Innholdsfortegnelse for 23-Jun-2018 i Amateur Gardening

BEDDING means many things to many people, whether it’s the formal swathes of carpet bedding that are so popular with municipal planters, or little patches of summer colour in private gardens. Some people like to keep it simple and stick to one type of plant or colour scheme, while others prefer to go ‘full kaleidoscope’ and create a bobby-dazzler of a garden that is either a visual feast or bilious nightmare, depending on your point of view. Whatever planting scheme you favour, on these pages I look at how to get the best from your bedding, from purchase through to a long summer of healthy colour. I like to position bedding in colourful clumps worked into our perennial borders. It helps fill seasonal gaps while young perennials are getting established…

Once your bedding is in the ground or in pots, you need to keep it healthy so it flowers throughout the summer and doesn’t leave you with unsightly gaps. Don’t let it dry out, and feed with liquid tomato fertiliser that’s rich in potassium once a fortnight. Weed borders well as unwanted plants can become hosts for pests and also block airflow, leaving cultivated plants vulnerable to fungal diseases such as mildews. Aphids love fresh shoots and vine weevils chew leaves and flowers. Their grubs cause devastation by eating plant roots. Use a biological control such as Nemasys Vine Weevil Killer to control the problem…

A common summer pest problem in greenhouses is glasshouse red spider mites. These can be hard to control as they breed fast in warm conditions. These tiny pests suck sap on foliage, causing it to become mottled. Severe infestations can cause leaf loss and even the death of the plant. Lessen the risk of mites by keeping humidity high in the greenhouse with regular watering and damping down. There are several biological controls available, including predatory mites, midges and rove beetles. Chemical controls will also work, but repeat treatments may be needed.…

1 Cut a length of this year’s healthy growth up to 12in (30cm) long from just above a leaf node. 2 Cut it into sections above each leaf, so each piece has a leaf at the top. Pinch out and discard the growing tip. 3 Remove any large leaves and cut each attached leaf in half to reduce the moisture it will lose. 4 Dip the cut ends in hormone rooting gel or powder to boost the development of healthy roots. 5 Inset the cut end of each cutting into a clay pot of a dampened cuttings compost and grit or perlite. 6 Seal in a plastic bag, using sticks to keep the bag off the cuttings, and place somewhere light and warm.…

WEEDS are in full growth now. Turn your back on them for a minute and they will attempt to annex your land, so the best solution is to get out whenever possible and enjoy a little light weeding. I try to do a bit each day, either forking them up or running a hoe through the soil to cut them off at the roots before weed seedlings (weedlings?) can get established. Perennial weeds (such as dandelions, creeping buttercup and thistles) are harder to eliminate than annuals such as fat hen and chickweed. Every bit of root needs to be removed otherwise it will regenerate, and this is where a chemical killer may come in useful. Try not to be too ruthless with your weeding. I leave a few weeds behind…

A SUBSTANTIAL clump of large spear-shaped leaves appeared in a border last autumn and somehow managed to survive everything that winter threw at it. I wasn’t totally sure what plant it was until it started to grow in spring and finally developed magnificent heads of beautiful mauve flowers that are a magnet for shield bugs and bees. It is sweet rocket (Hesperis matronalis), a sturdy biennial that flowers from May through to July if deadheaded regularly, and which has rapidly become one of my favourite late spring plants. Biennials are plants that produce leaves the year they are sown and then flower the next. They include honesty (Lunaria annua), foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea), as well as short-lived perennials such as Iceland poppies and Eryngium giganteum, a large sea holly. The ever-popular…

June 23-24: Arley Garden Festival, Arley Hall & Gardens, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 6NA. 01565 777353, arleyhallandgardens.com 24: Plant Hunters’ Fair: Sugnall Walled Garden, Eccleshall, Staffs ST21 6NF. planthuntersfair.co.uk 26: Growing roses and sweet peas: RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorks HG3 1QB. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr 27: Plants for Bees, Butterflies and Birds: RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane, Rettendon, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 8ET. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall 27: Garden Walk – Weed or Wildflower? RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorks HG3 1QB. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr 28: The Perfect Pollinator Evening: RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley 29: Walk – Introduction to Bamboo: RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, N. Yorks HG3 1QB. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr 30: Botanical…

