Innholdsfortegnelse for 16-jul-16 i Amateur Gardening

READER Denis Stow wrote to us (AG Letters 25 June) about his attempts to start a garden around his residential park home in Cleveland, North Yorkshire. Rules governing mobile home sites can be complicated as they’re set by both the park owner and local government. Denis wanted to start a veg patch, but this was forbidden under site rules. He asked instead if he could put up a greenhouse (a temporary structure) – the park owner said yes, but the local council said he needed planning permission! An application takes eight weeks, and costs £172 with no guarantee of a positive outcome. I was astonished by this, and decided to check – after all the government is keen that we all do our bit to help the environment… aren’t they?…

1 Pickerel weed: A marginal aquatic with bright green leaves with dark blue floral spikes from late summer to early autumn. 2 Sisyrinchium californicum: Related to irises, these grass-like plants have bright yellow star-like flowers. 3 Water lily: A barrel pond needs a pygmy (dwarf) type - or try the Fringed Water Lily, which has yellow flowers. 4 Water hyacinth: Likes full sun and warmth, and will reward you with beautiful baby-blue flowers.…

• If your lawn is puddled after heavy summer rain, there are a few things you can do now. • Let the puddles drain away, or sweep the water off the lawn, then aerate the lawn with a garden fork to get air down to the grass roots. • In autumn, feed the grass with a phosphorus-rich fertiliser to promote strong root growth, and aerate again. Feed again in spring, especially if the winter has been wet. • If your lawn is on heavy soil and floods persistently, it may be worth considering laying a permanent drainage system underneath it.…

IF you are growing lavender for harvesting, this is the time to be ready to cut the flowers. For the strongest scent, cut the plants just as the flower heads have fully opened. They will contain the highest levels of their essential oil, so the smell will be at its strongest and will last longer. Harvest in the early evening using sharp scissors or secateurs, and take care not to crush or damage the flowers as you do so. Cut the flower heads just above the leaves, so their longer stalks make it easier to tie and hang them for drying. Don’t cut into the woody part of the plant – leave an inch or two of green growth, as this will grow before the plant goes dormant in autumn.…

1 Plants like this year’s introduction Gerbera ‘Garvinea Sweet Memories’ make an appropriate gift on occasions that recall happy times. 2 When planting a tree to mark an event choose an appropriately named cultivar, Malus ‘Royalty’ for example, to commemorate a royal visit. 3 Search the internet for appropriate plants to match a name, Picea abies ‘J.W. Daisy’s White’ for example for someone called Daisy.…

THIS year I grew ‘Cambridge Favourite’ strawberries in a raised bed and in the greenhouse, and both lots of plants came up trumps with a respectable haul of luscious fruit. The plants have thrown out runners – thick, over-ground tendrils that sporadically sprout clusters of leaves along their length. Don’t cut these off, as they are a quick and cheap way of propagating new strawberry plants that will fruit well in the next year or two. Using a clothes peg or piece of bent wire, secure the runners to the ground on each side of the cluster of leaves. These will root within four to six weeks. They can then be cut free from the parent plant to grow independently, either where they are or dug-up and moved to a…

YOUNG children famously run away screaming if they come into contact with a worm or caterpillar. But ladybirds are often the least feared of any creepy crawly; their red elytra (wing cases) with black spots seem safe, whilst many a child is familiar with the “Ladybird, ladybird, fly away…” nursery rhyme. For the gardener, it is one of the most welcome of insects. Both adult ladybirds and their larvae are voracious feeders of greenfly; a healthy ladybird population will make a real dent in a garden’s aphid problem. Traditionally, of course, ladybirds are thought of as pillar-box red with black spots. But there are orange, yellow, brown and black ladybirds, too. And they possess any number of spots from two (one on each wing case) to the high 20s. The…

1 Should the compost on your bench be dry and dusty, wet it by adding some water and rubbing it in by hand. Otherwise seeds will float about with dry particles after watering. 2 Fill a pan, press gently to achieve a flat surface, then water using a fine rose. Sprinkle seeds thinly across the surface. An average garden will only need a few plants, so don’t over-sow. 3 Scatter a little compost to cover the seeds by only their own size, press gently again and set them to germinate in a lightly shaded greenhouse or cold frame. Remember to label.…

