Innholdsfortegnelse for 29 August 2015 i Amateur Gardening

THERE’S REAL pleasure to be had planting up a container full of colourful flowers. I was at it (again) just a couple of weeks ago, refreshing the hanging basket outside our front door. This B&Q ready-planted basket has performed brilliantly through summer, but the petunias and calendula in it got too leggy. I could have cut the plants back and waited for them to grow and flower again, but with hard working bedding like this you get better results by replacing them with vigorous youngsters. From our local garden centre I picked up a large flowered pink dahlia, a dark red dianthus, and two mid blue violas, all healthy plants supplied in big pots. It cost a few bob – about fifteen quid – plus a few handfuls of fresh…

BRING SOME easy colour to your garden by using Gro-Sure Easy Flowers Bright Mix. Containing seeds of calendula, Californian poppies and linum, plus a natural feed, it gives your seedlings a great start. We have five 1.5L pouches to give away. To enter the draw, send your name and address on the back of a postcard to Easy Flowers Draw, Amateur Gardening, Westover House, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1JG. Or email your details to ag_giveaway@timeinc.com , heading the email Easy Flowers Draw. The closing date is: 2 September 2015.…

CONTAINER GARDENING is a quick and easy way to add colour and interest to small spaces. Most containers we see in summer are bursting with colourful pelargoniums, petunias, fuchsias and brachyscome; while winter pots brightening dull days with pansies, snowdrops and cyclamen. However, don’t overlook the power of evergreens for adding interest. Fed up with having a patio full of empty pots over winter, I recently decided to plant one up with a selection of plants that give year-round interest. The one exception to this was an autumn-flowering gazania. For my central feature plant I chose a Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Stricta’), as well as a Carex ‘Evergold’. I decided to fill in around these with an ivy and three different varieties of houseleek (sempervivum): ‘Bronco’, ‘Dark Beauty’ and ‘Pilatus’.…

1 Stand your plants in bowls of water for 30 minutes before planting. This makes sure they are hydrated before planting. 2 Place crocks in the base of the pot to improve drainage; pots can get waterlogged easily, which can lead to plant roots rotting. 3 I want it to be a permanent garden feature, so I’m using a mix of John Innes 2 and 3 compost, with additional grit for drainage. 4 Before planting, stand plants on the compost – still in their containers – until you create an arrangement you are happy with. 5 Place the feature plant first. Ease it from its pot and gently tease out the roots to help them spread. Lightly firm it in place. 6 Then set the ‘secondary’ plants in place, taking…

• Harvest pears just before they are fully ripe, when they are firm to the touch. • Test early varieties by tasting one (just one!) for sweetness and firmness. Later varieties should be easy to take from the tree, by lifting and gently twisting. • Pears should be stored before eating. Early cultivars usually need a week or so until they soften, while later ones can be stored for longer. • Pear varieties include: ‘Beth’ (early season), ‘Conference’ (mid-season), ‘Comice’ (late season)…

1 DAZZLING DAISY-LIKE asters are the stars of the season bringing vivid colour, bees and butterflies to fading borders. Aster novae-angliae are trouble-free, showing resistance to mildew and needing no support. There are varieties to suit every garden, in shades of pink, white and blue. 2 THE ORNAMENTAL pheasant’s tail grass, Anemanthele lessoniana ‘Autumn Tints’ is admired for its glowing tinted foliage in winter, with a texture that can be used to soften hard landscaping. It takes on magical quality when gilded with a rind of sparkling frost. 3 COLCHICUM AUTUMNALE has crocus-like blooms that push through the soil in early autumn – and they certainly have the wow factor. These are known as naked ladies, due to the fact that the glossy green leaves do not appear until the…

Roasted Pepper Pasta  Turn your homegrown peppers into an Italian dinner delight, with this colourful dish Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients Method 1 Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas 6. 2 Roughly chop the peppers into 1in/2.5cm squares, discarding the seeds and stem. 3 Place the peppers into a roasting pan with the tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring half way though. 4 Heat a large frying pan on medium with a little olive oil, add the red onion, and cook for 4 mins until slightly soft. Add the garlic and tomato puree, mix. 5 Meanwhile put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Add the pasta to…

