Innholdsfortegnelse for 8 August 2015 i Amateur Gardening

WHAT’S NOT to like about wildlife gardening? It’s open door, live-and-let-live approach, oozingly organic and eco-friendly, has a very cosy glow. Yet most of us are selective about the kinds of wildlife we wish to encourage: colourful birds with an uplifting song; amusing frogs; helpful bees; endearing hedgehogs; pretty butterflies. Delightful they are... but there are lots of other wild creatures that the average gardener may not warm to: wasps, spiders, rats, fleas, ants, mosquitoes, maggots, slugs. Most of us ‘deal with’ these undesirables rather than welcoming them, but they’re all part of the rich tapestry that makes up a garden eco-system. There’s not much fluffy and cuddly about the world of wildlife – it is brutal, even horrifying to animals like us that live in a structured, protected and…

GIVE YOUR tomatoes a boost with Gro-Sure Tomato Food, a liquid fertiliser packed with nutrients including potash, magnesium and seaweed. It is simple to measure out each dose, and easy to use. We have five 1-litre bottles to give away. To enter the draw, send your name and address on the back of a postcard to Tomato Food Draw, Amateur Gardening, Westover House, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1JG. Or email your details to ag_giveaway@timeinc.com , heading the email Tomato Food Draw. The closing date is: 12 August, 2015.…

‘GOOD’ INSECTS: Grow bee-friendly plants in sunny, sheltered areas. Use insecticides sparingly, and place bug hotels somewhere sheltered and under protective foliage. Find out more at RHS.org.uk HEDGEHOGS: Help hedgehogs by leaving an area of garden to grow wild. Cut a CD-size hole in your fence to create a ‘hedgehog corridor’; Leave out saucers of water when the weather is dry, and put out a little cat or dog food for them to eat. See britishhedgehogs.org.uk for details. AMPHIBIANS: Frogs, toads and slow worms are all welcome garden visitors and residents. If you have a pond, make sure frogs and toads can get in and out easily and have places to hide. Slow worms will live happily in compost heaps, and sunbathe in warm areas.…

WE DON’T like accidents in the AG office, so when editor’s PA Jenny Bagshaw had a painful encounter with the towering, prickly cacti on my desk last autumn, I was ordered to remove the offending plants from the office before they caused a serious breach of health and safety. While Jenny used tweezers to remove the cacti spines from her arm, my plants were evicted and spent winter in my cool, but frost-free, conservatory, where they are now happily tolerating the stifling summer heat. It was only when watering them last week that I noticed the plastic pots they sit in had become brittle – an indication that they hadn’t been re-potted for some time. I last remember re-potting them at horticultural college, which means they must have sat in…

• Downy mildew shows as discoloured areas on the tops of leaves, with white, grey or purple mould underneath. • It affects many plants, including brassicas, delphiniums, lettuce, onions, peas, pansies and nicotiana. • On severely diseased plants, leaves shrivel and turn brown, or become yellow and drop completely. Other parts of the plant may also be affected. • There are no chemical controls, but you can help prevent its spread by disposing of affected leaves and plants quickly. • Increase air circulation around plants and water in the morning rather than evening, so water has time to evaporate. • Practice crop rotation to avoid reinfection (some crop varieties are resistant). Grow affected varieties of ornamentals in a different spot the following year after an attack of mildew.…

• Until 26 August: Exhibition of Plant Portraits; Chelsea Physic Garden, 66 Royal Hospital Road, London DW3 4HS 0207 352 5646; chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk • 7-9 August: 20th Anniversary Chilli Fiesta; West Dean Gardens, Nr Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0RX 01243 811301; westdean.org.uk • 8-9 August: Flower and vegetable Show; Dobbies Garden Centre, Liverpool L24 1UX liverpoolflowershows.com • 9 August: Garden Insect Family Fun Day; Barnsdale Gardens, The Avenue, Exton, Rutland LE15 8AH 01572 813200; barnsdalegardens.co.uk • 15 August: Shadwell Horticultural Society Flower, Vegetable & Craft Show; Shadwell Primary School playing field, Main Street, Shadwell, Leeds, LS17 8JF 0113-2738821 • 15 August: Bream Gardening Society Show; High Street, Bream, Lydney, Gloucestershire GL15 6JE 01594 719314; breamgardeners.net • 15-16 August: Summer Vegetable Weekend; Barnsdale Gardens, The Avenue, Exton, Rutland LE15 8AH 01572 813200;…

