Innholdsfortegnelse for 25-Aug-2018 i Amateur Gardening

IS it really the August Bank Holiday? Part of me is sad because it feels like the curtain is on the verge of falling on this glorious summer, but another part is looking forward to some rain. (Feel free to remind me of that in a few months’ time when everything is waterlogged and the sun is a distant memory.) As usual, many people’s long weekend will involve the garden, either catching up on essential tasks or enjoying being outside. Much of my weekend will be spent dealing with the consequences of the very dry summer. If the past few weeks have proved one thing, it’s that you can never have too many water butts so I’m installing another one. Butts, connectors and stands are widely and relatively cheaply available…

THOMPSON & Morgan invited AG to its new Floral Fantasia garden display at RHS Hyde Hall in Essex recently to see some of their new plants for 2019. For those who have not yet visited, Floral Fantasia is an amazingly colourful display we would recommend to everyone. Of the new plants featured here, the tomatoes and spring onions will be availble as seeds in September and the rest will be available as either postiplugs or jumbo plugs in late December. Alstroemeria — Everest collection In pink, purple and orange-striped colouring to give a bright, zesty outlook. Height 5ft (1.5m). Sold as jumbo plugs. Bidens — ‘Stop light’ VPBI 15/6 A genus of the aster family, this variety comes in unique colours for bidens. Height 8in (20cm). Sold as postiplugs. Tomato…

“They will develop a good root system before winter” THERE is usually a little respite in the garden at this time: lawns are not growing very fast, weeds are pretty well under control and top fruit harvesting is yet to come. We can sit and enjoy the results of earlier labours and potter about ‘finger gardening’ – taking cuttings, disbudding chrysanthemums and dahlias, deadheading summer bedding and adding dilute liquid fertiliser where plants need a boost. Strong wind last month blew over some heavy-headed delphinium stems growing on plants in my garden, which were raised from seed early in the year. Few gardeners realise this provides a very good propagating opportunity, because if you look at the base of such stems, the chances are you will see dormant buds and…

Although the soil is probably still too hard and dry to consider sowing, it isn’t too early to start thinking about green manures. These are fast-growing plants, often legumes, that cover unused ground to smother weeds, prevent soil erosion via their roots, and fix valuable nutrients such as nitrogen into the soil. Most are sown in late summer or early autumn and are left to grow through the winter. Come spring, they are dug in a few weeks before the ground is needed for cultivation.…

THERE are many people who like their cornflowers to be the traditional blue and turn their noses up at more adventurous varieties. I say ‘each to their own’ and am more than happy to welcome a multitude of multicoloured pom-pom flowers into my plot. Mr Fothergill’s Cornflower ‘Polka Dot’ will flower in a riot of cheery, gem-coloured pom-poms right through next summer. You can sow them now or wait until spring, though the earlier sowings will bloom sooner and stronger than later ones. These pleasing hardy annuals are so simple to sow. They like full sun or partial shade, and will flourish even in poor land, so long as the soil is well drained. Prepare the seedbed first by breaking up hard clods of earth, removing stones, weeds and roots,…

IF you irrigated your summer raspberries this year, the chances are you’re now the proud owner of various bags of frozen berries, melba sauces and perhaps even the odd batch of raspberry ice cream – delicious! While autumn-fruiting varieties such as ‘Polka’ and ‘Autumn Bliss’ are still bearing fruit, summer varieties (for example, ‘Glen Ample’ and ‘Malling Minerva’) are now taking a well-earned rest. The two types – summer and autumn – crop in different ways, and this determines how they’re pruned. Autumn raspberries bear fruit on this year’s canes; this is why they crop slightly later in the year, because the canes have to grow and crop in one season. Summer types bear fruit on last year’s canes, simultaneously producing more canes that will crop next year. This guide…

