Innholdsfortegnelse for 12 September 2015 i Amateur Gardening

FORAGING FOR wild food always reminds me of Paul Hogan’s line in the first Crocodile Dundee film, when he’s cooking up bush tucker for Linda Kozlowski: “Well, you can live on it, but it tastes like s%*t!” That certainly applies to stinging nettles – they’re slimy and tasteless, yet a favourite ‘scrump’ for foragers. I’m deeply unimpressed, too, by the flavour of puffballs. Other edible wild fungi are often riddled with bugs before they can be collected. Elderberries and hawthorn berries are an acquired taste. Dandelion? Yuk! Borage? More yuk! But thankfully there are exceptions. The fresh flowers of wild garlic are really delicious; cob and hazel nuts an absolute delight; bramble and blackberries are scrumptious, and so is watercress if you can trust the water source. And Christmas wouldn’t…

HELP YOUR lawns recover from the effects of the summer with Gro-Sure Smart Seed. This award-winning mix is applied to well-worn areas of turf for growth and renewal. Seeds are coated in aqua-gel, which reduces losses due to erratic watering. We have five packs to give away. To enter the draw, send your name and address on the back of a postcard to Smart Seed Draw, Amateur Gardening, Westover House, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1JG. Or email your details to ag_ giveaway@timeinc.com , heading the email Smart Seed Draw. The closing date is: 16 September, 2015.…

THOSE OF us with ponds will, hopefully, have had a summer of interest and enjoyment out of them. Fish flitting, dragonflies darting, lilies luxuriating, and the warm sunshine reflecting off the clear waters – a scene to gladden the heart and get us away from the frenetic world around us. But come late summer and early autumn, things catch up with us a bit, and we need to attend to our ponds – for two reasons: i) to clear and tidy things that have occurred over the warmest few months of the year, and ii) to prepare things for the cooler period ahead. Here’s what we’ve been up to over the past few days: Deadhead marginal plants REMOVE THE faded flowers of marginal plants (those plants growing in shallow water…

I KNOW it seems odd, writing about Christmas in the second week of September, but there are certain preparations that you can undertake now without looking too festively premature. Last year I had a lovely little Norway spruce in a pot in the front garden. Garlanded with twinkling white lights, it looked really rather fine. But in the intervening months, it has started to look off-colour. Despite watering and feeding, it lost needles, and many of the remaining ones started to turn brown. It was a sorry sight, so I decided to re-pot it, in a last-ditch attempt to bring it back to life. On removing its container, I found that the tree was solidly pot-bound, meaning its roots were unable to take in enough water and nutrition for the…

Salvia microphylla ‘Javier’ Masses of mauve-blue flowers that contrast nicely with its dark black buds and lime green foliage. H: 2ft (65cm). S.microphylla ‘Cerro Potosi’ Stunning lipstick-pink flowers from June right through to November. H: 2½ ft (70cm). Salvia x jamensis ‘Dyson’s Orangy Pink’ Salmon-pink flowers that fade to orange. The jamensis salvias have microphylla in their parentage. H: over 2ft (60cm). Salvia ‘Purple Queen’ Attractive flower spikes bearing rich-purple flowers. Flowers from May to November. H: over 2ft (60cm). Salvia x jamensis ‘Nachtvlinder’ Rich, velvety plum-purple petals. Looks good with ‘Dyson’s Orangy Pink’. H: over 2ft (60cm). S . x jamensis ‘Peter Vidgeon’ Val’s all time…

PERFECT PARTNERS Mix Salvia microphylla with showier salvias like Salvia discolor (above), which tend to be later flowering, so that they form an understorey. I like to use smaller-flowered Salvia microphylla with blue-stemmed sea hollies, such as Eryngium x zabelii ‘Big Blue’. Blue salvias (which tend to need winter protection) look glorious in September with orange crocosmias, such as ‘Star of the East’.…

