Innholdsfortegnelse for 12-Aug-2017 i Amateur Gardening

Bide your time: Wait until winter to renovate unwieldy shrubs, but don’t expect flowers until they have re-grown a couple of years after hard pruning. THE combination of warmth and rain has made this a bumper year for my garden shrubs – we have had a long display of blossom. A couple of them have out-grown their place and need cutting back so they can recover and grow again for next year. Although the main season for pruning is when the trees are dormant (and leafless so you can see what you are doing) you can give them a summer trim to keep them tidy. ‘Flowering wood needs time to harden’ Pruning now also avoids the peak time for spreading disease, as spores are most active from September to early…

PINKS bring weeks of delight to the garden, repeat-flowering right through summer and into the autumn. They will do their best for you if they are regularly deadheaded and kept well watered. They are closely related to carnations, which are also members of the dianthus family, but are hardier and have a headier scent. Sweet Williams also belong to the dianthus clan and are grown as shortlived perennials or biennials. Members of the family are easy to propagate and this year I am doing so using two methods. Taking cuttings is a straightforward process, while layering may seem complicated, but is in fact equally stress-free. Plants propagated by layering stay attached to the parent plant until they show signs of rooting and independent growth. At this point they can be…

▪ Use ice cubes to store soft herbs such as coriander, parsley, basil, mint, lovage and chives. Simply chop washed and dried leaves finely and pop into ice cube trays. Cover with water and freeze. Then turn out into plastic bags and keep in the freezer. ▪ To freeze whole sprigs, leaves or chopped up leaves, pack into a plastic bag or box, label and freeze. ▪ When required, crumble the sprigs while still frozen or pop one or two ice cubes into a sauce or stew. If herb sprigs are needed for a salad, defrost quickly by placing into a sieve before use. ▪ Ice cubes of borage flowers, pineapple mint, mint leaves or lemon balm can be added to drinks.…

1 Aphids. Sap-suckers that will weaken and even kill plants. Squash them, blast ‘em with water, or spray with an insecticide - but check it’s suitable for crops, if appropriate. 2 Vine weevil. Adult beetles chew leaves, the grubs munch roots. Water soil with a biological control now or in September, or apply Bug Clear Ultra Vine Weevil Killer (not suitable for crops). 3 Ants. Ants build nests in potted plants and lawns. Ant powder is usually effective but is often harmful to aquatic life, so check the product label before using near a pond.…

1 Spraying water over old runner bean cultivars late evening reduces the temperature and extra humidity helps flowers set. This is less important with modern kinds that have French bean blood to improve flower set and pod production. 2 Watering plants in soil several times on one evening a week to get water into the ground, is better than daily surface damping down. 3 After thoroughly watering plants in soil, mulch the surface with garden compost to retain moisture.…

IF you want more, better quality apples and pears next year then it’s a good idea to do some summer pruning before it gets much later. We nearly always consider pruning to be an autumn or winter job, which of course it can be: we prune when the trees are dormant as this is best for building up a good framework, we cut bits off and the strong regrowth replaces them with new bits, hopefully, in a better place. However once the frame is formed and the tree is well established then it’s not such a good idea to prune when dormant – it’s not growth we desire now but more crops. Summer pruning is the answer. You see by removing pieces while the tree is in leaf we don’t…

I SOWED these two crops way back in March, describing them as long-distance runners in the veg world – well, they’re still jogging along! I won’t be harvesting these veg until late in the autumn, but one secret to a generous harvest is consistent moisture. Both crops have an extensive root system, which allows them to soak up ample moisture from the soil, but it needs to be there in the first place or yields will be miserly. So make a note to regularly water them, especially during prolonged periods of dry weather. A good soak is far better than a regular small sprinkle, so be generous when you irrigate, especially if you’re on a light, free-draining soil like me.…

BACk in June you might recall me saying how easy it is to be selfsufficient in carrots. A sowing in February and one again in March will give spring and summer roots – just look at these beauties i’m pulling today! Sow another batch now and you’ll be harvesting small, delicious carrots all autumn, winter and spring – what’s not to like about that? For this August sowing i’d recommend using ‘Autumn king’ which has been bred to hold well through the winter. i cover every sowing with a cloche of Enviromesh to ensure that rootfly isn’t a problem. By October you’ll be pulling baby roots. Cover them with insulating straw before harsh frosts and you can keep crunching until April!…

