Innholdsfortegnelse for 18-jun-16 i Amateur Gardening

I’M often asked why I support the use of chemicals to control pests. Pests do have to be controlled (not wiped out) to protect plants that I want to eat or enjoy looking at. Those are the only plants I want to protect. I’m happy to use mechanical control – picking off and squishing any pests I see attacking a plant. This is my preferred method, but it’s unpleasant, and too labour-intensive to be effective. Barriers, such as grit or copper bands do not work reliably and are impractical on rows of allotment veg. When it comes to biological controls, I don’t trust them – I remember the devastation caused to the rabbit population by myxomatosis. I believe that insufficient research has been done into the potential dangers of uncontrolled…

• Rose aphids: They weaken plants and spread disease. Rub off small colonies, use chemicals (e.g. Bug Clear Gun, Defenders Bug Killer) on larger infestations. • Balling: Flowers develop but don’t open. Boost air circulation around plants. Water in the evenings, and remove affected buds before they go mouldy. • Leaf-rolling sawfly: Lay eggs in leaflets, which curl around the larvae. Pick off affected leaves, and treat with Bayer Sprayday Greenfly Killer or Py Bug Killer. • Rose blackspot: A fungal disease that affects leaves and reduces plant vigour. Destroy affected leaves, treat the plant with Rose Clear Ultra or Bayer Fungus Fighter.…

RASPBERRIES are one of the most wonderful summer fruits, and are amazingly easy to grow. Just a couple of canes should reward you with a bountiful supply of jewel-like fruits. For the biggest crops you need to look after your canes well. Keep plants watered, but don’t let the ground become soggy – let it dry out on the surface, but water if it’s dry 1in (2.5cm) or more below the surface. Mulching around the roots in spring and autumn will provide the canes with slow-release goodness, and also help prevent the area where they are growing from drying out. Raspberries growing in chalky, extremely alkaline soils may suffer from iron deficiency, which will show itself in yellowing between the veins on the leaves. Combat this problem by giving plants…

• Remove forget-me-nots (myosotis) as soon as they have flowered. If left to set seed they can take over your borders like an unwelcome weed. • Sow winter bedding such as ornamental kale, pansies and bellis, so that plants are ready to go out when autumn colour has passed. • Trim back trailing plants to spruce them up and encourage strong, branching growth and more flowers. • Watch out for scarlet lily beetles and their larvae, as they can strip a plant within days. • In colder regions, plant out dahlias and cannas once you are sure the threat of frost has passed.…

1 Keep moisture levels up by damping the floor each morning. It will increase humidity through the day and help prevent the plants suffering from heat stress. 2 Shade your plants using fleece, blinds or shading paint that can be washed off in the autumn. Make sure some light can still get through to your plants. 3 Watch out for pests including vine weevils, glasshouse red spider mites and white fly. Treat with chemicals, nematodes, or vigilance and good hygiene. 4 Greenhouse plants won’t benefit from rainfall, so monitor them, and water where needed. A water butt attached to the greenhouse makes life easier!…

1 Cut a healthy non-flowering shoot 6-8in (15-20cm) long from the current season’s growth. 2 Trim the base to a pair of leaves so the cutting is 4-6in (10-15cm) long. Pinch off the soft tip and lower leaves. 3 Dip the base of the cutting into rooting compound. Insert it into a pot of gritty cuttings compost. 4 Cover or seal the pot in a plastic bag, and leave it somewhere warm and light until roots form.…

• For the past two years we have left an area of lawn to grow wild in summer. • Flowers already starting to colonise it include blue scabious, ox-eye daisies, buttercups and stitchwort, all of which attract an array of moths, butterflies, beetles and other insects. • Last year we decided to do it ‘properly’, and sowed yellow rattle in the autumn. This semi-parasitic plant, which has pretty yellow flowers, weakens grasses and so helps other plants get established. • This autumn, I will show you how to establish a wildflower lawn, and some of the best plants to choose.…

1 Regularly tie the main stem onto a stout vertical cane as it grows. Loop string tightly around the cane and then loosely around the tomato stem so as not to crush it. 2 Remove the tiny sideshoots that appear in each leaf joint as soon as you can, so that the only growing point is the one at the tip of the main stem. Sideshoots snap off easily when small. 3 When (eventually!) the first fruits start to ripen, carefully remove any leaves that shade those tomatoes so that maximum sunlight can reach and ripen the skins.…