Call weekdays from 12-1pm 0843 168 0200 * Jeanette Ball of Brighton rang to ask why her five-year-old peach has lots of fruit on it, whereas her nectarine, the same age, has leaves but no fruits. Nectarines often flower earlier than other fruit trees, and before insect pollinators are around. Therefore the blooms do not get to set fruits. Next year, hand-pollinate blooms by dabbing pollen on a soft brush, from one flower to another, for a period of about 10 days. Amateur Gardening can solve your problems! EMAIL US: amateurgardening@timeinc.com EXPERTS HELPLINE: 0843 168 0200 (12 to 1pm weekdays) Calls cost5p per minute from a BT landline, callcosts from other networks may be higher. WRITE TO US: AG Helpline Westover House, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH 15…

THE EXOTIC border has performed brilliantly this summer, with everything sitting well together apart from one glaring gap caused by a lapse in communication. In order to maintain marital harmony, the garden is divided into areas governed by either John or myself – but the exotic border falls into a vulnerable ‘grey’ area. This is probably because we both like it so much neither will concede to the other. Unfortunately, individual plants within the border tend to be either his or hers, leading to rivalry. My banana was putting leaves out across his Acer x conspicuum ‘Red Flamingo’, so as it was giant herbaceous perennial (banana) versus long-lived woody plant (acer) he won and the main banana trunk was cut back. This worked well, as a cluster of four new…

GARDEN INDUSTRY chiefs last week played down calls for plants to carry warning labels if toxic to pets. The issue came to light after reports that a three year-old border collie had died after eating a king sago palm (inset, circled). The pet’s owner, from Gloucestershire, told Press that the plant’s label did not say anything about the palm containing cycasin, which can cause illness and liver failure in dogs. KEW GARDENS But the Horticultural Trades Association, the body that represents UK garden centres, told AG this is a “complex and legally difficult area to fully advise on”. HTA head of horticulture Raoul Curtis-Machin explained: “We have consulted with the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew about producing more formal guidance for animals and plants.” COMPLEX TASK Raoul added: “We found…

Pea ‘Nairobi’ (Mr Fothergill’s) This sugar-snap variety produces pods that remain totally stringless. High yielding and excellent mildew resistance. £2.65 for 250 seeds. Carrot ‘Norfolk’ F1 (Mr Fothergill’s) Has been especially noted for its exceptional flavour. Good disease resistance and excellent uniformity. £2.80 for 350 seeds. Runner bean ‘Firelight’ (Mr Fothergill’s) A self-setting red-flowered runner bean that will set pods whatever the UK weather might throw at it. £3.25 for 45 seeds. Marrow ‘Babymax’ F1 (Johnsons) Compact fruits on compact plants! Ideal for patio growing – the product of UK breeding. £2.40 for 10 seeds. Brussels sprout ‘Brodie’ F1 (Mr Fothergill’s) Forget eye-watering sulphurous sprouts with this new and exceptionally mild variety. Matures from Christmas onwards, over many weeks. Price: £3.45 for 40 seeds. SPECIAL REPORT ON NEW VARIETIES FOR…

AUTUMN IS almost upon us. The nights are drawing in and already many garden centres have been transformed into winter wonderlands to entice browsers for the Christmas season. In the garden, work carries on apace, making the most of the shortening daylight hours. Now is the time when trips outdoors may be necessary in the dark, perhaps to fetch more logs for the fire, check the greenhouse heating system, to make slug-catching forays, or to cut an extra cabbage when an unexpected visitor drops by and stays for dinner. A good torch will allow these tasks to be carried out safely. But with so many on the market it can be difficult to know which one to choose. Here we test six models to see just how user-friendly they are…

Still growing strong! IT’S BEEN a delight to see Katherine Miller’s sons, Joe and Robbie, learning about gardening and the wonders of nature in recent issues. We fail to pass on such knowledge at our peril and my neighbour, Roy, has always been generous with his time passing on skills to gardeners both young and old. Roy celebrated his ninety-ninth birthday a few weeks ago and, despite suffering with pain and disability resulting from a car accident three years ago, he continues to do all his own sowing, planting and pruning, only accepting help with mowing the lawn. His garden is a riot of colour and a delight to the eye. He also says that he intends to put on an even better show to celebrate his hundredth birthday next…

