Innholdsfortegnelse for 7-Apr-2018 i Amateur Gardening

THANKS to The Beast from the East Mk I and II, spring had a false start this year. Luckily, the second blast was relatively short-lived, and after 48 hours of biting cold and snow the thaw began and the garden re-emerged from its pristine white blanket. I had been concerned about our young deciduous trees, which took quite a battering. Once the elements had quietened I went out to check they had all survived and carry out any necessary remedial work At this time of year there will be an abundance of fruit and ornamental trees and shrubs for sale in nurseries, garden centres and supermarkets. I bought several fruit trees from a well-known German outlet and they have thrived and cropped well, even in their early years. They will…

1 Clear the planting area of weeds and debris, and dig a hole as deep as and slightly wider than the tree’s container rootball. 2 Fork up the bottom and sides of the hole to help the roots spread and add some well-rotted manure or compost. 3 After standing the tree in water for as long as possible, slide it from its container and gently tease out any circling roots. 4 Place it in the hole. Holding it straight, infill with soil and compost. Tread down the ground to firm it in and support the tree. 5 Add a stake and secure the tree using a rubber tie. Make sure it does not chafe the bark and lets the tree move in the wind. 6 Water well and add a…

1 Place supports when plants are starting to shoot so you don’t damage them once they really get going. 2 As they grow up, the foliage and flowers will be held upright without needing to be disturbed with additional supports. 3 Top-heavy plants such as delphiniums should be secured to stakes as they grow so they are held all the way up. 4 Don’t forget tall annuals too. Create an attractive display by inserting twigs and pea sticks among tall varieties.…

When grown in pots and borders for decoration, fading flowers need the stem to be twisted around then plucked out completely to encourage repeat flowering. Where the stem breaks to leave a stump, go back in to remove completely Over-wintered plants with old leaves burnt by frost will come again where young leaves in the centre are still green. Use slow-release fertiliser granules when potting or planting out to save applying liquid feeds every ten to 14 days. If you prefer a more subtle, co-ordinated grouping, choose plants with similar softer tones.…

1 Fill 3in (7cm) pots to the top with fresh John Innes No1 compost. Dampen and dib deep holes in each one. 2 Using a plant label, gently lift the rootball from its compost. Keep the plant steady by holding a leaf – never its fragile stem. 3 Pop the seedling into the hole in the compost, making sure all its roots are contained and covered. 4 Make sure the rounded seed leaves are just above the surface of the compost, then firm in. Keep watered and pest-free.…

ONE of the easiest ways to make your garden simpler to look after is to add some stepping stones. You need a good number, preferably matching, and can choose from a plethora of shapes, sizes and materials. You can place your stones either in the lawn, your borders and amongst your plants and crops – not just as a pathway but also just to cover bits of bare soil, where they make useful access points for weeding and watering. However, the point is that each extra ‘stone’ also increases the area that will never again need weeding, saves on watering, suppresses pests and diseases and can reflect more light. No weed has the strength to grow up through a stone, so adding steps will reduce your weeding workload. The soil…

IF you’re anything like me, you’ll be surrounded by trays and pots of veg seedlings at this time of year. To keep them healthy, it’s essential they don’t become congested. Lack of light or too much warmth will encourage overcrowding and leggy growth. This will result in weak seedlings that are vulnerable to rotting off. Moving seedlings out of your propagator to somewhere cooler (say, from 18˚C to 15˚C) will help, and at the same time it pays to transplant the seedlings into individual modules or pots – a process described as ‘pricking out’. Here’s how to do it (see right). Top Tip  Warming the pots of compost that your seedlings are being moved into helps deter rotting off. Also, use warm water when irrigating the seedlings. Next week: Prune…

It’s time to sow cosmos, but which ones? Each year, more and more seem to arrive in catalogues. Some are genuine innovations; some are noticeable improvements; some seem to be me-toos, much the same as other, pre-existing varieties; and a few are, frankly, just not that interesting. The result is that there are an awful lot of them out there. One company lists 26 different options – and still leaves out some really good ones. The display at the RHS Garden at Wisley a couple of years ago (to mark the Year of the Cosmos) featured 87 varieties. No wonder it can be hard to choose. The majority of cosmos that we see on the seed racks are forms of the annual C. bipinnatus. The second half of the name…

