Innholdsfortegnelse for 29-Jul-2017 i Amateur Gardening

MIDSUMMER is one of those periods of the year when you should have time to step back and enjoy the fruits of your gardening labours. Few things are better than spending a warm evening sitting out, enjoying the scent of the plants and the buzz of insects as you catch the last rays before the sun sets. Of course there are still tasks to do – weeding, feeding and looking out for pests are a staple of summer gardening. Watering is another on-going essential that seems simple but takes time to do properly. Soak the soil, not the foliage and do so during the cooler times of day. These routine ‘bread and butter’ tasks should be supplemented by more seasonal jobs that make the garden look its best and also,…

1 Birds need fresh water for drinking and bathing, so keep your bird bath clean and regularly topped up with fresh water. 2 Take time to watch nature going about its business – this hoverfly didn’t stand a chance against a white crab spider hidden in a dahlia flower! 3 Help hedgehogs with water and meat-based pet food. Look out for their droppings – small, black cylinders between ½-2in (15-50mm) long.…

1 Place crocks in the base and start filling with container compost or a mix of multi-purpose and John Innes No 3. 2 Start planting by placing the central plant as deep as its rootball. Tease out the roots so they spread and support the plant. 3 Add the plants around the sides, making sure they are planted at the right depth and that you handle their roots carefully. 4 When all the plants are in, water the container well. This activates waterretaining gel, if used, and settles soil around the roots.…

MANY people use their patio and decking as an extra ‘room’ in summer, so it pays to keep them in good order. This has practical as well as cosmetic benefits, especially during our typically damp British summers. Algae and moss that build up on decking soon get slimy and slippery. Avoid accidents by making sure your decking is kept clean, especially if it is overhung by trees that shed leaves and debris onto its surface, or is in the shade where sunlight is patchy. If you use a pressure washer to blast away the grime, put it on a moderate setting as too fierce a jet can split wood. Hot water and detergent, as well as chemicals such as Jeyes Fluid, can be applied with a stiff brush to clear…

1Where plants are past their best have a few like hakonechloa ready in pots to fill gaps in borders. Container grown agapanthus, hosta, lilium and hydrangea also make great gap fillers. 2 One or two arrangements of short-stemmed (so they do not blow over in the breeze) flowers on patio tables make quite an impact. One of the Little Waltham gardens had lovely bowls of sweet peas. 3 Labelling unusual plants helps the visitors and will head off a lot of questions.…

IT’S refreshing when gardening advice is actually about not doing something – so much better than having to do whatever. In this case it’s giving up cutting the grass where you have fruit trees growing. You see grass competes with trees and certainly for the first few years it’s best to keep grass suppressed. The area under each tree is most important – if grass, weeds or even flowers are allowed to grow then the tree will be slower to establish. However, once the tree has been in place a few years then it’s common practice to grass down underneath for ease of maintenance. Actually most fruit trees, especially pears, are ultimately happier with bare soil or a mulch beneath them, but grass is not so much of a hindrance…

▪ Opium poppies (Papaver somniferum) are hardy annuals that grow up to 47in (120cm) tall. ▪ They were originally pale but now grow in a variety of colours. ▪ Opium poppies are prolific seeders that will grow almost anywhere, but they need ruthless thinning out otherwise you are left with too many spindly specimens. ▪ After petals fall, the seedpods ripen and will disperse their cargo when they are brown and rattle when they are shaken. ▪ Collect the seeds to sow or add to bread for a delicious flavour.…

Note the long peduncles or flower stalks that build up on mature plants. Never cut them off, as they persist to develop more flower buds year after year. Hoya carnosa is one of the commonest wax flowers. Drips of sweet nectar are produced from the beautiful blooms. Great excitement in the household as our new, unnamed hoya develops its first flower buds. I suspect it could be a Hoya australis. Aphids appeared on the soft shoot tips of the new hoya but were swiftly despatched by a spray or two with a plant invigorator.…

1 Sowing small batches every month gives you a succession of baby roots. Make one last sowing now and you’ll have perfectly-sized roots for winter storage. Carve a drill 2in (5cm) deep in a sunny spot, then water the base well. Sow thinly, cover with soil and firm this down gently. 2 Water the drill in well, and again in any dry spells (the most tender roots are grown quickly with no growth check). Once seedlings emerge, thin to 3in (7.5cm) apart – use these tiny thinnings as microleaves. Keep weed-free with regular hoeing as the seedlings grow. 3 You can harvest a few leaves from each plant to add to salads, but otherwise allow the roots to swell unhindered. Pull at golfballsize for tender ‘baby’ roots. Alternatively allow your…

