Innholdsfortegnelse for 27-feb-16 i Amateur Gardening

OFFICIAL RHS advice for planting seed potatoes is to put them in on a rolling basis over a period from late March to late April, starting with earlies, followed by second earlies and finally maincrops. Mine all go in at pretty much the same time, over the period of a week. I started doing this after Geoff Hamilton told viewers of Gardeners’World about thirtyyears ago of an old adage about potatoes: Plant earlies late, and lates (maincrops) early! The idea is that if you plant earlies too early the foliage (called haulm) gets frosted, reducing crops, so you put them in a bit later so that the haulm comes up later and avoids frost. But you should plant slower growing late, or maincrop spuds as early as you can so…

1 Get your soil ready for planting by weeding it well, as weeds compete with the young potato plants for water, light and nutrients. Dig out the roots of perennial weeds. Then warm the planting site by covering it with black polythene, fleece or a cloche. 2 Before planting your chitted spuds, dig over the soil again. This helps gets rid of eelworm infestations, and exposes buried slug and snail eggs, so theywill get eaten by birds. Add lots of well-rotted manure or organic compost, as potatoes are hungry plants.…

THIS winter has been a tough one for gardens everywhere. The record-breaking rainfall has saturated many gardens, and left others completely underwater for days on end. This is not good news for lawns. As the water recedes, it’s the time to take stock of the garden as a whole, and the lawn in particular. This winter is unusually mild, and as grass will keep growing in temperatures above 5C, many people have mowing their lawns throughout. But if you are starting to mow again now, make sure the blade is at its highest setting, and don’t mow over waterlogged soil or frosted grass. Before mowing, brush awayworm casts with a twiggy besom broom. You can also lay turf now, provided the ground isn’t frozen orwet. It’s a great way to…

1 Place crocks at the base for drainage, and start to fill it with a loam-based compost, such as John Innes No 3, mixed with some ericaceous compost. 2 Ease the citrus plant from is existing pot, and gently tease out the roots so they’re not spiralling. Set it at the same depth as it was growing. 3 When the tree is at the right depth, infill around the rootball, firming the soil as you go to stabilize the rootball and to remove air pockets. 4 Water the plant well, and let it drain. Return the citrus to a light, frost-free spot indoors (a greenhouse or unheated conservatory) until the summer.…

1 Stems holding ripe cyclamen seedpods spiral to the ground where, if left, theywill split and germinate. 2 Open the seedpods and soak seeds for 12 hours to soften them. Drain through a tea strainer or on kitchen roll. 3 Fill 3in (7.5cm) pots with damp seed compost. Sow the seeds on the surface, and cover with more compost. 4 Seal in a plastic bag and place somewhere cool and dark. Germination should take 30-60 days.…

LAST summer my husband said to me ‘I hate gooseberries’. I persuaded him to try some of the yellow-fruited dessert types rather than the hard green cooking varieties he was familiar with... and he loved them! Consequentlywe are planting ‘Hinnonmaki Yellow’ and ‘Early Sulphur’ in our garden this year, along with red-fruited dessert ‘Freedonia’ and ‘Invicta’ – a green cooking type with excellent mildew resistance (well, I do like gooseberry fools.). They’re all going along the shadier north-facing fence of our plot, a position they’ll tolerate better than other fruits. We’re training them as cordons – essentially a single upright stem off which short fruiting spurs develop. It saves space so is ideal for gardeners on small plots, and makes picking much safer on these prickly plants. I don’t want…

Get beans in now for an early crop • Broad beans are a delicious early season crop, and are easy to grow. • If you live in a warm, sheltered part of the UK, sow seeds now in open soil. In colder areas, start them off under a cloche or fleece. • Sow broad beans 2-3in (5-7.5cm) deep, 6-9in (15-23cm) apart. In open beds, single rows of beans should be 18in (45cm) apart. Double rows should be 9in (23cm) apart, with 2ft (60cm) between each double row. In a raised bed, sow rows 9in (23cm) apart. • When seeds germinate, keep the growing area clear of weeds, and stake any plants that require support.…

