Innholdsfortegnelse for 10-Mar-2018 i Amateur Gardening

A TYPICAL British winter is generally not a good time for rockeries. Although alpines are resilient plants well suited to harsh, nutrient-poor terrain, they thrive in cold, dry conditions with good light levels and our damp, dull English winters do them no favours. Although they are robust, alpines are low-growing and easily smothered by weeds and garden debris, and are at risk from rots and fungal problems if their foliage comes into contact with damp soil. The panel below shows you how to help alpines recover from a gruelling winter. Spring is also a good time to plant alpines as they will have time to get established before next winter. This week I have spent time starting to sort out our ‘rock garden’, which is a neglected, weedy slope with…

1 While the plants are standing in water, place crocks at the base of the trough to ensure good drainage. 2 Fill the trough with a mix of compost (I used John Innes No3) and grit. Add the alpines at the depth of their rootball. 3 When all the plants are in, water them well – they probably won’t need watering again for months unless we experience prolonged drought. 4 Top-dress with a layer of gravel to suppress weeds, raise the plants off damp compost and deter pests.…

MY parents had a large and extremely robust pink dahlia in their garden that they never lifted in winter. Their garden was on the south coast, but even so I was always surprised to see the plant regenerate each spring. It was in a relatively sheltered area of the garden and the crown was covered with a thick layer of mulch each winter, so maybe that did the trick. However, I’m not so laissez-faire about my dahlias and always lift them after the first frost of winter, storing them under the greenhouse staging in trays of sandy compost. I won’t plant them back out until early May or when the frosts have finished, but am potting them up now to give them plenty of time to shoot back into growth.…

WE never tire from the thrill of seeing seeds break through the surface and shoot into growth. Speak to many of the big-name gardeners and you will find that their first desire to grow things came from a packet of seeds. While the current trend is very much away from raising things from seed ourselves, and rather buying in ready germinated plug plants, it is a pity to see home gardeners losing the thrill of successful seed raising. Pretty well year round I have small pots of seeds germinating on the office windowsill. There are several basic points to guarantee success. First, you need good fresh seed and modern foil-wrapped seeds do have high germination rates. The containers must be clean and the small, 2 1/2in sq black plastic pots,…

1 Give your lawn a first cut with the mower blade set high to remove tussock-forming grasses before they get bigger. 2 Repair bald lawn patches: prick over with a fork, scatter and then rake in grass seed. Use tough grasses, nothing fine or fancy. 3 Add seaweed solution, well diluted, to all your watering to provide trace elements as your plants start to get moving. 4 Be careful not to over-water tender young crops and plants under cover by being overenthusiastic, waterlogging them just as they’re coming into growth.…

Being a tender veg, treat aubergines like tomato or chilli (the same plant family). Sowing them early gives the plants a long growing season, giving maximum chance of a heavy crop. The classic large, purple varieties are easy to find, but search a little harder and you’ll come across exciting selections such as pure white ‘Ivory’, slender ‘Fengyuan Purple’, orange and green ‘Toga’ plus green and white-striped ‘Kermit’. You’ll need a heated propagator to germinate them (or, buy young plants in early May). Sow ten or so seeds into a 9cm diameter pot of well-watered seed compost. Press them down gently with a pencil so they just disappear, then top the pot with a 3-4mm layer of vermiculite. Placed in a well-lit propagator at 20°C, and seedlings should emerge in…

ROCKET salads may (still) be trendy, but what about discovering other delicious leaves? Mustard, corn salad, baby kale, ruby chard, sorrel, mizuna, komatsuna – all these crops and more pack a unique punch in flavour, allowing you to create taste sensations rather than the usual old-timers in the kitchen. Growing these leaves doesn’t take up much room. You can start some under cloches in a sunny spot outside, sow short drills in growing bags (simply lay the bags flat in a greenhouse or conservatory and cut a big rectangle out of the plastic top) or, as I’m doing, sow them into shallow saucers of seed compost in a well-lit spot under cover. Kept moist, seedlings will begin to appear within a week, with harvests arriving in a month.…

