Innholdsfortegnelse for 5-May-2018 i Amateur Gardening

WHEN plastic was invented in 1907, it was going to change the world – just not in the way it has done. Today, it is Public Enemy No 1, its reputation tarnished by videos of divers swimming through oceans of rubbish and albatrosses feeding plastic to their starving chicks. There are 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste on earth and the Pacific Ocean has a floating plastic island the size of Mexico! However, the fightback that started with the 5p levy on carrier bags is gaining momentum. It is a movement that extends to the world of gardening. Plastic products are still the most widely available, and cheapest, items on the shelf, but alternatives are becoming more popular. Clay pots are the best for rooting cuttings because they are porous,…

1 Cut your egg boxes in half and place the egg holders in a tray. Fill them with compost. 2 Once the trays are full (I used John Innes No1) dib a hole in the compost in each egg compartment. 3 Using an old teaspoon or the end of a plastic plant label, lift the seedlings’ rootballs from the compost. 4 Holding the seedlings by a leaf (never the stem), carefully transfer each one into a dibbed hole. 5 Make sure all the roots are contained in the planting hole, then firm the compost around the seedling. 6 Water using fresh tap water. Keep the seedlings damp and well ventilated and check them for pests.…

• The key to successful division is preventing the roots from drying out, then getting plants back in the ground quickly. • Do the work on a day that is cool, still and overcast, as wind and sun will dry out roots fast. • Prepare planting holes before starting the project, so you can replant as soon as possible. • If there is a delay in getting plants back in the ground, wrap the roots in damp newspaper or plastic and store them somewhere cool and dark, but only up to 48 hours.…

SINCE it was launched seven years ago, National Gardening Week has become one of the country’s largest celebrations of outdoor life. This year’s gardening week (30 April-6 May), which is run by the RHS, has focused on people sharing their passion for plants and getting involved with their own events. A spokesman for the RHS said: “There are plenty of things people can do themselves, and get their family involved in, to celebrate National Gardening Week. “It need not be a large project – you could grow tomatoes on your windowsill or tidy up your driveway!” The National Gardening Week website ( nationalgardeningweek.org.uk ) is packed with ideas for the garden and wildlife that aren’t just for this week but will keep going and growing for weeks and years to…

Impatiens are frost tender and will need protection until the chance of night frosts have passed. Plant hanging baskets, patio pots and windowboxes either under glass or in protected positions to help them become established and give them a flying start to make even larger plants through summer. And if a shoot breaks off when planting it will root easily in seed and cutting compost to form another plant for summer flowering. You will get the best results by adding slow-release fertiliser granules to compost when planting in containers.…

WHILE you’re enjoying the long weekend, spare a thought for the garden birds that are building nests and raising the year’s first broods of chicks. Raising a family can be hard work and the parents need to keep up their strength. Keep the birds supplied with fresh food, including seeds, mild grated cheese, mealworms and seed mixes that don’t contain whole peanuts, as these can choke fledglings. If you do use peanuts, keep them in mesh hangers so the birds can only retrieve small pieces. Bread should also be avoided. Homemade fat balls can soon go rancid in warmer weather, so buy commercially produced ones that stay fresh for longer. Fresh water is important, so keep your birdbath clean and topped up. Top Tip Nest building is still going on,…

YOU can make a tremendous difference to how well your plants establish when you move them from your greenhouse to open ground by hardening them off. The same applies with most plants you buy, especially the more tender types, such as tomatoes and bedding plants. Plants that are used to the snug conditions of a greenhouse or garden centre can have a bit of a shock when placed outside. If the process is too abrupt then it can take plants several weeks to recover. The secret is to harden off your plants properly before putting them out – in that way their growth won’t be so badly checked and they’ll romp away. So how do you successfully harden off? The traditional method is to leave plants outside during the day…