I’D like to know how many miles of row my hoe has covered in the last few weeks – I reckon it must be double figures by now! As soon as the soil warms in spring I’m using the hoe to decapitate or uproot tiny (and sometimes quite large…) seedlings. But I’m constantly amazed how quickly the weeds come back, and it’s easy to lose heart. Take my advice – don’t. Weeds can be depressing when they take hold so zip the hoe around your plot every week. The key is to kill the weeds while they’re tiny and before they set seed. Choose a sunny day with a slight breeze as this ensures these unwanted plants dry up and die within hours.…

“Some can only survive on one or two plant species” YEARS go I planted several choice buddleias. I knew their habit of self-seeding might be a problem but thought that fair exchange for their masses of sweetly scented flowers each swarming with numerous butterflies. For butterfly bush is the common name buddleias earned as soon as they were introduced simply because they’re so obviously good at attracting them. After the Second World War they spread along the railway tracks, and what a wonderful free show they make over the summer. But where are those butterflies? They’ve gone. Now we know this already, and often you hear well-meaning advice such as ‘lets plant more flowers to help the butterflies . That’s like making the North Sea bigger to help the cod…

I’D love to squeeze a big compost bin into my garden, but I don’t have the space and I don’t generate that much waste. As a compromise I’ve bought a compact worm composting bin, a container that’s 30in (76cm) high x 24in (61cm) wide. There are lots of different worm bins – bucket-style wormeries, square plastic containers, wooden compost bin-style ones and those with stacking trays – but they all work in a similar way: you add waste and an army of hungry tiger worms gets to work, turning it into lovely brown compost. Once the bin is assembled you simply add some bedding to the base, followed by the worms. It’s important not to overfeed your worms in the beginning. Add a handful of waste, then leave for a…

LAST month I planted some golden hops (Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’) close to the upright posts of my pergola. I started to train their stems up canes, angled towards the posts but had given little thought on how I’d attach the stems to the posts once they’d reached the top of the canes. Then I had a eureka moment. While visiting the nursery of herb expert Jekka McVicar I spotted some pots containing hops, where the stems were allowed to twine upwards around lengths of string. After a little research I discovered that this is the exact way hop growers train their plants on farms. So, abandoning the canes, I attached lengths of thin sisal rope to some hooks at the top of my pergola, securing them close to the crown…

I’VE not had much luck with my Japanese holly balls (Ilex crenata ‘Stokes’). Last month I mentioned that three had been hit by phytopthora, a fungal disease that causes defoliation. They were so badly infected I had to remove them. If that wasn’t enough, the remaining plants have been attacked by vine weevils leaving tell-tale notches in the leaves. As every gardener knows, where there are adult vine weevils, there are likely to be grubs under the ground munching on roots. Well, I’m not ready to throw in the towel just yet, and have decided to target the vine weevils with a biological control containing nematodes. These microscopic worms enter the body of the vine weevil larvae and release bacteria that stops them from feeding, eventually killing them. The product…

EVERYONE loves sweet Williams for their perfumed, jewel-like flowers. European Dianthus barbatus is another short-lived perennial treated as a biennial sown now, to plant in September and flower next June. A classic cut flower plant for an allotment, they also shine in borders and between shrub roses where their shallow roots and modest height to 18in (45cm) won’t compete with their bedfellows. Very little seems to go wrong with sweet Williams. They are said to suffer from rust but I have never noticed any on my plants.…

Lonicera ‘Graham Thomas’ This honeysuckle is a great addition to the garden; its spidery white and yellow flowers exude incredible scent at dusk. Plant in sun or semi-shade. H 23ft x 3ft (7m x 1m). Lilium orientale Oriental lilies are amazingly fragrant and flower from August to September. Keep an eye out for young plants at garden centres. Prefers neutral to acidic soil, but can be grown in pots. H 3ft x 6in (1m x 15cm). Rosa ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ One of the most reliable roses for perfume, this repeat-flowering David Austin variety produces deliciously scented pink rosettes all summer long. Full sun. H 4ft x 90in (1.2m x 1m). Philadelphus ‘Manteau d’Hermine’ The double ivory flowers of this dwarf mock orange release a sweet…

