Innholdsfortegnelse for 3 October 2015 i Amateur Gardening

OK, IT’S confession time on the competition front. My pot of ‘Romance’ lilies from Thompson & Morgan grew beautifully, flowered superbly and produced a compact group of colourful, highly scented blooms. I was supposed to take a picture and send it in for judging, but before I did a heavy rain storm battered the flowers smearing pollen all over the petals. My Tallest Sunflower (I grew ‘Giraffe’, ‘Mongolian Giant’ and ‘Russian Giant’) didn’t grow very tall – about 10ft (3m) so I don’t hold out any hopes for that. After great preparation the penny dropped that I was ineligible for the Mr Fothergill Sweet Peas by post event because we helped to sponsor it! My flowers were exquisite, and would have looked great displayed in a thimble – is there…

SWEET PEAS are hardy, easy to grow, and once they flower they fill the garden with a heavenly scent for months. I sow mine in autumn, though I may be in the minority, as many people worry that seeing their sweet pea seedlings through the winter can be hard work. Let me reassure you - there is nothing to worry about, apart from a surfeit of beautiful blooms next year! Place sown seeds in a coldframe. Ideally, they should grow slowly, shooting after about three weeks, and building up strong roots rather than top growth. Sweet peas are hardy and can withstand temperatures down to -5C (23F). If it gets any colder, place a couple of layers of horticultural fleece or an old blanket, over the coldframe. If you lose…

Peckish Daily Goodness Nuggets will give your feathered friends a treat this autumn. The easy-to-use pieces are packed with mealworms and peanuts for slow-release energy. We have five boxes to give away. To enter the draw, send your name and address on the back of a postcard to Peckish Nuggets Draw, Amateur Gardening, Westover House, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1JG. Or email your details to ag_giveaway@timeinc.com , heading the email Peckish Nuggets Draw. The closing date is: 7 October, 2015.…

• Tarragon: I’m sowing Russian tarragon, which is hardier and milder than the French variety. It makes a delicious herb butter. 1 Fill a 5in (13cm) pot with compost (I’m using John Innes No 2) and sprinkle the tarragon seeds on top. Do not cover. 2 Because the seeds are not protected by compost I sprayed them gently with water so they didn’t wash away. 3 Rocket: In a separate pot I sowed wild rocket, covered the seeds with a thin layer of compost then watered lightly. 4 The pots were labelled and popped in plastic bags on a light, warm windowsill. They germinated in five days.…

• 3 October: Alpine Garden Society Loughborough Autumn Show; Charnwood College, Thorpe Hill, Loughborough LE11 4SQ 01332 831564; alpinegardensociety.net • 3-4 October: Craft Fayre; Batsford Arboretum, Batsford, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, GL56 9AB 07725 843414; batsarb.co.uk • 3-4 October: Apple Affair; West Dean Gardens, Nr Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0RX 01245 811301; westdean.org.uk • 4 October: Apple Day; RHS Garden Rosemoor, Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH 01805 626800; rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor • 6-7 October: London Harvest Festival Show; Lindley Hall, Greycoat Street, Westminster SW1 2PE rhs.org.uk • 8 October: Getting the Garden Ready for Winter; Holden Clough Nursery, Holden Bolton by Bowland, Clitheroe, Lancs BB7 4PF 01200 447615; holdencloughnursery.com • 11 October: Autumn Food and Country Fair; East of England Showground, Peterborough PE2 6XE 01733 363500; autumnfoodandcountryfair.co.uk • Entrance fees and opening times vary. Please…

Rose hips The hips from rambling and climbing roses are excellent for flower arranging. Try: ‘Rambling Rector’, ‘Treasure Trove’ or ‘Frances E Lester’. Alternatives: hypericum and crataegus berries, also crab apples. Chrysanths Any hardy chrysanthemums work well, like this gorgeous red one called ‘Chelsea Physic Garden’. Shaggy greenhouse types such as ‘John Riley’ also look good. Alternatives: All asters, except the New England types, which close up easily. Vebena bonariensis It’s easy to squeeze this tall, airy herbaceous perennial into garden borders, and the gorgeous sprays of tiny purple flowers, that bloom from late summer to the first frosts, are perfect for blending with chunkier blooms in flower arrangements. Alternative: Verbena rigida . Seedheads For a finishing touch, add a couple of dark perennial seedheads. Avoid really…

