Innholdsfortegnelse for 13-aug-16 i Amateur Gardening

“WHAT have I had them for – five years? They’ve flowered for most of that time but they look worn out. D’you think they’re worth saving?” My wife, Kath was wrestling over the fate of three phalaenopsis orchids on the bedroom dressing table. She’d been given them as presents and kept them blooming with a combination of careful positioning, watering and feeding, cutting back when flowers go over, and repotting occasionally in special compost. Textbook gardening! Kath did a brilliant job with our two kids, so this sudden tender and indecisive side to her nurturing instinct came as a bit of a surprise. Her child raising approach was like the old management mantra ‘firm but fair’ (I considered consumer mantra ‘buyer beware’ but thought better of it) and up to…

1 The smallest space, used well, can really catch the eye. An obelisk covered with tied-in sweet peas takes a little care but will smell – and look – sensational through early summer. 2 Water features need not be large and ornate. A simple half-barrel planted up with aquatic plants will add interest to a patio, and can also attract wildlife like dragonflies.…

HAVE you ever run to catch a bus and then, out of breath, stopped and admitted that you’re not going to make it? Well, that’s how our hanging baskets and container plants feel by August. They’ve battled the elements, sucked compost dry of nutrients, flowered all summer, tried to set seed and are now ready to keel over. But I want my displays to last well into autumn, preferably into October, and this is easily achieved. The most important job is to water daily throughout August, unless compost is very wet. Dry compost shrinks away from the side of pots and baskets and is trickier to re-wet once it’s as dry as dust. During a heatwave, pots and baskets may need watering twice daily. If that’s not possible, stand pots…

• Comfrey has many uses. In flower it attracts pollinators, while leaves can be used as fertiliser and compost activator. • Comfrey ‘tea’ is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. To make it, fill a bucket with crushed comfrey leaves, and cover with water. • The leaves rot down over about four weeks, and the resulting liquid should be mixed with water until it is the colour of weak tea, and used as liquid fertiliser. • Comfrey smells vile as it rots, so store your tea bucket away from the house! • Line potato and bean trenches with comfrey leaves. Layer them in the compost heap to speed decomposition.…

AS consumers, we are quick to complain about faulty goods or food that is past its best. So why are we often reluctant to return plants that have not come up to scratch? Possibly due to laziness – it takes effort to dig up a failed perennial or shrub – or because we blame ourselves. Perhaps we think we over or under-watered our plant, planted it in the wrong situation, in the wrong soil, or didn’t feed it enough – and so on. But if we have done all we can to help a plant thrive, and it still fails, then we are within our rights to take it back and ask for a replacement or refund. Many perennials, trees and shrubs come with a guarantee when they are bought…

MY cousin and her little boy live in Finland, where foraging for wild blueberries is a major summer event. I was flattered when they visited this month and he foraged the blueberries ripening in my garden! I’ve got four bushes, three of them quite young. Luckily the one older, ‘Bluecrop, seems to crop well on its own (most blueberries prefer to be cross pollinated). It began ripening in the middle of July, but is still going strong now. The other three bushes are different varieties – ‘Patriot’, ‘Brigitta’ and ‘Goldtraube . They should soon settle in and begin cropping, too. They’re in soil enriched with ericaceous compost (blueberries like acidic conditions) and are kept well watered as they like a moist rootrun. I pick over them every few days as…

I’VE been impatiently eyeing up fruit on the peach trees at East Donyland Hall, as well as the nectarines growing alongside. I hand-pollinated the flowers way back in February because we’d cloaked each tree in polythene to deter peach leaf curl. Well, it’s worked! I’m now looking at healthy foliage and near one-hundred fruits, which is more than enough for any household. I want to pick the fruits as soon as they’re ripe. They’ll start to soften and emit their delicious perfume once this happens – a sign that sugar levels have peaked. However, I’m not the only one who will take this as a cue to tuck in – wasps and earwigs will nibble and spoil the fruits if they get their way. So, pick the fruit as soon…

