Innholdsfortegnelse for 31-Mar-2018 i Amateur Gardening

NOW spring is here and the soil is drying out and warming up, it’s the ideal time to give your lawn some care as it starts back into growth. This week’s AG is a Lawn Care Special and I’m looking at different ways to create a lawn, and learning about the science behind grass-seed development. Anne Swithinbank’s troubleshooting masterclass (pages 36-37) is all about solving problems, and how to keep your lawn in tip-top condition and free of weeds and pests. Our experts also answer a query from a reader on page 39, who is concerned that her patch-seeded area of lawn looks far smarter than the rest – and what can she do? Spring is a good time to create a new lawn, either from turf or seed, and…

1 If you need to replace an old, worn or weedy lawn, remove the turf as deep as the existing roots. 2 Using a fork (or rotovator for larger areas), break up the soil below and remove any stones, debris and weeds. 3 Enrich the soil with well-rotted compost or manure. Fresh manure will cause lumps and hollows. 4 Tread over the sowing area, breaking clods and compressing the soil so seeds will sit evenly on it. 5 Mark out your sowing area into square metres, weigh out your seeds and sow them evenly. 6 Rake soil over the seeds, water with a fine spray if the weather is set dry, and protect from pests.…

SINCE renovating the rockery the other week, I have been looking for suitable plants to grow among its tumbling stones. This week’s free seeds from Mr Fothergill’s – Alyssum ‘Gold Dust’ – are perfect. A low-growing, quick-spreading hardy perennial, Alyssum ‘Gold Dust’ is ideal for growing up banks and walls, as well as in mixed containers. So it fits the bill perfectly for my sloping rock garden! ‘Gold Dust’ produces beautiful, cheerful clumps of yellow flowerheads between March and June. It is a non-fussy, easy-to-grow plant that requires little more than a sunny site and some free-draining soil – it can even thrive in poor and salty coastal conditions. Although the plant is relatively disease-resistant, it can be prone to aphid attack so do keep an eye on it, especially…

• My greenhouse is filling up with growing seedlings and re-started cuttings, and is still home to a few overwintered tender plants. • To keep them healthy, make sure air is circulating well and remove dead or damaged plant material. • Warming weather causes a rise in pest numbers, so check plants regularly and deploy sticky papers to trap flying pests. • If we get any unseasonably hot spring days, dampen down your greenhouse floor to lower the temperature and help prevent scorching to young tender leaves.…

Nurseries and garden centres are now offering attractive colour combinations: primroses ‘Bright and Breezy Mixed’(see picture above, white, orange and yellow), ‘Spring Sunshine Mixed’ (yellow and blue) and Polyanthus ‘Daffodil Mixed’ (white, yellow and orange) are good examples. When growing the hardy perennial primroses watch out for vine weevil attack, shown by notching around the outer edges of the leaves. Polyanthus ‘Show Stopper’ F1 has spectacular large flowers and is better given glasshouse protection. Watch out for such novelties at our better garden centres and retail nurseries. Modern, vigorous hybrid polyanthus and primroses will need regular feeding to get the most flowers and largest blooms.…

CUCUMBERS are such fashionistas – they’re continually reinventing themselves! But, as essential to a salad as a ripe tomato, who can blame them? Those without a greenhouse can grow old-school ‘ridge’ cucumbers like ‘Marketmore’, heritage types such as the round, yellow ‘Crystal Apple’ and now, all-female smooth-skinned ‘La Diva’ in a sunny spot outside. Those of you lucky enough to own a greenhouse (I’m officially envious) can opt for classic long, green varieties such as ‘Carmen’, and the increasingly popular (and hugely prolific) snack-box types like ‘Green Fingers’. Organic growers can celebrate improved mildew resistance (‘Hopeline’) and those with digestion issues can grow thin-skinned ‘Delistar’. What’s not to love about all that – so start sowing now (see right). Top Tip Cucumber seedlings are prone to damping off, so don’t…