QI want to grow a selection of plants to make my garden look colourful and interesting all year-round. Is this possible? It gets sun from late-morning through the afternoon, and the soil is quite heavy and sticky. How can I prepare for this? Sarah Colton, Leicester A Having plants in flower all the year round is achievable. I create a chart; a grid with the months along the top, and down the side I put names of plants I like. I research their flowering times and colours, and then, using coloured pencils, shade in their colour and flowering period (see my picture, top). This allows me to see what colour distribution I have, and identify months that are lacking in colour or interest. Another simple method is to visit a…

Why does my sedum keep failing? Q Every year my sedum comes up really well then flops at the base, the stems fall over and it fails. Why? James Couling, Portsmouth, Hants ASedums are a bit prone to the stems flopping to reveal the centre of the plant, and it is usually worse if there has been a lot of rain or the plants have been well fed and the stems are quite lush. There are some things you could try: • Don’t feed and avoid over-watering, if possible, to discourage tall and lush growth – sedums are evolved to cope with stress in their environment and making life too easy can often lead to problems! • You could anticipate the problem and put in place some supports for the…

FOR almost as long as man has tilled the soil there have been hand tools for hoeing and cultivating. We’ve moved on since the first hunter-gathers traded in their spears for a hoe made from a piece of bone lashed to a stick, but for many centuries the look of traditional Dutch and draw hoes hasn’t altered much – it’s just the material they’re made from that’s changed. New designs of hoe come and go and sometimes its worth trying them out to see if they make life easier in the garden. We’ve tested six, both traditional and unusual designs, made of various materials to see which really cuts it for weeding and hoeing. Stainless Steel Long Handled Draw Hoe £24.99 RRP 02887 721009 kentandstowe.com  for stockists Features…

If you buy a pot-grown rose from the garden centre now you’ll be able to see the flower colour (pictured). Planting in June is fine as the roots are better established and so less likely to break. Step 1 The crucial thing about planting in June is soaking the whole pot in a bucket of water for an hour or so before planting and then letting it drain thoroughly for a couple of hours or so. Step 2 Plant with the graft union just below soil level. For the first month or so water very well twice a week. Make a moat of soil around the plant so water can’t run away before it soaks in.…

Biennials are plants that I always want but often forget to sow. Now, while campanula (right), sweet rocket and foxgloves are still in flower, is a perfect time to sow. I sprinkle the seed in lines through borders (the lines help identify seedlings from weeds!) and then trowel-up and move to where I want them when they’ve started to grow. Biennials are often slow to get going in summer but don’t worry: they always put on spurt of growth in September in readiness for flowers next spring.…

WITH their distinctive scent, silky petals, and susceptibility to pests and diseases, roses are the high-maintenance prima donnas of the garden. B ut they are well worth the trouble and care! W hether you prefer climbers and ramblers, bushy hybrid tea, floribundas, or smaller container roses for your patio, a well-tended rose will add class and beauty to the garden. You need to put the work in to get the best results, and on these pages I look at some of the main problems affecting roses, and how to treat them, as well as an ‘insider’ secret for getting your rose to produce bigger, better blooms. I lost a container rose over the winter, so I have also planted up a ‘Sweet Wonder’ patio rose, which promises me wonderful floribundatype…

1 Place crocks, and fill the pot with a mix of loamy compost (I used John Innes No. 3) and grit, which helps improve drainage. 2 Plant the rose to the same depth as its rootball. Slide it from its growing container, and tease out the roots. 3 Infill around it with more compost and grit, and firm it in well. Leave 1in (2.5cm) at the top for watering. 4 Water, and add a layer of well-rotted compost or manure, to retain moisture, and feed the plant.…

• Blueberries thrive in acidic conditions, but if your soil is alkaline, you can grow them successfully in containers of ericaceous compost. • Keep the surrounding area free from weeds, and top-dress with an acidic mulch, such as pine needles, pine tree chippings or even coffee grounds. • Don’t let plants dry out, but don’t let the soil or compost become waterlogged. Ideally, use rainwater. • Fruits ripen at different times, even on the same plant. Harvest when berries are a dark, lustrous blue. Net plants to keep birds away.…

PINCH off sweet peas tendrils and tie in stems, so the plants put their energy into producing more and bigger flowers, rather than tendrils. KEEP your sweet peas well fed and watered. Liquid tomato fertiliser is good, while a mulch with manure feeds, and helps retain water. PINCHING out side shoots will concentrate the plant’s energy into creating more flowers on the main stem, and encourages stronger growth. IF you leave the flowers on the plant, deadhead as soon as petals fall and the seedpod is visible, as this will encourage more flower buds to form.…

