Innholdsfortegnelse for 05-mar-16 i Amateur Gardening

OK, I give up. Damping-off disease will just have to take its course, wiping out my seedlings as it pleases. I used to rely on a light spray of Cheshunt Compound, which was very effective, but that got banned. So I turned to Bayer Fruit & Vegetable Disease Control, which was once accredited for use against damping off – then the accreditation got dropped (I only learned of this after moaning at one of the AG staff for failing to mention it in a story). There is now no accredited chemical control for damping off – and it’s been bad this year in the cool, moist conditions. I considered trying organic alternatives – even making my own. I’m a real fan of money saving, effective home-made remedies for gardening problems.…

1 Place the plants on the planting area, still in their pots, until you have awellspaced arrangement you are happywith. 2 While the plants are having a good drink, dig a hole the depth, and twice as wide, as the plant’s potted rootball. 3 Tap the plant from its pot, and tease out the roots by placing your thumbs in the rootball and pulling gently outwards. 4 Plant the perennial, and infill with excavated soil, firming it gently as you go to give support. Water well. Use a board:Whenever you need to step onto border soil, stand on a plankto avoid compacting soil and damaging its structure.…

• Leaf mould: Well-rotted leaf mould conditions soil. It improves structure, retains moisture, aids drainage. • Make compost: Collect kitchen scraps, veg peelings, and green garden waste and make compost from it. • Feed the soil: Well-rotted manure and garden compost feeds soil, boosting structure and water retention. • Grow green manures: Great fertiliser for veg plots. Dig them into the soil as young plants, before planting crops.…

TUBEROUS begonias are the unsung heroes of summer gardens. Cheap to buy and remarkably easy to grow, they reward us with a riot of colour from June to October. They’re perfect for hanging baskets, window boxes and containers in sun or partial shade. Recent breeding developments have led to new trailing and scented varieties, too. Turn back the clock by a decade, however, and these tender perennials were firmly out of fashion. It wasn’t until Busy Lizzie downy mildewwiped out bedding impatiens across the UK that gardeners started looking for alternatives with similar levels of flower power. Tubers can be started in March and April. Traditional advice taught us to coax tubers into growth in groups in trays of compost, but I find starting them in individual pots (right) saves…

Once your seedling climbers are successfully potted up, place a slim support in each pot, and gently tie plants to them as they grow taller. 1 My morning glories germinated and grew happily on a warm windowsill. They are ready to be pricked out before they succumb to damping off. 2 Fill 3in (7.5cm) pots with John Innes No 1, dampen the compost, and make deep holes in the centre to take the seedlings’ growing roots. 3 Gently lift a seedling rootball from the compost using the sharp end of a plant label. Carefully hold a leaf to support the plant, avoiding its delicate stem. 4 Pop the roots and lower stem in the hole in the compost, and lightly tamp down the compost around the stem, to support the…

STRAWBERRIES are the quintessential summer fruit and, luckily for us, are easy to grow. All they need for a successful crop is sunshine, fertile, well-drained soil and shelter from strong winds. Avoid planting them in soil previously used for growing potatoes, tomatoes or chrysanthemums, as they are all prone to the disease Verticillium wilt, a common soil-borne fungal disease. Strawberries are happy in most soils, as long as it is not waterlogged. Prepare a bed in the garden by thoroughly weeding the area, then enriching the soil by digging in lots of well-rotted organic material – garden compost or manure. Strawberry plants have a lifespan of five to six years. However they should be replaced after three years as their yield will fall off dramatically. Pests and diseases can build…

THERE’S all manner of myths about the germination needs of parsley – I won’t tell you what my grandma used to do to her seeds! Essentially, it takes a long time to germinate, especially in cold soils. Fill a small pot with good seed compost, water well and allow to drain. Space seeds about 1in (2.5cm) apart across the surface, and cover with just a dusting of sieved compost. This plant really benefits from a heated propagator or a cloched pot on a warm windowsill. Keep compost just moist – never dry, never water logged (the main causes of failure). Instead, apply patience as germination can take over a month.…