“Crab-apple pollen can cross-pollinate apple blossom” FOR those who want an ecofriendly garden, it’s very important to choose plants that attract insect life. When I moved to Spring Cottage some 12 years ago, the only tree I inherited was a whitebeam (Sorbus aria). It was close to the spring and, because we are in an area littered with Roman archaeological sites, I imagined this might be an ancient tree. Apparently, it was a Roman tradition to plant a whitebeam close to springs. The truth, as always, was far less romantic, because the previous owner of the cottage, Mary Spence, told me that this whitebeam had been planted in the 1980s. I’m glad I left it, though, because ivy scrambles upwards and shelters lots of birdlife and, if we have a…

IF you grow veg, it’s likely that you grow lettuce. But many gardeners are unaware of the vast number of different varieties that are available. We know there’s crisp, cos, butterhead, looseleaf… but that’s about it. Yet one seed company alone lists more than 50 different varieties and, within each of the four main types there’s a huge range – some of which are quite difficult to tell apart just by looking at them. So what is the difference? And how, with more than 50 lettuce varieties boasting AGMs, do we choose? This week, I’m looking at cos lettuce, sometimes called romaine. These are tall and narrow, with thick, crisp leaves and (often) a relatively loose heart. Crisp (or iceberg) lettuces have tight, crisp hearts; butterheads have smaller and softer…

I eat a lot of lettuce – a bowl of salad almost every day – and can polish off a ‘Little Gem’ in a single sitting, no problem. To ring the changes, sometimes I stir-fry chunks of cos lettuce in sesame oil with soy sauce, but generally, growing a range of different lettuces ensures that I never get bored. My advice would be not only to grow different types, but also different varieties of each. Spare lettuce seed will keep in the top of the fridge, so you can save any that is left over for next year.…

Maranta leuconeura var. kerchoveana Also known as the prayer plant, this evergreen is grown for its attractively marked foliage. Grows to 12in (30cm) and is often planted in indoor hanging baskets. Place out of direct sunlight Saintpaulia ionantha African violets are grown for their flowers, which can be produced virtually all year. Keep in a light room, but out of direct sunlight. Avoid getting water on the hairy leaves. Height 6in (15cm) Aloe vera This easy-to-grow succulent enjoys a sunny and warm spot in the home. It thrives on neglect and will be happy outside in summer. A slow grower, flowers can take years to appear Hoya carnosa Grown as a climber or trailing plant, this plant prefers a humid atmosphere and a position out of…

‘Beeches Strain’ (AGM) Primrose-yellow lacing set against bright but deep-red petals. With well-formed flowers, this exhibition variety has maintained its quality over the years. Hardy in the garden. H: 6-8in (15-20cm). ‘Silver Laced’ The catch-all name for tallish polyanthus with small flowers in crimson, dark-chocolate or sometimes bright but deep blue – the petals of which are edged in white. H: 8-12in (20-30cm). ‘Gold Laced’ Covers many varieties. Flowers are relatively small, usually chocolate, crimson or maroon in colour, with primrose-yellow to deep-gold lacing and a large yellow eye. H: 8-12in (20-30cm). ‘Elizabeth Killelay’ Exquisite, scented, strong-growing, prolific and double-flowered, with deep maroon petals edged in creamy yellow. Appreciates good feeding, rich soil and a cool place. H: 6-8in (15-20cm). Victoriana Series A relatively recent, vigorous and prolific introduction that…

Narcissus Dwarf daffodils will pick up the colouring of the yellow polyanthus eye. Old favourite ‘Tête-à-tête’, dainty little scented ‘Twinkling Yellow’ and the larger-flowered ‘Quail’ all work well. Plant in clumps. Viola Try neat perennial violas such as the prettily spotted ‘Freckles’ or the shorter-lived but self-sowing crimson and yellow ‘Jackanapes’ (above). Alternatively, choose bedding violas from the garden centre. Muscari Neat clumps of grape hyacinths make sympathetic companions, especially paler forms like blue ‘Valerie Finnis’. Or choose ‘Golden Fragrance’ (above) – its scented violet and gold flowers will reflect the laced polyanthus colours.…