WITH September knocking on our door, any grow-your-owner’s thoughts automatically turn to orchard crops. It’s been a bumper year for apples for me in Essex, but our pears haven’t been so prolific, which makes me keener to get them off the tree in premium condition! But when exactly should you pick? Does a ripe pear or apple look any different to an under-ripe one? Luckily, there are a few clues to ensure you harvest crops in their prime. First, the spur becomes weaker: gently cup, lift and twist the fruit – it should come away in your hand with no tugging required. Skin colour may change, too: this isn’t true for all varieties (‘Granny Smith’ remains bright green) but others (apples ‘Discovery’ and ‘Gala’) develop strong red skin flushes. Also,…

ALMOST 2,500 different varieties of tulip are currently known in Britain, and a good many more have come and gone since the first species was introduced from Turkey in the 1550s. However, it’s only in relatively recent years – as gardens have become smaller and containers have grown in popularity, and as alpine plant enthusiasts have added tulips to their raised beds – that dwarf types have really grabbed our attention. And quite right, too. Dwarf tulips are among the most flamboyant of spring bulbs, yet they have the happy knack of fitting in well with other dwarf plants. Some are even scented! But what do we mean by ‘dwarf’? The term is a bit arbitrary so, for clarity, let’s say any tulip that is 10in (25cm) high or less…

Most dwarf tulips produce just one flower on each stem; but there is a small group that carries more. Forms of the central Asian T. praestans, with four to six flowers per stem, include AGM-winning ‘Fusilier’ in orange/ scarlet. ‘Unicum’ is similar but has cream-edged foliage. Other many-headed AGM holders include T. tarda, which has three to six flowers per stem, and T. turkestanica (7in/18cm), producing up to nine white flowers per stem, each with bronze tints on the backs of the petals.…

AG’s Lucy Chamberlain ‘A neighbour gave us some old metal poles. My husband Ian built it by cutting the poles to length with an angle grinder and fastening them with zip ties. We already had the netting, so the frame for the fruit cage cost us £1.99. Container expert Harriet Ryecroft I bought a drill bit for metal and drilled 3cm drainage holes in cheap metal dustbins of varying sizes. Planted extravagantly, I think they look great. Now I have the drill I’m drilling holes in toy watering cans and old olive oil tins. Garden writer Sue Bradley Cut the bottoms from empty squash bottles and bury the necks in the soil before planting courgettes and squashes. This allows water to go straight to the roots and is an efficient…

Pittosporum tobira ‘Nanum’ Provides an evergreen breathing space in borders thanks to its neat, mounded cushion of foliage. In early summer, there’s the bonus of small, scented white flowers. Perfect for sheltered courtyard gardens or patios. H&S: 2ft (60cm). Cistus x purpureus AGM Gorgeous and delicate-looking, with a tissue paper appearance, the flowers bring a splash of hot pink to the garden in June and July. Drought-tolerant and sun-loving, rock roses are good for hot, south-facing small gardens. H&S: 2½ft (75cm). Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’ Works equally well in containers or at the front of a border – where you can catch the sweet scent of the clusters of pink flowers each time you pass by during the winter months. HxS:…

Q Our garden is small, but we are trying to grow fruit (mainly apples) in containers and as trained forms. They are all looking healthy, but we are confused about when and how to prune them. Can you help? Maria McAllister, Doncaster, South Yorkshire A EVEN a tiny garden can support a mini orchard, but in tight spaces keeping on top of pruning and training is more important. When it comes to top fruit (apples, pears, plums), I would always plant out if possible – keeping trees healthy in pots long term is hard work. They require potting on at least every other year, until they reach (usually) a tub of around 3ft (1m) diameter. Thereafter, the plants tend to pine if not well fed, top dressed and occasionally root…

During the 19th Century the Linnaeus flower clock, named after Carl Linnaeus, famous for his work in plant taxonomy, was deemed a novel way of telling the time while you were out in the garden with your guests. Plants were arranged in a circular bed just like a clock face, in the order in which they would open over the course of the day. Some designs were extremely ambitious and had up to 24 different plants, all flowering at the same time. Here is a list of typically used plants flowering at the same time of year, adding to the spectacle of the flowers opening in sequence: 04:00: Four o’clock flower (Mirabilis jalapa) 08:00-14:00: Scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) 09:00-17:00: Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) 10:00-14:00: Morning…