1 Start filling the pot or basket with compost. If your basket isn’t lined you will need to add one to prevent compost and water leaking. 3 Infill with more compost so the roots are all covered. If space is tight, I use an old spoon as it’s less clumsy than a trowel. 2 Remove the plants from their pots, tease out their roots and add them to the basket. Put tall ones in the middle and small ones outside. 4 Water well so the roots are saturated and the soil settles. Let it drain and keep it somewhere light and cool until Mother’s Day.…

■ Check the light or shade needs of individual varieties: all are happy in partial shade, many in full shade, and some also enjoy almost full sun. ■ Tolerant of most soils, they dislike waterlogging but are usually fine in clay and also in limy soils. ■ Thorough soil preparation is helpful, so fork in well-rotted compost or bagged soil improver before planting. ■ Either plant individually, in tight trios to make specimens, or in drifts among and under shrubs as ground cover. ■ Pulmonarias look good in terracotta pots in shady places; just ensure that they never dry out. ■ Larger plants can sometimes be split into two or three pieces immediately before planting.…

AS a horticultural student, I spent many hours learning to perfect the art of digging. That was more than 20 years ago and back then there wasn’t any mention of less physical alternatives. Today, gardeners have other choices, thanks to Charles Dowding. He is the acclaimed innovator of the ‘no-dig’ method of gardening and he has proved that crops can be successfully grown without turning soil. He has tried and tested the technique, written books, given lectures and run courses on the subject. As a result, he has an army of followers – and I’m sure you’ll be tempted to join them. There’s no doubt that many gardeners enjoy digging and take great pride in looking out onto a well-dug patch. However, there are some who are unable to dig…

Rehmannia elata The Chinese foxglove is a half-hardy perennial featuring large trumpet-shaped pink flowers that bloom from May to October. Position in full sun or partial shade, in well-drained soil. HxS: 59x24in (150x60cm). Supplied in 9cm pots. (H) Begonia Sweet Pearl Cascade Fans of begonias will love the creamy-white blooms, which show a hint of pink as the flower matures and are matched by a rose-like fragrance described as “intense”. Flowers from June until the first frosts. H: 8in (20cm), trailing to 16in (40cm). Supplied as young plants. (W) Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Black Diamonds Shining Angel Blue’ A hydrangea with a difference! The multi-tonal purple/pink/blue flowers are produced on almost-black stems from July to September. Position in sun or semi-shade, in fertile soil. H&S: 47in (120cm). Supplied in 10.5cm…

MR Fothergill’s is bringing revolutionary Swedish seed-priming technology to a number of the garden vegetable varieties in its Optigrow seed range. Optigrow seeds promise ‘superfast’ germination and vigorous seedlings able to outgrow competing weeds. The system uses water and air to get the seed biologically ready for germination (a process known as priming), thus breaking dormancy. Seeds are then quickly dried back to a storable state. Once planted, the seed doesn’t need to prepare for growing (having already done so) and will therefore germinate faster, and with greater vigour, than untreated seed. Optigrow seeds available are: Beetroot Pablo F1, Cabbage Dutchman F1, Carrot Cascade F1, Carrot Norwich F1, Cauliflower Triomphant F1, Chives, Kale Kapitan F1, Leek Cairngorm F1, Lettuce Little Gem, Lettuce Salad Bowl Red and Green Mix, Parsley Plain…

How to control pittosporums Q We have several large pittosporums in our garden and are now clipping them to keep their size at bay. This has made some sparse and twiggy. Is there some other way of pruning or should we think about removing them? Marcia Adamson, Edinburgh A There are around 200 species of pittosporum worldwide, but in the UK only P. tenuifolium and somewhat tender P. tobira are widely grown. P. tenuifolium is a useful, quick-growing evergreen shrub with attractive wavy green foliage much appreciated by flower arrangers. Like many other New Zealand natives, it is tolerant of wind and sea spray, and here in our garden we use them in some of our windier borders as shields for other plants. The Maori names for pittosporum are ‘kohuhu’…

