Innholdsfortegnelse for 8-Apr-2017 i Amateur Gardening

I’M not an organic gardener, but I’m happy to use organic solutions to deal with pests and diseases where it works. I only use chemicals if necessary. So beer traps and night hunts for slugs and snails, with occasional use of pellets, is my way forward. It’s more tricky with vine weevils, my biggest garden problem. I use chemical soil drenches on pot flowers. They are effective, cheaper than biological controls (nematodes) – and they keep to be used as and when, unlike nematodes. However there are no approved chemical vine weevil treatments for use on crops. Anyway, the prospect of drenching the soil with chemicals just as fruits are developing is not appealing! I do have an issue with biological controls (do we understand the long term implications of…

I try to garden organically, but occasionally reach for chemicals to solve a problem – a large infestation of blackfly on my runner beans, for example. Chemicals help gardeners as long as they are used responsibly, and strictly in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions on the packaging. Sprays should be avoided when strong winds are blowing, and at times of day when beneficial pollinators are most likely to be around flowers. A few modern chemicals have been developed to use on edible crops. However, be wary of using a chemical drench against vine weevil larvae on container fruit trees, as the chemicals may be drawn up into the plant and eventually to the fruit. In this instance I would use a nematode solution twice a year – expensive but better…

THE treatment of most herbaceous perennials growing in borders usually falls into two categories. Some are cut back in autumn, as plants start to die down, to leave the garden borders looking tidy for the winter months. Others, such as ornamental grasses, globe thistles and sea hollies, can be left standing because they add interest through the winter months when there’s little else to look at in the garden. There is also a third category of perennials – those you leave alone until the weather starts to warm up, so that last year’s growth protects the plant’s crown. Penstemons fall into this category, and should be left intact until April, later if you live in the north or in an exposed area. I am delighted that the time has come…

“Now there is a really dense ground covering” WITH time, patience and careful observation you can get a steady flow of colourful flowers from one area of the garden. It’s a matter of finding plants that flower in succession and grow well together. Late winter and early spring are pretty straight forward because a wide range of early blooming bulbs will grow in partnership. One small bed in my own garden has several clumps of snowdrops and they grow among a carpet of hardy Cyclamen coum. The cyclamen self-seed freely and this is where the patience comes in –originally there were a few planted at quite wide spacing and now there is a really dense ground covering. The larger the corms grow the more flowers they produce and some of…

THESE tropical foliage plants have a reputation for fussiness, but find them the right position and they are easy to grow. Handsome leaf markings have given rise to common names like painted net, snakeskin, nerve and mosaic plant, while their low habit and love of humidity makes them ideal bottle garden candidates. An old goldfish bowl or tank will do just as well. Botanically, there have been a few name changes but you can find plants with white or pink veins and large or small leaves under Fittonia albivensis Verschaffeltii Group. Plants originate from the moist, shady floor of tropical Peruvian rain forests, where they creep about and root down into well-drained soil rich with leaf litter. You can imagine them clambering about over tree trunks and rocks. Holding this…

Sticks or canes are a more secure support than netting SAVE money and go back to growing peas and climbing beans up sticks again instead of on plastic netting. Although netting works fairly well, the plants really prefer sticks. You see sticks are rigid, while plastic netting is floppy – if you were looking for support, which would you prefer? Climbers climb, they want to get up into the sun, flower and set a heavy crop. If they are on floppy netting they ‘feel’ a bit insecure, just not as safe. Of course if you invested in more rigid net, say galvanized chicken netting, then that will last forever and be much better than the flimsy plastic stuff sold for the purpose. At the end of the season it’s easier…

BROWSE the seed catalogues these days and you’ll discover that plant breeders are aware many of us don’t own a greenhouse, myself included. But fear not – we can still grow melons! Many varieties promise to crop well outside, so I’m sowing some indoors now with a view to planting them out come May in a warm, sheltered spot outdoors. The variety I’ve chosen is ‘Alvaro’ because it’s an F1 hybrid so will be naturally vigorous, and it has an RHS Award of Garden Merit so must be a “good do-er”. It’s a charentais type, so while the fruits will be smaller than average they should win hands down on flavour. Sow one seed per 3½in (9cm) pot of well-watered seed compost, pop in a propagator at 18-20°C and grow…