CAST your mind forward to cooling autumn days on the plot. You come home, rosy-cheeked, to a hearty sausage casserole that’s been simmering away for hours in the oven, complete with melt-in-the-mouth carrots, turnips and parsnips. If that doesn’t get you salivating, nothing will! While the carrots and turnips can be sown later, slow-growing and sizeable parsnips need to be started now. I don’t sow my parsnips too early – I prefer medium-sized roots (plus early sowings are more prone to canker). To help develop a long taproot you can follow this old trick I’m showing you (see right). It’s especially handy on stonier and heavy clay soils where the developing taproot might come across trouble as it pushes into the earth. Top Tip Parsnips can suffer from carrot root…

FIRST, and above all else, it’s the scent. Unlike roses, for example, or sweet peas, fragrance is the one feature of lilac that seems to be consistent across all varieties of this classic shrub. You can depend on it, no matter which you plump for – and there are plenty of options. All of them are derived from a single species, Syringa vulgaris, which was brought to Britain from the mountains of eastern Europe in the 1500s. About 2,000 varieties have been introduced over the years since, with nurseries in Russia, the United States, Suffolk and France all creating significant numbers of new ones. Lilacs are strong-growing deciduous shrubs that, left unpruned, can sometimes grow to the size of a small tree. Pruning is therefore vital, but luckily it’s also…

Mulberry ‘Charlotte Russe’ – the world’s first dwarf mulberry and plant of the year winner at Chelsea in 2017. Unlike other varieties, it bears fruit in its first year, over a longer period, from June until September. Height 5ft (1.5m). Available as potted plants. Petunia ‘Bella’ – a semi-trailing variety that forms compact mounds of foliage covered with masses of white and deep-purple flowers in summer. The double flowers stand up well to rain. Height 1ft (30cm). Available as plug plants. Nemesia ‘Plums and Custard’ – sweetly scented violet-and-yellow two-tone blooms smother compact plants from June until August. Dead-head fading flowers and displays will continue until the first frosts. Height 1ft (30cm). Available as plugs. Zinnia ‘Molotov Mix’ – forming tall plants suitable for the middle or back of a…

Primula japonica ‘Miller’s Crimson’ (AGM) A candelabra primula with rich crimson flowers held in tiered circles around sturdy stems, above rosettes of crinkly green leaves. Plant in drifts for maximum impact. H: 18in (45cm). Trollius x cultorum ‘Orange Princess’ (AGM) The globeflower gets its name from the layers of golden-orange petals held in tight globe-like clusters. Ideal for the edge of a pond (in part shade) as it thrives in moist soil. H: 32in (80cm). Viola cornuta ‘Belmont Blue’ Excellent groundcover plant with masses of lavender-blue blooms from May to September. A midsummer trim will refresh the plant. Happily self-sows in cracks and crevices. H: 6in (15cm). Digitalis purpurea ‘Pam’s Choice’ The white trumpet-shaped blooms of this foxglove…

Q On my weekly visit to the garden centre I’m tempted by all the bedding plants on display in a massive greenhouse. They come in all shapes and sizes and I’m confused about what I can plant now. What would be your top three plants that carry on blooming all summer? Eva Harborn, Liverpool A Years ago, in the south, we wouldn’t dream of ‘bedding out’ until around the third week in May and plants didn’t go on sale until then. My Saturday job was to sell them at a pet and garden centre and the boss would pick them up in seed trays, all hardened off. Even then, a late frost could brown the soft tops of lobelia and nemesia. There were no modules and I’d have to cut…

Gardening island-by-island In the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey, Liberation Day is celebrated each year on 9 May, to mark the end of the Occupation by Nazi Germany during World War II. This day is also celebrated as Guernsey and Jersey’s national day. I thought, therefore, that we could celebrate in our own way, by putting in some plant and gardening trivia about the beautiful Channel Islands. The Jersey lily Although the autumn-flowering Amaryllis belladonna is sometimes referred to as the Jersey lily, nobody knows the reason why. One school of thought has it that ‘Jersey Lily’ does not refer to a plant at all, but Emilie Charlotte Langtry (née Le Breton, 1852-1929, pictured left), an actress who used the name Lily. Her father was the Dean of Jersey…

