Innholdsfortegnelse for 24-Feb-2018 i Amateur Gardening

THE garden is coming back to life and, like anything after a long sleep, the plants need feeding to help them get going again. Many won’t have been fed since last summer. Autumn supplements run the risk of encouraging new growth that can be damaged or killed off by winter cold, and there is no point wasting food on dormant plants that won’t take advantage of extra nutrients. But now the sap is rising, growth is resumed and plants, trees and shrubs need sustenance for healthy foliage, flowering and fruiting in the weeks ahead. Past generations of gardeners relied on well-rotted compost or farmyard manure to give their plants a boost, supplemented by traditional favourites such as Growmore, blood, fish and bone meal, or hoof and horn. Today, horticultural companies…

IF you are looking for fertilisers as an organic gardener, always go for products made of something that was once alive (an animal or plant). They will be rich in trace elements, which are important for plant health and growth. Organic products include mulches and enrichers such as shredded bark, garden compost and farmyard manure, as well as more weighty products such as bone meal, blood, fish and bone, and seaweed extract. Always check the label before buying, as a product that claims to be organic may not have been produced organically or certified for organic use. And remember that products such as bone meal or blood, fish and bone have a ‘meaty’ scent, and unless they are dug in well, may attract cats, foxes and badgers to your garden!…

1 An all-found feed for indoors and out, including pots and baskets. Easy to use and feeds for up to six months. 2 There are Pot Shots for crops and ornamentals. Push the cones into pot compost from February onwards. 3 One application can feed for a season. Heat-activated, it releases nutrients as your plants need them. 4 Can be used in pots or borders and feeds for up to six months. Apply from February to June and fork in. 5 A boost for lime-hating plants such as rhododendrons, camellias and blueberries, it will boost the whole plant. 6 This all-in-one starter feed that has six months’ goodness, boosts roots and flowers and regulates water.…

My three-year-old pot-grown eucalyptus is growing rather leggy and is in need of a trim. These adaptable trees can be cut back – pollarded or coppiced – once they are two years old. It keeps them compact and helps them retain their attractive, circular, juvenile leaves that look fantastic in flower arrangements. February and early March are the best time to prune. If you are training a young tree as a standard, leave the central leading branch alone and in the first year remove side branches from the lower1/3 of the stem. Leave the top shoots alone apart from removing old and damaged growth, which should be pruned to an outward-facing bud. Continue like this in successive years. For a low, multi-stemmed shrub, cut the main stem down as low…

I AM so pleased about this week’s free seeds because Echinacea purpurea are one of my favourites. These cheerful daisy-like perennials – also known as coneflowers – offer so much and are well worth having in the garden on every level. They are relatively easy to grow. Sow them as early in the year as possible and you should see flowers the same late summer/early autumn. Over time they will produce large clumps that come into flower in late summer, when there is a lull in border colour. They are beloved by bees and butterflies, which will help pollinate the rest of your garden when they stop off on your echinacea, and look almost as good in a vase indoors as they do swaying in a summer breeze outside. Herbalists…

IT’S funny what you find when you are tidying out the greenhouse. In my case it was a packet of saffron crocuses (Crocus sativus) that I’d obviously brought last autumn and mislaid. The plucky little bulbs had started to shoot and I didn’t want to throw them on the compost so I decided to plant them now and see what happens. In theory they should be planted in late summer to flower in autumn, but as these had already started shooting I suspect they may flower earlier – or not at all. But now they are in the ground they will hopefully find their way and delight us with beautiful, richly purple petals with vivid orange stigmas – the saffron that is so popular in Oriental cookery for its colour…

“Heaven help us if a large number of rats visit” NOW I don’t like killing anything, yet recognize that sometimes I must. Rats and mice are serious pests – they’re rodents that do immense damage, steal crops and spread disease. Yes they’ve a right to life – but in the wild, not under my eaves, I’m sorry. Every winter they head towards warmth and food and I’ve always taken precautions. Mechanical traps risk causing suffering unless very frequently inspected, likewise with ‘live’ traps, so I use poison bait. Small amounts are placed where other critters can’t get to it but where rodents will find it – mostly inside lengths of plastic pipe in an attic, garage, greenhouse, storage sheds, behind the compost bins, and so on. These are inspected regularly…