IN MY house and garden, I have a bad habit of never looking past the plants to fixtures, fittings furnishings and décor. A friend came to stay for a week and wanted to help, so instead of doling out a job, I asked her to look around with a fresh pair of eyes to see what she thought needed doing. We’d already taken all the plants out of the porch to clean it down inside and out and she decided to give the porch a fresh lick of paint, including the fronts of the cupboard doors (old kitchen units installed by previous owners) and a previously unpainted wooden stand. I simply hadn’t noticed how shabby it all was. August can be a quiet month, so this is a good time…

GREY SQUIRRELS are chomping their way through funeral flowers left by loved ones at a packed crematorium in Norwich. Grieving families are now being urged to choose only certain floral tributes in a bid to stop the onslaught at Earlham Crematorium in the city. WARNING SIGNS Bosses at Dignity, which runs the site, have erected signs warning mourners about them. They say grey squirrels are particularly partial to fresh spray carnations and chrysanthemums, due to the high sugar content, and suggest other flowers may be less appealing. George Barrett, a retired Norwich postman, has filmed the hungry critters dining on flower heads. His daughter, Karlene, died in 2003 and he regularly walks through the crematorium to visit her memorial. He said: “I’ve seen tributes put down at various gravesides in…

ESSEX-BASED seed firm Kings Seeds is introducing 120 new flower and vegetable varieties to its seed list for 2016. Purchasing manager Andrew Tokely (pictured below) said: “We’ve worked hard to bring beautiful new variations on old favourites, all chosen for their excellent performance in the garden.” YEAR OF THE COSMOS One of the new plants is Cosmos ‘Xanthos’. Andrew said: “Next year has been designated ‘Year of the Cosmos’ so we’ve put a lot of effort into bringing these to our customers. ‘Xanthos’ is the first yellow cosmos to reliably flower in the UK. The petals are of a soft yellow, fading to light yellow at the edges. It’s a beauty.” Cosmos ‘Velouette’ is also worth growing, says Andrew. “It has flowers of a deep red, with white stripes. But…

HEDGES ARE as important to me as lawns, flower beds, fruit and vegetable plot. First and foremost they give so much protection from strong winds; when it’s really cold outside conditions in the protective lea of a hedge can remain comfortable both for me and the plants. Shrinking garden size also means a loss of privacy and a hedge can be a great way to provide some seclusion, not to mention reduction of noise as hedging filters out the sound of traffic. Then there is the cover and, with some species, food for the birds. Over the years I have gained great pleasure from a stretch of yew, in good soil it grows quite quickly putting on 18in (45cms) a year to form a stout hedge, much more quickly than…

HOW MANY of us exclaim around now: ‘Ooh, maybe we’ll get an Indian summer.’ Now I don’t know whether this is a good thing or a bad thing but, as sure as eggs is eggs, autumn is just round the corner, and I will be wanting to spend more and more time under cover. Likewise for my plants! If I leave them all outdoors in the ground, come the first frost (which could be as soon as within a fortnight) many of them are dead. But if I can dig them up and pot them, then they can carry on for another month or two under cover. Now, I admit I’m lucky as I have a lot of space available under a polythene covered tunnel. But you do not need…

Q Last year I replaced my lawn with clover. How often should I cut it and how can I create a wildflower garden, as I think the clover has altered the soil? A Clover is a fantastic plant – it’s used as an organic feed by farmers because it’s high in nitrogen, and bees love the flowers. But to create a wildflower garden, you’ll need to take a lot of the clover out, as its high nitrogen content will stop the wildflowers, which need poor soil, from thriving. A good idea is to dig down to the sub soil, where the nutrient levels are lower, and then sow/ plant your wildflowers. It’s a bit of work but worth it. QI have a 40ft sycamore tree and its branches are growing…