ONE of the most useful features of cosmos is their versatility when used in combination with other plants. Over the years, I’ve grown them between shrubs, amongst perennials, alongside other annuals and in patio containers. With such a range of plant sizes and flower colours and forms, there are plenty of options available. Bronze- and purple-leaved shrubs such as Cotinus ‘Royal Purple’ make good backgrounds – either for contrasting white cosmos or more harmonious pinks. Slotting cosmos into perennial borders also works well. Try them amongst delphiniums: they should be coming into flower as the delphs are at their peak and will later expand to fill the space vacated by the delphinium flowers. In new borders, orange C. sulphureus is good with striped cannas, while in large containers ‘Apollo White’…

■ In the first week of the Second World War, 70,000 tonnes of British shipping was sunk by Nazi U-boats. It raised the question of how an island of 45 million people was going to feed itself. ■ Food rationing came into force in January 1940, to ensure limited supplies were fairly distributed, and ended in July 1954. ■ The Dig for Victory slogan was unveiled by the Mayor of London just after the Blitz broke out in September 1940. ■ At the start of the war there were only 819,000 allotments in Britain. By 1943 there were over 1,675,000 and the number of private gardens used for growing vegetables had gone from three million to five million. ■ Onions, which had come from countries now occupied by the Nazis,…

GIVE your plant a good drink, then dig a hole in the border. Dig much deeper than the size of the pot, loosening the soil beneath with a fork to ensure good drainage. Then back fill until the hole is slightly deeper than the size of the pot. Incorporate some organic matter (well-rotted manure or compost are ideal) and rose food into the soil in the bottom of the planting hole. You could also add mycorrhizal fungi, which aid root development. Pour a large watering can of water into the hole – while it sinks in, have a cuppa! Then plant your rose. Backfill the sides with soil, and lightly firm in.…

■ Most erythroniums are happy in partial or dappled shade, in humus-rich soil that does not get waterlogged – although they prefer not to dry out in summer. In general, they enjoy lime-free conditions but are not demanding. Some are more fussy and best left to specialist growers. ■ Pests and diseases are rarely troublesome, although squirrels sometimes dig up the bulbs. Try laying some chicken wire on top after planting. Protect against slugs, too, especially as plants emerge. ■ For much of the year there is no above-ground growth, so take care when planting in autumn.…

PARSNIPS germinate readily in the controlled environment of a greenhouse, but even if planted out promptly all my attempts have resulted in mad forked roots. Try sowing into long modules that open on a hinge or in loo-roll tubes that you plant, tube and all, for minimal disturbance. Place two seeds per loo roll, cover lightly with compost and wait for them to germinate.…

Helping keep your indoor plants well watered, the Westland Watering Indicator Stick changes colour to alert you when the soil in your pot is drying out. A red display means your plant needs watering. Once the soil is rehydrated the colour changes to blue to show all is well. We have three indicator sticks to give away, each worth £2.99, along with three 200ml bottles of Westland Houseplant feed worth £3.99. 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 Water Indicator and Plant Feed 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 Water Indicator and Plant…

1 Place crocks in the bottom of the container to improve drainage. Make sure the rose will have plenty of sun, with its roots in shade. 2 The best compost to use is a loam-based John Innes No3 mixed with added well-rotted organic matter and grit. 3 Plant the rose the same depth as its rootball. Infill around it with compost and firm in. 4 Water your rose well and don’t let it dry out as it may fall prey to powdery mildew. Mulch to retain moisture in the compost.…

EVERY year the gardening market is flooded with new products. But which ones really work and which are just gimmicks? AG gardening editor Ruth Hayes and reader Lesley Upton have sifted through 2018’s haul and come up with the ones they think will improve your gardening experience over the next 12 months and beyond. The Pure Bokashi Composter Hozelock has unveiled a new indoor composter. The Pure Bokashi Composter recycles most kitchen waste, including cooked food, meat, fish and small bones. The addition of special bran reduces the waste anaerobically. The compost produced can be added to your compost bin to act as an accelerator or dug directly into beds or used for potting housplants. Measuring 27x32x39cm and weighing 1kg, the composter will be available from April, priced £55. Fruit…