WALTHAM PLACE in Berkshire is celebrating a very special anniversary this year – 30 years of opening for the National Gardens Scheme. To celebrate owners Strilli and Nicky Oppenheimer will be holding guided tours of their organic gardens, every Wednesday at 11am and 2pm until the end of September. Influenced by gardener Henk Gerritsen, the naturalistic planting is a haven for insects, fungi, animals and indigenous flora. Visitors can see all this at work in the woodland, meadows, organic and bio-dynamic kitchen garden and farm. And, once again, monies raised will go to NGS charities. Admission is £5, children £1. To book and for further details 01628 825 517 or visit ngs.org.uk…

SEPTEMBER CAN be a wistful month, as we look back on the glories of the summer. But it can also be an optimistic time, when we enjoy the last drops of the year’s colour, and look ahead to next year’s opportunities. In this issue, I’m doing both – buying established, late-flowering colour for on-going border brightness (right), and planting crown imperial bulbs for a truly regal display next spring (p6). In the here-and-now, we also show you how to prepare your pond for the colder months (p8-9), and look at some protective structures to keep plants safe through winter (p11). Happy gardening! RuthHayes AG’S GARDENING EDITOR…

RUTH SAYS: Don’t worry if your crown imperials do little in the first year – they take 2-5 years to reach full maturity OF ALL the plants to grace our borders, few are quite as striking as Fritillaria imperialis, or the crown imperial. Standing head and shoulders over most other late-spring flowers, these stunning perennials carry hanging heads of yellow, orange or red bells on single stems that can be up to 5ft (1.5m) tall. Crown imperials grow from bulbs, and early autumn, when the soil is warm and moistened by seasonal showers, is the perfect time to get them in the ground. Do take care however: the bulbs are delicate and prone to rotting in waterlogged ground. Their ideal position is a sunny site in fertile, free-draining soil. It…

• Until 13 Sept: RHS Garden Wisley Flower Show; RHS Wisley, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB 0843 260 9000; rhs.org.uk/gardens/ wisley • Until 15 Sept: Pop-Up Garden Festival; Llanover, Nr Abergavenny 020 7386 3518; maggiescentres.org/ llanoverfestival • Until 27 Sept: Surrey Sculpture Society Trail; RHS Garden Wisley, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB 0845 260 9000; rhs.org.uk/wisleywhatson • 12 Sept: North Mymms Horticultural Society Autumn Show; North Mymms Community Centre, Station Road, Welham Green, Herts AL9 7DL 07850 180632; welhamgreen.org/ events-calendar • 12 Sept: Specialist Plant Fair; Knoll Gardens, Stapehill Road, Hampreston, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 7ND 01202 873931; knollgardens.co.uk • 13-27 Sept: Exhibition of Sculpture for Home and Garden; The Bow House, 23 Wood Street, Barnet, Herts EN5 4BE 0208 441 5841; johnbrown-sculpture.co.uk johnbrownsculpture.co.uk • 13 Sept: Plant Fair; Weston Park, Shifnal, Shropshire…

1 While the tree was standing in a bowl of water in an attempt to make its compost more easy to work with, I added crocks to the base of its new container to help drainage. 2 Removing it from its plastic pot was a struggle as it was so root-bound. In the end I had to actually cut the pot away from the tree’s rootball. 3 Teasing out the roots to help improve its uptake of water and nutrients was impossible. I resorted to using elbow grease and a garden hand fork. 4 As this is a long-term planting, I used John Innes No 3 compost. I left an inch gap at the top for watering, and in-filled around the tree, firming the compost as I went. 5 As…

IT IS tempting not to bother with spring cabbages. In their short lives they first have to face the summer heat, along with the ravages of numerous and hungry brassica pests. After this they have to contend with the winter cold. So they can be tricky to grow. However, the rewards are worth the effort – fresh, loose green leaves followed by solid heads just when home-grown vegetables are really scarce. Sowing into modules makes propagation easier. I keep these somewhere cool and shady in hot weather, covered with fine insect-proof mesh against pests. Try to time your sowing and planting so that plants are of the right size to overwinter. Those that are still too small in late autumn will be vulnerable in bad weather, whilst those that are…