I’M a firm believer that any effort put into your garden in the spring pays for itself ten times over come the summer. We all hate chasing our tail, so ensure your plot is a haven of calm rather than a source of anxiety by putting in a few well-spent hours now. While this advice is for fruit trees and bushes, it applies to all areas of bare earth that don’t get regularly dug over. Leave such patches be and come summer they’ll be covered in a rash of weeds. Apply a 2in (5cm) thick organic mulch, however, and the roots will be cooled, nourished and insulated, while troublesome weeds will be smothered out. Well-rotted garden compost is ideal. It’s a ten-minute task that saves hours of frustration. Wait till…

ROBINS, thrushes and blackbirds are familiar sights and sounds in our gardens pretty much all-year-round. But with March underway we can now start to listen out for migratory songbirds – those birds that fly into Britain from the south, to share the warmest months of the year with us. The chiffchaff is one of the first to arrive. You may just catch a few notes of this little warbler’s distinctive song, but not see it straightaway as it’s difficult to spot high up in tall trees where, as an insect-eater, it forages for food at the ends of branches. After a winter spent in West Africa, or around the western fringes of the Mediterranean, the chiffchaff’s first priority after the long flight is to feed itself. But as time goes…

1 Using a fine seed compost (I add a little sharp sand and vermiculite to mine), fill a half seed tray and firm gently for a smooth surface. Then water softly using a rose on the can. 2 Tap the packet to scatter thinly, or sow by hand. Half-cover with a light scattering of compost, then a dusting of vermiculite and press softly. Keep the seeds warm at 15-18o C (60-65o F). 3 After germination, cool seedlings off gradually and transplant promptly – carve a ‘V’ at the tip of a stick to hold the seedling while pricking out. Set them grid-fashion, 1.5in (4cm) apart in a tray.…

THERE are few plants that can beat buddlejas when it comes to attracting butterflies in summer. We have many specimens in the garden. The common B. davidii types flower on the ends of the current season’s growth. For this reason pruning should be done in mid-February or March. Cut plants back to about 12in. (30cm) from the soil, cutting just above a leaf node. However B. alternifolia flowers on growth made in the previous year, so don’t make the mistake of pruning them hard back now. Instead remove any dead or damaged wood and prune by a third after flowering in the summer. As for my favourite, Buddleja globosa, this should only require deadheading after flowering. However, if your plant is bare at the bottom cut a couple of the…

THE garden is waking up and every day I spot another much welcome flower. Snowdrops are joined by primulas, eranthus and crocus whilst the winter-flowering shrubs – daphne, Cornus mas and hamamellis fill the airwith scent. When the garden opens in April we avoid cutting flowers, apart from sweet peas of course. So, at this time I enjoy making little posies for the house, gathering stems as long as possible of Cornus mas, eranthus, cardamine, snowdrops and Crocus ‘Golden Yellow’ for my creation this week (right). Better late than never IN an ideal world the vigorous parthenocissus (Virginia creeper) should be pruned in winter. However, with the excuse of having four acres to look after, I’m pruning it a little late. With fast-growing plants such as this it’s a case…

1 Use secateurs to remove dead flower stems at the base of the plant - do this promptly unless you want them to set seed. 2 Don’t let your hellebore dry out – particularly in its first summer; water if necessary during prolonged periods of drought. 3 Scatter a general fertiliser round the plant in late summer and mulch, but take care not to cover the plant’s crown. 4 Remove the leaves of H. x hybridus in December, to reduce the risk of black spot taking hold and to show off the flowers better.…

GARDENERS will be able to nosey around Prince Charles’s private organic gardens at Highgrove in Gloucestershire. Charity Hospitality Action will host the tour on 28 April, taking in features such as the kitchen garden, wildflower meadow and stumpery. A spokeswoman said: “This is a perfect time to experience an array of spring flowers. No two years are ever the same at Highgrove, and the tour will reveal a host of garden joys.” Tickets include a champagne reception and a three-course lunch at Calcot Manor. Last year’s tour sold out and raised £11,000 for Hospitality Action. The tour is not related to a new show called Highrove: The Garden Celebrated (11-16 April) featured in AG, 27 February. Tickets for the one-day tour cost £95. Call (020) 3004 5516 or go to…