FOR YOUR chance to WIN a Garden Gift Voucher worth £20* just post us your wildlife drawing or painting, or send us a copy of it by email... or get mum to send it! We are looking for bright and colourful creative designs based on any wildlife theme. If you don’t want to design your own picture, we have some fantastic downloadable sheets to colour in, available online absolutely FREE. For more ideas, information and an entry form visit amateurgardening.com/junior Please tell us your name, age and contact details, and send in your entry by September 11th 2015. *National Garden Gift Vouchers can be redeemed at over 2,000 leading garden retailers across the UK. For more great holiday projects & colouring sheets see amateurgardening.com/junior…

Green Bean and New Potato Salad A healthy green bean salad with tasty new potatoes and a dill dressing, that is quick and easy to prepare. Prep time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Total time: 40 minutes Serves: 2 Ingredients For the dressing Method 1 Boil the new potatoes until just cooked, allow to cool then cut into quarters. 2 Steam or boil the beans, until al dente, not overcooked. Roughly 2-3 minutes. Drain, then place under running cold water to prevent from further cooking, then dry with kitchen towel. 3 Cook the eggs in boiling water until hard boiled (about 5 minutes) then cool, peel and cut into quarters. 4 In a small bowl, mix the mustard…

WE’VE ENJOYED the best cherry season ever here this year, and I’m still uncovering and picking fruit from ‘Sunburst’. Judging when they are ripe is tricky: they seem plump and give slightly when red but become sweeter if allowed to turn almost black. Personally, I prefer the flavour of ‘Merton Glory’; however these red-blushed, golden cherries are growing on a large tree, making it easier for the birds to access the fruit than us. When I see the price of cherries in shops, I know why I bother to grow them. ‘Sunburst’ is on the dwarfing Gisela 5 rootstock and when they’ve finished I will tie down the long stems as trimming them back usually means less fruit. CABBAGE CLEARANCE Plants in the brassica family are easy to raise from…

Petunia ‘NightSky’ If you want a petunia that’ll be a talking point, try this! ‘NightSky’ is a plant breeding breakthrough. Violet flowers are smothered with white spots, making it reminiscent of a starry sky. It’s trailing, so it’ll thrive in window boxes and hanging baskets. Phalaenopsis ‘Sparking Kizz’ If you like a flower that smiles back at you, this could be the perfect orchid. White flowers have striking red marks. Bidens ‘Beedance Painted Red’ This newcomer will attract bees to your garden. Bicolour red flowers smother plants all summer. A spreading plant. Agapanthus ‘Twister’ Agapanthus has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, and ‘Twister’ is set to build on that. Most agapanthus on sale at garden centres bear blue or white flowers. ‘Twister’ has a combination of both.…

*Just pay £5.65 postage TAKE ADVANTAGE of this special offer and you can claim this stunning collection of mixed pansy plug plants absolutely free. All you have to do is pay the postage. Fill your beds and containers with quality plug plants which will grow to display fabulous colour. We have also included a 100g pack of Incredibloom fertiliser to get the best performance from your plants, along with 5 packets of Thompson & Morgan flower seed for extra flower power! OFFER 1 Gardenia ‘Kleim’s Hardy’ The first of its kind that can be grown outdoors all year round. It’s a beautiful, compact shrub that’ll thrive in sheltered borders. And it looks great in containers, too. • Buy 1 x 9cm Potted Plant for £12.99 • Buy 3 x 9cm…