DESPITE THE damper, chillier autumn nights, my oriental salad leaves are thriving. Their spicy taste suits the season, and the mix of colourful leaves cheer me up as I carry them to the kitchen. These quick-growing crops can either be grown closely for baby leaves or spaced out to make mature plants. In mild areas it is not too late to sow now for a baby leaf harvest – under cloches in a sunny spot or in an unheated greenhouse. If bed space is short, you could use spent grow-bags or large pots that have been cleared of summer crops. However, oriental greens need plenty of food and moisture even at this time of year, so pep-up tired soils or the mixture in containers, with garden compost or fresh potting…

Q My Nerine bowdenii has flowered well this year, and is about to set seed. Should I sow them now, or wait until next spring before sowing them? Phillip Mills (via email) AI am delighted that one or more of your nerines has set seeds. When ripe and easily removed from the seed vessel, set seeds to three times their depth and 3in (7cm) apart in a seed tray or pot filled with proprietary seed and cutting compost. Water in seeds and position containers in a cold frame or cold greenhouse. Seedlings should appear next spring. When the young plants reach 6-8in (15-20cm) high, move them to a warm, sunny border to mature. They should flower within three years of sowing. JOHN NEGUS QI…

THE BEECHGROVE GARDEN THIS WEEK ASH DIEBACK HITS LAKES Ash dieback has reportedly been found in the Lake District, one of the UK’s most picturesque natural landscapes, for the first time. PLANT COMBINATIONS FOR AUTUMN COLOUR JIM AND Carole walk around Beechgrove pointing out the plant combinations showing best autumn colour. BBC2 Scotland, 7.30pm, 1 October (national repeat: BBC2, 4 October, times vary).…

FLEUROSELECT, THE European organisation representing the seed trade and plant breeders, has designated 2016 The Year of the Cosmos and The Year of the Tomato. Extensive trials of both have been undertaken ahead of this promotion and in one day I visited three companies, seeing close on 400 different tomato cultivars. They varied in size from tiny currants up to huge beefsteak kinds, with colours ranging from red to orange, yellow, green, bronze to black and of course some bi-colour striped fruit. Speaking to Tony Hender, one of our most experienced seedsmen, I was interested to hear he was involved as a very young man in breeding the stripe into one of the early introductions from the Glasshouse Crops Research Institute (GCRI). The stripe was introduced to mark out the…

ARCHITECTURAL FLOWERS IT’S NOT just foliage that can be architectural – flowers can provide bold structure too. Plant clumps of red hot pokers, alliums or Nicotiana sylvestris through borders to add drama and focus. A FRAMED ACCENT PLANT FOR A modern or Mediterranean look on your terrace, plant one architectural plant (such as a cordyline) against a clean wall that has been painted sand beige or perhaps pink. A warm wall colour will complement the stark drama of the plant. TOPIARY SHAPES OF COURSE clipped evergreens, such as yew and box, also provide architectural focal points and backbone. A series of box pyramids dotted through a border gives a verdant sturdiness for your summer flowers to bloom around. LAND OF THE GIANTS IF YOU are lucky enough to have a…

Spot the difference TV gardener Jim McColl turned 80 last month, with a special programme celebrating the achievements of Scotland’s head gardener. Jim, who presents The Beechgrove Garden , has a huge following south of the border, now that Beechgrove is repeated nationally on BBC2 on Sunday mornings. Can you spot the FOUR differences between these pictures of Jim and his on-screen colleagues? (Answers located at the bottom of the page) True or false? When TV gardener Toby Buckland appeared on Celebrity Mastermindin 2010, his specialist subject was classic BBC comedy Fawlty Towers ? (Answer at the bottom of page)…

1 Stand plants in water so they get a long drink, and then place them on the soil, in their pots, until they are in an arrangement you like. 2 Get the ‘framework’ plants in the ground. For each one, dig a hole the same depth as its container, and slightly wider. 3 Once the plant is in the ground, in-fill around its rootball and firm down the soil as you go. This supports the plant and gets rid of air pockets. 4 Once the focus plants are in place, add the rest – making sure you don’t disturb or damage any that have already been planted. 5 Finally, water the area well, and finish the task by tidying the edges of the border. This gives a good look, and…

NEW HOUSES are springing up everywhere, but the size of gardens attached to them seems to be getting smaller. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however. Not everyone has time to care for a large plot, and small spaces can be extremely versatile. So if your garden is the size of a postage stamp, don’t despair – and certainly don’t think you have to limit yourself when choosing plants to grow in it – one or two big plants can work in a small space. Here I’m looking at some dwarf trees and shrubs that won’t swamp or overshadow small spaces. By choosing carefully, and placing your plants where they will be happiest (many small trees are happy in a large patio container), you can look forward to year-round colour,…