“Ripe strawberries are loved by so many of us” FORTY new and recently-introduced plant novelties were displayed on The Sun Flower Square at Chelsea Flower Show last month. We asked visitors to vote for their favourites and I have been carefully analysing the results. There were some very sharp-eyed visitors. For example, the 20-litre bag with four Strawberry ‘Vibrant’ plants tucked away on greenhouse staging were spotted and nominated as first choice by some voters – as were the neighbouring Rocket seedlings from Lilliput Infant School, Poole. Ripe strawberries are loved by so many of us and this bag clearly demonstrated that no more than a windowsill is all you need to grow some. Cold stored runners (we call them 60-day plants because they grow and crop in 60 days…

• My latest seedlings are ready to be pricked out, and grown on until they are ready to be planted outside. • Seedlings can be moved once their first ‘proper’ leaves have grown above the two circular ‘seed’ leaves. • Lift their rootball using something flat, like a plant label. Hold seedlings by the leaves to avoid damaging the stem. • Pot them up individually in 3in (7cm) pots of John Innes No 2, and harden them off before planting them out.…

THE amount of fresh produce coming into the kitchen just gets greater and greater – and this week I’m incredibly excited to be lifting my first early spuds – bring on the butter! My tomatoes, on the other hand, aren’t showing signs of ripe fruit just yet, and I need to step in regularly to keep them on the right track to a healthy harvest. I’m growing cordon varieties (which essentially means plant have one main vertical stem) and these need constant pruning and training to focus their energies into fruit production. They’re definitely the high-maintenance option! You can, of course, grow bush or hanging basket varieties if you prefer not to sideshoot, but for those of you like me who enjoy training crops, here’s what to do: Lucy is…

NO matter how well planned a border is, gaps are inevitable. So gardening editor Ruth set me the challenge of finding instant border fillers, without resorting to bedding. We are taught that autumn is the natural time for planting, but the reality is that most gardeners impulse-buy in summer to add colour to bare patches in the garden. Planting in mid-summer can put a strain on plants, so I add mycorrhizal fungi in the base of planting holes to boost root establishment and water regularly until plants settle in. A month after planting, I feed every 2-4 weeks with a liquid fertiliser such as Miracle-Gro or Phostrogen. For border planting ideas, I visited The Hidden Gardens of Sandwich in Kent: three-and-a-half acres of Grade II-listed heritage grounds, famous for its…

EVERY two years the Royal Entomological Society organises National Insect Week (this year it’s 20-26 June). The aim is to encourage people of all ages to learn more about insects. In the garden, of course, we could not survive without them. Bees pollinate our flowers, while ladybirds consume aphids by the hundred. Some insects, including the hoverfly, do both! Others, such as certain species of butterfly and dragonfly, play a smaller role in terms of benefiting the gardener, but make up for it by just being beautiful to watch. There are insect pests as well, of course. And while it grieves me to kill anything, I will happily abolish harmful insects from my plot. However if I inadvertently kill one of our so-called ‘beneficial’ insects I regret it for a…

HARDY Japanese bananas are magnificent plants with big, paddle-shaped leaves produced at the rate of one per week in summer, eventually forming a huge canopy. Unfortunately, they’re not the toughest of customers, and the leaves will rip and look tatty if subjected to strong winds. The only option then is to cut them off – snip at the point where the stalk of the leaf meets the stem. As a rule, also prune leaves that are yellowing or show any other signs of damage. It seems harsh, but will help stimulate re-growth. Bananas thrive on food. Apply a general fertiliser in spring, a sprinkle of fish, blood and bone every month and a splash of liquid fertiliser every time you water.…

A FEW years ago I attempted to raise raspberries in my old London garden, but it proved a disaster because of their tendency to spread. This time around, instead of planting in the ground, I’m growing a recently introduced compact form called ‘Ruby Beauty’ in a large pot filled with a mixture of multipurpose compost and John Innes No.3. Bred in New Zealand, it grows to just 3ft (1m) high, and forms a bushy plant with thornless stems to make picking easy. According to its breeder, a fully grown specimen should be able to produce a whopping 1.5kg (3 1/2lb) of delicious, bright red fruit. That’s a pretty good return from such a small plant. My compact raspberry is in a 10lt pot and, due to its size, doesn’t require…

