Innholdsfortegnelse for 18-Feb-2017 i Amateur Gardening

“THE little star magnolia’s not budding up very well. That’ll be the third year running the flowers have been poor,” I mentioned to my wife, Kath, recently. “That’s because you’ve crammed in too many plants,” said Kath. “None of it’s got room, just like in the front garden. Part of the abelia’s died, and there’s stuff sticking out all overt the paths. Some plants need to come out so others have room to grow.” “But darling,” I reasoned, “the beds are richly planted so that stems and foliage knit together to create a seamless, flowing voyage across a sea of ever-changing textures with ne’re a glimpse of bare soil.” I didn’t actually think I’d get away with it. “Nonsense. You just keep sticking in more and more plants. I want…

THE weather is slowly warming up, signs of spring are becoming more apparent. This is a good time to check over your existing hardy perennials, and plant a few more for this summer’s show – as long as the ground is not frozen and you have the room. If you haven’t already done so, check plants for pest problems and any signs of possible disease. Treat both immediately, removing any foliage that is severely affected. Don’t compost diseased foliage. You can also start cutting back any of last autumn’s seedheads that you have left standing, either because they look ornamental, or because they are a source of food and refuge for birds and invertebrates. After tidying up perennials, give them a feed of slow-release fertiliser such as blood, fish and…

“The cooked fruit keeps pretty well indefinitely” WE are still eating a range of fruits and vegetables from the garden. Some are fresh (Brussels sprouts), some shed stored (onions), some from the deep freeze (runner beans, apricots and raspberries) and some bottled (apples). I continue to be surprised by the quantity of produce harvested from quite a modest sized plot that is sufficient for the average family. One modest sized Bramley apple tree yielded two big crates of fruit and each week, when some were cooked for Sunday lunch, extra were included and the pulp stored in recycled honey jars with metal lids. Poured boiling hot into jars and the tops screwed down tight the cooked fruit keeps pretty well indefinitely. It means we have home produced stewed apple for…

First early potatoes, such as ‘Pentland Javelin’, ‘Epicure’ and ‘Maris Bard’ should go in the ground next month and be ready for harvesting in June or July. However, they need to be ‘chitted’ – encouraged to sprout – before they are planted, and now is the time to do it. Simply stand your seed potatoes in an old egg box with the ends containing the most ‘eyes’, or growing points, facing upwards. Keep them somewhere light and frost-free, and they can go into the ground when the shoots are around 1in (3cm) long. Always use seed potatoes rather than old supermarket spuds, as seed potatoes are grown virus-free for propagation.…

MEMBERS of the prayer plant family (maranta, ctenanthe and calatheas) are native to the humid tropical forests of Central and South America. Their luxuriant, colourful and beautifully patterned leaves are hard to resist and they have great character, too. Most species appear to pray at night, when leaves move into an upright position, returning to horizontal during the day. There are several cultivars of the rose painted calathea (C. roseopicta) native to North West Brazil and this one produces large, rounded leaves with rich maroon undersides and surfaces decorated with feather-like patterns in silver, deep and pale green. Plants generally reach around 20in (50cm) high and enjoy normal room conditions. This week I decided our plant deserved more root space and some friends to keep it company. Setting several plants…

WITH the seed sowing season warming up nicely, it pays to think in a bit more detail about what potential outcomes those tiny seeds face. Are you delicately handling expensive F1 hybrid varieties (some are nearly £1 per seed!), going all fingers-and-thumbs at the thought of dropping any – or worse, sneezing? Or are you looking at a dog-eared packet of seeds that you bought back in 2013, wondering if they’re going to germinate at all? These scenarios should influence the way you sowyour seeds – after all, everyone is aiming for 100 per cent germination rates. So here are a few of my timely reminders about how to handle those very humble but important horticultural pearls. TopTip If you are in any doubt about whether old seeds will grow,…