HEARTY winter casseroles, quick and light fish dishes, steaming baguettes filled with garlic butter – it’s fair to say that I get through a fair bit of parsley in my kitchen. This herb is incredibly versatile – its flavour is subtler than others (think basil and mint), so it marries well with many foods rather than just a choice few, and is very good for you. I grow both curly and flat-leaf types, making one sowing in February (flat is said to taste better but the difference is marginal). Both varieties are evergreen and hardy, so as well as yielding harvests throughout summer and autumn, you can pick them in winter, too. Come the spring, these biennial plants begin to flower, which signals the time to sow more. See right…

ALL through the winter months I’ve been serving desserts to my husband of plump ‘Bramley’ apples baked with brown sugar, spices and sultanas, plus pears poached in lemonade. In our defence, gardeners do have good appetites – especially in chilly weather! But now our fruit store is becoming barren, and the fruit that does remain is best given to the birds. So, it’s on with the rubber gloves and out with the scrubbing brush. Throw away newspapers used as wrappings. Any trays or boxes that have stored your fruit need surface-sterilising, as does the shelving that housed them. A solution of Jeyes fluid is my usual cleaning product, but there are others available (make sure you ventilate well). The aim is to kill off any fungal spores, clean away rodent…

THERE are two things you can do with dwarf daffodils at this time of year – and you should probably do both. You can buy them in pots, in bud or in flower, from the garden centre. And you can make a note of the varieties you like while they’re flowering, then try not to lose your list before bulb-ordering time in late summer. More and more garden centres sell dwarf daffodils, in bud or just coming into flower, in 9cm pots in March. They’re invaluable for adding spring sparkle to window boxes, patio pots and other containers, and for creating flashes of colour in raised beds and borders. And, of course, if you look after them they will come back more prolifically next year. Dwarf daffodils are usually not…

ON the bank near the Rock Garden at RHS Wisley is a gently sloping meadow packed with naturalised Narcissus bulbocodium . You’ll also find these AGM-winning hoop petticoat daffodils naturalised at The Savill Garden, Windsor, at Great Dixter in Sussex, and in other UK gardens in spring. This dainty daffodil likes moisture in winter and spring, when its roots and foliage are growing; but it favours drier conditions after flowering. The roots of deciduous trees or perennial meadow grasses will dry the soil nicely. If they are happy, not only will bulbs multiply steadily, they’ll self-seed as well. If you grow N. bulbocodium in grass, be sure to keep the mower off until after the seed is shed. Then collect the mowings to reduce the vigour of the grass, as…

Eucomis autumnalis The elegant 12in- (30cm) tall spikes of white flowers are held above a cluster of wavy leaves in late summer Eucomis bicolor ‘Alba’ This is an imposing variety with rich green, strap-shaped leaves and 20in-tall spikes of creamy-white flowers from July Eucomis comosa ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ A cluster of dark-purple leaves act as the perfect foil for 20in-tall spikes of delicate soft-pink flowers Eucomis vandermerwei ‘Octopus’ This petite gem has 8in (20cm) flower spikes and wavy leaves that are spotted and crimped around the edges Eucomis ‘Zeal Bronze’ The foliage has bronze tints and the 12in (30cm) burgundy flower spikes carry pinkish-white flowers from mid-summer Eucomis pole-evansii Give this species plenty of space. Flower spikes can rise to 5ft (1.5m) above…

Fragrance Matucana A bi-coloured sweet pea with an extraordinarily strong scent. It was introduced from a garden in Peru in 1955 and still has the same flower colour and form, with beautiful red and purple petals. H: 6ft (1.8m). Painted Lady This gloriously fragrant option is one of the oldest sweet pea varieties in Britain, having been grown here since the 18th century. It is a bi-coloured type, with striking dark pink and white wavy petals. H: 6ft (1.8m). High Scent A white beauty that easily lives up to its name, this is one of the best when it comes packing a perfume punch. Flowers have a purple edge and there are plenty of them, borne on long stems. H: 6ft (1.8m). Classic looks Lord Nelson Grandifloras may have fewer…

■ DON’T overfeed sweet peas. They benefit from well-rotted manure or garden compost, but too much can burn the roots. ■ DO protect young plants from strong, icy winds, but don’t mollycoddle them – they are a hardy annual and benefit from exposure to frost, which helps them produce strong sturdy plants. ■ DON’T grow plants up wigwams – you’ll end up with all your sweet peas trying to crowd into a small space at the top of the canes. Instead, provide support with a ring of vertical canes or pea sticks.…