THESE impressive perennial plants not only yield delicious flowerbuds, they also have bold architectural foliage so deserve a prominent spot on your veggie patch. Young plants pretty much look after themselves, but older clumps benefit from regular division to keep them cropping well. You don’t want to do this too early in the season (artichokes sulk in cold, wet soil) so now, as they burst into life is the ideal time. The woody rootstock will produce sizeable suckers – slice these off with a garden spade with a good section of roots attached. Replant each division in a new spot (which should be sunny, free-draining and weed-free), mulching and watering well until established.…

8-9 April: Butlers Farmhouse, Butlers Lane, Herstmonceux, East Sussex, BN27 1QH. Rural setting for one-acre garden surrounding 16th century farmhouse. Open 2pm-5pm for NGS , 01323 833770, butlersfarmhouse.co.uk 8-9 April: Monkscroft, Zeal Monachorum, Crediton, Devon EX17 6DG. Garden of the oldest cottage in the village packed with spring colour and views to far hills. Open 11am-5pm for NGS, ngs.org.uk 8 and 14 April: Summerdale House, Nook, Lupton, Cumbria LA6 1PE. Part-walled former vicarage country garden with fine views across Farleton Fell. Herbaceous borders, ponds, woodland and meadow planting with adjoining nursery. Open 11am-4.30pm for NGS, 01539 567210, summerdalegadenplants.co.uk 9 April: Rare Plant Fairs, The Old Rectory, Quenington, Nr Cirencester. 0845 4681368 13 April: Houseplant Hospital: RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane, Rettenden Common, Chelmsford CM3 8ET. 10am-5pm. 0203 1765 830,…

LEADING grower Peter Beales will take the wraps off two new roses at RHS Chelsea on 23-27 May. The grower, based in Norfolk, will show Rosa ‘Papworth’s Pride, a modern shrub rose, for the first time. Growing to 5ft (1.5m), ‘Papworth’s Pride’ bears clusters of large raspberry-red, peony-style flowers that unfold to reveal bright-yellow anthers. It’s said to be “intensely perfumed” with glossy mid-green foliage. The nursery said the rose’s flowers are “a magnet for wildlife”. The rose will support the Papworth Trust, a charity that’s dedicated to giving disabled people the best opportunities to live, work and raise a family independently. Also new from Peter Beales will be Rosa ‘Margaret Greville,’ named after the former owner of the National Trust’s Polesden Lacey in Surrey. Margaret bequeathed the estate to…

THE honey bee might be the one getting all of the attention at the moment, but the Royal Horticultural Society and The Wildlife Trusts are combining forces to urge gardeners to help the bumblebee and solitary bee. The campaign is offering gardeners a free-to-download wild bee-friendly gardening guide. And there’s a ‘Bee Creative’ photo competition too, where gardeners are being encouraged to post a picture to social media, showing how they’ve welcomed bees into their garden, with the ‘wildaboutgardens’ hashtag. The gardening guide and a list of wildlife gardening events can be found online at wildaboutgardensweek.org.uk.…

IN an ideal world all our mowers should have been serviced by now. I use a petrol rotary mower and every year I send it off to my local lawnmower service shop for its annual check. This service can be done at home if you are competent with engines and should include: a clean to remove the build-up of grass; a new spark plug; the flushing out of the fuel tank to remove old fuel; an oil change; the blades sharpened; moving parts lubricated and the replacement or cleaning of air filters. Electric mowers won’t require such routine care but they will need their blades sharpened, throttle cables checked and a good clean. Before signing up to get your mower serviced, check what it includes and call around for quotes.…