Plums, damsons and gages The British plum season runs from late July with the reddish-yellow variety ‘Opal’, through to late September with the purple-blue/black ‘Marjorie’s Seedling’ (pictured). Plums are essential for any fruit-lover with a decent-sized plot (or you can grow a fan-trained type against a sunny wall, which takes up hardly any room). A dessert plum can be eaten straight from the tree, while a culinary variety makes the best jams and puddings. Meanwhile, damsons are great, gages and bullaces (the sweetest) are curios, and sloes make the best gin! Let’s look at some of the stories involving the plum family. The first chutney of the season Plums are the perfect crop for jams and chutneys. This is how we make plum chutney in our house. Stone and chop…

Downsize with bonsai I’M a disabled ‘gardener’ with a tiny town yard in which I’ve always kept container plants of various sizes and shapes. However, once I developed severe hand arthritis I could no longer manage the heavy pots so have successfully downsized 90% of the shrubs into bonsai in training. It’s been a joy to discover that firstly the option has been available to consider, secondly that I’m blessed to have a local expert (Ian Young) helping me, and thirdly that I’m now able to enjoy all the same plants in half the space available. I’d love it if AG would provide more bonsai articles (or better still, create a cheap bonsai magazine) as I know there’s many others out there like me who’d no doubt enjoy one even…

1 Place your butt on its stand close to a downpipe. Using a spirit level, mark where the two will connect. 2 The diverter kit should include a strip to show where to cut your drainpipe. A hacksaw will cut cleanly. 3 Join the drainpipe back together using the diverter and attach the water hose that will lead to the butt. 4 Using a drill, carefully make a hole in the butt where the diverter hose will go (the location should be marked). 5 Insert the hose into the newly drilled hole, put the lid back on the butt and you are ready to collect rainwater! 6 Attach your butts to where the water is needed, such as a shed or greenhouse downpipe.…

This is a beautiful, heartfelt book of hopeful wildlife gardening in the face of declining habitats and life’s tendency to trip us up when we least need it. AG contributor Kate moves to a coastal house with an unloved garden. Determined to recreate the blissful Eden of childhood memories, she gets to work, letting in light and welcoming back the plants, animals and insects that should rightfully live there. Kate has created a glorious thing that is part autobiography, part gardening book and part fierce invective against the sterilisation of our urban landscapes at a time when they are an increasingly important haven for wildlife. Her descriptions of her gardening, plants, birds and wildlife are an utter delight, and as she immerses herself in her new place while dealing with…

Don’t give up on osteospermums, which often stop flowering in hot weather; as temperatures drop, they will come into flower again. Modern cultivars are being bred to withstand the heat. Re-growth on delphiniums that have been cut back will need watering in dry weather and may need treatment with Uncle Tom’s Plant Tonic to protect from powdery mildew attack. Cut back female asparagus grass before the berries turn red to avoid a mass of asparagus seedling weeds. When saving lupin seeds cut stems as pods start to turn black and finish off ripening in a paper bag. Left on the plant, pods will burst and seeds will fly.…

WE often think of early summer being the time when roses are in bloom, and indeed that is when most are at their very best. However, there are some varieties that have been specially bred to be repeat flowerers, throwing more and more shows of blooms throughout summer – even right up until hard frosts come. Furthermore, there are many others which, with a bit of extra care, can also give bonus blooms, even if never making quite as magnificent displays as the first show or the true repeaters. It all comes down to their management. What’s fatal is to leave dying blooms on for the hips to form. Once hips form and the seeds ripen, the plants think their job is done, so seldom repeat. But if you trim…