• Staking perennials gives you a good opportunity to assess their health and sort any potential problems. • Check them over for pests and cut away any old foliage and stems still remaining from last year. • Give them a head start by feeding with a granular fertiliser such as Vitax Q4 or blood, fish and bone and then forking it into the soil. Water it in if the forecast is set dry. • Late frosts can still catch the garden unawares, so make sure you have some sort of protection readily at hand. Remove it once the morning starts to warm up.…

SO many seedlings, so little time! Now the sowing season is well underway the greenhouse is filling up with germinating seeds and potted-on seedlings. This week I added to the crowd by sowing this week’s AG free seeds – Mr Fothergill’s Polyanthus ‘Large Flowered Mixed’ – and pricking out a tray of echinacea seedlings that have been growing happily on a sunny windowsill. Polyanthus are members of the primula family that produce clusters of bold-coloured flowers on tall, elegant stems above a rosette of crinkled leaves As hardy perennials, they withstand the harshest weather and bring early colour to borders, pots and window boxes. They will thrive best in moist but well-drained soil, and if sown now will flower early next spring. The echinacea seedlings sown last month have been…

SPRING blossom is a lovely sight, but it is extremely vulnerable to spiteful spring gales and frosts. This is especially true for nectarine and peach trees, which are the first to come into flower. If you lose your blossom you will have a reduced crop come autumn – or no fruit at all in extreme cases – so protect trees sooner rather than later. Cold air is heavier than warm air so it sinks and flows downwards, collecting and forming a ‘frost pocket’ against any barrier (such as a fence or hedge) at its lowest point. Alleviate this risk by creating a gap at the base of the blockage or, with a hedge, removing lower branches to improve air flow. If you have yet to plant fruit trees and shrubs,…

1 Add wood ashes or comfrey leaves when planting potatoes to replace potassium and minerals washed out by rain through winter. 2 Pre-warm your water for tender seeds and seedlings by painting a watering can black and placing it in the sun, under cover. 3 If you’re having trouble germinating seeds try adding powdered charcoal, which ‘sweetens’ the soil or compost and helps drainage and aeration. 4 Sprinkle garden lime over weedy rough turf, as this encourages strong grasses and clover and discourages veronica speedwells and buttercups.…

IN times gone by, if you didn’t have a garden you didn’t even think about growing veg – thankfully, times have changed! Our knowledge of growing crops in pots is increasing, as is the range of varieties specifically bred for this purpose. Patios, window boxes, flat roofs, walls – every surface can be covered in veg, so what are the tricks of the trade? Good-quality compost is key. I mix 50:50 by volume multi-purpose and John Innes No3 – the extra loam ensuring that pots don’t dry out too quickly. Thick-walled containers, such as wooden barrels and concrete pots, keep roots cool and moist, whereas unglazed terracotta dries out in a flash. Larger, deeper containers also keep moist for longer, so avoid lots of little pots, even though they look…

WHETHER you use pots, bags or good old Mother Earth, there aren’t many gardeners who don’t plant at least a few potatoes each spring. Delicious ‘new-potato’ first earlies should already be buried deep, and now it’s time for the heavyweights to join them. Excellent for chips, jackets, mashed and roast, maincrop potatoes stay in the ground until September, when they’re lifted and stored for use from autumn to spring. ‘King Edward’, ‘Desiree’ and ‘Maris Piper’ are just three excellent types – and there are many more to choose from. If planting in containers, set one tuber 5in (12cm) deep in an 8-litre pot or bag. When planting in beds, set tubers 1ft (30cm) apart in rows 2ft (60cm) apart. Bury them 5in (12cm) deep and mound the soil over the…

■ Cosmos are half-hardy annuals, which means they are best sown this month, in a greenhouse or a propagator, or on a sunny windowsill. ■ Use large cells or individual pots, and sow two seeds in each. Most of the seeds will germinate, so thin seedlings down to one per cell. ■ Keep frost-free, and ensure they have the best light possible. ■ Alternatively, treat as hardy annuals and sow seed outside at the end of May. ■ Plant out indoor sowings at the end of May, in a sunny place with fertile soil – check seed packet for spacing. ■ Cosmos will also do surprisingly well in poor soil; the key is to water well until they are established.…