MY runners are going great this year, but I’m constantly checking plants for problems and saw blackfly starting to colonise the leaves and flower clusters. If unchecked attacks can be heavy, so a sharp jet of water or quick spray of organic insecticide (like Bug Clear Gun for Fruit & Veg) will resolve. Flowering is usually prolific, but occasionally pods can take a little while to form. Cold nights, dry roots and windy weather can be the cause it but the problem lessens as the season goes on. Try self-pollinating varieties ‘Firestorm’ or ‘Moonlight’ if it’s a recurring problem for you, then plant your beans in a sheltered site with ample organic matter added to soil.…

Tip: If your lupins have been ravished by black fly cut the whole flower spike down. You might be lucky and get another flower spike in its place before summer is over. hoW are your borders looking? have you got a few gaps where early summer perennials have faded? if so, add some more colour now to see you through until the end of summer. Living in herefordshire i’m not far from the wonderful Picton Gardens in Colwall, Worcestershire (autumnasters.co.uk). this is a truly inspirational plot and at its prime in late summer. it opens in August when most other open gardens are coming out of their high season. the incredible show of colour that greets you goes to prove that there’s no need to have gaps in flower beds…

FOXGLOVES have a two-year lifecycle. In the first year, they form leaves and roots, and in the second they flower, set seed, and die. This year I’m collecting the falling seeds as I want to plant some foxgloves in my sister’s garden. I’m trying a new collection technique – placing a stocking over the fading blooms to catch the seed as it ripens. The stocking will allow air to circulate and light will help to dry the seed. This method is ideal if you’re planning a holiday at seed ripening time as the seed will be collected as it naturally falls. It will then be sown fresh, directly into my sister’s flower border.…

Good for shade Thalictrum ‘Elin’ is a particularly tall meadow rue with graceful, slender stems, the tips of which are covered with tiny, round pink flower buds. These open into delicate cupshaped, lilac blooms with prominent creamy-yellow stamens. The grey-blue foliage is also attractive, with a purple tinge in spring. It needs moist but well-drained soil, in part or full shade, and rarely requires staking, despite its height and delicacy. Flowers: June-August. H: 6ft (1.8m); S: 3ft (90cm). Good for wind With purple-flushed foliage, sturdy stems and large domeshaped clusters of small mauve-pink flowers, Eupatorium purpureum is perfect for prairie-style planting and cottage gardens. It won’t need staking and thrives in moderately fertile, moist soil. The nectar-rich flowers appear from July to September. H: 7ft 3in (2.2m); S: 4ft (1.2m).…

Gaura One of my favourites, gaura fills a space fast – growing thigh-high without being a bully – and has graceful butterfly-like flowers that bob about in the breeze. Hardy throughout most of the UK, it performs best in a spot with full sun and fertile, moist but well-drained soil. Highly recommended! Coreopsis Long-flowering and easy to grow, coreopsis (aka tickseed) make golden domes of daisies in pots or as borderfront plants. Happy in sun or partshade, dead head to keep flowers coming. For containers try compact ‘Zagreb’ (above) and ‘Moonbeam’, which don’t grow more than 10in (24cm). Dahlias If you like big blooms and bright colour, look out for perennial ‘Bishop’ dahlias such as the bronze-leaved ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ (above) . Plant in a welldrained sunny spot if you…

All of the following varieties show resistance to clematis wilt: ▪ Clematis alpina puts on a display of blue pendant blooms which are bellshaped from mid to late-spring. Requires a free-draining site. ▪ Clematis viticella – small deeppurple hanging bells with green stamens. Free-flowering and hardy. ▪ Clematis orientalis – flowers from mid-summer to late-autumn, producing yellow bells that look like lanterns, then silver seed heads. ▪ Clematis macropetala (pictured, above) - tepals are dark violet. Flowers are borne from mid to late-spring.…

Buy 3 for £22.49 Half price oleander trio These sweetly fragrant, funnel shaped blooms flower through the summer and well into autumn, followed by fascinating bean-like seed pods. This attractive shrub makes a superb specimen and a particularly attractive hedge. Suitable for container growing. Note that oleander is toxic if eaten. Height: 79in (200cm). Spread: 59in (150cm). Supplied as 51⁄2in (14cm) potted plants. ▪ Buy 1 of any variety for ?14.99 ▪ Buy 3 (1 of each) for ?22.49 - Saving Half Price To order, call direct on 0844 573 2021 quoting AG794Z (lines open 9am-6pm seven days a week) OR order online today thompson-morgan.com/AG794Z OR complete the coupon below in BLOCK CAPITALS. all orders will be acknowledged by letter or email, advising you of the expected despatch date. this…