1 Before you start, give your plants a good soaking – this is especially important if plants have come through the post. 2 Leave them to absorb the water while you dig a hole that’s as deep as the plant’s pot and slightly wider. 3 Place the plant in the hole and infill around it, firming the soil down with your foot to remove air pockets. 4 Water the plant again well and don’t let it dry out while it gets established. Watch for pests and keep the area weed-free.…

If using plastic in the garden is unavoidable there are several things you can do to limit the amount you buy. Labels can be scrubbed clean and re-used, as can pots. Clean plastic containers in warm soapy water after every use to remove traces of disease and pests that might infect the new plants or seeds you grow in them. It is almost impossible to avoid plastic, but it can be put to good use. Fizzy pop bottles make good cloches when cut in half, and food trays can be used to start seedlings.…

Water the divided plants well and add a layer of mulch to retain the moisture and suppress weeds. 1 Dig holes where you want to plant your new divisions and add a layer of well-rotted organic matter to each. 2 Dig around the plant, then lift it, keeping as much soil around the rootball as possible. 3 Place the plant on to newspaper or plastic. Divide the rootball so each piece has healthy roots and shoots. 4 Replant the divisions to the depth of their rootballs and firm them in. They will soon grow and fill the space.…

GARDENERS are being warned of a potential shortage of summer equipment after fire wrecked the warehouse of one of the UK’s main garden-centre suppliers. Around 50 firefighters were called to the blaze at the warehouse of garden-centre suppliers Gardman in Daventry, Northants. Items lost to the flames include 5ft and 8ft bamboo canes, hanging-basket liners, wild-bird feed, propagation equipment and solar lighting. The company has taken steps to mitigate the effects of the fire and stock is now being returned to a previously used warehouse in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, which closed after the company relocated to Daventry in 2017. It is thought the fire caused £30 million-worth of damage to the building and £20 million of stock was lost.…

By Dan Marshall (Summersdale books, £9.99) There seem to be ‘hacks’ (quick hints) about everything these days and gardening is no exception. At first glance this chirpy little book may seem a bit gimmicky, but it is worth further investigation. It is divided into 14 sections covering everything from lawns and wildflowers to pest control and weeding, with one hack per page. Many of them are well known, but some involve common sense and there are several that got me thinking, “Why haven’t I thought of that?” And chiming with this week’s AG theme of using less plastic, I particularly liked the idea of labelling plants by painting stones bright colours and writing on them with indelible pen. Although aimed more at the novice gardener rather than someone with a…

SOMETIMES a gardening weekend feels like a full-on military campaign where you set out with an objective, toil to accomplish it, complete it successfully and collapse exhausted, just in time to return to work on the Monday. A major joy of a long bank holiday weekend is the chance to potter and catch up on supplementary jobs that are enjoyable as well as practical. I spent a very satisfying 15 minutes moving a couple of honesty seedlings that were growing around a tayberry. I think they must have germinated in some homemade compost and it was a real delight to move them somewhere with more room. I’m also using this weekend to prepare the greenhouse for summer, starting by covering the panes with shading paint to lower the temperature and…

• This week’s free seeds are for delightfully tatty-petalled ragged robin (Lychnis floscuculi), which thrives in damp meadows, wild areas and grassy banks. • They will flower next year, so start them off now on a tray of fresh compost. Cover lightly with soil, water, add a lid and set them on a warm windowsill. • Prick out seedlings when they are large enough to handle and pot them up individually. • Gradually acclimatise them to outside conditions and plant them out 10in (25cm) apart. • Ragged robin is extremely popular with pollinators and will attract bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects to your garden.…

1 As everything gets busy outside, don’t forget to feed and water your houseplants. 2 Likewise, don’t forget to water all the plants you’ve put in during the last 12 months, as there will be a surge of growth at this time of year. 3 Dragging earth around the base of broad beans will make the plants sturdier and more stable. Nip out flowering tips once sufficiently set. 4 Inspect gooseberries almost daily for signs of tiny sawfly caterpillars – the telltale sign are lots of tiny holes in the leaves. Destroy the leaves and any caterpillars immediately.…