Bergenia Bold, broad-leaved, evergreen perennials with pink or white spring flowers on upright stems. The glossy leathery foliage is rarely eaten until the old leaves start to go soft; snip them off at that stage. Corydalis lutea Slender yellow two-lipped flowers are set against prettily lobed foliage. Thrives in cracks in dry walls – not the slugs’ favourite habitat. Other (moisture loving) species, C. flexuosa (blue) and C. solida (red, pink and white) may well be eaten. Epimedium Deceptively dainty-looking, robust shade lovers with spidery flowers in many colours on slender wiry stems. Slugs ignore the emerging flower shoots and the mature foliage is unappetising to them. Dicentra spectabilis Elegant early perennials with fresh green foliage and pink and white lockets swaying from arching shoots. The new shoots look juicy…

Try ‘Guelph Millennium’ which holds a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit. It has exceptional vigour with good yields and grows on a wide range of soil types. The F1 ‘Ariane’ (circled) is a first-class early variety producing tall, slender spears with excellent flavour. ‘Pacific Purple’ is a mid-season variety bearing mild, sweet-tasting spears with a sugar content up to 20 per cent higher then green cultivars. And ‘Mondeo’ is a very early variety producing juicy spears from early May. Spear tips remain tight all season and plants have good disease resistance.…

Sow seeds in trays under cover – or you can sow direct to the soil now. Once seedlings are big enough to handle, prick them out so they have plenty of space to grow. Don’t worry if you don’t have access to a greenhouse – even a small polythene structure should provide enough room for several trays. Transfer small plants to prepared garden bed in late May, early June, spacing them 9ins (23cm) apart and leave a similar amount of room between rows so they have access to plenty of moisture and nutrients to replenish their leaves. Start harvesting individual leaves in June – Charles says the leaves grow back at the rate of one a day. Sow more seeds after a few weeks to ensure a succession of leaves…

1 Choose highly productive cut-and-come-again plants for your cutting patch such as annuals and dahlias. These will provide the bulk of your flowers, then add in a few stems of grasses and perennials. 2 Summer storms can damage your blooms so provide them with plenty of support. Use pea netting stretched horizontally across your flower beds with bamboo canes at the edges for support. 3 Feed your plants with a high potash liquid tomato fertiliser every two weeks. For a homemade version steep comfrey leaves in a bucket of water for a couple of weeks, then remove the leaves and dilute the water. 4 It’s much better to give your cut flower plants a really good water once a week rather than a little bit every day. Direct water to…

WE aren’t the only ones looking forward to warmer weather – pests are also making the most of rising temperatures and longer days. Deal with them swiftly, as it doesn’t take long for a few unwanted visitors to become an infestation. There are four main ways of dealing with garden pests. The first is chemicals, which are readily available, affordable, and effective when used properly. Alternatively, use natural predators. These biological controls are useful against species such as glasshouse whitefly and red spider mite that have built up a resistance to pesticides. They are self-regulating (non-native species won’t breed, and die out once they have eaten their food supply) but need the right conditions to work well. Barrier and traps such as gravel, coffee grounds and crushed eggshells, or beer…

MOST houseplants become dormant in winter and need little water and no feeding. With rising temperatures and longer days, many will start to grow again, in preparation for flowering. If you moved plants closer to windows to make the most of available light in winter, start moving them away now to prevent hotter, brighter sun scorching the leaves through the glass. You can also resume the plants’ summer watering and feeding regimes. Once plants start growing again, water them well and feed with a liquid houseplant fertiliser. Never apply liquid fertilisers direct, always dilute them or they can damage the plants’ roots. Check that plants aren’t pot-bound and repot any that are, moving them into containers one size larger. If plants have enough room in their pots, or are in…

APRIL is your last chance to plant onion and shallot sets for cropping this year. This is also the last call for sowing garlic, though you usually get better results if you plant bulbs in autumn. I sowed my onion sets in a raised bed that had been filled with several sacks of rich and crumbly homemade compost. Onions and shallots both like a sheltered site with well-drained and fertile soil. Ideally, avoid growing them where they have been harvested the previous year, as pests and diseases can build up in the soil. Before planting, remove debris and stones from the soil and weed it well, because onions and shallots have narrow, strap-like leaves that are easily swamped by aggressive interlopers. Plant them so their pointed tips are just poking…