I LOVE the architectural shape of daylily leaves and the stunning flower colours. So, for advice on which to grow, I visited New Forest nursery Pollie’s Daylilies, where owner Pollie Maasz suggested choosing ones that flower at different times to provide a succession of colour. It sounded good to me, so I bought three different varieties including– ‘Pterodactyl Eye, an early flowering type, mid-flowering ‘Slapstick’ and ‘Tylwyth Teg’, a later flowerer. Daylilies need a sunny spot to thrive, will cope with most soil, as long as it’s improved prior to planting. Despite being drought resistant, they will perform better if their roots are evenly moist.…

Washing up Simply cool the water in your washing up bowl (left) and fish out anything of non-vegetable origin first. Alternate use of grey water on a patch with ‘clean’ water. Saucepans Unsalted or lightly salted cooking water used to boil vegetables (left) or pasta should be strained and allowed to cool completely before being used. Bathwater Consider saving water from the tub as the average bath uses up to 50 gallons. Investing in a syphon system to pump it out (of the window)will make it easier.…

Buy a butt Don’t let precious rainwater go to waste: install water butts around your house and buildings such as sheds and greenhouses to collect water that falls onto roofs, and even consider digging a pond, which will not only store water but also be beneficial to wildlife. Conserve excess water in large containers or invest in a small tank. Remember that rainwater contains fewer chemicals than treated mains water and, in limestone-rich areas, rainwater is better for ericaceous plants. • TOP TIP Shop around as water butts are available in various sizes, to fit even the smallest, most awkward spaces. Mulch like mad A generous layer of mulch helps to conserve the moisture that is already in the soil, reduces the need for extra watering and hampers the growth…

London Eye Plant Frame £169.99   0117 9341799 haxnicks.co.uk For an all-round spectacular it’d be hard to beat this big wheel-type plant frame. Great in the flower border, it’s equally at home in the veg patch where it gives the opportunity to grow more in a small space. Dia. 5ft 3in (1.6m), W. 1ft 4in (0.4m). Shard Metal Obelisks (Green) £75.99 for set of three 0844 573 1818 thompson-morgan.com Let your climbers reach for the sky in style. A wide base and four feet help to keep the base of these three obelisks steady and secure, providing a focal point to beds and borders. Made from zinc with welded joints and a powder coated finish they range in height from: 47in (120cm) to 59in (150cm) and 71in (180cm). Can also…

“Good ground for one plant isn’t always ideal for another” DO meaningless words and phrases drive you mad? Absolutely! I personally can’t stand them. I literally die every time I hear one. Do you see what I did there?! That said, gardening jargon is a repeat offender. If I had a penny for every time ‘free draining, moisture retentive soil’ is heard on TV or radio I would be ‘one hundred and ten per cent’ happier! ‘Good garden soil’ is another confusing catch-all that isn’t very helpful as what constitutes good ground for one plant isn’t always ideal for another. Roses, for example, thrive in the claggiest of clays, loving the moisture and nutrients that doughy ground offers. Put a lavender in the same spot and it’ll sulk, or worse…

PONDS add so much to a garden, but if you have neither the time, space nor inclination (or have small children around and worry about the safety aspect), an easy alternative is to create a mini version in a half-barrel. You can use a plastic half-barrel that will do the job just fine, but for my money, a wooden version with pond liner looks much more attractive. If your patio is full, you could stand it on your lawn. If you do so, create a level surface using bricks or slabs to stand the barrel on and stop the wood from rotting. The plants I chose are a Pickerel weed (Pontderia cordata), Sisyrinchium californicum, a Zebra rush (Scirpus zebrinus) and a small Fringed water lily (Nymphoides peltata). I also filled…

• If you don’t want a pond, or you have to deal with a persistently damp area of garden, why not create a bog garden? • If you are planting one in a barrel, drill drain holes, cut slits in the lining, fill with a mix of peat and sand. • If a patch of garden drains badly, use this to your advantage and plant it up with damp-loving plants. • These include ragged robin, marsh marigolds, arum lilies, butterbur or gunnera, and several attractive ornamental grasses and sedges. • They will add interest until late into the summer and autumn, and will attract insects and amphibians.…

