Innholdsfortegnelse for 28-may-16 i Amateur Gardening

WE are at a glorious moment in the gardening calendar. Perennials are starting to take off, eveything looks fresh and green and healthy, and with June only a few days away, you can start planting out tender plants without fear of frost damage. It’s a time when all our hard work and planning starts to pay off – that is unless garden pests get to our shiny new plants first! When I went out into the garden the other evening after the rain had finally stopped, I recoiled in horror to find dozens of snails sliming their way around the place – on the patio, up fences, even on the house walls. I was about to pick them off and throw them over the wall into the road to meet…

1 Prick out seedlings: Move them into larger pots, ready for hardening off and planting out in a week or two’s time. 2 Plant a summer container: An easy way to brighten up your patio. Choose plants that will flower through to autumn. 3 Weeding: It may seem like a never-ending chore, but it’s worth it when you see how smart the garden is afterwards. 4 Mulch with grass clippings: A thin layer of grass clippings provides fruit and veggies with a rich source of nitrogen.…

WOULDN’T it be nice if we could enjoy the lush green foliage and exotic flowers of tropical plants without having to take a long-haul flight to warmer climates? Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to grow tropical plants outdoors in Britain, albeit for a short season during summer. This spring, however, has been anything but tropical. We had storms and gales at Easter, and earlier this month there were frosts across much of the country. It’s been a tricky growing season, but I’m pressing on with plans for an exotic border. Like many gardeners, my interest in horticulture started by dabbling at growing bedding plants, beans and tomatoes. It took a visit to Great Dixter in Kent, home of the late plantsman Christoper Lloyd, to open my eyes to…

• Callistemon ‘Splendens’ Callistemon loves a south or west-facing sun-trap where it will bear its bottlebrushshaped spikes of deep crimson flowers. This variety is evergreen and will thrive in moist but well-drained soils. • Strelitzia reginae A bird of paradise plant, grown outdoors?! Well, only for summer (June to late-August) It likes its roots restricted, so I’m keeping it in its container, and sinking the pot into the border for a temporary summer display. • Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ My favourite dahlia – bright-red flowers are borne in abundance and held up to 3ft (1m) against dark foliage. Regular dead-heading and a monthly liquid feed keeps the flowers coming into autumn.…

• Swiss chard is one of my favourite veggies. It is flavoursome, but is also a vibrant plant that brings colour to the autumn veg plot – and garden. generally. • I sowed the variety ‘Bright Lights’, which has multi-coloured stems that will bring a blast of colour when prior to harvesting between July and November. • I sowed the seeds thinly in a shallow drill in rich, free-draining, weed-free soil in a small raised bed on the patio. I then covered the drills, labelled them, and watered the soil well. • I also covered the bed with twigs to stop my cat sleeping on it in the sun!…

WE are fast approaching peak pest and disease season and, as with all potential problems, it makes sense to act before they get out of control. Prevention is much easier than – and far preferable to – cure, so this is a good time to start practicing good gardening habits to keep your plot healthy. Good hygiene is a sensible place to start. Fallen debris, dropped leaves, and spent blooms look unsightly, and are a hiding place for pests and a potential breeding place for diseases. Sweep up and dispose of plant rubbish – compost it if it is free of disease, but burn or dispose of it if it has been infected by fungal infections, as the spores may live on in the compost heap. Take the time to…

1 Powdery mildew: Starts as a white coating on leaves, and spreads rapidly, severely weakening the plant. Remove mildewed leaves, and keep plants fed and watered to reduce stress. Ornamental garden plants can be treated with fungicide (there is no chemical treatment for edible plants). 2 Downy mildew: It shows as discoloured areas on leaves, with mould underneath, and affects many types of plant. There is no chemical control, so help prevent it by improving air circulation, disposing of affected greenery immediately, and watering only in the mornings.…

Lucy is a former AG gardening editor, and edited a national Grow-Your-Own magazine. A BBC Essex radio gardening expert, RHS author and lecturer, she’s also Head Gardener at East Donyland Hall, Essex. YOU could be forgiven for thinking that come this time of year all the sowing would be done, and that we should have now moved on to the planting out stage. Well, that’s certainly true for many crops but for those that mature within a matter of weeks, repeat sowings are the order of the day. I’m running out of room in the veg beds but want to sow batches of salad leaves every six weeks throughout summer. I could squeeze in a short row here and there but because these shallow-rooted crops are happy in containers I…