GARDENERS are living in changing times. When the EU Pesticides Review (1992-2009) began to kick in, it was viewed as a nuisance by many gardeners. When people went to their local garden centre to get their pea-moth killer, for instance, it wasn’t there and some gardeners wrote irate letters about it. At the time there was a belief that you needed these things in order to garden. The fact that the pea-moth chemical killed far more than pea moths, and stayed in the bodies of insectivorous birds, wasn’t fully understood. This led to gaps on the garden-centre shelves and that’s when bee boxes started arriving. I thought, somewhat cynically, that they were a just a gimmick, and said so at the time. Well, hindsight is a wonderful thing, because the…

1 To keep your tree or bush compact, it’s essential to cut out shoots that are growing in the wrong direction. A fan should have its branches splayed out left and right against a wall, fence or wires. Cut off any shoots growing directly into or out of that shape. 2 You’ll also be faced with a multitude of shoots that are growing in the appropriate left and right directions. These need thinning out to encourage good airflow and sun penetration. Take out the weakest shoots and leave strong well-placed stems. 3 You should now be left with no shoots growing in the wrong direction, and thinned shoots growing in the correct direction. Now it’s simply a case of tying in these remaining shoots to fill in any gaps in…

Plant during the growing season, between May and August, when the soil is warm. Take care, as sap can irritate sensitive skins. Choose a sheltered, sunny or lightly shaded spot, where the soil is well drained and well conditioned. Stems are usually sturdy, but taller varieties will need support. Add a fortnightly high-potash (tomato-type) liquid feed in summer to encourage better flowering. Mulch dormant plants generously with an 8in (20cm) layer of bark, but push back gently in spring.…

Aquilegias are impossible to divide so don’t bother trying; instead, raise them from seed sown from April to July. Sow in pots of seed compost, water well and cover lightly. Do not allow the seeds to dry out even once as this can inhibit germination for weeks. In a propagator at 21ºC, expect seed to peep through in a fortnight; longer at cooler temperatures or in a sheltered spot outside. Move your seedlings into individual 3in (7.5cm) pots when they are large enough to handle. And plant out when the pots are becoming full of roots. ‘Dove’ Facing partially upwards, the entire flower – inner and outer petals and spurs – is pure white, sometimes faintly blushed at the tips of the outer petals and spurs. Described by the RHS…

Saving your own seed or retaining self-sown seedlings will result in plants that, while they may be delightful, will be unpredictable in their colouring and even their flower form. Raising plants from bought seed gives you the widest choice of varieties, but because the plants need a cold spell to initiate flowering, even large plants grown from spring-sown seed will not usually bloom until the following year. A few varieties are available as seedlings or plugs. These tend to be those whose seed is expensive, and plugs are a good option. However, buying large plants will give you a good display in the first season.…

WHEN mother-of-three Helen Basson was diagnosed with Vrippling arthritis, she feared she would never walk again. Her Vondition was so deLilitating she was unaLle to lift her LaLy out of his Vot or even get into the Lath unaided. But thanks to a pair of Vopper insoles, the pluVky garden designer is now in training for a half marathon. Helen, 39, Vredits her inVrediLle reVovery in her health to the “Vopper heelers” and says her improvement has left doVtors astounded. She thought she would end up in a wheelVhair when she was diagnosed with arthritis in every joint of her Lody following the Lirth of her third Vhild. But within 3 months of wearing the £39.95 insoles she Legan to walk freely. Terrifying Now she is planning to take part…

John will reply personally to all your gardening questions every week Can I make tap water more acid? QI grow acid-loving plants in my garden, but I don’t have any rainwater to use. Is there a product that turns tap water more acidic? Sue Brunton, Tunbridge Wells, Kent A There isn’t a product that will convert tap water into the equivalent of rainwater, which lacks the calcium and magnesium that make it ‘hard’. However, the Royal Horticultural Society suggests that over short periods tap water is perfectly fine for ericaceous plants during times of drought. If your plants start to show signs of chlorosis (loss of green colouration), then applying a suitable feed of sequestered iron will help. I also read some other suggestions including adding a drop of vinegar…