it’S official – spring has sprung early in the south west this year, but it’s not going to be a record-breaker. Sixty three per cent more plants were in bloom on the annual Valentine’s Day count, which is carried out at gardens across Devon and Cornwall. Back in 2008, 3,335 plants were in bloom across the two counties on 14 February, making it the earliest spring recorded since the flower count started in 2006. this year, 2,644 plants were recorded flowering in gardens across the south west: fewer than in 2008, but more than the 1,622 that were in bloom in 2015. the mild winter, and record-breaking rainfall in December, confused plants. Daffodils appeared with snowdrops and even a few bluebells burst into bloom early.…

Gladiolus murielae A wonderful late-summersurprise with manywhite dark-eyed starry scented flowers on each 3ft (90cm) stem. Plant this one at the beginning of Maywhen the ground has warmed. Gladiolus tristis Large creamy greenish-yellow flowers in April/May. Each slender stem reaching 3ft (90cms) bears at least half a dozen flowers. Should be hardy in the south. Wonderful scent in the evenings. Gladiolus communis subsp. byzantinus Plant the corms in clumps in any sunny spot for deep magenta early summer flowers on stems 20ins (60cm) tall that will last forweeks and return next year. Gladiolus papilio ‘Ruby’ Clusters of rich red flowers that reach about 3ft (90 cms) in late summer and early autumn. A relatively new introduction and one of the more pricey glads, but several corms will soon…

BELL cloches will protect tender plants from the ravages of the weather, and help to bring on young plants by providing extra warmth before the temperature starts to soar. They come in all shapes and sizes, so we’re trying a selection. To give an idea of scale, all the cloches are covering the same primula in a 3½in (9cm) pot. Be aware that traditional glass and lantern cloches don’t have anyventilation, so on a warm day you’ll need to prop one side on a stone or piece of stick to let some air in underneath. Victorian Lantern Cloche £39.99 +£4.99 delivery 01344 578111 crocus.co.uk Features Ten-sided lantern cloche made from a bronze-patinated brass frame inset with glass panels. Large carry ring on the top. Needs propping to vent.…

Write to: Jenny Bagshaw, Amateur Gardening Westover House, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1JG or email: amateurgardening@timeinc.com Our Star Letter wins £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 Hooray for Peter! PLEASE don’t revamp Peter Seabrook! He’s correct about every aspect of his gardening and his article ‘Clean As You Grow’ (AG 6 Feb) had me cheering. Some years ago a very snotty woman, who thought she was God’s gift to gardening informed me that I wasn’t a ‘true gardener’ as I had clean nails – hers were black…

WHILE growing plants from seeds is satisfying and can make good economic sense, when time is against you – and you don’t fancy yourwindowsills and greenhouse filling up with seedlings - the only option is to buy ready-grown plants. Herbaceous perennials are the ideal candidates for injecting long-term colour into garden borders They bring flowers and structure to beds (and containers), and because most of them are hardy, they are extremely low maintenance. Leave them in the ground all year, and they die back in winter to return, often bigger and better, the following spring. There are loads of different perennials to choose from, so do your homework first, to avoid buying too many plants, orvarieties that don’t suit your soil or planting scheme. Don’t restrict yourself to summer flowering…

• For the best results, keep new plants well-watered, especially in the first year. Make sure the ground is damp, but not waterlogged, and avoid wetting foliage if possible. • If you prepared the ground well, feeding will only be necessary each spring – a balanced granular feed such as blood, fish and bonemeal. • Stake tall perennials as they grow, to prevent stems weakening and snapping in high winds.…

“Healthy soil is the heart of successful organic gardening” Make compost Your compost heap is key to successful organic gardening. Load it up with green garden waste, shredded woody prunings, kitchen waste and torn up cardboard to get a healthy, rich mix to add to your borders. Make time for a brew Teas make with nettles or comfrey are packed with nutrients. Nettle tea can be sprayed as a foliar feed, and wilted comfrey leaves are added to soil when growing tomatoes as a potassium-rich fertiliser. Protect yourplants Instead of using chemicals to zap pests – and the beneficial bugs caught in the crossfire – use microscopic nematodes to target specific pests. Use barriers such as netting to keep out butterflies and pigeons. Crop rotation Careful crop rotation helps prevent…