I AM still finding “clues” from a treasure hunt that my 5-year old son set for me last year. Having learned how to write, he decided I should traipse around the house in search of Easter treasure… except that the concept of each clue leading to the next had not occurred to him. The note in my gardening glove read “look in the glove”. It’s the thought that counts. We always do ‘Easter crafts’, and this year we have made a tiny garden in an empty chocolate selection tub for our table centre. If you are trying this with children at home I recommend doing it outside. I didn’t anticipate how much mess two small boys could make whilst spooning dry compost into a container! Next time I won’t try…

Medium light, warmth around 65˚F (18˚C) and high humidity are ideal. Min. 55˚F (13˚C) is tolerated briefly. My plants thrive grouped with others 5ft (1.5m) from a N. facing window, near but not close to a warm radiator. Water carefully, just as the compost begins to dry. Neither dry or soggy roots are tolerated. Bring water to room temperature first. Treat established plants to a liquid house plant feed every three weeks or so. Nip out growing tips of leggy plants. Take 2-3in (5-8cm) cuttings to replace older plants. Trim under a pair of leaves, remove bottom leaves and insert several cuttings to a 3½in (9cm) pot. Water, cover loosely with polythene and place in warmth and out of harsh light until roots form. Fittonias belong to the shrimp plant…

1 Bring strawberry plants in pots under cover for an earlier and more protected crop; stand them high up in a bright place. 2 Birds have chicks to look after and need more water so make sure bird baths are cleaned and refilled regularly. 3 Start a regular daily watering regime checking everything in a pot or container, and once a week add liquid feed such as Maxicrop. 4 If weather is dry don’t just water but drench all trees, shrubs and perennials you’ve planted out since last autumn.…

1 First take out unwanted growth. This old fig has a thicket of sappy shoots at its base, so I’m lopping them off as a priority. 2 Now assess large, framework branches. This fig is getting too tall. My husband obliged with his chainsaw. A normal saw would be OK. 3 Next look at young branches around 1in (2.5cm) thick. Tie them in horizontally as framework stems or cut them out completely. 4 Finally, weave or tie in whippy shoots. Cut out damaged ones. These stems will bear fruit from tiny pea-sized fruitlets at the tips.…

SWEETCORN cobs neeed to be eaten as soon after harvest as possible for the best flavour, so growing your own makes sense. Set seeds off in the next week or so to avoid frost but give them plenty of time to ripen before autumn. Sow them either in large modules or 3½in (9cm) pots, one seed per pot/ module. Water well and place in a well-lit propagator at 18°C. They should germinate within a week. It’s important to choose a good variety. Sweetcorn is wind pollinated, and pollen from different varieties can reach your plants, affecting taste. Choose one type Supersweet or sugar-enhanced, and and stick with that. To prolong harvests either choose early, mid and late varieties or make another sowing in early May.…

A STRIKING new pelargonium from specialist Allwoods has been unveiled – and a portion of sales will be donated to two cancer charities that helped support co-owner, Emma Sumner-Wilson’s father, Tim, who died from cancer last year. ‘Treasured Memories’ was spotted by luck at Allwoods three years ago. It’s an angel type with rich-pink petals and a white centre, and produces a bushy plant. Plug plants cost £6.95 each, and a quarter will be donated to St Barnabas and Marie Curie. Go to allwoods.net or call (01273) 844229.…

WITH the weather warming up our thoughts turn to eating out in the garden. Nothing adds more to an alfresco lunch than the addition of home-grown herbs, and now is a great time to get going with the planting. I have decided that the woody lavenders, rosemary and sage in my herb garden are beyond saving, so the whole bed has been stripped and I’m starting again. Thankfully I live very close to The Cottage Herbery and its expert owner Kim Hurst is a friend so she was quick to recommend what to plant. A trip to her nursery resulted in a car boot full of herbs and a happy hour planting. With so much recent rain and a clay soil the south-facing bed was wet. To prevent damaging the…