Heliotrope (cherry pie plant) Look out for these tender bedding plants at garden centres and market stalls. Plant them in a patio container and enjoy their delicious cherry scent right up until the first frosts. Nicotiana ‘Perfume Hybrids’ With their heady evening scent and pint-sized stature (14in/35cm) these tabacco plants are perfect for patio pots. Suttons are selling 15 garden-ready plugs for £7.49. suttons.co.uk Cosmos atrosanguineus This half-hardy tuberous perennial has crimson red velvety flowers with a delicious vanilla/chocolate scent. Keep the pot frost-free over winter. Supplier: thompson-morgan.co.uk…

BUY bulbs from garden centres in the green, just as they are starting to fade. These pots of bulbs are often greatly reduced which means you can buy more than when they are in flower and at full cost. Also, having ready-grown plants makes it easier to space them out correctly and prevent overcrowding. If you fancy covering a large area with annuals, garden centres often sell collections of separate seeds in one package. These have been put together so they compliment each other and give a wide range of colour, heights and spread, along with a long flowering season. They represent excellent value for money. Perennial collections are also available but these take longer to raise, and rarely produce large amounts of colour in their first year.…

QI seem to have acquired this bed of yellow flowers from somewhere! Is it a weed? Mildred Hughes (via email) A The flower in question is Lysimachia punctata, a cultivated form of the wild yellow loosestrife. A member of the primrose family, it is vigorous and questing – a dominating coloniser, indeed – which can ‘swallow’ other plants. It is very colourful and happy in full sun or light shade. Q This monster has appeared in my garden. Is it a giant knapweed or similar and should I cut it out? Lynda Dearden (via email) A The interloper is a British wild flower, bristly ox- tongue (Picris echioides). A handsome annual or biennial, it favours chalky soil and grows to around 6ft (1.8m). Locally common in lowland England, specially on…

Make his day special with a great garden-inspired gift Indoor terrarium £24.99 RRP La Hacienda 01285 762060 lahacienda.co.uk/find-a-retailer If dad’s new to gardening or outdoor space is limited this mini ecosystem is just the job. Ideal for plants like ferns and mosses, it’s low maintenance once planted up as it keeps moisture contained. Medium size stands H. 11½in (29cm) x L. 30in (29.5cm) x D. 6in (15.5cm). Xtract ™  Garden Saw £25.99 RRP Fiskars 0121 796444 fiskars.co.uk  for dealers You can’t go wrong if adding to dad’s tool collection and this one can be put to good use on a variety of jobs. With a super-sharp 8 ½in (22cm) steel blade and cushioned grips it’s ideal for pruning difficult-to-access branches and clearing foliage.…

Climbers & ramblers Good companions Clematis ‘Venosa Violacea’ Clematis alpina ‘Frances Rivis’ Nasturtium (trained upwards) Clematis ‘Plena Elegans’ Sweet peas Low growers Good companions Geranium ‘Rozanne’ Erigeron karvinskianus Stachys byzantina Geranium macrorrhizum ‘Album’ Salvia x sylvestris ‘Mainacht’ Shrub roses Good companions Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch’ Sweet rocket Gaura lindheimeri Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’ Verbena bonariensis Repeat flowerers Good companions Erysimum ‘Bowles’s Mauve’ Eryngium planum Nepeta x faassenii ‘Kitkat’ Digitalis ferruginea Phlox paniculata ‘David’…

THE transformation of my front garden has been a number of years in the making as I tried out different designs. I had the front flagged last year to make it a usable area as it had been laid on top of building rubble, and what little space I had for flowers couldn’t be gardened for months on end because of the lawn’s muddy conditions. The grass itself was non-recoverable as it only had about six inches of soil underneath it and suffered from very bad drainage. The before photo was taken from my bedroom window in July 2012 and gives an idea of the state of the whole area, including the grass. Now my neighbour Andy has finished constructing my small garden pond and fountain, the job is nearly…

• Climbers and ramblers need support to keep them looking good. • Always secure the supports to the wall, or in the ground, before you plant your rose, and tie the stems in each season as they grow. • If your climber looks spindly, with only a few buds, don’t be scared to cut back the main stems by around one-third, as this will encourage more vigorous growth, and a bushier plant. • If it still fails to thrive, the problem may lie in the soil, or with poor aftercare, so make sure you feed, water and mulch your plant.…