EARLIER this month I urged you to buy new fruit trees and bushes, and either to plant them properly, or heel them in temporarily if short on time. So this is just a quick heads up to explain that it’s important to check these plants after harsh, prolonged frosts (don’t worry about light ones). When soil freezes the moisture within it expands and dries to form ice crystals. This action can have a negative impact on roots that have yet to establish and lock into the soil, by slightly pushing these new plantings out of the earth. This can dry roots out and, if excessive, it can cause plants to die. So just gently firm them back in with your heel.…

RATS just need food, water and shelter to survive and nearly every garden, in city, town or countryside, can offer this at some period through the year. So all of us are at risk to some extent. To a hard working gardener, rats are vermin – they can damage a wide range of vegetables and fruits, both while the produce is growing and afterwards when it is in storage. Look for little parallel grooves in your crops, where a rat’s incisor teeth have bitten into the material. They go for sweet corn cobs, pumpkins, marrows and squashes, and various root vegetables including potatoes, carrots, beetroot and parsnip. In storage, apples are a favourite, and they’ll also gorge on stored seeds if they can get to them. We are mostly talking…

ONE of the joys of upping sticks and taking on a new garden is you leave all of your old weed problems behind. In four years of living in Portsmouth, I haven’t had to pull out a single sun spurge (Euphorbia helioscopia), the scourge of my old plot in London. In fact, up until now all I’ve had to deal with is hairy bitter cress, the odd nettle and dandelions. Hopefully this good fortune isn’t about to change, having discovered a weed that has just appeared in my garden. I found this trespasser growing underneath my Chusan palm, its shoots clothed with bright green, heart-shaped leaves similar to those of clover. My heart sank, as this is undoubtedly some type of oxalis (exact identification is nigh on impossible unless they’re…

LIFE is sweet when there are plums or cherries in the garden ripe for the taking. From jams and pies to succulent fruit you can devour at peak freshness, they are incredibly versatile. So if you have never considered planting your own plum or cherry tree, perhaps you should. They’re pretty easy to grow and, if your garden is on the smaller side, don’t worry, these fruit trees are accommodating enough to be trained against walls or cultivated as space-saving spindles. Mention plums and most people will think of mainstays such as ‘Victoria’ or ‘Marjorie’s Seedling’, but these are just two members of a vast Prunus family, which also encompasses sweet and juicy gages, rich-tasting damsons and small but beautifully formed mirabelles. Cherries – both sweet and sour – also…

Personalised heat changer £12.99 + £4.99 p&p 0845 217 6382 gettingpersonal.co.uk There’s more to this one than meets the eye. Filled with a hot drink the black ceramic outer colour disappears to reveal the name of the mug owner below – helping to indicate how hot the drink is as it cools down. Ideal as a gift – have the recipient’s name stamped on it to make it a truly personal one. Mushrooms and bees £15 each (delivery charges apply) 01778 560256 whatkateloves.co.uk Based on garden sketches the mushroom and bee motifs are joined by daisies and seedheads in a beautiful blue collection that’s ideal for mixing and matching when one just isn’t enough. Designer Kate Thorburn has also taken her timeless botanical blue illustrations and doodles to use on…

“The odd nugget or two can be an aid to rooting” YESTERDAY I visited a friend who wants to turn a field the size of four large allotments into a productive vegetable plot. At first glance the site on a south west-facing slope couldn’t be more perfect, but up close the red Devon earth is strewn with so many stones it looks like an image taken by the Mars Lander and couldn’t be further from the desired Mr McGregor’s garden! Rocks are the bones of the earth and like skeletons in cupboards are best left where they lie. Of course, clunking a stone with a spade is no fun but on the whole they are beneficial, as a mix of different sizes improves drainage and the odd nugget or two…