▪ Rose is crowned ‘Jubilee Flower” The rose has been named as the Golden Jubilee flower by BBC2’s Gardeners’ World, following a national poll to find the most influential plant of the last 50 years. ▪ Growing green fingers There’s no point in urging millennials to garden, says Monty Don. The TV host told a history festival that it’s best to help kids develop an interest in gardening by 10. A new and improved yellow pelargonium is set to go on sale to gardeners for the first time this year. The rare bloom has been crowned ‘Allwoods Lemon Drizzle’ and is the result of several years of plant breeding work. It was developed from a pelargonium called ‘Creamery’ which was a huge novelty when it was released in the 1970s,…

▪ 29-30 July: Award of Garden Merit (AGM) Plants for Summer Interest, RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Rosemoor, Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH. 0203 176 5830; rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor ▪ 1 August: Agapanthus on Show, RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. 0845 6121 253, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley ▪ 2 August: Plant Pests and Diseases, RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. 0845 6121 253, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley 3 August: Scything for Beginners, RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Rosemoor, Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH. 0203 176 5830; rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor 3-6 August: RHS Flower Show (free to RHS members), RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane, Rettendon, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 8ET. 0845 265 8071, rhs.org.uk/gardens/hydehall ▪ Please check that the event is still going ahead before leaving home. If you have an event that you would like us to…

HOW we perceive the depth of a colour changes through the day and with the seasons. In sunshine, pastels washout but strong primary colours shine. In the evening, pastels and whites appear to glow. In autumn and at dusk, the sun is low in the sky and its light passes a greater distance before reaching the ground. Dust in the atmosphere disperses the light, favouring reds and yellows. This means that flowers with petals of those colours appear to be much brighter.…

1 This is your final chance to thin tree fruit before they really start to swell and ripen. Don’t be overzealous, but make sure they have enough space to grow healthily. 2 Part of my young blackcurrant bush had started to die back, despite the rest of the plant remaining healthy. I have removed the dead material and mulched the plant, which will hopefully stop the problem spreading. 3 You’ve worked hard keeping your crops healthy and getting them ready to crop, so don’t waste them. Pick them and eat them fresh – you will never taste better!…

GARDENS often have a midsummer lull between the first blast of perennial colour and the last hurrah of autumnflowering plants. If yours is starting to look a bit sunblasted now, give it an instant boost with a colourful patio container or hanging basket. As a bonus, garden centres will be selling off this season’s annual remnants on the cheap and many of the plants consigned to ‘bargain bins’ will come back with a flourish if given a little TLC. When planting containers, my natural inclination is to choose plants in ‘cool’ shades of pink, purple and blue. To shake things up a bit this time I chose a sunburst of colours, including a startling orange mesembryanthemum, apricot verbena, oxalis ‘Sunset velvet’ and a trailing yellow sanvitalia. With regular watering and…

JUNE heralded something of a first for me – planting a ‘pizza’ in a pot. It was, in fact, a degradable cardboard base with evenly spaced indents each holding a single gladioli corm. Created by Bakker ( 0344 481 1001, bakker.com) it is a simple way of planting bulbs in the ground or in containers to achieve a well spaced and attractive display of summer colour. Although it was planted quite late in the season, the bulbs have grown well and I am hoping they will flower in a few weeks’ time. As with all container plants, I am feeding and watering them regularly and making sure the pot stays raised on its feet to allow excess water to escape. Bulbs in poorly drained soil or compost run the risk…

PONDS and their plants and inhabitants suffer during warm weather, so look after them to keep them healthy. Evaporation causes the water level to drop and its surface area to shrink, meaning there is less oxygen available for fish or other aquatic creatures. Top it up using water from a butt if possible, as tap water contains nutrients that encourage algae growth. On still and humid nights, spray water onto the pond’s surface to break it up and release more oxygen. Regularly remove floating pondweed so that at least 50 per cent of the surface is clear. Rinse weed in a bucket of water to release smaller bugs and leave the weed on the side overnight so larger trapped creatures can return to the water. Cut away tattered foliage and…

WORKING in the greenhouse can be uncomfortably hot at this time of year – so spare a thought for plants in there the whole time. Don’t take your eye off tender varieties and cuttings, because they will wilt fast on hot, cloudless days. Although a good watering will soon restore them, wilting can seriously knock plants’ health and performance. Also remember that plants with roots that have been kept damp are more robust and pest and disease-resistant than those whose compost has been allowed to sporadically dry out. Heat isn’t the only danger under cover. A dry atmosphere creates the perfect breeding ground for sapsucking pests such as glasshouse red spider mite and if left unchecked, they will weaken plants and spread disease. It isn’t hard to keep your greenhouse…