BRINGING flowers I grow into the house has been a passion of mine for many years. However, my uncle isn’t keen on me picking those at Stockton Bury Gardens, preferring to leave them for the visitors to enjoy. As I can only get away with picking the odd bloom, I have decided to make a pot-et-fleur. Translated, this is a mixed bowl of house plants with a jam jar sunk into the centre to add flowers to. All you need is a suitable house plant bowl and plants of your choice. Try to go for those that offer different foliage shapes, textures, and colours. Leave room in the centre of the bowl to sink a jam jar. I prefer to sink the jar just off centre. Fill the jar with…

HARVESTING rosemary, thyme, and sage for winter dishes is a joy. To increase your stocks of rosemary it’s time to take cuttings. Water the plant well the evening before you plan to take cuttings. Then, first thing in the morning remove healthy shoots, preferably nonflowering, from plants. Each shoot needs to be about 41⁄2in (12cm) in length. When taking cuttings in high summer it’s vital that you set to work straight away to prevent them from wilting. If you can’t work with the material instantly pop them in a sealed plastic bag and leave in a shady spot. Strip off the lower leaves and then shorten each cutting to about 4in (10cm) with a sharp knife. Fill pots with compost and water. Dip the end of each cutting in hormone…

LAST night I took my dog Larry for a walk through the village and what did I see? A sprinkler being used to water a lawn! Why? I am very keen to conserve water as much as possible, especially in August. But even though we open our garden to visitors we would never consider watering the grass. Lawns recover so water should be saved for plants in containers. And we never water the border plants as we are convinced that this encourages deeper rooting and stronger plants. The only things I would water in my garden now are container grown plants, seedlings, cuttings, greenhouse plants, those not long divided, and plants recently planted in beds and borders.…

The first thing to know about red hot pokers is that they’re not all red – far from it! So gardeners with an aversion to fiery colours have plenty more to choose from in primrose, peachy and pink shades, and even pale-green. But all have the dramatic poker shape that, even in smaller varieties, brings an architectural presence to sunny borders. Red hot pokers (kniphofia) grow wild in South Africa. It may come as a surprise to British gardeners to see them growing along stream sides, but if you look at where plants grow in the wild for guidance on growing them in your garden, it will backfire. In the garden, rich and fertile is better than starved, but it’s drainage that’s crucial and winter waterlogging that’s fatal. They will…

Trachelospermum jasminoides A good choice for adding fragrance to the garden, with attractive foliage and starshaped white, or in some cases pink, flowers through the summer. It reaches 20ft (6m) but can be pruned to keep it in check. Likes a warm, sunny spot. Lonicera ‘Henryi’ Although this honeysuckle doesn’t have any scent, it makes up for it by being reliable and easy to grow. It also attracts bees to the garden and has red and yellow flowers from June to July, followed by black berries. Vigorous, it will reach 33ft (10m) in height if left unpruned. Clematis ‘Freckles One of the best evergreen clematis, this variety has an Award of Garden Merit (AGM) from the RHS and will cover your fences in scented flowers from December to February. It…

Passionflowers Passifloras will jazz up any wall or fence with exotic, eye-catching flowers from July to september. Passiflora caerulea (above) has an AGM and is the variety most often found in garden centres. Best grown in a sheltered spot on a sunny wall - in cold areas of the UK, it can be semi-evergreen. Orange fruits follow the flowers. Height: 33ft (10m). Lonicera x brownii ‘Dropmore Scarlet’ This vigorous honeysuckle is only semievergreen, but don’t be put off: in a sheltered spot it’ll keep its attractive blue-green leaves through mild winters and those vibrant scarlet flowers last for months – from July right through to October. These are then followed by red berries. Height: 13ft (4m). Ivy Ivies might not seem the most inspiring choice of evergreen climber, but choose…

Hot and fiery Hot colours aren’t just for flowers – the foliage of coleus, pennisetum, oxalis and Ipomoea ‘Blackie’ hold their own in bright sunshine, and make a classy backdrop for the lavacoloured New Guinea impatiens. Shine a light Ornamental grass Stipa tenuissima lights up like a fibre-optic lamp when backlit by late-summer sunshine. The blush-pink skirt of erigeron daisies will flower like little troopers – right into November. Dahlia days Dwarf bedding dahlias are perfect for a cottagey basket. Soften their large leaves with the wispy foliage of redtipped Imperata ‘Rubra’, festuca and carex grasses.…

Can I plant in the heat of August? Q I know that August isn’t the best time for planting, but I’ve bought a lot of plants at shows and garden centres. What steps should I take to ensure that plants establish well during hot weather? Richard Moss, Ware, Herts A The professional gardener in me should shake my finger and look forbidding but in fact I think it’s a great idea to buy plants at shows and garden centres every month of the year. Even if you know little about plants, you can see what you are getting, check with the nurseryman whether it will suit your garden and, especially for beginners, this is an easy route to year-round colour. Design-wise, it helps to know that you have an area,…