MENTION SUNFLOWERS in conversation and people immediately think of giant plants reaching for the sky from a seed in just five months. Their speed of growth and towering flower heads are fun, so it’s no surprise they’re favourites with youngsters. Visitors to the Royal Horticultural Society Garden at Wisley in Surrey this summer had their eyes opened to the great range of sunflower cultivars now available. The Fleuroselect Year of the Sunflower Trial has over 130 different cultivars ranging in height from hardly 1ft (30cm) to close on 20ft (6m). There are three distinct groups: the compact kinds for the front of borders, patio pots and containers; those bred for cutting, reaching from 3-6ft (0.9-1.8m); then, of course, there are the giants. If you want traditional tall growth, then Helianthus…

QI have a fern growing in a large container, and some of the leaves are starting to look very brown and dry. Is this typical for the time of year, or is it diseased? How can I return it to health? F. Donaldson, Cartmel, Cumbria A The leaves of ferns will sometimes turn brown for no other reason than they are old. I grow ferns in large containers myself, and if they dry out occasionally, as sometimes happens when I am away, the lower leaves will turn brown. These will never turn green again, so it is best to cut them off. Ferns do not suffer from a wide range of diseases, so I feel that all that has happened is that your plants have dried out. Keeping them well…

THE BEECHGROVE GARDEN THIS WEEK NATIONAL HONEY WEEK The traditional craft of bee-keeping, now popular in gardens, will be highlighted during a new National Honey Week on 25-31 October. Q&A ROADSHOW FROM BUTE AND ROTHESAY THE TEAM travel to the island of Bute and to Rothesay for a special Q&A roadshow. BBC2 Scotland at 7.30pm on Thursday 10 September (national: BBC2, 13 September, times vary).…

ROSE ‘GOLDEN WEDDING’ £24.99P&P FREE (FOR LIMITED TIME ONLY) 0345 259 1359 notonthehighstreet.com Why wait for a golden wedding when a rose looks this gorgeous? The golden sulphur yellow blooms carry a delicate fragrance throughout the summer. The 4 litre container plant is best sited in full sun, where it’ll grow to a height of 31in (80cm). MUSHROOM TOADSTOOLS £8.99FREE P&P 01283 543974 garden4less.co.uk Add a magical quality to a fairy garden or wooded area with this pair of resin mushrooms in yellow. Both stand 3 1/4in (8cm) tall, the round headed one being 3 1/4in (8cm) wide and the pointed head 13/4in (4.5cm). Frost and weather resistant, they’ll provide year-round colour and fun. BEACH HUT NEST BOX £13.49+ P&P £3.99 01258 837 970…

• Extremely rare, highly fragrant • Stunning i beds,borders and pots Black Hyacinth ‘Midnight Mystic’ ® Thompson & Morgan first introduced the Black Hyacinth in2FF4, having paida world record price of £250,000 for3bulbsin1999. Only a very limited number of bulbs available until now. When I first saw the amazing Hyacinth,I had no doubt in my mind that it would sell anywhere in the world and it has - with record sales.You can now buy eight premium sized, quality bulbs for the same price as one when it Bas first introduced. I guarantee, when you seethe black scented flowers you Bill be mesmerised, so be quick and order your bulbs no for delivery. Rare and highly sought after -this is the first and original black hyacinth! Available again due to popular demand -…

IN THE afternoons the electric blue thistle-like blooms of sea hollies attract beneficial bees and hoverflies. And when in season these plants look absolutely amazing. But when our Plant Centre supervisor Andrea sits out in the morning to have her cup of coffee, they are abuzz with bluebottle flies. Plants switching on and off their scent at different times of day and night is a well-known phenomenon. For example, roses are at their most pungent, and herbs at their most aromatic, first thing in the morning when the volatile oils responsible for aroma are at their most concentrated. Then there are white flowers like moth-pollinated tobacco and jasmine that only put on their perfumes in the evening. But I’ve never noticed insects having a preferred time to visit, although I…