• 26-27 Feb: RHS London Botanical Art Show, RHS Lindley Hall, 80 Vincent Square, London SW1P 2PE; rhs.org.uk/shows-events • 27 Feb: Potato Day, Buckingham Nurseries and Garden Centre, Tingewick Road, Buckingham, MK18 4AE; 01280 822133; buckinghamgardencentre.co.uk • 27 Feb: A beginner’s Guide to Growing Veg, RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, Yorks HG3 1QB; 0203 1765 830; rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr • 27 Feb: Greenhouse for Beginners, RHS Garden Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB; 0203 1765 830; rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisely • 27 Feb: Making the Most of Winter Beauty (talk and demo), RHS Garden Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB; 0203 1765 830; rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisely • 27 Feb: Help! I’ve got a New Garden! RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH; 01805 626800; rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor • 27-28 Feb: See the Snowdrops, Colesbourne…

When is the best time to move a lilac? Q I would be grateful if you would let me know when is the best time to move a lilac. It is about 4-5ft (1.2-1.5m) tall, and was planted around three or four years ago. Geraldine Sweeney (via email) A The best time to move a three-year old and 4-5ft (1.2-1.5m) lilac is from November, when leaves fall, to late winter when buds enlarge and begin to open. Start by digging a trench around the tree 2ft (60cm) from the trunk, and undercut roots so that there are plenty left to help the bush recover afterwards. Then, with an assistant, secure a pole horizontally to the trunk so that the lilac can be lifted and set into a generous planting hole,…

“Well-dug soils make earthing up much easier to do” POTATOES are an easy crop to grow. Start with high-yielding modern varieties with strong pest and blight resistance and you’ll have very few problems. Best results are had on soils dug in autumn and improved with manure or compost, but potatoes grow well in a range of soils types and conditions. Not everyone has room for large crops. Even by closing the recommended spacing slightly, I’ve only space for 18 main crop tubers this season. My earlies will be grown in containers, but that’s not a negative – it is after all how exhibition growers produce pristine, show-bench specimens! Potatoes fall into three main cropping groups (see guide below). Select a mix of varieties from these groups for extended harvests and…

‘Abbot’ First Early. One of the earliest to crop (10 weeks) A new rival to ‘Rocket’, bringing full flavour to your first crop of the season. ‘Jazzy’ Second Early. A really heavy cropper of small, full flavoured salad potatoes. Grow up to 80 potatoes from a single tuber. ‘Maris Peer’ Second Early. Over 50 years old but still holding its own in the flavour stakes. Produces slightly scented purple flowers. ‘Pink FirApple’ Early Maincrop. An attractive varietywith slender knobbly tubers. Cookwhole – each tuberwill make a single tasty chip. ‘Sharpe’s Express’ First Early. The best I’ve grown in 40-litre growing bags. A high dry matter content makes it good for chips and baked spuds. ‘Swift’ First Early. As the name suggests, a fast cropper – lift within seven weeks of…

FOR gardeners who love to shop, it could be the answer to your prayers. Garden industry chiefs are confident that laws which only allow big garden centres to open for six consecutive hours on Sundays, will soon be consigned to history. An amendment is expected to be made to the enterprise Bill, which would hand power to local authorities to determine retailers’ Sunday opening hours. Short Sunday trading hours have been an irritation to garden centre managers since rules were introduced over 20 years ago. Affected garden centres (those over 3,000 square metres) say they can’t compete fairlywith internet retailers. Religious groups have consistently opposed Sunday trading law reform. Needs of locals Now, despite setbacks, reforms would give local authorities the power to set Sunday trading rules that “reflect the…

FANS of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Big Friendly Giant and James and The Giant Peach should head to Cardiff on 15-17 April for some childhood nostalgia. The RHS Flower Show Cardiff will celebrate ‘the wonderful world of Roald Dahl’ – marking 100 years since the famous authorwas born in Llandaff, Cardiff. Highlights will include a garden inspired byCharlie and the Chocolate Factory, created by designerTony Smith. It will feature a bubbling chocolate lake. Last year, a record 25,800 visitors crammed into Bute Park for the Cardiff show. Go to rhs.org.uk/Cardiff for details and tickets.…

