Innholdsfortegnelse for 4-Mar-2017 i Amateur Gardening

SOMETIMES gardening ideas just don’t work. I planted a pair of apple trees in my front garden three years ago. Apples are fabulous value plants offering stunning spring blossom and wonderful fruits in autumn. The two trees, pollinating partners sourced bare root from a reputable nursery, were planted as an experiment just 24in (60cm) apart. My aim was to grow ‘one’ tree when mature, with the stems touching and the branches interweaving to offer two varieties on a single crown. Both grew vigorously the first year, but in the winter of 2015/16 canker appeared on a branch of one variety. It was a structural branch, but I cut it out completely for the sake of the tree’s health, and planned to train another branch to replace it. Both trees gave…

APART from varieties grown to be in flower over the Christmas period, most houseplants go into dormancy in winter, requiring little water and no feeding. As the days begin to lengthen and temperatures rise, they start back into growth, and it is worth giving plants a once-over now to check they are healthy and pest free before they really get into their growing groove. Houseplants can be susceptible to a wide range of pests including aphids, mealybugs, scale insects and glasshouse red spider mites. Most of these can be countered by spraying with insecticide, but scale insects can be more tricky as the adults are protected by a hard shell. Pick off leaves if not too many are affected. Resume regular watering, and feed plants once a fortnight. A liquid…

A WINTER of wind and rain has left our patio looking anything but inviting. Moss and weeds are starting to grow in between the paving and at the sides where it meets the house, and dangerously slippery green algae is developing in more shaded areas. Debris is also starting to gather in drainage channels, which could cause blockages and flooding in heavy rain, and provide a refuge for unwanted pests. There are several ways of tackling patio grime. A wide range of cleaning agents and weedkillers are available from homeware stores and DIY merchants, or you could also use the organic option of water pressure and elbow grease. I’m going down the latter route as I prefer not to use chemicals. I started by using a hoe to uproot weeds…

I LOVE blueberries, but have to grow them in containers on the patio because they thrive in acidic soil, and our garden is extremely alkaline. However, this isn’t a problem, because the bushes are attractive plants, with deep blue berries in summer, and striking russet foliage in autumn. Blueberry bushes don’t need pruning for their first couple of years, and it’s now the last chance for cutting back older plants – the optimum time is November to early March. If you need to prune now, remove dead, diseased and weak growth, plus any dead twiggy growth at the ends of branches. But don’t do any more radical pruning now as sap will be rising. Leave any hard pruning until next autumn. Early spring is a good time to re-pot container…

THIS week’s free Mr Fothergill’s seeds are for a popular bedding container stalwart – lovely lobelia. ‘Cambridge Blue’ is a wonderfully vibrant shade that will complement pinks and peaches beautifully. It trails, and because it has quite a compact habit, also makes a good edging plant for beds and borders. Plant in full sun, and trim after the first flush of blooms has faded, and it should flower right through the summer until early autumn at least. Lobelia seeds are as fine as dust, and care should be taken when sowing. Fill a seed tray with fresh seed and cutting compost, and dampen it, leaving it to drain. Dampen a fingertip, and lift a few seeds from the packet and scatter them thinly over the surface of the compost. Alternatively,…

MARCH is a good month to tackle early sowings and transplants, and cloches can help with this no end. In the first instance they help to warm up the earth, allowing young veg seeds to quickly germinate and establish. Others offer protection from pests by providing a physical barrier. You can buy tunnel cloches to cover whole rows, or bell cloches that sit neatly over individual plants. Your cloche can be made of glass or rigid plastic – both offer excellent cold protection, but glass is heavier and more fragile. Put these in place a fortnight or so before you plan to sow or plant out to allow the warmth to really penetrate the earth. Alternativelyyou might use one made of fine mesh netting to organically keep aphids and root…