Antirrhinum ‘Admiral White’ A superb snapdragon with tall, sturdy stems and pure-white flowers. Thrives in full sun and flowers, if deadheaded, from June to September. A half-hardy annual; sow March-April, in drifts through a border. HxS: 4x1 ½ ft (120x45cm). Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ This shade lover has attractive heart-shaped, green leaves with a silvery, marbled appearance that sparkle in low light levels. Sprays of tiny blue, forget-me-not-like flowers are an added bonus in spring. HxS: 16inx2ft (40x60cm). Gaura lindheimeri ‘The Bride’ The thin, wiry stems seem to disappear into the dark, leaving those delicate white and pale-pink flowers to twinkle like stars in the night sky. Perennial, it’s good for informal borders or large containers. HxS: 2 ½ x1 ½ ft (75x45cm). Clematis…

• Scarify grass gently in April, using a spring tine rake to remove debris, loose thatch and moss. Wait until September for a thorough scarification if needed. • To help aerate the soil and improve drainage, push a fork into the turf to a good 4in (10cm) at roughly 6-8in (15-20cm) intervals. • Brush in a top dressing. Buy it or mix half 50:50 fine soil and sieved compost with half sand. • Place a little of the top dressing on the surface and brush into fork holes and among the grasses.…

Q What is this strange insect laying eggs on my garden fence? Elaine Lewis, Crosby, Liverpool A The creature is probably a wingless female vapourer moth. It lays a mat of close-packed eggs that normally hatch within a few days. The female’s swollen body would almost certainly have contained eggs that were yet to be laid. Males are on the wing from July to October. Q When should I cut back my penstemons? Sandra Cooper, Colwyn Bay, Gwynedd A Penstemons respond well to being cut back in early April. Shorten stems to within 6in (15cm) of the base, then feed with a balanced organic fertiliser, such as fish, blood and bone meal. Water it in if the soil is dry. Apply further dressings at monthly intervals until September. New shoots…

Full of Easter goodness! It’s Easter, so what better time to look at some of the gardening traditions, plants and customs associated with this religious festival. Easter is, of course, a moveable feast: it always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox (21 March). If you do not follow the Christian faith, or any other, I apologise in advance for the number of Biblical references. It is actually quite surprising how many plant and gardening connections there are with this particular Christian commemoration. The passion-flower connection Easter is called Pascha in Greek and Latin. This derives from passio – Latin for ‘suffering’, and relates to Christ’s crucifixion. It’s also how the passion flower got its name. Despite the fact that it is a…

Lamb is a traditional meat for eating over the Easter period, and of course the sauce to accompany this dish is mint. However, there are so many different mints to choose from. I have several mints for making mint sauce, and my favourite for lamb is apple mint (Mentha suaveolens). Peppermint (Mentha x piperita, pictured) is a bit, er, peppery, and I find that spearmint (M. spicata) is rather more subtle. It is all a matter of taste. You could combine two particular Easter edibles – mint and chocolate. Mentha x piperita f. citrata ‘Chocolate’ has pointed dark-green/brown leaves with serrated edges. It is strongly peppermint-scented with deep chocolate undertones, making it arguably better in puddings than with lamb!…

HAVE you ever accidentally damaged someone’s lawn? I confess I have, and embarrassingly it was the elegant sward leading up to the Earl of Devon’s Castle in Exeter. During a photo-shoot for my upcoming Garden Festival at the Earl’s Powderham seat, Ed the photographer needed a bucolic spot to park a rather photogenic shepherd’s hut. ‘What about on the grass?’ said Ed, and before I could say, ‘It’s so boggy you’ll be stuck in up to your axles!’ the hut and attendant Range Rover were on the grass and, well, you know the rest. In a parody of ‘The Old Man and the Giant Turnip’, only with 4x4s instead of people, the stricken hut held fast until a plucky soul pushed from the back. Then, with a shudder and a…