25-26: Dahlia Open Weekend, Rose Cottage Plants, Bay Tree Farm, Epping Green, Essex CM16 6PU. 01992 573775, rosecottageplants.co.uk 26: Dog Day: Easton Walled Gardens, Easton, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG33 5AP. 01476 530063, visiteaston.co.uk 26: Plant Lovers’ Day with Matt Biggs: Barnsdale Gardens, The Avenue, Exton, Oakham, Rutland LE15 8AH. 01572 813200, barnsdalegardens.co.uk 26: Garden iPhoneography (10am-12.30pm or 1.30-4pm): Barnsdale Gardens. barnsdalegardens.co.uk 26-27: Open Gardens and Plant Fair: Dorothy Clive Garden, Newcastle Under Lyme TF9 4EU. planthuntersfairs.co.uk September  1: Plant fair: Bodenham Arboretum, Kidderminster, Worcs DY11 5TB 1: RHS Gardening Advice: RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorks HG3 1QB. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr 2: Autumn Country Market: Botanical Art Exhibition. Easton Walled Gardens, 2: Plant Fair: Ness Botanic Gardens, Neston Road, Little Neston, Ness, Wirral, CH64 4AY. planthuntersfairs.co.uk 2: Autumn…

THE term ‘as cool as a cucumber’ didn’t materialise by mistake. On scorching summer days, there’s nothing better than cutting a gem lettuce, picking a few toms and topping the whole lot off with a freshly cut cucumber. Home-grown varieties are so incredibly juicy and have a sweeter, more refreshing flavour than shop-bought equivalents. I’ve got both glasshouse and outdoor ‘ridge’ varieties on the go this year. There’s no doubt that the outdoor crop is more prolific (I cut at least two a day from three ‘Marketmore’ plants). Plus, they’re easier to look after because they just ramble over the ground; there’s no need to remove the male flowers. Indoor varieties produce fewer but larger, smoother-skinned fruits so you’re choosing quality over quantity. ‘Telegraph Improved’ always does perfectly well in…

I HAD a friend at college who called me ‘old bean’. I think it was a term of endearment – although looking at my runner beans this week, it’s anything but! The plants have been battered by the heat, and crops are meagre – especially because I neglected harvest and let a few pods become old. If you’re in the same boat with your French or runners, take comfort because a decent crop is still salvageable. Both crops have the ability to yield in flushes right through to the first frosts, so don’t consign your plants to the compost heap just yet. Instead, rejuvenate them by stripping them of all their pods (old and new), then feed them regularly with a foliar feed; I use seaweed fertiliser. Combined with regular…

Order bulbs now as your favourites may well sell out by planting time. Some dwarf tulips have quite small bulbs – don’t worry if they seem thin. Dwarf tulips enjoy full sun and soil that doesn’t become waterlogged. All tulips are best planted later than most other spring bulbs. October is ideal, and November is not too late. Plant in groups. Bulbs are usually sold in tens; plant these all together in a single group or, in window boxes, split into two groups of five. Deep planting is better than shallow: aim for 4in/10cm in pots and window boxes; 6in/15cm in the ground.…

One of the most dramatic ways to grow dwarf tulips is to plant a whole bagful – and nothing else – in a terracotta or stone pot. The bulbs can almost touch one another and, although they may not come back well the following year, in their first spring the resulting display will make quite an impact. In window boxes, the best approach is to plant in small clumps, with violas in appropriate colours between. Violas are often sold in mixtures, but you can pick out options with the most plants in the colours you are looking for. In larger pots, good companions include dwarf wallflowers, forget-me-nots and violas again (the larger flowers of pansies seem out of proportion, somehow). In a sheltered place – on the patio, for example…

Autumn-flowering Combine Colchicum ‘Waterlily’ with grasses and other autumn-flowerers such as Hesperantha, crocuses and gentians. C. ‘Waterlily’ also look good – solo or mixed with other colchicums – flowering through fallen leaves. Winter-flowering Ignite the pink of Cyclamen coum by growing alongside white winter plants like Himalayan birch (which has beautiful white bark) and snowdrops. Over time, both the cyclamen and snowdrops will naturalise into drifts. Spring-flowering Gorgeous Gladiolus tristis look great with wallflowers (try Erysimum ‘Bowles’ Mauve’). They also pair well with gold and green foliage plants, orange and burgundy tulips, forget-me-nots and zingy spring euphorbia. Summer-flowering Pair Lilium candidum with seasonal cottage garden favourites like roses, campanulas, cranesbills, hollyhocks and foxgloves. If you have cats, protect them by enclosing the lilies in a cage of green chicken wire…