Write to us: Ask the AG experts, Amateur Gardening magazine, Westover House, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1JG Email us: amateurgardening@timeinc.com Can I take fuchsia cuttings now? QIs this a good time to take fuchsia cuttings, which can be grown on and then planted outside? Carol Rusbridge, Lowestoft, Suffolk AThis is an excellent time. In theory, fuchsia cuttings can be taken whenever fresh material is available, but it can be hard after September when temperatures and light levels drop. Use healthy plant material where the uppermost leaves are fully expanded and not too soft. Fuchsia cuttings tend to lose water fast and most failure occurs because they wilt before taking root. Ideally, pots of cuttings should be placed in a plastic bag or propagator where a higher level of…

‘Apricot Beauty’ The dreamy soft apricot flowers of this early single variety appear in April, on plants 15in (38cm) high. Good for pot work in an unheated greenhouse. ‘Carnaval de Nice’ The white petals feathered with raspberry of this peony-flowered double remind me of tulip flowers in paintings by Dutch Old Masters. Plants reach 20in (50cm) high, flowering from April to May. ‘Negrita’ Large satiny blooms open a rich, plummy purplepink from April to May, at 18in (45cm). A popular ingredient for mixtures with contrasting colours. ‘Pieter de Leur’ One year we filled a large lead look-alike container with this April to Mayblooming waterlily tulip and were impressed with the two-tone crimson and cherry blooms, 18in (45cm) high.…

BuTTerFlies, once a common sight in our gardens in mid-summer, face a critical battle for survival. a string of poor breeding seasons has seen butterflies, regarded as a barometer of the health of the natural world, decline. last year was the fourth worst on record, prompting broadcaster sir david attenborough to call for action. Common species such as the small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper experienced declines in 2016. But this year’s warm, dry spring and early-summer across much of the uK has given many species a head start. sir david, who is president of charity Butterfly Conservation, said that this period would be “vital for butterflies”. He explained: “They need to make the most of this chance to feed and breed. so far, the warm weather has given…

A NATIONAL tree map is to be drawn up to counter the growing threat from new diseases. The first comprehensive survey of tree species is being carried out by Historic England. The aim is to provide data regarding the range and variation of tree species growing within historic landscapes in order to assess the risk posed to them. Pests and diseases have become a serious risk to forests, woodlands and trees in domestic gardens. Some originated from imported plants and timber. Historic England will survey 1,650 registered parks and gardens in a bid to create a national database.…

Eureka Glass Bulb £6 Wyevale Garden Centres Turn an ordinary tree into an enchanted one. When the sun sets the integrated solar panel powers a string of tiny LEDs inside. Has a built in hanger and crocodile clip for security. And because the panel is built in you can hang the bulb in any sunny site. Dual Power Lights £14.99 p&p from £4.79 Cole & Bright 0843 317 7820 lyco.co.uk Harness the sun in the summer via a solar panel and then keep the light shining in winter with built-in battery power. These 10 coloured LED lights sit on a clear cable that’s 10ft 11in (3.35m) long. They’re powered by AA rechargeable batteries or alternatively a solar panel that’s 6ft 6in (2m) from the first light. An automatic on/off timer…

Write to: Wendy Humphries, Amateur Gardening, Westover House, West Quay Rd, Poole, Dorset BH15 1JG or email: amateurgardening@timeinc.com Star letter Share your stories, tips and pictures with us and if your letter is published you will receive a new book. When you write, please indicate your special area of interest! Bird watching I READ with interest the article (AG News, 22 July) regarding a report from the RSPB about wild birds vanishing for summer. This is news to me. Within less than an hour the visiting birds have emptied my feeders and they seem just as plentiful as ever. Sparrows, starlings, thrushes, tits, blackbirds, jackdaws and repeat visits from a great-spotted woodpecker, the list is endless. I seem to be replacing the suet blocks in my two suet feeders on…

1 Select a shoot of this year’s growth and remove it from the plant using clean, sharp scissors or a knife. 2 Trim the cut material to between 4-6in (10-15cm) and remove the lower leaves. Pinch out the soft tip. 3 Dip the cut end in hormone rooting gel or powder to boost root development. Tap off any excess. 4 Insert the cutting into clay pots of cuttings compost mixed with sharp sand or perlite. Water and allow to drain. 5 Seal the cuttings in a propagator or plastic bag and place them somewhere warm and light.…