BECAUSE most of my garden lies on thin soil (with a thick base of chalk a few inches under the surface), I find that raised beds are the best way of growing fruit and vegetables. Runner beans are a ‘must grow’ crop for many gardeners, and I am no exception. But because they have deep root systems, our soil does not have enough depth for good growth. So, instead of digging down, we were forced to build up, and created a long bean bed with plenty of depth. It was a fairly simple task, and the bed was filled with a mix of topsoil bought from a garden centre, home-made compost, and well-rotted manure bought for 50p a sack from a farm down the road. I’ll plant the beans in…

ROBBIE has drawn a diagram of his raised bed with details of the items he wants to grow. He used bamboo canes to mark out areas for each vegetable in the 6x3ft (2x1m) bed. For a young gardener, a little bit of everything is a good idea. There will always be something different going on, if one thing fails it’s not a complete disaster. And taking care of a few plants of each variety will not become tiresome. His plans include: broccoli, peas, beetroot, parsnip, radishes, beans and herbs.…

A COUPLE of weeks ago on these pages I looked at the 10 garden birds likely to be seen on birdtables or hanging feeders that week. Amongst them were the chaffinch and the goldfinch – to my mind the two most beautiful and attractive of Britain’s native birds. The chaffinch, some say, is the most colourful of the UK’s finches – certainly the male has a red breast usually more intense than that of the robin’s. However, for me, the goldfinch is the prettiest. It’s a small bird, with a strikingly colourful mixture of red, white and black on the head, a body of golden brown, white belly patches, and bright yellow bands on the wings. Both sexes are similar, except that the male’s red face extends behind the eye.…

MANY gardeners place plant supports in borders in early spring and allow the plants to grow through them. Here, I prefer to use supports on the edge of the borders and place them during May. My feeling is that if they are put out too early they can dominate the garden. Placed too late though and you run the risk of damaging plants as you walk through borders. Growing in a very sheltered garden, I am lucky that our plants have a good level of wind protection. Those with more exposed plots would be wise to install supports around all vulnerable plants now. We use metal plant supports and have a good stock of different sizes. The benefit of these is that they are very unobtrusive – and they last…

WHEN you look at the many attributes of this annual clary, it is surprising we don’t all grow it. Yet as well as providing a mass of jewel-like purple bracts, attracting pollinating insects and filling vases with fresh or dried stems, there’s the added bonus of growing something different. Annual clary used to go under the name Salvia horminum, but it is now known as S. viridis. In the wild, plants grow on sunny hillsides in Mediterranean regions, and this is reflected in their love of good light and well-drained soils. The flowers of clary are small and insignificant, but from below each tiny whorl grows two enlarged, coloured bracts marked with darker veins. It is these bracts, usually in blue, pink or greenish-white, that give the plants their colour.…

Which perennials can we plant? Q A group of us look after old Priory gardens where plants are grown for training days about healing. We have three raised beds and are using one to grow holistic herbs. The other two contain flowering plants with edible leaves and/or flowers. What unusual perennial plants, other than basic herbs such as rosemary, lavender and bay, could we plant? Annette Setterfield, Exeter A This sounds like a fascinating project. The four plants listed below would all be appropriate, particularly if you have some shady spots. • Gentiana lutea: an interesting gentian –up to 4ft (1.2m) tall – producing large spikes of yellow flowers. It is the thick root that is used to stimulate the appetite and help the digestive system. It has also been…

Why do I get so few apples? Q My ‘Katy’ apple tree is covered in blossom every spring, and there are plenty of bees around. But last year I had only about nine apples from it. Could it be that the bees are concentrating on the pulmonaria that is underneath the tree? Sue Winter (via email) A This does indeed sound like a pollination problem. Most apples are self-infertile and will not crop well with their own pollen; they need to be pollinated by compatible cultivars flowering at the same time. ‘Katy’ is self-infertile, and belongs to pollination Group 3. You need another Group 3 apple variety, such as ‘Braeburn’, ‘Egremont Russet’, ‘Fiesta’, ‘Grenadier’ or ‘Scrumptious’ growing nearby. Most crab apples will also pollinate ‘Katy’ apples. Why aren’t my geums…

Aquilegia A semi-shady spot is best, although most species and varieties will grow in sun given a deep, soil. I grow deep blue Aquilegia alpina and claret ‘Ruby Port’ together at home. Alchemilla mollis A wonderful perennial with pale green leaves and sprays of yellow flowers in summer. It self-seeds freely, however the seedlings are easy to control. Campanula lactiflora Middle-of-the-border cottage favourite. The flowers of ‘Prichard’s Variety’ are lilac-blue (right), while the cultivar ‘Loddon Anna’ is lilac-white. Delphinium A back-of-the- border favourite. A fertile soil and sunny spot is essential, so too is protection against slug and snail damage early in the season. Stake tall varieties. Clematis No cottage garden is complete without clematis. There’s a huge range available for sunny or shady spots. All need sturdy support. For…