■ Thin direct-sown seedlings down to the correct spacing. ■ Most varieties will need support from canes and twine – even the shorter varieties can collapse in heavy rain. ■ Deadhead frequently and thoroughly; this is crucial to ensure the longest possible flowering season. ■ Pick for cutting when the petals are starting to open but are not yet fully expanded. Change the vase water daily. ■ Water in long, dry spells, focusing on the base of the plants – an overhead sprinkling risks weighing the stems down with water. ■ Keep a look out for aphids on flower stems in summer. Rub them off with your fingers, or spray to treat them.…

‘Chanelle’ Your best bet for a gorgeous cream-pink Floribunda that is reliably healthy and flowers into autumn. H: 30in (75cm). • Tip For a rose of this size, select a pot or container at least 18in/45cm deep, and ensure there are plenty of drainage holes. ‘The Fairy’ (AGM) With this adorable shrub rose you get sprays of small pink flowers for months on end. H: 30in (75cm). • Tip Do not allow your container rose to dry out, as this will encourage powdery mildew; mulching with compost or manure aids water retention. ‘Korresia’ (AGM) Floribunda producing scented sunshine-yellow flowers during summer and autumn. H: 30in (75cm). • Tip To get your container rose off to a flying start, fill the pot with a mix of 80% John Innes No 3…

Advice for potted spring bulbs QI have a large number of spring bulbs in pots, which I want to keep in situ. Apart from putting them aside after flowering once the foliage has died down, is there a particular feed that they would benefit from? Marion May, via email A Bulbs are pretty good at feeding themselves so long as the leaves are kept healthy for the rest of their natural life. However, they might benefit from liquid feeding with a general-purpose fertiliser every two weeks, or top dressing with a granular slow-release or controlled-release fertiliser with a balance of major and minor nutrients designed for general plant health throughout the year. Suitable products include Miracle Gro, Vitax, Phostrogen All Purpose, Gro-Sure All-Purpose – and lots more. Some bulbs, such…

It’s all in the soil Before the growing season really moves into fifth gear, it will be helpful to have a better understanding of what goes in to making up our garden soils. So let’s look at some of the amazing facts and figures surrounding soil and what goes into it. Gardeners think of soil as the dark, crumbly layer they look at as they enter the garden, and into which seeds are sown and plants are, well, planted! But to a soil scientist and geologist, ‘soil’ also comprises the ‘subsoil’ – the light coloured layer below the ‘topsoil’. This generally lacks organic matter and plant nutrients. ■ Digging a 23x13ft (7x4m) plot of land, one spade’s-blade deep, means lifting more than four tonnes of soil! Down to earth A…

According to the US Natural Resources Conservation Service, a teaspoon of productive soil generally contains between 100 million and 1 billion bacteria. If you keep chickens, let them scavenge beneath plum trees. The birds’ droppings are said to increase the size of the fruits! The US state of Texas has more than 1,300 different kinds of soil (according to research carried out by the Texas State Historical Association). A grain of sand officially measures between 0.06 and 2mm across.…

‘Campestre’ The durable native field maple tolerates wind, sun and frost. Responds to pruning and boasts yellow tints at the end of summer. ‘Chitoseyama’ One of the tougher types and ideal where a fast-growing, upright form is needed. The purple leaves turn crimson in autumn. Dissectum ‘Seiryu’ Fresh feathery leaves are bright green, turning red and orange. This is a taller variety, reaching 6ft (1.8m) in ten years. Shirasawanum ‘Aureum’ This beautiful gold acer can reach 20ft (6m), but one rarely sees them that tall. Very hardy, but direct sun will scorch foliage.…

ONE thing we’re not starved of is faddy diets. There are so many that I’m thinking of starting a campaign to slim them down. I did think about trying the 5:2 diet, but decided I couldn’t survive on just five meals and two cakes a day! A strict diet might not be for me, but I’m pretty tough with my plants. My greenhouse is full of seed-sown cosmos and calendula at the moment, but if they are overfed, hardy annuals balloon with unwanted ‘flabby’ leaf growth and few flowers. However, if you deny them food and ration the water they’ll bloom from an early age, thriving on the fertiliser already in the compost. On a veg plot the ‘caveman’ diet, with its strict adherence to food that can be hunted…