BAMBOOs are prized for their architectural looks, but clumps soon lose their appeal if they become congested or showy canes are hidden behind a mass of foliage. To ensure plants continue to earn their keep, it’s worth giving them a quick spruce up. My castillon bamboo (Phyllostachys bambusoides ‘Castillonii’) is a relative baby, but if you have a mature grove it’s a good idea to thin them out by removing anywispy, damaged or dying canes, cutting them off at ground level to avoid leaving ugly stumps. A great way to make the most of the colourful stems is to strip the leaves from the bottom third of plants. Avoid damage by snipping off side branches flush to the cane with secateurs. Don’t worry about the litter of dead leaves that…

MANYyears ago, when I first started growing my own vegetables, I made a long list of plants that I wanted to grow. Somewhere near the top of the roll call were shallots. I’ve long loved their tangy flavour – and the mouthwatering descriptions of varieties in seed catalogues. Shallots are dead easy to grow. Best started from sets, they are essentially small, immature bulbs that can be planted into pots or the ground. If you’ve got a sheltered garden in a milder part of the countryyou can get going now, otherwise it’s best to wait until March. I’m planning on planting a row or two next time I’m at the allotment, but before that I’m putting a few ‘Red Sun’ shallots in a large pot. For a worthwhile crop it’s…

Lavender gift basket £42.95 +£3.95 P&P 01462 421836 gardendivas.co.uk What’s not to love about lavender? This lovely handmade seagrass box has all sorts of scented goodies to satisfy lavender lovers as well as an egg shaped growing kit with lavender seeds, and purple lady gardener gloves made by Briers. Green Fingers Mug £10 +£3.50 P&P (click and collect £2) 03456 049 049 johnlewis.com There’s nothing quite like a warming cuppa from a bone china mug. The pretty gardening illustrations on this one are provided by designer Sophie Allport, while the inside sports the “green fingers” motto. Cocktail Garden Kit  £14.99 FREE P&P 0845 218 0258 plant-theatre.co.uk Specially selected range of seeds for mum to grow, then flavour and garnish drinks created using the recipe…

Write to: Jenny Bagshaw, Amateur Gardening Westover House, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1JG or email: amateurgardening@timeinc.com Our Star Letterwins £40 in National Garden Gift Vouchers; tip of the week, £10; other letters £5 (£10 if we use a photo you’ve sent). Vouchers can be bought and redeemed at over 2,000 UK outlets offering more than 90,000 garden plants and products. Visit thevouchergarden.co.uk for details. Star letter New year, new look WELL done AG, you’ve done it again. Your new look magazine is like a breath of fresh air, sunshine and rainbows all mixed together. I truly liked everything as it was before but somehow you seem to have the magic ingredient to just keep on improving. Amateur Gardening should be prescribed by the NHS, and given to all…

Ornamental grasses Heathers flower alongside grasses like molinia and fescue in their native heathlands, so team summer-flowering heathers up with annual grasses like briza media, lagurus (bunny tail grass) and hordeum (foxtail barley) as well as strappy grasses, like carex and festuca to create an elegant, naturalistic look. The wine-red blooms of autumn heathers, such as Calluna vulgaris ‘Dark Beauty’ and Erica cinerea ‘Velvet Night’ combine beautifully with the green-gold tints of grasses, such as Molinia caerulea. And heathers with red winter foliage (such as Calluna vulgaris ‘Firefly’) are striking with the red-tinted grass Hakonechloa macra. Pines and other evergreens Heathers can look great with dwarf pines (Pinus mugo ‘Ophir’ or ‘Winter Gold’), but go easy on the conifers if you want to avoid that 1970s feel! Also remember that…

I LOVE potatoes, especiallywhen they are home-grown. Nothing beats a bowl of cream-skinned earlies, such as ‘Lady Christl’ to go with the first of the summer’s salads. So I have been ‘chitting’ this year’s early crop, to get them growing as soon as possible. Chitting is when you expose seed potatoes to the light for a fewweeks to encourage a few strong shoots to develop. This helps to shorten the time the tubers spend in the soil. The only potatoes that really need chitting are the first earlies, such as ‘Foremost’ and ‘Charlotte’. Chit them now, and they can be in the ground between March and May, and will be ready to harvest around 13 weeks later. It isn’t essential to chit second earlies, such as ‘Kestrel’ and ‘Yukon Gold’,…