Q Where can I buy seeds of Primula Obconica ? Ian Wand, Letchworth Garden City, Herts A Primula obconica ‘Twilly Touch Me’ is available in a wide range of hues from Thompson & Morgan ( 8 thompsonmorgan.com , 0844 573 1818). A packet of seeds costs £3.99. I am sure that there are other UK suppliers, but I could not trace them. Q I’ve been trying to source Kelsae onion plants, but have had no joy. Where should I look? Eric Waterhouse, via email A Kelsae onions are available from DT Brown ( 8 dtbrownseeds.co.uk, 0333 003 0869). At the time of writing, 40 module-raised plants are available for £11.95, excluding postage and packing. They will be sent out in mid-April. Q How much wood ash can I add…

‘Matucana’ This bicolored magenta and purple pea is a Grandiflora variety similar to ‘Cupani’ with strong, sweet scent. ‘Spanish Dancer’ I’m intrigued by the warm shades of this modern Grandiflora variety with sweet perfume. ‘Charlie’s Angel’ A Spencer type with stems of large, frilly pale blue flowers with gorgeous scent and a sheen of lavender. ‘Just Jenny’ Add a touch of drama with these Spencer type dark blue-maroon blooms with moderately good scent.…

Westland Orchid Water is a-ready-to-use plant feed blend of purified water and the essential nutrients that orchids need to thrive. Just two capfuls a week will keep orchids happy and healthy for longer lasting flowers. We have five 720ml bottles to give away, each worth £2.99. 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 Westland Orchid Water 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 Westland Orchid Water Draw. The closing date is 15 March 2018.…

My alpine trough overwintered under a sheltered bench, where it was protected from the weather but could be watered by rain. Like alpines in a rock garden, the plants need some post-winter TLC. Start by weeding, making sure you get all the roots up too. Then feed and water – I used Maxicrop liquid seaweed as an all-round boost for the plants. Finally, top-dress with gravel to replace any that has been dislodged during the winter.…

OUR six-year-old peace lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii), bought as a house-warming present, has obviously been very happy in its position and has outgrown its pot. Its flowering has fallen off and some leaves have turned pale or yellow – a sign of a nutrient-poor, unhappy plant. Luckily, peace lilies are easy-going and forgiving plants that are usually fairly simple to resurrect. They like a light, warm place with damp, but not soggy, compost. For a healthy plant, only water when the surface of the compost feels dry to the touch. A plant that looks sad may do so because its compost is too wet. If this is the case, simply remove it from its container and re-pot it into fresh, dry compost and only water slightly. My peace lily was cramped…

MY greenhouse is starting to bulge at the seams with tender plants still overwintering and new seedlings and cuttings coming through. I’m thrilled that the plants are thriving, but am keeping an eagle eye on everything to make sure mishaps are avoided. A full greenhouse that isn’t properly ventilated is an accident waiting to happen. A warm, damp atmosphere creates a build up of condensation, which is the perfect breeding ground for pests and also allows fungal problems to get a foothold. Make sure you check the greenhouse daily, opening the door and windows on milder days and closing them at dusk. Also, move plants so their leaves aren’t touching. The more room there is for air to flow around plants, the healthier they will be. Look out for pests…

1 One bag of seed compost is usually enough for a season. Shallow pots or pans are advisable because the seedlings will be pricked off as soon as the first true leaf starts to show. 2 Seed and cuttings composts have little plant food, and if seedlings cannot be pricked off promptly they will need a dilute feed. 3 A thin layer of vermiculite to cover sown seeds will keep them moist. Check instructions on the packet, though, as some seeds are best left on the surface and uncovered. 4 As soon as there are signs of shoots emerging, pots need to be put in full light to avoid stems stretching. Hold pots up to eye level and look across the surface to see tiny seedlings coming through.…

