Innholdsfortegnelse for 7 November 2015 i Amateur Gardening

WHY DO some plants grab our imaginations, while others are… well, just plants? One I gush over every time I see it is Geranium maderense, a fabulous architectural specimen as it matures. The red leaf stems at the base face downwards making the plant look like some kind of 20 legged alien monster. Add a canopy of massive, deeply cut rich green shiny leaves and loads of big flowers (for a geranium) and in my book you have a winner. And yet, until this year I’d never grown it before. So I was excited (yes, even at my age!) when Thompson & Morgan gave me one in a goodie bag in early summer. I took it home, overwatered it, then crammed it into a seriously unsuitable space in the front…

TULIPS ARE one of our most popular and versatile spring-flowering plants. We see them at their best from March to May, when many early spring blooms are starting to fade. They are happy in borders and pots, and some varieties can be naturalised in lawns and under trees. They are planted as bulbs, but later in the year than spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and crocus, which are planted in early autumn. This is because they can be prone to a fungal disease called ‘tulip fire’, which thrives in the warm, damp conditions of September and October. So, because they only need a short season of growth, you can plant your tulips right up until Christmas – and still expect a glowing display next spring. Tulip fire – what to…

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? • 7 November: Growing Berries and Currants for Beginners; RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorks HG3 1QB; 0203 1765 830 rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr • 7-8 November: Plants for Autumn Interest; RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH 01805 626823; rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor • 10 November: Arboretum Walk; Yorkshire Arboretum, Castle Howard, York YO60 7BY 01653 648948; yorkshirearboretum.org • 10 November: Woodland Walks; RHS Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane, Rettendon, Chelmsford CM3 8ET 0845 2658071; rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall 10 November: Evening talk – Gardens of the First World War; Cranborne Garden Centre, Cranborne, Dorset BH21 5PP 01725 517248; cranbornegardencentre.co.uk • 14-15 November: Plants for Autumn Interest; RHS Garden…

1 Dig a trench in a sheltered, well-drained area of the garden. Dig in some well-rotted compost and add a generous layer of horticultural sand or grit to aid drainage. 2 Cut long, healthy shoots from the host plant, cut off the top third and discard. Cut the rest into sections 6-12in (15-30cm) long, with a sloping cut at the top, above a bud, to shed water. 3 Dip the base of each cutting in hormone rooting powder or gel, and push it into the soil so two-thirds is below the surface. A few buds should remain above the ground. 4 Firm in the cuttings and water them well. Keep an eye on them over the following year. Don’t let them dry out in dry periods. New growth should appear…

Kale, Black Rice and Halloumi Salad This is a crunchy, chewy and substantial salad, full of flavour, colour and texture. Kale is a super food, abundant in essential vitamins that can prove vital at this time of year. Prep time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 25mins Serves 2 Ingredients Method 1 Pour the rice into a medium size pan, then add 2.5 mugs of water to the rice, along with the lentils. 2 Bring to the boil and cook for 25 minutes or until the rice is tender. (black rice doesn’t soak up all the water) Remove from heat, drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside. 3 Meanwhile toast the almonds on a dry pan, for…

ACORNS AND DOGS Vets have raised concerns that acorns can prove fatal for dogs after a four year-old Labrador was poisoned by one of the nuts after a country walk. GARDEN CRIME Thieves steal more items from gardens, such as gnomes, than traditional loot such as wallets, claims an Office for National Statistics study. GARDEN VOLUNTEERING Volunteer gardeners are being sought by Kelmarsh Hall in Northamptonshire, which has Grade II listed gardens. Call Carla Cooper on (01604) 686543.…

WHEN WILL Baddeley bought a cheap bonsai tree from a petrol station in 1997, little did he know it would spark a passion that would see him become an expert. Last month Will, from Ipswich in Suffolk, was crowned European bonsai champion – his first international title. When Will bought his first tree, he already had a fondness for nature. SPIRITUAL PASTIME Now, he tours Europe giving demonstrations to hundreds of bonsai enthusiasts, and has given up his 30-year roof thatching job, to find solace in what he describes as a spiritual pastime: “I didn’t think I would still be doing it 18 years later!” he said. “I was surprised at winning, but extremely proud.” Incredibly, his winning bonsai tree was discovered on a building site in 1997. BODYGUARD It…

WEATHER CAN impact dramatically on our gardening activities, influence the health of our plants and determine the likelihood of pest and disease infestations. So it’s a good idea to keep an eye on it. The weather station best suited to your needs will depend largely on the plants you grow and where you keep them. For anyone with a heated greenhouse or growing tender plants requiring frost-free shelter, the ability to monitor temperature is crucial. Equally, a weather station can alert you to high temperatures and changes in humidity, helping to determine whether there’s a risk of potato or tomato blight. A station will, of course, help judge the likelihood of rain and some will even help you decide when to spray. • During trials data transmission could only be…