WITH MUCH cooler days meaning that we’re spending less time in our gardens, why not bring a bit of the garden inside to enjoy, in the form of a pretty autumn posy? With autumn’s bounty of berries, leaves and blooms there’s plenty of material out there. Just a small bunch will create charming little tabletop posies that can be used to decorate the dinner table. These miniature arrangements are just right for setting the scene, especially with a candle or two nearby. With stems much shorter than their bouquet counterparts, you won’t be craning your neck to see your dinner guests. You don’t need to be a professional florist to create them either. Their simplicity makes them relatively easy to put together. And if you don’t have any of the…

1 Prepare a patch in a sunny spot or greenhouse border, adding compost to poor soils 2 For baby leaf sow in drills 6in (15cm) apart/thin to 1in (2.5cm), or broadcast/thin to 2-3in (5-7cm) 3 For larger plants, sow in modules to transplant 9-12in (22-10cm) each way depending on variety 4 Harvest leaves as needed; remove weeds and dead or diseased leaves. Ventilate well 5 Cover in cold spells to help plants overwinter; they will regrow in spring then run to seed…

Call weekdays f om 12-1pm 0843 168 0200 * Garry from Manchester called to ask how to take cuttings from perennial coleus. To propagate them, take 3in (7cm) shoot-tip cuttings, remove the lower leaves and make a clean horizontal cut just beneath a stem joint. Insert into 4in (10cm) pots of seed and cutting compost and enclose in a large plastic bag, using struts to keep plastic from touching the leaves, and position on a warm, sunny windowsill. 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 1JG…

IN A mad moment, I stuck my head under the office desk and realised I have a total of nine seed tins stowed there, four of which were filled with flower seeds, many well out of date. I hate throwing them away, so decided to see what could be sown now, given that many trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials do well from autumn sowings. I found seeds of Christmas tree, pyrethrum, Campanula lactiflora, lychnis and candytuft. There was also a mystery packet of large seeds I must have gathered myself and could be from a Judas tree. The general rule with sowing is to set seeds out on a smooth, moist surface and cover them with compost to the same thickness as the seed itself. The surface is pressed very…

A CHEMICALS giant is to pull the plug on a controversial ingredient in a top-selling bug spray. Bayer will reformulate Provado Ultimate Bug Killer for 2016 so that it no longer contains a neonicotinoid (neonic) called Thiacloprid. Thiacloprid remains approved. It is not one of the three neonics banned by the EU. But greens have claimed all neonic chemicals play a part in bee decline. Pesticide makers have always denied any link. PEST CONTROL Currently, the Thiaclopridbased Provado Ultimate Bug Killer Ready To Use works as a contact and systemic insecticide, providing up to six weeks of pest control in ornamental and edible plants. But for 2016, Bayer will replace Thiacloprid with Deltamethrin, a non-neonic contact insecticide that offers up to two weeks of control. Bayer acknowledged that neonics have…

WINNER OF TV contest The Big Allotment Challenge, Rob Smith, has teamed up with Dobies of Devon to bring out a range of heritage veg seeds and cut flowers. Although the TV challenge has been axed after just two series, Dobies said Rob brought “enthusiasm and fresh ideas to the table” which resulted in a new seed line-up. The result, says the firm, is a range of varieties that includes some that have not been seen on the homegrown market before. Rob, who works as airline cabin crew, was introduced to gardening by his granddad when he was a kid. He said he has a “real passion for heritage veg”. Rob describes the varieties he has chosen as those “that have stood the test of time and produce amazing crops”.…

LAWNS NEED air and water to flourish, but after heavy use soil near the surface can become compacted – grass roots are deprived of air, and water can puddle rather than soak in, eventually leading to patches of mud. Lawn spike aerators aim to cure both these problems, opening up the soil to improve drainage and aeration. Lawn condition was perfect for the purposes of our test - fairly compacted after a summer’s use, but moist following a week of heavy rain. You can spike dryer lawns – but it’ll be much harder work. BOSMERE N650 AERATOR £24.99+ P&P £5 01276 486422 longacres.co.uk Features The roller and bracket come pre-assembled, but you’ll need to bolt on the safety guard and bottom section of the handle using a 10mm…