IT won’t be long before the adult vine weevil beetle becomes active and starts to eat notches out of our precious plant leaves. I’m keen to try the Nemasys Vine Weevil Killer this year. This is a natural product that contains nematodes, so I won’t have to worry about it causing any harm to my dog Larry. I’ll have to wait until the soil warms up and reaches 5°C for the nematodes to work and then it is simply a case of watering on. This product is ideal for pots and open ground. Vine weevil is one of the most devastating pests, so keep an eye out for the black beetles. If you spotted the white grubs in the soil in early spring you’re likely to be facing a problem.…

• Slug pellets Pellets containing metaldehyde work well but are hazardous to dogs and cats. Coloured an unappetising blue, and with a bitter additive to deter pets, pellets are often distributed in wasteful mounds. Pellets should be 2 - 4in (5-10cm) apart. • Organic slug pellets Pellets containing ferric phosphate are approved for use by organic gardeners and I found Slug Clear Ultra very effective last year, spacing the individual pellets about 4in (10cm) apart. • Nemaslug nematodes Naturally occurring microscopic creatures that infect slugs (less effective on snails) are watered on to the soil and, once absorbed, stop slugs feeding. Very effective, but must be used fresh and when the soil is above 5˚C (41˚F). Keep away from ponds as it kills pond snails. • Traps Two kinds of…

1 Clear grassy and weedy corners, piles of stones, bricks, rotting debris and other hiding places but keep in mind they may also be occupied by beneficial creatures. 2 Go on a slug patrol with a torch and a beer can of water with a drop of detergent added. If you’re squeamish use a large pair of tweezers! 3 Treat individual specimens and vulnerable plants with your preferred slug control and be sure to refresh treatments according to the manufacturers’ guidance.…

FORGET the ice cream… at potting time there’s only one type of scoop you want. For quick filling of pots with compost without making a mess a proper compost scoop is always going to beat a hand trowel – the steep sides of a scoop hold a greater amount of compost than the relatively flat trowel. But some scoops are rounded, some have flat bottoms, some are plastic and some are metal… which one works best? We tried a wide variety to see how they perform. And while we were at it, we filled each with as much dry sand as they would hold to compare their capacities. Garden Flat Base Scoop Pink £2.75+ P&P £4.95 01384 278256 garlandproducts.com Features Single piece flat-bottomed and square-sided moulded polypropylene plastic…

Buddlejas grow on any soil type as long as it drains well. There’s nothing they hate more than cold, wet roots during winter. If your soil is light and quick to dry, plant in September but if heavy, clay-like and water-holding, plant in spring, avoiding hollows. Should roots be dry, soak pot and all in a bucket of water. Drain, remove the pot and tease out a few roots. Dig a generous hole in well-cultivated soil, make sure the plant sits at the right height with the top of the rootball level with the soil surface and firm gently. Water the plant in to settle the roots.…

HA (hardy annuals): these will tolerate light frosts and can be sown direct to the soil in early autumn or anytime from late March to May. If heavy frosts are due, some need protection such as a hooped cloche covered in fleece. HHA (half hardy annuals): These can be started off in a propagator or on a sunny windowsill. Some need to be sown in February/March, but quick-growing ones should be sown in April. Plant out late May/June. Biennials: These are sown from mid May to mid July and planted out in late summer/early autumn. They will flower the following spring/summer. Perennials: Some can be sown early (from February) for flowers in their first year, but the majority are sown in spring, planted out in autumn, and will flower the…