EVEN though this vegetable can take around a year to mature, I just wouldn’t be without it. These plants were sown in the last week of March 2016 and are only just beginning to yield their tasty purple spears now, but they’re worth the wait. I’ve got two varieties here to extend the harvest period – ‘Claret’, an F1 hybrid which crops this and next month, plus ‘Early Purple’ which began to produce spears a full month earlier. But I needn’t have stopped there because plant breeders have now given us summer- and autumn-cropping varieties that don’t need exposure to a big chill in order to produce their harvest (e.g. ‘Summer Purple’, ‘Santee’ and ‘Rudolph’). Gone are the days when purple sprouting harvests were confined to the spring garden. Having…

WE don’t think of lizards as something to see in Britain, as they are mainly indigenous to warmer countries. There are, however, three types that can be found here with some, like the Sand Lizard, being particularly rare. • Slow Worm: Lives in damp places where there is lots of lush vegetation. If this sounds like your garden then you may well find them living under stones, where they like to spend most of their time, only venturing out at dusk and after rain. The good thing for gardeners is that slow worms eat slugs although their appetite also extends to worms. Moving very slowly across the ground they are common in gardens with long grass and can be encouraged by placing black plastic or a piece of tin on…

THERE’S nothing better and more satisfying than picking fruit that has ripened to perfection on your trees and bushes. Now is the time to feed those growing in pots. This will ultimately help to encourage healthy growth, plenty of flowers and a bumper crop when it comes to harvesting time. Sprinkle a general granular fertiliser over the surface and work lightly into the surface. Follow the instructions on the packet to avoid giving the plant an overdose.…

*Just pay postage of £5.65 INCLUDED is a selection of weather-tolerant Geranium Jackpot F1 hybrid varieties with stunning blooms that are ideal for brightening beds and borders all summer long. Consisting of Geranium ‘Jackpot Pink’, ‘Jackpot Red’ and ‘Jackpot White’. Height: 40cm (16”). Spread: 35cm (14”). Plus a stunning selection of floriferous petunias. These large, brightly coloured flowers will blend together beautifully to fill a border, flower bed or basket for months and months over the summer time. Consisting of Petunia ‘Express Blue’, ‘Express Burgundy’ and ‘Express Peppermint Vein’. These petunias are easy-to-grow and rewarding all summer long. Why not pot up one of each variety in baskets and containers where they will look good planted together providing a stunning range of colourful blooms. Height: 30cm (12”). Spread: 30cm (12”).…

Q My old rhododendron is now a very large shrub, and is looking sick, with bare branches. Would I be able to cut the branches back and try to transplant? Rita Morgan (via email) A It is possible to renovate old, straggly rhododendrons. Most respond well, but be cautious, and stage renovation pruning over three or more years. Firstly, keep your plant in its pot. Top up the pot with ericaceous potting compost, without burying the trunk, and keep the compost moist, not wet, throughout the summer. Feed with an ericaceous fertiliser once a month from March to July. Secondly, prune out one quarter of the branches after flowering. Choose the worst-looking parts – you might not have to take them off at the base, maybe higher up – until…

Q Can a ‘Victoria’ plum be successfully grown in a pot in Manchester, even though it’s quite far north? Mrs Marlene Sawyer, Manchester A You should certainly be able to grow this tree in a pot in Manchester, but I would add a couple of provisos to this. Trees in pots need more care than those in the ground, as the roots are restricted to the extent to which they can search for water and nutrients. Also, ensure the compost stays moist at all times during the growing season, and even if it has been raining it is worth checking to make sure that enough has got into the compost. The plant will also need feeding. This could be achieved with slow-release fertilisers or by top-dressing with fresh compost each…

Q We have a fairly large Photinia (‘Red Robin’), which has developed black spots on the green leaves. I wonder if there is a way to treat this problem? David Sheldon, Bramley, Hants A I have looked closely at the photograph you sent, and I think I can reassure you that it is not a fungal leaf spot that is the problem. This is good, because as with all fungal diseases, fungal leaf spot is challenging to eradicate. The spots are simply a reaction to the winter weather – cold, wet, windy conditions affecting cell growth. Cells get damaged and may die, hence the blackened areas. Photinias like sunny and well-drained conditions, and struggle in shade and high humidity. If you can do anything to improve the growing conditions it…