THE ‘Ophelia’ dwarf aubergines and ‘Euphya’ cucumber I sowed back in Aril have all grown into healthy plants in the greenhouse. The cucumber was starting to straggle all over the greenhouse floor, so I tied it to a tripod of canes. This will keep it tidy, and also encourage it to produce more fruit. I moved it to a warm, sheltered spot on the patio where it should grow away happily. This also made room in the greenhouse for my six aubergine plants. ‘Ophelia’ is a compact variety that grows to around 2ft (60cm), and will hopefully produce an abundant supply of small fruits. I potted them on using Gro-Sure Vegetable Growing Compost, but any good quality potting or multipurpose compost would do. Although it says they are suitable for…

“There’s a host of exciting varieties to choose from” IF you don’t already have an apple tree, I highly recommend that you plant one, even if that means sacrificing something else in order to create the space for it. There are few crops more effortlessly produced than apples in the UK, especially when local varieties are chosen. This is armchair gardening: plant an orchard and from then on do nothing more than harvest. Of course you can much improve the quality of your crop with some careful pruning and by thinning the small fruits ruthlessly. But most gardeners do little pruning to old established trees, and modern dwarfs barely need any, so really it’s just the trained forms such as espaliers that require attention. Likewise feeding, weeding and pest and…

THIS is one of the most beautiful pansy mixtures I’ve come across and they are aptly named to reflect the frilly flowers and rich colours. The rococo or late baroque style of the 18th century began in Paris and influenced most art forms with its playful, ornate, asymmetrical designs. This was a rebellion against the kind of formality seen at Versailles in architecture, garden design, dress and behaviour. Gold was a popular colour and our pansies with their irregular shapes, ruffled petals and glorious shades, have a rococo feel to them. Blue, purple, red, pink, yellow, apricot, maroon and white are all reflected in the sumptuous petals. Pansies (Viola x wittrockiana) could be described as hardy perennials but because they tend to be straggly and lose some of their flower…

• Take usual precautions against slugs (night patrols, ‘slug pub’ traps, nematodes) though this is usually only necessary when plants are young. • Prompt dead-heading will prevent the large spent flowers from decaying on the leaves below. • Pansies can be prone to leaf spotting diseases but this and other fungal problems are encouraged and made worse where soils are badly drained. • If you live in a region of heavy rainfall, keep some potted plants safely under cover in a well-ventilated, unheated greenhouse or cold frame for winter and set them out in spring. • Don’t plant pansies into the same soil year after year to avoid disease build-up.…

NOTHING beats a bed or border in its summer prime, but unless you’ve been canny enough to plant some late flowering perennials and grasses to inject some colour, the chances are your once vibrant displays will look completely washed out by early autumn. In order to give my garden a boost later in the year, I’m planting some autumn flowering bulbs in pots and a few gaps between perennials and shrubs. I found a small selection in a local DIY store, but garden centres and nurseries will stock even more. If there’s something specific that you’re after, try an online nursery or bulb specialist. Among the bulbs available to buy in late summer are crocus, cyclamen, oxalis, scilla, sternbergia and autumn snowflake (Leucojum autumnale), a plant closely related to the…

Find your microclimates Every plot, however small, is important and offers a selection of microclimates. There could be an open place that gets midday sun and this will be perfect for aromatic and silver plants. There could be a shady spot under deciduous shrubs that would be perfect for spring woodlanders. Perhaps there’s a bright spot that gets evening sun that would be good for late-summer plants. Find out which areas are sunnier, shadier, drier or damper and then choose plants suited to that spot. A plant in the right place will stay healthy and happy. Beth Chatto’s website has helpful lists ( bethchatto.co.uk ) and also does mail order. Include lots of flower shapes Different flower shapes sustain different creatures. Collections of tiny flowers like those that make up…