1 Choose an open, sunny, weed-free site. Buy new seed rather than using last year’s because parsnip seed doesn’t store well. Opt for an F1 hybrid such as ‘Panorama’ or ‘Duchess’ as these have strong canker resistance. Make 8in (20cm) deep holes 10in (25cm) apart with a dibber. 2 Sow in a 10x10in (25x25cm) grid pattern to ensure each root has ample room to swell. Fill each hole with multi-purpose compost and water it in lightly. The compost ensures the roots don’t hit a stone or compacted patch of soil. The results? Straight parsnips! 3 Parsnips can be slow, fussy germinators. Because seed isn’t expensive, sow half a dozen or so into each hole, 3/4in (2cm) deep. Cover over with more compost and water in well. Once seedlings emerge, thin…

TO me, peas are the essence of spring, so I always grow a few rows on the plot. I’ve started them in pots in the greenhouse, and the seedlings are now hardened off and ready for life outside. Before planting them, however, it’s important to think about their growth habit. Peas are climbers, producing wiry tendrils that latch onto supports. Their height varies considerably, so check your variety. For example, purple-flowered mangetout ‘Carouby de Maussane’ can grow over 5ft (1.5m), whereas compact ‘Half Pint’ reaches only 8in (20cm). The shortest varieties need only a few twiggy sticks pushed into the row to support them, whereas lofty types benefit from pea netting strung between two sturdy vertical posts. My ‘Hurst Green Shaft’ is a modest 30in (75cm) in height, so this…

WAY back in 1865, a Berkshire nurseryman called Martin Hope Sutton was delighted to receive a letter out of the blue from Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert. It requested that a collection of grasses be shipped over to Osborne House, the royal residence on the Isle of Wight. As a passionate royalist, Sutton was only too happy to oblige, setting in motion a long and fruitful relationship with the royal family. He returned to Osborne several times over the years, and the company he ran, Sutton & Sons, was issued with a royal warrant in 1884, becoming the Queen’s official seed suppliers. Fast forward to 2018 and Suttons Seeds still retains the royal warrant, with the official coat of arms appearing on catalogues, seed packets and above the doorway to…

In 2015, Suttons embarked on a research and development programme with Exeter University to discover what varieties not only taste good, but are also packed full of the highest levels of nutrients. Its range of seeds and plants with TV botanist James Wong, along with those under its own name, contain some of the best varieties but ongoing testing will lead to a greater range in the future. “We are also working with a sweet-pea nursery to find ways to get new or younger gardeners into sweet peas,” says senior horticulturist Tom Sharples. This may include launching varieties suitable for smaller gardens, along with taller ones that can be used as a flowering hedge.…

SUN Stipa tenuissima (syn. Nassella tenuissima ) Mexican feather grass is a deciduous border stalwart. Its soft straw-blonde and green leaves arch and billow in the breeze, providing a foil for perennial and annual flowers. H: 20in (50cm). Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Goldtau’ This compact tufted hair grass produces a cloud of delicate flower plumes that turn gold as the season progresses, catching the low autumn sunlight. One for well-drained, moisture-retentive soil. H: 32in (80cm). Molinia caerulea subsp. caerulea ‘Edith Dudszus’ Purple moor grass has maroon-purple flowers on upright purple-black stems above golden-green foliage. Requires well-drained, moisture-retentive soil. H: 30-39in (75cm-1m). Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’ (AGM) If you want a Carex that works well at the front of…

How can I bring back the birds? QI decided to clear my overgrown garden and replace it with paving and pots. Now all the lovely wild birds have gone. How can I bring them back? Anne Allen, Shotton, Deeside A The solution is simple – put out food for them! I assume your garden is surrounded by a wall or fence that you can attach feeders to and fill them with nuts, seeds and fat balls. You could also introduce a bird table, ideally one with a top for some shelter, plus water dishes or a birdbath. It may take a few weeks to bring them back, but once they have discovered the food and drink they will come flocking. You could also introduce some large or long-term plants to…