In its basic structure, a seed contains an embryo and a food reserve, enclosed within a protective seed coat, called the testa. The embryo itself has a shoot (the plumule), a rudimentary root (the radicle), and one or more seed leaves, called cotyledons. True flowering plants (angiosperms) are divided into those with a single cotyledon, like grasses, and those with two cotyledons, like beans, while the ‘naked’ seeds of gymnosperms, like conifers and gingko, may have up to 15. The endosperm is the main food reserve in most seeds and is made up of high-energy molecules such as oils, protein and carbohydrates that are used during germination and early seedling development.…

Roses, roses all the way! Late June and early July are key times for the majority of bush, shrub and bedding roses. Now, when they are looking their best, is when many rose shows take place. So let’s look at some of the stories surrounding England’s national flower! We think of the rose as our national flower, but in reality it has become naturalised in most parts of the temperate world. Most of the varieties we buy and grow today have been bred from a few dozen types that came over from China and the Far East just over 200 years ago. Why isn’t there a blue rose? True blue in flowers comes from a pigment called delphinidin. This is absent in roses, so there’ll never be a blue rose…

Facts about roses from around the world Oldest rose: The oldest living rose bush in the world is believed to be more than 1,000 years old. A wild dog rose (Rosa canina), it grows against a cathedral in Hildesheim, Germany and it’s been there since 815AD. The rose caught fire during World War II when an Allied bomb dropped nearby, but the root system was undamaged and it still flourishes today! Rose oil: Most of the world’s rose oil comes from roses grown in Bulgaria. The petals from Bulgarian roses (an essential ingredient in the production of perfumes) produce as much as 85% of the world’s rose oil. Visit Bulgaria in May and June to see the harvest at its most colourful. Biggest rose: This can be found in Tombstone,…

Planning and after-care are key 1 If you want a more formal planting scheme, it may help to draw an idea of how you want the bed to look before you start. 2 Early summer has been pretty wet, so to avoid damaging the structure of your soil, work off a plank so your weight is balanced. 3 Give bedding a good start by adding a granular feed to their planting holes (which should be the same depth as the rootball). 4 Tender young bedding plants are manna for slugs and snails, so protect them using a deterrent such as wool pellets, which double as an effective mulch.…

1 Don’t just stick with pastel shades. Acid lemon and lime creates a wonderfully sharp and modern edge to plantings. 2 Natural colours rarely clash as these cosmos and calendulas show – and their foliage adds interest and texture too. 3 Blowsy beauties such as these stunning begonias aren’t to everyone’s taste, but they certainly create a colourful splash. 4 If you’ve got any plants left over once your borders are full, use them up in a patio container or hanging basket.…

WE have a Clematis montana and a C. armandii growing up the back wall of the house. Each summer they look spectacular and are rapid growers, so they need regular trimming to keep them within their allotted space. This week we’ve had problems seeing out of the dining-room window because the montana has started to take over, so I decided to cut it back. It is the ideal time to prune these two plants because they are ‘Group 1’ clematis – those that bloom in winter, spring and early summer and include Clematis cirrhosa, C. alpina and C. macropetala – and flower on the previous year’s growth. Cutting them back while they are still in growth gives them plenty of time to produce new shoots for next year’s blooms before…

WITH the addition of organic matter, garden soils retain a crumbly structure, are easier to work, give better plant growth and need less watering. My home garden for over 50 years is on heavy Essex clay, steadily improved by the addition of every bit of garden compost I can make; by imported well-rotted farmyard manure; leaf mould (made from gathered leaves stacked wet for at least two years before use) and composted lawn mowings. If I have to move, I am taking the soil with me! Heavy clay is rich in plant foods and it needs winter digging, when organic matter is mixed into the lower area. The advice here is to concentrate the application rather than spread it thinly over a large area. Where 4in (10cm) or so of…

Several biennials make excellent cutting plants for indoors and the dried penny-like seedheads of honesty are popular additions to flower arrangements. I used the fallen heads of our sweet rocket as a central table decoration. Many of the taller biennials, such as foxgloves and delphiniums, add height to borders and look statuesque against more low-growing varieties. The native biennial viper’s bugloss (Echium vulgare) is an excellent addition to a wildlife garden as it attracts many pollinators.…