BERRIES Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii AGM With beautiful autumn foliage, followed by striking clusters of small blue-purple berries, this is an autumn showstopper. If possible, plant in pairs to ensure fruiting. HxS: 10ftx6 1/2ft (3x2m). Viburnum opulus Our native guelder rose is a good all-rounder, with lovely spring flowers and bunches of decorative crimson berries in autumn. A medium-sized shrub, its berries will attract birds and small mammals. H&S: 13ft (4m). Pyracantha A great evergreen choice for boundaries or to grow as a wall shrub (the spines offer good protection against intruders). Summer brings white frothy blooms and there are clusters of bright red or orange berries in winter. HxS: 13x10ft (4x3m). FLOWERS Hydrangea quercifolia Of the hundreds of hydrangeas, from mopheads to lacecaps,…

When will my grape start to fruit? Q We bought a ‘Boskoop Glory’ grapevine this year and it’s in an unheated greenhouse in a very large pot. There is no sign of fruit or flowers – is this normal? Gill Evans, Chester, Cheshire A I suspect your ‘Boskoop Glory’ grape is too young to flower and fruit. It takes a year or two after planting for a vine to mature. I suggest you grow it as a cordon – a single upright stem with fruiting laterals (side shoots). Ideally, support it with tensioned plastic-coated horizontal wires spaced 1ft (30cm) apart. Tie laterals to the left and right of supporting wires and, in summer, shorten them to five leaves. Remove flowers in the first and second years to channel energy into…

A new series in which an RHS expert gives an in-depth answer to a challenging horticultural question THERE is something particularly endearing about a flower closing up at the end of the day and then unfolding as the sun rises. It’s a rhythmic process that might appear to happen as if by magic. But why and how this process happens provides a fascinating insight into the pollination process, genetics and the evolution of a plant’s relationship with its preferred pollinators. Plant’s internal clock The opening and closing of a flower is controlled by a plant’s circadian rhythm, an internal clock controlling its daily functions for optimum growth. The scientific term for closing at night is nyctinasty and popular garden plants that do just this include crocus, tulips, hibiscus and poppies.…

OUR scorching early summer has demonstrated just how important, and difficult, it is to keep our pots and baskets properly irrigated. Carting cans full of water backwards and forwards is truly exhausting, while reaching up to water hanging baskets can be positively perilous. Using a hose helps, but reach is still a problem. Then there are holidays. If you forget to water for more than three days, your plants will be in trouble. Here, I’ve rounded up a range of easy-to-use products designed to make the watering of containers and baskets simple and less frequent, to save you time and discomfort. Gardena Comfort Hanging Basket Lance £20 average price 0344 844 4558 gardena.com Features Alloy watering lance 36in (91cm) long. Moulded plastic handle with lockable on/off trigger and…

This and other compact clematis grow happily in containers, as long as they are regularly watered and fed. Soak roots well prior to planting or potting. Choose a container large enough to fit your fingers between the rootball and sides. Add 50:50 John Innes No2 and multi-purpose with 20% added grit. Place plant centrally so rootball top is level with compost surface and fill in, firming lightly. Water in well and provide the clematis with a climbing frame, perhaps by inserting four canes or twiggy sticks around the edge of the pot and securing them over the centre so they are around 6ft (1.8m) tall. Pot on at least every other year, until a final pot size is reached. Place in a sheltered position, and in cold weather, consider wrapping…