• If you’ve enjoyed Matt’s article, you’ll like his latest book How to Plant a Garden. Whether you’ve got a tiny courtyard garden or large suburban plot, Matt demystifies the planting design process, helping you to choose and combine plants with confidence. Amateur Gardening readers can buy a hardback copy of the book at the discount price of £17.50 plus free P&P (RRP £25). 01903 828503 and quote the code Garden/MB641. Offer subject to availability. Please allow seven days for delivery.…

“The tree served as a living climbing frame for my kids” IT was 2am in Exeter Hospital’s A&E department when I made the decision to give our old apple tree the chop. The tree hadn’t caused the accident (my daughter had been ambulanced off with a suspected broken leg after falling off a bench… honestly who’d have em!) but it was clear to me that it was only a matter of time before another mishap would occur. For over a decade the tree had served as a living climbing frame for the kids but as they’ve grown, the tree has become less stable. While I don’t like cutting trees down, this one is fit to fall over and more lopsided than a painting by Picasso… daubed when he was drunk.…

MAY’S Bank Holidays are like buses – two arrive in quick succession, but then we’ve got a long and tedious wait until the next one (at the end of August). This weekend is the Spring Bank Holiday (which, prior to 1978, was known as the Whitsun break). Hopefully we will be blessed with good weather, meaning we can get in the garden and catch up on chores. The nine jobs I have suggested on these two pages are fairly easy to undertake, and most of them are applicable to gardens of all sizes. The peas I planted out were ‘cold grown’ and hardy, so should not fall foul of any unexpected late frosts. However, tender crops (such as runner beans and tomatoes) should be kept under cover a bit longer…

1 I started by cutting the turf, dividing and lifting with a spade. I used the inverted turves in a new raised bed (p18). 2 Once the grass had gone, I removed roots, and broke up lumps of soil, before making sure the ground was level. 3 Then I removed any sharp stones present, so that nothing would puncture the weed-suppressing membrane. 4 I laid out the membrane and cut it to size. Cut it a bit larger than the greenhouse base, to ensure total coverage. 5 I had already graveled an area under the benching, so made sure the new lining fitted next to this perfectly. 6 Make sure each length of fabric overlaps with plenty of room to spare – to stop weeds coming through. 7 Spread the…

• Hardy banana Musa basjoo can be grown outdoors in milder and more sheltered parts of the UK, although it has been known to survive in colder regions, too. It will tolerate low temperatures, but not prolonged sub-zero spells, so stems and foliage will need wrapping with fleece in autumn. Musa basjoo has long, arching, paddle-shaped leaves and plants are tall and spectacular, reaching up to 13ft (4m) in height. • Abyssinian banana Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’ is an eye-catching banana. Its burgundy and green-flushed leaves are huge. Plants grow fast when grown in humus-rich soil and can reach 13ft (4m) tall. It’s so vigorous that I grow it in containers to keep its size in check. The downside is that this is a very tender banana, and one hard frost…

• Canna Easy-to-grow tender perennials that flower freely; most commonly blooming in red, orange and yellow. To encourage mine to flower early, I started them off in a conservatory. Water well during dry spells. • Agapanthus africanus This agapanthus bears globes of trumpet shaped flowers from July to September, above clumps of foliage. It does best in sunny situations, in well-drained soil. I’m planting white agapanthus for contrast, too. • Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ Perfect for well-drained soils in sun or partial shade, ‘Lucifer’ is a clump-forming perennial bearing red flowers on stems that can reach 3ft (1m) high. It’s hardy, with narrow, deciduous foliage. Be water wise: Water a new border first thing in the morning, or before dusk. Never water in hot daytime sunshine as foliage can be scorched.…

1 Fill a clean seed tray with sieved seed compost. Use new compost, as it is free from bugs and weed seeds. 2 Water before sowing. Use clean tap water, rather than rainwater from a butt, as the latter contains impurities. 3 Sow seeds thinly on the compost surface. Thinly-sown seeds are less prone to damping off disease. 4 Coreopsis seeds should not be covered with soil – just a clear lid. I placed the tray in the greenhouse.…

• Vine weevils can be a major problem, especially for plants in containers. • Adults nibble notches from the edges of leaves, while grubs chew on roots, which can eventually kill plants. • Treat the problem with nematodes; pick adults off by hand when you see them, or buy a soil drench such as Scotts BugClear Ultra Vine Weevil Killer. • Bayer Garden Provado Ultimate Bug Killer and Scotts BugClear Ultra can also be sprayed on to plants. • If your plant is badly affected by grubs, remove it from its pot, wash the roots and container in clean water, and re-pot using fresh compost.…