DO you curse when your pond or pool becomes covered in a thick blanket of duckweed or blanket weed? Do not despair, for this is an undervalued resource. First, it’s food for many creatures, though obviously it grows faster than they can eat it. More importantly, it’s a sunscreen, blocking intense light that heats the water and cooks the inhabitants. Further, by reducing light, these ‘weeds’ prevent other problems such as poisonous algal blooms forming. However, there’s often too much weed, and even if cleared the remaining bits multiply and soon replace the covering. It’s tedious, though not difficult, to remove large quantities of floating pondweed. The simplest method I’ve found is lifting out sections on a wire rake or an old tennis racket. The removed weed is best left…

WE should all grow more fan-trained fruit trees and bushes. They’re easy to keep in shape and are perfect for training against a wall or fence. While their branches might spread out 6½-10ft (2-3m) once mature, the width of the tree can be kept to 1ft (30cm), so they’re great space-savers, too. Cherries, plums and gages grow well as fans, as do peaches, nectarines, apricots and figs. Bush fruits like gooseberries and redcurrants are also perfect candidates for fan training, so how do you go about it? Well, at this time of year it’s all about tying some bits in and cutting other bits out! Let me explain, step by step (see right). HAVE you been enjoying spear upon spear of this luxurious springtime vegetable? I certainly have! Experienced growers…

TO me, melons were always a product of far-flung tropical climes. But at ten years old, walking into my mother’s greenhouse, the unmistakable scent of a ripe fruit hit me. She picked it, showing me how easily a ripe fruit parted from the plant. We then walked into the back garden, and it was devoured greedily by us both. She still grows them today and I’ve inherited her passion for doing so. Melons need a long, warm growing season, so if you want to grow some this year, buy plants now and make a note in your diary to sow seeds next April if you own an unheated greenhouse (or early March if you have a heated one). Seed catalogues claim that some varieties crop successfully outside. Indeed they do,…

‘Blue Heaven’ Lavender-blue flowers with attractive markings open on strong 3ft (90cm) tall stems. A hardy choice, but it still requires mulching when young. ‘Indian Summer’ The dark-bronze leaves of this fiery-flowered beauty make a captivating sight. This alstroemeria reaches 2ft (60cm) tall. ‘Inca Smile’ This Plant of The Year finalist in the Chelsea Flower Show 2014 has large patterned blooms of white, pale pink and yellow at 16in (40cm). Hardy to 19°F (-7°C). ‘Yellow Friendship’ Golden flowers speckled with purple are held on strong stems to 3ft (90cm), making them ideal for the back of a border.…

There some lovely dwarf AGM varieties that are very attractive when grown in tubs and window boxes. All prefer good drainage. At 1ft (30cm), Aquilegia bertolonii features compact, often slightly bluish leaves topped with small, rather rounded, neat flowers in violet-blue. Aquilegia flabellata var. pumila is even shorter, sometimes flowering on plants just 6in (15cm) high. The blue petals are tipped in white and there’s an award-winning pure-white form. Both will enjoy plenty of sun. A. canadensis (1ft/30cm) produces taller, narrower flowers featuring red outer and yellow inner petals. It likes more shade and is happy in window boxes on a shady sill, as well as on dryish shady banks in dappled shade.…

Sweet William + Nigella Sweet William works well in borders and pots. Its upright habit makes it a perfect partner for plants with a more billowy feel, such as Nigella (right). Also try alongside perennial Mexican fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus). Foxgloves + primulas With their imposing stems, foxgloves add height to planting schemes. Complement their naturalistic feel and spiked shape with low-growing Primula vialii (right). Or try planting them with dainty hardy geraniums and ferns. Bellis + violas Bellis perennis does not grow too tall and will form neat clumps, so it’s a great choice for edging borders or planting around the rim of a container. The daisy flowers work particularly well with other spring flowerers such as violas. Forget-me-not + Alpine daisies For a pretty spring…

QI would like to establish an exotic border, but I don’t have a greenhouse to overwinter tender plants. What could I grow that would be a highlight in my border? Juliette Simpson, Crewe, Cheshire A Most garden plants are non-native and therefore exotic, but as a style or theme we look for combinations of the striking or unusual. They might be structural (yucca, cordyline, astelia), luxuriant (hardy banana, Begonia luxurians) or have crazily colourful, flamboyant-looking flowers (hibiscus, Brazilian spider flower, bird of paradise). In character, such a garden or border could be arid, mimic a tropical paradise, a Victorian subtropical border of tender plants or a mixture of all three. There are no hard-and-fast rules, and here in east Devon we’ve planted about three-quarters with unusual hardy plants with a…