AT this point in the summer, garden borders will be looking a picture, though there may be some gaps where early-flowering perennials have faded, or annuals failed to shine. For this reason, it is worth holding back a few grown-on cuttings, plug plants or seedlings, so that you have something that can be quickly popped in the ground to add colour and texture to beds. I had a few seedlings ready to go out, as well as a fuchsia plug plant I grew on and hardened off, and two pelargonium plants grown from cuttings taken at the end of last summer. The cuttings were overwintered in the unheated greenhouse, where they grew successfully. The fuchsia and seedlings were also brought on there in spring, until they were large enough to…

SWEET peas are a traditional delight, and it doesn’t take much to keep them looking fabulous, and flowering until autumn. For the best results, keep tying them to their supports as they grow. This not only keeps them looking neat, but means they can put their energy into producing blooms, instead of finding places to cling to with their tendrils. As soon as flowers start to fade, pinch off the dead petals and seedpods – if you want to collect the seeds to grow next year, let a few set and ripen at the end of the season. Deadheading prompts the plant to throw out more blooms – cutting the flowers for indoor arrangements works in the same way. Continue feeding throughout the summer. A high-potassium fertiliser, such as liquid…

I WAS thrilled when I noticed that the lupin cuttings I took in early May had taken and started to root. They broadcast this success by starting to grow taller than the canes I used to hold up the plastic bag ‘greenhouse’ covering their clay pot. I was still cautious, however, as my first batch had failed, so I left them another week until I was certain of their health, and then potted them on into larger containers. As I removed the cuttings and compost from their pot, it was clear that they had rooted well. Unusually, the rootball fell apart, but this made it easier to separate the three new plants and pot them on individually. I potted each one into a 4in (10cm) pot of loam-based compost, which…

I SOWED this row of curly kale back in the spring to harvest in winter. It had other ideas! I’m chuffed to say that the plants have romped away and I’m getting pickings from them every few days. The young, tender leaves are utterly delicious, too – they wilt down like spinach in the pan. The plants form a rosette of leaves from a central stem. I’m simply snapping off the lower leaves as I need them, ensuring the central whorl remains intact. By the time winter arrives, I expect these little plants to be 3ft (1m) tall. To ensure they get that far I’m netting them against pigeons, and keeping an eye out for cabbage white butterfly eggs too, which I’ll remove as I see them.…

THE runner beans I planted out back in the first week of June are romping away. It takes them a week or two to settle in – plants look stagnant and chlorotic at first but once they begin twining up their supports there’s no stopping them! Keep an eye out for slugs in the early days (once established, quick-growing beans can out-pace them). Aphids may colonise young shoots but a quick blast of insecticide, organic or otherwise, will knock them on the head. Once running up their supports flower clusters soon appear, but it can be frustrating to see them fall off with no beans setting. This is a common problem early in the season as cold night time temperatures aren’t conducive to adequate fertilisation. As time passes the problem…

1 Fill new or clean seed trays or pots with seed compost – ready-meal trays with holes in the base work well! 2 Sow the cabbage seeds thinly on the compost. Seedlings will be healthier if they are not crowded. 3 Cover seeds with compost or vermiculite, label and cover with a lid, or seal trays in a clear plastic bag. 4 Place on a warm, light windowsill. As soon as seedlings appear, remove the plastic bags and grow on.…

• 15-17 July: Stratford Home and Garden Show, Recreation Ground, Swans Nest Lane CV37 7DR. 03336 663366 stratfordhomeandgardensghow.co.uk • 17 July: Sherburn, Malton, 12 open gardens, 12noon – 5pm. Proceeds to St Hilda’s Church and North Yorkshire Air Ambulance. • 17 July: Rhyd-y-Foel Village Abergele, Conwy, LL22 8DY. British Red Cross Open Gardens Scheme.redcross.org.uk/Opengardens • 17 July: Herb Day, Falkland Palace and Gardens, East Port, Falkland, Cupar, Fife KY15 7DA. 01337 857397 nts.org.uk/property/falkland-palaceand-garden July – August: (by appointment) 8 Birdwood Grove, Fareham, Hampshire, PO16 8AF. British Red Cross Open Gardens Scheme.redcross.org.uk/Opengardens • 17 July: East Carleton Open Gardens, Norfolk, 11am-5pm. For details: eastcarletonvillage.co.uk • 17 July: Wargrave Court, Reading, open garden and midsummer music. 12noon-5pm in aid of Red Cross. For details: greenplantswap.co.uk • 17 July: Woodside House, Witton Park,…