How to camouflage an ugly wall Q We’ve recently moved house and the garden has a long ugly wall. How can we camouflage or improve the appearance of it by adding climbing plants without spending a fortune? Penny Winter, Nacton, Suffolk A Even ugly walls are an asset, because they create useful vertical surfaces and microclimates. Before adding plants, explore ways of beautifying the wall, perhaps by smoothing the surface and painting or staining it. Consider breaking up a long length with short partitions of clipped hedging such as yew, set at right angles. Climbers and lax shrubs require support, and sections of home-made wooden trellis fixed to batons at regular intervals will distract from a messy wall. Otherwise, stretch parallel horizontal wires across, from top to base. A classic…

How should I grow polianthes? QI want to grow Polianthes tuberosa in pots but have read conflicting advice. How should I grow them? Marion May (via email) A The plants can either be grown in a cool greenhouse or outside in a warm sheltered place for the growing season. Either way, the rhizomes should be lifted and dried off once the leaves have faded, and stored in sand in a frost-free place for the winter. In late winter the rhizomes should be potted up, one per 5-6in (12-15cm) pot of John Innes no1. They do best in temperatures of 60-65 ° F (15-18 ° C). Grow them on until large enough to move outdoors after the frosts. If the compost is already quite moist then the pots shouldn’t need watering…

PRODUCING medium to large light blue berries with a mildly sweet flavour, this attractive berry is firm and retains its fresh quality longer than most varieties. Blueberry ‘Duke’ blooms late, which protects the blossoms from the spring frost, and ripens early – often yielding over 20lb (9kg) per bush when mature. Duke bushes are upright growers but the branches will droop to the ground when laden with fruit. Supplied as 3 1/2in (9cm) potted plants. Also included is a 100g pack of Incredicrop fertiliser, an easy-to-use, slow release fertiliser that’ll help you enjoy up to 400% more fruit! * Just pay £5.65 for postage OTHER SPECIAL OFFERS Acacia dealbata Pompom yellow flowers are produced on this evergreen tree against a backdrop of feathery foliage. In spring the scented, nectar-rich blooms…

The great storm of 1987 Arguably the most significant weather phenomenon to affect the UK in living memory, ‘the great storm’ was a violent extratropical cyclone, occurring on the night of 15-16 October, 1987. Its hurricane-force winds caused 22 deaths, and widespread damage in England, France and the Channel Islands. Famously, TV weatherman Michael Fish said that a hurricane “wasn’t coming” so “don’t worry” – but the effects and devastation were the same as if there had been one! It felled 15 million trees (including six of the seven eponymous oaks in Sevenoaks, Kent). Historic specimens in Kew Gardens, Wakehurst Place and Hyde Park in London came down, as well as most of the trees making up Chanctonbury Ring on the South Downs in West Sussex. Many say that damage…

Lightning and water What happens when lightning strikes water? Are pondfish immune to electrocution? Well, when lightning hits a watery surface, the electricity can run to earth in many different directions. Because of this, the frying power that was possessed by the original bolt is rapidly diffused. Obviously, if a fish was directly hit by the lightning, or was close to the impact spot, then the chances are it could be killed or injured. A bolt of lightning has a temperature of several thousand degrees, and can easily vaporise the water surrounding the impact point. This would create a sub-surface shock wave that would do much more damage to a fish than the little amount of electricity that would be conducted through the water.…

Most mystifying is the chameleon-like tendency of pink-flowered varieties of hydrangea to turn blue and vice versa. Blue-flowered cultivars rely on aluminium to retain colour and this is more available in acidic soils under pH 5.5. Above this, colours veer towards pink, although watering with iron sequestrene or an annual application of a product containing aluminium sulphate can reverse the process. Too much harsh sun can also steer blue shades towards pink. White-flowered cultivars tend to stay true but pinks begin turning blue unless they are on an alkaline soil and may need dressings of garden lime to retain their true colour.…

FIVE years ago my husband and I moved house, to a lovely 1930s semi with a rather blank slate of a garden. We think some owners at one stage had looked after it well but sadly it hadn’t had much interest for several years. I’m sending a couple of photos, one from the day we got the keys in December 2012, and one from September 2017 so you can see how much it’s changed. We now get lots of bees and butterflies and a good variety of garden birds, and it’s a much more interesting place to sit and have a cup of tea on a summer afternoon! Elizabeth Mordue, Northampton Think plastic – think polluted planet! PLASTIC is so out of control. Living by the sea and sadly seeing…