1 GET YOUR tulips in now that the weather is cooler. This helps prevents a fungal disease called fireblight. 2 IF YOUR garden is windswept like mine, reduce the growth on ‘hard-prune’ roses such as hybrid teas and floribundas by half. However do your main pruning in late February; take floribundas back to 18in (45cm) and hybrid teas to between 6in and 9in (up to 22cm). 3 ORDER YOUR veg seeds now, in the hiatus before (dare I mention) Christmas. Look for the ‘RHS AGM’ symbol and the word ‘flavour’ when ordering. 4 TIDY THE shed! It’s a tedious job but it does it make a difference to your morale. Check for labels, twine, canes etc and make a list for a New Year spending spree. 5 TIE IN new…

NEXT YEAR’S ‘bible’ of gar den visiting in England and W ales, The Yellow Book 2016 , is now available to pre-order from the National Gardens Scheme. Costing £11.99 (including pos tage) it’ll be published in early F ebruary and dispatched shortly aft erwards. For details visit ngs.org.uk. Meanwhile, the NGS is applauding Geoff Stonebanks, owner of Driftwood garden in East Sussex, who has opened his garden to the public 100 times sinc e 2009. Geoff has received 12,650 visitors Driftwood, served 5,000 portions of home-made ca ke, and raised over £61,000 for charities including the NGS. In 2016 Driftwood will open f or the NGS on June 9 , June 28, July 19 and July 31.…

EVER BEEN to Keukenhof in Holland? A tulip lover’s dream, it is home to 800 varieties, planted in their millions, and is a breathtaking sight from March to May, when the blooms are in their prime. The trouble is, it’s also a little depressing, because when you return home you look out into your garden and realise that you either don’t have the space to recreate what you’ve seen, or it’s going to cost you a fortune! Fear not. The good news is you don’t need hundreds of bulbs to make an impact. Plant taller-growing varieties up to 1ft (30cm) apart and fill the gaps with forget-me-nots, which can be planted out now. By spring you will have a border frothing with pale blue flowers and sturdy-stemmed tulips spearing out…

KEEP YOUR household orchids happy with Seramis Potting Compost. This safe-to-handle mix absorbs, and gradually releases, water as needed, and helps oxygen reach the plant’s roots. We have five 2.5L bags to give away. To enter the draw, send your name and address on the back of a postcard to Seramis Compost Draw, Amateur Gardening, Westover House, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1JG. Or email your details to ag_giveaway@timeinc.com , heading the email Seramis Compost Draw. The closing date is: 11 November 2015.…

1 Select a framework of branches evenly spaced out, that give the tree crown a rough goblet shape, and cut these back from the tip by about a third in length. 2 Make each cut diagonally, just behind an outward facing bud, so that new growth from that bud will head in the right direction to maintain the tree shape. 3 Cut back any side shoots growing out of the chosen main stems, to three buds above where they join the stem. There may be none. 4 After pruning, the new tree has a tidy, well spaced framework of branches. In years to come, cut side shoots from the framework to three buds, to promote fruit.…

• Building a leafmould bin is a quick and easy way of dealing with fallen leaves. • You will need a sheltered area of the garden, four tree stakes, a roll of chicken mesh about 2ft (60cm) wide, wire cutters and a pack of metal staples. • Cut off or tuck in sharp bits of wire once you have finished. Bins can look unsightly, so hide it away behind a shed or garage! 1 Start by clearing an area of ground and hammering in the four corner posts, about 3ft (1m) apart and very firmly into the soil. 2 Unravel a length of the mesh and attach one edge to a post using staples – one at both top and bottom, and a couple in between. 3 Once you have…

IT IS not often that an easy-to-grow garden vegetable becomes trendy, but that is what has happened to kale. I feel very smug this autumn, picking my ‘speciality leaves’ and enjoying fashionable dishes, all for the price of a packet of seeds. The plants look stunning on the winter vege plot too. Unlike other brassicas, kale doesn’t have to form large, firm heads or tight buttons, just leaves. This is why it is less demanding than cabbages or Brussels sprouts, succeeding in partial shade or on poorer soils. That said, adding compost or well-rotted manure gives bigger, more productive plants. Add lime to acid soils, or if clubroot disease is present. Similarly, sowing dates and spacing aren’t critical. I sow seeds in modules in May, and transplant seedlings about 6…

• PICK SNAILS (there may be lots of them!) and caterpillars off brassicas including kales, cabbages, purple sprouting and Brussels sprouts. • When you’ve finished pest-picking, carefully replace netting covers to stop hungry pigeons from pecking the leaves. • Keep the hoe moving around all winter crops, but especially Swedes, turnips and celeriac bulbs to discourage slugs burrowing into them. • Start harvesting leaves of kale, breaking off just the leaves you need and leaving the rest of the plant to grow on. • Lift any carrots left in the soil before hard frosts arrive, and store them in layers in boxes covered in just-moist sand or clean compost, in the shed or garage. • Check stores of apples and pears for any that are showing signs of rot, and…