1 Pick early apples as soon as ripe and eat before they go over, or turn them to apple puree for storing. 2 Now is the time to destroy wasp nests before they eat all your apples and pears. Hire in a professional for this job! 3 Leave, and chop up, healthy windfall fruits as a decoy to fob off wasps and birds and stop them damaging more on the tree. 4 As potato, garlic and onion beds start to empty, refill them with over-wintering brassica plants, autumn salads, cover crops and green manures.…

THERE are few indoor plants as beguiling as the hoya tribe. Also known as wax flowers, there are well over 200 species but only a handful are common in cultivation. Originating from India to Australia, these trailing or climbing plants grow epiphytically in tropical forests, rooting into leaf litter and clambering over tree trunks and branches. They appreciate warmth and filtered light of house rooms and their root systems are modest, like a well-draining compost and are usually happy to settle in relatively small pots for their size. Some, such as H. lanceolata subsp. bella, H. linearis and dainty H. lacunosa grow well dangling from hanging baskets. Flowering usually takes place in summer and watching buds swell and pop open to reveal the starry flowers is exciting. Should your hoya…

I’M very fond of beetroot. I was raised on the purple varieties, doused in gallons of vinegar and scattered in salads, but there’s so much more to this humble root veg. For a start, it doesn’t come in just purple! You can get white, yellow and even pink and white-striped roots with varieties like ‘White Detroit’, ‘Burpees Golden’ and ‘Chioggia’. And there’s ‘Bulls Blood’ which has intense purple foliage rather than the usual green. It’s a great reminder that it’s not only the roots that are edible. The leaves, too, add colour and flavour to salads. Pick either as microleaves or wait till they’re around 3in (8cm) long. TopTip Beetroot seeds germinate to give a cluster of seedlings within a protective capsule, unless you buy ‘monogerm’ varieties, which give one…

Next week: Crucial time for sweetcorn, pick the earliest apples, summer-prune cherries, blight control on tomatoes, cut calabrese I’M always surprised by how quickly courgettes grow – provided they’re planted in a warm spot and kept well watered. So you’d hope that courgettes and their relative pumpkins and squashes are trouble-free. However, they’re not immune to problems, so I’ll help you avoid the pitfalls. Firstly, fruit set can be a bit iffy in the first few weeks. Sometimes the baby courgettes rot off before reaching harvestable size, and at other times they swell at the top but taper towards the base (which then rots). These problems are mostly caused by poor pollination which occurs when temperatures are cold or insects (bees) aren’t on the wing. As the summer moves on…

TO match the hot and spicy palette of my borders I’ve been planting up spare pots with fiery colours. For a flush of orange flowers I’ve selected Dahlia ‘David Howard’. My plan is to enjoy it in a pot this summer, overwinter the tubers in the cellar and then plant them in a border next May. For a contrast in flower shape I’ve paired David up with a yellow anthemis. At the front of the pot a bright orange gazania, that will open and close its flowers with the sun, is the perfect addition. A word of warning: there is no point planting up gazanias for a shady spot – the flowers just won’t open. When using such dominant colours, I like to add a soft touch with a Nassella…

With many of the roses in my garden going over i’ve been deadheading daily. it’s far easier to stroll around the garden each morning with basket and secateurs than not to do it for weeks on end. At this time of year you need to decide if you want to enjoy the attractive seed heads of plants or if you’re going to take your chances and hope for another flush of flowers. When it comes to roses i deadhead all but those with winter hips such as Rosa canina, Rosa moyesii and Rosa rugosa ‘Alba’. to deadhead them remove the faded flowers just above a leaf joint. this avoids leaving the plant with scruffy ends! Bedding plants, such as petunias and geraniums, can be deadheaded by simply pinching off the…

I’VE been inspired to go on the hunt for beneficial insects with my young son this summer holiday. Having read Val Bourne’s book The Living Jigsaw, which highlights the value of our garden insects as pollinators and pest controllers, I’m keen to see who is flying around my patch. With five bee hives in the garden we’re not short of honey bees. Working alongside them we’ve spotted the common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) feeding on our kniphofias, hoverflies in large numbers, tortoiseshell butterflies, and plenty of moths. Keeping a record of garden visitors is such a rewarding project. My son has been amazed at the number of different hoverflies, bees, and butterflies. To encourage more beneficial insects next year we’re planning on planting more single flowers and he’s already thinking about…