What’s ruining my broad beans? Q I’ve had an excellent crop of broad beans this year, but when podded most of the beans had brown spots on them. They didn’t look edible. What is causing these spots, and how can I ensure I don’t get it in future? Cyril Jones-Evans (via email) AI’ve had the same problem myself this year, and it was much worse on the over-wintering beans than those I sowed in the spring. It’s caused by a fungus called Botrytis fabae, commonly called bean chocolate spot. It has been seen all over the country with symptoms of dark, almost chocolate brown spots on the stems and leaves. It can also cause brown spotting on the seed coat of the bean. I found that peeling the seed coat…

Bushnell NatureView Cam HD £174.99 + £6 postage 0800 779 7627 wildviewcameras.co.uk High quality outdoor camera records sights and sounds of passing creatures in HD video day or night. Motion sensor range is more than 60ft (18m) and the camera is triggered in little more than half a second – so you won’t miss scampering wildlife. Battery life in standby is up to a year. Strap to tie to trees or posts included.. Adopt a species Typically from £20 01636 677711 wildlifetrusts.org Wildlife Trusts help conserve bats, barn owls, dolphins, birds, hares, hedgehogs and many more. Adoption packs vary, but include things like ‘thank you’ certificates, fact sheets, and soft toys. You could help save the water vole – Britain’s fastest-declining mammal – from just £10.…

Trees and shrubs Laburnum (all parts, children attracted to the pea-like pods) Yew (all parts) Oleander (all parts) Rhododendron (all parts) Portugal laurel (use a mask if chipping prunings) Ivy (can cause irritation to the skin and eyes) Privet (pollen can cause eczema and hayfever) Perennials Aconitum (all parts) Actaea (all parts) Zantedeschia aethiopica (all parts) Scilla (all parts) Euphorbia (sap causes irritation to the skin) Narcissus (all parts) Colchicum (all parts, bulbs are often mistaken for wild garlic) Delphinium (all parts) Annuals & wildflowers Ricinus communis (all parts) Ipomoea (seeds) Nicotiana (all parts) Arum (all parts) Digitalis (all parts)…

Space to chill out I PURCHASED my house in 2000 and at the time there were no front or side boundary walls, and the front garden had a row of well-established conifers along the front. You couldn’t see the house from the road at all and it was very dark, with a small pond. On completion day I had all the conifers removed, so it was then very open and a blank canvas for me to work on. I started planting the front garden and began by digging a new larger pond, though the garden has evolved over the years. I wanted an easy to manage space that I could sit out in and not be seen by people passing, but also allowing people to look over the gate and…

“I’d never heard of sage being used in this way” THE sun shone on the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show this year. In fact, it was so hot that I couldn’t walk past a water feature without being tempted to dive in! However, the biggest challenge in the 35o C (95o F) heat was to avoid getting sweaty under the sun-cream while filming, and in these health and safety conscious times, becoming a dangerous slip hazard. So naturally I was interested to hear from an unexpected source, one of the BBC’s film editors, that the herb sage can be used to stop you from sweating. Editors cut interviews and introductions filmed at the show into a coherent programme, working in windowless portable cabins full of banks of computers. Naturally, these…

A COUPLE of years ago we went on holiday to the Greek mainland, to a coastal resort where we were surrounded by glorious Mediterranean gardens. Created on rich, volcanic soil, they were a colourful riot of bougainvillea and citrus trees, with vegetable patches groaning under the weight of aubergines, peppers and huge tomatoes. I returned home determined to create a similar paradise – but our cooler, damp climate can’t sustain such a dream. Summer is peak inspiration time for gardeners, when holidays give us the time to visit shows and gardens, and come away with a head full of visions. It’s great fun – but don’t get carried away. Unsuitable plants that are the wrong size, won’t thrive in your soil, or need more complex care than you bargained for,…

HARDY geraniums, also known as cranesbill, are one of the garden’s most generous perennials. Requiring little attention, they are relatively untroubled by pests and disease, and will happily grow in most garden situations. Their main downside is that by the middle of summer, after growth and flowering, they can start looking straggly and worn out – and this alone is a good enough reason to give them a hard chop back. An even bigger incentive is that after being pruned, they will reward you with a fresh burst of foliage, and further flowering into the autumn. Just be careful not to cut deep into the new growth developing in the plant’s heart – a light trim is enough. As they are happy in most soils, you can get away without…