IF I ever needed a larger greenhouse, it’s now! Over the past few days, mine has filled up with pricked-out seedlings of ornamental hardening them off, acclimatising them, to cooler, less protected conditions. I have moved the tomato, courgette and chilli seedlings, that were growing plants, and a large number of tomatoes, chillies and courgettes. Even though the on indoor windowsills, into the unheated greenhouse. I am keeping its door and roof vent closed at night, but opening either, or both, on warm days when the through-draught will also give the plants something to ‘push’ against, further strengthening them in readiness for a life outdoors. weather is warming up down here in the south, there are still days with a cold wind, and there may even be the risk of…

Scab disease and powdery mildew on apples and pears, can be particularly devastating if your trees suffer a bad attack. Scab causes irregular black marks on the leaves and fruits – the corky marks on the fruits will cause splitting and secondary infection, too. Meanwhile mildew makes the new leaves shrivel and dry, with an accompanying white powdery coating. If you own some Fungus Fighter (myclobutanil) use it. However, you can no longer buy this fungicide, and can’t be used after 30 Nov 2016. After that point we’ll need to rely on non-chemical methods. This involves pruning out affected growth promptly, mulching and feeding to ensure good health, and growing apples and pears that show natural resistance to the diseases.…

COURGETTES, marrows, squashes and pumpkins all benefit from a sunny, sheltered spot so that the bees can access and pollinate their showy golden yellow flowers. It’s important to harden these tender veg off before planting them outside. Either plant them under cloches (remove these after a fortnight) or move them outside for a week or two in the day, putting them back under cover at night. Add plenty of nutritious organic matter (be that garden compost, well rotted manure or the like) to the planting hole. Enrich the surrounding soil, too, as this will lock in moisture and provide valuable food. Sink an upturned large pop bottle with the base removed alongside each plant; use it as a reservoir when you water. Also, poke a cane down inside each bottle…

1 Remove an area of turf the size of the bed you want. Cut boards to size and place them, checking they are level. 2 Hammer in corner posts after making guide holes in the ground. If they are too tall, you can cut them to size later. 3 Check measurements as you go, as any large deviations will stop the bed fitting together properly. 4 Check that boards on the opposite side are the same height. If they are not, the bed will slope, and look odd! 5 Drill holes and attach the boards to the corner posts. Treat holes with preservative to stop them rotting. 6 For extra strength, hammer two nails into each end of the boards. Add reinforcement with a central post on each side. 7…

“Later sown batches often do better than earlier sowings” WE rather strive for the earliest peas and beans, and then tend to forget about later crops. But the truth is that later sown batches often do better than earlier ones. The warmer soil, stronger sun and the urgency of a not-so-distant autumn, push later sowings into much stronger growth, larger plants and bigger crops. So, any sowings made over the next four weeks will you give bumper crops – freezing is the best way to preserve them, I think. Most significantly, runner and French beans have so much less trouble germinating in the warmer soil and, in difficult years, have actually passed ahead of those sown more than a month before. Likewise with dwarf French beans and haricots, later sown…

28 May: Plant Hunters’ Fair (10am-4.30pm), National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, Staffs.planthuntersfairs.co.uk 29 May: Plant and Cake Bring and Buy (2-4pm), Shadwell Grange, 400 Shadwell Lane, Leeds, Yorks, LS17 8AW, 0113 273 8821 30 May: Plant Hunters’ Fair (10am-4pm), Carsington Water, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire. DE6 1ST planthuntersfairs.co.uk 3-4 June: RHS London Rose Show, RHS Lawrence Hall, Greycoat Street. Westminster, London SW1P 2QD rhs.org.uk/shows-events 3-5 June: Holker Garden Festival, Holker Hall & Gardens, Cark-in-Cartmel, Near Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, LA11 7PL, 01539 558838; holkerfestival.co.uk 4-5 June: Plant Hunters’ Fair (10am-5pm), Hodnet Hall Gardens Market Drayton, Shrops. TF9 3NN planthuntersfairs.co.uk 4-5 June: NGS Festival Weekend. Over 400 gardens across the country with 40 group openings. ngs.org.uk • Fri 10 June to Sun 12 June: Field & Country Fair Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire. Join us in celebrating…

