Innholdsfortegnelse for 13-May-2017 i Amateur Gardening

GRAHAM Clarke’s story about underwing moths (p21) reminds me of the dilemma all gardeners face. Moths are beautiful creatures as are butterflies, and the caterpillars they grow from. But underwing moth caterpillars nibble marigolds and foxgloves. Then there’s tortrix caterpillars on fruit trees, hornworms on tomatoes, cabbage white on nasturtiums, sawflies on gooseberry... it’s a wonder any plants survive. Now’s the time to keep an eye open for them. I can’t leave them to chomp my plants unfettered, but I’m a bit of a softie when it comes to dealing with them. I occasionally squish tiny ones, but when they’re bigger I tend to pick them off and chuck them somewhere else in the garden. Dumb, yes. Removed from their host plant the caterpillars will starve to death or be…

TopTip Lavenders grow woody after four or five years, and are best replaced as they stop responding to pruning. LAVENDERS are best pruned in autumn, after they have flowered. But if you missed out then, you can cut them back now. Keep them neat and compact, though they don’t respond well to hard pruning. Start by removing weak and straggly branches, then remove any dead flower spikes remaining from last year. Trim away the top 1in (2.5cm) of green new growth , but don’t cut into the old wood. Lavenders are Mediterranean plants, and do best in light, free-draining soils in full sun. They don’t like cold, damp soil, though new plants will need regular watering while they get established.…

TopTip If you have space, sow some colourful annual climbers around the base of perennial climbers. The larger plants support the seedlings as they grow, and you will have extra colour in the garden. WE are at that time of the year when the garden is providing us with too many jobs, and almost too little time to get them all done, despite the lengthening days. Everywhere I look this week there are things demanding my urgent attention. Luckily, most of them are smaller jobs so I can plough on through them and get most of them done. The pot-bound honeysuckle I planted out last year has grown really well, and needs tying in. This supports the plant, but also allows me to guide its growth in a way that…

▪ It’s time to clean out the greenhouse before it fills up with tender veggies, seedlings and cuttings. ▪ Wash down the glass so it will let in as much sunlight as possible, and remove algae and muck from between panes using a thin plastic plant label. ▪ Empty gutters of any debris that may block water flow, and attach a water butt if you have room ▪ Check that the flooring is even, and add extra gravel if needed. Replace cracked and chipped panes with glass or polycarbonate.…

1 Check root-balls: Plants raised from seed or bought from the garden centre will grow rapidly and quickly become pot-bound. 2 Buy compost: I’ve had best results when potting-on sweet peppers into John Innes No2 compost. Multi-purpose works okay but can dry-out quickly. 3 Re-pot plants: The permanent home for my sweet peppers during summer is in 9in (22cm) pots. Deep pots allow strong roots to develop. 4 Support with canes: Grow on in a conservatory or greenhouse during summer. Plants will need supporting with canes, especially as fruits swell. 5 Liquid feed: Once the first fruits have set, feed fortnightly with a high potash liquid fertiliser such as tomato food. Don’t let the compost dry out. 6 Check for pests: Caterpillars are a pain from July onwards, destroying leaves…

SOME indoor plants are fulltime, pretty but unassuming while others are part-time, massive and impossible to ignore. Into the latter category waltzes the scented and beautiful Rhododendron ‘Fragrantissimum’. We bought ours as a youngster many years ago. Now mature, it spends summer out in a lightly shaded spot, is moved under unheated glass for winter protection and buds up in late March and early April. It is then placed indoors where everyone can admire the perfect blooms and inhale the intoxicatingly sweet scent. In shadier indoor conditions the blooms last longer than under glass. As the flowers begin to drop, we move it outdoors for summer. Rhododendron ‘Fragrantissimum’ is a cross between two slightly tender parents; Himalayan R. edgeworthii and R. formosum from Assam and Myanmar (Burma). The white flowers…