I LIKE autumn. Or, rather, I like bits of autumn: those cool, clear mornings when the garden is covered in dewy spiders’ webs, the smell of bonfires, the unexpected heat of an Indian summer. I also like the brave and colourful plants that continue to brighten our gardens, right up until, and even after, the first frosts strike. Whether you opt for late-flowering perennials and annuals, or plant shrubs and trees with reddening leaves and glowing berries, there is a cheerful, autumnal option for every situation and soil type. I went for some well-established rudbeckias, echinaceas and pansies to add instant warmth to my border, but I could also have used chrysanthemums, hardy cyclamen, dahlias or asters. top tip Even if you have planted established perennials, as I did, you…

LIFE IN the garden starts to slow down at this time of year, but there is still plenty to be done to keep everything looking good. Continue to deadhead plants for as long as they are flowering. That way, blooms will keep on coming, hopefully until well in to late autumn. Continue to pull up weeds by hand (right), taking care to remove the roots of perennial types – the smallest piece left in the ground will return to haunt you! Also, rake up fallen leaves, so they can’t become a haven for pests and diseases, and remove any slugs and snails lured out by the damp.…

CLOCHES ARE used by gardeners at this time of year to extend the growing season. At the beginning of the year, of course, they are used to give us a head start. Cloches also protect crops from pests during the main part of the growing season, and to help them flourish. Then there are garden frames (or ‘cold’ frames, so called because gardeners at the old, large estates of yesteryear would use both heated and unheated, or ‘cold’ frames). If your greenhouse is full, a cold frame provides valuable extra space for young or overwintering plants. Or, if space is tight, you could buy a plastic-covered mini greenhouse – they have several shelves and can store much more than their size suggests. Garden cloches TODAY THERE are many types of…

1 THE IDEAL cutting from the plant is 2-4in (5-10cm) long. Look for semi-ripe material that has some flexibility; fresh growth is not suitable, because it’s likely to rot. If there are flower buds, remove them. Semi-ripe cuttings need trimming below a node, where the leaves meet the stem. Remove any leaves from the lower half of the cutting and reduce any extra-large leaves by cutting most away. 2 PLUNGE INTO pots filled with coarse horticultural sand that’s kept damp. You can also use gritty compost. Avoid square pots though: they get too damp in winter. Cover softer less woody cuttings with polythene and place away from sun. Keep them frost-free. Keep cuttings undercover until next spring when they can be potted up. Cuttings taken earlier in the year should…

Sautéd Cabbage with Butter Beans, Almonds and Cheddar Cheese A delicious and light side dish that makes use of your lovely home-grown cabbages. Use spring, savoy or sweetheart cabbage for this simple but pleasing dish. Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes Total time: 25 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients Method 1 Toast the flaked almonds, on a dry pan for 2-3 mins. Set aside. 2 Chop the cabbage, shallot and garlic, and gently sauté in a large frying pan in the butter for 3-5 mins. 3 Next, add the drained butter beans and nutmeg, and heat through for 2-3 mins. 4 Season with salt and pepper. 5 Serve with the toasted almonds, and grated cheddar sprinkled on top.…

Q I’m getting good crops on my blackcurrant bush, which is in shade for half the day, but obviously the stems are weak, as the weight of the crops is causing them to snap. What should I do? Pamela Dixon, Huddersfield A Because of the shade, your plant has developed weak growth. The best way to prop up the heavily-laden branches is either to tie strings to them, and to the main, upright body of the bush, or use canes and tie weighted branches to them. Is it feasible to transplant it to a brighter, sunnier position? If so, do it before the end of November. Next year, help strengthen growth by feeding bushes with 1oz (28g) per sq yd/m of sulphate of potash. Sprinkle it evenly over the root…

I LIKE a lot of things about our kitchen garden but especially the view it makes from our kitchen window. You would think, on a site of nearly two acres, that we’d have been spoilt for choice when it came to siting a veg plot. But by the time I’d ruled out parts with wet clay soil and those that were too sloping, shady, windy or frequented by deer and badgers, the area directly off our kitchen became obvious. It does lie on the north side of the house but was easy to fence and, apart from the route of an old driveway, the soil was good. Best of all, we gaze out over an ever-changing garden-within-a-garden, watching our food grow and enjoying the antics of wild birds. This summer…