21 August 1910 James McBean, nurseryman, died. In 1879 he started a nursery near Lewes in East Sussex, and spotted his first orchid growing among ferns. He was hooked. McBeans Orchids is still going strong today. 21 August 2013 According to Guinness World Records, the world’s heaviest gooseberry weighed in at 2.27oz (64.49g) on this day. It was grown by Kelvin Archer of Scholar Green, Cheshire. 22 August 2005 The longest pergola was measured on this day. At 132.6ft (40.42m) long, it was made by Lidy and Niek Reijnen in Noord-Beveland, Netherlands. 23 August 1952 Frederick (‘FC’) Puddle, head gardener and creator of Bodnant Gardens in Conwy, died. His son Charles and grandson Martin, in turn, became head gardeners there. 23 August 1935 Sir Roy Strong, writer, historian and landscape…

A NUMBER of butterflies have been dipping down on these stock plants to lay their eggs. When these plants are over, they are usually consigned to the compost bin. But what about these future butterflies? It may sound trivial to talk about a few baskets or pots – but nationwide, it is quite a concern. Perhaps, when the flowering is over, we could lift and quickly replant in some out-of-the-way spot in our garden! Valerie-Jane Morley Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset HERE is my photo of a Garden Tiger moth visiting a pot of violas and showing off its orange hindwings. Sarah Wright, Gosport, Hampshire I TOOK this picture of a Jersey Tiger moth in my garden, having a bit of a respite from the long-awaited rain us gardeners have been waiting for.…

THE banana plant in my garden has quite literally gone bananas, producing great fists of fruit amongst enormous paddle-shaped leaves. It’s a variety called Musa basjoo, aka the Japanese banana, and although it’s bloomed for me before, it’s never managed to flower early enough in the summer for the fruits to fully ripen. Not that you’d want to eat them… Like the vast majority of banana species, the skins are filled with more kernels than an ornithologist’s seed-feeder, and the flesh between is so starchy it makes wallpaper paste seem appetising. However, this plant is food for the eye, as each bloom is the size of a rugby ball and as it arches from the top of the tree, rings of bananas hatch from its base. I say ‘tree’ as…

1 In drought conditions, provide fresh water for birds and garden mammals such as hedgehogs. Make sure your birdbath is kept clean. 2 Keep adding green and brown garden waste to composts, plus a little high-potassium barbecue ash as long as it doesn’t contain food scraps. 3 Use dry days to protect wood and metalwork. Sand it down if necessary first and wipe off any dust and debris with a damp cloth. 4 Keep an eye on pest numbers. Slugs and snails will emerge in the cooler, damper weather so set beer traps for them. Chafing chafers: In next week’s AG (out August 28) I look at autumn lawn pests and problems and how to deal with them.…

A NEW, organic soil improver made from live charcoal will be available to gardeners from September 1. Biochar Soil Booster is made in Sussex by community land project Sacred Earth. The charcoal base is baked at a low temperature so it retains beneficial organisms that are key to soil health. It is then mixed with soil-enriching ingredients, including comfrey tea, soil from worm casts, seaweed and biodynamic compost preparations. Because the product is ‘live’, it should be used within a fortnight of purchase, but once added to the soil it will slowly break down and enrich it. Sacred Earth founder Phil Greenwood said: “Soil health is a critical issue that we all need to be concerned about. United Nations research shows that a third of all soil on our planet…

HAVE you got any penstemons in your garden? If not, why not? They are wonderful plants, relatively easy-going and with a little care will reward you with the most glorious spires of bell-shaped flowers from early summer right through to autumn. Not only that, penstemons bloom in a glorious range of colours, mainly in shades of pink and purple, and are almost embarrassingly easy to propagate. We have several plants in various borders; some are originals, others are the results of cuttings. This year I have decided to take some more. But before I show you how, let’s talk about penstemon care. In summer, they are happy enough growing in a sunny bed (they look great with annuals) with a little water and the occasional feed. The key to keeping…

I WASN’T sure how well our onions and shallots would do this year. The sets went into a raised bed in spring and then almost immediately had to sit through the worst snow we’d had for years. This was followed by several cold, sunless and wet months before suddenly the temperature rose and the rain stopped falling for several months. I thought the onions would falter in their growing and remain small and hard, but they kept on going and we have been left with a bed of perfectly sized healthy bulbs. The lack of rain has meant they haven’t swelled to a massive size, but that’s fine by me – smaller ones will store well and I prefer to use them in cooking. Harvesting onions is relatively easy. Once…