• How many times have your carefully nurtured seedlings suddenly keeled over and died? This is damping off, a soil-borne fungal disease sometimes accompanied by a white, fluffy mould. • It affects seedlings grown in greenhouses or on windowsills, especially in early spring, when light levels and temperatures are low. • Help prevent it by always using clean seed trays and fresh, good quality seed compost, and fresh tap water. Sow seeds thinly to avoid overcrowding, and ventilate well. There is no chemical treatment for damping off.…

Keeping pests away from tree fruit Take a few minutes to check the grease bands you applied to fruit trees back in the autumn. The bands help keep trees free from infestation by winter month caterpillars, including the mottled umber moth, winter moth and March moth. The wingless females emerge from pupae in the ground and climb the trees to lay their eggs. The caterpillars eat the leaves between March and June. Grease bands will not protects against codling moth and plum moth, which produce fruit-eating caterpillars. These must be controlled separately using different products.…

1 First take out any very old growth to soil level, as this will be the least fruitful. If plant is less than four years old you can probably skip this. Also cut out any dieback into healthy wood. 2 Next, remove weak stems that dangle on the ground. Berries on such shoots get dirty or nibbled by pests. Also cut back damaged growth to healthy side shoots. 3 Finally, shorten congested growth to well-placed side shoots. Cut back over-vigorous stems by half to a healthy bud to encourage side shoots. Keep stems with the most fat fruit buds.…

ALTHOUGH my exhibition onion seedlings are still merrily growing away in the greenhouse, I’m also a big eater of onions – most nights I cook one or two to add their savory/sweet flavour to our main meal. Shallots, too, are popped whole into casseroles, so it’s without fail that I grow them each year. Sets (tiny bulbs) are by far the easiest way to start things off – I’m growing onions ‘Hercules’ and ‘Red Baron’ plus shallot ‘Golden Gourmet’ – all RHS Award of Garden Merit Winners and reliable favourites. Choose a sunny spot to aid a good skin set, and clear weeds from the site as both crops hate competition. Set them in a grid pattern roughly 8in (20cm) apart each way, gently pressing them into freshly dug soil…

• 4-5 March: West Cornwall Spring Show (magnolias and camellias), Marazion Community Centre, Marazion, TR17 0HW; wchs.co.uk • 5-6 March: Orchid Festival, Burton Agnes Gardens, Driffield, YO25 4NB; 01262 490324; burtonagnes.com • 6 March: Spring walk, Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens, Kelmarsh, Northants NN6 9LY; 01604 686543; kelmarsh.com • 6 March: Plant and Gardening Fair, Forde Abbey, Chard, Somerset TA20 4LU; 01460 220231; fordeabbey.co.uk • 7 March: Introduction to Organic Gardening, Barnsdale Gardens, The Avenue, Exton, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 8AH; 01572 813 200; barnsdalegardens.co.uk • 11-13 March: Edible Gardening Show, National Agricultural Centre, Stoneleigh Park, Coventry CV8 2LG; 0871 230 3451; ediblegardenshow.co.uk • 12 March: Charity Plant Fair for Dorset Wildlife Trust, Digby Hall, Digby Road, Sherborne, Dorset; 01460 242620; plantfairs.com • Please check that the event is still going ahead…

WELL over 20 years ago my uncle built his own lean-to greenhouse against a south-facing wall. In late spring and summer it is home to fuchsias and begonias. These favoured plants spend the winter in the cellar and will be moved back to the greenhouse in April. Throughout the winter the space remains empty, so it’s an ideal time to give it a good clean – if you use your greenhouse to store pots and compost you’ll have a bigger job on your hands. The main reason for cleaning a greenhouse is to remove over-wintering pests and diseases that are lurking around and clean the glass to let in more light. A bucket of warm soapywater and a sponge is all you need. Be careful when washing glass if it’s…