1 General-purpose: This is what most gardeners want – a hardwearing sward that will withstand heavy footfall, pets and children. The seed will be a fast-growing, resilient blend of perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, red fescues and browntop. It will require regular mowing. 2 Luxury or fine lawn: Look no further if you are after a lawn of striped bowling-green perfection. The seeds will include Chewings fescue, strong and slender creeping red fescue and browntop. It won’t withstand the rough-and-tumble of family life, but it will look wonderful. 3 Shady areas: Hard fescue, strong and slender creeping red fescue and browntop are fine-leaved varieties that aren’t particularly robust, but will grow well in areas of relatively low light, such as under trees and against hedges and fences.…

THIS is your last chance to lay turves until next autumn. There is no law against laying turf during the late spring and summer, but drier conditions mean more watering and greater effort to keep your lawn looking good. When you buy your turf, check that the rolls are healthy and lush green. Lay them as soon as possible once you get them home, and if laying is delayed, make sure they are kept flat and well watered to prevent yellowing. Begin laying in one corner of the garden and work across so you are always facing bare soil. Always work off a plank to avoid compressing the soil. Lay the turves with staggered joins so they resemble the pattern of a brick wall. Make sure they are closely butted…

1 Rake the area where you want the seeds to grow to remove weeds, roots, stones and other debris. Create a fine, granular tilth. 2 Add a little organic feed to the soil if it’s poor quality. I used a sprinkling of blood, fish and bone and forked it in. 3 Sow the seeds thinly on the soil. Alyssum seeds are medium-sized and quite colourful, so are easy to see and sow. 4 Rake soil over the seeds, water using a can fitted with a fine rose, label and protect from pests with twigs or a deterrent.…

1 We have a thick gravel floor that is easy to maintain and provides a good free-draining base for growbags and larger container plants. 2 Ventilation is key to plant health. Opening the door in high winds also gives strong gusts an escape route and reduces the danger of smashed panes. 3 You can never have too many clips securing the panes, especially if your greenhouse is in an exposed site. 4 Greenhouses are perfect habitats for pests, so be prepared to deal with them. I use the parasitic wasp Encarsia Formosa on summer whitefly.…

NOT everyone likes cats. Some people detest having them in their gardens, although there’s little you can do to stop moggies visiting. Of course, cat owners love their pets yet are equally unable to get them to remain at home. Indeed, cats stubbornly do what they will and go where they wish – it’s their nature. So do cats cause much harm or could they possibly even be of benefit to your garden? Well, first, there are their droppings, which they habitually deposit almost anywhere else other than their own backyard. True, these have potential health risks, though as they are usually buried they are less of a risk than those deposited by dogs. The simple solution is the provision of litter trays out of sight in dry corners. Being…

1 Although tender, cucumbers can be sown early because many varieties (though not all) can take a couple of weeks to germinate and indoor types will be cropped in a frost-free greenhouse. Fill some 3.5in (9cm) pots with good-quality seed compost. 2 Water the pots well and allow them to drain. Sow one seed per pot, 2cm deep, covering each seed over with compost. Water the pots lightly and then place in a well-lit propagator set at 22˚C/71 °F . Keep just moist and ventilate the propagator well once germinated. 3 Once the first true leaf (not the oval seedling leaves) has emerged, move your cucumber seedlings from the propagator to a warm (minimum 18˚C), well-lit and well-ventilated spot. Keep moist, but not waterlogged, until you’re ready to plant.…

CAST your mind back to early February – did you get around to moving some young strawberry plants into a warm greenhouse or conservatory? Well, if you did, you should now be looking at lush, leafy plants with developing flower clusters. Early maturing varieties such as ‘Christine’ and ‘Alice’ are best suited to this job, as they are naturally geared up to produce blooms quickly once they’re in growth. Normally, as the flowers open, bees would visit them and pollination would occur. Well, the only downside to forcing Mother Nature’s hand is that bees haven’t yet worked out how to open a greenhouse door! Fill this void by gently brushing your hands over the open flowers, which knocks off the pollen, causing fertilisation and consequent fruit set.…