EVENING PRIMROSE Oenothera biennis is nothing much during the day, its large pale yellow flowers remain closed unless it becomes very overcast. But from June to September, late in the day, they unfurl and release their scent. Flowers become darker yellow as they mature and the pollinating moths get busy. Hardy biennial. 2½ft (90cm) CARE Happy in any reasonable soil in sun or partial shade. Remove unwanted seedlings. FROM Chiltern Seeds 01491 824675 SWEET ROCKET Hesperis matronalis is one of the easiest and loveliest of plants for evening scent. Upright spikes of four-petalled flowers open for many weeks if the soil does not dry out and especially if dead-headed. Mix with white petalled ‘Alba’ to ensure the flowers gleam at dusk. Hardy biennial. 2-3ft (60-90cm). CARE…

THERE IS something magical about finding wildlife in your garden, especially if you live in a town or city. As more of our countryside disappears under housing and industrial development, our gardens are becoming precious sanctuaries for a wide range of wild creatures, from small moths and tadpoles, to hedgehogs and foxes. This week’s AG has a wildlife theme, answering your wildlife questions, showing you how to attract animals to the garden – and tempt them to stay! – and encouraging youngsters to grow their own bee-friendly plants. Happy gardening! Ruth Hayes AG’S GARDENING EDITOR…

1 Select healthy shoots, and cut them from the plant just above a bud or leaf stem. Cuttings should be 3-4in (7.5-10cm) long. 2 Cut off any flower buds, and the lower leaves from the bottom half of each cutting, so the main stem will grow strong. 3 Dip the base of cuttings in rooting hormone gel/powder. Fill a small pot with cuttings compost/sharp sand mix. 4 Insert 2 or 3 cuttings around the edge, water well. Do not cover. Place pot on a bright windowsill out of full sun.…

HIGH SUMMER can be a stressful time for garden birds. They could be feeding a second brood of hatchlings, and may be moulting, so they need high-protein food. An ideal mix for all types of birds includes waxworms and mealworms, sunflower seeds, pinhead oatmeal, and commercially-made seed balls and bars. Grated cheese and finely-chopped bacon rind are also popular, but remove any bits that haven’t been eaten at the end of each day, to prevent them from going rancid or attracting rats. Plants, shrubs and trees that bear seeds and berries make a big difference. We have an amalanchier lamarckii that produces red berries in early and mid summer, much to the delight of the local blackbirds and starlings! Always make sure birds have a clean…

1 A few days before you intend to re-pot, give the cactus a little bit of water, to ensure that the compost is moist, but not drenched. 2 Arm yourself with thick gardening gloves and newspapers. Even fluffy-looking cacti can have their fair share of vicious spines. 3 Remove the old pot, wrapping newspaper (or similar) around the cactus to assist in easing it out of its old container. 4 Choose a new pot that’s only slightly larger than the old one. Cacti like good drainage, so place crocks or gravel in the base. 5 Re-pot using cacti compost, which will be free-draining and moderately acidic, with added grit and sand. 6 Firm the cactus into its new compost, keeping it at its original depth. Add a thin layer of…

• Powdery mildew is the more severe ailment. It starts as a white, powdery substance on the surface of leaves, and then spreads rapidly to the rest of the plant. • Unless caught early, it will severely weaken the host plant. In the worst cases, you will need to destroy entire diseased plants. • It affects a wide range of edible and ornamental plants, including apples, members of the cucumber family such as courgettes and pumpkins, peas, phlox, honeysuckle, delphiniums, rhododendrons and roses. • To control its spread, remove affected leaves at the earliest opportunity, and feed, water and mulch the plant well to reduce its stress levels. • Mildewresisant varieties of ornamentals and cropping plants are available – check with suppliers for details. • Powdery mildew can be treated…