▪ The dianthus cuttings that I plunged into a single pot back in June have taken and started to throw out roots from the base. ▪ They are ready to move into their own pots of nutrient-rich compost, where they will grow and remain until they are ready to plant out. ▪ Fill a 4in (10cm) pot with John Innes No2 compost, water well and leave to drain. ▪ Water the cuttings well to make it easier to slide them from their pot. Tease their roots apart, taking care not to damage any. ▪ Insert each cutting into holes made into the pots of compost. ▪ Firm them in and place in a cold frame. They can either go into the ground in autumn, when the soil is warm and…

PLANTS and people aren’t too dissimilar in the way that both are able to resist diseases better when they’re in tip-top health. By the same token, healthy plants have a better chance of recovering well after an attack by pests. So, for example, a tomato plant that’s in good condition will be able to shrug off whitefly and the resulting black mould that grows on their honeydew better than one that’s been struggling because of a lack of feeding and hydration. Water stress is common in plants and making sure they receive the correct levels of nutrition is also important. Good ventilation and garden hygiene will also improve their chances of success. TopTip When using chemicals against diseases, check they are suitable for edible plants, as several are only suitable…

1 Rust. Caused by fungus, rust usually appears as orange spots. Remove and dispose of affected leaves as spores will contaminate the soil. Nonedibles can be treated with fungicides. 2 Leaf spot. This causes unsightly spotting on leaves and sometimes stems. Crops can’t be treated with a spray, so dispose of affected foliage. Use a fungicide spray on ornamental plants. 3 Powdery mildew. This looks like plants have been dusted with talc. Improve air circulation and watering and remove affected leaves. Fungicides are also available.…

FEW things are more rewarding than cutting bunches of richly scented, home-grown sweet peas for indoors - it’s what makes all of this gardening malarkey worthwhile. But those delicious blooms aren’t guaranteed to keep flowering - you need to put in a little legwork to make sure new buds appear. First, don’t allow plants don’t dry out. If this happens they can become stressed and succumb to powdery mildew, a talclike coating on stems and leaves. If you see this cut off and bin affected leaves. Also, don’t allow any flowers you leave on the plants to go over and run to seed. Do this and the plant thinks its job is done and it’ll stop producing more blooms, so cut fresh blooms for the vase regularly and remove others…

1 Inspect main crop spuds for any that have unearthed themselves and cover with soil, newspaper or mulch to stop them turning green. 2 Kids getting bored? Have them grub weeds out of lawns with blunt knives, a bucketful in exchange for some treats. 3 Now is a good time to sow Pak-choi, loose-leaf, miner’s and lamb’s lettuces, and most salad leaf crops for winter. 4 Buy Japanese and other autumnsowing onion seed to put in over the next fortnight for super early crops next summer.…

1 We’ve already discussed pigeon netting in previous weeks, but in high-summer cabbages, cauliflowers and the like also need protection from cabbage white butterflies. Drape fine butterfly netting over plants, holding it away from leaves with canes. 2 Once covered, it’s tempting to leave your plants alone – don’t! Every two weeks or so remove the netting and weed your crops. Because they’re planted at wide spacings it’s easy to weave a hoe between individual plants. Choose a dry, hot day with a breeze. 3 All winter brassicas will eventually develop into sizeable plants, which can make them top-heavy and vulnerable to wind rock. Rocking from side to side can damage and rot the base of the main stem, so draw earth up around each plant to stabilise it.…

WHiLE i’m a fan of brassicas and leeks, rotating between them at mealtimes can become repetitive. Consequently i always remember to make sowings of hardy leaves in August, namely Swiss chard and spinach, as i love their distinctive flavour and soft butteriness. My favourite chard is ‘Fantasy’. it doesn’t have the bitter aftertaste of some ruby chards and its colour looks great on the plate. i’ll also sow both annual and perpetual spinaches. i recommend ‘tetona’ as a good annual type – it’s slow to bolt in spring and is an F1 hybrid so enjoys natural vigour. Perpetual spinach isn’t perhaps as refined as the annual forms but it’s such a good doer that i wouldn’t be without it. the name implies that it crops forever. While that might be…

HOW’S the school summer holiday going fellow mums? If you’re looking for a project in the garden then it’s well worthwhile setting your little ones to work making wildlife hotels. My son Herbie is making a 5-star hotel out of old pallets at the top and bottom with layers of cones, twigs, hollow canes, and stones in-between. It’s more of a wildlife stack inspired by a project he found on the RSPB web site. The top layer is going to be covered in polythene to keep the stack dry and his aim is to find as many building materials as possible in the garden. It’s going in a shady, quiet corner of the garden so we’re hoping to attract frogs and toads this coming autumn and winter. If you’re short…