ONCE the garden starts to warm up, young trees will surge back into growth. Make sure you tie back new shoots to prevent them being damaged by high winds, and to stop them causing damage if they are whipped around by gales. Climbers and rambling roses will also be taking off now, so make sure you also tie them in to whatever supports they have in place. As well as keeping them in their allotted space, this lets you train them in the desired shape and direction. Growing trees and shrubs need feeding as they come back into growth. Give them a balanced fertiliser such as blood, fish and bone or Growmore now, especially if they are young, weak-looking or were recently hard pruned. This should give them several months…

HERBACEOUS perennials should be growing well, so now is the time to put their supports in place. Supports come in many shapes, sizes and materials, from traditional willow wigwams (ideal for annuals such as sweet peas) to metal frames, bamboo stakes and pea sticks that can be inserted among plants to create an attractive network of supports. If you wait much longer you will find yourself inching through burgeoning borders, trying to avoid treading on plants that are already almost full-sized. Placed now, they may look a little bare and unsightly, but will be completely hidden once the plants grow and fill the borders. Plants are supported for several reasons, the most obvious being to create an attractive garden and protect blooms from summer winds and storms. Keeping them upright…

THE daisy shape is the first children draw to illustrate flowers and it is synonymous with the ’60s fashion style, so we should not be surprised by the popularity of sunflowers and the popular cut flower gerbera. It has, however, taken time for gardeners to accept we now have the hardy Gerbera Garvinea ‘Sweet Series’ to grow in borders and containers. When I say ‘hardy’, plants in containers have overwintered successfully in sheltered spots in my garden at temperatures down to -5 degrees and gone on to flower well for a second year. These plants need the compost kept fairly dry side for success – they don’t like wet and cold conditions. Even so, as with so many just about hardy perennials, including fuchsias, osteospermum and verbena, the flower power…

Fill a seed tray or large pot almost to the top with sieved seed and cuttings compost. Dampen with fresh tap water. Sow the seeds thinly on the surface. Mix with sand for easier scattering or sprinkle from a dampened fingertip. Cover with a thin layer of compost or vermiculite, label and cover. If sowing in a pot, seal it in a clear plastic bag. Place the seeds in an unheated greenhouse or cold frame. When seeds germinate (in roughly 3-6 weeks) remove the cover to let air in.…

April 6-7: RHS Orchid Show and Plant Fair, The Lawrence Hall, Elverton Street, London SW1P 2QW. 0207 821 3650, rhs.org.uk 6-7: Jekka’s Open Days: Jekka’s Herb Farm, Rose Cottage, Shellards, Lane, Alveston, Bristol BS35 3SY. 01454 418878 jekkasherbfarm.com 7: Cactus Fun in the Plant Centre: RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. 0845 260 9000, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley 7: RHS Gardening Advice: RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorks HG3 1QB. 01423 565418, rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr 7: Cyclamen Spring Show: RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. 0845 260 9000, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley 7-8: Cornwall Garden Society Spring Flower Show, Boconnoc Estate, near Lostwithiel, Cornwall PL22 0RG. Advance tickets crbo/springshow 01726 879 500 7-8: Birds of Prey display: RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. 0845 260 9000, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley 8: World of…

“Aphids are very fragile creatures” RECENTLY, the RHS asked me how I got into horticulture and it made me think. It wasn’t preplanned, but as a young newly trained English teacher I found myself without a job so I ended up spending five very happy years at the National Vegetable Research Station at Wellesbourne, Warwickshire. I worked in plant breeding and virology, and part of our work was testing pea crops for viruses spread by aphids. The aphids in question were pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) and we bought back samples of aphid-infested plants to the laboratory. Working with them taught me two things. First, that aphids are very species-specific feeders. Pea aphids, for instance, only feed on certain legumes, and these include peas, broad beans, alfalfa and clover. Aphids are…