COLD frames are a fantastic way of keeping hardy cuttings and seedlings protected through the winter, especially if your garden isn’t large enough for a greenhouse. At the end of autumn I moved ours to a sheltered spot against a wall of the house, where it was protected from the worst of the weather. The plants fared well and the cold frame now needs sweeping out before it goes back to its slightly more exposed, but much sunnier, summer place. Plants in the frame include hardwood blackcurrant cuttings that are almost ready to plant out, Shasta daisy seedlings, and some dianthus, helianthemum and herb cuttings. Larger pots were required for plants with roots growing outside their containers, while the helianthemum and dianthus cuttings, still in their original seed and cuttings…

■ Choose an open location in fertile but well-drained soil. Add fertiliser to starved soils. ■ Later sowings will be able to take – and will even appreciate – a little summer shade. ■ Sow in the open ground from early March (depending on the particular climate and conditions) where plants are to crop. Cos seed will germinate reliably at low temperatures. ■ Sow in rows: 6in (15cm) apart for ‘Little Gem’ types, and 14in (35cm) apart for larger types. ■ Thin to the same spacing within the rows. ■ Alternatively, sow in modules in a cold frame or frost-free greenhouse. Plant out when the seedlings have about five leaves.…

Growing cos in pots on the patio may seem an odd idea, but choose ones with red leaves and you have, in effect, edible and attractive foliage plants. They look great with patio flowers, and because cos stand longer than other lettuce without deteriorating, they’ll make a longer contribution to the display before they need to be harvested. Once they are cut, the flowers in the container will soon fill the gaps – or you can plant more lettuce. Choose AGM varieties like ‘Exbury’, ‘Nymans’, ‘Rosedale’ or ‘Rosemoor’, or, for smaller containers, ‘Amaze’. Water well as there’s a lot of competition for moisture in a patio container.…

Pale and weak growth with leaves dropping: Your houseplant is probably not getting enough light. Move it to a bright spot out of direct sunlight and turn the plant regularly. Dry and shrivelled leaves: The plant is either in a draft, too close to direct heat or receiving too much direct sunlight. Move and mist the foliage to increase humidity. Wilted and discoloured: You might find that the roots have started to rot due to poor drainage. Replant in a pot with drainage holes. Brown spots and wilting: Usually points to overwatering. Sticky residue or mottled leaves: This is likely to be caused by a pest such as red spider mite. Wipe off the pest with a damp cloth.…

THEY may sound like something out of Lewis Carroll, but pin and thrum are actually the two different forms of flower produced by all primroses and polyanthus – including laced polyanthus. In pin flowers the stamens are short and the pistils long, while in thrum flowers the opposite is true. Seed is produced when pollen from one flower form fertilises the other. One individual plant, or two plants of the same structure, rarely produce seed. If bees carry pollen between laced polyanthus and other primroses and polyanthus, you could find yourself with some interesting self-sown seedlings.…

Large bare patches are likely to need re-seeding, but expecting seed to germinate and root down into heavily compacted soil is optimistic. Taking the time to work at bare patches with a fork to create a fine tilth pays dividends. Condition further with a top-dressing mix to make a good seedbed. • Tickle the top layers of the soil using a fork, to make a fine tilth. • Top dress the surface and rake in. • Tread, rake and add more top dressing to wider areas to prevent sinkage. • Sow fresh grass seed and rake into the surface lightly.…

COMPACT and floriferous, Lavatera ‘Barnsley Baby’ is perfect for patio containers and small gardens. The well branched habit and racemes of saucer-shaped, soft pink blooms will certainly draw the attention of your neighbours, as well as the bees and butterflies in your garden! Once established this tough little mallow needs little maintenance and will even tolerate short periods of drought. Height: 75cm (30in). Spread: 60cm (24in). Supplied as a 7cm potted plant. • Buy 1 for £11.99 • Double up for 1p & buy 2 for £12 HOW TO ORDER TELEPHONE ORDER LINE 0844 573 2021 please quote TM_AG27. This offer is subject to availability. Offer enquiry line 0844 573 2021. Order lines are open 9am to 8pm (weekdays) and 9am to 6pm (weekends). All correspondence concerning this offer should…