QI have a small, shelved, polythene greenhouse for overwintering plants. Will it give enough protection if it gets really cold, or should I add anything else? Derek Hodgeson, Bridport, Dorset AI like these small polythene greenhouses as they give some protection at a fraction of the price of glass and, being moveable, they can be positioned in the warmest spot in the garden for maximum protection in winter. If it gets really cold, this type of a structure will not offer that much protection but by adding several layers of fleece over the plants it’s surprising what you can get away with. They are also great for keeping hardy plants and some bulbs on the dry side. AG on facebook  Go to facebook.com, create a free account if needs be,…

OUR FRONT garden is routinely neglected every summer, while attention is focussed mainly on the kitchen plot. Husband John and I have the garden divided up, so we don’t argue with each other. I’m in charge of the lightly shaded, north-facing woodland borders. Woodland style plants tend to give of their best in winter and spring while the leaves are off the tree canopy above and more water penetrates the soil. I ventured round there to see what needed doing and was surprised by how much the major shrubs had knitted together. When planting borders, we tend to place trees and shrubs at sensible spacings and fill the gaps with smaller shrubs, herbaceous perennials and bulbs. With time, spaces between major players shrink and smaller plants need to be rescued.…

THE ROYAL Horticultural Society last week unveiled the long-awaited location for its fifth flagship garden: Salford, in Greater Manchester. It intends to restore the historic grounds of Worsley New Hall, turning the 156-acre landscape into a destination garden that will welcome one million visitors per year within a decade of opening. Set to be called RHS Garden Bridgewater, it will open in 2019 and is part of the Society’s 10-year ‘RHS Vision’ that will see £100million invested into horticulture. Unveiling the plans at the RHS London Shades of Autumn Flower Show last month, RHS director-general Sue Biggs said: “This is truly life changing for the Society and for horticulture. It is amazing: an undeveloped canvas at the moment.” She later added: “With its beautiful landscapes, good public transport links and…

A GROW-your-own supplier is beefing-up its offering of novelty fruit this autumn. Pomona Fruits of Essex has several novelties, although they are not exclusive. Highlights include Pluot ‘Pink Candy’ – a plum-apricot hybrid that’s 75 per cent plum and 25 per cent apricot. The company says the flavour is “amazing: very sweet and juicy with tropical fruit overtones”. One tree is priced at £34.95. WEEPING Worth watching out for is weeping peach ‘Lacrima’. Claimed to be the world’s first edible weeping peach, it bears stunning spring blossom followed by juicy peaches in late-summer. Trees cost £34.95 each. Pomona Fruits is launching Duke Cherry ‘Meteor Korai,’ a sweet/sour Duke-style cherry that tolerates shade. It’s claimed to be compact and heavy cropping, with cherries that can be eaten fresh or cooked. A…

DO YOU subscribe to the adage ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’? I used to be an ardent pruner. Indeed, I enjoy the skill and pleasure in a job well done – although I doubt the plant feels the same way. Now I do not dispute that there are many cases where pruning is necessary. We should prune to remove dead, damaged and especially diseased or infected material – that makes complete sense. And in the case of something that has got too big for safety or convenience a good prune is obviously a nicer job, and less work, than digging out. There is also reason to the pruning and shaping of a young specimen, especially for a fruiting plant, and for trained shapes such as espaliers and cordons…

DO YOU curse when deciduous trees start their autumnal shedding of leaves onto your lawn, pond and garden? Or do you think ‘Yes! Time to make some leafmould!’, and start raking them up and storing them away? All leaves can be used to make leafmould, though some break down faster and easier than others. The end result is a nutrient-packed, versatile and cost-free addition to your gardening store cupboard. Dug into borders, leafmould will help feed, and boost the condition of your soil. It helps to lighten heavy clay soils, and bind dry soil together to make it more moisture-retentive. If you sieve your leafmould, it can be mixed with loam and grit to make seed and potting compost. So don’t chuck away your leaves. Turn over a new one…

TAKING HARDWOOD cuttings of shrubs and fruit bushes that you want to multiply, or that are failing and need replacing, is a simple and satisfying job. It should be done from mid-autumn to late winter (just after leaf-fall, and before bud burst), when plants are dormant and the ground is not frozen. The cuttings, left in a sheltered spot until next autumn, need little care apart from some watering if they’re dry. By that time they should have taken root, and are ready to move on. I took hardwood cuttings from my forsythia – here’s how I did it: Suitable for… Forsythia Honeysuckle Rose Buddleja Currant bushes Mulberry Philadelphus Jasmine Willow Gooseberry Fig Cornus top tip Choosing material for hardwood cuttings can be confusing. You’re looking for ‘mature’ but not…