TRANSPLANT seedlings individually to 3.5in (9cm) pots and keep under glass. Once established, stand them outside and pot on to 6in (15cm) pots. I find herbaceous perennials need to have reached a decent size to hold their own against encroachment from other plants and weeds, disturbance from cats and the nibblings of rabbits. Although autumn and spring are the best planting times, they can go in whenever they have filled their pot with roots. This is as long as watering is carried out during dry spells and the soil is neither frozen or waterlogged in winter. After several years, rejuvenate plants by lifting and dividing large clumps (pictured) in autumn or spring, replanting fresh sections 5-7in (13-17cm) across, 18in (45cm) apart in groups.…

MY garden pond area has come on in leaps and bounds over the past few months. But it was still lacking something…aquatic plants! As far as I’m concerned, there simply isn’t any point having a pond if you don’t stock it with plants. They add colour, interest and will attract wildlife. Also, if your pond is in sunlight, it’s important to ensure that at least a third of its surface is covered to prevent algae from growing. I’d love to be able to browse a massive range at a nursery that specialises in pond plants, but as the nearest one is well over an hour away, I decided to make do with the smaller selection sold at a local garden centre. Displayed in large, water filled trays were marginal, floating…

Hosepipe irrigation Cheap and efficient, a seep (or soaker) hose is made of porous material that enables water to ‘leak out’ slowly, exactly where you need it – at ground level. Plant saucers Ideal for ensuring pots do not dry out, these reduce run-off and supply moisture to the roots. Different shapes, sizes and materials are available. DIY bottle drip Use old plastic bottles to water thirsty veg like courgettes. Cut off top, drill holes in the base, then half sink it next to the plant and fill. Water will seep out slowly. Homemade soaker hose Use a ¼in (5mm) drill bit to drill holes through a length of hose at 3in (7.5cm) intervals. Attach an end stop to one end, a connector to the other and lay hose between…

Penstemons Established plants need minimal watering unless you have very free-draining soil. Produces spires of tubular flowers on tall, elegant stems through summer and into autumn. Diascias Also known as twinspur, this South African native comes in a range of pinks, oranges and reds, and needs good drainage. Long flowering season. Likes sun. Lavender Has the telltale grey-green leaves characteristic of many droughttolerators, matched with flowers in purple, pink or white, and lovely fragrance. Evergreen. Succulents Will cope with a fortnight or more without rain, thanks to fleshy leaves that store water. Try aeoniums such as A. haworthii ‘Variegata’ (right) with its striking red-tipped rosettes. Pelargoniums Look for varieties with scented foliage, as the aromatic oils on the leaves help prevent water loss. But be aware that scented-leaved pelargoniums are…

What is it? DRAMATIC, vigorous, tall perennial growing from tuberous rhizomes. Broad, heart-shaped leaves on fleshy, arching stems appear from April, and are soon followed by a long succession of tall stems carrying white flower spathes with golden yellow spadices at the centre. This is a gardeners’ flexible friend, as zantadeschias will grow in anything from fertile, free draining moist soil to pond margins with the crown up to 12in (30cm) beneath the water – a great choice if your garden floods! Why grow it? This South African beauty is a statement plant, the flowers often chosen for bountiful wedding bouquets. Tall flower stems reaching up to 4ft (1.2m) carrying big goblet-shaped spathes 4in (10cm) across. The flowers just keep coming through June and July. Even when the flowering stops,…

TAKE salvia cuttings for rooted plants that keep through winter for next year. Use secateurs to snip off leafy tops (avoid those with flowers) and trim cuttings to 4in (10cm), cutting below the lowest bud. Cut off leaves from the lower half and push up to their ‘armpits’ (lower leaves) into a pot of moist multipurpose compost. Put cuttings around the edge as they root better. If leaves are glossy, cover with a plastic bag to lock in moisture. If downy or covered in hairs, leave uncovered. Keep pots in a warm but shady place and water if they become dry.…