YOU can have your own corn on the cob this summer, and I guarantee it’ll be the sweetest you’ll ever taste. You see sweetcorn does not stay sweet once picked. Within minutes of parting from the plant the sugars are turning into starches. So unless you grow your own it’s almost impossible to have sweetcorn as sweet as it can be. Naturally the packets may claim some varieties are sweeter still and stay sweet on the shelf. Believe me, none is ever as sweet as fresh picked and steamed straightaway. The packets may also warn about growing more than one variety nearby. Do not fear, I’ve tried this and seldom is there any problem other than an odd wrongly coloured kernel. Now in the south you might sow outdoors from…

RIGHT now we’re slap-bang in the middle of the changeover period when, for a limited time, there’s the best chance of spotting both of the UK’s two most frequently seen ‘underwing’ moths. Ever heard of them? They’re markings and colours are beautiful. The orange underwing flits around the leafless canopies of mature birch trees on sunny, still days in early spring – the last stragglers can still be seen now. This moth rarely descends low enough for close inspection, so you’ll need binoculars for a proper look. It appears orange in flight, although this colour is largely restricted to the hindwings. Its forewings are dark brown with whitish markings. A medium-sized moth, it can be found throughout England, Wales and Scotland, usually near birch trees in rural gardens, on open…

If you like vivid, brightly coloured blooms for either admiring in the borders or cutting for the vase, zinnias are for you. Tall or short, long stemmed or bushy, single or double - these brilliantly coloured daisies come in nearly every colour and are really easy to grow from seed. Most of the two dozen zinnia species originate in Mexico, with a few growing farther south and a few in the south western uSA. So it’s obvious that they enjoy the sun. In fact they insist on plenty of sunshine and well-drained – or at least not soggy – soil; once established they’re unusually tolerant of summer drought. These are half-hardy annuals to sow outside about now in most parts of the country although they can also be sown earlier…

Henchman Platform Tripod Ladder From £225 03333 444229 Henchman.co.uk Available in a range of sizes from 6ft (1.8m) up to 16ft (5m) aluminium tripod ladders make the task of cutting tall hedges so much safer. Three legs, one or more adjustable, keep it stable while the extra-wide platform top rung and top bar support means you can lean out safely. Matlock Standard Green Tarpaulin £5.99 + £4.99 delivery 0800 022 4455 cromwell.co.uk Cut down on cleanup time by laying a tarpaulin to catch fallen trimmings that can then be scooped up into a wheelbarrow, sack or trug for disposal. This one is 6ft (1.8m) x 8ft (2.4m), made from double laminated polyethylene weave with eyelets and rope-lined hems, and is rot proof and tear resistant. Other sizes available. Bosch Hedgecutter…

This word search comprises words connected to shade, and plants that like to grow in it. They are listed below; in the grid they may be read across, backwards, up, down or diagonally. Letters may be shared between words. Erroneous or duplicate words may appear in the grid, but there is only one correct solution. After the listed words are found there are nine letters remaining; arrange these to make this week’s KEY WORD. ARBOUR BEGONIA BUILDING DEEP DINGY DRY FERNS HEDGE IMPATIENS LIGHT SHADE SNOWDROP TREE TRILLIUM WATERBUTT WOODLAND HOW TO ENTER: Enter this week’s keyword on the entry form, and send it to AG Word Search No 364, Amateur Gardening, Westover House, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1JG, to arrive by Weds 24 May, 2017. The first…

TopTip Where possible, it’s worth buying specific container compost. It usually contains moisture-retaining granules, as well as several months’ worth of nutrients to keep the plants healthy for longer. CONTAINERS planted up with interesting flowers and foliage look good at any time of year, but really come into their own in the summer months. Garden centres and nurseries are now packed with plants suited to container growing, so there’s no need to miss out. Planting up a pot is a simple and effective way of bringing spots of colour to even the smallest outside space. “Many popular edible plants have attractive flowers” As well as a multitude of plants, you have a wide range of containers to choose from - countless shapes, sizes, and colours, as well as materials. Terracotta…

▪ Pulmonaria (lungwort) is a lovely plant to grow in cool and shady areas. ▪ It is one of the earliest perennials to flower, making its presence welcome for early foraging bees. ▪ Also known as Jerusalem cowslip, and Joseph and Mary, its flowers start off red or pink, and then turn blue after pollination. ▪ To get the best out of pulmonaria, cut them back after the first flowering, water well and feed with a slow release fertiliser such as blood, fish and bone. You should be rewarded with a second flush.…