A few weeks ago we had a run of bitterly cold days where the ground was solid, and the air was thick with freezing fog. It is difficult – and unwise – to garden on frozen land, and even when the frost thawed, everything became too saturated to be workable. So it was a relief when things warmed up, and I could get outside to do some general garden maintenance, and clear the decks before the busy times roll around again. Here are a few suggestions of tasks you can be getting on with too. If you are working undercover, make sure your greenhouse is ready for the seedlings and cuttings to come. Wipe down surfaces with a damp cloth and weak detergent. Remove plants then fumigate with a sulphur…

• Helleborus niger, also known as Christmas or Lenten rose, should be looking fabulous now. • These early-flowering perennials are low-maintenance beauties, but there are a couple of things you can do for them to help them give their best. • Remove old and battered foliage to leave room for new shoots and emerging flower buds. • Mulch with well-rotted compost or farmyard manure, but make sure it doesn’t touch the stem as this can cause them to rot. • Check plants for leaf spot, and remove badly affected foliage, or whole plants if necessary. Don’t compost them.…

IF you have neither the time nor the inclination to grow from seed, plug plants offer the perfect solution. Plugs are young plants that have already been tended through the tricky germination and seedling stages, and are usually a couple of inches tall, with robust foliage and root systems. Most common are bedding like begonias, fuchsias, petunias and pansies, but you can also buy a wide range of vegetable plants too. They either come in cell-trays, or in small individual pots, and being much cheaper than mature plants are an economical way to fill your garden with flowers and fresh veggies. When you get your plants home, water them and keep them somewhere bright and warm for a few weeks to acclimatise. When they require potting on, water them well,…

LAST year was a good one for growing chillies, and I had several successful plants that helped add amazing heat and flavour to many dishes. The main one I grew ‘Demon Red’, a small, red chilli that deserved to be treated with respect in the kitchen. This year I am trying medium hot ‘Basket of Fire’, and the larger, fiery ‘Tropical Heat’. Chillies should be sown in February or March as some take six months or more to mature and ripen a crop. They also like warmth, so I am covering my seed trays with cling film, and starting them off in a heated propagator in the hope that a steady bottom heat will encourage strong germination – which can be erratic. If the compost needs watering after germination I’ll…

WHATEVER the weather, these colourful calendulas will bring months of cheer to the garden. ‘Art Shades’ are double-bloom flowers that come in a palette of orange, yellow and cream. Traditional cottage garden favourites, they have distinctively curled, spiky seeds. If you sow them in batches at three-week intervals, they will flower from early summer right through until October. Calendula are hardy annuals and can be sown direct in the soil, but it is worth sowing them under cover between now and the end of April. In the soil they will simply sit and rot in the cold and damp, or be eaten by pests. Once the weather warms up, you can sow them directly into borders and containers around the garden, where they will soon grow and put on a…

1 Find a container the right size, like this glazed pot. Arch a crock (pot shard) over the drainage hole and add some compost. 2 Position the calathea and then add a plant like this pretty ladder fern (Nephrolepis cordata ‘Buttons’) to complement in size and colour. 3 There’s room for another small plant, so slot in something like piggy back plant (Tolmeia menzeisii ‘Taff’s Gold’) to fill the space. 4 Ensure all plants are positioned well and at the right height before filling in with compost. Water gently then place in position.…

IT used to be common practise to spray fruit trees, canes and bushes with winter washes in the dormant period, to control overwintering pests. Nowadays we’re aware that such methods are best used with care because the washes can indiscriminately kill both good and bad bugs. Organic growers understand the benefits of maintaining a balance in the garden. Their aim is to established a population of good predatory or parasitic insects to help limit numbers of pest insects. So, should we not buy winter washes any more? The answer depends on your garden. If your fruit trees and bushes are cropping with no signs of pest damage then there’s nothing to treat, so no spraying is needed. However, most of us aren’t that lucky. Aphid pests, in particular are likely…