Evergreens Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun’ The glossy evergreen foliage of this shade-loving shrub grows in striking rosettes. Has scented yellow blooms in winter. H9ft (3m). Fatsia japonica One of the best architectural evergreens. This shrub has big glossy palmate leaves and grows in sun or shade. H6ft (2m). Yucca gloriosa ‘Variegata’ A hardy chap, this yucca has yellow and green striped evergreen spikes and produces cream bells in late summer. H6ft (2m). Cordyline australis ‘Red Star’ Popular plant for a jungle-themed garden. But also blends well with bedding schemes and other planting styles. H9ft (3m) Deciduous Catalpa bignoides ‘Aurea’ Pollard in spring, two seasons after planting out, in order to get huge leaves and restrict size of plant. Rodgersia pinnata ‘Chocolate Wing’ Gorgeous chocolate brown foliage in spring, turning…

TIMES CHANGE, and with them, so do the materials we use. We now have relatively cheap plastic pots in sizes that would have been prohibitive if made of clay. Tastes also change. Until recently very few gardeners grew garlic; previously it was regarded as that “foreign muck”, as my grandad would call it. Those adventurous souls who experimented with garlic grew it as it was grown on the Continent. That is, cloves set just under the soil’s surface, in autumn, with the bulbs harvested the next summer. Autumn setting is preferred as these hardy onion relatives live through the winter, and can be harvested as early as May. This method works reliably, and with garlic now a popular homegrown crop, it has become the standard way to sow. Unfortunately, with…

‘Cupani’ has been filling the air in homes and gardens with its intoxicating fragrance for over 300 years. Has the same flower colour and scent as the wild sweet pea. You won’t find a better sweet pea for scent. Supplier: Sarah Raven. £1.95 0345 092 0283, rpsweetpeas.com ‘Sugar n Spice’ is perfect for growing in pots and baskets. It comes in a spectacular colour pallet of pinks including bi-colours and its naturally neat, compact habit means there’s no need for pinching. Supplier: Thompson & Morgan. £2.99 0844 573 1818, thompson-morgan.com ‘Jimelda’ is loved for its super pretty, cerise-coloured blooms. Named after actors Imelda Staunton and Jim Carter, who are keen gardeners in their North London home. A superb cut flower. Supplier: Mr Fothergills. £2.15 0333 777…

AT THE end of one of our garden borders lies a shady area in desperate need of brightening up. It is an area of heavily dappled shade, lying next to the shed and under a thickly-branched Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’. In the spring, tulips and daffodils lighten the shadows, and in summer it is planted up with bedding favourites. But in the winter, it is dark and shadowed, so I was determined to transform it from seasonal Cinderella into a colourful triumph. I bought a cyclamen and dianthus, plus some badly wilting pansies from the bargain section of my local supermarket, which bounced back after a long drink. top tip Some of the driest areas can be close to walls or under roof eaves, as they cast a ‘rain shadow’ and…

I LOVE being able to pick herbs from the garden in summer, and I miss them in winter when tender varieties die back. Then I have to rely on supermarket pots or packs of cut herbs when I need parsley, basil and tarragon, and it isn’t ideal. I have lost count of the times I’ve discovered the mouldy remnants of long-forgotten, ready-cut herbs buried at the back of the fridge. Yet it’s easy to grow your own, even at this time of year. Sow them, let them germinate, and keep them growing on a warm, bright windowsill. Don’t overwater, but do feed every 3-4 weeks, and pick leaves regularly. That way you can have fresh herbs on tap all winter – and you can freeze many of them too. top…

• Keep your seeds safe over winter (at room temperature, dry and away from mice!). Sow outdoors (where you want your plants to flower) in April or May. Before sowing, dig the area and remove all weeds. Firm and level the ground, then rake it to form a fine tilth. • Take out shallow drills 12in (30cm) apart, and just ¼in (6mm) – or less – deep. Before sowing the seeds, moisten soil along the rows using a watering can fitted with a fine rose end. • Sow the seeds very thinly along the drills, and lightly cover them over. • When the seedlings are large enough to be handled, thin them out so that they are 9in (23cm) apart. Over the following weeks and months, keep the soil moist,…

Tofu and Sesame Salad with Oriental Leaves A simple and quick-to-prepare salad with spicy oriental leaves and crispy sesame tofu Prep time: 15 minutes Serves: 4 Cooking time: 15 minutes Ingredients: Method 1 Whisk vinegar, soy sauce, chilli flakes, ginger and sugar in a bowl. Let it infuse for a few minutes. 2 Dip tofu, 1 piece at a time, in the soy mixture, then dip in the sesame seeds, pressing to coat. 3 Heat the oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium-low heat. Fry the tofu for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden and crisp. Drain on a paper towel. 4 Toss the salad leaves with the spring onion and red cabbage. Then arrange in serving…