WITH the promise of warmer weather, here are some top tips for watering: • Place seed trays on the floor. Use a can with a rose attachment and start to water as you walk towards the tray(s). By the time you reach them, the flow will be even. • Water in the evening or first thing in the morning to avoid scorch on plant leaves. • Avoid watering little-and-often. A good soaking, but less often, is preferable. This will encourage a stronger and deeper root system to develop. • Don’t rely on rain as an alternative to hand watering. Push your finger into the compost to check if plants are dry, and water if required.…

1 Fill a half tray or wide shallow pot with seed compost and press lightly for a flat surface. Water gently using a can fitted with a fine rose (sprinkler) and leave to drain. 2 Sow seeds thinly and evenly over the surface. Cover them by scattering or sieving compost over the top but only so the seeds are buried by their own depth in compost. 3 Salvia seeds like temperatures of 15-20°C (60-68°F) to germinate. Natural warmth under glass should be sufficient. Pop a ventilated propagating case lid over them at night. Free seeds next week: We will be giving a packet of Nasturtium ‘Gleam Mixed’ with every issue of AG issue dated 4 June. Don’t miss it!…

ENSURE that all the raised beds have good drainage and weep holes, to allow surplus winter water to drain away. In summer, raised beds can dry out quickly, so install an irrigation system to keep everything well-watered. Fork over the surface, and remove any weeds or old herbal plants (such as mint) that have become invasive. If allowed to colonise, these invasive plants can choke others, slowly weakening and eventually killing them. Water all plants the day before planting (pictured) and ensure that during their first year in the bed they are kept well-watered. An annual application of a general or balanced fertiliser, such as Growmore, will ensure that the plants establish well.…

Q Can I prune my honeysuckle now? It is taking over a pathway. M Matthews (via email) A Yes. If it is spring-flowering Lonicera periclymenum ‘Belgica’, or summer-blooming L. serotina, you will lose some flowers. Ideally, if it’s a spring performer, wait until blooms have faded in early summer, then cut it back. Q Can I compost rhubarb leaves? Some people say ‘yes’ and some say ‘no’? Duncan Partridge, Dorset A Yes, you can. The concern arises from the fact that rhubarb leaves are poisonous to eat because of their high concentration of oxalic acid, but this is broken down during composting. Ensure you mix the leaves with other composting materials. Q The flowers of our container osteospermums are being attacked. What could be doing this? Derek and Anne Ward,…

Pay attention to materials A modern cottage inspired design by Adam Frost (winner of five consecutive RHS Chelsea Flower Show Medals). The planting is made up of traditional cottage garden plants – Rosa ‘Gertrude Jekyll’, foxgloves, masterwort, and lady’s mantle, but the clinical geometry and meticulous attention to detail with the natural hardscape materials bring the look bang up-to-date. Clay pavers specially fired for surface use (pricey but have a nicer finish than concrete) and smooth York stone feature here. Top tip - update existing plots with woven hazel border edging or rusty Corten steel planters ( primrose.co.uk). Include one or two grasses In modern cottage gardens, once popular shrubs and roses often make way to mass naturalistic plantings. Here at Dove Cottage in Halifax ( dovecottagenursery.co.uk), Stephen and Kim…

A WATERING can that pours badly or has a dodgy rose is at best annoying and at worst likely to make you neglect the watering altogether. Something that fills easily, pours smoothly and has a consistent spray pattern from the rose is so much more satisfying to use. We’ve chosen six to test at the cheaper end of the market. Filling from a hose or outdoor tap is easy, so to make sure you get full use of harvested rainwater we’ve also tried filling the cans from a water butt on a standard base with 11in (28cm) clearance under the tap. We’ve given the height to the top of the highest handle, total length including the rose, and a height to the top of the filler (F.) so you can…

‘Duchesse de Nemours’ Double white flowers that exude delicious scent are produced by this old variety for weeks on end. Great for cutting. ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ This beloved rose pink variety is one of the best peonies for cutting – it’s double flowers are generous and fragrant. ‘Coral Charm’ This chameleon changes colour, from intense salmon coral to soft apricot. A striking scented peony that blooms from May. ‘Henry Bockstoce’ Enormous fragrant double scarlet flowers. Wonderful in front of bronze fennel, this variety makes a superb cut flower. ‘Bartzella’ An intersectional peony produces gorgeous frilly lemon yellow flowers late in the season, occasionally flowering in September. ‘Monsieur Jules Elie’ A popular hierloom variety dating from the 19th century. Rose-pink with bright green foliage. One of the last to flower.…

