woodland. Likewise, the hilly Wolds are alive with fallows. This environment is particularly suited as the deer are grass grazers by nature, though autumn usually brings a culinary shift to a wholesome diet of cereals, berries and shrub shoots. Herd size is totally dependable on habitat and season, embodying the adage ‘go with the flow’. Their peaks times of activity are in the dawn and dusk hours, but, like other deers’, are pretty much on the go 24 hours a day. Daytime hours are spent ‘lying up’ where the fallow will 32-33.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 15:12 Page 1© Shutterstock/ Mark Bridger LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 33 effectively meditate between one feed and the next. In more urban areas, the fallows tend to prefer the quiet and relative safety of the night. Most of the fallow deer seen in Lincolnshire are of the pale chestnut variation, complete with mottled white flecks and a characteristic black tale. Other coat colours include black, albino-like white and one of a darker spotting. Like its cousins, the fallow is inquisitive and spring heeled, keen to graze but quick to flee. Although they can be seen all year round, September is the start of the autumnal breeding season - aptly titled the ‘rut’. The lowlands come alive with the sound of males’ belly-belching and hoofing their territorial declaration, and the thunderclap of antlers as they fight over females. Mating behaviour is dependent on environmental factors and herd size, but males the country over go through the various motions and the end result is always the same. Fallows usually produce a single fawn in June on an annual basis. With herd population on the rise, chances are you’ll be seeing a fallow deer sometime soon. Its grazing habits might be threatening sensitive species and agriculture, but its majesty and grace about make up for it. Just watch out on those windy roads. 32-33.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 15:12 Page 234 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY FASHION Numph This lovely spring ensemble from Numph is light and airy to see you through right into summer. 34-43.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 15:16 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 35 FASHION Out and about As society begins to open up and we can once again start spending time with others outside, it’s the perfect opportunity to get dressed up. Fortunately, our favourite labels and designers have got some must-haves in their spring collections. Out and about 34-43.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 15:17 Page 236 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY FASHION Left: Taifun Be a little bold with your style. Try this Taifun ensemble on for size. Middle: Ichi Deceptively simple, this outfit from Ichi is a must-have early summer look. Right: LauRie With a nod to naval style, LauRie offer a simple seasonal outfit that can be accessorized a dozen different ways. Opposite: Barbour These on trend outfits from Barbour will quickly become your new go-to favourites this spring. © DK Company – ICHI 34-43.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 15:17 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 11 FASHION © Barbour 34-43.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 15:17 Page 410 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY FASHION 1 2 34 © DK Company – ICHI © Kaleidoscope 34-43.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 15:17 Page 5LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 11 FASHION 5 1) Ichi As the days warm up, no doubt you’ll be wearing more and more spaghetti tops and this one from Ichi is already on our wish list. We’d love it enough on its own, but coupled with a dress that simply screams beach and you’ve got a perfect seasonal outfit. 2) Kaleidoscope Once a staple of any corporate woman’s wardrobe, the pant suit has become a stylish outfit in its own right. Kaleidoscope offer a delightfully chic example in salmon pink. 3) Gerry Weber Women just get better with age, as Gerry Weber prove with this sophisticated pant suit. 4) Masai We love the shirt dress trend here at Lincolnshire Today, but it’s not all about dresses as this gloriously oversized shirt top from Masai shows. 5) Joe Browns There’s a reason why monochrome never goes out of style – just look at the results! As fashionable now as it was sixty years ago. Joe Browns takes inspiration from fashion past for this wonderful ensemble, but not without adding some modern flourishes in the detailing. © Joe Browns 34-43.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 15:17 Page 6Next >