Q Why are we advised to rake fallen autumn leaves off the lawn? I thought that leaf mould is supposed to be good for growing things! Jan Molyneaux, Llandaff, South Wales A This is an interesting question and I can see why you might be feeling a little confused! It is generally suggested to remove them from the lawn as they take a long time to rot down. During this process they would remove any light from the grass, and this would result in the grass beneath the leaves dying out. It would take some time for rotting leaves to be broken down by worms, etc, and once absorbed into the soil you would be left with an empty patch of soil which would be invaded by weeds. AG on…

TREES ARE abundant with fruit in our small orchard and after a family get together, I sent everybody home with bags of apples. John doesn’t eat them, so now I’m left to munch away on my own, with a little help from the guinea pigs and my mare Raphaella who likes them chopped into her feed. I leave fallen fruit on the ground because rabbits and deer like to tuck in and butterflies sip the sweet juice that leaks out as they begin to rot. Later pheasants, blackbirds and fieldfares finish the rest. Rosy fruits on the trees are showy, reminding me what good garden trees apples and pears are for looks, fruitfulness and attracting wild life. No garden is too small for them, as there are trees specially produced…

WILL YOUR chilli pepper tickle your taste buds or blow your socks off? A seed company has conjured up a chilli meter to help gardeners keep check on the heat. The Scoville scale has been the way of measuring chilli heat for over 100 years, but a pepper rating of 750,000 means little to gardeners. Now, Thompson & Morgan has rated all its peppers on a simple 0 to 10 scale, where 0 represents cool and sweet, while a score of 10 hints at explosive firepower! T&M says demand for chillies has grown as gardeners dabble in more exotic cuisine. ALL ABOUT KUDOS Horticultural director Paul Hansord said: “For some growers, it’s all about the kudos of growing the hottest varieties they can get their hands on; often far too…

Gro-Sure SowSmart BRANDED A “unique and foolproof way to grow tomatoes from seed,Ó each pack contains six ready-sown plugs of RHS Award of Garden Merit varieties (‘Alicante’ and ‘Gardener’s Delight), surrounded by peat-free coir compost. The packaging doubles up as a mini-propagator. Just add water and within four weeks, says maker Westland, you’ll have a young plant, ready to pop into a container or growing bag. Plugs will only soak up as much water as they need, so there’s no risk of over-watering, it’s claimed. Packs will retail for £4.99. Miracle-Gro Gro-ables THE ULTIMATE in convenience gardening – push the pod into the soil or compost and watch it grow! Each pod contains seed, plant food and coir compost in a casing of dairy fibre (sanitised cow manure) which quickly…

STAR LIGHTS £16.99+ P&P £4.95 0345 259 1359 notonthehighstreet.com This pretty string of 30 star-shaped solar-powered LED lights is ideal for brightening up bushes, trees and other features in the garden at night. Not just for Christmas, the weatherproof acrylic stars will add a party spirit to foliage, summerhouses and garden sheds throughout the year. With a separate solar panel for charging during the daytime, the set has a cable length of 20ft 6in (6.25m). ROCKET SHIP TENT £22.50+ P&P £3.95 01885 448 118 thelittleblueowl.co.uk Imagination can take kids to infinity and beyond – especially if they have a pop-up rocket ship tent like this to play with in the garden. Made from polyester fabric with rods for internal support it’s easy to erect. Size 3x3x3ft…

The cycle of life A BIG “thank you” for Katherine Miller's article '20 fun projects for summer' that appeared in AG 1 August. The butterfly house (No 9 on the list) was a great success with the 'young at heart' residents and staff at Pulsford Lodge residential care home here in Wiveliscombe. Some of our residents are unable to venture outside every day so the opportunity to witness the life cycle of five painted lady butterflies in the comfort of the home gave them great pleasure. There was also excitement when, having observed them for a few days, people made the effort to come down into a sitting room and watch their release. A few people even came out and helped. After a couple of abortive…

TIPPING TIRED petunias, begonias and trailing fuchsias from their hanging baskets onto the compost is a wrench. Although straggly, it’s sad to see these last flowers of summer go. But this is no time to be sentimental as with the first frosts around the corner, tender bedding will quickly meet its Waterloo. Besides, if you bite the bullet now, the roots and flowers of the replacements will be more abundant. So what to plant? Well, the place to start with any basket is the middle, and with something stout that stands up and fills the centre. In the past I chose heuchera for their colourful and robust evergreen leaves, but Lisa has converted me to skimmia which do a fantastic job. Garden centres sell a range including lime ‘Kew Green’…