1 Sow Japanese onion seed right now, and only now – the seedlings will overwinter and give you a much earlier ripening crop. 2 Steep ripe plums or damsons in bottles of rum, decant and then add sugar syrup. Far, far better than sloe gin! 3 Get the catalogues and order your soft fruit bushes and new fruit trees, ready for planting in two months’ time. 4 Nip the tops from tomato plants, as any more flower trusses are unlikely to ever ripen, and then thin remaining trusses.…

IT’S a strange thing, but everybody who comes to my garden gravitates towards the mini meadow underneath the apple and pear trees. This area of long grass is cut once a year as soon as the orchid seeds have set. This year the orchids were incredibly early, so any day now we’ll be cutting the grassy sward. It’s not a large area, and we don’t use a mower because it’s full of ground beetles and possibly a frog or two. It’s hand snipped, and the grass and wildflowers stay put for two or three days before they are collected. This allows insect life to escape and any wildflower seeds to fall to the ground. After a couple of days, the grass is collected and added to the compost heap. Clippings…

1 First, identify the two different canes. Last year’s will now have stopped bearing fruit – the stems will be woody and the leaves will be yellowing. Conversely, this year’s new canes (which will crop next summer) will be flexible with bright green leaves. 2 Last year’s canes need to be cut out to the base. Use sharp loppers or secateurs for this job, and remember to wear stout gloves as the stems bear small spines. You’ll also need a pair of scissors to cut through the twine that was securing the old canes into place. 3 With the old canes removed, you can now tie in the new ones. Thin these out to leave a strong cane every 4in (10cm) of row; cut out any that are weak or…

PLUM crumble, greengage jam, cherry compote, poached peaches: this group of trees, which is defined by having a stone within the fruit rather than pips, contains some delectable characters. Most will have finished cropping by now, and this indicates that it’s time to tackle them with secateurs and a saw. You see, stone fruit should always be pruned in the summer and not winter, when they are more prone to fungal silver leaf and bacterial canker infections. Both diseases can reduce yield significantly and ultimately they are fatal, so it pays to deter them at all costs. So how do you prune them? If you own a free-standing tree – for example, one in a lawn or bed that’s not trained to wires or supports – then you can, if…

Griegii, Kaufmanniana and species tulips settle down and multiply more easily than other types. The main reasons for them fading away are disease and waterlogging, so make sure that drainage from pots and containers is good (adding grit will help). Encourage the development of additional bulbs by keeping the existing ones moist while they are growing, and by feeding them. Sprinkle a general fertiliser around the bulbs as the flowers develop. Alternatively, feed with liquid tomato food every two weeks, from flowering until the foliage starts to die off.…

LAST summer I visited a friend’s allotment for the first time. Although his cabbages were impressive, I was more intrigued by his money-saving and recycling ideas. He proudly showed me a unique shed made of pallets and a fruit frame constructed out of old scaffold poles. He could have bought a fruit frame, but where’s the fun and challenge in that? Gardeners are often the best at coming up with cost-effective ideas. After all, what’s the point in growing your own fruit to save money if the fruit frame costs more than a lifetime of shop-bought fruit? Borrow ideas for free The best way to get money-saving and recycling ideas is to visit small open gardens and local allotments. One of my favourite gardens open under the National Garden Scheme…

Cyclamen coum AGM A gem from January to March, when it produces pink flowers above silver-green leaves. Grow in light, well-drained soil enriched with leaf mould, in semi-shade, and it will eventually naturalise. H: 4in (10cm). Gladiolus tristis This spring-flowering gladiolus is known as evening flower because the pale green-yellow flowers release their scent after dark. Grow in sunbaked, well-drained soil and provide protection in colder areas. H: 2ft-39in (60cm-1m). Iris tuberosa The snake’s head iris (also known as the widow iris) has fragrant yellow-green flowers tipped with sinister black in March and April. Grow in well-drained, light soil, in full sun. H: 1ft (30cm). Colchicum ‘Waterlily’ AGM Get this meadow saffron in the ground now and look forward to pink lily-like flowers in October. Plant…