A world of colour WHILST looking for an article in a back copy of Amateur Gardening (12 Nov 2016 issue) I saw the letter and picture from Jay Robinson extolling about the rewards of growing acers. As we have a fairly large collection of acers ourselves, I thought I’d share a couple of pictures of some of ours with AG readers. Taken of the view down our driveway, the first picture shows their late spring colour, and the second how they change to glowing fiery colours in their autumn shades. They’re a delight all season as they provide such a changing colour scheme. Mrs M Littlewood, Stourbridge, West Midlands Jenny says... Even in my tiny garden I’ve made room for an acer. They come in such a variety of leaf…

HAVE you seen the price of plants, fertiliser, pesticides and compost these days? For a supposedly relaxing pastime, gardening can give the bank balance a bit of a beating. But it need not be like that, and there are many simple ways to save money without cutting corners, and still get great results from your plants. Reusing and recycling materials doesn’t just make environmental sense, it is a sensible economic approach too. Plastic food containers are excellent seed trays, polystyrene can be broken up to use as lightweight crocks at the bottom of containers, and the protective fleece around new electrical gadgets can be used to warm soil and protect tender plants. Charity shops are a fertile hunting ground for old clothes to garden in, as well as tools. And…

• As the days grow (hopefully!) warmer, the mercury will be starting to rise in the greenhouse, so check plants that have been overwintering there. • Water any that are starting to wilt, and don’t forget to feed your citrus plants, making sure you don’t overwater them. • Pests will start to multiply as it gets warmer, so hang flypapers around the greenhouse, and check for other unwanted residents. • Don’t be caught out by the apparent appearance of spring. You can open doors, windows and vents on warmer days, and unwrap fleece from around plants, but remember to shut openings and re-wrap sensitive plants at night when temperatures can drop sharply.…

THE milder weather heralds the reemergence of border perennials from their dormancy and protective piles of mulch. They are a welcome reminder that spring is on its way, but young shoots are extremely tender and need protecting from late frosts and pests. Plastic cloches are a good way of protecting new shoots, but they need to be anchored as they can blow away in windy weather. Tunnel fleece cloches can be used to cover more than one plant but, again, should be firmly secured. You can also protect new shoots by mulching around the crown of the emerging plant. This will keep the soil slightly warmer, help retain moisture and feed the soil too. Don’t cover the whole crown, as this can cause moisture to sit, and cause the plant…

• Knobbly celeriac is hardier, more disease resistant and easier to grow than its cousin celery, and just as tasty. • March and April are prime months for sowing it. As part of my ‘budget week’, I sowed mine in tin cans, and covered the seeds with a sprinkling of vermiculite. • When the seedlings are large enough to handle, they will be potted on into individual pots and kept at 15-18°C (60-65°F) to prevent bolting. They will be planted out in early summer.…

YOU’LL have heard of strangler figs which in tropical forests, germinate in the branches of other trees. Aerial roots grow down into the soil around the trunk and the fig encircles its host, strangling it and robbing it of water, nutrients and light. Eventually the host dies, leaving the ‘strangler’ embracing a hollow space. We might have stranglers in our homes, as the popular weeping fig (Ficus benjamina) sometimes behaves this way. More often, this native of the warm, moist forests of South East Asia and Australia just grows as a large tree to 100ft (30m) tall. Indoors and restricted to pots, weeping figs reach heights of 6ft (1.8m) or more and are often sold as tall specimens. Their slender shape occupies little space and long, tapering, slightly twisted leaves…

HAVE you been lucky enough to sniff a citrus in full bloom? The scent of those creamy-white flowers is exquisite! They often bloom in winter, and because the pollinated flowers take around ten months to develop into fruit, you’ll often see trees laden with a crop as well as blooms at this time of year. People often ask me “how do you know when the fruits are ready to pick?” and the answer is straightforward. The skin will gradually turn from green to completely yellow, orange or whatever colour the mature fruit should be. Once ripe, fruits can hang on the tree for many weeks more, so you can ‘store’ them there till needed. When that time comes don’t pick them – cut them with secateurs as the stalks can…