1 French and African marigolds are prolific bloomers but flowers set seed quickly. Pinch out spent flowers promptly and more blooms will follow. 2 Dahlias are great for late season colour. Use secateurs to dead-head, then check plants for blackfly on stems. Blast them off with a hose, or use a bug killer. 3 Where a plant has gone over or looks unsightly, remove it from the container. Always top-up with fresh compost before replacing the plant. 4 New Guinea impatiens and geraniums, are still on sale at many stores. They make good instant replacements for gaps in pots and baskets, and quickly flower. 5 Petunias can suffer from dieback by August, especially if not dead-headed regularly. Cut dead stems away from plants. Many will put on fresh growth.…

“Specific genes can be tracked from a tiny piece of leaf” ONE of the great advances during my early years working in the horticultural industry was the introduction of F1 hybrid seed. Breeders found in-breeding with one parent cultivar increased uniformity in subsequent generations, strengthened some traits including colour, pest and disease resistance, but often resulted in the loss of plant vigour. When two inbred lines were brought together vigour returned, while the uniformity in growth and other traits were retained in the first year – the F1. Now another major step forward is being made with interspecific crosses, which involves different species of plant being cross-pollinated to give us new cultivars. There’s nothing new about this: breeders have been crossing species for years. For example, the foxglove Digitalis isoplexis…

• Knock the plant gently from its pot and check that the roots are healthy. • There should be room for them to grow, so avoid plants with roots that are densely packed, and circling the pot. • Check that the plant isn’t carrying any pests, and that its stem (or trunk) and branches are free from bug damage. • Leaves should look fresh and healthy, without damage, and be free from any signs of pest or disease. • If it is a flowering plant, make sure there are lots of healthy buds still to open, and check that the plant matches the image and description on its label.…

APHIDS are a problem pest for gardeners. They damage plants and they leave a sticky mess everywhere. Live pest control is one method of controlling them with the added bonus of being fascinating for children and completely chemical free. We ordered live ladybirds and larvae to release in our garden to help with this problem, and I took them to school to show Joe’s class (aptly named the ‘Ladybirds’). We were all intrigued to see that a juvenile ladybird does not look at all like its parents, and I would never have recognised one in the garden before now. We studied the adult bugs at home and the children drew sketches and observed them in a bug box before releasing them. I recounted this interesting tale to my children, which…

• My broad bean plants, grown from seed, produced a good crop in a raised bed, but towards the end of the season developed broad bean rust. • This is a fungal disease affecting broad beans, peas and other legumes. Runner and French beans are affected by a different rust disease. • Broad bean rust presents itself as small, dusty brown spots on stems and leaves, often surrounded by a ring of yellowing plant material. • There is no chemical control. Improve plants’ health by watering regularly and give a liquid feed. When planting, space plants generously to boost air flow. • Dispose of, and do not compost, infected plants, as the rust spores can survive in a semi-dormant state.…

FOR the last few months, just above my head where I sleep, I could hear the sounds of movement in the eaves. It would last for a few seconds, and then silence. At first I thought it was mice gnawing at the rafters, but then, on looking up from outside, I saw a pair of house sparrows heading in an out of a hole in the soffit – I hadn’t noticed that one of those plastic ventilation discs had fallen out. As proof of the birds’ presence, we could later discern the gentle trill of obvious chirping. Naturally, I kept my distance, and vowed to replace the ventilation disc after the breeding season ended. If I leave the hole, it’s likely the same pair of sparrows would return next year;…

1 Fill a half seed tray with compost and press lightly for a smooth surface. Water, using a fine rose on the can and sow thinly and evenly. Scatter a light covering of compost over the seeds. 2 Aim for 15°C (60°F) for germination. (this could mean a propagating case in spring). When seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant singly to 3.5in (9cm) pots or modules. 3 When the plants fill their pots with roots, stand outside to harden off and plant out 8in (20cm) apart. Water in well and when they begin to flower, nip off dead heads regularly.…

