Pools in Winter.

Many of us have a garden pool that gives us great pleasure, and really brings our gardens to life, but they can easily become a liability if they are not properly managed. Now we are at the end of the year garden pools will need some work to see them through the winter months. Most of the plants will be

dying back, and will need the old dead foliage clearing out. Deep water plants like lilies need tidying and splitting. If you need to get in your pool to get at the plants, then do it now before the water gets really cold!! Wear soft shoes to avoid damaging the liner. If you find there are surplus plants put them on the compost heap -

DON'T PUT THEM IN A RIVER OR NATURAL POND.

Many cultivated plants would take over a natural pond and damage the environment. Your fish need winter care too. Have they somewhere to hide? This could be some clay drain pipes or a shelter made of slates in the pool bottom. Keep feeding as long as you see your fish eating, stop only when they won't eat. Remember, stale food will foul the water. You should already have a net spread over your pool to catch the falling leaves etc. Make sure the net stays on through the winter. You might end up providing the local heron with an exotic dinner!! When ice forms on your pool do not smash it as the sound will carry through the water and stress your fish. If the ice remains for more than five days, then you can melt a hole in it with warm water, this will let the poisonous gasses out that have built up under the sheet ice to escape. The winter is a good time to construct the basis of a new pool.

Seeds of Tomorrow

How many of us rush out each Spring to buy packets of seeds for our garden? At a guess I'd say a large percentage of us. How many of us save the seeds that our garden produce each year? I bet it would be safe to say, not very many. Our gardens, or indeed our neighbour's gardens often have an abundance of offerings at this time of year.

"But you can't use seeds off our plants" I hear you cry? WRONG! It is true that the seeds you buy are called F1 (First generation. Colour and structure guaranteed). Seeds taken from such plants are know as F2 (second generation), F3 and F4 and so on, year after year. Due to the fact that many F2 seeds do not come true (grow like the same as the original plants), you might grow something really interesting. Let's put it like this. You sow a packet of F1 seed that produces plants with white flowers; you have the seed (F2) and sow it next year. Some seeds do nothing, some are white, but one is white with blue tips on the petals! You now have a potentially new variety!! If you sow seed from that plant, and each year select seed from only the blue and white flowers, you can eventually end up with a stable new

variety (F1). That is how the plant breeders do it.

But we can't all do that ! WRONG AGAIN! There is nothing complicated about it. First collect the seeds when they are ripe, and dry them on the window ledge or in a greenhouse. When they are

thoroughly dry, place them in paper envelopes. Don't forget to write their name on the front. Then sow them at the same time as you sowed the original seed. It works for a great many flowers as well as veg.

We can also save the seed from our favourite shrubs. Some are easy and others less so.

This is where we try Stratification. Hold on, don't panic, this is straight forward too. If the shrub you choose has fruits, e.g. Berberis, then collect the berries in a bowl and carefully squash them to release the seeds inside, then mix the mush with twice the volume of damp peat. E.g. 1 bowl of seeds = 2 bowls of peat. Then add a little fungicide. Put the mixture in a plastic bag, squeeze the air out and put a tie and label on it. Now put the bag in the salad tray in your fridge until April or earlier if the seeds start to germinate.

One seed that is well worth the effort is Japanese Maple (Acer Palmatum). These never come true. If you get 100 seedlings you will have 100 different plants! It is best to cut the wings off the seeds before soaking them in water for two days. Only select the seed which has sunk and throw away the floating seeds. The soaking is a good test for viability. Now is the time for children to collect the conkers, (Chestnut seed). Put them in water, if they sink they have a 99% chance of growing if sown. If they float they are best fit to feed the mice. If you mix your Maple seed with peat, and chill it in your fridge (stratify it), you will have a good chance of growing lots of maples. When you have collected the

seedlings, put the tray to one side as several may well germinate the following year and the year after.

Now you have it, so go on - try it. There is nothing to loose and everything to gain. Good luck !

By John Sanderson

Please pray for:

On each day of the month at our weekly services we pray for all residents of the roads of our parish in turn. Please use this list in your own prayers at home, and if you can, come along to Church as a representative of your road on the day, when you and your neighbours are specially remembered. Crosscrake Parish Preston Patrick Parish

1st Riverside Main Road, Endmoor

2nd Cooper Hill Nutting Hall Lane

3rd Sedgwick Main road and Wilson Terrace Gatebeck Road

4th Old Row Low Cottages

5th Sedgwick Mews, Back Lane Enyeat Road

and Garden Cottages

6th Family Life Woodbank /Crescent

7th Well heads Lane Birchfield

8th Hill Close Woodside

9th Orchard Close Woodside Close

10th Castle View and Railway Cottages Elm Grove

11th Shyreakes and Humphrey Cottages Gatebeck

12th Wharfe Lane Cooperage Yard

13th Stainton Lane Millness

14th Stainton and Stainton Cross Milton

15th Halfpenny Lane Crooklands

16th Millbridge Lane Farming Community

17th Helm Lane Mothers Union

18th Barrows Green Age Concern

19th Staff and Children of Staff and Residents of

Barnados, Barrows Green St Gregory's House

20th Concrete Cottages Parish Organisations

21st Summerlands Childrens Playgroup

22nd Gatebeck Lane Young families and Teenagers

23rd Low Park Lane Goose Green

24th Greenways Drive Lupton Road

25th Meadowside Close Old Hall Area

26th Moorside Road Springfield

27th Moss Lea Dove Nest Lane

28th Staff and Children of Staff and Pupils of

Crosscrake School Endmoor School

29th Parochial Church Council P.C.C.

30th Brownies and Rainbows Friends Meeting House

Beavers, Cubs and Scouts Village Shops and Clubs

31st Parish Organisations Park End Area

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness to the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, not of the will of men, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father,) full of grace and truth. [John 1: 1-14]

Usually there are 10am services at Crosscrake every month. The family service on the

first is full of fun, participation and is kept short. Its good for families, friends and a good time !

All welcome. The 2nd and fourth of the month services are more serious, more "choirful" and a joy to go to.

A Sunday School is run at Crosscrake on the 3rd Sunday of the month. Liz runs this and its really

good, intense Christianity.

All children welcome.

We have a lot going for us in Crosscrake now--the fellowship is sound, the joy of worship astounding,

and with the music, the friends, the flowers in the churchyard, and Crosscrake's great history, you could not come to a better place. You have to be a follower to live here !