Create a narrow border by digging and removing weeds. Incorporate a little organic matter, but not manure. On heavy soils, plant onto a slight ridge, for improved winter drainage. The optimum planting time is from April to May. Making sure roots are moist, set plants out 12in (30cm) apart along the line of the hedge. One by one dig a hole, remove the pot, tease gently any circling roots and plant so they are at the same level as in the pot, firming well. Water in and then again if there are long dry spells during the first season. After flowering in late August, shear away faded flowers, stalks and back into the stem, though always leaving some newer stem behind. For really compact hedges, some gardeners carry out a…

• 27 March 1991 The giant Californian redwood, known as the Dyerville Giant, was toppled by a storm. At 362ft (110.3m) it was thought to be the tallest tree ever recorded. • 28 March 1993 Anthony Baskeyfield paid £700 for a single grape at Helpston Garden Centre, Cambridgeshire, in order to get around the Sunday Trading laws. A statue of Apollo (valued at £700) was given ‘free’ with the grape! • 29 March 1869 Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, architect, was born. In 1888 he met the garden designer Gertrude Jekyll, and later designed her house at Munstead Wood in Surrey. It was the beginning of a professional partnership that lasted many years. He died in 1944. • 29 March 1929 Wakefield, South Yorkshire, basked in a spring heatwave of 25°C…

Spring-flowering bulbs seem to come back from the dead, which is one reason most of them are associated with Easter. The most popular garden hellebores are Helleborus orientalis and its hybrids (pictured). They flower around the Lent period, so are known as Lenten roses (despite not being related to the rose in any way). Similarly, an old English name for the daffodil is ‘Lenten lily’, because it blooms early, during Lent. Simnel cake is a light fruit cake with two layers of marzipan – one in the middle and one on top – and it is eaten over the Easter period. A home-grown effort would be to use blackcurrants and other soft fruits from the garden – but it might just be easier just to buy the ingredients!…

Winter rain and footfall cause the particles of earth below a lawn to become so tightly bound that the air essential for healthy roots can’t break through the surface. To break up this ‘surface compaction’, choose a dry day to mow and then scarify any compacted and tired areas by raking with a spring-tine rake. This comb-through both opens the ground and cuts through the grass roots, encouraging new tufts to sprout from the severed ends. A quick mow afterwards collects the small clumps that inevitably come away with the rake and leaves a tidy finish.…

1 Working off a plank or board, lay the turves on prepared soil that has been weeded, enriched and flattened. 2 Lay turves so they abut closely, without gaps. Cut them with a sharp, clean knife. The overall effect should be like a wall of staggered bricks. 3 When a turf is laid, tamp it down with the back of a rake to make sure it is level and the underlying roots are touching the soil. 4 Brush a mix of sand and soil into the joins to encourage the turves to knit together. Water well in dry conditions.…

You can also start your seeds off under cover using fresh seed and cuttings compost and fresh tap water. Fill a tray or pot with the compost and tamp its surface flat. Scatter the seeds thinly on the surface and cover with a little more compost. Water, label and either add a lid or seal the pot in a clear plastic bag. Place it in an unheated greenhouse, cold frame or windowsill and the seeds should germinate in 2-3 weeks.…

ONE of the best additions to our garden has been the greenhouse. In winter it nurtures tender plants, and in spring and summer it comes into its own as a home for seedlings, cuttings and tender fruit and veggies. It isn’t massive – at 8x6ft (2.4x1.8m) it soon fills up – but the garden would be a much poorer place without it. Spring is an ideal time to erect a greenhouse. Practically, the ground will be damp and soft, making it easier to dig the foundations, and it will be up and running in time for the summer. The most common size is 8ftx6ft, with an aluminium frame and glass panes, which don’t reduce the quality of sunlight getting through. A wooden frame looks attractive, but costs more and requires…