MOST vegetables are produced by plants that were clearly standing at the back of the queue when good looks were being handed out. Swiss chard definitely pushed in front. This leafy crop tastes great but is so attractive that it wouldn’t look out of place in an ornamental border. The flamboyant veg forms statuesque clumps of upright stems in a range of colours, topped with huge green or bronze leaves so glossy they look as if they’ve been polished by hand. ‘Orange Fantasia’ produces 2ft (60cm) tall leaves with acid orange stems, ‘Ruby Chard’ boasts pillar box red stalks and ‘Pink Passion’ has shocking pink stems. ‘Peppermint’ has two-tone pink and white stems crowned by glossy dark green leaves with white veins. I can’t decide on a specific colour, so…

Origanum ‘Herrenhausen’ An oregano with nectar-rich flowers that attract smaller butterflies in August. Also good for bees and has pretty seedheads in winter. Provides year-round groundcover at the front of a border. Lonicera periclymenum Our wild honeysuckle, a twiner with long-trumpeted flowers designed for the long proboscises of butterflies and moths is highly fragrant and once pollinated, luscious reds berries follow. Buddleja davidii The buddleja really is the best plant for sustaining British butterflies, despite hailing from China. In theory it will attract 22 species. All forms are good regardless of colour. Deadhead to keep flowers coming. Centaurea cyanus All annuals are excellent but the taller blue forms of this British cornfield annual are the best plant I know for red-tailed bumble bees. Deadheaded it will stay in flower for…

Don’t grow broad beans too close together as this causes competition and weakens the plants, making them more susceptible to pests and diseases. Always stake beans with canes and string, passed around the rows, as this will make harvesting easier and prevent plants from falling over. Stems and pods can become covered in blackfly. Pinch out the growing tips once an infestation is seen, to remove the problem, or apply an insecticide.…

LAVENDER needs cutting back after flowering every year to prevent plants growing leggy, and also so you can harvest spent flowerheads for their wonderful scent. English lavender, with its smaller, narrower flowerheads, should be cut back by up to two-thirds, using shears or secateurs. Remove spent flower stalks, and around 1in (2.5cm) of the current year’s growth. Avoid cutting into the woody parts of the plant, as lavender often won’t blooming varieties with larger flower heads – don’t last as long as English lavenders. They tend not to be as hardy, so grow them in warm and sheltered spots in the garden. Lavenders do not shoot readily from woody growth, so if you inherit neglected plants when you move house, it’s better to replace them with new specimens. Deadhead hebes…

IT is easy to welcome ‘pretty’ insects such as butterflies, ladybirds and lacewings into the garden. But what about the less attractive ones, that many people are actually scared of? A balanced garden is a happy garden, and this means tolerating – and even attracting – insects and invertebrates that you might not automatically warm to. Spiders, wasps, large beetles and centipedes may not win many prizes in a beauty competition, but they are invaluable helpers in the gardener’s fight against pests. We do not always like living in close quarters with these creatures, and many of them feel the same way about us, preferring to live and hunt in dark shed corners, under leaf litter, and in undisturbed areas of the garden. But they do a great deal of…

1 Look out for a whole range of inter-specific hybrid begonias such as this Begonia ‘Santa Cruz’, B. ‘Mr Big’ and B. ‘Whopper’ to mention a few. 2 Lobularia ‘Clear Crystals’ is a self-sterile, much improved tetraploid white alyssum, with excellent garden and container performance. 3 How long before we can grow nicotiana and petunias with potatoes on the roots? They are both from the solanaceae family, after all!…

THIS is the time of year when your freezer becomes full, your friends and family receive gifts of free fruit and veg, and you literally reap the rewards of all your hard work. Well done! August is such an abundant month – every meal you prepare is crammed with home-grown produce – salad days have certainly arrived in our house. Our tomatoes are in full swing, so I’ve got cherry toms to toss into risottos and beefsteaks to slice with mozzarella, with any surplus transformed into rich, pulpy passata. I might even experiment with making a spicy ketchup if I’m feeling confident. I’m keen to keep these essential plants cropping for as long as possible, so have a few tips this week to maintain their productivity. Top Tip   For…