• 18 February: Fully guided hellebore tours, Ashwood Nurseries, Ashford, Kingswinford, West Midlands, DY6 0AE. 10.15am-2.30pm. £2.50 in aid of Beacon Centre for the Blind (no need to book in advance). 01384 401996 ashwoodnurseries.com • 18 February: Horstead House, Mill Road, Horstead, Norwich, Norfolk NR12 7AU. Snowdrops carpet the woodland and dogwoods make a stunning feature on a small island in the River Bure, which flows through the garden. Open 11am-4pm. ngs.org.uk • 19 February: Bosworth House, Arthingworth, Market Harborough, Northants LE16 8LA. Three acre garden open in aid of the NGS. Features snowdrops, wood anemones, fritillaries and daffodils. 12-4pm, admission £3, children free. Mr and Mrs Irving-Swift 01858 525202 ngs.org.uk • 24-26 February: Holker Gardens snowdrop weekend, Holker Estate, Cark-in-Cartmel, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, LA11 7PL. Award winning 25-acre gardens. Open…

I’M always on the look out for something different to try, and recently came across tuberous begonia ‘Daffadowndilly’, with orange red blooms that resemble daffodil flowers in shape. The hairy brown tubers produce clumps of 12in (30cm) tall dark green foliage that will be smothered with flowers from June to autumn. It’s happy in semi-sun or somewhere brighter – ideal for containers on my sunny deck. Begonia tubers need kick-starting into growth. Space them out across a seed tray of damp John Innes No. 2 compost, or place individually in small pots. Ensure the hollow side of the tuber is facing upwards. Screw them into the compost, so the top is level with the surface, then water and pop in a heated propagator to encourage rapid growth. Alternatively, cover with…

THE Garden Centre Association (GCA) has revealed which retailers are Britain’s best. Cowell’s Garden Centre in Newcastle upon Tyne won the title of Garden Centre of the Year. Barton Grange Garden Centre in Preston was crowned the best Destination Garden Centre of the Year. Destination centre is a term given to retailers with other offerings on site, such as franchises and catering. The GCA represents 200 UK garden centres, and the awards were dished out at its annual conference last month. Other winners included Simpsons Garden Centre (Inverness), Bents Garden and Home (Warrington), Haskins Garden Centres at Southampton and Littlehampton, and Stewarts Garden Centre in Christchurch, Dorset.…

How do I grow hippeastrum? Q I have been given a huge amaryllis bulb as a gift. How should I plant it, and can it be made to flower again next winter – or is it a one-hit wonder? Lynne Cuthbert, Teddington A Amaryllis is frequently confused with hippeastrum, but the former genus is in fact South African and consists of only one species – Amaryllis belladonna. The confusion stems from nurserymen calling hybrid hippeastrum ‘amaryllis’. It’s similar to mix-ups over pelargoniums and true geraniums! Hippeastrums are native to the Americas. Hippeastrum flowers are spectacular and bulbs are easy to grow if you follow the right regime. They require bright but filtered light and a free-draining compost. I pot bulbs into three parts of well-rotted garden compost, one part leafmould…

Eremurus robustus As its name suggests, is a tough beauty, thrusting three-foot (1m) spikes of tightly clustered pale pink flowers to a height of six or seven feet (2.5m) in mid-summer. E. stenophyllus Sometimes still sold as ‘bungei’, this species bears clear yellow or apricot flowers on spikes that reach 3-4ft (1-1.5m). Like all foxtails the hundreds of starry flowers provide a valuable source of nectar for insects. E. x isabellinus ‘Cleopatra’: Lovely clear burnt orange flowers provide a sparkling focal point when they bloom at around 5ft (1.75m) providing a strong foil for paler shades. Try also the ‘Ruiter’ hybrids, which come in all shades of pink.…