“CAN WE have a kitten? Actually, can we have two kittens or a rabbit? I like rabbits. No? Can we have a guinea pig then, or some more goldfish? Just two goldfish? No? Maybe a tiny one… please?” Robbie and Joe are persistent and buying fish food involves a tour of the small furry animals. We bought five new pets (my choice – caterpillars!) not from the pet shop, but by post. It’s a fascinating and educational project for all the family, and at the end they fly away! Perfect. Our caterpillars (which Joe had named Floppy, Flappy, Furry and Flannel) doubled in size every day. Robbie’s one was called Mr. Heaton (his teacher). One by one, they mysteriously hardened into chrysalids and we moved them into a pop-up tent.…

IF I had to choose, I’d grow climbing French beans rather than runners any day. They are quicker to crop and the flowers set better in extremes of cold and heat. Best of all, the pods come in a range of shapes and colours, depending on the variety – they can be flat or round, chunky or pencil thin, and purple or yellow as well as different shades of green. The variety adds extra interest to bean dishes. French beans don’t crop for as long as runner beans, so I make two sowings to span the season. The first is in pots under cover, five weeks before the last expected frost (they are tender plants). I sow again five to six weeks later. Later sowings can be made direct outside…

DEVELOPMENTS IN the commercial production of soft fruits are bringing improved quality and yields for home gardeners, too – not least in the field of strawberry growing. We are now pretty well self-sufficient in strawberries from April to November. This is thanks to improved summer cultivars – some early summer fruiting like ‘Sweetheart’; some later cropping; others fruiting in summer and, given reasonable weather, again in the autumn (‘Christine’ and ‘Vibrant’, formerly called ‘Marshmarvel’, are good examples). Then there are the perpetual kinds that fruit from summer through to autumn frost. Cultivars apart, by lifting well-rooted runners in late autumn and cold storing through the winter and spring we get ‘60 day plants’, super-charged stock that will grow, flower and produce ripe fruits in just 60 days. When the weather…

Q“I’ve heard there’s a disease that birds transmit by using garden birdbaths. What is the best way of keeping my birdbath clean and disease-free?” Tim Banks, Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire A Not only birdbaths, but dirty bird feeders and tables are also capable of carrying infections, so a regular cleaning and disinfectant routine is a great habit to get into. I tend to scrub mine with a scrubbing brush and vegetable soap, and then rinse well with clean water. In very hot weather, check water levels on a daily basis, and top up your birdbath if necessary. I dip my birdfeeders in a disinfectant solution and let them air dry before refilling and repositioning them. I try to do this every 10 days. AG on facebook  Go to facebook.com, create a free…

WORLD GARDEN MILESTONE The World Garden at Lullingstone Castle in Kent, created by Tom Hart-Dyke (pictured, left), celebrated its 10th anniversary last month. THE BEECHGROVE GARDEN THIS WEEK CARE OF TOMATOES AND SQUASHES JIM IS minding his tomatoes while Carole is tending spaghetti squash in a polytunnel. BBC2 Scotland, 7.30pm, 6 August (national repeat: BBC2, 9 August, times vary). GOING OUT IN STYLE Sunflowers and bluebells are the most popular choice for pictorial coffins, according to Creative Coffins, a maker of ‘eco-friendly’ caskets. HYBRID SUMMER STUNNER A new hybrid of rudbeckia and echinacea, called Echibeckia, is the cover star of Hayloft Plants’ Summer 2015 catalogue.hayloftplants.co.uk. GO WILD AT ARUNDEL Visitors to Arundel Castle in West Sussex have been enjoying a new wildflower garden, the brainchild of head gardener Martin Duncan.…

A GARDENER who’s a dab hand at growing sweet peas scooped a big cash prize for his handiwork. Richard Baron from East Sussex won the £250 first prize for a bunch of eight sweet pea stems sent in by post when Mr Fothergill’s staged its Sweet Pea Competition last month. Held at Capel Manor College in Enfield, it attracted entries from as far afield as Tyne and Wear, Co Tyrone, Somerset and Yorkshire. Miss L Smith of Burton-on-Trent and Janice Sharkey from Glasgow took second and third prize respectively, winning £150 and £100. Judges (pictured above) included AG columnist Peter Seabrook, John Fothergill of Mr Fothergill’s, and Capel Manor College principal Stephen Dowbiggin.…