FEBRUARY is a frustrating month for gardeners. Occasionallywe get a glimpse of the sun and a few hours of warmth, but recent gales and storms have sent most of us scuttling back indoors soon after venturing out. So, to lift spirits, I decided to create a spring container – a display that will provide instant impact, and remind us that next month is Easter, the traditional start of the gardening season. It’s easy to make a spring display on a budget. Most garden centres simply cram a few primroses into a pot and plonk a dwarf conifer in the middle. Job done. But add spring bulbs such as narcissus and outdoor hyacinths (circled), plus a bit of evergreen foliage, and you’ll benefit from a displaywith far more interest. As gales…

MY lemon tree spent the winter somewhere light and frost-free, but it hasn’t emerged looking entirely happy. It needed repotting and pruning, so I’ve given it more growing room and some fresh compost to get it growing as light levels rise. February is a good time to prune, so I’ve also cut back two over-long branches by two-thirds, and got rid of a few smaller crossing stems. This should promote healthier, bushy growth. I finally checked for pests. Citruses are susceptible to mealybugs, glasshouse red spider mite and scale insects, so if you see evidence of these, treat them immediately.…

“We grew more than an acre of them” GLADIOLUSwere one of the most popular cut flower crops on the nurserywhere I worked in the 1950s. We grew more than an acre of them – mostly the large flowered cultivars. They were also used to stage commercial displays at flower shows, where a dozen orso spikes would fill a bowl – an area a metre or more square. We enjoyed workingwith them because it was so much quicker to arrange large displays, compared to the more demanding staging of sweet peas and roses. Three methods were used to get a succession of flowering spikes to cut. First, the use of early and late flowering named varieties. Second, planting in succession from late February, every fortnight, through to late May. Then corm…

CLOCHES and soil covers offer a cheap and easyway to warm up the soil by a fewvaluable degrees before you begin sowing. Get them in place now as they take a good fortnight to work. If you sow in rows tunnel cloches are ideal, whereas bell cloches work for smaller plots, or sheet plastic for big areas. There’s no need to spend a fortune – just be inventive. Glass is the costliest material but it captures the most warmth. I recycled old caravan windows on my allotment four years ago and theyworked a treat! Online tutorials showyou how to remove the base of glass demijohns. Clear polythene is cheap to buy but it retains only a little heat. Rigid plastic costs more and insulates better, so spend your moneywisely. Relatively…

IT may still feel cold and uninviting in the garden, but early spring is in evidence and it won’t be long before fruit trees start back into life. Prepare them for the growing season ahead by getting rid of encroaching grass and weeds around the root area. Weeds compete for both nutrients and moisture. Then topdress the same area with well-rotted organic compost or manure. This will provide slow-release goodness, trap moisture and suppress weeds. Also check tree ties and stakes. Loosen any that are too tight, replace rotten stakes and ties, and replace snapped and warped wires and supports on trained fruit trees.…

“Now is a good time to start something unusual from seed” I EXPECT there are many reading this that have tried growing a lemon pip or avocado stone at some point. It’s one of those things you just do. But it’s easy to get disheartened and give up when you realise how long it takes for a lemon to fruit, and that there’s a slim chance of an avocado ever doing so; you think perhaps it was a waste of effort to try. But there are plenty of other unusual plants out there to try. And right now (as we’re at the very beginning of the season) is a good time to start. It could be a plant that has fantastic flowers or foliage, tasty crops or some architectural effect.…

I need advice on growing potatoes for the first time. What’s the risk of blight? Q I want to grow potatoes for the first time, but I’m confused about planting times and varieties. Please could you explain the difference between ‘earlies’, ‘second earlies’ and ‘maincrop’ and suggest reliable varieties. Should I worry about the blight disease everyone talks about? James Turner, Tredegar, South Wales A Blight occurs during damp growing seasons and is difficult to control using chemicals. However, recent development of blight-resistant varieties are helping gardeners to cope with this serious disease. Look out for the Sarpo varieties, such as ‘Sarpo Kifli’, ‘Sarpo Axona’, ‘Sarpo Mira’ and ‘Sarpo Blue Danube’ which are all claimed to have good blight-resistance. Potatoes should be planted from early to late spring. Being frost…