• 7 March: RHS Spring Lecture ‘The World of Hepaticas’ with nurseryman John Massey at Ashwood Nurseries, Ashford, Kingswinford, West Midlands, DY6 0AE. RHS members £20, non members £25. Refreshments included. Limited tickets, booking essential. 01384 401996 ashwoodnurseries.com • 8 March: Willow weaving. RHS Garden Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. 10.15am. 0203 1765 830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisely • 10 March: Spring Pruning. RHS Garden Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB; 0203 1765 830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisely • 10 March: Winter walk. RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorks HG3 1QB; 0203 1765 830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr • 11 March: What Now? Your garden in March and April. RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane, Rettenden Common, Chelmsford CM3 8ET 0203 1765 830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall 11 March: Starting from Scratch: How to Garden. RHS…

THERE is no shortage of lettuce seed, contrary to national press reports, say suppliers. Newspapers reported that lettuce seed had been stripped from garden centre racks due to panic buying as lettuces ran out at supermarkets due to supply shortages at farms. But commercial director at seed and young plant firm Mr Fothergill’s, Tim Jeffries, told AG: “We do not have seed shortages for lettuce or any other vegetable, and are restocking garden centres promptly. “Seed sales are generally running at higher levels, including lettuce, which may reveal more interest in grow-your-own.” Thompson & Morgan said it had noticed a “slight upturn in lettuce and courgette top-up orders but nothing to indicate panic buying” at garden centres. T&M’s veg expert Colin Randel said: “It is not a lettuce seed shortage…

Be inspired Flick through Exotic Planting For Adventurous Gardeners by Christopher Lloyd (£20, greatdixter shop.co.uk) and Encyclopedia of Exotic Plants For Temperate Climates by Will Giles (£35; Timber Press). Sow Zingy green Nicotiana alata ‘Lime Green’ and Euphorbia oblongata need sowing in March, in the greenhouse, as do fiery Ipomoea lobata, Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Torch’ and aptly-named Cosmos sulphureus ‘Bright Lights’. Pot up Get tender corms (such as the burgundy Gladiolus ‘Black Star’) and rhizomes (like the orange Canna ‘Durban’, which has striped maroon leaves) into containers in a warm greenhouse or conservatory during March. Plant Spring is the time to plant hardy perennials, grasses and shrubs for your exotic border. Try x Fatshedera lizei, an evergreen cross between fatsia and ivy, and golden yellow bamboo Phyllostachys aureosulcata f. spectabilis. NEXT…

Q I sowed French marigold seeds last Thursday in a heated propagator, and they are already an inch tall. Should I still keep them heated or not? Chris Young A I fear that the French marigolds you sowed last Thursday, which are now 1in (2.5cm) high, have, because they are too warm, germinated too quickly. Hopefully, they do not have very thin stems and have not expended their energy, which will cause them to collapse and die. If they are very weak, discard them and sow another batch, germinating seeds at a lower temperature. If, however, stems are reasonably robust and seed leaves are large and well developed, simply switch off the propagator, remove the lid and position containers in as much light as possible; a south or west-facing windowsill…

Q I have an ericaceous bed of blueberries that I want to edge with hellebores and hostas. Do you think that these will tolerate the ericaceous soil? Gillian Rowancorner (via email) A In their natural habitat hellebores are usually found on slightly alkaline soils. However, I grow them quite readily on my acidic soil, and the advice generally given is that it really doesn’t matter too much whether the soil is neutral or slightly acidic, as long as there are plenty of nutrients. Avoid poor, dry soils, peaty soils or waterlogged conditions. With regard to hostas, the Royal Horticultural Society advises that liming to moderate the pH to 6.5-7.3 is advisable where soils are acid. However, I can remember quite vividly the hostas growing at Wisley in the same part…