▪ Hardy annuals that you sowed directly into beds should be germinating well now. ▪ Hopefully they have survived attacks by slugs and rodents, and will need thinning out. ▪ This is an important job, as it gives the remaining seedlings extra room to grow, so they can reach their full size without being cramped. ▪ They will also be healthier due to the improved airflow around them, and those you remove can be carefully transplanted to elsewhere in the garden if you wish.…

Listen to Peter's free podcast every Thursday. Search for 'This Week In The Garden with Peter Seabrook' on iTunes GROWING plants in containers is the obvious way to bring flower colour and crops into small areas of hard landscaping. But there’s always the question about what to do with them when they’re least attractive – in the early stages of growth and after they have gone over. Pots of narcissus and tulips need eight to 10 weeks of watering and feeding after flowering if the bulbs are to build up food reserves to flower again next spring. “I have the solution to the unappealing pots problem” Similarly, when summer-flowering perennials like delphiniums, paeonies and lupins have done their job they need to go somewhere out of sight to make way…

IF you are searching for a plant that adds structure and colour, and doesn’t look out of place whatever your style of garden, then look no further than the lupin. Their colourful spires of flowers are at their best in May, when many other plants are still in leaf, and their peppery scent will attract many bees. Most lupins are tall and sturdy, ideal centrepieces for herbaceous borders, but this week’s free seeds are for a shorter variety called ‘Pixie Delight’. Growing to just 16in (40cm) tall, they look fabulous towards the front of borders. Their flower spikes come in pastel pinks and blues, with some white. Sow them in groups of 10 to 20 plants for the best effect. Ensure a longer flowering period by sowing batches of seeds…

1 Carefully remove weeds that have seeded themselves into the top of the pot, taking out some old compost without disturbing too many roots. 2 Make sure the roots and compost are moist before top dressing. Most rhododendrons are lime-hating plants and prefer rain water. 3 I use four parts ericaceous compost with one part of grit and sharp sand. I add a light dressing of fertilizer for ericaceous plants. 4 Apply top dressing up to 1in (2.5cm) thick over the roots but no more. They don’t like them buried deeper than they are used to.…

TopTip If planting beneath walls, avoid foundations. You might have to improve the poorer soil often found there. Finally, make sure it is well-watered as the shadow of the wall can limit the amount of rain fall which reaches it I’M a big advocate of fan-training – it allows you to grow all manner of fruits in a tiny space and with many gardens getting smaller and smaller, I urge you to give it a go. Most if not all of us have a wall or fence in our garden. If it’s shady, then tarter fruits such as gooseberries and redcurrants can be fan-trained against it, whereas a sunnier aspect can support the likes of peaches, cherries, apricots, figs and gages – delicious! I’ve trained various trees and bushes as…

▪13 May: Norfolk Cottage Garden Society annual plant sale, 11am- 1pm, East Tuddenham Jubilee Hall, East Tuddenham, Norfolk NR20 3LR. 01953 850499 ▪13 May: Plant Support Workshop, Godinton House Gardens, Godinton Park, Ashford, Kent TN23 3BP. Various methods of plant support demonstrated plus practical willow obelisk construction. Booking essential. 01233 643854, godintonhouse.co.uk ▪13-14 May: Plant Heritage Spring Fair, RHS Garden Rosemoor, Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH. 0203 1765 830; rhs.org.uk/ gardens/rosemoor ▪14 May: Winterbourne House and Gardens Rare Plant Fair, University of Birmingham, 58 Edgbaston Park Road, Birmingham B15 2RT. 11am- 4pm. rareplantfair.co.uk ▪14 May: Llanbedr and Tal-y-Bont Open Gardens, Conwy LL32 8YZ. Around 20 gardens in the heart of the Conwy Valley. Open 10.30am- 5pm for local charities; 07759 918121; opengardens.co.uk ▪14 May: Somerset Garden Day. A celebration of gardening…