What’s the story Morning Glory? I WAS delighted to see that AG was giving away free Morning Glory ‘Heavenly Blue’ seeds with 28 January issue. I grow them every year, but find that in order to get successful germination they need to be planted in a warm propagator and then put out at the beginning of June. They grow very well, particularly when planted against a south-facing fence or wall as you can see. Anne Young, Teignmouth, Devon You’re not you when you’re hungry! WARNING – this chocolate bar may contain nuts! This grey squirrel is clearly in need of an energy boost. Jackie Moennich, Leighton Buzzard, Beds Jenny says... I think that’s precisely the attraction Jackie! Read all about it THIS is a photo of my eldest son having…

BEGONIAS aren’t my favourite plants – I think they’re too showy – but I can see why many gardeners think they’re the bee’s knees. Large, tuberous begonias are upright or trailing, and produce wonderful blooms all summer if regularly deadheaded. Smaller Begonia semperflorens have attractive foliage, and bloom in shades of red, pink and white. They are usually grown from seed or as plug plants, and work well in containers and as summer bedding. Both varieties will tolerate light shade, which also makes them ideal for hanging baskets. Begonias should be started in early spring. If you overwintered existing tubers, check they are healthy and have not succumbed to fungal disease or rot. If you are raising plants from seed, remember their seeds are as fine as dust, and extra…

• Some late winter days are mild, and plants will benefit from improved airflow, so open greenhouse doors, windows and vents on sunny days. • This will reduce the risk of fungal infections, but always remember to close openings at night, when temperatures can still drop well below freezing. • Make sure greenhouse heaters are working properly – use an accurate thermometer to gauge temperatures. • Check greenhouse guttering and remove any twigs and other debris that can cause blockages. • Continue to keep an eye out for pests overwintering undercover, and treat infestations immediately.…

1 Fill a seed tray with fresh, sieved seed and cutting compost. Tamp it lightly to create a level surface. 2 Water and leave to drain, then sow the seeds thinly. Cover with a thin layer of compost or vermiculite. 3 Label, and place in a propagator somewhere with plenty of natural light. Don’t let the compost dry out. 4 After germination remove from propagator, place the seedlings in warmth and light. Keep compost moist.…

• The ancient Greeks and Persians used the flowers in cookery, and their petals are used to make temple garlands in India. • British gardeners often use them as companion plants to help protect crops. • Hoverflies, ladybirds and lacewing flies feed on calendula nectar, and their larvae predate nearby aphids. • It is said that calendulas repel certain insects, which is why they are sometimes grown near tomato plants. They also lure aphids from bean plants. • Calendula is widely used as a skin salve – always check with your doctor before using herbal remedies. • The petals are also used to garnish salads and soups, and to colour butter.…

• Provide medium light with some direct soft morning light, but away from harsh sun. • Normal room temperatures are ideal, aiming for a minimum of 55˚F (13˚C) all year round. In warmer temperatures, raise humidity by arranging with other plants. • Water when the surface of the compost begins to dry out, being sure to keep plants moist in summer. Adding a half strength general purpose liquid feed every fortnight will keep plants colourful and strong. • Repot using a 2 part soilless, one part John Innes no 2 and 1 part grit mix. • Watch for spider mites, to which this family is prone, especially when air is hot and dry. Misting under leaves helps ward them off. Other calatheas to try • C. crocata (eternal flame) Plain…

“Remove perennial weeds before applying mulch” IT’S said the best time to apply a mulch is late winter/early spring as it will then seal in the winters rains. Also true is that many plants have died down over winter so you can work around them more easily. So if your pruning’s all done and out of the way, then give your plants a nice thick mulch of shredded composted bark, spent compost or well-rotted manure. It doesn’t matter which mulch you use, but it does matter how you use it. Put mulch down in an economically-minded way and it will almost disappear with little effect other than encourage the weeds to romp away as invigorated as your plants – and very little moisture will be retained. Put down mulch extravagantly,…