BOLTING, or running to seed, is a problem caused by growing conditions and the weather, but there are ways to deter it. Winter crops left in the ground, like leeks and parsnips, often bolt. With warming spring days they’re triggered into flowering, which is a normal response for these biennial crops. However, when annual veg like spinach, rocket and radish bolt, it’s usually caused by summer drought, a check in growth or varietal weakness. To prevent it, ensure there’s plenty of moisture in your soil by adding lots of organic matter; sow leafy annuals in the shade; and water during dry spells. A mulch of cardboard, bark chips or compost will help ensure growth is lush and consistent. Buy seed varieties that are slow to bolt, such as rocket ‘Dragon’s…

Adult ladybirds (Adalia bipunctata) and their larvae eat large numbers of aphids and can lay 20 - 50 eggs a day. The two-spot ladybird is native to Britain and can usually be supplied from April - mid September. Ladybird eggs resemble tiny yellow-orange clusters of rice and the larvae are hungry black beetles (pictured). Ladybirds hibernate from late September. Where to buy Gardening Naturally - Safe products for use around children, pets and wildlife. 25 adult ladybirds £13.99 or 100 larvae £19.99 gardening-naturally.com 0845 680 0296 Insect Lore - For educational live kits and bug boxes. We used the ‘Critter Carnival’ £6 (pictured) insectlore.co.uk 01726 860 273…

1 Plants are ready to move on when their roots start to show through the holes in the bottom of their pots. 2 Half fill a big pot with fresh potting compost, tap each plant free from its pot and tease out the roots. 3 Position the rootball in the compost so the top is 1in (2.5cm) below the rim. Pack compost around it. 4 Water each plant,and put it in the greenhouse. Water regularly, and feed weekly with liquid tomato food.…

• 16 August: Ashford House, Talybonton-Usk, Powys LD3 7YR. 2-5pm in aid of the NGS. ngs.org.uk 01874 676271 • 16 August: The Croft, Ash Magna, Whitchurch, Shropshire SY13 4DR. 1-5pm in aid of the NGS. ngs.org.uk 01948 663248 • 18 August: Potions and Poison: Shakespearean herbology, Chelsea Physic Garden, 66 Royal Hospital Rd, London SW3 4HS. 10.30am-3pm chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk • 16 August: Open Gardens in aid of Thrive, Beech Hill, Reading, Berks RG7 2AT (park at Trunkwell House). 2-4pm, entrance by donation. Plant sales, refreshments. Optional guided tours.thrive.org.uk 0118 988 5688 • 21 August: Garden open 1.30-5pm, Quarry End, Walworth, Darlington DL2 2LY Iain and Margaret Anderson in aid of the NGS. ngs.org.uk • 21 August: Englefield House, Theale, Berkshire RG7 5EN. In aid of British Red Cross. redcross.org.uk • 28-29…

TECHNICALLY, it is possible to keep things simple by sowing pansy seed direct to soaked drills by choosing a damp, shady position. This would take place from May to August while the soil is warm. Seedlings should be thinned to 2in (5cm) apart before being transplanted to their permanent positions. Or, transplant as seedlings to positions 4in (10cm) apart in a nursery bed before moving them again to perform in containers or beds. This would suit those without glasshouses or cold frames but in practice, I have found it difficult to keep the nursery bed soil sufficiently moist for good germination and seedling growth to take place. I find it much easier to sow into trays under glass.…

TO make sure I have a steady supply of parsley over autumn and winter, I like to sow seeds in late summer. Parsley can be raised in the ground, but it’s fairly shallow rooting so will do well in containers. Varieties worth growing include ‘Lisette’ and ‘Aphrodite’ with tight, curly leaves, ‘Laura’ and ‘Plain Leaved 2’ with flat, intensely-flavoured leaves, and my favourite ‘Italian Giant’ with dark, flat leaves that have a sweet, pungent flavour. Germination can be slow or patchy if you sow dry seeds directly from the packet. To improve germination, soak seeds in warm water overnight to soften their outer shell. In the morning, pour the contents through a fine sieve and dry off on some kitchen paper before sowing.…