Canna These vibrant tender plants add a burst of colour to borders from June to September with striking leaves and flowers in bright reds, oranges, yellows and pinks. Dahlias Showy flowers add colour to a tropical border, with bold blooms until October. Some, like ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ (above) also have attractive dark foliage. Hedychium (ginger lily) Towering plants come from subtropical forests and are great additions to a tropical-themed border, with bright flowers from August to October. Musa basjoo (Japanese banana) A Japanese banana plant adds drama to any border with large architectural leaves. It can grow up to 16ft (5m) high with leaves as long as 10ft (3m). Eucomis Pineapple flowers are easy to grow, with an exotic look, ideal for bringing bright, tall blooms to the border through…

▪ Some tall perennials are sturdy enough to support themselves, but most will benefit from a helping hand. ▪ USe plants to support each other – you will find tall grasses such as miscanthus particularly useful. ▪ BamBoo canes and twine are easy to use and inexpensive. This combination is especially suited to supporting single stems. ▪ RUST-CoLoUReD metal supports like those made by Plant Belles (??plantbelles.com) are attractive and will add focal points to a border even after plants have died back. ▪ GReen plastic-coated metal stakes have the advantage of blending into foliage as it grows, providing plants with an invisible means of support. ▪ BOTH hazel and willow can be used to create natural woven structures that plants will grow through.…

Foeniculum vulgare The fine, feathery foliage of this aromatic plant combines delicacy and robustness. Handsome smoky bronze leaves and tall stems that, from mid to late summer, are topped with flat clusters of small yellow flowers. H: 6ft (1.8m); S: 18in (45cm). Stipa gigantea Graceful arching stems of golden oat-like flower heads sway gently in the breeze and rise above a large clump of slender grey-green, strappy leaves. Needs welldrained soil and full sun. Flowers: June- July. H: 8ft 2in (2.5m); S: 4ft (1.2m). Veronicastrum virginicum Clump-forming with slender late-season flower spires that offer both bulk and daintiness from July to August. Faded flower stems provide autumn and winter interest. Plant in full sun or part shade. H: 6ft (1.8m); S: 18in (45cm). Crambe cordifolia Sea kale forms thick, rhubarb-like…

Try something new New to many gardeners, angelonia is good for vertical spikes of colour late into summer, and makes a stunning contrast with the golden foliage of coleus and Creeping Jenny. Spoonpetalled Cape daisies add to the intrigue. Perennial charm Pair a vintage pot with late summerflowering perennials like pink windflowers, Stipa tenuissima, heuchera and ‘Lollipop’, the shorter version of Verbena bonariensis, which tolerates shade and blooms in autumn. Blooms for bees This wildlife planter is a feast for eyes – and insects! The golden flowers of rudbeckia provide nectar for wild bees, while the pink pads of sedum (stonecrops) make a welcome feeding ground for butterflies and hoverflies. Ways with a window box Here’s a simple quick-fix for a window box using a mixture of late-flowering dianthus in…

Write to us: Ask Christine, Amateur Gardening magazine, Westover House, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1JG Email us: amateurgardening@timeinc.com Confused about my alstroemerias Q I am growing alstroemeria in pots. They are doing well, but I don’t know how to look after them when they finish flowering – what should I do? Alan Dean, Colchester, Essex A Alstroemerias make splendid pot plants and yours can be left to flourish in their containers. Slugs love them, so use SlugClear liquid or Bayer Garden Slug Bait. When flowers finish, wait until the leaves and shoots die back to ground level, then carefully remove them. Ideally, consign pots to a greenhouse – it doesn’t have to be heated – or leave them outdoors and drape several layers of fibre fleece over them…

A CAMPAIGneR is fighting to save a garden created in her parking bay after council officials ordered her to scrap it. Brenda Puech, 54, has been backed by neighbours in London and launched a petition, so far signed by 800 people, after a driver complained about her tiny plot, dubbed the People’s Parking Bay. One couple even had their first date at the garden, which is in Hackney. Brenda said: “It’s disappointing because it has been a huge hit with the community.” The Hackney Living Streets (a walking campaign) activist bought furniture and a pink parasol for the bay outside her home. She installed artificial turf and plants in large containers. Brenda set up her garden after buying a parking permit from Hackney Council. She insists it no longer makes…