AN anemometer is a device used by the Met Office to measure wind speeds, but I’ve got something even better – garden furniture. Not only does my poly-rattan offer a place to sit, but also, if it’s really blowing, the sofa set spins like a weathervane and ends up in the pond! Salvaging the furniture from the depths is an inconvenience – not least for the fish – and far from being a one-off freak of nature, since the autumn one or more of the chairs has gone “wild swimming” half a dozen times. Maybe the plastic they’re made of is becoming lighter as the seats age, or perhaps the strong winds are the predicted consequence of global warming. All I know is that here, at Chez Buckland, we’ve had…

1 Clear the ground around the plant you’re feeding so the fertiliser will reach the soil and not feed surrounding weeds. 2 Scatter the required amount of feed around the plant’s root-spread (this extends to roughly the same extent as the branches). 3 Fork the pellets or powder into the soil, which makes it harder for them to be washed away or eaten by animals. 4 Adding a layer of mulch helps keep the fertiliser in place and also adds extra slow-release goodness to the soil.…

Many established ornamental trees, shrubs and other border plants can get everything they need from the soil and don’t require supplementary feeding. If your plants aren’t thriving, there may be other factors to check before you start with fertilisers. First of all, make sure you buy the right plants for your soil and grow them in appropriate conditions. All the care in the world won’t make a camellia grow well on chalk or a shade-loving plant thrive in full sun. Test soil nutrients at various spots around the garden. If anything is lacking, give it a boost with the appropriate nutrient. Also check for pests and disease, including around the roots. If you find anything untoward, seek advice and deal with it immediately.…

Boost your box with this specific feed that greens leaves, strengthens resistance to disease and promotes healthy growth. This feed was created for intense flower colour and improved growth. It also improves moisture control and helps plants withstand pests and diseases. An organic liquid feed that is rich in essential nutrients and helps boost the healthy development and growth of roots. Can be used for crops and ornamentals.…

1 Over the weeks the dracaena grew strong roots in the vase of water and was soon ready to pot up in some compost. 2 To avoid waterlogging, I placed crocks in the bottom of the pot and added a handful of grit to the potting compost. 3 Make sure the plant has room to grow but don’t give it too large a pot as roots can suffocate in too much empty compost. 4 Water well and stand the pot on gravel in a warm, light spot. Keep the gravel damp to boost humidity around the plant.…

• Add shape, beauty and scent to your garden with next week’s wonderful free seeds – French lavender (Lavendula stoechas). • Slightly less hardy than native lavenders (plants may need fleecing in very cold weather), the French variety is known for its attractive grey-green foliage, elegantly tufted flowerheads and slightly camphorous scent. • The plants grow into attractive shrubs that are attractive to bees. The flowers are popular for drying and making scented potpourri. It is an ideal plant for sunny areas with free-draining soil. If you have heavy clay, French lavender will also grow well in containers.…

It’s good to get sowing again. This week I decided to start off some cabbage and lettuce for the coming months. Although they could be sown direct now, I don’t have any room for them at present so I sowed them undercover in seed compost. I will grow them on and thin out the seedlings as they develop – you want to be growing a few robust ones rather than lots of spindly ones. Those left will then be planted out in a raised bed in late spring and grown on until they are ready for harvest.…

1 Dig up and pot up then bring under cover clumps of chives and mint roots to force them on for earlier pickings. 2 Where you’re soon going to plant your early potato sets prewarm the soil by laying black plastic sheets on ground. 3 Rake mulches and dead leaves aside to bare the soil to assist birds looking for snacks, then rake it back later. 4 Mark with a label congested clumps of snowdrops, and other early bulbs, for lifting and dividing after their flowers finish.…

WITH spring sitting on our doorstep, it’s time to round up the last remaining winter tasks – pruning being top of that list. Buds of early flowering crops such as currants, gooseberries and pears are fit to burst – things are certainly on the move! It won’t necessarily harm your crops if you need to prune them later in the year, but you’re wasting your plants’ valuable energy. Winter pruning consists in the main of structural cuts – thinning out branches, shortening sideshoots and removing old growth. You want the plant to respond with a flush of new shoots, but if it’s already started growing then that flush won’t be as strong. Time to step to it, then!…