WHEN I was in my late teens I was shown how to take softwood cuttings at horticultural college. The lecturer could have chosen to demonstrate the method on a whole host of species, but singled out pelargoniums. It’s no surprise, really – few plants are as foolproof to propagate. I’ve lost count of the amount of pelargonium cuttings I’ve taken over the years, but it must run into the thousands as I was once in charge of propagating them at a horticultural college. These days I only tend to take pelargonium cuttings if I’ve been growing a particularly good one over summer and I want it back next year. The technique is dead easy. Remove a strong, healthy shoot of pencil thickness, then make a straight cut under a leaf…

Ground beetles Provide shade by dense planting within the borders and try to have some rotting wood because beetle larvae use it as a food source. Beetles are the biggest predators of slugs. Frogs, toads and newts Make a simple pond (with gently sloping sides so accidental swimmers can get out) to attract amphibians. They prey on a wide variety of insects, including slugs. Nesting birds Native plants like hawthorn or hazel attract lots of insect life and provide food and shelter for birds in winter. But if you’re short on space, berberis and pyracantha are also good choices. Hedgehogs Leave some undisturbed areas on the boundary where they can hibernate. Start a neighbourhood scheme to install hedgehog gates between gardens so that they can roam. Insect life Leave leaf…

ITV Love Your Garden host David Domoney has joined the star line-up at the 2016 Southport Flower Show. David, who is also the resident gardening guru on ITV’s This Morning, will appear at the show in Southport’s Victoria Park on Friday 19th August. He is among a string of high-profile experts at this year’s event, which runs from 18th-21st August. General Manager of Southport Flower Show Ray Roukin said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming David to Southport and we’re sure he’ll be a big hit with visitors. Not only is he one of the most popular gardeners on TV, but he’s also won a string of awards for his work.” David Domoney added: “I’m really looking forward to meeting everyone at Southport. It’s my first time at the show and…

Q Can you help – what is happening to my rhubarb (photo attached)? Barbara Ball, Milton Keynes, Bucks. A Your rhubarb appears to have contracted a virus disease for which there is no cure. If the red colouring spreads to healthy green leaves, remove the plant and bin it. Do not compost it, as this could cause infection to spread. If you replace the troubled plant with a healthy one, set it in well-manured soil as far away as possible from where the diseased plant was growing. Q What does ‘overwintering’ mean? Clair Woolston A The term ‘overwintering’ is applied to frost-tender plants that would die or suffer badly if exposed to the elements from November to April (or whenever the frosts finish). For example, half-hardy fuchsias or pelargoniums are…

A PAIR of snips is essential for light pruning duties such as deadheading, cutting back perennials and removing damaged leaves. Small deadheading snips look like traditional topiary shears in miniature and are used on soft stems such as cut flowers and herbs; pruning snips are similar to secateurs but have narrow, pointed bypass blades to cut both soft and firmer stems and allow good access. They’re also often used for harvesting crops and thinning fruit. With comfort in use and quality blades for a clean cut essential, we tackled perennial stems, deadheading, snipped cut flowers, herbs and heathers, testing for feel, versatility, and whether the latch was easy to operate. Draper Soft Grip Precision Pruning Secateur £7.75 02380 494333 drapertools.com Features Hardened, tempered stainless steel blades and spring…

MANY indoor plants are poisonous. Peace lily and philodendron contain calcium oxalate crystals that can cause mouth and skin irritations, while diffenbachia, or ‘dumb cane, inflames the vocal cords. Conservatory favourites such as brugmansia (datura) and oleander (Nerium oleander) are highly toxic if ingested and their sap can irritate. Most at risk are crawling babies or puppies with a penchant for chewing, so if you want to enjoy both keep poisonous plants out of reach.…