WHEN I started work in the horticultural trade, Blackmore & Langdon polyanthus were the standard by which all strains were measured. Their blue-flowered cultivars, in particular, were outstanding and the very best. Things have changed a lot since then with the introduction of F1 hybrids and the popularity of colourful pot primroses, both as house and garden plants. The measure in the past was an old half-crown coin and polyanthus flowers of that size were considered outstanding. Today’s 50-pence piece would be the nearest size for this measure. Flowers on both polyanthus and primroses are more than double that size today, have petals thick enough to withstand rough weather in outdoor series and are much freer flowering. Indeed, the latest Primrose ‘Everlast’, which looks like a wild primrose and is…

1 Place or replenish sticky bands around trunks of fruit trees as this stops pests climbing up to infest new growth. 2 Be careful not to ‘cook’ seeds and seedlings in cloches or propagators. Open them up or shade with paper when sunny. 3 With apricots and peaches, if any set there will be too many fruitlets, so thin these before they’re bigger than pea size. 4 Collect the first leaves from comfrey, borage and stinging nettles, and rot into liquid feed to add when watering plants in pots.…

ARTICHOKES are such a bizarre crop. The plants are absolutely massive, yet the yield (the base of each flower bud) is comparatively tiny – so why would you grow them? Because they look absolutely stunning! Globe artichokes are best given pride of place in a sunny flowerbed. Position them near the back so their beautifully grey gargantuan leaves can emerge unhindered (they make an excellent backdrop for daintier herbaceous plants). During winter the majority of their foliage was probably knocked back by snow and frost. Now, with the arrival of spring, spruce up clumps by cutting off the old leaves to help new ones emerge. Afterwards, apply a good mulch of nutrient-rich organic matter, such as well-rotted manure, that will set them up nicely for summer.…

WITH buds swelling and blossom opening, it’s tempting to think that warmer weather is on its way. Yes, summer is coming – but we’re not out of the woods yet. In my living memory (and obviously I’m very young…) we’ve had snow in April and frost in May, so how will our early flowering fruit trees and bushes fare? Pears, plums, peaches, nectarines and apricots are among the earliest flowering fruit trees, and their relatively big, showy blooms are very vulnerable to frost damage. Bush fruits, too, flower early (though often not so early as the trees I’ve listed above) and because their blooms are comparatively smaller a frost isn’t so harmful to them. All fruit growers will be listening keenly to spring weather forecasts, because chilly weather can be…

March 31-April 2: Easter at Blenheim: Woodstock, Oxon OX20 1PP. 01993 810530 blenheimpalace.com 31: Plant Hunters’ fair: Bodenham Arboretum, Bodenham Lane, Kidderminster DY11 5TB.planthuntersfairs.co.uk April 1-2: Open Garden and Plant Hunters’ Fair: Dorothy Clive Garden, Willoughbridge, Market Drayton, Shropshire TF9 4EU. 01630 647237, dorothyclivegarden.co.uk 3-30: Hanami Festival of Blossom: Brogdale National Fruit Collection, Brogdale Road, Faversham, Kent ME13 8XZ. 01795 536250 brogdalecollections.org 4: Storytelling for Families, Borde Hill Garden, Borde Hill Lane, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH6 1HP. 01444 450326, info@bordehill.co.uk 6-7: Jekka’s Open Days: Jekka’s Herb Farm, Rose Cottage, Shellards, Lane, Alveston, Somerset BS35 3SY. 01454 418878 jekkasherbfarm.com 7: Plant Hunters’ Fair: Hoghton Tower, Hoghton, Preston PR5 0SH. 01254 852986; hoghtontower.co.uk 7-8: Cornwall Garden Society Spring Flower Show, Boconnoc Estate, near Lostwithiel, Cornwall PL22 0RG. 07476 103679 • Please…

■ Protect from slugs, which can attack both seedlings and mature plants. ■ Be sure to thin the seedlings as crowding leads to small heads. ■ To help ensure a continuous supply, sow your next batch just as seedlings of each earlier sowing emerge. ■ Many problems that affect lettuce, such as bolting and unexpected bitterness, are the result of slow growth. Regular weekly watering during dry spells will ensure that growth continues strongly, and will largely eliminate these problems. ■ Water with liquid feed if growth remains slow.…