IN early February I was urging those of you with a greenhouse to move some strawberries under cover for early crops. Well, I don’t see why those of us without such a luxury should miss out! My greenhouse is still very much on paper than in the garden, so I’m trying to come up with some alternative ways to provide extra heat for my burgeoning crops. Thin polythene and fleece covers don’t afford you much insulation – but glass, twin-walled polycarbonate or rigid plastic cloches will warm up your soil nicely. A few years ago I invested in some rigid plastic tunnel cloches. These are ideal for covering seedlings and, in this case, strawberries. It’s vital to wait until the soil has begun to warm up, otherwise you’re just insulating…

■ Water your potted daffs with liquid feed a few hours before planting. ■ Part the foliage of neighbouring plants, then carefully make a hole for your new daffodils in amongst the nearby roots. ■ After planting, water in with liquid feed, then mulch so that your new bulbs look natural. ■ Looking ahead, identify places in the garden or in permanently planted containers where dwarf daffodils will make a difference. ■ Visit RHS gardens at Wisley, Hyde Hall, Harlow Carr or Rosemoor and RHS Partner Gardens (rhs.org.uk/gardens), and jot down names of any varieties you particularly like. Also note the names of dwarf daffodils in garden centres, for ordering the (more economical) dry bulbs later this year.…

GROWING daffodils for cutting is very worthwhile – they make great cut flowers but will need a vase to themselves as other flowers dislike their slimy, sticky sap. I tend to prefer smaller varieties in dainty posies rather than larger types in vases or jugs, so I’ve planted some dwarf AGM varieties – among them ‘Hawera’ and ‘Quail’ – in rows across my 4ft/1.2m raised beds. This will leave an empty space in summer, so my plan is to sow hardy annuals between the daffodil rows, thus providing more flowers for cutting in summer from the same site.…

Plant bulbs 7in (18cm) deep in a sunny, sheltered spot with well-drained soil. As an alternative, plant three bulbs in a 12in (30cm) pot filled with John Innes No2 compost. Keep plants well watered and feed every couple of weeks with a tomato fertiliser in summer. Tidy up in autumn by pulling off yellow foliage and spent flowers. If you live in a mild area, cover the bulbs with a 3in (8cm) of mulch over winter. Those with exposed gardens should lift the bulbs and place them in trays of dry compost. Plants in pots can be kept in a shed, greenhouse, porch or other frost-free area. Don’t water them until new shoots push their way above the surface of the compost in early spring.…

■ Sweet pea seeds shouldn’t be soaked before sowing. Three independent trials in the past 30 years have all shown either no improvement in germination, or poorer germination if seed is soaked (partially drowned). ■ Use an open compost, such as multipurpose, when sowing. Seed composts are finely milled so do not have enough air spaces. ■ Water seeds at sowing, then do not water again until the young shoots start to emerge. This reduces the risk of damping off. ■ Sweet peas do not need a propagator; but if you do use one, leave the lid off. A warm, moist, enclosed environment is perfect for rotting seeds. ■ Spring sowing is preferable to autumn in the north of England and Scotland, where winter light levels are insufficient. ■ If…

Enkianthus campanulatus (AGM) A deciduous shrub with creamy-pink, bell-shaped flowers in late spring and fabulous autumn leaf colour. Great for a shady woodland border. Happy on neutral-to-acid soil, in a sheltered location. H&S: 15ft (4.5m). Ribes x gordonianum Eye-catching ornamental currant with peach and raspberry-red flowers held in drooping clusters in mid-spring. Hardy, deciduous and easy to grow in moist, well-drained, fertile soil. Plant in sun or light shade. HxS: 7x8ft (2x2.5m). Choisya ternata (AGM) The Mexican orange blossom has glossy evergreen foliage, but it’s the fragrant, pure white flowers that add the sparkle. Flowers in May, often with a second flush in late summer/autumn. Tolerant of most soils. H&S: 5-7ft (1.5-2m). Cistus A Mediterranean shrub that will appreciate well-drained soil. Add grit to the planting…

1 FIG: ‘Brown Turkey’ and ‘Brunswick’ are tried-and-tested in the UK. ‘Rouge de Bordeaux’ is very tasty, but a riskier option. Restrict roots with an underground, open-based paving slab chamber. 2 ROSES AND CLEMATIS: Train the pink-flowered rose ‘The Generous Gardener’ against the wall and then add purple-flowered, late-blooming Clematis ‘Rhapsody’ for contrast. Prune both plants in February. 3 POTATO VINE: Solanum laxum creates waterfalls of mauve-tinged, starry white flowers from June into autumn. I prefer it to the purple potato vine S.crispum.…