Divine Series Makes substantial, well-branched plants without pinching and comes in 12 colours, some with rich bronze leaves. The four-colour Islander Blend is particularly pretty. Good in baskets and borders too. Florific Series New this year in four colours (red, white, violet and pink), the flowers stand above the foliage and the leaves are neater than those of Divine. Look out for the orange and white bicolour coming soon. SunPatiens Series Holder of five Awards of Garden Merit (AGMs), SunPatiens plants come in three styles (spreading, compact and vigorous) so check the label before you buy. There are some bright variegated forms. They thrive in full sun but are less happy in shade. Big Bounce Series New this spring, this is the closest to traditional impatiens in colour, growth and…

PROTECTING against frosts in spring, a cold frame allows you to make an early start on growing your vegetable and ornamental plants if there’s no greenhouse to hand, giving you a longer growing season. Cold frames are also ideal for keeping delicates out of the rain and provide somewhere to overwinter less-than-hardy plants. Even if you have a greenhouse, a cold frame can still be an extra growing space and a great area for hardening-off plants before they are finally put in place outside. Here’s another thought: why not use a cold frame to help dry off the seeds of the peas and beans you want to save, or to ripen onions and shallots for storage? Wooden frames are best placed on a gravel or concrete standing or raised on…

Lysimachia clethroides Long-lasting spires of white flowers in mid to late-summer, have characteristically bent tips. Plants can grow to a height of 36in (90cm) and love to grow in clay soil. Echinacea purpurea ‘Pink Parasol’ Temperamental, but worth it for their large, pink daisies with golden-brown ‘cones’. Plants can reach up to 4ft (1.2m) and prefer a rich, well-draining soil and sun or light-shade. Delphinium ‘Summer Skies’ Delphiniums love rich soil and an open position. In their second year after planting, this cultivar produces magnificent spires of blue flowers to 5ft (1.5m). Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ The mass of rich, coppery red daisies suits a ‘hot’ border. May need the odd bucket of water in drought, and staking, or a ‘Chelsea chop’ halfway through stems…

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“Hardening off is akin to dipping your toe before a swim” THERE’S a man in our town who goes down to the beach and takes a swim in the sea every day of the year. Even when Arctic winds cut across the shingle and ice dusts the dunes, he’s down there taking the plunge. I’d have a seizure if I dipped a toe, as such tolerance takes time to build. The same can be said for plants. At this time of year, nurseries and garden centres sell pot-grown senetti, primroses and bulbs. In the normal scheme of things they wouldn’t be in flower, but thanks to clement conditions inside nurseries, polytunnels and garden centre plant areas, their buds are bursting as if spring has sprung. The thing is, it hasn’t.…

1 Cut away any remaining fading flower heads. If you keep them intact, the plant will waste energy setting seed. 2 Dig a hole as deep as the bulbs, and wide enough to take all their roots. Gently tease out the roots before planting. 3 Infill with a mix of soil and fresh compost. Water well, and don’t let the bulbs dry out while the greenery dies back. 4 Mulch the bulbs. This adds nutrients to the soil to feed the bulbs for next year’s flowers, and helps retain moisture.…

“There are scores of new begonias that flower non-stop” EARLY every year the IPM Horticultural Trade Show is held in Essen, Germany to display all that is new and best in plants, cut flowers and horticultural production. This year there were 1,600 exhibitors from close on 50 countries packing 13 cavernous halls. Here we find the latest trends, ideas and novelties that gardeners can expect to find in outlets over the next year or two. There is a definite move to simplify plant naming as growers and marketing people are going for branding with descriptive names. Good examples include : • ‘Easy Care’, for a new range of house plants that survive with little attention; • Begonia ‘Dreams’, providing colour in the garden we could only dream about before!; •…

1 The new pot should be one size larger than the old one. Add crocks, and half-fill with ericaceous compost. 2 Gently remove the plant from its container and check the health of its roots. Vine weevil can be a problem. 3 Gently tease out the roots, and place the plant at the depth of its rootball. Infill with fresh compost. 4 Water well, and stand the pot on feet. You can add a mulch such as composted pine needles, or leafmould.…