EVEN the best laid plans aren’t immune to tweaking, so if you decide that one of your fruit bushes is too crammed in, then now is the time to act. I’m guilty of squeezing too much into my fruit bed. Looking back to last summer, we had far too many raspberries at the expense of my four blueberries. These bushes are squeezed against an espalier apple – and something has to give! So, the raspberry row is being made shorter, then the blueberries can be repositioned. Early spring is prime time for moving crops around. The soil is only just starting to warm and plants are waking from their winter slumber. Here’s how to do it (see right). Top Tip A newly moved bush is vulnerable to drying out until…

TO my mind, gardening is as much creative as it is practical. Yes, you must have a scientific understanding of why you’re doing something, but because of that foundation you can then let your imagination take centre stage. Pruning and training allows you to create attractive shapes, generating a beautiful as well as a productive edible garden. So this week, rather than focus on espalier pears or fan-trained cherries, I’m turning my attention to a much humbler crop – the bramble. Hedgerow brambles themselves are always going to be my source of blackberries, but relatives of this crop (what we collectively call hybrid berries) are fine subjects for any garden. Loganberries, tayberries, boysenberries, vetchberries, Japanese wineberries – the names themselves make you want to grow them. Most are essentially a…

ONE of the hardest things to explain to fellow gardeners is that organic, or naturally run, gardens are healthy and productive and not overrun with pests. This doesn’t happen by accident, of course. It depends on taking evasive action at the correct time, so anything that looks diseased, or “dodgy”, is either snipped off or dug up. I spend a great deal of time looking at my plants, and if I see blackfly on the tips of the broad beans they’re removed and squashed under my wellies. I always cut off my oriental hellebore foliage in December to lessen the effects of hellebore blackspot (Coniothyrium hellebori), a fungal disease that spreads when spores lurk on the ground. Rose foliage is always collected from the ground in summer because, if it’s…

10 March: Orchid Show: RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey, GU23 6QB. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley 11-18: Creative Plant Photography two-day course, RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey, GU23 6QB. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley 11: Rare Plant Fair: Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset, BA5 2PD. 01749 988111, bishopspalace.org.uk 11: Mums Go Free: Ness Botanic Gardens, University of Liverpool, Neston Road, Ness, CH64 4AY 0151 795 6300 www.nessgardens.org.uk 11: Mums Go Free: Trentham Estate, Stone Road, Stoke on Trent, ST4 8AX 01782 646646 trentham.co.uk 12: RHS Gardening Advice: RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG3 1QB. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr 13: Grafting for Beginners: RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Rosemoor, Torrington, Devon, EX38 8PH. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor 14: Plants for Pruning Walk: RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North…

■ Every autumn, mulch plants with weed-free organic matter such as bagged soil improver. ■ Snip off the flower stems as the final flowers fade in late spring and early summer. However, do leave some if you’d like to gamble on a few self-sown seedlings. Be warned, though: seedlings never come true. ■ Look out for powdery mildew on some varieties in sunny conditions, especially if the soil is dry. A few varieties are naturally resistant. ■ If mildew is especially disfiguring, remove all affected foliage and soak the plant thoroughly. ■ Divide in autumn as the clumps start to become thin in the centre.…

Carrot ‘Rondo’ These round carrots are perfect for kids’ lunch boxes and are very tasty. They are ideal for shallow window boxes and you can expect to harvest 48 days after sowing. Seed available from Suttons Runner beans These look nice in large pots when grown up obelisks. If you don’t want to grow a climber, try ‘Jackpot Mix’ as plug plants from Suttons. They reach 20in (50cm) in height and are a cross between dwarf French beans and runners Tomato ‘Tumbling Tom Red’ These very sweet cherry tomatoes ‘tumble’, making the plant ideal for life in a hanging basket. The plant needs no support and is a generous cropper. Seed available from Mr Fothergill’s Rocket Add a peppery taste to salads with easy-to-grow rocket. Simply cut and it will…

Sweet peas With Prince Harry marrying Meghan Markle this year at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, Berkshire, why not join in the royal celebrations by sowing sweet peas ‘Our Harry’ and ‘Royal Wedding’? A lavender-blue sweet pea with a good scent, ‘Our Harry (above right) has large flowers on long stems – ideal for cutting – while the greenish-cream buds of ‘Royal Wedding’ (above left) open to pure white. Petals are waved, with a hint of cream at the edges. Another good option for the vase, it is highly scented. H: 8ft (240cm). (K) Agapanthus ‘Storm Cloud’ These half-hardy perennials may not flower until their third year, but the high-impact blooms are well worth waiting for. In a showy violet-blue on tall stems, they are offset by large…