Q What are these grubs? I have lost quite a few of my plants this year as they eat the roots. Beryl Smith, Farnborough, Hants AI fear that garden chafer grubs are responsible for devastating your many plants. They eat roots or decaying plant material. There are no chemicals to treat this pest, but it can be controlled biologically with Nemasys Chafer Grub Killer. Q What is this plant, please? Its seeds were a gift but I don’t have its name! Maureen Stone, Hawkhurst, Kent A It is Helleborus orientalis, which often flowers in winter and spring. Being a seedling, it will flower within a year or two. Blooms can range in colour from pink to plum, red, white, chocolate, mauve or purple. They are often speckled, which adds to…

BENEFITING from sophisticated design and the latest in lithium-ion battery technology, I’d be delighted to own any of the five lawn mowers I tested for this report. They all outshine even the best mains-electric mowers I’ve tried, and are significantly more environmentally friendly than petrol-engine models. There’s no mains cable to worry about, no smelly fuel to avoid spilling and plenty of staying power to give an excellent cut. They are light, easy to carry and manoeuvrable, compact for storage and have a decent two-five year warranty for peace of mind. The price is higher than for budget mains-electric or petrol mowers, but you’d expect to pay extra for excellence. As a bonus, the batteries (the expensive bit) can be used on the manufacturers’ range of battery power tools, including…

19 June 1820 Sir Joseph Banks, botanist, naturalist and explorer, died. During his life he sailed with Captain Cook, and advised King George III on the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. By sending botanists around the world to collect plants, he made Kew the world’s leading centre for botanical research. 22 June 1987 American Paul Haizlip reported a 14-leaved red clover (Trifolium pratense) at Bellevue, Washington. As reported last week, on 16 June 1975 another American, Randy Farland, found a 14-leaved white clover (T. repens), in South Dakota. As the name trifolium suggests, the leaves usually come in sets of three. 24 June 1840 Sir Harry James Veitch, an eminent 19th century horticulturist and head of the family nursery business, James Veitch & Sons, based in London, was born. He was…

Every creature has a purpose I AM writing because of a letter (AG, 10 March) from reader Pauline O’Keefe about not using chemicals in our gardens, as I also feel very strongly about this. I agree that every creature is here for a purpose and if you let Mother Nature do her job you will find that she will sort it out. The toads and birds in my garden take care of slugs and bugs. It takes time, but if you are patient you will be rewarded with a little piece of paradise. I lost my husband in December and my son in January. I know that doing the garden in their memory will be my saving grace. I shall do the veg patch for my husband and I grow…

I AM happy to rub along with occasional caterpillars, as a few nibbled leaves are a small price to pay for the joy of seeing butterflies. However, the caterpillars of the oak processionary moth are different. They roam in greedy gangs, and should you rub against their irritating hairs on their backs it can cause respiratory problems and bring your skin up in a nasty rash. I was inconvenienced by these very caterpillars outside the conveniences in the BBC compound while filming a gardening programme. They’d taken up residence in a small oak tree and were marching around the tree in columns. The processionary moth was accidentally introduced into the UK in 2005, and has since become widespread in London and the south-east of England. The life cycle of the…

THE main idea of summer bedding is to transform your garden into a place of colour, scent and beauty, so for the best results you need to prepare where you want your annuals to go. Dig in plenty of well-rotted organic matter (compost or manure) a couple of weeks before planting, and remove stones, roots and weeds that will steal moisture and nutrients from your plants. The next stage is to buy your plants. There is an astounding array of plants to buy online from reputable plant suppliers, and doing so suits lots of gardeners. I prefer the garden centre, nursery or market approach as it lets me see what I’m buying and I can pick and choose at leisure. When buying in real life, as opposed to off the…

AS if the winter weather weren’t enough for the gardens to contend with, spring and early summer are causing their own problems too. The dry yet humid conditions we have been experiencing are the perfect breeding ground for fungal infections. Powdery and downy mildews can be a particular scourge and often develop when plants have dry roots and humid surroundings. The symptoms of powdery mildew are powder-like spots on foliage, flowers and fruit, sometimes followed by distortion of the plant. Most powdery mildew fungi restrict themselves to a few related plants, but infection can spread from wild varieties, such as from wild crab apples to domestic trees. Remove and destroy affected foliage, and feed and water plants to strengthen them and make them less susceptible. You can also use fungicides…