We try before you buy INSTALLING mainspowered outdoor lights can be an expensive business – not only for the armoured cable and weatherproof lights but for the qualified electrician you’ll need to wire them up. Solar lights can be had for a fraction of the price, and there’s a huge variety available to choose from. We’ve looked at a selection of solar path and drive markers aimed at bringing some illumination to your garden path at night. They range in price considerably, but they’re all funky and fun. Like all solar-powered products they need light to properly charge up – so don’t site them in a shady corner. We gave them all two days worth of charging in full sun (which is recommended for most) After that the were left…

*just pay £5.65 postage Worth £27.60 SpecTacUlaR allium bulbs will produce an explosion of colour from spring to mid-summer, followed by architectural seedheads that create a magnificent autumn display. Undemanding and easy to grow, these magnificent allium flowers range in height from 6in (15cm) to 36in (90cm). as well as providing a sunny display for the garden they’re also excellent for cutting so you can bring their splendour indoors. Collection comprises the following bulb varieties: ▪ 3 x Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ ▪ 21 x Allium neopolitanum ▪ 25 x Allium roseum ▪ 43 x Allium sphaerocephalon ▪ 5 x Allium caeruleum ▪ 3 x Allium ‘Mount Everest’ Other special offers: OFFER 1 Great for cutting Allium ‘Big Impact Mixed’ Undemanding and easy to grow, Allium ‘Big Impact Mixed’ will give a wonderful assortment of flower shapes, sizes and…

Perennial concern: Next week in AG I’ll show you how to get the best from your perennial plants all summer long 1 Filling gaps: Keep your borders full of texture and colour by plugging gaps with seedlings, annuals or perennials. Water them well and protect from pests. 2 Collecting seeds: Shake the mature seedheads of your favourite plants into containers or envelopes. Label and store them until sowing time. 3 Cuttings: Boost your plant stock by taking cuttings now. Herbs, shrubs, climbers and perennials can all be propagated by this simple method. 4 Shrub cut: This is your last chance to cut back early-flowering shrubs. You can also give wayward clematis a tidying trim to keep them in their allotted space. 5 Tidy shed: If you’re anything like me, your…

▪ Containers and hanging baskets need regular care to keep plants healthy and lush and to encourage months of flowering. ▪ Feed with a liquid tomato food once a fortnight to make sure plants get all the nutrients they need to reach their potential. ▪ Also water frequently, ideally daily, during very dry spells as containers dry out fast. ▪ Pay extra attention to those sheltered by fences or under eaves, as they might miss out on rainfall. ▪ Check for pests, especially slugs and snails that lurk around the edge of pots and vine weevil larvae that eat the roots.…

▪ Biennial seeds are a simple way of planning for next year’s garden. ▪ Sow them now in fresh seed compost that has been dampened using clean tap water. ▪ Once the seedlings germinate, remove the seed tray cover and let them grow on until they develop their first set of ‘real’ leaves. ▪ Then move them into 3in (7cm) pots, grow them on and plant them out when they are robust enough.…

Listen to Peter's free podcast every Thursday. Search for 'This Week In The Garden with Peter Seabrook' on iTunes THE many thousands who open their gardens for charity have my hearty thanks; it takes time, effort and a lot of hard work to organise and execute. Recently I was asked to cut the ribbon on the Open Gardens at Little Waltham in Essex, an event hosted by some 18 residents in aid of the local hospice. We met up on the warm Friday evening before the open day on Sunday, when there was the chance to have a pre-opening peek at several of them. Roses were in full bloom and in several cases the rose beds were edged with fragrant lavender, the scents of philadelphus, sweet peas and trachelospermum were…

1 Dampen your greenhouse floor daily to lower temperatures and raise humidity, which lowers the risk of glasshouse red spider mite. 2 Greenhouse crops need regular watering and feeding throughout the summer as they have limited access to rain and nutrients. 3 Biological controls, including the tiny wasp Encarsia formosa, will help keep your greenhouse free of whitefly and other pests. 4 Pinch out tomato side shoots so the plant puts all its energy into existing flowers and fruits.…

THIS week’s free seeds provide distinctive colour in the garden and carry an extremely distinguished name. Papaver somniferum ‘Victoria Cross’ bear beautifully fringed red petals carrying a clearly marked white cross in their centre. Named for the highest award bestowed by the British Honours system, this poppy will create months of colour in the garden as it can be sown successively through the summer. For next year’s flowers, sow these hardy annuals between now and October. The seeds will bide their time in the soil and germinate next spring. Alternatively, save them for sowing after the frosts next year, though these will probably give a later burst of provide distinctive colour in the garden and carry an extremely distinguished name. Papaver somniferum ‘Victoria Cross’ bear beautifully fringed red petals carrying…