TOWN OR country, summer is a busy time in any plot; and in addition to the numerous colourful blooms we all love, it is the season of what I call ‘flying flowers’ – bees, butterflies, moths, hoverflies and dragonflies. All are welcome in my garden. When we moved with our young family to Gloucestershire 23 years ago, we discovered that the fast-draining soil was perfect for mining bees, which make small burrows with mini spoil heaps, and scarcely sting. The garden faces south, and back then it comprised a couple of rather neglected vegetable plots, an ancient Bramley apple tree, and a forest of lilac in one corner. These formed the basis for my new garden. I quickly removed some bland dwarf conifers – no longer small – and large…

TALL HEDGES have many advantages. As well as providing boundary demarcation, a sound barrier and security, they can form a canvas against which to set a garden feature. But they present a challenge when it comes to maintenance. How do you trim a hedge when the top cannot be reached with a conventional hedge-cutter? Balancing on a stepladder, on uneven ground, is a bad idea when you’re handling powered equipment. Specialist hedge-cutting tripod ladders and scaffolding platforms are available, but a quick and safe way to reach the top of tall hedges is to use a long-reach or pole hedge trimmer. This week we tested five cordless options. Many have heads that can be angled to 90 degrees for trimming the top of the hedge, but with most blades measuring…

ONE OF the biggest changes in the questions I’m asked is the number of tender fruit and vegetables people want to grow. Cookery programmes have been one factor – they’ve shown us new ingredients and, of course, we want to grow them. Just look at the terrific interest in hot peppers nowadays. Then, it seems, we just can’t resist growing something that we have tried on holiday – food has become one of the best souvenirs. As much as I approve of the sentiment, there is a good reason for not bringing back that seed, root or plant. It is probably illegal, as you really could bring back a pest or disease with it. Now there are only a few exemptions for material grown within Europe, and a restriction on…

Broaden their education TOBY BUCKLAND'S article ( AG 18 July), where he suggested that school children should receive more education on the weed plants that grow in their areas, brought back many happy memories. When I’d finished 'O' levels and wanted to move on to 'A' level Biology at my school in Birmingham we were required to make a collection of pressed wild flowers during the first year of our 'A' level studies. I already had some knowledge of wild flowers growing in the Birmingham suburbs but to actually make a collection, all correctly labelled with common and Latin names was something different. And as a result I ended up with a good knowledge of wild flowers together with files of the pressed flowers, which I…

RECENTLY, MY family and I took a tour of a new water and wildlife meadow at Pecorama – an attraction famed for its miniature railways and terraced gardens at Beer in East Devon. As we made for the newly-filled pond, the shaggy grass below our feet seethed with movement. At first I thought insects were responsible but on closer inspection the multitude of hopping dots turned out to be thousands of baby frogs, each no bigger than the nail on your little finger. As every school-child knows the lifecycle of a frog requires an amazing metamorphosis from spawn, into a tadpole before finally becoming an amphibious adult. The ‘froglets’ I saw were about 12 weeks old and their numbers would have been seriously curbed by predation of fish, birds, hedgehogs,…

PELARGONIUMS – OR tender geraniums as they are more commonly known – are one of the most popular summertime garden plants. With their colourful flowerheads, and scented leaves on some types, they’re popular with gardeners everywhere. Perhaps you’ll recognise their flame-red petals from holiday trips to white Spanish villages, or have seen the pink – but no less visually arresting – varieties gracing summer containers and borders in gardens across the UK. Many gardeners use pelargoniums as summer bedding and then discard them at the end of the season. But they can be kept until the following year, and are easy to propagate from cuttings taken now. Late summer is the best time to take cuttings , and it is a fairly simple process, which makes pelargoniums excellent plants for…