MY alpine troughs are looking very dull so I’ve added some much-needed late colour. The choice of alpines with August interest is limited, but at my local garden centre I was tempted by the variegated Sedum kamtshaticum ‘Variegatum’. This is a great value plant as it flowers all summer and is tough enough to be grown in the cracks in walls or paving. Another plant that I took a shine to was Echeveria ‘Duchess of Nuremberg’. The Duchess is an evergreen succulent that will produce pink flowers from later summer right the way through into autumn. I also put the white, daisy-like Rhodanthemum ‘African Spring’ into my trolley. This has great stamina and will continue to flower throughout August. I’ve planted them in the gritty compost in the trough and…

THIS week’s free seeds from Mr Fothergill’s will create a wonderful combination of colours and shapes to brighten problem areas of the garden. Wildlife Woodland Mixture is made up of perennial and hardy annual seeds that will do well in areas of shade or dappled sunlight. All the seeds are from native British plants, which is ideal for anyone planning a wildflower garden or hoping to attract and help vital pollinators such as butterflies and bees. Each packet includes a selection of varieties growing to 48in (120cm) that may include red campion, foxglove, meadowsweet, bellflower, herb Bennett, gipsywort, meadowsweet, self-heal, tufted vetch and wood sage. The seeds can be sown between now and October, or saved until next spring and added to the garden between March and May. Autumn-sown seeds…

‘Alcazar’ Classic poker colours. Fiery orange-red buds hold their colour well before becoming yellowish as they mature. They come in dense spikes from June to September. Height: 3ft (90cm). ‘Bees Lemon’ Green buds open to well-filled elegant spikes of lemonyellow flowers on bronze stems from July to September. The narrow foliage is neat and not obtrusive. Height: 3ft (90cm). ‘John Benary’ Dramatic spikes are coral-red from top to bottom, from July to September. They’re rich in bud and softer as they mature, with yellow sparks at the tips of mature flowers. Height: 3.2ft (1m). ‘Jenny Bloom’ Peachy-red buds open to apricot flowers, tinged with salmon-pink at the tips. It makes a lovely combination that looks good against a green background. Height: 2.5ft (75cm). ‘Green Jade’ Narrow pale-green spikes emerge from…

▪ Before planting, put up supports for your climber such as wire attached with vine eyes or trellis. Check the label to see whether your climber needs sun or shade. Remove weeds and dig in some compost or well-rotted manure. ▪ Dig a hole 18in (45cm) away from the wall or fence. Once you’ve taken the plant out of its pot, tease out the roots and plant it at the same depth as it was in the pot, with the top of the root ball at soil level, leaning it toward the fence or wall. Firm around the plant and water well. ▪ Tie your climbers into the supports, being careful not to damage the stems (above). ▪ Once planted, water regularly until established. Check for aphids and scale insects…

Use the biggest container you can – at least 18in (45cm) deep and wide. Choose compact climbers such as Clematis ‘Pixie’ or C. ‘Ovation’. These can be trained up a small trellis or an obelisk. Protect the roots by shading with stones during the summer. Ivy is a good choice for adding a trailing element to pots, and will last all year. The bluebell creeper with attractive blue flowers into september is also good for a pot, as you can move it into a conservatory or greenhouse over winter if you live in a frost-prone area, If you want to keep your climbers in pots year-round, the best compost to use is a soil-based John Innes No. 2.…

combo 1 Phormium ‘Bronze Baby’ A smaller, dark-leaved evergreen phormium makes a tall and elegant centrepiece for pots viewed from all sides, while the spear-shaped leaves are reminiscent of holiday destinations. H 2ft (60cm). Heuchera ‘Marmalade’ Highly collectable evergreens, heucheras work double time by creating both foliage fill and trail for pots, while the range of jammy colours available mean they go with almost everything. H 12in (30cm). Dahlia ‘Bishop of Canterbury’ Compact, with dark leaves make all the Bishop dahlias great for containers. Flowers are russet, apricot or mahogany. H 3ft (1m). combo 2 Carex ‘Evergold’ Shape, evergreen leaves and bold colour make Japanese Sedge great grasses for containers. Those eyecatching, narrow arching leaves add trail and permanence to pots. H 15in (40cm). Dwarf aster Miniature versions of the…