▪ Although plants enjoy filtered light, they must have a few hours of sunlight every day to grow and flower well. East or north facing windows are best, as south and west aspects are too harsh in summer. ▪ Normal room temperatures suit hoyas, with a minimum of 10oC/50oF. ▪ Always allow the top layer of compost to dry out between waterings. A high potash liquid feed every three weeks while plants are in active growth will help them bloom. ▪ Pot on occasionally, using two parts of coarse soil-less potting compost (add a little orchid bark if you like) and one part potting grit, medium-grade perlite or vermiculite.…

I’VE been waiting and waiting (and waiting!) for my dessert cherries to fully ripen, and at last, they have. It’s so tempting to pick them as soon as they start to turn red but the flavour will be so disappointing if you do. As hard as it is, you must wait until the fruit is almost black, but once this stage is reached, you won’t be disappointed. Your mouth will be filled with the most juice-packed flavour-hit – and one is never enough. I can spend a good five minutes under the tree, firing pips left, right and centre. Bird netting is essential to allow your fruits to get to this stage, and rain can split ripe skins, so listen to weather forecasts and time your harvest accordingly.…

IF you haven’t heard of the veg grower Joy Larkcom I’d urge you to look her up – she’s an incredibly talented lady and a big fan of Eastern vegetables. Her book on the subject will astound you as to the diversity of this group of crops Tubers, flowering shoots, fleshy roots, lush leaves – there’s a vegetable for every dish and gardener. These days we list many of these crops separately, whereas in years past they were grouped together. The likes of pak choi, mizuna, Chinese cabbage and broccoli, mustard greens, mooli radish and komatsuna all originate from Eastern Asia, and all are incredibly quick-growing from a midsummer sowing. Thriving in buoyant conditions, sowings made now will rapidly bulk up as long as night time temperatures are warm and…

WHAT could be better than entertaining friends in the garden on a summers evening? To add that party feel to your patio there are a few very simple things that can be done to set the mood. Pots of herbs used as table centres work a treat – the scent of the plants is a talking point and a welcome addition to any gathering. I keep a few pots of lavender by my back door and pop them on the table before serving a meal. Don’t be tempted to leave the plants on the table all summer though as they may leave a mark and are likely to get blown off in high winds. Keep them safe in a sheltered spot until they’re needed. A vase of freshly picked flowers…

DON’T miss the opportunity to increase your stock of clematis. Internodal cuttings can be taken now using semiripe plant material. ▪ Simply select a clematis stem that is free of flowers and remove with sharp secateurs. Cut off the soft growing tip of the shoot just above a leaf joint. ▪ Make a cut half way between the top node and the next one down. A cutting only needs one or two leaves to strike, so cut off one of the pair of leaves. ▪ Fill a pot with compost and make an insert for each cutting using a pencil or small dibber. Insert the cutting so that the top leaf joint is just sitting on the compost surface. ▪ Scatter the surface with a layer of fine grit and…

New series! WHEN you’re an organic gardener, who doesn’t use any slug bait at all, the question of slugs always rears its ugly head. And when you explain that you actually don’t have much bother with them, no one believes you! I’m not immune of course. I grow my dahlias on my allotment because the slugs and snails cause problems in the depths of the border. Some years I’ve lost all my French marigolds, which I actually plant with lettuces, around my climbing beans to attract the slugs and preserve the growing tips of my beans. Metaldehyde-based slug bait has an active chemical that’s very motile so it leaches into water courses and, at the moment, there’s no way of removing it. In summer 2013, Natural England and the Environment…

Although the foliage of plants such as bananas will suffer in winter unless the plant is wrapped in fleece, its roots are fairly hardy. Mulch with a layer of composted manure or organic matter to protect them and new foliage will emerge in spring. In cold areas, tender plants such as cannas can also be wrapped with horticultural fleece or bubble wrap to protect them from frost. Tender plants with rhizomes, or tubers such as dahlias, should be lifted, dried and stored in a frost-free place over winter.…

Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ This perennial sunflower produces masses of lemon-yellow blooms with deep yellow centres. Stems are sturdy, but the flowers can get top heavy, particularly in summer downpours, so staking is vital. It likes full sun but is generally unfussy and establishes quickly. Flowers: July-September. H: 6ft 7in (2m); S: 18in (45cm). Cephalaria gigantea A giant of a perennial with clumps of attractive grey-green leaves that appear in spring. These are followed by towering stems and pale yellow, scabious-like flowers, which are loved by bees and butterflies. Thrives in a sunny spot, in moist but well-drained soil. Flowers: June-August. H: 8ft 2in (2.5m); S: 3ft 3in (1m). Inula helenium A species of sunflower, inula has cheerful, large yellow daisy-like flowers up to 3½in (9cm) across, on top of lofty…