Climbers can enrich any bare wall, fence, frontage or unsightly feature. With beautifully elongated branches, flowering climbers enhance the structure of your garden, bringing bright sparks of colour to the dullest of corners. LATHYRUS LATIFOLIUS These vivid, reliable and easy to grow perennial plants will scramble up trellis or through a shrub providing a bright burst of charming colour. They also provide you with armfuls of cut flowers to have in your home all summer long. Being leguminous, they even put nitrogen back into the soil which benefits surrounding plants too. Prefers well-drained soil in sun or part shade. Height 1.8m (6'). Fully hardy perennials. Supplied as young plants from April onwards. A. Red Pearl 5 plants YP49-AG £16.00 B. Pink Pearl 5 plants YP50-AG £16.00 C. White Pearl 5…

Will my grapefruit produce fruit? Q I have been growing a grapefruit from a pip planted some 10 years ago. How can I get it to fruit and flower? Simon Lander (via email) A Firstly, correct and regular feeding is vital. In summer, citrus plants benefit from a fertiliser that is high in nitrogen to encourage healthy growth and attractive foliage, and in winter a monthly foliar feed that is more balanced to maintain leaf colour and encourage flowers. Young citrus roots can be scorched by excessive amounts of fertiliser, so either water in the fertilizer well, or use a foliar feed for young plants. Secondly, make sure your plant has a winter – but not too cold, and no lower than 10°C. Move it to a cool, well-lit room…

Morning glory Captivating twiner, plant in June in a sunny site. Ipomoea ‘Heavenly Blue’ is sky blue, ‘Carnevale di Venezia’ comes with blue or pink stripes. Soak the seeds overnight before sowing. Chilean glory flower Eccremocarpus has eye-catching flame-orange tubular flowers – great for hot, tropical schemes or simply adding an unexpected flash of colour. Asarina The climbing snapdragon! This sophisticated climber has foxglove-like flowers that come in purple, lilac, red or white and heart-shaped leaves. Nasturtium Easy and vigorous, and the seedlings grow quickly. Seeds are unusually large. Less rampageous types include ‘Jewel of Africa’ and the dainty canary creeper (Tropaeolum). Cup and saucer vine Cobaea scandens is a showy climber with large bell-shaped ‘cup and saucer’ flowers. Sow seeds on their side. Germination takes about a month.…

THOMPSON & Morgan has launched mixed veg seed variety packets – following a change in EU regulations. Since Britain joined the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1973, rules have prevented seed suppliers putting more than one variety in the same veg packet. F1 hybrid varieties Now, following a “relaxing of EU regulations,”T&M has introduced All Season Collections. Each is made up of several F1 hybrid varieties that “can be sown in one hit but crop at different times, to give a harvest window of up to 40 weeks”. It includes leek, sweet corn and Brussels sprouts collections. Prices start at £2.99. Go to thompson-morgan.com.…

CAERHAYS Castle and Gardens in Cornwall has won the 2016 Garden of the YearAward, sponsored by the Historic Houses Association and Christie’s. the historic pile, famed for its views over the English Channel, has 120-acres of gardens and Grade ii-listed parkland. Plant-hunters have brought back Chinese rhododendrons, camellias, azaleas and acers to the estate – which is one of only four gardens in Britain to hold a National Collection of Magnolias, boasting 72 species. Go to Caerhays.co.uk for more.…

Kneelo pad £14.95 Burgon & Ball from John Lewis stores johnlewis.com There’s no way you’ll loose this garden helper in the beds and borders. Made of memory foam with a neoprene waterproof protective covering these knee pads provide all the support and comfort needed when tackling close-up work. Pocket apron £35+ £5.95 P&P  020 7494 3662 urbanaprons.co.uk Jeans are renowned for being hard wearing, so this quarter style apron, made from red cotton denim is ideal for outdoors and can be popped in the washing machine after use. It’s got five useful pockets for carrying hand tools and accessories and is 16 1/2 in (42cm) long. Bird house £16.99 + £3.99 P&P 0800 6444 322 gardenbird.co.uk Make it a red letter day for all your garden…