Viewers hit out at BBC schedulers FANS of Gardeners’ World have launched an online petition calling on the BBC to stop taking the series off-air to make way for sport. Even presenter Monty Don admitted his frustration. Monty told his 27,000 Twitter followers that he found the situation “galling”. The online petition, which has been signed by 3,320 viewers, said: “We are sick of the BBC bumping Gardeners’ World for sporting events like snooker. We only get half an hour of Monty as it is. Come up with a sensible solution to this madness.” The petition demands: “You the BBC pay to make this programme, then waste money by cancelling it. This is a key gardening time of year. You cannot just pause the garden while you play football.” Keen…

Rawlinson Roma BBQ gazebo Don’t let rain spoil your plans fora garden get-together. Made of fire-retardant, shower-proof material, this clever cover will keep both barbie and guests dry. It features a vent to allow smoke to escape and glass ‘bar tables’ for food and drinks. (£146, B&Q). Chimney starter Described by Ben Tish as “a genius idea”, this is a must-have for novices and seasoned ‘pitmasters’ alike as it makes lighting the barbecue quick and easy – and you can top up the coals whenever you need to. (£9.99, Homebase). Weber pizza oven Designed to fit on top of a Weber 57cm charcoal barbecue, this features a stone cooking surface to cook pizzas in minutes. Not exactly cheap, but a lot more bank balance-friendly than a wood-fired oven. (£159.99, John…

• Home-made compost uses up green and woody garden clippings, as well as fruit and veggie peelings (uncooked). • It’s relatively simple to make a three-sided bin, using old palettes. • Start by clearing the ground where you want to put the bin, and stand the ‘back’ palette on its side. Secure it by driving two stakes (between the slats), into the ground. • Stand two more palettes at right angles, at each side of the first, securing them with stakes as before, and tying them tightly to the back palette. Use wire for this, as twine or string will rot.…

• The still, warm days of late spring are perfect for treating wood in the garden, such as furniture or a shed. • Start by sanding down to remove old flakes of paint, and moss and algae. Wipe it with a damp cloth and let it dry. • If any wood is rotten, cut it back to sound material. Fill any gaps with new wood or filler, before treating. • Apply outdoor paint, wood oil or varnish, and allow to dry completely before adding a second coat if required.…

• Trachelospermum jasminoides Vigorous evergreen climber with fragrant creamy-white flowers that bring scent in summer. Its oval leaves can turn red in winter, adding interest at a time of the year when the rest of the border is long gone. • Passiflora caerulea The hardiest passion flower, which will survive outdoors year-round in most of the UK. For exotic appeal, nothing beats its intricate flowers. It scrambles via tendrils, and bears bright-orange fruits in autumn. • Sunflower ‘Helios Flame’ A brilliant new F1 hybrid fiery yellow-and-red sunflower. Sturdy stems reach 6ft (1.8m), making it ideal for the back of a border. It flowers in abundance, well into autumn, and bees flock to the blooms.…

WHILE we are sowing, pricking out and hardening off plants for a fantastic summer display, it is easy to forget that autumn is a time for colour too. Sown now, some annuals and even perennials will germinate and grow into plants that are strong and large enough to give you flowers this autumn. Many others will develop into young plants that can be nurtured through the winter, and planted out next spring. To make sure you are sowing the right seeds, always check the packets for information about when you can expect the plants to flower. And don’t restrict yourself to flowering plants. Some perennial grasses are at their most attractive in autumn, and their seedheads can last well into the winter months, when they add beauty and interest to…

“Front gardens are disappearing under hard landscaping” THIS month we have seen some wonderfully, beautiful trees. I was fearful that the lack of cold through early winter would reduce the blossom on ornamental crab apples, plums and cherries. However, not only did they flower freely, the cold weather in April meant the earlier kinds lasted much longer. Unfortunately, the number of tree-lined streets is reducing. The massed plantings undertaken pre-World War 2 and in the 1950s are showing their age and sadly are not being replaced. Further, our front gardens are disappearing under hard landscaping to park cars, while modern housing developments leave little room for flowering trees. We need to rethink ways to green and colour our front gardens using smaller, compact trees and popular flowering shrubs grown up…

• Lily beetle: These attack entire lilies and fritillaries. Larvae hide in their own excrement. Control by hand, or Westland Resolva Bug Killer or Defenders Bug Killer. • Aphids: Infestations weaken plants. Treat with Bug Clear Ultra or Bayer Organic Bug Free; squish small infestations by hand. Attract predators such as ladybirds. • Carrot fly: Larvae feed on the roots of carrots and other plants. Adults flock to the plants’ scent. Protect crops with a 2ft (60cm) high barrier to keep them away. • Botrytis/greymould: Destructive, fuzzy mould. Control with good hygiene, and improved ventilation. Remove any affected and/or dead plant matter immediately. • Rose black spot: Fungus causes purple or black spots on leaves. Treat with Bayer Fungus Fighter Concentrate or Vitax Rosegarde. Never compost affected leaves. • Peach…