Cottage garden glory I WAS pleased to see the article in AG 11 March as I’ve been creating my own cottage garden for over 40 years. In my opinion it’s important not to have any soil showing and I use vinca and ivy to smother any shady areas. As for producing a ‘sea of flowers’, I agree that this is essential in summer. Personally I like seeing lupins planted with roses, and mine also have a mock orange positioned behind them as well. Other easy to maintain plants that keep coming up year after year are delphiniums, poppies and campanulas. I even allow a few weeds to creep in to give it a genuine cottage garden look! Amanda Wilson, Exeter, Devon A bin full of beauties WE recently replaced our…

“Leaves vibrate when exposed to noise ” PRINCE Charles is well known for talking to plants but it was Charles Darwin who first suspected that sound might affect their growth. He noticed how leaves vibrate when exposed to noise and studied the effect by asking his son to play bassoon ‘con Gusto’ at seedlings. Sadly, before this ‘great work’ was complete, Darwin became distracted by an evolution of lesser projects, leaving gardeners to wonder whether talking or playing the bassoon boosts plant growth. I tried the talking technique but never got far. One-sided conversations were so uncomfortable I gabbled to fill the gaps. I recently popped in on a nursery manager who is experimenting with chatting to foliage and takes time for ‘Tete-a-Tetes’ with her house-plants. She’d heard about an…

1 Sink a beer-filled yoghurt pot in the ground. Slugs crawl to it, fall in and drown. 2 Companion plant with nasturtiums or marigolds, to attract pest predators. 3 Squishing aphids between your fingers is extremely satisfying! 4 Wrapping copper tape round containers deters slugs and snails with a small electrical charge. 5 Gritty ash, coffee grounds or eggshells keeps molluscs off crops (and feeds the soil to some extent). Biology lesson: Because they are living creatures, nematodes need to be stored cool but above 2˚C and applied within use-by date.…

Let them die down after flowering • When your indoor cyclamen (Cyclamen Persicum) have finished flowering, don’t throw them out! • Let them slip into their resting phase so they can rebuild their strength for flowering next winter. • When the flowers fade, stop feeding and watering, and let the leaves wither and turn yellow. • Place the corm in its compost somewhere cool and light, though not totally dry, for the summer. If you keep the compost too damp, the corm may rot. • You can repot them in fresh houseplant compost while dormant, and restart feeding and watering in September in preparation for next year’s display.…

FEW things are as delicious as a ripe, warm tomato picked fresh from the plant and sliced straight into salads or sandwiches. With the plants’ distinctive scent, and their presence in many gardens they truly are a quintessential summer crop. This month is your deadline for sowing seeds undercover for a decent harvest by late summer. If you miss this deadline, young plants will be available from garden centres for a couple of months. There’s a mind-boggling array of varieties to choose out there, from jewel-like little cherry tomatoes, to medium-sized vine toms and massive beefsteaks, which are delicious stuffed with seasoned rice and pine nuts, or savoury mince. And fruits aren’t always red, either. These days toms are also yellow, green or purple that is so deep it looks…

FOR the past few months I have been showing you how to sow your free seeds, and hopefully your greenhouses and windowsills are filling up with trays of healthy seedlings. This week I am demonstrating how to prick out seedlings grown from tiny seeds, such as those of petunias. Because they are as fine as dust, these seeds tend to fall close together, so seeds germinate in clumps instead of easily separated individuals. The easiest way of moving them safely is in a clump, rather than as single plants. This week’s free seeds from Mr Fothergill’s are zingy ‘Lime Green’ Nicotianas. Like a palate-cleansing citrus sorbet, these acidic green blooms cut through the rich, heady colours of a summer border. They are half-hardy annuals, so need to be sown undercover…

1 Add a shallow layer of gravel, shingle and if you have it, horticultural charcoal chips. Excess water drains into this layer. 2 Remove a small-leaved fittonia from its pot and separate into smaller sections. You will see how easily plants root from stems. 3 Nip back the growing tips so the plants will sit comfortably inside the bowl and branch out. Use the tips to make cuttings. 4 Add 2in (5cm) of potting compost and plant three sections, trimming long roots rather than curling them round. Water in using a plant sprayer.…