1 Decide where you want your pond to be – ideally somewhere sunny and away from trees that can shed leaves into it. 2 Place the pond liner in the barrel, and smooth it out. Pleats and creases will hardly be visible when plants are in place. 3 Secure the liner to the barrel, using galvanized nails or felting tacks. Don’t hammer them between the barrel’s spars! 4 Cut away excess liner to the barrel’s inner rim. Use more tacks if necessary, so the liner is flush with the barrel. 5 Fill the barrel - use rain water, or add dechlorinator to tap water, or let tap water stand for 48 hours before planting. 6 Add your plants. Stand them on bricks so the crown is 1in (2.5cm) below the…

THE British climate is never shy of throwing the occasional curve ball – and that includes sudden, torrential downpours in the middle of the summer. Here in the south we have recently experienced some extreme rainstorms that turned roads to rivers in minutes, and caused all sorts of problems in the garden. Sudden torrents of rain can smash flowers, weigh down and break stems, wash away dry soil, and block drains and downpipes with waterborne debris. They turn lawns into quagmires, and bring all the slugs and snails out of hiding to feast on vulnerable plants. Our garden has a thin layer of fairly poor soil over a bedrock of chalk, and very heavy rain washes soil and assorted debris off the garden and on to the patio. So the…

1 Decide where you want to put your plants, and dig each one a hole the same depth as its rootball. 2 Slide the plant from its container and tease out the roots, especially ones that have been circling the pot. 3 Infill soil around the plants and firm in well. Remove weeds that compete for light, water and nutrients. 4 Water well. New perennial plants should be watered well for the first year, until they establish.…

“Celebrity naming attracts attention” A GOOD name can make a plant popular. Equally, a very good plant that stands the test of time can make a name. A case in point is double white Dianthus ‘Mrs Sinkins. At the time of naming (after the wife of a Slough Workhouse Master in 1868) it hardly made national news and yet this fragrant, cottage garden flower remains popular today. Dianthus ‘Memories’ is the 2012 improvement with blooms that do not split their callix, on plants that are perpetual flowering and have stems that remain upright. Royalties from the sales are set to raise £15,000 for the Alzheimers Society so there are many good reasons to remember this name. There is always a steady demand for Rose ‘Golden Wedding’ because it makes an…

1 Remove the cuttings pot from its bag or propagator, and water it well to make the rootball easier to work free. 2 Separate the cuttings and transfer each one to its own pot. Take care not to crush the plant’s delicate stem. 3 Set them in a loam-based compost, such as John Innes No 2. Firm in gently, to support the stem and roots. 4 Water the cuttings well, and place them in an unheated greenhouse to establish before planting them out.…

1 Many herbs can be dried to preserve their leaves, flowers or seeds. I dry mine in an airing cupboard or an airy room. Ideally, pick your herbs early in the morning on a dry day. 2 Remove damaged bits and bugs, space herbs out in a single layer on kitchen paper, and pop them in your airing cupboard. Or hang small bunches in a dry, airy position. 3 Once the herbs can be crunched easily into fragments, they’re dry (this can take a week or so). Leave them in warmth for another couple of days, then store in airtight jars.…

WHILE my one-year-old redcurrants at home are still bedding in, the mature plants at East Donyland Hall where I work are at their peak. We’ve four bushes (a blackcurrant and three redcurrants) and they’ve responded really well to the renovation pruning I gave them in winter. A month ago I had to prop up the branches due to the weight of fruit, so I banged in a stout central hazel pole onto which I’ve lassoed the main stems. This revealed the developing fruits to the sun, and they’ve ripened up really well. Picking can’t be rushed – each stem or ‘strig’ needs to be harvested individually. So grab a cushion and a bowl and lose an hour or two under their shady canopy – there are worse things to do…

“Warm water wets more effectively than cold” IT’S high summer – hot sunny weather or not. Many of our plants are reaching their full size and, for most, the need for water is at a maximum. When they’re growing in the ground they can extend their roots and find some water. However when we have them in containers of any kind they are reliant on us to meet their moisture requirements. Earlier in the year we’re so keen, I reckon we often over-water. About now, though, it’s all getting a tad tedious and we may skimp the odd watering. DO NOT. Your plants are relying on you and if you do miss one or even just water too sparingly you are storing up problems for later. If plants run out…