SOME companies supply plants in pots, the size of which is specified in the description. Others supply plugs, which are great value for money and are sent out at the appropriate time of year for planting. However, the size of these can vary. The companies that supply plugs mentioned in this article are Thompson & Morgan, Mr Fothergill’s, Dobies, Suttons, Woolmans and Hayloft. Thompson & Morgan Postiplugs are 5-11cm tall and can be planted straight into baskets and containers. Jumbo plugs are also 5-11cm tall, but at 3-4cm in diameter, they are a bigger plug module than Postiplugs. Mr Fothergill’s Powerliner plugs are approximately 6cm in diameter, with a well-developed root system. Super Plugs from Dobies and Suttons (see illustration, right) are approximately 12cm tall and are described as “pot-ready”.…

P.t. ‘Golf Ball’ This new compact variety has light-green leaves and is ideal for a low hedge or topiary. It eventually reaches 4-6ft (1.2-1.8m). P.t. ‘Irene Paterson’ Arguably the most refined of the tribe, the leaves of P.t. ‘Irene Patterson’ are speckled with white, and it grows slower than most. However, plants will eventually reach 7ft (2.1m). P.t. ‘Tandara Gold’ Glossy leaves are liberally splashed with gold and lime-green, offset by an irregular, narrow edge of dark green on P.t. ‘Tandara Gold’. It reaches 10ft (3m). P.t. ‘Tom Thumb’ Great for containers or a small garden, P.t. ‘Tom Thumb’ reaches 3ft (1m). New growth is a bright, light green and shows well against mature, glossy purple leaves.…

The consequences of spraying I WRITE in response to Ruth Hayes asking us to send our views regarding the use of chemicals ( AG , 17 February). Every gardener chooses how to control so-called ‘pests’. There are people who would prefer not to grow slug-loving plants, or who pick off greenfly but leave some for birds feeding their young, or who grow a few wild flowers for the butterflies, bees and hoverflies that pollinate our plants. Then there are the gardeners who don’t want to see a chewed leaf, a greenfly or a weed – so they spray. But one spray alone kills more than it says on the bottle because minute particles of poison travel on the air even without wind, then fall to the soil. And those particles…

Veggie month March is Veggie Month, promoted by the charity Animal Aid, and the aim is to encourage more people – at least for this month – to eat less (or even no) meat, and instead to eat more vegetables. So now is the perfect time to look at a wide range of amazing facts and figures pertaining to the world of veg! To start with, there is the humble carrot. But did you know that eating cooked carrots is better for you than eating them raw? Cooking a carrot releases hidden pockets of beta-carotene (which converts into vitamin A when digested). Raw carrots give you just 3% of this substance, but when you heat them up they release closer to 40%. • Carrots are a commonly grown vegetable worldwide,…

■ Sweetcorn makes a squeaking noise as it grows. As the kernels enlarge they rub together and emit a low, audible squeak – rather like two balloons rubbing together. ■ Garlic belongs to the lily family. ■ Cucumbers use Aspirin to cure themselves. Research in Switzerland showed that cucumber plants produce a pulse of salicylic acid (Aspirin) to fight off disease. ■ Cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli, calabrese, Brussels sprouts are all related – members of the Brassica genus in the Crucifer family. Turnips, swedes and radishes are included, too, along with wallflowers and stocks in the flower garden.…

SNEAKING up on male frogs while they sing their croaky serenade from the pond is one of the great sports of spring. It’s not easy, though, because although these amphibious gents have the vocal prowess of Adele, should they sense you’re listening they descend into a silence that makes a fish seem shrill! Lately, the frogs have been quiet and when I spotted what I first thought was ice in the water I realised why. A closer look revealed that the “slush” was a gelatinous mass of swelling frog spawn. After laying and fertilisation frog eggs sink, only to rise as they grow into a raft of glossy bubbles, each with an embryonic tadpole at its centre. A few days after surfacing, the tadpoles are big enough to wobble and…