■ 1 May 1851 The Great Exhibition was opened in Hyde Park by Queen Victoria. The vast structure was designed by Sir Thomas Paxton, and was 1,851ft long (to match the year). The Times called it ‘a monstrous greenhouse’. ■ May 1958 Notcutts opened its first garden centre at Woodbridge, Suffolk – one of the earliest garden centres to open its doors in Britain. Other pioneers included Russells, Wyevale and Stewarts. ■ 2 May 1949 TV gardener Alan (Fred) Titchmarsh, one-time Deputy Editor of Amateur Gardening, was born in Ilkley, West Yorkshire. ■ 3 May 1884 The first edition of Amateur Gardening was published, promising to be ‘generally useful’. The first edition had just 16 pages and no pictures! ■ 6 May 1997 Frosts of -5°C (23°F) destroyed more than…

Swoe Style Hoe £29.99 with free delivery 01869 363635 wilkinsonsword-tools.co.uk Features Stainelss-steel ‘L’-shaped head sharpened on three sides. 30mm thick, ergonomically designed, weatherproofed ash handle. Dimensions: Head width 51/2in (14cm), overall length 64in (163cm). 10-year guarantee. Performance Thick handle is a pleasure for big hands and length gives good reach. A substantial tool of a good weight, but nice to use. The head slides easily just below the soil surface – it doesn’t seem to lift as much soil, so lighter to use but just as effective. ‘L’-shaped head is easy to wiggle close to and between plants for detail work. Big areas are covered quickly as the wide blade cuts well in both directions and doesn’t pile soil at the end of stroke. Value Impressive performance both in tight…

ONE of the joys of home-grown veg is their idiosyncratic shapes so unlike the uniformity of the supermarket aisle. Last summer one of my butternut squash grew in the split on top of a driftwood post. At first the fruit grew normally, but as it swelled it became so squashed (pardon the pun) that the skin took on every detail of the rough wood as surely as if its flesh were made of putty. Moulding members of the gourd family isn’t new. Cucumber growers keen to ensure saleable fruits have long grown their crops in clear plastic tubes to satisfy pernickety supermarkets. Some have even given the tubes star-shaped profiles and these can now be bought from Suttons Seeds, among others, to fit cucumbers, tomatoes and, if you’ve got a…

THERE are many simple ways of getting a great garden without damaging the environment or wasting natural resources. Making your own compost is an obvious step, as is re-using food containers where possible. Suppress weeds without using weedkiller or plastic by anchoring a layer of thick cardboard on the soil instead. Below I show you how to transplant seedlings into old egg boxes. As the seedlings grow, the egg holders can be cut up and planted directly into larger pots or the ground, where they will naturally break down. Coffee pouches also make good containers for starting plants that have deep roots, and the cardboard centres of loo rolls and kitchen paper are excellent for the deep root systems of pea and bean seedlings. Plastic ready-meal trays are ideal for…

ONE of my favourite early spring plants is Pulmonaria officinalis , more commonly known as lungwort. A garden favourite, it blooms in shades of blue, purple, pink and white, and its spreading foliage varies from white speckled to silver and plain green. Pulmonarias are a magnet for bees and other pollinators, and the flowers actually change colour once they have been pollinated, turning from pink to blue. This is because the action of the insects causes the acidic cell juices to turn alkaline. This is fascinating to see and also handy for the bees, because it’s the plant’s way of saying: “Don’t bother with this bit as someone got here before you!” Pulmonarias can soon become overgrown, untidy and less vigorous, and are an easy plant to divide. Do remember,…

THE plight of our hedgehogs is well known and thousands of people – gardeners in particular – are doing their best to help the dwindling population. Next week is Hedgehog Awareness Week (6-12 May), and the sad fact is that all this extra help may still be killing them – with kindness. Many people know that bread and milk are not suitable for hedgehogs, so they give other protein-packed goodies instead. However, mealworms, peanuts and sunflower hearts can create an imbalance between levels of calcium and phosphate in the mammals’ bodies, causing the calcium to leach out of the bones and into their blood. Research by biological scientist Gail Tracey and her husband David, who has worked in the pet trade for 27 years, shows that this mineral imbalance causes…