FOR AG columnist Val Bourne, the flower of this year’s Chelsea Show was the rose ‘Emily Brontë’, shortlisted for Plant of the Year. She said: “I love the soft colour, it’s pale and when it’s under full sun it won’t look glacial, it will look soft. I love the old-fashioned formation, and the buds are so beautiful. “It is one of David Austin’s new disease-resistant roses, which is important for me as I am an organic gardener.”…

Lavender should be gloriously in flower now and ripe for cutting and drying. Harvest it in bunches and strip off any remaining leaves to improve airflow around the stems as they dry. Tie a generous handful of stems together and hang them upside down in a dark, dry and airy place (this helps the flowers retain their colour and scent). Tie a paper bag over the inverted flower heads to catch any loose petals. Drying takes around a week, during which time the stems will turn dark green or brown. Either use the dried plants in arrangements or knock the flowers into a pillowcase to use in lavender bags or potpourri.…

When using coarse bark mulches, put a weed-suppressing membrane down first to isolate it from the soil and apply slow-release fertiliser granules to feed the plant roots beneath. Soft leaves such as birch will rot down more quickly than tough London planes. Leaves need to be wet and will rot down cold by fungal and enzyme action, unlike green plant material which heats up with bacterial action. Water the soil well in spring and summer before applying a mulch to retain moisture. Once in place, the mulch will take up a lot of summer rain, especially in low-rainfall areas. New this year is a wood fibre mulch called Smart Ground Cover (Westland). It sticks together after rain and makes a good mulch for container-grown plants where weed and algae growth…

HOLLYHOCKS are a traditional cottage-garden favourite, but because they usually grow so large they are not always ideal for smaller plots. Step forward Mr Fothergill’s ‘Majorette’ hollyhocks, a double-flowered dwarf variety that blooms in assorted pastel shades and is ideal for the front of borders. If sown now, they should flower this year. Alternatively, sow in autumn and be rewarded with earlier blooms next year. For the best results sow the seeds thinly in modules or trays of fresh seed compost. Cover with more compost, water with fresh tap water and label. Place them on a warm windowsill or sunny cold frame. Germination should take place in 2-4 weeks. You can also sow them directly in a prepared seedbed then move the plants to their final flowering position in autumn,…

1 Pick up, burn or bury those tiny apples and pears falling from trees as these are often infested with grubs. 2 Rake or pull mulches aside before heavy rains to let water reach the roots and then replace again immediately after. 3 Don’t pick soft fruit in one go, especially gooseberries. Protect some with nets, or bags, to fully ripen and become even more scrumptious. 4 Try steaming peas in their pods, then serve and eat them in the manner of asparagus. It saves removing the peas and they taste even better in their pods.…

I’VE got a thing for gooseberries – I grow green-fruited ‘Invicta’, red-skinned ‘Hinnomaki Red’ and yellow ‘Early Sulphur’, the fruits of which ripen to the most delicious gold. Placed in a bowl together the fruits look gorgeous and they taste delicious! Combine them with my other must-grow bush fruit, redcurrants, and pile them high on top of a pavlova. Because the bushes of both gooseberries and redcurrants can become congested in summer, it pays to intervene now with a pair of secateurs (and stout gloves if your gooseberries are particularly thorny). Both crops (along with white currants and pink currants) crop most readily at the base of last year’s stems. This means that in order to get heavy crops next year, you should cut all this summer’s new growth back…

THE columbine is one of those old English flowers that we always associate with cottage gardens. The flowers often harmonise in colour with roses, foxgloves and other traditional blooms, while their distinctive shape adds useful contrast. And from a single plant numerous self-sown seedlings will pop up – sometimes in unexpected colours. Also known as granny’s bonnet (look at the flowers and it’s easy to understand why), our native Aquilegia vulgaris is a genuine British wildflower found throughout the UK – although predominantly in England – where it usually grows on limey soil in at least some shade. Others of the 70 or so aquilegia species grow all across the northern hemisphere. In garden settings, most are more adaptable, growing well and self-sowing contentedly in mixed and perennial borders, in…