Q Is there a weed-killer that is so strong and effective you need only use it occasionally? Mr A H Clark (via email) AI urge you to use Tumbleweed. Based on glyphosate, a systemic herbicide, it travels in the sap to all parts of the plant. It is, however, non-selective so must be applied only to weeds. if you splash it on to the soil, it breaks down harmlessly. Q Do I need to cover my veg plot for my first early potatoes? Sue Mann (via email) A The only reasons for covering a plot for first early potatoes is either to advance the plants or to protect them from frost. If you don’t wish to harvest early and your plot is not prone to frost then leaving the ground…

IF you’ve never used a hand cultivator, you’re missing a trick. They’re a perfect tool for working in a filled border where forks or rakes are too large. They’re perfect if you want to loosen the soil in the top few centimetres to sow seeds direct or plant bedding, and they’re equally useful when working in a border packed with spring bulbs – which if you turn the soil too deeply, you’ll damage. During a hot summer when the soil becomes compacted, this tool will help you to break it up and improve the look of the border. They are also handy for removing footmarks as you creep in and out of your beds. Some cultivators are designed to lightly loosen the top soil, whilst others are more robust and…

• 21 February 1963 John Spedan Lewis died. His father, the first John Lewis, ran a department store, but Spedan turned it into the John Lewis Partnership. He was also a keen gardener. He lived at, and ran, Longstock Park in Hampshire until his death, after which it became Longstock Water Gardens, a retreat for the company’s executives. It is now home to Longstock Park Nursery. • 23 February 1723 Sir William Chambers, architect at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, was born. • 25 February 1856 TV gardener Monty Don’s great uncle died. George Don (born in 1798) was an important botanist, plantsman and collector, with a particular knowledge of the onion genus (allium). In 1816 he became foreman of the gardens at Chelsea, London. • 25 February 1966 Levington Compost,…

■ Just Walking in the Rain (Johnnie Ray, 1956) ■ The Wayward Wind (Frank Ifield, 1963) ■ Get Off My Cloud (The Rolling Stones, 1965) ■ The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore (The Walker Brothers, 1966) ■ Something in the Air (Thunderclap Newman, 1969) ■ The Sun Always Shines on TV (A-ha, 1986) ■ Ice Ice Baby (Vanilla Ice, 1990) ■ Frozen (Madonna, 1998) ■ Blame it on the Weatherman (B*Witched, 1999)…

H. m. ‘Mirai’ Large mopheads of white blooms are rimmed with pink, often washing down into the petals (tepals) on large shrubs 6ft (1.8m) high. H. m. ‘General Vicomptesse de Vibraye’ It is easy to win with this variety: according to soil conditions, flowers are either rose pink or blue on shrubs 5ft (1.5m) tall. H. m. ‘Preziosa’ An old, compact favourite, good for smaller gardens. Foliage often turns bronze and neat flower heads are pink to ruby-coloured on shrubs 4ft (1.2m) high. H. m. ‘Veitchii’ A gorgeous lace-cap whose white florets turn a mauve-pink as they age, surrounding clusters of tiny blue flowers. Reaches 5ft (1.5m).…

YOU want to buy the most beneficial products for your plants, but there are so many available now that the purchasing process can be daunting. On these two pages I’m going to try and de-mystify the terminology used on fertiliser packaging and look at some of the more commonly used products. Specific feeds for certain plants such as clematis and conifers are also available, but I’m looking at general-purpose fertilisers. The general rule of thumb is that the faster a plant is growing, the more food it needs. This is why liquid feeds are so popular in summer when plants are growing, flowering and fruiting – they are easier and quicker for the plants to take up and use. However, they are also more easily washed away in rain and…

ONCE in a while the wheels come off my houseplant care and at Christmas my dracaena started to turn up its toes through lack of watering. The majority of the lower leaves died, but there were still a few holding on at the top so I let the plant sit in water overnight to see what happened. It didn’t recover, so rather than lose the whole plant I cut off the top portion and sat it in water, the base of the cutting just below the surface. After a few weeks, during which I occasionally topped up the water level, the dracaena remained healthy looking and started to develop roots. I left it in the place until the roots became more substantial and then potted it up in a mix…