THERE ARE no shortcuts when it comes to cleaning dust and cobwebs out of the greenhouse. I’ve learnt to my cost that hitting them with a hurricane from the leaf blower only spreads the mess. And what I’d hoped would be an affective, major blast from the jet-washer did little more than turn my dirty greenhouse into one that is now both dirty and wet. The best way to clean a greenhouse is to stand on a stepladder and brush the detritus away by hand, removing any that falls onto the plants with a gentle shake of the leaves. Although such greenhouse work is a chore, it’s an important one as it removes debris that will harbour grey-mould fungi when the temperatures cool in autumn, along with the hiding places…

Most lawns have an area that gets more wear and tear than anywhere else, and the result is usually an unplanned pathway where the grass is threadbare and the soil is showing through. It’s dusty in summer, muddy in winter, so give it a break by laying a stepping stone pathway. 1 Lay stones on the grass where your steps fall easily. Cut around each and remove turf. 2 Lay sand in the hole under the stone, and site the stone so it is slightly lower than the grass. 3 Finally, brush some soil and grass seed around the stone to fix it securely in place.…

IF YOU are at a loose end over the next week or so, why not visit one of these gardening events taking place around the country? • 29 August: Epping Annual Horticultural Show; St John’s Church, St John’s Road, Epping, Essex CM16 5JU 01992 890591 • 29-30 August: Durham Flower Festival; East Durham College’s Houghall Campus, Durham DH1 3SG 0191 375 4700; eastdurham.ac.uk • 30 August: Borde Hill Golden Anniversary Picnic (noon-4pm); Borde Hill Garden, Borde Hill Lane, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 1HP 01444 884121; bordehill.co.uk • 30-31 August: Plant Fair; Dorothy Clive Garden, Nr Newcastle, Staffs TF9 4EU 01270 811443; planthuntersfairs.co.uk • 5 September: Plant Fair; Bodenham Arboretum, Nr Kidderminster, Worcs DY11 5SY 01270 811443; planthuntersfairs.co.uk • Until 6 Sept: Full of Spice Exhibition; RBG Kew, Richmond, Surrey…

IT TAKES a lot to beat picking a ripe apple off its tree in your garden, and biting into its crisp, juicy flesh. Early-ripening apples and pears will be just about ready to pick now, heralding the start of what will hopefully be a prolific harvesting season. It is easy to test whether apples and pears are ripe – simply lift and twist fruits without applying any pressure. If they come away easily, they are ripe. If not, leave and check again the next day. Choose a dry day for harvesting, as any extra moisture can make the fruit prone to mould and rotting.…

LIKE MOST projects that I want to realise in our house, this one is most easily achieved if the man concerned believes it was his idea in the first place. The power of suggestion is a wonderful thing. I suspect my husband is now wise to this ruse, and goes along with my schemes for an easy life, but our kids are none the wiser. I steered my son Joe into thinking up the idea of a mini ‘beach garden’ for his seed tray. I knew that this theme would give him the ability to be randomly creative (as most 4-year-olds are), whilst ensuring that it would be as successful as his brother’s more sophisticated design. Robbie (age seven) had traditional plans for his garden, and I suggested that he…

WHEN I first started to grow sweet peppers, I rarely managed to get more than a few ripe fruits before cold autumn nights stopped the plants in their tracks. Now, by using a few growing tricks, I can be enjoying crunchy sweet fruits for months – even on my cold site. First, I choose my varieties carefully. Rather than try to match the large boxy supermarket peppers, I go for small-fruited ones which ripen early. You don’t have to compromise on flavour or crunch – some of these are thick-walled and delicious. Second, I start them off early. Sweet peppers are tender plants similar to tomatoes, but they are much slower to grow. They need heat to germinate and continued warmth whilst they are small. If you can’t give them…