‘Charlotte’ (Second Early). A very popular salad variety for quick boiling and eating hot or cold. This gourmet variety fetches a premium price in the supermarket. Grow your own for less. ‘Carolus’ (Early Maincrop). Smooth skinned yellow tubers. Its floury texture makes it great for roasting, baking and chipping. I really like the flavour and texture of this one. The best I’ve grown. ‘Manitou’ (Maincrop). I’ve used the large red-skinned potatoes for roasting and baking as well as mashing. Produced a high number of extra-large tubers on my plot. Good eelworm resistance in the soil. ‘Sarpo Mira’ (Maincrop). This is the variety for anyone who’s late main crops have been hit by blight in recent years. Cut the foliage down in early September and leave for 3 weeks before harvest.…

Sweet potatoes No earthing up needed. Grow in large containers or under blackweed control fabric in the soil – the extra warmth will boost yields. Andean Yacon Root Firm water-chestnut texture and high liquid content. Use fresh, store, or juice to extract a sweet syrup for use as sugar alternative. NewZealand Yam Red-skinned tubers have a lemony flavour that turns nuttier when cooked. Use the cream flesh raw in salads or boil, bake or fry.…

IMAy have a north-facing back garden, but that doesn’t mean every bit is enveloped in darkness. The very back is bathed in sun for most of the day in summer, so I thought I’d make the most of my miniature sun-trap by growing a fruit tree. To save on space I decided on something that would be happy trained on wires against the wall. Fans, espaliers, cordons and other restricted forms are perfect as they take up very little room at ground level, but still provide plenty of good stuff to eat. I looked at lots of different types of fruit, eventually settling on a fan-trained fig tree. Not only because I like the sweet, sticky fruit, but for its foliage - I can’t think of any other type of…

This collection of fabulous annuals contains all you need to make your beds, borders, patios and baskets look amazing this season. We’ve done the hard work foryou and grown the plants from seed, so all you need to do when your plug plants arrive is pot them up in multipurpose compost and grow them on for planting out in late spring. height: Up to 24in (60cm). spread: Up to 18in (45cm). Buy 6 of anyvariety for £4.99 Buy the Annual ‘Best Value Bumper’ Collection of 72 plugs (6 of each variety) for £19.99 (RRP £71.88) – SAVE £51.89 Verbena ‘Quartz Mixed’ F1 Hybrid - A carefully selected mix of early flowering, brightly coloured verbenas with excellent mildew resistance for a guaranteed long lasting display. Begonia ‘Lotto Mixed’ An exceptionally large…

1 Hellebore The Lenten roses are reliable late winter-flowering perennials. They’re especially valuable for brightening up shady corners. 2 Primroses Available in a host of colours, primroses offer huge flower-power. Dead-head spent blooms regularly to keep more flowers coming. 3 Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete’ My top choice for containers, this RHS Award of Garden Merit variety reaches no more than 8in (20cm) in height. 4 Euonymus ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’ Not a spring plant, but a top choice for foliage interest. I’ve combined it with ivy, to soften the edges of the container.…

IT may not always look like it, but spring is in the air, and plants are preparing to return to growth. The sap is starting to flow again, so this is your last chance to prune deciduous trees and shrubs, and plant bare-root varieties. Many deciduous trees, shrubs and hedges should only be pruned in the winter months when plants are dormant, because if they are cut during the growing season their sappy wounds create an entry point for disease. Similarly, you can only plant bare-root trees when they are dormant, because they don’t like being disturbed when in bud, and beyond. So you only have a couple of weeks left to remove broken, dead, or out-of-place branches on deciduous trees and shrubs. This is also yourlast chance to formatively…