‘Purple Prince’ The fully double, intensely pink tinted purple flowers reach 3in (7.5cm) across carried on long stems. They’re ideal for cutting or to show off the flowers in the border. H3ft (90cm). ‘Queen Red Lime’ Brand new this year, the reddish pink flowers are uniquely stained in lime green for a very unusual and rather delicate effect. The plants are upright and prolific and fit well into mixed borders. 2ft (60cm). ‘Whirlygig’ This sparkling blend is made up entirely of medium sized spiky cactus-style flowers in a range of variable bicolours with the occasional plain colour for contrast. H2ft (60cm). Zinderella Series An outstanding cut flower and softly coloured border variety, coming in lilac pink and in rich peach with the long lasting flowers held on strong stems. My…

How do I grow carrots? Q What advice can you give a firsttime carrot grower? Margaret Allchorn, Morpeth A Carrots need deep, fertile, sandy soil. If your soil is heavy or stony, grow short-rooted cultivars. Ideally, heavy soil should have been dug in autumn and left exposed over wither. Now, break it down and prepare a seedbed. Seed can be sown from February to July (for earlier sowings, use a cloche to warm the soil). Carrots are harvested through summer and autumn. Sow in a sunny, sheltered place. I make successional sowings, two or three short rows at a time, once every two weeks from the third week in March until early May. Carrot seeds are small, but it pays to take care and sow seeds thinly. This reduces the…

W. floribunda ‘Multijuga’ Also known as ‘Macrobotrys’, this pale lilac variety has flower trusses longer than normal, growing up to 4ft (1.2m)! It’s a fastgrowing variety that flowers in June, the flowers appearing at the same time as the foliage. H x S: 29ft (9m) x 16ft (5m). Wisteria ‘Shiro-kapitan’ This climber commonly known as silky wisteria has short hanging heads (around 6in/15cm) of large cream flowers, which have a strong scent. It’s a good choice for growing in a pot and flowers from May to July. H x S: 26ft (8m). W. sinensis Wisteria sinensis is one of the most popular wisterias for growing on a wall as the flowers appear before the leaves, making it easy to see them. This variety makes an impact with its strongly scented…

WIN Worth £599.99 THE PIZZARO is a traditional clay domed pizza oven perfect for creating authentic-tasting pizzas. The oven is simple and easy to use. Light a fire with about 3 kgs of small pieces of oak or similar placed in the oven, then push the burning fuel to the back wall of the dome. The oven will reach 300 degrees C in about 20 to 30 minutes and you will be able to cook five pizzas before needing to refuel. PIZZARO pizza ovens are made of CHIMALIN AFC, a new crack resistant clay unique to Gardeco with a 5 year warranty against thermal shock damage. A purpose designed stand is available for the PIZZARO pizza oven, which raises the oven to the correct height for easy cooking and keeping…

*Just pay £5.65 for postage THESE everlasting perennials will create a rich display of pretty colours making an amazing garden scene with long-lasting colour every year. An easy to grow collection of fully hardy plants which includes Verbena bonariensis, geum, coreopsis and foxglove, though varieties shown are subject to change. Height: up to 59” (150cm). Spread: up to 18” (45cm). Supplied as plug plants. (Images are for illustration purposes only). Other special offers: OFFER 1 Verbena ‘Quartz Mixed’ F1 Hybrid Invaluable for massing in beds, borders, window boxes and hanging baskets, this carefully selected mix of early flowering, brightly coloured verbena with excellent mildew resistance will guarantee a long-lasting display. Height: 10” (25cm). Spread: 12” (30cm). Supplied as plug plants. ▪ Buy 36 for £11.99 ▪ Buy 72 for £17.99…

Plant up a colourful container 1 Place crocks or broken polystyrene in the base to aid drainage. Add compost to 4in (10cm) from the rim. 2 Before planting, place plants on the compost in their pots, and move them around until they make the best display. 3 Place the main plant in the centre. Slide it from its pot, gently loosen the roots, and plant at the depth of its rootball. 4 Add the other plants, taking care not to damage their roots. Small gaps between plants will fill as they grow. 5 Add more compost around the plants if needed. Water well to settle the soil around the plants’ roots.…