• Stand plants in good but not direct light, so close to a bright window in winter and further away in summer. Those with plain green leaves tolerate shade better than the variegated sorts. • Weeping figs are happy in normal room temperatures and tolerate a minimum of 50°F (10°C). Where air is hot and dry, raise humidity by grouping with other plants or standing the pot on a tray of moist pebbles. • Overwatering/standing plants in water can prove fatal. Let surface dry out between waterings (pictured). Give established, active plants a balanced liquid feed every 2-3 weeks in summer, monthly in winter.…

REGULAR readers might recall me filling up this fruit store way back in October, and it’s been offering us a steady supply of apples ever since. The ‘Bramleys’, ‘Coxes’ and ‘D’Arcy Spices’ have been slowly mellowing in flavour, the mice have had the odd nibble or two, and any mouldy fruits have been removed as soon as they appear. But as time passes, quality deteriorates, so the day has now come for me to use up the best of what’s left, and to dispose of the rest. These spares won’t go to waste. I’m throwing them out on the lawn so that ground-feeding birds such as blackbirds can have a final feed. Let’s hope they remember my generosity when the cherries are ripening!…

“It’s alliums you need to get going as soon as possible” AS with so much in gardening, when to start each crop depends on just what we’re after. If it’s show-winning exhibits or super-early harvests then we’ve missed the window by about three months. But then those crops also require the finest conditions under warmed cover and (probably) artificial light. So which vegetables should you make a start on first in the open ground? Many would suggest potatoes; however, other than a batch of earlies under cloches, spuds are better off waiting till the soil is significantly warmer. Parsnips, carrots or peas are possible first sowings, though again these are hard to germinate in cold, wet soil. Broad beans are the best candidate and indeed well worth sowing now. But…

LAST year the display from spring flowering bulbs in my front garden was pretty disappointing, largely due to them being smothered by vigorous perennials, self seeded foxgloves and shrubs that were in dire need of being pruned. The poor showing acted as a wake up call, so I ruthlessly set about editing my beds to ensure the bulbs could prosper this year. The signs are my plan is working and I’m looking forward to daffodils and grape hyacinths in the early part of the season, followed by tulips and alliums. Still, I can’t rest on my laurels and will aim to maintain the bed more effectively so they don’t suffer in quite the same way again. Keeping the bed in good shape will help them thrive, but it’s important to…

FIERY chilli peppers have grown massively in popularity over the past decade, threatening to completely overshadow their milder relative…sweet peppers. What a shame. These docile capsicums add an ornamental look in the garden and are equally versatile in the kitchen. Seeds will germinate easily indoors resulting in young plants that will be ready to go outside in late spring. I’m sowing a variety called ‘Gourmet’, which produces squat bright orange fruit but there are plenty of other great ones to try. ‘Bell Boy’ has blocky, red and green fruit, while ‘Corno di Toro Rosso’ is a classic long, tapering pepper from Italy. My method for sowing is easy. Fill a small pot with good quality seed compost, flatten it down to leave a level surface, then sow a few seeds…

IT was once a common sight in high-summer: beautiful butterflies fluttering over borders and garden ponds. But now butterflies are declining more rapidly in urban areas than in the countryside – with some species in danger of dying out. A study by Butterfly Conservation, the University of Kent and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology looked at 28 butterfly species in urban and countryside environments. Over a 20-year period, urban butterfly abundance fell by 69 per cent, compared to a 45 per cent decline for butterflies in rural areas. The small copper and small heath butterfly declined more dramatically in towns and cities than in the countryside. From 1995 to 2014, small copper abundance fell by 75 per cent in urban areas compared to a 23 per cent fall in…

SCENTED plants filled the air with fragrance during the 12th annual Valentine’s Flower Count, held at National Trust gardens in the south west. Gardeners recorded 1,737 plants in flower – down by 34 per cent on last year’s figure of 2,644. While numbers were lower than in 2016, they are still higher than the previous three years. Conditions this winter have been regarded as closer to normal, compared to a mild winter and early spring in 2016. National Trust gardens advisor Ian Wright said a lot of scented flowers were in bloom on Valentine’s Day this year. Ian explained: “We had reports of daphne, mahonia, winter-flowering honeysuckle and witch hazel to name a few, all of which gave off sweet, heady aromas.”…