NEVER move spawn or tadpoles into a different pond as the water may not have the right conditions for them to survive and you could spread disease. Frogs will find new ponds, and although they lay eggs where they’re born, there will always be one that’s keen to try somewhere new! Plenty of leafy cover in the water and around the pond’s edges is essential for creating safe hiding places. The species you’re most likely to see is the common frog. Breathing through its skin, it can overwinter under water but also enjoys hiding in the cool and damp beneath compost heaps and logs…

1 Start by building a framework of reclaimed bricks in a corner of the garden, aiming to create a natural sloping effect. 2 In-fill between the bricks with soil and cover them with up-turned turves so you develop natural-looking rounded mounds. 3 Place rocks on top of the turves to form the ‘skeleton’ of the rockery. If possible, use stone from your local area. 4 Pour a thick layer of gravel around the stones and on top of the turves. This will make sure the rockery drains well. 5 Add some topsoil and smaller-grade grit or gravel to create an attractive look. Brush it in between the rocks to help anchor them. 6 Decide your planting scheme by placing alpines around the rockery, still in their pots, until you get…

1 A peace lily that has outgrown its pot will soon fail to thrive. Its leaves won’t have room to grow properly and flowering may reduce. 2 Carefully remove the plant from its pot and either divide its roots using your thumbs or by cutting through them with a sharp knife. 3 Set each division in a pot slightly larger than its original one and infill around it with houseplant compost. 4 Cut away any dead or damaged foliage and water the plant well. Don’t water again until the compost is almost dry.…

VERBENA bonariensis is a cottage garden staple, its tall, upright, square stems topped with purple clusters of flowers that are a magnet for squadrons of pollinating beers and butterflies. This week’s free seeds are for Verbena rigida ‘Intensity’, a slightly more compact variety with brilliant blue flowers that is ideal for borders as well as baskets and containers. It is a half-hardy perennial and should survive the winter in a sheltered spot or if its roots are dressed with a layer of mulch. Sown now, it will flower this year and hopefully bloom for months. Like all verbenas, it self-seeds with abandon and once the seedlings are established you can transplant them to other areas of the garden. Verbenas are easy-going and low-maintenance, and are happiest in a sunny, well-drained…

AS the days lengthen we want to start sowing outdoors. Books and seed packets tell us we should be sowing broad beans, wrinkled peas, parsnips, hardy annual flowers and so on. And this is true, although really only for sheltered sites and warm, dry soils. You see, many of our earliest sowings fail or do poorly simply because the soil has to be warm enough to germinate seeds before they rot. Even if seed germinates it will still do less well if the weather turns colder and wetter again. The simple answer is to sow later, but then you get the first flowers or harvest later too. A better solution is sowing several times in batches. Sow a bigger area than you want in total, then eliminate the poorest batches…

1 First things first – get the new site for your fruit bush ready! Dig over the area, removing any weeds and old roots. Work in some compost or well-rotted manure if the soil is very heavy or too light. Breaking up compaction with a fork will help roots to settle in. 2 If your plant is less than five years old it will move easily (older plants are best replaced). At this time of year the ground should be moist (water it if not). Then gently slide your spade alongside the rootball, which will spread at least as far as the branches. 3 Slice all around the bush, then gently tease it out of the earth (if it’s heavy get a friend to help you). Either lift it into…

THIS Sunday is Mother’s Day, so alongside breakfast in bed and a day of pampering, why not plant up a personal gift for your mum – or auntie, grandmother, godmother, whoever you like! Although garden centres stock a wide array of ready-planted pots and baskets to give as gifts, and houseplants are another perennial favourite, it can be more fun – and certainly more individual – to create your own floral gift. With so many bedding plants and bulbs now available, you are spoilt for choice and it’s easy to create a gift of favourite spring plants. I planted up a small wicker basket with a blue hyacinth, some bulbs of the delicate dwarf daff ‘Golden Bells’, a variegated ivy and some violas in mixed colours. Hopefully, this will create…