By Marc Rosenberg “We have discovered a serious safety issue” GARDENERS HAVE been told to stop using a weed killing product immediately after it emerged that there could be a “risk of fire during use”. Product supplier Coopers of Stortford, based at Bishop’s Stortford in Hertfordshire, has issued an urgent recall for its Kill Weed product. The BBC reported that 86 year-old Francis Dunlop died while using a Kill Weed device in Bourne, Lincolnshire, in June this year. INTENSE HEAT Coopers of Stortford said: “We have discovered a serious safety issue with the Kill Weed product which could lead to the risk of fire during use. “As customer safety is paramount, we must advise customers to stop using the Kill Weed with immediate effect,” the statement added. The Kill Weed…

STAFF AT British Airways have their feet firmly on the ground when it comes to growing fruit and veg. Employees at the airline’s headquarters near Heathrow created an allotment and set about growing marrows, strawberries, tomatoes and runner beans at full throttle. Now, their hobby is taking off, with fresh produce ensuring they never eat plane food, sorry plain food, again. And rather than trying to wing-it and hope that luck is on the horizon, staff have set up a social network to exchange gardening tips. They hope their new network will ensure their foray into horticulture isn’t too turbulent – while employees have even staged a harvest festival. COMPETITIVE BA’s Gayna Fitzgerald said: “It’s been great for team bonding and making contacts in other areas of the business. “We…

THE YEAR of the Tomato and Year of the Cosmos (2016) is to be supported by Mr Fothergill’s. It follows on from the Year of the Sunflower (2015). The pan-European campaign is run by plant trialling organisation Fleuroselect. POPULAR VARIETIES Gardeners should expect to see lots more varieties of these two popular plants – 16 varieties of tomato and 15 of cosmos – from Mr Fothergill’s in 2016. This will include several that are new to Mr Fothergill’s. Seeds will be sold via specially designed stands in garden centres UK-wide this autumn. Mr Fothergill’s Tracy Collacott, who sits on the Fleuroselect gardening committee, said: “We hope to draw gardeners’ attention to these plants’ great diversity and encourage them to try more varieties during 2016.”…

YOU NEED to stand, crouch or kneel somewhere to tend garden plants, and the usual solution is a path – made from either gravel, lawn grass or concrete. Grass is cheap and simple, and can be altered or moved fairly easily. But it does require mowing, feeding and weeding to stay in good condition, and will go bald where wear is heavy. Thus we might prefer a gravel path, yet this takes much maintenance to stay in good condition and is neither cheap nor easy to move. A poured concrete path takes little looking after once made, but is expensive and near immovable. Concrete slab paths are a better and more attractive option, and you can often get away with laying them on a bed of sharp sand and reset…

Ingredients 2 eggs8oz/250g Self raising flour4fl oz/ 120ml Milk3oz/100g Caster sugar5oz/150g Butter2 handfuls of blackberries Method Mix the butter and caster sugar together until they form a light creamy paste. Add the eggs and beat with a whisk until the mixture is light and fluffy. Gently, fold in the flour using a wooden spoon and finally the blackberries. Add milk as required to keep the mixture moist. Lightly oil your muffin moulds and pour the mixture in, right to the top. Place in a preheated oven at 170°C for approx 20 minutes. To check whether they’re cooked, the top of the muffin should spring back when lightly touched. Put them back in the oven for a couple of minutes if they’re not quite ready.…

Spot the difference Gardeners at Growing Newsome, a community allotment near Huddersfield in Yorkshire, were left star struck after Corrie actor Simon Gregson, who plays Steve McDonald in the ITV soap, dropped in. Simon is an ambassador for the National Lottery Awards, and the allotments are one of this year’s finalists. Can you spot the FOUR differences we’ve made to this picture? (Answers at the bottom of the page) True or false? TV gardener and former nursery owner CarolKlein ( pictured ) also used to teachscience? (Answer at the bottom of page)…