1 “At Great Dixter we designed the Exotic Garden to peak in September and October, but you can create an exotic garden or border to perform at any time There are exotics and tropical-looking plants for every season (like late spring flowering rhododendrons above).” 2 We grow many tender plants such as banana and Colocasia by moving or protecting them over winter, but you can easily create an exotic garden without using a single tender plant. Ferns, figs, hostas, yuccas, euphorbias and bamboos (above) are hardy, and they look exotic.” 3 “People often focus on flowers, but in an exotic garden foliage takes centre stage, so it’s important to get it right. Consider leaf size, shape and colour. Go for contrast.” Here fiery canna leaves make a great backdrop to…

Q My cauliflowers last year were a disaster. The few plants that survived formed small, loose, discoloured curds. What am I doing wrong? Ben Watkins, Solihull Cauliflower is not the easiest of crops to grow but good soil preparation and a bit of experience can help. There are four main groups: spring, summer, autumn and winter, but many from each group overlap the seasons. Sow successionally to ensure regular cropping all year-round. Sow early-summer cauliflowers in mid-autumn and leave to over-winter under cover. Plant out from mid-spring. Space plants 20in (50cm) apart and allow 24in (60cm) between rows. Harvest in mid-summer. Sow summer caulis in early-spring (now!) under cover and transplant in mid-spring to harvest in mid-summer and autumn. Space plants as above. Early-autumn cauliflowers should be sown in mid-spring…

Q Is it true that diluted soluble aspirin solution is a good feed for broad beans? Philip Evans (via email) A Some reports suggest that diluted soluble aspirin provides a health boost to plants, especially if they are stressed in some way. Diluted aspirin can also help seeds to germinate, cuttings to root and cut flowers to last longer in the vase. It is important to take care when spraying with aspirin solution not to harm bees and other insects. Q Last year I took a cutting of Buddleja, and it has grown out of control. How should I prune it? Margaret Burgess, Exeter, Devon A If the parent was Buddleja davidii (butterfly bush), all the flowered shoots should be cut back to within 4in (10m) of the main framework…

Q In the autumn I discovered that some of my planters were infested with vine weevil. Can I still use the compost as a soil conditioner? Edith Rutherford (via email) A I suggest that you eradicate remaining larvae with BugClear Ultra Vine Weevil Killer, or a nematode. Alternatively, spread the compost on a paved surface to expose the grubs, to hungry birds. Make sure, though, that you do not allow grubs to migrate back into an adjoining bed or border. Q I have a standard magnolia that I would like to shape as a ‘lollipop’. When should I prune it? Margaret Wilkins (via email) A Shape the ‘lollipop’ head by pruning lightly in mid-summer after the flowers have faded. Do not prune earlier, before the tree is in full leaf,…

Order plugs or garden-ready plants by mail order – although more varieties appear in garden centres every year, you’re never quite sure what will be available in your area. The best time to order is now. More vigorous than traditional types, these impatiens grow quickly, so you’ll need some guaranteed frost-free space in which to bring them on before you harden them off. Seed is an option for the Divine and Florific Series, but it’s not cheap and the seedlings are susceptible to chills. Seeds germinate best at 25˚C (77˚F), then cool down once they’re through.…

Potting bench £130 + £9.95 delivery Mia Fleur 0116 2986393 miafleur.com An attractive and versatile piece that could be used for full-on potting up or simply displaying plants. It’s made from FSC approved pine wood, painted grey with a zinc top, three drawers and three hanging hooks. Requires self assembly and stands W. 2ft 5in (78cm) x D.1ft 2in (38cm) x H. 2ft 7in (83cm) Potting sieve £16.95 delivery from £2.85 0345 548 0210 annabeljames.co.uk Sophie Conran proves once again that tools can be both functional and beautiful. Designed by her for Burgon & Ball this sieve is just the right size for providing a gentle sprinkle of compost over seeds without displacing them. Consists of a stainless steel head, brass ferrule and waxed FSC beech…

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