TOUGH perennials that combine resilience in the garden with a long succession of attractive flowers and an even longer display of silvered, weed-smothering foliage; perfect for both borders and containers as their height rarely exceeds 12in (30cm) – pulmonarias (lungworts) are extremely useful plants. They’re related to forget-me-nots, as you can see from the way the flowers unroll at the tops of their stems. These can begin to open as early as January (as mine did this year) and continue until May. A few may even open in November and December. Often coloured pink as they first open, most mature to blue – from pale sky-blue through bright and navy shades to deep violet-blue – but you’ll also find pink, white and red-flowered varieties, and even an occasional striped form.…

Most pulmonaria flowers are blue, but the flowers of one species, P. rubra , are a lovely coral-red. Three varieties have at one time been given an AGM, but all have now suffered the indignity of having the award withdrawn. It’s not as if they’re bad plants – far from it. Set against fresh pale-green foliage, the flowers are undeniably attractive. The two I chose are ‘Rachel Vernie’, a variegated one that does not scorch, and ‘Ann’, with white veins to its flowers. Neither has the AGM, but they’re still fine plants.…

Cabbage Madison F1 This mid to late high-yielding hybrid cabbage has good disease tolerance and a great-tasting ball head. Sow from March to May and harvest from August to October. (U) Cucumber Mini Muncher F1 Hardy enough to grow outdoors, this cucumber produces fruits about 4-5in (10-12cm) long that mature early. Sow indoors from March to April, for harvesting June to September. (M) Pumpkin Wicked F1 Wicked F1 is described as a “monster” Halloween pumpkin suited to cooler climates. It is early maturing and has a deep-orange skin. Sow indoors from April to May; harvest in October. (DTB) Dwarf French bean ‘Traviata’ If you don’t have much room to grow veg, this dwarf French bean variety could be the answer. ‘Traviata’ produces robust and vigorous plants that are upright, making…

■ New from Dobies is Sugar Plum Raisin F1. The bright-red tomatoes can be eaten straight from the vine or left to dry naturally on the stem, to be picked as a sweeter raisin-type (see photo, above). Dobies claims this tomato is far sweeter than any available from the supermarket, and the sweetness of the fruits intensifies when dried. Sold as grafted plants, they’re best in a greenhouse but can be grown on a sunny patio. Available as Super Plugs. (D) ■ If you fancy a tomato that tastes, well, not like a tomato, try Suttons’ Tutti-Frutti range. F1 Red Berry has “hints of redcurrant”, F1 Cherry has “hints of cherry”, while F1 Mandarin has an “orange scent that almost convinces you that you are eating a mandarin!” Ideal for…

How to succeed with sarcococca QI recently bought a Sarcococca Hookeriana and also have cuttings of a Sarcococca Confusa , which I have put in ericaceous (acid) soil. Is this right? Some articles I’ve read say loamy soil and others say acid soil. Andrea Telfer, St Mellons, Cardiff A Sometimes we just have too much information at our fingertips! Sarcococcas are very easy to please and happy in all soil types – the structure can be loam, clay, chalky or sandy and the pH can be alkali, acidic or neutral. So using loam-based ericaceous compost is absolutely fine, as would be using ordinary loam-based compost (John Innes No2 or 3). For long-term growing in pots I would avoid peat-based composts because their structure starts to collapse after a year and…

• 6 March 1836 General Sir Henry Collett, botanist, plant hunter and the person who introduced Rosa gigantea to Britain, was born. • 8 March 1753 William Roscoe was born. Founder of the Liverpool Botanic Garden, the Roscoea genus of tropical and alpine plants (from the Himalayas and China) is named after him. • 9 March 1712 John Fothergill, physician, gardener, and after whom the Fothergilla is named, was born. • 9 March 1892 Vita Mary Sackville-West, writer and owner of Sissinghurst in Kent, where she created the famous White Garden, was born. She died in 1962.…