Plant in late summer or early autumn, in sunny, dry, alkaline soil. In the long run, L. candidum fares well in poor soils and doesn’t appreciate disturbance, so give bulbs some nourishment to get them going, then leave them alone. Before planting, dig in compost and grit to improve drainage. Place bulbs 2in/5cm deep. Plants like their feet in shade and their heads (which can reach 3-6½ft/ 1-2m) in sun, so behind a shrub at the back of the border is ideal. Ensure they have plenty of elbow room.…

Q Why is the weedkiller dilution rate different between watering cans and pump sprayers? Mr K Smith, Manchester A The dilution rate of a concentrated herbicide is governed by droplet size. It is larger if the liquid is administered with a watering can than with a pump sprayer. The latter method of applying a weedkiller, in which coverage is greater, is more effective than using a watering can. Q This snail was eating a church notice on the notice board – do snails like paper and would copper tape stop them? Ian McHaffie, Edinburgh A Yes, snails do indeed love to eat paper. It is thought that they are feeding on the cellulose in the paper. Putting copper tape around your board is an excellent idea. Q A friend has…

Hozelock Telescopic Lance Spray £30 0121 3131122 hozelock.com Features Lightweight, length-adjustable lance spray (36in/91cm to 56in/142cm). 180° adjustable spray head offering seven spray patterns. Lockable variable-flow trigger plus dial-flow control to avoid waste. Moulded plastic trigger handle plus soft grip on shaft. Has standard snap-hose connector. Performance Ready to go – just snap on the hose, adjust the lance length with the screw lock and start watering. Ideal for reaching high hanging baskets and containers, watering banks of pots, and reaching to the back of flowerbeds. No more stretching and stooping. Lance length and head-angle adjustment make reaching to the most awkward spots simple. Twist the positive-click spray head for different spray pattern, from quick water delivery to the gentlest of sprinkles for seedlings. Value It’s an expensive…

Clematis armandii ‘Apple Blossom’ In well-drained, humus-rich soil and a sheltered position, plants can reach 15ft (5m) but respond well to pruning. Expect pale pink, vanilla-scented flowers from late winter to spring. Clematis x cartmanii ‘Pixie’ Only reaching 3-4ft (1-1.2m), this is ideal for smaller plots and also containers. In a sheltered spot, it produces masses of fragrant, creamy lemon-coloured flowers from April to May. Clematis x cartmanii ‘Avalanche’ Ideal for small gardens, this spring-flowering evergreen is smothered in white blooms with citrussy yellow centres at 6-8ft (1.8-2.4m) high. Great in a pot, it appreciates classic clematis conditions of cool roots and sunny top. Clematis cirrhosa var. balearica C. cirrhosa var. balearica is the fern-leaved clematis whose pale, fragrant creamy…

Westland Resolva Lawn Weedkiller Extra RTU (ready to use) targets weeds without harming your lawn. It is ideal for controlling broadleaved weeds, including dandelions, daisies, white clover, yarrow, buttercups, self-heal, deadnettle, speedwell and broadleaved docks. Containing mecoprop-P and dicamba, Resolva Lawn Weedkiller Extra kills the root as well as the leaves. We have three 1-litre bottles to give away, each worth £5.99. 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 Resolva Lawn Weedkiller Draw (25 August), 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 Resolva Lawn Weedkiller Draw (25 August). The closing date is 31 August 2018.…

IT’S thought the first seedless bananas were found in Papua New Guinea 100,000 years ago by natives, who divided the stems and replanted them wherever they travelled. Being seedless, they are a genetic cul-de-sac, unable to procreate except from ‘splits’ with roots attached. The cluster of banana varieties we buy from supermarkets are a global monoculture, making them vulnerable to disease such as ‘Panama’ fusarium wilt. If the wilt attacks one, it attacks them all, since they are effectively clones – genetically the same.…