• Among the vegetables I’m growing this year are some bulb onions grown from seeds on the kitchen windowsill, and some globe artichoke seedlings bought from the garden centre. • Both have been happily grown-on in the greenhouse, but now they’ve been ousted because I need the room for my tender crops and seedlings. • I have delayed planting out the artichokes because they are still too small. As they are frost hardy, I moved them to the cold frame, where they’ll remain for a couple of weeks.…

1 Salad leaves spoil us for choice – choose from rocket, mizuna, basil, coriander, komatsuna, claytonia, land cress, mustard, turnip tops, leaf radish, annual spinach, lettuce, endive...etc. 2 Fill a container with seed compost, water and allow to drain. Sow your seeds (or a blend of your favourites) on the surface. Cover with a ½in (1cm) layer of compost. Water in lightly. 3 In a warm, light spot inside or out, leaves should germinate in a week. Keep them well watered and, once 5in (12cm) or so high, harvest with scissors. You’ll get a second flush in 2-3 weeks.…

THESE punchy little plants liven up salads and stir fries, and are easy to squeeze on to your plot. Best grown in the soil rather than containers, short drills can be sown throughout spring and summer. Hardier types can also be started off in autumn for an overwintering crop that can be pulled in spring. I’m growing two types – the stalwart ‘White Lisbon’ and an F1 hybrid, ‘Katana’, as I’m keen to see whether the hybrid vigour of this latter variety will give it the edge when I come to choose my seeds for next year. I’m making a drill 1/2in (1cm) deep, watering the base well and then sowing my seeds thinly along it. The key with spring onions is to keep them moist and weed-free.…

SOMETIMES I find it difficult to undertake maintenance jobs in the garden when my two little helpers are around. They ask if they can help with jobs that I would rather do by myself, either because they are too tricky or too dangerous. My boys have a fascination with danger, so we needed something creative for them to do whilst my husband pruned the hedge. Our next-door neighbours came up with the idea of letting their children re-use the hedge prunings as vegetation for a train track, and we re-created this in our garden. Just bringing toys outside into the garden often gives them a new lease of life. Most of the fun in children’s games is in the setting up or building, so sweeping up clippings and poking the…

1 Thin gooseberries really hard to leave bigger, better dessert fruits. Turn thinnings into delicious sharp jam. 2 Take off potato flowers to re-direct energy, then give a really heavy soaking with water to increase the crop. 3 Still time to plant early and second early varieties of potato sets, and often even main crops. 4 Go round deadheading the spent flowers of ornamental plants to stop them wasting energy making seeds.…

THIS summer why not make your greenhouse a display area for a collection of tender plants? It doesn’t have to mean giving up all your space, as just one corner of a bench can give so much pleasure. In the unheated greenhouse at Stockton Bury we have a collection that causes great interest. Each year the central table is dedicated to a display made up of plants such as a standard fuchsia, pleiones, Myosotidium hortensia, Arisaema sikokianum and gentians. The fuchsia spends the winter in the cellar by the door and the others are kept in a heated polytunnel. Now that the weather is warmer they are displayed in the greenhouse. When positioning plants don’t be tempted to pack them too tightly together as this can encourage pest and disease.…

IT’S tempting to run the mower over daffodils now fading in grass, but don’t. Do this and you will be removing the energy pack that the plants need for flowers in spring 2017. The foliage of the daffodil should be left to die naturally – remove it and you will face disappointing future displays. Instead, snap off faded flowers at their base and allow the foliage to yellow. Some gardeners spend time tying up foliage or even braiding it. This is no longer recommended as it prevents foliage from doing its job and can result in blind bulbs. As a rule of thumb leave foliage in place for eight weeks after flowering. If you’ve already cut the foliage back don’t panic. The bulbs will live on but your display just…

• After germination, remove the lid altogether. Seed leaves appear first and when the next set (the first true leaves) show, transplant each seedling to its own 3.5in (9cm) pot or a 2in (5cm) module (pictured right), holding the seedling by a leaf and never the easily-bruised stem. • Allow the young clary plants to grow on. Harden them off by standing them outdoors and, before their roots begin to curl around the base of the pot, plant them out 12in (30cm) apart, exactly where you want them. • Clary plants perform well on moderately fertile, well-cultivated garden soils. Water in well and, during droughts, keep weeds down. Remove dead heads to encourage more blooms.…