WE gardeners love pruning well-established plants – and this monster of a fig is a shining example. It crops prolifically on its west-facing wall, lapping up the sunshine to produce hundreds of sugar-packed figs every summer. The variety is ‘Brown Turkey’ which crops reliably in the UK climate. You see, figs are more at home in their native tropical Asia but we can persuade them to bear fruit here as long as they’re given a sunny south- or west-facing wall. Splaying the branches out like this ensures maximum sunlight penetrates the canopy to ripen up the fruit but being vigorous trees, regular pruning is essential. Here’s what to do: Top Tip   In the autumn pick off all large immature fruits. They will not ripen in the UK climate. Leave…

IT’S April, so I’m looking forward to my first sighting of a pipit! Tree and meadow pipits are some of my favourite birds. This might seem surprising, as they are not particularly beneficial to the gardener. But neither are they a serious pest. On the plus side they’ll eat a few small slugs and caterpillars, but the benefit in this is cancelled out by the fact that they also eat tree and shrub berries in the autumn. Actually, I don’t begrudge them that, as they are small birds and not particularly greedy (unlike wood pigeons). Tree pipits are rather plain, streaked brown above and pale below, with streaking on their chest and flanks. Meadow pipits are very similar, but these have slightly smaller bills and more pronounced streaking. Also, the…

SEED and young plant firm Thompson & Morgan has been sold to a firm specialising in sports gear, but will remain at its Ipswich headquarters. The company is telling customers it’s business as usual. T&M's acquisition by BVG Group, which sells fishing tackle, sports supplements, and home and garden kit, means the combined group will have a turnover of £140million. T&M will continue to be run as a separate business, with BVG exploring opportunities to grow T&M. In recent years, T&M made headlines with novelties such as the TomTato – a plant that grows tomatoes and potatoes, and the Egg & Chips plant (aubergines and potatoes).…

A PLANTER at Blenheim Palace that had been used for tulips for 200 years has been found to be part of a 1,700-year-old Roman sarcophagus worth £300,000. The 5th Duke of Marlborough obtained it in the 19th century. It was used as a water feature and then a bulb planter until an antiques expert suggested the 6ft 6in (2m) trough could be of high value. It was identified as a panel from the front of a marble sarcophagus dating from 300AD, weighing half a tonne. A team of convservators was brought in to remove and restore it, before it was brought back to Blenheim and put on display indoors. “We are hoping it will remain in good condition and survive for many more centuries to come,” said house manager Kate…

OUR collection of fuchsias spent the winter in the cellar by the door. Here they get enough light to over-winter and a constant temperature of 6°C. They have all been repotted with fresh compost with a slow release feed mixed in and are now ready to put on a show. After wheeling them on a sack cart to our cool greenhouse, the watering regime is stepped up. Other plants that will be put outside now are the agaves, potted blueberries and an olive tree. But, don’t forget that the chance of frost is still high, so place your precious plants in a sheltered spot and have garden fleece at the ready. The reason I have started to put tender plants out now is impatience (and our garden is open in…

AT Stockton Bury we have many mature shrubs and most of them are deciduous. This allows us to plant early spring flowering woodland plants under them as they thrive in the dappled light coming through the branches. When planting under deciduous shrubs it is worth looking to nature for help. What grows well on the edge of a woodland will work. Anemone nemorosa, for example, is fantastic for dry shade. Last September I divided plants of it in the garden and created 50 new ones – these will be set out under the shrubs. Other winning plants for dappled shade, in a well-drained but moist soil, are Tricyrtis formosana and Lathyrus vernus.…

Alchemilla mollis The dense downy foliage mounds of lady’s mantle can make good damp hiding places for slugs, but the foliage is rarely damaged. The chartreuse flower stems also seem immune. Digitalis purpurea As with hellebores, slugs sometimes hide inside the speckled flowers but neither flowers nor the rough foliage are eaten although I suspect they may take a bite out of the anthers occasionally. Eryngium The sea hollies, with their elegant, and often prettily patterned, but tough, rigid foliage and flower stems are dependably slug resistant, especially as many are at their best in dryish, well-drained soils. Euphorbia With their milky sap that irritates the skin, euphorbias seem unaffected by many pests, and although slugs are sometimes seen in the flowerheads they rarely seem to eat them. Verbascum Those…