THESE tall perennial daisies are among the toughest, hardiest and longest lived of any herbaceous perennial. If durable is what you are after, an established clump will survive many conditions, from drought to wet, clay soil, poor soil, invasion by weeds and general neglect. In fact, if you walk around an abandoned garden, the Shasta daisy, perhaps with a few day lilies, some Echinops ritro, crocosmia and goldenrod, will almost certainly be the last survivors, holding their own against brambles and ivy. As well as coming top in the robust stakes, Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum x superbum) look fantastic, especially on a warm summer’s evening at dusk when the large white daisies seem to hover over the plants. Stems of the variety ‘Alaska’ reach 3ft (90cm) tall and though sturdy, will…

AS the Olympics are just around the corner, I thought it would be appropriate to describe mixed salad leaves as the 100 metres sprint champions of the vegetable world. Sow seeds now and they’ll provide armfuls of award-winning pickings in just three weeks. There are lots of tasty mixes – Herby Salad Mix is a blend of mizuna, Greek cress, rocket, red mustard, chicory and lettuce. For more kick, try Oriental Mustards, a vibrant mix of three different mustards: red giant, pizzo and feathery green frills. You can sow them in the ground, but they are a doddle to raise in containers. They’ll germinate within a few days and need thinning out when about 1in (2.5cm) tall – the distance will depend on what you grow, so check the back…

HOUSELEEKS or sempervivums, are hardy succulents that are brilliant for plugging gaps in walls, paths, rock gardens or for growing on green roofs. Apart from architectural shape and the diversity of the rosettes (which range in size from ¼in/ 5mm to over 8in/20cm, and come in many colours), the best thing about houseleeks is that they spread incredibly quickly to form large colonies in just a few years. They are also dead easy to propagate. Many species produce runners that carry baby rosettes on the ends. These can be detached with a knife at any time from spring until the end of summer, but are best left until the runners start to wither - at which point the rosettes will be more likely to root. Remove a runner by cutting…

Be container smart Big pots are best at retaining moisture. Plants in terracotta dry out faster than those in plastic. Use water-retaining gels and consider moving some pots to partial shade. Leave the lawn Grass is very forgiving and allowing yours to go brown in summer will not cause it any serious lasting harm. Try not to cut the lawn, but if you really must, keep mower blades high. Minimise soil disturbance Digging increases evaporation and dries the soil. Do, however, dig in plenty of compost and/or manure at the end of summer to boost moisture retention in future. Get busy with the hoe Remember that weeds need water too, so removing them as soon as they first appear will ensure your plants do not have to compete for any…

SOME plants need a certain amount of water during the summer in order to set their flower buds for the following year. Spring bloomers such as camellia (above) , rhododendron, azalea and wisteria are among those that will fail to put on a colourful display if they are deprived of moisture during the warmest months. Strawberries also form fruiting buds for the following year after the summer harvest, which means yields will suffer if plants are left dry for long periods.…

Q All my tomatoes, grown in a raised bed, got blight in less than 48 hours. Should I destroy the plants, and what can I do about the soil in the raised beds, which was expensive? Can I sterilise it and grow other vegetables? What should I do to avoid tomatoes getting blight in future? Santina Curtis (via email) A Tomato blight (often called late-blight) is a common disease when the weather is wet, especially from June onwards as warmth and humidity increase. It’s caused by the same pathogen that’s responsible for potato blight. Tomatoes grown outdoors are more prone to attack than those grown under the protection of a greenhouse. Normally, blight is seen in the south west, spreading rapidly from airborne spores originating in gardens, allotments and on…

“WE’RE all going on a summer holiday, no more watering for a week or two.” Oh no - wait, that’s no good, the plants won’t last long under those circumstances. Fear not, we’ve put four drip irrigation systems to the test to see which can best do the job. We often make plans for pets, give keys to neighbours, cancel appointments, but vital water arrangements for our garden plants can fall by the wayside. These kits however will slowly drip water at different rates – two automatically controlled, one by solar power and the other just a constant flow. We compared the options in speed of flow and number of ways to configure, how difficult to program and control they were, as well as the obvious delivery of water. You…