▪ During long droughts, new plants need watering every few days. Avoid quick sprays but apply two gallons (9L) under the foliage and over the roots. ▪ Should perennials be coming to the end of flowering, cut long flowered stems back to a basal rosette, avoiding water loss and saving energy. ▪ Provide leggy plants like dahlia or tall Penstemon ‘Husker Red’ with twiggy sticks or sturdy canes, and string as support against storms that come when the hot weather breaks.…

Trusted trades people Gardeners are the most trusted professionals, followed by electricians – according to a study of trades carried out by home services website Plentific.com. Royal parks charity launched The Prince of Wales launched the Royal Parks Charity which will support 5,000 acres of royal parkland. The prince visited a new £5million parks nursery, too. A 10-year, £4.5million restoration project has transformed one of the largest innercity allotment sites in the world. St Ann’s Allotments spans 75-acres and is just one mile away from Nottingham’s city centre. It’s claimed to be one of the oldest and largest collection of Victorian detached town gardens in the UK. Built in the 1830s, it’s home to 670 plots across three connecting sites: Hungerhill Gardens, Stonepit Coppice and Gorsey Close. The regeneration followed…

11-12: Shrewsbury Flower Show, The Quarry Park, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY1 1RN. On the opening day, TV gardener Joe Swift will talk about how to design goldmedal winning Chelsea gardens. Call 01743 234050 or visit shrewsburyflowershow.org.uk 12-13: Carnivorous Plant Weekend, RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorks HG3 1QB. 0203 176 5830 or rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr 13: Local produce show, RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Rosemoor, Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH. 0203 176 5830 or rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor 18-20: RHS Rosemoor Flower Show, RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Rosemoor, Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH. 0203 176 5830 or rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor 19: Shadwell Flower, Veg and Craft Show (1.30-4.30pm) Shadwell Primary School playing fields, Main Street, Shadwell, Leeds LS17 8JF. For more information about the show, call 0113 273 8821 ▪ Please check that the event is still…

Nurseryman and former Gardeners’ World host THERE’S always a personal highlight from summer flower shows and this year it was the RHS Butterfly Dome which came to Hampton Court and Tatton Park. “A few butterflies made a break for freedom” Shaped like a mini biome from the Eden Project and as hot as a jungle in Java, the dome was home to hundreds of tropical butterflies that feed, bask on the plants and flutter inside its polythene walls. There are dozens of different Asian and American types including black and tan Tiger Swallowtails and Blue Morphos which, when their wings are open, are wider than the palm of your hand. These extraordinarily butterflies land on your legs or perch momentarily on your sunglasses, making the whole experience delightful. Then they’d…

1 Deadhead roses as blooms fade to encourage plants to continue flowering. Also cut and dry lavender flower spikes for indoor scent. 2 Keep shrubs well watered in dry spells (especially container shrubs) and add a layer of mulch to help the soil retain moisture. 3 Watch out for severe attacks of sap-sucking pests including woolly aphids (pictured) on woody growth, and aphids attacking fresh growth. Deal with them immediately. 4 If variegated shrubs start producing green shoots, prune back to wood containing variegated leaves. Called ‘reversion’, it can affect the whole plant if left unchecked.…

MANY herbs are out of season during winter, so I’m preserving and storing some of mine to use then. There are two easy techniques to try at home that do not need any special equipment. The first is air-drying, an age-old method that can give very good results. Often, the flavour it creates is far superior to shop-bought dried herbs, particularly thyme, bay, rosemary, sage and oregano. Harvest new, non-flowering growth, as older leaves of woody herbs often lack flavour. The best time is a dry morning once the dew has evaporated. Dry stems quickly, tying them in small bunches rather than large bundles which can stay damp in the centre. Hang them upside down in a warm, airy place that is constantly above 68?F (20?C), or outdoors out of…

▪ This pernicious perennial weed creeps into your garden via rhizomes and is not easy to get rid of. ▪ You can dig the ground and remove the roots, but if you miss even a tiny piece it will soon regenerate. ▪ Alternatively, cover the ground with black polythene, though this can take a few years to be successful. ▪ Chemical control often works best. Apply a glyphosate weedkiller to the leaves during the growing season as a spray or in gel form. ▪ The chemical is absorbed by the leaves and works its way down to the roots, eventually killing the plant.…