YOU garden visitors are a generous lot and last year helped the National Garden Scheme raise more than £3 million for good causes. Since the NGS was founded in 1927, it has raised more than £55 million for charity. Last year the popular scheme brought in £3.1 million. Beneficiaries include Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie and Hospice UK, each of which will receive £500,000 from funds raised in 2017. Annual donations continue to Carers Trust, Queen’s Nursing Institute, Parkinson’s UK and the horticultural workers’ charity Perennial, as well as the MS Society. National Garden Scheme CEO George Plumptre said: “It’s been another record-breaking year for the scheme and we are extremely pleased to be able to fund even more vital work in the areas that we are passionate about –…

THE widespread attack of a new strain of downy mildew on the popular summer bedding plant busy Lizzie in 2011 pretty well wiped out floral displays. The attack was so widespread and serious Impatiens walleriana cultivars pretty well disappeared from seed catalogues and retail plant benches from 2012 onwards. Cultivars with New Guinea hybrid blood were not affected and the very popular traditional I. walleriana cultivars were OK if grown with overhead protection so the foliage remained dry. Damp conditions are necessary for the spread of airborne spores, which first appear as a grey powder on the underside of leaves. The leaves then curl, turn yellow and fall, so only bare stems remain. “Busy Lizzies were wiped out in 2011” This month sees the introduction of a downy-mildew-resistant strain called…

• It may be May, but winter can still give a sharp sting. • Late frosts devastate young shoots that haven’t yet hardened off, so be prepared to protect vulnerable plants. • Keep a cloche or several layers of fleece ready to deploy on frosty nights. Remove them as soon as the temperature rises to prevent condensation and mould forming. • Keep weeding borders, using a dab-on chemical on weeds growing tightly among other plants.…

5: Plant Hunters’ Fair: 1620s House, Donington Le Heath, Manor Road, Coalville, Leics LE67 2FW. 01455 290429; doningtonleheath.org.uk 5: Chrysanthemum Society Show: RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane, Rettendon, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 8ET. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall 5: RHS Gardening Advice: RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorks HG3 1QB. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr 5: Nursery Tour: D’arcy and Everest, Meadowsweet Nursery, Pidley Sheep Lane (B1040), Somersham, Cambs, PE28 3FL. 01480 497 672; darcyeverest.co.uk 5-6: Spring Plant Weekend: RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorks HG3 1QB. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr 6: Mammilaria Show: RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley 6: Nature Awakes: RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane, Rettendon, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 8ET. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall 6: Spring Plant Fair:…

I LOVE most plants, but there is a spot somewhere deep in my psyche that makes me veer away from the conifer. I have friends who adore them, like John Massey of Ashwood Nurseries in Kingswinford in the West Midlands, and I have to admit that they look fantastic in John’s garden. I’ve tried to analyse why I dislike them and it may be because during the 1990s I used to have a huge Leylandii conifer hedge that ran for at least 80 yards (73 metres). It towered above the garden and was an impossible thing to manage on my own, so I invited some rufty-tufty gardening friends for the weekend and fed them well. Together we took down every tree and the resinous branches were piled into the middle…

WITH last month being the time that spring finally made an appearance for us, I’m guessing that seed packets were ripped open in celebration around the country. After a few weeks of warm weather, seeds sown then in open ground will have now transformed into seedlings. Yet in order for these young plants to reach their full potential the drills must be hoed, watered and – crucially – thinned. Germinating seeds outside is a hit-and-miss affair, so sowing a surplus makes sense in case unfavourable conditions leave us with fewer seedlings. However, if conditions were good and most seeds germinated, plants will soon become overcrowded. This can lead to premature bulking up and reduced yields, but thinning out surplus plants now prevents this. It’s a bit of a fiddly job…