WHEN I was in my early 20s, I spent an entire year looking after houseplants. I studied interior landscaping and during that time I cared for plants in office blocks, shopping centres and hotels. It quickly became clear to me that so many of us are guilty of expecting houseplants to put up with neglect and harsh growing conditions. Dracaenas watered with coffee dregs, ficus mulched with cigarette ash and dieffenbachias placed in dark and draughty corners are quite the norm in many commercial locations. In our homes we tend to be more determined to offer our foliage friends the right conditions. However, there is often cause to give them a boost. There are many reasons why houseplants start to flag, but the most common include too much/little sunlight or…

Sow seeds now, for flowering next year. Don’t wait. Use a well-drained seed compost, or a peat or coir-based seed compost with 25% extra grit or perlite added to improve drainage. Sow in half trays or pots. Cover the surface of the compost with fine grit, sow thinly, water with a fine rose and cover with an upturned seed tray weighted with a brick Never let the compost dry out. Remove the cover as soon as the seeds start to germinate. Once three or four true leaves have appeared, prick out seedlings into cells, or into full-sized seed trays that will take 24 seedlings. Keep moist and protect against damage from slugs. When your plants are large enough to handle easily (usually as the leaves touch), move into 3in (7.5cm)…

How to care for your lawn Q Lawn care seemed like hard work, so we decided to leave nature to itself and enjoy a mown but ‘flowery mead’. Unfortunately, this has resulted in bare patches with weeds and moss taking over from grasses here and there. Can you tell me how to keep a firm greenish surface with minimum care? Sally Abbott, Truro, Cornwall A Fashions change, and whereas most gardeners used to crave a top-quality lawn free of weeds and moss, many now prefer to use fewer products and live with patches of clover and self-heal. Free of chemicals and species-rich, lawns turn into a kinder habitat for worms, insects and the creatures that feed on them. While this works perfectly well on larger lawns like mine, where wear…

How do I care for a moth orchid? Q My daughter bought me a moth orchid for Mother’s Day – how should I look after it? Mrs J Dean, Flint, Flintshire APhalaenopsis (moth orchids) aren’t too demanding to look after and are epiphytic, so can grow without having their roots in compost. You may see their roots hanging over the edge of their pot, but don’t worry – this is normal. Place your orchid in a reasonably bright room without full sun. They can cope with quite cool atmospheres, but do best in slightly warmer and more humid places, such as a bathroom or kitchen. (A living room would be fine if the plant is on a bed of damp gravel). Moth orchids don’t need a lot of water unless…

A FEW months ago my partner and I moved into our new home, which has a large south-facing garden. Most weekends I have spent the daylight hours digging, planting, tidying and planning for the summer ahead. For spring colour I planted irises, crocuses, hyacinths and an untold number of daffodil bulbs. I am pleased to say that, so far, both the iris and the crocus have flowered beautifully. I have realised that our busy and hectic lives take us away from the simple pleasure of watching the fruits of our labours as the plants grow – we miss so much due to work and family commitments. For instance, the iris is a beautiful plant, with striking purple and yellow markings (shown in the photograph); I watched this grow and flower,…

Compact sorts such as the dark purple, 24in (60cm)-high Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ and the slightly shorter blue-purple ‘Munstead’ have long been favourite hedging varieties. I’ve had great results with pink-flowered ‘Miss Katherine’ at 24in (60cm), but for a really low, compact hedge, go for the likes of ‘Miss Muffet’. The taller varieties, including ‘Royal Purple’ at 30in (75cm), will deliver grand, billowing lavender hedges.…

Westland SafeLawn is for gardeners who love their lawn, but are put off using chemicals due to safety concerns over children and pets. Creating a healthier and stronger lawn while preventing weeds and moss, it’s an organic fertiliser with added lawn seed, made using only natural ingredients. We have three 80sq m coverage packs to give away, each worth £7.99. 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 SafeLawn 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 SafeLawn Draw. The closing date is 5 April 2018.…