ANNA TOEMAN has 20 years’ experience working in historic gardens JOHN NEGUS trained at the RHS and is a specialist garden writer DR JANE BINGHAM has a plant science PhD and a MSc in plant ecology Q My five raspberry canes, in a pot, started off OK, but then the leaves developed holes. Some turned yellow, and some canes broke in high wind. What should I do? Glenice Caley (via email) AI think that the problem with your raspberry canes is due to their growing conditions. To grow them in containers, set single canes in each 15in (38cm) wide and deep pot. Unless your pot is huge, the plants will be competing for water and nutrients. The holes in the leaves are quite likely to be caused by slugs and/or…

NUTRITIONISTS ARE always telling us how eating brightly coloured fruit and veg packed full of antioxidants is good for us, so I was pleased with this week’s bowl of fruit. I started by loading in Apricot ‘Flavourcot’, added three plump figs and then filled the gaps with ripe blackberries. This is the first time I’ve picked home grown apricots and harvesting them at their peak is quite tricky. Having covered them with mesh to stop the birds pecking at them, I’ve had to unpeg it, creep inside and feel all the fruits on an almost daily basis to gather those that give slightly just before they fall off. Another couple of days inside the house finish them well, the flesh turning juicy and sweet enough to offset the slight tang…

DAISIES AND DINOSAURS Fossilised daisy pollen has been found in Antarctica by scientists from Kew, drastically pushing back the assumed origin of the daisy by 20 million years. IDENTIFYING AND CONTROLLING PESTS JIM AND Carole look at damage and control of vine weevils, whitefly, slugs and snails. BBC2 Scotland, 7.30pm, Thursday 27 August (national repeat: BBC2, Sunday 30 August, times vary). HOTTEST CHILLI IN THE SHOPS The hottest over-the-counter chilli will be sold in Tesco later autumn. British-grown ‘Komodo Dragon’ chillis measure 1.4million on the Scoville heat scale; the Jalapeno is just 3,500. HIROSHIMA SURVIVORS Batsford Arboretum, Glos., has sown seeds from a maidenhair tree (gingko, left) that survived the Hiroshima nuclear bomb in 1945, to remember those who died. PLANT FOR BREAST CANCER From each sale of Osteospermum ‘In…

FOR DECADES, UK gardeners have just assumed that growing native British plants was the right thing to do to attract pollinating insects. Now, for the first time, there is real scientific proof that this is correct – but with one caveat. Royal Horticultural Society research has shown that bees and other pollinating insects prefer gardens planted with British native flowers. But the southern hemisphere’s so-called ‘exotic’ plants, such as Verbena bonariensis and Lobelia tupa, can provide nectar and pollen at times of the year when native flowers are less plentiful. UNDER PRESSURE Dr Andrew Salisbury from the RHS said: “The UK’s 1500 species of pollinator are thought to be under increasing pressure due to the loss of habitat and food sources. Up until now, the role native and nonnative plants…

INTRODUCING SOFT flickering tea lights in the evenings is just what’s needed to create a dreamy atmosphere in the garden and allows us to eke out summer evenings for as long a possible. Plus, they can also give al-fresco dining an air of calm and romance for a relatively small outlay. Hanging tea light holders are easy and fun to position about the garden, either hung from the branches of trees or supported on shepherds crooks, suspended at different levels for extra interest. A natural flame has benefits over solar lights or battery candles as scented tea lights can be used, including citronella, to repel flying insects; and candles continue to shine brightly even on dull days. Also many are suitable to use indoors as well as out. We found…

SOMEHOW, THE bulk of the summer has been and gone, leaving us looking down the increasingly chilly road to autumn and winter. But all is not lost! The Bank Holiday weekend is here, and if the weather holds fair it’s the perfect time to mix a few gardening tasks with an extra day of fun and relaxation. Some of the jobs can be larger projects, and some can be the routine tasks that we keep on doing. But none should take more than a day, leaving you with two more to relax and enjoy your garden. Tasks to tackle over the Bank Holiday • Put up an arch: Add an extra dimension to your garden by installing an archway. It need not be a large affair, just a simple structure…