1 Dig overyour chosen seedbed, firm it down again gentlywith your heels and rake it level to remove any stones and large clods of soil. The more you rake, the betteryour seedbed will be. 2 Place your cloche on top of the seedbed. The raking and extra warmth provides any weed seeds with the exact conditions they need to germinate. Leave for two weeks. 3 Remove your cloche and hoe off the weed seedlings, choosing a dry and windy or sunny day. Hoe shallowly so you don’t bring more weed seeds to the surface. You’re now ready to sow.…

I’VE had a disaster with one of my early sowings. You might remember that I started some broad beans a couple of weeks ago outdoors in the soil. To be on the safe side I also sowed some in the greenhouse in large modular trays – but the pesky mice have found them! Furry and cute these little rodents might be, but they also have a voracious appetite for large seeds such as peas and beans, so I also need to protect my early pea sowings. You can set nasty traps that kill, but I prefer the humane ones so have laid half a dozen around the greenhouse. If I catch any, I’ll let them go in the field next door where hopefully they’ll cause less mischief!…

Once all the seedlings have been repotted, move them to a heated greenhouse or a warm light room, with a constant temperature of 16-18°C (60-64°F). 1 The seeds I sowed earlier this year have germinated and are ready for pricking out. The same technique applies to other seedlings, such as toms and aubergines. 2 Fill the required number of 3in (7cm) pots with good quality multipurpose or John Innes No 1 compost, and water them well using a can with a fine rose. 3 Very carefully lift a seedling rootball from the seedtray using a thin stick, dibber or plant label. Hold the seedling by a leaf, not the plant’s delicate stem. 4 Make a deep hole in the dampened compost in each pot, and gently lower the seedling’s rootball…

YOU can see magpies all over the UK, apart from north and northwest Scotland and associated islands. According to the RSPB, which carries out regular bird counts, there are more than 600,000 breeding pairs across the country. However, the reputation of this bird goes before it. While it does have a kind of exotic charm, the image most people have is that of a squawking bully, a sneaky thief and, most heinous of all, a killer of babies. Like other members of the crow family, a magpie will take eggs and nestlings. But while other birds have always formed a part of the magpie’s diet, it has never been proven that this has played a significant role in the fall in numbers of bird populations, such as songbirds. Safe to…

1 For early flowers, sow now but make a main sowing in April. Fill a wide, shallow pot with seed compost and tamp the surface gently. Water using a fine ‘rose’ on the can and let it soak in. 2 Space the seeds out over the surface of the compost, thinly and evenly. Then scatter compost over to cover the seeds by their own size. Press very lightly to firm in. 3 Place in warmth to germinate at 15-18°C (60-65°F). Transplant seedlings singly to 3.5in (9cm) pots. You can sink any leggy seedlings almost up to their leaves at this stage.…

• Earlies are the first new potatoes of the season. They mature in 100-110 days, have thin skins but don’t store well. Plant from mid-March to late-May. Tubers should be spaced 12in (30cm) apart, in rows that are 20-24in (50-60cm) apart. Harvest from late-May into July. The varieties ‘Swift’, ‘Red Duke of York’ (above) ‘Maris Bard’, ‘Rocket’, ‘Arran Pilot’, ‘Foremost’, ‘Accent’ and ‘Mozart’ are good. • Second earlies mature in about 110-120 days and generally grow larger than earlies. Most store well. Plant from mid-March to the end of April. Tubers should be spaced 14in (35cm) apart, in rows 30in (75cm) apart. Harvest from mid–July to the end of September or early October. Second earlyvarieties include ‘Maris Peer’, ‘Hunter’, ‘Kestrel’, ‘Lady Balfour’ and ‘Estima’(pictured, above). • Maincrop spuds mature in…

GARDENERS at Cornwall’s Eden Project were shocked when Mediterranean plants burst into bloom outdoors – at the start of February. The Canary Island foxglove (Isoplexis canariensis) which usually flowers in late-spring or early-summer, is already in bloom at Eden’s outdoor gardens. It is joined by hooded yellow flowers of Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa, pictured) and blooms of Purple-Flowered Rock Rose (Cistus x purpureus), both of which would normally flower during summer. Eden horticulturist Julie Kendall said: “This is the most unusual early-flowering activity we’ve seen in the 15 years since the Eden Project opened.”…