How do I grow asparagus? Q I’d like to try growing asparagus on my veg plot, but have never grown it before. What do I need to know? Penny Smeeton, Worcester A Asparagus perfers a sandy or sandy-loam soil. It can be grown on a clay soil, provided the drainage is good, but the crop will be up to two weeks later than those grown on light soil. An open sunny site is best but the crop will grow in dappled shade. Soil pH of 6.5 – 7.5 is ideal. Prepare the soil to a spade’s depth in the autumn and incorporate a large bucketful of well-rotted manure or compost per square metre. In late-March, lightly fork the soil and apply a general fertiliser. Ensure that perennial weeds such as…

Cos Lettuce ‘Parris Island’ Cos-type lettuce that’s pretty, tender and sweet, with a crunchy rib. It keeps for a long time and can be harvested whole or ‘cut and come again’ style. Coriander ‘Cruiser’ Add aromatic flavour with this herb, which can be grown in the ground or in pots. Charles favours the fleshier ‘Cruiser’. Sow every three to four weeks. Buckler-Leaved Sorrel Unusually-shaped leaves with an intense lemon flavour. This perennial is good at spreading, something to bear in mind when planting out. Pea shoots ‘Alderman’ Grow pea plants for their delicious, fresh-tasting shoots. Taller varieties have more vigour than shorter ones. Sow two or three seeds in the same hole. Lettuce ‘Intred’ Enjoy a splash of deep purple by growing the Cos-type lettuce ‘Intred’. Similar to a ‘Little…

Potting Tray and Shelf £10.49 rrp (tray), £4.19 (shelf) 0203 657 5230 stewart-garden.co.uk  for stockists Keep compost where it needs to be. This tray gives a good working surface to repot plants and the matching shelf is ideal for organising pots and tools. Slow Release Plant Food Tablets £4.99 01480 443789 gardenhealth.com  for stockists Suitable for all garden plants, these tablets release their goodness for six months giving them all the nutrients and trace elements they need for healthy growth. Standard pouch contains 20 tablets. Garden Riddle £18.28 rrp 01279 401570 bulldogtools.co.uk  for stockists If you plan to re-use old compost or mix it with some soil for potting, then a garden riddle or sieve is invaluable. Dia. 141/4in (36cm), depth 3in (75mm) with either3/8in (10mm) or 1/4in (7mm) mesh.…

B . ‘Dartmoor’ I’ve always admired this cultivar for its grand, branching panicles of lilac-purple flowers on a vigorous plant. B . ‘Black Knight’ Expect dramatic large, spikes of dark-purple flowers with yellow eyes, that will emit a strong perfume. B . ‘Royal Red’ A large, upright shrub bearing honey-scented maroon-purple flowers arranged in large panicles to 20in (50cm) long. B . Gonglepod’ An attractive buddleja that’s furnished with narrow leaves and eye-catching panicles of lilac-pink flowers.…

Winter may seem a long way off but with a little planning it’s possible to have your own home grown decorations, even once your flowers have stopped blooming. Use these in their natural state, or spray-paint silver or gold: Nigella damascena forms balloon-like seed heads – try ‘Albion Black Pod’ for attractive plum-red pods. Alliums make great ‘baubles’ for the Christmas tree. Scabious ‘Ping Pong’ produces small papery globes. Honesty has silvery parchment-like seed pods. A biennial, sow in May for natural decorations next year. Use the grey-blue pods of opium poppies freshly cut in summer arrangements or dried for winter. The orange lanterns of Physalis alkekengi make perfect Halloween decorations. Seed suppliers: • Mr Fothergills 0333 777 3936, mr-fothergills.co.uk • Chiltern Seeds 01491 824675, chilternseeds.co.uk • Sarah Raven 0345…