1 Prepare a bed in a sunny or partially shaded spot, adding compost to poor soils 2 Sow seed in modules, or in a seed bed – thin seedlings to 3in (7.5cm) apart. Protect from pests 3 Transplant about 18-24in (45-60cm) apart each way in soil that’s been manured and limed 4 Water in dry spells; protect plants against pests with brassica collars and netting, or fine mesh 5 Pick young leaves – a few from each plant – in autumn and winter, and fresh shoots in spring…

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 QI recently took my dog Molly for a walk on the beach, and I gathered two bags of fresh seaweed. Can I apply the seaweed as a top mulch now? James Irving (via email) A Dig seaweed into the soil while it is fresh and still wet, as it breaks down quickly. Alternatively, lay it over the soil surface as a weed-suppressing mulch and free fertiliser. It doesn’t need to be rotted down first. There is no need to worry about the salt, as it is only present in small quantities and soon washes…

I’M NOT sure how a tree mallow ( Lavatera arborea ) managed to seed itself into the bed next to the asparagus and grow to enormous proportions under my nose. These large biennials are British natives common to mild, coastal areas like ours and though shapely with large, soft leaves and purple-pink flowers, I don’t think they have any culinary use. This one would be dying off anyway now it has flowered and will no longer be shading my asparagus. Clearing and tidying are satisfying autumn tasks and we’ve been working through the patio by the greenhouse. The blueberries have gone into a decline again and smaller leaves and fruits is their call for better care. For now, I’m weeding the surface of their half barrels, taking some of the…

A NURSERY has introduced an exclusive new beefsteak tomato from Romania, and it bears giant fruits that weigh up to 3.74lb (1.7kg). Sea Spring Seeds of Dorset has brought out tomato ‘Ovi’s Romanian Giant,’ an extra large beefsteak that has the biggest fruits that the nursery has ever seen. Spokeswoman Joy Michaud said: “The texture is smooth and uniform. It is not especially sweet, but has a gentle buttery taste that is very more-ish. “We grew it in greenhouses and tunnels. In protected environments it did well. I have not known the plants to get blight, but I would not make claims of resistance, as we have no experience of how it would do outdoors.” She added: “Fruits are very heavy, often 2.2lb (1kg) each or more. One plant can…

Young garden champion Ten year-old George Hassall from Stalybridge in Greater Manchester has been named as the Royal Horticultural Society’s first young ambassador. He will help the Society to raise the profile of gardening among youngsters. The RHS said: “He is such an inspirational young gardener.” Hampstead gardeners Residents in London’s exclusive Hampstead Garden Suburb, where homes cost up to £35million, could be issued with football-style yellow and red cards if garden machinery makes a din that upsets neighbours. Locals want a return to quieter hand tools.…

DRIVING FROM Essex across country to the Cotswolds last month, with a clear blue sky, gave us some beautiful landscapes to enjoy. We tend to take for granted our verdant, tree filled countryside from June to September; then as trees change colour each one stands out from the rest in its’ resplendent “fall” colour. “The fall” may be an Americanism, but is very descriptive as we enjoy those all too fleetingly colourful scenes. Gardens can also provide attractive autumn shades, although we need to choose plants with a dual role for small domestic plots. Forsythias, for example, give spectacular purple to bright yellow leaves in October, as well as the welcome mass of yellow flowers in early spring. The “Smoke Bush” (cotinus) in the purple leaf forms has attractive foliage…

Keep Sunday safe! NO, UNLIKE Sue Sullivan ( AG Letters 31 Oct) I don’t think Sunday trading should be extended. We live in a rather selfish society, where “I want, at my convenience” shows no concern for its detrimental effect on the family life of those who service it. Carol Paris’ argument for relaxing Sunday trading hours ( AG News 10 Oct) is based purely on convenience - we managed perfectly well before the age of Sunday trading. And to claim that the industry (which must by definition include internet sales) loses about £75m per year is an extrapolation based on only part of the industry. Especially with extended opening hours, Sunday trading becomes a convenience not a necessity. As a general…

FIREWORKS NIGHT has changed hugely since I was a boy and in many ways it has become quite tame. Then the run up was full of excitement, with fire-building and the money-spinning ruse of asking passers-by for a ‘penny for the Guy’. These days, talking to strangers let alone fleecing them for cash is discouraged. Once, rockets and bangers were a November rarity but are now set off most nights of the week and fireworks available over the counter today are so tame. I often wonder if I’d get more ooh’s and ah’s if I flicked a lighted match into the air. Still, I enjoy fireworks night immensely, especially standing in the amber glow of the fire, toasting marshmallows. The secret of success is using fresh sappy prunings for forks,…