Listen to Peter's free podcast every Thursday. Search for 'This Week In The Garden with Peter Seabrook' on iTunes THERE is something very satisfying about standing, roseended- hose in hand, spraying water over plants after a hot day. But while it might make us feel good, the truth is that plants are best watered, with a few exceptions, without a rose and by applying water at low pressure to the base of them. If you watch experienced growers watering they will often have either a length of metal tubing on the hose end, or a cane tied to the last two or three feet, helping to direct the flow of water where it is most needed. These attachments allow the hose end to be pushed under leaves and between pots…

WISTERIA, like clematis, have a bit of a reputation when it comes to pruning. They’re deemed to be complicated to deal with and, if you get it wrong, you’ll forfeit next year’s flowers. So many of us don’t bother and elect to grow an ‘easier’ climber. The truth is, pruning wisteria couldn’t be easier. Ideally, it should be cut twice a year: now, in mid to late summer, and in January. I’ll deal with the winter pruning later this year and concentrate on the summer pruning now. But first, personal safety. If yours is a young-ish plant you may be able to get away without using a ladder, but you’ll eventually need one. Make sure both its feet are on firm, level ground. If you’re using it on paving, get…

SOME crops, summer radishes for example, can be in the ground for just a few weeks before they’re ready to harvest. With winter brassicas, however, it’s a different story. My Brussels sprouts, savoy cabbage, kale and purple sprouting were all sown in April and it will be a matter of months, (twelve in the case of the purple sprouting), before I’ll get a good harvest from them. It goes without saying then, that these long-term crops need regular attention to make sure they reward you with a crop. Pests, weeds and diseases could all take hold if you don’t look after them. Don’t be put off though, these jobs are incredibly easy. Here’s what to do (see right). TopTip Protect cabbages from wind damage by building up soil around the…

Next week: Fork onions and shallots partly out of the soil. Harvest peaches and nectarines. Lift maincrop potatoes and store. Pick blueberries. Lift wet garlic and store bulbs for drying, too. WitH this all or nothing crop you either get a glut or a dearth. While apples seem to have set poorly this year for us in Essex, plums are more than making up for the loss. it’s funny because plums flower earlier than apples, so there must have been an untimely late frost. i’ve had to prop up the branches of our little ‘Victoria’ tree for fear that they’d snap under the strain of all that fruit. Luckily plums and gages freeze and jam incredibly well. Bottling and stewing also work well, so expect kitchen worktops to be sticky…

New series! MY roses have endured cold winds, scorching heat and heavy rain, all within the space of two weeks in socalled British summertime, so they are looking rather battered. Every now and again I come across some rose leaves with neatly cut circular discs removed. This is the handy work of the leafcutter bee and I am always pleased to see it. They chew through the leaves, roll the pieces into a cigar shape and line their ‘cells’ within a nest cavity. It’s quite common here at Spring Cottage to see one carrying a piece of leaf away in its mouth. Last year they nested in a pot of pelargoniums in the greenhouse, so the door had to be left open. Leafcutters look rather like honeybees in size and…

Tip: Did you know that in August a new generation of ladybirds emerge from pupae? So, hold off with those pesticides THIS week local florist Yolanda Campbell came to my garden to harvest foliage for a demonstration. Yolanda is an RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medallist, so I couldn’t miss the opportunity to pick her brains on conditioning flowers. Flowers and foliage should be conditioned a couple of days before they are required for display. Stems need to be defoliated, recut, and placed in water to ensure a long vase life. Here’s Yolanda’s top tips: ▪ Place cut stems in high-sided flower buckets, but first remove any leaves that will sit under the water. ▪ Plants with hairy stems, like gerberas, need conditioning. Do this by placing one drop of…

WE have a large area of ox-eye daisies, Leucanthemum vulgare, a much-loved perennial that grows in most soils. They are a picture in June, especially when joined by a few spotted orchids. I’ve held off until now to cut them back as I’m keen for the seed to be dropped in the hope the magical drift of daisies will be even more impressive next year. We cut back the meadow area with a scythe and the cuttings are left on the ground to allow the last of the seed to fall. I’ll then rake up the faded flowers and add them to the compost.…

▪ Wildlife gardening can be as simple as feeding the birds and leaving a patch of land untamed. ▪ Grow plants for bees, including foxgloves, catmint, lavender and other purple plants (purple is the colour bees see best). ▪ Help hedgehogs by cutting CDsized holes in wood fences, or leaving gaps between gardens, so they can forage without crossing busy roads. ▪ Ponds are great for wildlife, but make sure they have a shallow end so creatures can climb out and never leave children unsupervised around them.…