“It takes skill with a sharp knife to graft successfully” ONE of my memorable successes as a teenager was grafting a Victoria plum scion onto a plum sucker. It was the late 1940s, in the days long before polythene ties. A dormant piece of the previous year’s growth, about pencil thickness, was cut from a Victoria and joined by whip-and-tongue graft to the sucker growing from another plum tree. The two pieces of wood were held in place by squeezing a handful of wet, yellow clay around the join, all held in place with a strip of cotton cloth. Today it is much easier, with thin strips of polythene used to tie grafts in place and grafting wax/sealants available from garden centres to retain moisture. All fruit trees today are…

1 Fill a clean seed tray or module tray with fresh seed compost. There is no need to sieve it as echinacea seeds are large. 2 The large, pale seeds are easy to sow, so spread them thinly on the compost to give the seedlings more room to grow. 3 Cover with a shallow layer of compost or vermiculite to help aerate the developing roots and prevent them dehydrating. 4 Water using fresh water sprinkled from a fine rose, label and cover, and then place somewhere light and warm. They will germinate in 2-4 weeks.…

24 FEB: Pruning roses (half-day course): Cottage Garden School, East Donyland Hall, Fingringhoe, Essex CO5 7JE. 07837 013 900/07933 992 446 cottagegardenschool.co.uk; info@cottagegardenschool.co.uk 24: Greenhouses for Beginners: RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. 0845 6121 253, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley 24: Grow Your own Wedding Flowers: RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. 0845 6121 253, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley 24-March 4: Snowdrop Spectacular: Burton Agnes Gardens, Burton Agnes, Driffield, East Yorkshire, YO25 4NB. 01262 490324, burtonagnes.com 24-25: Snowdrop Walk: Rode Hall, Scholar Green, Cheshire ST7 3QP. 01270 873237, rodehall.co.uk MARCH 1-4: Snowdrops at Burton Agnes Hall, Burton Agnes, Driffied, North Humberside YO25 4NB. 01262 490324, office@burtonagnes.com 2: Shrub pruning, RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. 0845 6121 253, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley • Please send details and images of your events to ruth.hayes@timeinc.com…

“The Roman snail isn’t a garden pest” WINTER is fading – and about time, too! For the past few weeks I’ve been snail hunting, looking in nooks and crannies for clusters of brown garden snails that I relegate to the green bin. I haven’t found as many clusters as usual this year, because we’ve had quite a hard winter in the wonderfully named village of Cold Aston. Garden snails are knocked back by cold weather, and recent DNA analysis of the garden snail (Helix aspersa) gives us a clue why. This snail originated in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and southern Spain in the days when they were connected by land. In other words, it’s an alien – not a native. The Romans are credited with bringing the garden snail…

1 Parsley has a reputation for being slow to germinate – seedlings can take a fortnight to emerge. To this end, I sow into a large, shallow pot. Its extra width means it’s less likely to dry out, but the relative shallowness allows basal heat to penetrate. 2 Continual, gentle moisture is essential, so water your pot well before sowing thinly on the surface. Parsley also needs light to germinate, so don’t cover the seeds over with more compost. Place in a heated propagator at 18°C and water the pot regularly but lightly for successful growth. 3 Keep the temperature consistent and don’t let the compost become either dry or waterlogged. Once the seedlings emerge and become large enough to handle, prick them out into pots. Grow them on until…

WHETHER sliced in half and stuffed before baking, poached in a delicious syrup for yoghurt and ice cream, or simply eaten straight off the tree, I absolutely adore peaches, apricots and nectarines. Their flavour and scent are instantly recognisable, evoking thoughts of far warmer climes than our own. It surprises many people, however, that these three crops are easy to grow in the UK. The keys to success are a warm sunny spot, protection from peach leaf curl fungus, plus sufficient pollination. So, let’s deal with all three in turn. To boost sugar levels sufficiently, sunshine is essential. Ideally, train trees as a fan against a south- or west-facing wall. If you haven’t got a wall, grow your tree in a pot, positioning it in a sunny spot. Peach leaf…

■ Feed every two or three weeks with a liquid feed. ■ Snip off individual flowers as they fade so the dying blooms do not detract from your display; ordinary kitchen scissors will do a neat job. ■ When the last flowers have faded, snip off at the top of the flower stem. ■ Tidy away the foliage in early summer as it shrivels and turns yellow. ■ Either leave your bulbs in place for next year, or lift them in summer, replanting 4in/10cm apart in the same, or a different, place.…