HEDGES FRAME and shape our gardens, so if they are left to grow untrimmed and untamed, it can ruin the visual effect you have worked so long and hard to create. Major, formative pruning takes place in winter for deciduous hedges, and in spring to early summer for evergreen hedges (as long as no birds are nesting!). Late summer is the ideal time for a bit of maintenance pruning. This keeps hedges neat, and gives you the opportunity to check for pests and diseases, and act accordingly. The bird nesting season is said to run from 1 March to 31 July (it is illegal to disturb nesting birds, according to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981), August is the first time you will have been able to get your hedges…

• Any Japanese azaleas • Bay (Laurus nobilis) • Berberis thunbergii • Black mondo (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’) • Blue fescue grass (Festuca glauca) • Box (Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’) • Butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeatus) • Ornamental kale/cabbage (Brassica oleracea) • Osmanthus x burkwoodii • Picea abies ‘Little Gem’ • Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) • Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’ • Spotted laurel (Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’) • Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) • Viburnum davidii • Yew (Taxus baccata) • Cabbage palm (Cordyline australis ‘Sunrise’) • Camellia (any) • Christmas box (Sarcococca confusa) • Dwarf spurge laurel (Daphne laureola) • Elephant’s ears (Bergenia cordifolia) • Euonymus fortunei • False aralia (Fatsia japonica) or F. j. ‘Variegata’ • Fat-headed lizzie (x Fatshedera lizei) • Heather (forms of calluna and erica) • Hebe ‘Great Orme’ (or any other hebe)…

• The rule of thumb says that the earlier a variety of apple ripens, the shorter it will store successfully. • When harvesting, place the apples in a bucket lined with straw or crumpled paper. After checking them over, either wrap fruits individually in paper and place them in a crate, or place them unwrapped in the crate, so they are not touching. • Store different varieties separately, as they ripen and store well for varying lengths of time. • Early ripeners include ‘Early Victoria’, ‘Duchess of Oldenburg’, ‘Gladstone’. Mid-season apples include ‘Gala’, ‘Laxton’s Fortune’ and ‘Norfolk Royal Russet’ Late season varieties include: ‘Bramley’s Seedling’, ‘Laxton’s Superb’, ‘Braeburn’.…

VIBRANT PURPLE TAKE INSPIRATION from the rich berry colours of this display and create something similar. The purple sage, nepeta and perovskia are all relatively easy to get hold of, but you could swap the Sedum cauticola for ornamental cabbage or pink cyclamen. Lesser-known and tender Iresine herbstii ‘Brilliantissima’ is a fab foliage plant but heuchera would make a good alternative. Find a tall grass for the back of the pot: Imperata ‘Red Baron’ looks impressive here. “Make use of existing plants to create new containers” PINK EXPLOSION CREATE A bold statement with Phormium tenax ‘Jester’ as the focal point in a large Versailles tub. Accentuate the colour of its bright pink leaves by…

1 Sow seed with heat (21-27°C) in modules, a small pot or a seed tray, just covered with compost 2 Grow on at (18°C) in good light, prick out into 4in (10cm) pots when large enough to handle 3 Pot up when big enough into 10-12in (25-30cm) pots of rich compost, and keep them warm 4 Water plants regularly and feed weekly with high potash tomato fertiliser as fruits set 5 Support fruits so branches don’t break; harvest when green or wait until coloured…

Q What is the best way to harvest and store onions? Herbie Pickering, Ipswich, Suffolk A Once 75% of the foliage starts turning yellow, I get a garden fork and gently lift the onions out of the soil. I leave them there for a couple of days if the weather is dry (in a dry shed if wet), and then move them onto trays or netting raised off the ground in a warm sunny spot. If I have an empty garden frame, I pop the trays inside and cover with the glass, but keeping the frame lights open to allow plenty of ventilation to pass over the crop. After two to three weeks I then remove the loose, dried leaves and put the crop in an onion sack in my…