IT MAY not be quite as exciting as spotting big game on the vast expanses of the Serengeti, but there is something quietly thrilling about attracting wildlife to the garden. Colourful birds such as goldfinches, or glossy, squabblesome starlings; increasingly endangered hedgehogs, or busy bees and beautiful butterflies – they all add something magical to the garden. Once you have brought them in, the skill is in keeping them interested enough to want to stay, so here are some tips for creating a wildlife-friendly garden.…

AVOID USING home-made fat-and-seed mixes in the summer, as they will turn soft and rancid in the heat and may attract flies and disease. IF YOU want to feed the birds peanuts, always use a feeder designed for the purpose, as loose whole nuts can choke and kill fledglings. KEEP PET cats indoors in the morning, when parent birds are feeding their young on the ground. From personal experience, dealing with the corpse of a fledgling before you have finished breakfast is not to be recommended.…

MILDEW IS the bane of many a gardener’s life, as what starts off as a few white flecks on a leaf can, if left, devastate an entire plant. It’s a common problem that is spread by fungal spores, and it comes in two forms – downy and powdery – and each variety has sub-species affecting different plants. For example, powdery mildew affecting peas is different to the one that attacks apples, and downy mildew on brassicas and pansies will be different strains. Control is hard, but start by removing and disposing of affected leaves as soon as mildew starts to bloom. top tip Prevention of both powdery and downy mildew is easier than curing it. Avoid both types by planting healthy stock, keeping good air circulation around plants, and by…

THERE’S NO doubt that planting spring-flowering bulbs is one of the easiest ways to create a vibrant and colourful spring garden. To avoid disappointment, it’s vital to buy good quality bulbs, because small, cheap ones may simply be too young to have developed their flower buds, so won’t flower in the first year. De Jager bulbs are top quality, a large size, and are guaranteed to produce fabulous displays. Size really does matter when it comes to choosing flower bulbs! Once planted correctly, bulbs are easy to look after, only needing some TLC once they have finished flowering to build up the flower buds for the following year. Keeping up with the Joneses! Keen gardeners love to try new varieties and keep up-to-date with plant fashions and trends. So what’s…

FEB-APRIL 1 Improve soil in a sunny spot; put up supports 2ft (60cm) between rows, 6in (15cm) between plants APRIL-AUG 2 Sow early crops inside in pots or cell tray. Plant outside after the last frost, usually late May MAY-JUNE 3 Sow later crops direct outside, 1in deep, when the soil warms up (minimum temp 53°F /12°C) MAY-SEPT 4 Protect young plants from slugs, and water plants in dry spells when flowers and pods form JULY-OCT 5 Harvest pods regularly whilst still young and tender. Try the snap test if they look old…

Q I love seeing wild birds in my garden, but I can’t seem to deter the cats that go after them. I have tried all the usual treatments, and the cats’ mess makes me physically sick. What can I do? Iris Egan (via email) A I am sorry to learn that cats are invading your garden and using it as a toilet. There are many deterrents, and you appear to have tried most of them. But have you used Vitax Scent Off, or the company’s other products, Stay Off and Pepper Dust? They normally work well in keeping cats and other animals at bay when used in specific areas of the garden. Another idea is to plant catnip (Nepeta) away from your bird feeders. Cats are drawn to it, they…

EVEN COMMON rambling roses like our ‘Dorothy Perkins’ look magnificent when time has been spent on pruning and tying them in to a worthy support. Our tall rustic tripod was made using old tree branches, but to stop them rotting the bases are bolted just above ground level to plastic stakes rammed into the soil. When these branches eventually break, we can simply bolt in some replacements. Every year I prune out the old flowered stems of the rose and tie in this year’s growth from late summer onwards. For now, I’m just tucking the new stems in to save them from damage. A Cotinus ‘Grace’ (smoke bush), pruned each spring, makes good foliage contrast for pink or peach roses. Flowerheads of Allium sphaerocephalon have opened on their long, springy…