1 The day before pricking out, fill your modules or pots with good-quality compost and water well. Leave them somewhere warm overnight. Before trying to unearth your seedlings, ensure that the compost they’re in is moist. If it’s dry, the roots will tend to snap. 2 Using a kitchen fork, gently prise a clump of seedlings from their pot. Holding them by their leaves (not the stem as this could be crushed, killing the seedling) separate them into individual plants. Select the strongest and discard any weak ones. 3 Make a hole with a dibber in the centre of each pot or module, lift one seedling over to each hole (again by the leaves) and gently press the roots into the hole. Cover the roots over with compost, water in…

PLANTS in the fruit garden are really starting to spring into life now that April has arrived. Leaf buds are bursting, blossom is opening and everything is generally looking rather promising. If you want to keep it that way, then scrutinise the emerging foliage. This is where the plant is pumping all its nutrients, and sadly aphids are all too aware that the new leaves are the best places to feed. Growing points may well be smothered in greenfly or blackfly, and heavy attacks can severely stunt growth. Blast them off with a jet of water or use a plant oil-based insecticide (please don’t spray the flowers as you’ll harm pollinating insects).…

FOR many years – decades even – ‘Sonata’ was the gold standard for shorter cosmos. Reaching about 2ft (60cm) tall, the large single flowers came in four colours and were good in containers and borders. But over time ‘Sonata’ deteriorated – taller plants appeared, and flowering became patchy and sometimes late. Consequently, it lost all its AGMs. Step forward ‘Apollo’, all three of the original colours of which (Pink Carmine and White) have now been awarded the AGM. Compact but still elegant, they are exceptionally prolific and long-flowering.…

AS one of Britain’s 27 million gardeners, spare a thought for those of wartime East London, who not only had to contend with chapped hands and creaky joints when tending their allotments, but also shrapnel, bombs and the odd body part. Seventy-five years ago this spring saw the blossoming of a fearless new breed of gardener, the bombsite allotmenteers, who set about changing rubble into thriving allotments. By 1943, London’s East End was war-weary and stewing in poverty. The Blitz had laid waste to vast swathes of slum housing, and shattered residents were cracking with the privations of war. Driven by hunger, a resourceful group of gardeners formed. Calling themselves the Bethnal Green Bombed Sites Producers’ Association, they turned their green fingers to converting concrete tombs. Using elbow grease, imagination…

FRAGRAN CE ‘Just Joey’ (AGM) This repeat-flowering Hybrid Tea has coppery pink flowers that exude a rich perfume. It is healthy and makes a fine cut flower. Try alongside the switch grass Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’. H: 3-3ft (60-90cm). ‘De Resht’ (AGM) A bushy Portland Damask that produces a succession of richly fragrant violet-magenta flowers and resists disease well. Try combining it with pink Astrantia ‘Roma’ and the dark Penstemon ‘Raven’. H: 3ft (90cm). ‘Comte de Chambord’ (syn. Mme Knorr) (AGM) Healthy, repeat-flowering and romantic Portland Damask with deliciously scented pink blooms throughout summer. Plant with Nepeta grandiflora ‘Bramdean’. H: 3ft (90cm). HEIGHT ‘Little Rambler’ (AGM) The pink buds of this charming repeat-flowering rambler open into fragrant blush-toned flowers that fade to pink-white. With very few thorns, it is a particularly…

‘Zéphirine Drouhin’ It’s hard not to fall in love with this Bourbon climber, despite the fact that she sometimes has black spot. Deliciously scented bright pink flowers appear for months on thornless stems. H: 10ft (3m). Goldfinch’ A delightful old rambler that is virtually thornless, making it ideal for an arch or porch. In June and July it produces clusters of small, scented, butter-yellow blooms, which fade to white. H: 8ft (2.5m). ‘Madame Alfred Carrière’ (AGM) The Noisette climber that ticks all the boxes: it’s healthy, long-flowering and exudes a wonderful scent. You won’t be able to stop burying your nose in those pink-flushed white flowers. H: 10ft (3m).…