• A blowsy display of rose blooms is a delight, but some plants fail to come up with the goods no matter how much you feed and nurture them. • Help your roses to flower fantastically by removing some of the developing buds, so the plant will put all its energy into the remaining ones. • The technique works best of floribunda and hybrid tea varieties. With hybrid teas, keep the terminal bud (at the top of the plant) and pinch out buds developing at the leaf joins. • With floribunda and grandiflora roses, remove the top bud and leave the others to develop.…

FEW things are more evocative of an English summer than the fragrance of sweet peas. Whether yours are dwarf varieties in a container or basket, or are growing the traditional way, up a trellis or hazel wigwam, they should provide you with months of wonderful colour and fragrance. Sweet peas are relatively easy – and so rewarding – to grow. All they need is a sunny, sheltered spot on rich, well-drained soil, and a regular supply of water and feed to keep them healthy and strong. They are prone to attack by aphids and slugs and snails, so keep a close eye on their development and treat accordingly. They are also prone to powdery mildew disease, but this can be relieved by good husbandry, and swiftly removing affected leaves as…

FOR the past few weeks, my greenhouse has been creaking at the seams, it was so full of seedlings waiting to be potted on, and veggies ready to be planted out. But now the end of June is approaching, I have started freeing up space. I’ve moved the final batch of plants on to the cold frame or plastic patio greenhouse for hardening off before they move permanently outside. The respite will be brief, because the greenhouse will still contain tomato and aubergine plants, as well as assorted cuttings and winter bedding seedlings. While the plants grow, I will keep an eye on the overall health of the greenhouse. Here I’ve covered the key areas of concern, and how to manage them. Top Tip   You may need to hand-pollinate…

LATE spring and early summer is a time of opportunity in almost all areas of gardening. Increasing plant stocks by sowing seeds is probably the most obvious benefit of this time of year, but you can also boost your garden by taking cuttings. Last week I showed you how I propagated rosemary and lavender plants by taking softwood cuttings and this week I’m taking semi-ripe cuttings of a leggy choisya shrub that I plan to eventually replace. The difference between softwood and semi-ripe cuttings is that the plant material has moved on from soft, new growth, but isn’t quite completely ‘ripened’, or hardened into maturity. This is an easy way of multiplying shrub numbers, and if you end up with too many, you can always give them away to friends!…

PEOPLE with lawns can broadly be divided into two camps – those who like their grass immaculately striped and blemish-free, and those who aren’t worried. I fall into the latter camp, largely because I have neither the time nor inclination for a pristine lawn. But I do like to keep the grass and soil beneath it healthy, so there are certain maintenance jobs that can’t be neglected. Summer is a crucial time for lawns, because the heat and occasional rain means that grass can grow rapidly. Weekly mowing helps keep it under control, and also cuts to size any weeds springing up among the sward. If your grass shows signs of losing its vigour in the heat of summer, feed it with a lawn fertiliser, or organic chicken manure pellets,…

I LOVE raspberries and redcurrants – trouble is, so do the birds. They have an uncanny knack of descending just before the fruits are fully ripe so that they get the lion’s share. Well, not on my watch! This year I will be netting my blueberries, strawberries, currants, raspberries and cherries against the blackbirds and thrushes. Birds have especially good eyesight for the colour red, which is why they’re so attracted to some crops and not others. I’m growing a red gooseberry this year, so that will need covering, too. Keep the netting tight when cloaking your plants – a fruit cage makes this easy (make one out of bamboo canes). Birds can catch their feet in sags and folds in netting, so check yours daily.…

FRUIT crops love the sun. It’s needed to boost sugar levels, so is especially important for super-sweet crops such as apricots, figs and dessert grapes. But often with sunshine comes drought, and it’s crucial that your fruiting plants don’t become stressed through lack of moisture. Watering is critical at this time of year because fruitlets have set, and they’re swelling at a rapid pace. That boost in size relies heavily on moisture so irrigate regularly in dry spells to ensure good fruit size. Pay particular attention to crops in pots or against walls and fences, as roots can get really dry in these positions. Water in the evening or morning if you can – in the heat of the day a lot of it will just evaporate. If you’ve not…