WITH so many gardeners having a limited outdoor growing area, it’s not surprising that cultivating crops that take up little room is increasingly popular. Veg are quite straightforward when it comes to squeezing them into tiny gaps, but what about fruit? Luckily, nature’s sweet treats are just as accommodating. There are many crops that are naturally small – strawberries, lingonberries and dwarf raspberries, such as ‘Ruby Beauty’. These will grow happily in pots, windowboxes or hanging baskets. Then there are climbers, such as loganberries, wineberries, honeyberries and kiwi berries. All can easily be twined up a pergola, balcony or trellis. The relatively small walls of sheds and garages also make perfect backdrops for these more diminutive climbers. Trees can also work in small spaces, with dwarfing rootstocks, festooning, cordons, stepovers,…

Classic combination Bring a hit of colour to a doorstep or table top with spring-flowering plants that are readily available from garden centres. Bellis perennis will bloom well into the summer, and when the heather and primula (both perennials) have finished flowering they can be transferred to the garden. Alpine adventure Combine a dwarf pine like this diminutive Pinus mugo ‘Mughus’ with dinky alpines such as dianthus and saponaria. Then, for a touch of fragrance, add a small lavender. Opting for a metal container and covering the compost with pebbles or grit will give a contemporary feel. Colour pop Missing the vibrant colours of tulips? Then Iceland poppies (Papaver nudicaule) are the plants to go for. Either grow your own from seed or buy as plug plants. For a contrast,…

Containerised grasses can be planted at any time so long as the ground is not frozen, but there are ideal periods for planting if you’re following the rulebook. Species that put on a growth spurt in late winter (such as Stipa, Deschampsia and Festuca) are best planted in autumn, while those that grow in late spring (such as Panicum, Pennisetum and Miscanthus) should go in the ground in late spring. Most grasses like an open sunny spot with moist, well-drained soil, so dig in organic matter on planting.…

Q What is this plant please? Mrs J Smith, Willersey, Gloucestershire A It is a British native called dropwort (Filipendula vulgaris). Its foamy sprays of small white flowers, often tinged pink in bud, make summer a special treat! Its cultivated ‘Multiplex’ form is famed for double white blooms. It is a native of Europe and Central Asia and romps in damp, Q My cyclamen tuber is 12in (30cm) across and around 15 years old. What should I do with it? Mrs N Morley, Whitstable, Kent A If you would like to propagate it, do so this summer while it is dormant. Simply cut the tuber into good-sized portions, each with a ‘growth nodule’. Replant the divisions, one each to a suitably sized pot, filled with loam-based ericaceous compost. Q Is…

Clematis armandii This Chinese native is a luxuriant climber, whose richly fragrant ivory or pink-tinged blooms open in spring against a backdrop of older leaves and a swarm of new shoots. Reaches 10-15ft (3-5m) and is hardy in most areas. Dregea sinensis From the same family as trachelospermum, Chinese dregea resembles a hoya or wax flower. Umbels of fragrant white blooms dusted with pink open in summer against attractive heart-shaped leaves. Grows up to 10ft (3m). Holboellia coriacea Again from China, this vigorous vine from the Akebia tribe bears palmate leaves and in spring, pendulous bunches of pinkish flowers. Likes a sheltered wall and rich soil. Reaches 22ft (7m). Pileostegia viburnoides Climbing with stem roots, this hydrangea relative from India and China takes its time to get going, but once…

HAVING recently received an order through the post from an online gardening company that I have dealt with for many years, without a problem, imagine my surprise when opening my plug plants to find that one was missing. I decided that as it was only one it wasn’t a problem. It was just unfortunate that the packaging had got battered and maybe it had fallen out. But, the next morning, our postman, Nick Williams, knocked on the door and when I answered it he was standing there holding my single plug plant. He’d returned to the depot and found the plant in his van, took it home, watered it and brought it back to me. We live in a very small village and of course he knew it would be…

Always grow your marrows and pumpkins in a sunny spot that’s protected from breeze. Once gourds start to swell, water in dry weather to keep the fruit soft and cut away leaves that are shading the gourds. Place the fruits on straw, cardboard or a bit of old carpet to keep them clean, and scatter slug pellets beneath. Choose only blemish-free fruits and handle carefully. When the gourd has filled out the container, cut with a few inches of vine attached and leave for a few days for the rind to harden before removing the mould.…