‘Harvington Snow Goose’ Large, elegantly formed, prettily waved white flowers are stained yellow at the base and open unusually (and usefully) late in April. The bright green foliage is boldly marked in maroon. Increases well. H: 16in (40cm). ‘Harvington Wild Salmon’ Pale salmon pink, darkly veined flowers, with honeyed centres, open late in April on short but prolific and strong-growing plants that bulk up well. The blooms are well matched by beautifully mottled foliage. H: 8in (20cm). ‘Old Aberdeen’ (AGM) Purple, strikingly reflexed flowers – flecked with chestnut at the base – are held over deep green leaves that are heavily, and very fetchingly, speckled in mahogany. An exceptionally free-flowering variety. H: 8in (20cm). ‘Pagoda’ (AGM) An old favourite, grown for more than 100 years and still impressive. Yellow flowers…

Q My packet of parsnip seeds stated they could be sown from February to April, so as my soil seemed OK I sowed some into a raised bed in mid-February. As no parsnips appeared, what are the secrets of germinating them and am I too late to start again? George Sanders, Leicester A Parsnips are tricky to germinate, but that makes it even more satisfying when they do, making a row of tall leaves like giant flat-leaved parsley. The biggest cause of failure is not timing, though that comes a close second, but old seed. As with carrots, it really is worth investing in a new packet every year. While a February sowing is optimistic, success depends on the state of the soil. In order to take photographs of the…

Q Can you tell me what this beautiful shrub is? Mr B Jordan, Market Rasen, Lincs A This is a form of Spiraea x bumalda, possibly ‘Gold Flame’. The foliage is beautiful in summer and also appealing in autumn. Prune it fairly hard in spring, shortening all shoots to within 6-8in (15-20cm) of the base. Feed with Vitax Q4 or blood, fish and bone meal. Dark-pink flowers will appear early to mid-summer. Q Is there such a thing as a repeat-flowering daffodil? Richard Thompson, Mexborough, South Yorkshire A Regrettably, no. Once a daffodil bloom has faded the plant’s energy is directed into building a flowering-sized bulb for next year. Ideally, feed plants weekly with a high-potash liquid fertiliser such as Tomorite, when leaves emerge, ceasing only when they die back.…

3 April 1983 Norman Johnson of Blackpool College, Lancs, sliced a 12in (30cm) long cucumber into 264 slices (that’s 22 per inch). He managed it in 13.4 seconds. 4 April 1808 Ronald Gunn, plant collector, after whom Eucalyptus gunnii is named, was born. 4 April 1609 Carolus Clusius, pioneering botanist and arguably one of the most influential of 16th-century horticulturists, died. He studied Spanish and alpine flora, and was the first to realise that viruses were the causes of colour breaks in tulips. He was born in 1526. 5 April 1977 Dublin restauranteur Leslie Cooke paid £530 for a punnet of 30 strawberries (£17.70 per berry) at a Fruit Market auction, bidding for a wealthy Arab client. 7 April 1990 Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother visited RHS Gardens Wisley, to…

Years ago, farmers and gardeners believed that leather was a rich source of nutrients for plants generally, and peaches in particular. It is true that, once it has rotted down, it will be of nutritional benefit to soil and plants. Such old-time growers would often travel miles to raid rubbish tips for discarded boots and other leather items. They would bury the boots beneath the roots of newly planted peach trees, or close to existing trees. So do consider burying your old shoes and boots in the garden – but make sure they are made of leather (rubber, plastic or synthetic material won’t rot!).…

I NOTICED a letter in the magazine ( AG , 10 March) suggesting farmers always get bad press [referring to wildlife writer Val Bourne’s article ‘Hard time for the birds’]. In this area of Essex the hedges have been drastically cut in many places and not where they could interfere with traffic. There is not a berry left on them. My-son-in law has been very upset about it and his brother, who is a gamekeeper, says there are a lot of dead blackbirds around as there is nothing for them to eat in the wild. The farmers and councils don’t seem to realise that birds are territorial and will not simply go elsewhere to find food. Thank goodness I have a decent-sized garden – it’s full of birds that I…

NOT everything needs feeding. Goodness builds beneath established trees and shrubs, especially if the soil is undisturbed and mulched. On the other hand, plants growing where their roots are restricted, such as in pots or near buildings, do need feeding, as do gardens with very free-draining soils, as nutrients quickly wash away. Roses and borders that are packed with flowers also benefit from a top-up of nutrients in early spring. ‘Top-dress’ with a general feed like Growmore or fish, blood and bone, raking it in, and the nutrients will be there as they rush into spring growth when they are needed most.…