• Lupin ‘Tequila Flame’ Lupins are a staple of cottage borders, often flowering into July. I chose this red-and-yellow newbie, but a huge range is available. • Allium These ‘ornamental onions’ will transform a bare patch into a Chelsea showpiece. Plant in sunny, well-drained locations. Dried flower heads are attractive. • Iris ‘Gerald Darby’ White flowers can lift a border, but I was talked into buying the violet-purple ‘Gerald Darby’ which staff said was a favourite of the head gardener. • Verbena ‘Homestead Purple’ Perfect for a gap at the front of a border, this compact verbena (12in/30cm high) flowers from June until September. • Geranium palmatum If you have a big gap to fill, the Canary Island geranium is just the ticket, and can reach over 3ft (1m) in…

• 12 June: Braddocks House, Oxbridge, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3TZ (2-5pm) open in aid of The Red Cross 01823 273713 8 swashington@redcross.org.uk • 18-19 June: Hoby Open Gardens (11am-5pm daily), Hoby village, Nr Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE14 3DT opengardens.co.uk; 01664 434 188 • 19 June: Plant Hunters’ Fair (11am-4pm), Southwell Minster Gardens, Notts, NG25 0HD planthuntersfairs.co.uk • 19 June: Broaches Farm, Dalton, Richmond Dl11 7HW(1-5pm) 01833 621369 jude1@myfwi.co.uk • 19 June: Forest Lane Gardens, Yarm (The Hollies and 48 Forest Lane) (1-5pm) ngs.org.uk • 19 June: Cottingham Open Gardens (10am-4pm), Cottingham village, East Yorks HU16 5AY 01482 875 129 • 25-26 June: Garden Festival, Arley Hall and Gardens, Arley, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 6NA 01565 777 353; arleyhallandgardens.com • Please check that the event is still going ahead before leaving home.…

1 Assemble the component parts. Mine needed a platform in the base, and a tap screwed on. The tap allows liquid to be drained from the sump of the wormery. 2 Lay a sheet of newspaper over the porous tray of the platform, then empty the bedding compost and worms on top. Make sure it’s in a small pile, not spread out thinly. 3 Place three to four handfuls of kitchen waste inside, spreading it over the compost in a thin layer. Leave the worms to settle in – no further waste is needed for at least a week.…

THE arctic or Icelandic poppy is a refined and showy plant but often with the airs and graces of a prima donna to match. This is Papaver croceum, better known by the older name P. nudicaule, a short-lived perennial often treated as a biennial. This means that from a June sowing, young plants are set out in autumn to flower next summer. A mass of these poppies in full bloom looks stunning, with their 3in (8cm) wide, silky flowers in white, yellow and orange appearing to hover over rosettes of bristly foliage. In bloom, plants reach 12in (30cm) high. In the garden These beautiful poppies look best in large swathes but if space is short, use them to fill gaps in sunny, mixed borders where the soil is in good…

• Prepare soil by digging in autumn. Leave it as rough as possible. Remove perennial nettles, ground elder, docks and dandelions, as well as annual weeds before they flower and set seed. • Incorporate well-rotted manure, well-rotted compost, soil conditioner or mushroom compost, unless you grow acid-loving plants (mushroom compost contains lime which acid-lovers hate). • The next spring, break down lumps and rake the surface level. Do a pH test; apply lime if needed. Don’t mix fertiliser and lime together. Apply lime first and give it several weeks to wash into soil.…

THE space travel salad rocket seeds we’ve been growing at Lilliput Infant school in Dorset have taken off - like a rocket! They are tall and floppy, not at all like the pictures in the RHS Rocket Science experiment booklet. It’s a bit worrying as I am supposed to be the rocket expert, supervising the children as we compare the growth rate of the red and the blue seed packets - one of which has been in space for six months. For the past six weeks we have sown, watched, watered, counted and recorded the progress of the seeds, whilst discussing the children’s ideas along the way. There is a difference between our seedlings - the red ones are much more successful, with 82% germination rate compared to 52% success…

“Plant of the show in terms of numbers was the foxglove” I WAS part of the BBC presenting team for Chelsea Flower Show coverage and by the time you read this you’ll know that designer Andy Sturgeon scooped a gold and won the top honour of ‘Best in Show’ for his Telegraph Garden. I think the judges called it correctly, but an astonishing number of gardeners have asked me for an explanation. One man demanded that I or Monty Don tackle, on TV that night, the travesty of why the high-tech LG Smart Garden with its obvious flowers didn’t do better than Cleve West’s interpretation of Exmoor. Naturally I said I’d pass the job on to Monty, but it does raise the point that perhaps some judges’ marks could be…