How to divide a clump of primroses 1 Dig around the clump you want to divide, and lift it. Keep as much soil around the roots as possible. 2 Using a sharp, clean knife, divide the clump into sections, so each piece has healthy leaves and roots attached. 3 Check each section for pests and disease. Then wash the roots so you can see them clearly. 4 Trim the roots back to around 4in (10cm). Stand the plants in water for an hour or so before planting. 5 Remove large leaves to lessen the amount of water lost by the plant while it gets established after planting. 6 Plant the new sections in light shade. Water them well, and mulch with well-rotted organic matter.…

TopTip Leave bulb bedding plants in place. Let the greenery die back, and remove it when it has completely withered. Mark plants’ position so they are not accidentally disturbed. AS the season progresses, bedding plants that went in the ground last autumn are looking increasingly ragged and weather-worn. You have two options now: remove all the plants and prepare the soil for summer bedding, or keep them flowering and adding colour to your garden for as long as possible. I’m doing a bit of both, and taking each plant – or clump of plants – on their individual merits. The sweet, bellis daisies are still going strong, with plenty of colourful flowers still in bloom. They are hardy perennials often treated as disposable annuals by many gardeners and garden centres,…

TopTip If you’re growing sweet peppers in a greenhouse, the strength of summer sun can scorch plants and damage fruits. Use paint-on shading such as Coolglass, or apply net shading inside. SWEET peppers are one of the easiest crops to grow. They’re attractive, too, producing an array of large, brightly-coloured green, red, yellow or orange fruits, depending on the variety. Crisp and tasty when eaten raw in summer salads, I also cook them in stir-fries, with Mexican dishes such as fajitas, and to add flavour to more traditional recipes such as casseroles. If you missed the last chance to sow in April, don’t worry. Garden centres still have young plants, although you’ll be restricted on varieties. Many retailers stock ‘Bell Boy’ which is a reliable all-rounder. Initially, I pot my…

▪ Lupin seeds can be sown now where you want them to grow. ▪ Prepare the soil by removing weeds, stones and other debris, and raking it to a fine tilth. ▪ Water the sowing area, and then sow seeds thinly on the soil. ▪ Carefully rake the soil back over the seeds and gently firm it down with the back of the rake. Label the area, so you don’t disturb the seeds. ▪ Germination takes 14-28 days, and you can thin seedlings out soon after that to 6in (15cm) apart.…

R. ‘Fragrantissimum’ is an inherently lanky plant but regular, hard pruning immediately after flowering will keep it more compact. This sort of pruning is best started when a plant is young. Despite never having been pruned, our plant blooms spectacularly every spring. ▪ Take 4in (10cm) long, semi-hardwood cuttings in July and August. Dip the bases in hormone rooting compound and insert several into a 5in (13cm) pot of 50:50 ericaceous compost and potting grit, perlite or vermiculite. Cover with polythene and place out of full sun. They should be ready for potting separately the following spring. ▪ Already growing in a 12in (30cm) wide plastic pot of ericaceous compost, this plant is heavy to move. In situations like this, top-dressing (see right) is a useful alternative to repotting into…

1 The shape must be right. You want a left and right stem at a low angle. Tie the stems gently onto bamboo canes, then tie the canes firmly onto horizontal wires. 2 Framework branches will ultimately give rise to numerous long, flexible sideshoots. Tie these in to begin filling out the wall, keeping them at a low angle to encourage better fruiting. 3 If shoots appear at the base, cut them out. Treat shoots growing directly away from the wall in the same way. As it matures, keep tying in new sideshoots to fill in any gaps.…

MY fencing project has been progressing nicely since the start of the year. First I erected horizontal screens to replace some rotten old trellis and then I set about painting it a lovely shade of green. It really has helped to transform my garden but is lacking something very important… plants! As far as I’m concerned walls, fences, trellis and similar structures are not just to define our spaces and provide privacy, they create an opportunity to grow a whole range of plants that like to climb, twine, scramble or stick to help them move upwards. I had considered keeping things simple and choosing a single variety for my boundaries – one of my neighbours has done exactly this with star jasmine, which is planted every 6ft (1.8m) or so…