“They have a boomerang-like ability to come back” I CAN tell it’s time to cut the spent tops off last years’ flowers when the weather-white stems become so brittle they blow into the house. This year though, I knew something had to be done when, unwittingly, I walked to work with a fluffy sheath of elephant grass sticking out the top of my boot! It was quite literally the last straw. When giving any dormant perennial its late-winter haircut, it pays to remove the tawny stems as close to ground level as possible, even if it means the odd new green shoot also gets the chop. Don’t be deceived by their delicate appearance: herbaceous perennials are much tougher than they look, and they possess a boomerang-like ability to come back…

IT is no secret that the widespread use of agricultural and horticultural chemicals pose a threat to our native wildlife and insects. For this reason, many gardeners are choosing to grow their plants and crops using as few chemicals as possible. Going completely organic involves every part of the gardening process, which takes up more time than many people have. But there are many things you can do to reduce your use of chemicals, and every little bit helps. Disease-resistant varieties of plants and crops are increasingly available, as are chemical-free biological pest controls. Organic fertilisers have long been a part of the gardeners’ armoury. First job for the organic gardener is to develop and maintain healthy soil. Second is the consistent care of plants – watering regularly; removing dead,…

1. Work with your garden. Choose plants that grow happily in your soil. Think about the garden’s aspect, levels of sunlight and rainfall, and the direction of the prevailing wind. 2. If you have room, keep a couple of chickens. They gobble up pests, fertilise the ground – and will provide you with eggs most of the year. 3. Companion planting may keep pests away from crops and plants. Lavender planted near roses is said to keep greenfly away (it worked for me!). Nigella attracts pest-eating lacewing flies, so grow them near crops.…

IF YOU have been overwintering tender plants in a greenhouse or conservatory, and growing seeds under glass, in a coldframe or on a windowsill indoors, this is a key time in their care. Seedlings need pricking out, watering, and checking they are not falling foul (literally!) of damping off. Plug plants can be grown on in the greenhouse, prior to being hardened off before being planted out. Keep an eye on greenhouse plants such as begonias and gloxinias. Check they are pest and disease-free, pot them on if they are looking cramped. And don’t forget to open your greenhouse door on warm, sunny days!…

RECYCLING green waste that would otherwise go to landfill sites, makes sense on its own – no overflowing, smelly refuse bins, and a nice smug sense of ‘doing the right thing’ by making compost. Add to that what you’d spend to buy bagged compost to mulch garden borders in spring, and you’ll see it’s good for both the environment and for your pocket. I have two Dalek plastic compost bins in the back garden. Into these over a six month period go all kitchen scraps and most of the prunings, clippings and dead plants from our small garden. It’s staggering how much material you can feed into these bins providing you give it time to rot down. This is the time of year when compost makers get payback. Digging out…

IT’S March! Thank goodness for that. Long-awaited spring is firmly here and I intend to fully embrace it. . Getting the asparagus bed ready, starting off yet more delicious veg and thwarting troublesome weeds are on this week’s to-do list. A favourite job of mine is pruning blueberries, which I’m completing step-by-step for you. You can do this job in winter but it can be helpful to delay until early spring. By waiting till the buds swell you can spot any dieback that might have occurred and easily identify the plump fruit buds from the flatter leafy ones. Then it’s just a case of cutting out older unproductive growth and retaining stems that carry the fattest buds. Roll on summer when these have developed into delicious ebony berries!…

WE always want more of what we can’t have, which is the secret of asparagus’s popularity. It takes well over a year before you can harvest your first spears, and even then, you can only cut them for eight to ten weeks of the year – no wonder it leaves us hungry for next spring! If you’re new to asparagus you can plant crowns around now in early March. Choose a weed-free site as plants crop for twenty years or more so appreciate clean soil. Fan out the finger-like crowns under 4in (10cm) of earth. Raise the soil up into ridges if you’re on a heavy, waterlog-prone plot. Don’t cut spears from new crowns in their first year – wait till the second when you can harvest a light crop.…

IS ELDOM visit the flower section of a supermarket. The bunches of blooms that look good today but die so quickly after, always seem a bit pricey to me. But my wife buys supermarket flowers – she was one day as I stood by guarding the trolley. While she chatted to the cashier I noticed a stack of black buckets beside her with a bright yellow price card saying ‘8 for £1’. I worked out these were the containers the flower bunches on display stand in. Apparently the flowers arrive in these buckets, which are then sold off cheaply just to get rid of them. These buckets are fairly big containers – the equivalent plastic pots from the garden centre would cost much more. Admittedly a proper pot would be…