• As well as being grown for their attractive foliage, heucheras also have dramatic flowers (above). Many smallish blooms are held on spikes during late-spring and early-summer. • Heucheras come in all sorts of amazing colours these days, giving you so many types to choose from. Most are clump-forming, growing 8-24in (20-60cm) tall. This is the variety ‘Caramel’. • Heuchera americana (the American alumroot) has veined or marbled leaves in green, purple or brown. It has been used to treat gastric ulcers, and externally for wounds and sores.…

Year round interest Cottage gardens generally look best in spring and summer, but don’t forget to include plants which perform in autumn and winter for 12-month interest. Many shrubs in particular give year-round appeal, for little effort. Above: Euphorbia x martinii during the winter months. Make bigger borders Thin strips only allow for a wall shrub or a line of tidy perennials arranged like soldiers on parade. Borders that are over 6ft (2m) deep however, allow for multi-layered plantings and are more pleasing on the eye. This might mean sacrificing a lawn…or at least part of it. Go easy on the edibles True cottage gardens have a large vegetable patch, but perhaps stick to costly crops that taste better picked fresh like salads, strawberries, early potatoes, peas and beans. A…

Sanguisorba Often sizeable perennials with handsome foliage and white, wine-red or pink flowers. Moist soil is essential. Ideal partner for shrub roses and late season grasses. Verbena bonariensis This short-lived perennial has sprays of orange-eyed purple flowers. Grows to 6ft (2m) and tolerates drought. Plant in groups for best effect. Agastache ‘Blackadder’ This violet-purple variety is a favourite with garden designers. Grows to 3ft (1m) or so. Well-drained soil essential. A magnet for bees and butterflies. Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ This ornamental grass is one of the easiest to grow and perhaps the earliest to get going. All soils, as long as they’re well drained. Centranthus lecoqii This narrow-leaved valerian is ideal for wilder planting schemes and thrives on poor soils.…

Ever-made Monstera Cushion £45 + P&P £2.95 0121 2247728 redcandy.co.uk So called because there have only been 100 ever made. This double-sided cotton cushion, stuffed with duck feather and featuring monstera leaves, will give your outdoor sofas a real designer touch. Rattan chair £59.99+ free delivery BuyDirect4U.co.uk Add a pop of colour and a dash of retro to proceedings with an American 1950’s inspired lounge chair. The woven design sits on a sturdy powder coated metal base, making it comfy and supportive. Comes in a choice of eight colours, including pink. Teapot vase £5.95 + P&P £2.75 01752 881930 luckandluck.co.uk Give your table a quirky touch that everyone will remember. Open up this Alice in Wonderland cardboard teapot then fill its plastic container with water and…

1 Peonies like that ‘holy grail’ of all soils: well-drained yet moisture retentive. Dig in lots of organic matter, adding grit if you’re on heavy clay, and add fertiliser if you’re on poor soil. 2 Do not plant the crown of a peony any more than 1 ¼ in (3cm) beneath the soil’s surface, otherwise flowering will be a disappointment. Add a peony support hoop to prevent heavy flowerheads drooping. 3 Don’t over-mulch, as this could bury the crown. Give them an annual handful of bonemeal in autumn, and a sprinkle of general balanced fertiliser every spring. 4 Water the plant well through spring and summer. Established plants are generally drought-tolerant but prolonged periods of drought during the spring can cause poor flower bud development.…

Tidy the garden For an instant makeover, trim the lawn and edging, and if paving or decking is looking grubby, use a pressure washer to lift dirt and remove slippery algae. Spruce up containers by arranging nicely, and filling any gaps with colourful bedding which can also be added to borders. Go on a weed patrol and evict any you find lurking in beds or paths. Make sure hanging baskets are well watered. Add some decorations Simple touches, like posies of flowers used as table decorations, look lovely. You do not need to spend a fortune – snip flowers from your garden and arrange in recycled jam jars. Buy (or even make) some cheap and cheerful bunting and drape around gazebos. If planning an evening barbie, get some citronella tea…

“Now I’ve got my life back again!” WHEN HER physiotherapist told retired teacher and outdoor enthusiast, Mary Carlson that she must stop her long walks, she was devastated. She had spent much of her life fell walking in the Lake District and the Highlands and spent over 30 years running The Duke of Edinburgh Award for pupils at her school. She said “I was devastated to hear that I had to stop my fell walking, it has been my whole life. I was only 61 and had planned to spend a lot more time walking now that I had retired.” Mary told us how her knee problems started and how they had gradually affected her everyday life: “Considering how active I am, it was the simple act of getting out…