The latest stories from around the UK Got a story? Call 01202 440848 or email marc.rosenberg@timeinc.com Gardeners are not being offered enough peat-free composts while eco-friendly growing media is often more expensive, a study has claimed. A group of 238 volunteers for Friends of the earth, Plantlife, rsPB and the Wildlife Trusts mystery shopped at garden centres and found that just 19 per cent of almost 1,300 products on sale were clearly labelled as peat-free. A third of researchers couldn’t find any peat-free compost for sale. Campaigners say peat bogs are vital resources for wildlife. The government wants UK gardening to be peat-free by 2020, but this is a voluntary target. The study found that peat-free compost was more expensive than peat-based options. Green groups claimed there was “often little…

Kelly’ F1 – this maincrop variety produces long smooth-skinned roots, tapering to a point. Sow for late-autumn harvesting and store over winter. ‘Sugarsnax 54’ F1 – sweet carrot yielding long, thin uniform roots (pictured, left) with a deep-orange colour. Stores well in the ground with good bolting resistance. ‘Purple Haze’ F1 – this purple-skinned variety with orange flesh is great when eaten raw in salads but is also good cooked. A great variety for children to grow. ‘Rainbow Mix’ – an excellent choice for adding colour and interest to cooking. Good flavour and colours from deep-purple through to vibrant yellows.…

We try before you buy Next week: Getting wound up over the garden hose? We check out hose holders and tidies UNLESS you have expansive hedges that really need an electric or petrol hedge trimmer, you’ll find that nothing gives a sharper, more precise and better quality cut than hand shears. But there is a lot of choice. Small clippers with short blades and handles are for detailed work, especially topiary, while long blades and handles will help reach when the hedge is wide or the work high or low. Some shears have wavy-edged blades that hold the plant material steady while it is cut – but these often require professional sharpening. Some have a notch in the blade to cut bigger branches while others might have a ratchet or…

Prize draw AFTERCUT 3 Day Green is a quick way to get a great looking lawn. It feeds and conditions for a greener, stronger and healthier lawn, without the risk of scorching. After just three days, you’ll notice greener, healthier grass. Regular applications will create a thicker, harder-wearing lawn. We have four packs (capable of covering 80 square metres) to give away this week, worth £6.99 each. See below for details of how to enter. How to enter Send your name and address on the back of a postcard to Aftercut 3 Day Green Draw, Amateur Gardening, Westover House, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1JG. Or you can email your details to ag_giveaway@timeinc.com, heading the email Aftercut 3 Day Green Draw. The closing date is: 15 May 2017.…

Write to: Jenny Bagshaw, Amateur Gardening, Westover House, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1JG or email: amateurgardening@timeinc.com Our Star Letter wins £40 in National Garden Gift Vouchers; tip of the week, £10; other letters £5 (£10 if we use a photo you’ve sent). Vouchers can be bought and redeemed at over 2,000 UK outlets offering more than 90,000 garden plants and products. Visit thevouchergarden.co.uk for details. The splendid north Star letter I JUST had to write in about your article on Harrogate Spring Flower Show that appeared in 15 April issue of AG. I was appalled by the implications of the comment “It may be northern based, but it’s a show of national standing”. Why on earth wouldn’t a northern show be one of national standing? Are you suggesting…

Nurseryman and former Gardeners’ World host I LIKE heather, but I’m not a ‘heatherist’. In fact, some of my best friends’ gardens have heather in them, and rarely if ever do I remark on how tasteless they look. My issue is with one heather scheme which runs alongside the stone steps up to the garden entrance of Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum. “I ripped-out the pointless erica” When asked to redesign it, I chose to rip out the nice but pointless erica and replace it with species that reflect the city’s Roman past, and blooms that nod to the museum’s global collections. Now, there are olives, phlomis from ancient Syria, New World verbena and grasses from the Prairies and New Zealand, as well as pittosporum from Korea and native-bred cranesbills…