LAST year I bought five auriculas from the local British Red Cross Spring Gardening Event (this year being held at Newport House, Herefordshire, 27 April). That impulse buy has resulted in a new and rather impressive auricula theatre being built here at Stockton Bury Gardens. For success with auriculas they need to be protected from the elements and in shade - hence the use of these mini ‘theatres’. If you’re tempted to grow them look for an old book shelf at a car boot sale and it’ll make a perfect auricula theatre. I have since ordered more plants from specialists Drointon Nurseries ( 01765 641849 / auricula.plants.co.uk). Drointon treat their compost, so plants should be protected from the dreaded vine weevil for 12 months. The nursery suggested unpacking the plants…

H . x hybridus ‘Ashwood Sunrise’ Peach colouring through the tepals, and golden nectaries highlighted by a beautiful red flush. Some have the most exquisite delicate spotting. H 10-12in (25-30cm). H. ‘Anna’s Red’ An evergreen hellebore bearing red flowers from February to April. In spring attractive marbled foliage emerges with pink flushes. H 10-12in (25-30cm). H . niger ‘Double’ The fantastic ruffled petals are pure white and shine out against the rich green leaves from December to March. H 12in (30cm). H . x ericsmithii ‘Ruby Glow’ Clusters of flowers on red stems opening pale-pink, maturing rich, deep pink, from January to April, above a mound of attractive veined foliage. H 16in (40cm). H . x…

It really is a treat to indulge yourself with cut flowers. Place in a vase to create a focal point, enhancing your surroundings and crafting a space of natural beauty. GALLERY LUPINS Gallery Lupins grow to only 24" (60cm) so are perfect for smaller gardens. They are incredibly easy to grow, fragrant and very tolerant of poor soil, being able to self-fertilise the ground whilst they mature. Finally, they require no staking as the foliage is full, neat and compact. Fully hardy perennial. Supplied as young plants from April onwards. 6 plants YP60-AG £6.00 18 plants YP61-AG £14.00 DAHLIA HONKA FRAGILE Stunning airy blooms with curled petals of bright white, with a fine cerise outline. With an appearance of shining stars, they will light up your gardens from late summer…

Follow Christine’s expert tips • Growers keep glasshouses spotless, to avoid pest outbreaks. Give greenhouses a scrub. Use a plant label to scrape muck from between glass overlaps. • For good germination, growers use professional grade growing media. So always buy a quality seed compost. Don’t be tempted to use old leftovers for seeds. • Prick-out seedlings on time, so they don’t become leggy. If left in seed trays for too long they compete for light and nutrients, leading to weaker plants. • To prevent damping off, don’t over-water. Keep greenhouses ventilated on warm days, but keep a close watch on night temperatures. Protect from frost.…

Along path edges Let nasturtium sprawl out onto gravel paths, just like Monet did at Giverny. Up fences Any annual climber will grow up a fence, given support like trellis, chicken mesh or wire. Through hedges and shrubs Break up large expanses of evergreens by allowing annual climbers like Tropaeolum speciosum to cling to them. Growing up canes in pots An easy way to add height to a patio. Create a wigwam of canes in a pot and grow black-eyed Susan (pictured) or any other climbing annuals up them. Trailing from pots As well as training annual climbers up supports you can let them tumble over the edges of pots, too. Nasturtium, (yellow flowers in picture), are ideal for this.…

• The quickest and often best way to clear spent flower stems is to snap the old stems off at ground level. Sometimes you can do this by gently treading on them with your gardening boots. If the stems are softer and more pliable, use sharp secateurs to cut away the tops. • After pruning, mulch around the crown and if new growth is already showing, scatter a few organic slug pellets among them to protect the young buds. • I chop pruned flower stems up into 4in (10cm) sections with a spade before putting on my compost heap (above). The more bruised and battered they are, the quicker beneficial bacteria inside the heap get to work and break them down.…