Because they are pricey – £3.95 for 12 seeds, for example – the very best aquilegias can be hard to find. Look for the State Series – ‘Alaska’ (white), ‘Florida’ (yellow) and ‘Louisiana’ (crimson and white) are all AGM winners, but the other colours are good too. All in either the Songbird or Origami Series are worth trying if you come across them. Jelitto Seeds offers an exceptional range of aquilegia. They are not cheap but will justify a splurge.…

Sweet william Classic cottage garden plant with dense clusters of flowers in a wide range of colours – from white, pinks and red to the almost black ‘Sooty’ (right). Good mixes include ‘Hollandia Purple’ and ‘Electron Mix’. HxS: 2x1ft (60x30cm). Iceland poppy Papaver nudicaule has silky petals in bright hues or pale tones. ‘Champagne Bubbles’ is a good seed mix. Grow as a biennial for the best flowers. Protect from winter wet with cloches, or grow in pots over winter. H&S: 20in (50cm). Sweet rocket White or purple-pink flowers have a sweet perfume that’s strongest in the evening. Plant in sun or part shade, in drifts for a dramatic display. Deadhead for flushes of flowers throughout the summer. HxS: 3x2ft (90x60cm). Foxglove Towering spires of tubular flowers add height and…

Cleome hassleriana Seed strains of the South American spider flower, such as ‘Colour Fountain’ deliver plants to 4ft (1.2m) with aralia-like foliage and two-tone flower heads. Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Torch’ The Mexican sunflower is capable of reaching a branching 5ft (1.5m) of soft leaves and orange, zinnia-like flowers. Ipomoea purpurea ‘Grandpa Otts’ Avoid wishy-washy morning glories by choosing this fabulous annual twiner. Left to set seed, ours often germinates again in situ. Nicotiana ‘Lime Green’ I love the pools of pale citrus created by a mass of lime green tobacco plants or blooms of Zinnia ‘Envy’…

Princess 38LI Freedom 48 £419 rrp 0800 669 6325 mountfieldlawnmowers.co.uk Features Hand propelled 48V rear-roller lawn mower for lawns to 400sq m. Cutting width 38cm; six-position centralised height-of-cut adjustment from 25-75mm; fully folding handles with height adjustment; 40-litre grass-collection box with window; integral rear roller and front anti-scalping plate; mulching plug included; two-year warranty; two 48V 2Ah lithium-ion batteries and charger supplied; battery-full charge time 210 minutes; weight 14kg; noise rating 92 dB(A). Performance A wide 38cm cut means it will cover big areas quickly. Battery is a slower to charge than others – but there’s a spare. Handlebar is easy to raise and lower with flip lever fixings. There’s a good range of handlebar height adjustment and it’s easy to change. A big handle makes adjustment of…

Get the best baskets ever with Gro-Sure Easy Containers Compost. This moisture-retaining yet free-draining mix is perfect for pots and baskets and is enriched with water-storing granules for easier watering and six months of nutrients to feed your plants. It also contains natural fibres for stronger roots and bigger plants. We have two 50-litre sacks to give away, each worth £6.99. 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 Gro-Sure Easy Containers Compost Draw (23 June), Amateur Gardening, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 7BF. Or you can email your details to ag_giveaway@ti-media.com , heading the email Gro-Sure Easy Containers Compost Draw (23 June). The closing date is 29 June 2018.…

EVERY winter I sit and think of ideas for my garden. This year I thought I could do with some sort of pathway around a border at the top of my garden to save walking on the grass. I had some rope style stepping stones just as ornaments, but decided to make use of them. I first dug a rounded pathway, put weed membrane down followed by slate chippings then finished the job with the stepping stones. I love it! My lawn cut-offs didn’t go to waste, either – it was decent grass so I gave them to my granddad for patching up his garden. Miss Lisa Yates, Manchester…

The processionary moth’s main period of activity is between April and July, and after notification the Forestry Commission will send out protective-clothing-clad specialists to treat the beasties with a pesticide-spray glue that sticks to the hairs and penetrates the nests. A caterpillar-killing bacterium is also sometimes used and sprayed on to the tree at high pressure. It’s the choice where using chemical control would risk other wildlife, such as when trees overhang ponds. Affected trees are registered and monitored for signs of fresh activity. If the caterpillars come back, further treatment is given.…