1 Spread some multi-purpose compost in the base of your window box. If the container has a single hole in the base then add a layer of crocks to the bottom to improve drainage. 2 Remove plants from pots and place into the windowbox - it’s easier to start in the centre and work outwards. Add more compost to the base if you need to elevate smaller specimens. 3 Once happywith the arrangement, fill the gaps with compost and firm each plant in place. Waterwell, but avoid washing out compost, then place on your chosen window ledge.…

YOU’D never guess that the grey sandstone patio and paving in my garden was laid last October. Back then it looked so good that neighbours on both sides paid me complements. I can’t imagine theywould make similar remarks today. In a little over four months, an ugly layer of greenish algae mixed with grime has steadily built up on the surface. Apart from looking unsightly, this filthy coating makes the slabs slippery, and dangerous to walk on in wet weather. In the past the only solution would have been to spend hours on your hands and knees scrubbing away at the ground with a brush. What a backbreaking chore that would have been, so thank heavens for the invention of the pressure washer. These timesaving gadgets will shift dirt in…

LAWNS need feeding and from time to time may also require seed to repair bare patches and to thicken up the sward. For accurate placement of fertiliser and seed it’s best to use a spreader. Broadcast types spin their contents out in a wide arc, covering the area quickly but requiring care to ensure no areas are overlapped or missed Howeverwe’ve gone for the pushalong, drop models where materials fall through an aperture in the base, making it easier to spread a uniform application of either fertiliser or seeds. In order to save time repeatedly filling the hopper, choose one with a capacity that reflects the size of your lawn. Tip: Always empty the hopper after use, rinse with cold water and wipe completely dry before storing. Cobra HS30 £29.99…

Cotinus coggygria Both the green and purple leaved varieties of the smoke bush produce vigorous shoots with very large, palm sized leaves when cut back hard in spring. Catalpa The huge heart- shaped leaves of both golden and purple varieties of Indian bean tree make bold features when pollarded, and ideal partners for tall grasses like Molinia caerula. Cornus The stems of Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ (red) and Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’ (bright yellow) cheer up winter months. Cornus alba ‘Aurea’ has lovely yellow leaves in summer. Sambucus ‘Black Beauty’ The pretty pink flowers on this dark-leaved elderberry are produced on new shoots, but leaving some shoots unpruned will give more flowers. Salix alba ‘Britzensis’ A bit of a mouthful to pronounce but probably the brightest and best of all…

Erica x darleyensis ‘Kramer’s Rote’ Coppery green foliage smothered in bold magenta flowers from December to May. Will grow in any free-draining soil H. 13in (35cm). Erica x darleyensis ‘White Perfection’ Erect stems of pure white flowers from December to April. Will grow in any free-draining soil in full sun. H. 13in (35cm). Erica carnea ‘Foxhollow’ Golden-green foliage blushes copper in winter; between January and April, it produces delicate pink flowers. Happy in any soil pH. H. 4in (10cm). Calluna vulgaris ‘Firefly’ Pink flowers in late summer, but also grown for its bronze foliage which takes on fiery shades of orange-red in winter. Needs acid soil. H. 5in (15cm). Erica ‘Ghost Hills’…

Erica cinerea ‘Eden Valley’ This floppy, prostrate bell heather would suit a cottage garden. Lavender-pink and white flowers persist from June to September above green foliage. Prefers acid, well-drained soil in sun. H. 7in (20cm). Erica vagans ‘Mrs D F Maxwell’ This fabulous Cornish heath produces cheery pink flowers from mid-summer atop dark green foliage. Plant in free-draining acid or slightly alkaline soil. H. 9in (25cm). Calluna vulgaris ‘Silver Queen’ This gorgeous heather has evergreen downy-silver foliage all year round and lavender flowers in late summer and autumn. Grow in acid soil. H. 15in (40cm). Calluna vulgaris ‘County Wicklow’ Generous, double, light pink blooms coat the green foliage of this pretty, compact Irish variety, from late summer into October. Prefers acidic well-drained…