WHEN I was started out in gardening, back in the late 1980s, nobody I knew grew pineapple lilies (Eucomis) in their gardens. In fact, the only place you were likely to find them was in the pages of houseplant books, because most experts at the time thought they were far too tender to thrive outdoors in the UK. For example, my well-thumbed copy of Dr DG Hessayon’s The House Plant Expert includes a couple of varieties in a section on indoor bulbs, while the 1987 edition of The RHS Encyclopaedia of House Plants states that pineapple lilies “make good pot plants for the cool conservatory”. How times have changed. Many of these flamboyant bulbous perennials, native to South Africa and tropical parts of southern Africa, are known to be much…

Turquoise Lagoon Sweet peas work well in pots and this one is particularly well-suited thanks to its relatively compact nature and the fact that it is smothered in fantastic flowers – these open pink before turning lagoon blue. H: 5ft (1.5m). Lavender Cupid Strong and robust, it is the diminutive height of this dwarf variety that makes it so good for trailing in baskets and tubs. Flowers are the same as old-fashioned types and you can get white, pink and violet versions, too. H: 1ft (30cm).…

The sweet pea is native to Sicily and southern Italy. In 1699, Sicilian monk Franciscus Cupani sent seed to several UK plant collectors, including Dr Robert Uvedale, a schoolmaster in Enfield. This was the start of our passion for growing sweet peas. Before 1870 a few new varieties such as ‘Painted Lady’ and ‘Cupani’ (below) appeared. Then, in the late 19th century, Henry Eckford, a gardener in Shropshire, opened a nursery and began breeding Grandiflora varieties. Since then, breeders have developed hundreds of different forms and colours of sweet pea, including the Spencer varieties and modern Grandifloras.…

ALTHOUGH height and spread vary, a good estimate would be one or a pair of compatible mature climbers or wall shrubs for every 6ft (1.8m) of wall space. While acquiring these, or waiting for young plants to grow, why not fill gaps with a range of annual climbers raised from seed, such as sweet peas? From a spring sowing, these will flower or fruit in summer and are cleared for winter, although a few tender perennials might make it through to another year. Stand by to control these temporary fillers in case they encroach on the permanent plants. Most prefer a sunny position. In a heated propagating case, start Thunbergia alata (black-eyed Susan), Eccremocarpus scaber (Chilean glory flower) and Cobaea scandens (cup and saucer vine) now. Remove pots when seeds…

TWO readers will each win a Makita DUR181RM 18-volt cordless Line Trimmer, giving you freedom to move around the garden without getting tangled up in cords and eliminating trip hazards. This prize will come complete with a Makita 4.0Ah Lithium-Ion battery, compact charger, safety goggles, shoulder strap and a nylon cutting head. The lightweight DUR181RM features a well-balanced tool design with an angle adjustable cutting head ideal for home gardening. It will run up to 7,800rpm, has a cutting span of 260mm from the bump-and-feed line cord system, and the head can be rotated 90 degrees for use as a very efficient lawn edge trimmer. It has an extendable shaft for comfortable operation, be you short or tall, an adjustable loop-handle, easy to change spool assembly and a battery capacity…

Stainless steel Claw cultivator £9.99 Delivery £3.50 Wilkinsonsword-tools.co.uk 01869 363635 Features A good-looking tool with a traditional design. The weatherproofed ash handle comes with a leather hanging strap, making it easy to store. Its rust-resistant stainless-steel head has prongs that will cultivate down to 6cm. Two of the prongs are positioned further forward than the central prong. Each prong has a flattened end with a sharp point. The overall length of the tool is approximately 27cm. Performance A lightweight cultivator which is well balanced. The central prong of the tool is set back, which staggers cultivation – this is very effective. It feels sturdy and good quality. Worked well in a packed border as it is one of the more compact tested. The contoured handle is comfortable to use. Value…

Unwins has teamed up with popular pottery designer Emma Bridgewater to create a bespoke limited-edition milk jug vase available when you buy Unwins Beautiful Bouquets flower seeds from your local garden centre. We have a vase and five packs of seeds to give away to a lucky reader. See below for details of how to enter the prize draw. How to enter Send your name and address on the back of a postcard to Unwins/Emma Bridgewater Draw, Amateur Gardening, 2 Pinehurst, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 7BF. Or you can email your details to ag_giveaway@timeinc.com, heading the email Unwins/Emma Bridgewater Draw. The closing date is 1 March 2018…