The majority of evergreen climbers only need light pruning to keep them in shape. You can also prune to ensure they don’t get too big for your space. The best time to prune is after flowering. Remove any dead, weak or diseased branches; for evergreen clematis, cut back shoots that are too long, taking them back to a healthy flower bud. It’s a good idea to stand back to check the shape as you prune. Check plant labels for any specific pruning requirements – the bluebell creeper, for example, needs to have its flowered shoots removed in the spring.…

Tough stuff In a shady garden you can’t go wrong with hardy fuchsia and hypericum. F. ‘Genii’ stays compact and bushy and its limey leaves are an effective contrast to the colourful trailing bugles and the aubergine shades of the hypericum berries. Solo bowl Although coleus can cope with sun they are better in part-shade, and with so many colour options, mixing different varieties in a bowl is simple but effective. Deadhead to keep plants compact and stop flower colours clashing. Shady customers Despite their tropical appearance, Fuchsia ‘Thalia’ and New Guinea impatiens cope fine with part-shade – provided they get a few hours of sunshine each day their burnished blooms last well into autumn.…

1 For a moisture-loving plant, find space in a semi-shaded border and soak three square feet (one square metre). I used three, 2-gallon (9L) cans. Fork-in soil conditioner, such as well-rotted compost. 2 Dig a hole in the moist, loosened and conditioned soil and soak the base of the hole, using another large can of water. 3 Sink the roots, pot and all, in a bucket of water. Drain, remove the pot and gently tease out a few roots. Set at the correct level in the planting hole, fill in and firm well. 4 Water-in, using another full can. Even during a drought, the plant should now last three or four days before another soaking to the roots.…

▪ tulips enjoy good welldrained soil in sun. on heavy soils, fork in plenty of organic matter and coarse grit, while on poor soils, apply a spring dressing of pelleted chicken manure. ▪ Whether tulips will ‘naturalise’, or return to flower again is a gamble. You’ll meet gardeners who swear that ‘spring Green’ comes back year-after-year in their borders, only to find it disappears from yours. ▪ My most reliable tulip has been ‘Fontainebleau’, whose white-edged, maroonpurple flowers stand up to wind and rain, making bold clumps in a west border of clay soil.…

AN historic garden which closed to the public seven years ago is to be restored to its former glory and re-opened. Leonardslee Gardens near Horsham in West Sussex used to attract 50,000 visitors a year, lured by its displays of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, magnolias and bluebells. First planted in 1801, the grade onelisted gardens are noted for their alpine glasshouses, rock garden and seven man-made ponds. The gardens have been bought by South African vineyard and gold course entrepreneur Penny Streeter who explained: “We will restore the gardens to their former glory and create new facilities on-site, including tea rooms and dining facilities.”…

We try before you buy WHETHER its blackspot on roses, weeds popping up through the gravel drive, veg needing a liquid feed or the fence a coat of preservative, a compression sprayer will help get the jobs done quickly and accurately. There are many sprayers on the market but choose one appropriate to the size of the task and make sure it is suitable for the chemicals you intend to use. Compression sprayers are simple to operate. Just connect the lance, fill the tank, then pump the handle up and down before directing the lance and squeezing the trigger. Remember to wear protective clothing, especially wellington boots, waterproof gloves and eye protection. All units tested here have polyethylene tanks with lockable lids, safety release valves, measuring gauges, lockable triggers and…

Worth £2 1 .99 Fill your garden with colour for years to come with 150 bulbs: they’ll burst into life in the spring, filling your borders, containers and patio pots with gorgeous variety of colour in shades of yellows, blues, mauves, purples and whites. Your collection will include the following varieties. ▪ 50 x Allium moly ▪ 40 x Brodiaea ▪ 36 x Chionodoxa ▪ 6 x Fritillaria ▪ 15 x Puschkinia ▪ 3 x Narcissus ‘Tete a Tete’ *just pay £5.65 postage Other special offers: OFFER 1 Tulip ‘Red Impression’ Long lasting blooms Spectacularly large and long-lasting blooms on tall, sturdy stems make this tulip a border sensation! Easy to grow, with superb weather resistance, they will return reliably year after year. Height: 22in (56cm). Spread: 8in (20cm). Bulb…

IF you have space to leave a few food plants for butterfly caterpillars, all the better. The young scallop-winged Comma (circled) feeds on currants and hops while orange tip caterpillars feed on Jack-by-the-Hedge and lady’s smock. Long grass is an excellent habitat for Skippers, Meadow Brown and Gate Keepers while thistles and nettles encourage a host of beautiful butterflies to lay their eggs, including Painted Lady, Red Admirals and Peacocks. As with flowers planted for nectar, the best butterfly ‘nurseries’ are in full sun and shelter.…