A MEMBER of a gardening club I gave a talk to last year told me he had stopped growing potatoes at his allotment. They took up far too much space, he said, and required lots of attention, only to be decimated by blight before they were ready for harvesting. My immediate response was to suggest growing early maturing varieties in containers. Not only do containers take up less space, but they are much easier to look after, and the contents will be ready to lift before blight becomes a problem. Growing them in containers doesn’t suit everyone, but it does give those with the smallest of outdoor spaces the chance to grow spuds. In theory you can grow any type of potato in a pot if it’s large enough, but…

• Begonia ‘Prima Donna’ – Compact, upright plants with strong stems and huge frilled blooms over a long period. 14in (35cm) high. Suttons ( suttons.co.uk) • ‘Begonia ‘Inferno’ – A fiery little number with exotic red flowers on 12in (30cm) cascading stems. Thompson & Morgan ( thompson-morgan.com). • ‘Begonia ‘Non-stop Mocha’ – Double flowers on 12in (30cm) stems above chocolate coloured foliage. Thompson & Morgan ( thompson-morgan.com)…

Q Is it too late now to prune gooseberries and autumn-fruiting raspberries? Ray Thomas, Cambridge A Tackle gooseberries by shortening last year’s growth on leading shoots by a half. Cut back dead and diseased stems to healthy wood and thin out crowded centres. Cut back autumn-fruiting raspberry canes from now until early March. Strong new canes will form and fruit in late summer and early autumn. Q Our cordyline was damaged by the recent snow, and most of the leaves broke. Do I need to cut them off, and will it re-grow? Margaret Thompson (via email) A It will recover if we don’t have any more very frosty days. For the moment, leave it unpruned. In April or May, when chilly spells are behind us, feed it with fish, blood…

TWIDDLING your fingers while waiting for spring to arrive so you can get out into the garden and begin sowing seeds? Why wait? With propagation aids you can make an early start indoors and ultimately save money over plant purchases made at your local nursery or garden centre. Propagation aids can be as simple as a sheet of glass laid across a seed tray or a plastic bag over a plant pot. But for greater success – and to help keep damping-off disease at bay – you will find that using a propagator can pay dividends. The range of propagators available includes unheated and heated models in all different sizes, including some suitable for windowsills. While the unheated propagators are budget priced, heated versions provide bottom heat to lift the…

• Plant hardy fuchsias into good, moist well-drained soil in sun or partial shade. They are useful for providing colour on the north side of buildings. • In pots, fuchsias will need regular feeding once established. Apply a well-balanced liquid fertiliser every two to three weeks. • Should pots of fuchsias dry out too quickly in the sun, moving them into a shadier spot will reduce their need for watering. • Nipping out growing tips regularly creates bushy plants but remember you need six weeks between the last nip and the first flower buds. • In most areas, tender fuchsias can be stood outside or planted out from late May onwards.…

Yellow flag irises (Iris pseudacorus) Plant with 8in (20cm) water over the top of the basket. Large yellow flowers appear in June. Bog bean (Menyanthes trifoliata) Plant with 1in (2cm) of water over the top of the basket, or grow in moist soil. Flowers May-June. Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) Plant with 4in (10cm) water over the top of the basket. Flowers March-May. Has a lovely neat habit. Brooklime (Veronica beccabunga) A low, scrambling aquatic plant. Flowers May-July. Plant with 4in (10cm) water over the top of the basket.…

FROGS and toads are possibly our most welcome visitors, roaming the garden devouring slugs and other garden pests as they go. Adults spend most of their summer living in moist, shaded vegetation, but never far from water. Newts are quite rare in some parts. There are smooth, crested and palmate newts, all varying slightly in shape and size. They are shy and secretive… and they are just as beneficial as frogs and toads when it comes to eating pests. Among the most often seen insects are pond skaters and water boatmen. Damselflies and dragonflies are beautiful creatures when seen as adults flitting about the garden, never far from water. However, before they are adults they are ugly larvae, living on plant stems under the water, hidden from view. Also, a…