IT IS enough to make Mrs Tiggy-Winkle run for cover. A hedgehog charity has slammed organic gardener Bob Flowerdew, for questioning if ‘hogs really are the gardener’s friend. In AG’s 18 July issue, Gardeners’ Question Time panellist Bob claimed that hedgehogs can devour beneficial pest predators such as beetles, and can spread fleas, too. But Fay Vass, chief executive of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, hit back: “For such a sensible commentator on gardening, I was shocked to see Bob’s ill-informed article.” EATING SLUGS Fay said: “To value hedgehogs only because they might help your petunias is a puerile conceit. “Yes, hedgehogs will eat slugs, but not to the exclusion of everything else. Research shows beetles do make up a large component of their diet, but that will not have…

GARDENERS WHO enjoy a bit of “make do and mend” might get new money-saving ideas at the Festival of Thrift. The event, a ‘national celebration of scrimping in style,’ aims to show how reusing and recycling can be fun, save money and help the environment, too. Around 40,000 people descended on Lingfield Point in Darlington for last year’s two-day event. Festival-visiting gardeners are invited to take along plants and unwanted tools to barter and swap. “Thrift is more than a trend; it’s here to stay, it’s a culture and a set of values to live by,” said festival director Stella Hall. The third Festival of Thrift takes place from 26-27 September. Entry is free. festivalofthrift.co.uk.…

AG READERS who are growing the new monster tomato called ‘Gigantomo’ have been reminded that a record-breaking fruit could reward them with a cash windfall. Mail-order specialist Van Meuwen is offering a top prize of £1,000 for the heaviest ‘Gigantomo’ fruit at the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show on 18-20 September. A further £5,000 jackpot is up for grabs if it also breaks the world record at the time of the show (currently 7lb 12 oz). Harrogate Autumn Flower Show will take place at the Great Yorkshire Showground and also hosts two major vegetable competitions organised by the North of England Horticultural Society. Go to flowershow.org.uk for details.…

• UPTON HOUSE (NT), near Banbury, Oxfordshire contains part of theNational Collection of Asters, which autumn butterflies and other insects adore. • LONGSTOCK GARDENS, Stockbridge, Hampshire contains part of the National Collection of Buddleja – which acts as a magnet for butterflies from miles around. • SIZERGH CASTLE (NT), Cumbria – some rare butterflies can be seen here, including the exquisite high brown fritillary. • POLESDEN LACEY (NT), Surrey Downs – many downland butterflies, such as the Chalkhill Blue, wander into this garden to sample the delights of the herbaceous borders. • COLETON FISHACRE (NT), Dartmouth, South Devon – a sheltered coastal valley garden, and a great place for immigrant insects.…

HERITAGE BIRDS HANGING HOOKS £16.95+ £3.95 P&P DotComGiftShop020 8746 2473 dotcomgiftshop.com Put ordinary hanging hooks in the shade by livening up your garden shed with a mini-flock of four pretty birds. Ideal for hanging up coats, they can also be used as a novel way to tidy up hand tools, bags – or anything else. The painted metal bird shapes are securely mounted on a turquoise wooden plaque with wall fixings on the reverse. Measures (H x W x D): 4in (10cm) x 14½in (37cm) x 1½ (4cm). FROG GARDEN STAKES £4 FOR 2+ £3.95 P&P Retreat0870 8033 428 retreat-home.com Who said stakes have to be dull? Rather than boring bamboo, why not hop to it and invest in something a little more fun to prop up your…

spot the difference Our news editor Marc is no Tommy Walsh when it comes to DIY, but he did manage to knock together a giant wooden planter for AG’s 25 July issue – and plant it up with an exotic summer bedding scheme. Can you spot the FOUR differences between these two pictures of Marc and his finished creation? (Answers located at the bottom of the page) True or false? When Alan Titchmarsh presented BBC Gardeners’ World , it was filmed from his Hampshire garden called Barnsdale. (Answer at the bottom of page)…