THE NATIONAL Botanic Garden of Wales, which opened in 2000, is to have its funding from Carmarthenshire council cut back. The council says this is because, in part, the Garden has not been using enough of the Welsh language on its signage and literature. The garden will receive a grant of £70,000 this year, but that will reduce to £50,000 for 2016-17, and £30,000 for 2017-18. MORE SUSTAINABLE The council’s executive agreed to continue supporting the garden, on condition that it improves its use of the Welsh language, and looks at ways to become more sustainable. It also agreed, in principle, to contribute £50,000 towards a Regency landscape project — part of a match-funding package so the garden can secure a £6.7 million Heritage Lottery Fund grant. TARGETING TOURISTS Council…

A PREVIOUSLY extinct bumblebee in the UK has been spotted again, following a reintroduction by conservationists. ‘Short-haired worker bumblebees’ have been identified at the RSPB Dungeness nature reserve in Kent. This follows the introduction, over three years, of queen bees from Sweden. The short-haired bumblee declined in numbers over 60 years as its habitat in the UK was lost. The last naturally occurring specimen was found at Dungeness in 1988, and it was declared extinct in 2000. Six years ago an attempt to introduce queens, sent from New Zealand, failed. The Bumblebee Conservation Trust say recently introduced queens have nested and produced young, and have been finding enough food to build colonies. CRUCIAL CONSERVATION A spokesman from the RSPB said: “The conservation of all bee species is crucial, as they…

THIS WEEK we’re giving away seeds of mixed cornflowers. Flower colours include the usual intense blues, but also whites, reds and pinks. Blooms are produced from July to September, on stems reaching up to 36in (90cm) high. The seeds we’re giving away will grow into taller types than normal, and are therefore perfect for setting mid-way in a flower border. Cornflowers make wonderful cut flowers too, and they are really cut-and-come-again plants. If you cut the stems above a leaf node then it will produce more flowers for you, albeit on a slightly shorter stem. Over the years I have seen many flower arrangers devote large patches of their gardens purely to cornflowers. For best results, grow them in full sun in a well-drained soil. All are superb for growing…

RABBIT POT FEET £5.99 FOR 3+ P&P £4.95 01636 822795 wmpot.co.uk Ensuring adequate drainage is one of the keys to successful container gardening. These hoppy little fellows will elevate your spirits as well as your pot. Made in the UK from terracotta, they are designed to give stability on even the bumpiest ground, helping your pot to drain easily and prevent waterlogging. RAINY POT £24+ P&P £2.95 0121 224 7728 redcandy.co.uk Colourful and quirky, Simply plant up this wall-mounted container with a houseplant, then add water to the ‘cloud’ and it will gradually release it through the five small holes in the base, mirroring natural rainfall. Made from plastic and silicone, it measures 4in (10cm) x 2in (5cm) x 51/2in (26cm). PLANT THEATRE £39+ P&P £5.95…

TURTON TOWER KITCHEN GARDEN GROUP TURTON TOWER Kitchen Garden Group is a group of volunteers dedicated to restoring the kitchen garden at a Grade I-listed building near Bolton. For Dig the City, they created a garden made entirely from materials scavenged from their kitchen garden – as well as from friends, family and neighbours – to show how inexpensive good gardening can be. Climbing plants scaled a lamppost and scavenged containers ranged from tin baths to handbags. It was also a sensory garden. ROYAL MANCHESTER CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL’S PLAYFUL GARDEN FEATURING KALE, radish, lettuce and dill for their scent, taste and tactile nature as well as colourful sunflowers to attract insects, the Playful Garden was designed by Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital play leader John Smith and garden designer Sue Jeffries. It…

Trees for the future TWOYEARS ago,in the autumn,I went conker-collecting in our village. We used to have lots of horse chestnut trees but many of them were becoming diseased. So I collected some conkers to plant from the last remaining tree.I looked after them and in spring was pleased to see that most of them had germinated. They’re now getting big enough to be planted back around the village, ensuring plenty of conkers for all the children for years to come. I managed to grow some oak trees from acorns I'd collected too. They’ve been much slower growing but should be ready to donate to my primary school next year. Oliver Castle (aged 11), Welton,Lincoln Jenny says... That’s an amazing project Oliver Ð jolly well done! That's not an allotment!…