Why is my clematis dying? QMy clematis was growing beautifully but suddenly it started to wilt and die. What’s happened to it? Jane Porwol, Spalding A Clematis wilt is a common problem and is caused by a fungus called Calophoma clematidina, also known as Ascochyta clematidina. Symptoms are wilting in large-flowered hybrids which can collapse and die in days. This dieback often happens after spells of rapid growth. Old leaves can show dark patches, along with discoloured streaks down the stems. Leaf stalks turn black. Infection appears to gain entry through damaged stems: cut an affected stem open and it’ll show black discolouration if infected. Removing and burning infected stems and leaves by cutting back to healthy nonstained stems will help. Immediately destroy any infected material and do not leave…

Rosa ‘Lovestruck’ Crowned Rose of the Year 2018, ‘lovestruck’ is a floribunda with lightlyscented, cherry-red, double blooms, set against glossy dark-green foliage. It’s said to flower prolifically with “outstanding health” in trials. It is due to be available from leading rose suppliers. Rosa ‘Little Angel’ A white or near white floribunda with semi-double flowers that keep coming through summer. Blooms have a light fragrance. The rose has been named for the charity Tree Aid which helps people in Africa to grow food. Fryer’s Roses: 01565 755455 or fryers-roses.co.uk. Rosa ‘Oxana’ Described as a “prolific flowerer,” it’s a rose-pink floribunda bearing flowers that display deeper pink centres. In trials plants were noted for strong stems and disease resistance. ‘oxana’ is introduced by Apuldram Roses. Call 01243 785769 or visit apuldramroses.co.uk for…

HIGH value items are increasingly being stolen from UK gardens, according to an insurer. As well as lawnmowers and garden tools, thieves have made off with solar panels and heating oil. nFU Mutual said it had even had reports of fine wines and a woodburning stove having been stolen from a shed. Sadly, theft of pets from outdoor spaces is a growing trend, too. The insurer’s Ross Garner said: “It’s important that homeowners treat items in gardens and outbuildings in the same way they treat items inside their homes.” He added: “Make sure you reassess the value [of garden goods] on a regular basis.”…

Space Grill £599 01604 581 053 spacegrill.co.uk Designed to fold away in seconds SpaceGrill has three burners and a huge 25 x 25in (64 x 64cm) cooking surface. There’s a fold down drip tray and a lid that doubles as a splash back. Fix it to a wall or use with its stand (available separately). Weedkiller wand £19.99 p&p £4.99 01506 605157 greenfingers.com Extending from 12-24in (30-60cm) the telescopic mechanism on this wand will help magic away weeds at the back of the border. Attach the stick of Roundup Gel with it then click the trigger to dispense contents. (gloves not included). Cobra AirMow 51 £299.99 rrp cobragarden.co.uk for nearest stockist Floating on a cushion of air this petrol hover mower is lightweight, built to be easy to manoeuvre and…

Write to: Wendy Humphries, Amateur Gardening, Westover House, West Quay Rd, Poole, Dorset BH15 1JG or email: amateurgardening@timeinc. Star letter AG’s welcoming more wildlife I HAD the best surprise ever when I opened this week’s magazine – I couldn’t believe it. Val Bourne, an organic wildlife expert has joined AG. How great! I’ve been trying to get people interested in organic gardening for years, to no avail. It makes so much sense – you don’t spray greenfly, the birds and other creatures have quality food; you don’t use slug pellets, the frogs, hedgehogs and birds will enjoy them; you don’t spray roses or flowers, you don’t kill bees, hoverflies, butterflies and ladybirds. How hard can it be? I just grow things slugs don’t like, because we have lots of slugs.…

Nurseryman and former Gardeners’ World host MY mum loved playing pranks on people, so I believed it was ‘fair-game’ to try some tricks of my own. I went through a spate of sending her postcards from mysterious ‘friends,’ taking her up on her offer to stay for a few weeks, with messages like: “We’ll be bringing the Dobermans!” and took great delight in covering family photos with pictures of Mao Zedong, which much to my amusement would take her months to notice. “In her view, yellow was tasteless” One thing I’d never do was to plant anything yellow in her garden that didn’t flower in spring. While mum loved tricks and daffodils, every other yellow bloom was, in her view, tasteless – especially those flowering in summer. I thought this…