Innholdsfortegnelse for 19-Jan-2019 i Amateur Gardening

THE days may still be dark and cold, but we are almost a month past the shortest day and life will soon be stirring in the garden. If you haven’t done all your seasonal pruning yet, it’s time to get a march on things. Most deciduous trees and shrubs are pruned in winter when they are dormant and their sap has retreated down inside their trunks. This is because they ‘bleed’ less when their sap isn’t flowing, and pruning helps them regenerate and put on healthy new growth. “Remember to look twice and cut once” From a gardener’s perspective, pruning also lets us create tidy trees and shrubs, getting rid of dead, damaged, diseased and spindly branches, as well as those that are rubbing, crossing and generally congesting the centre…

Next week is when subscribers to Amateur Gardening will receive their copy of the magazine wrapped in fully disposable packing. The opaque bags are made of potato starch and are fully biodegradable. We are asking our subscribers to let us know how they disposed of the bags – whether they went straight onto the compost heap or were used in food-waste caddies. We will also be testing the bags under various conditions to see how well they break down. AG editor Garry Coward-Williams, gardening editor Ruth Hayes and staff members Wendy Humphries and Lesley Upton will be testing theirs alongside Toby Buckland, Anne Swithinbank, Bob Flowerdew, Tamsin Westhorpe, Val Bourne, Peter Seabrook, Sue Bradley, Graham Clark, Tim Rumball and Martyn Cox. AG editor Garry Coward-Williams said: “I am delighted to…

1 A layer of crocks helps drainage and prevents the roots becoming waterlogged and prone to rotting. 2 After the crocks add compost – I’m replanting this clematis with a mix of soil and John Innes No3. 3 Check the roots are healthy and carefully spread them out before planting at the same level as before. 4 Add the rest of the compost and firm it around the plant to keep it steady and knock out any air pockets. 5 Water well to settle the soil and saturate the roots. Don’t let the plant dry out and keep it free from weeds and pests while it becomes established in its new home.…

1 Remove dead and damaged material from perennials to stop rotting and disease. Leave penstemons until spring. 2 Weeds are remorseless, so hoe them off when they are small and leave them in place to rot down and enrich the soil. 3 Cut off old hellebore foliage so light and air can get to emerging buds. It also reduces the threat of fungal black spot. 4 The green manure I dug in a few weeks ago has rotted down, so I forked over the bed to prepare it for planting.…

PLANTS are great memory prompts, and the thought of potatoes brings to mind a day spent with the late Chas Hodges, of Chas and Dave fame, at the Thompson & Morgan Potato trials held at Capel Manor College several years ago. Chas was a lovely man: what you saw was what you got, and he gained relaxation and musical inspiration from tending his Stevenage allotment. We had a cooked potato-tasting trial at that event, and choosing from a number of recent potato cultivar introductions was not easy. The whole occasion came to mind with an enquiry this month from an AG reader with two large allotments who sought advice on the best place to buy seed potatoes. “The perfect potato planting size is a small chicken’s egg” The reader had…

THIS is a very special year for Amateur Gardening. Founded in 1884, we are celebrating 135 years of gardening innovation, wisdom and strong practical advice. The founding editor Shirley Hibberd was one of the most popular gardening writers of the Victorian era. He lived in London and pioneered the idea of urban gardening – a revolutionary move compared to the vast plots cultivated by the ‘gentlemen gardeners’ of the day. Hibberd’s ethos of gardening for the everyman runs through AG to this day, including encouraging readers to grow new things. One of the most popular aspects of AG is our packets of free seeds. To celebrate 2019’s prestigious anniversary, we have again teamed up with industry leaders and innovators Mr Fothergill’s to offer you a weekly supply of fantastic seeds,…

IT’S not all doom and gloom in the natural world. Some things do come back from the brink of extinction, with our help, and the red kite ( Milvus milvus ) is one of them. Every time I see one wheeling over Spring Cottage I’m reminded of a trip I made in the early 1970s. In those days I was a bit of a twitcher, so I took myself off to Radnorshire in Wales, where the last 20 breeding pairs of red kites were surviving. I sat in the car, I walked about, I moved the car, I ate lunch, I sat in a hedge and then I finally gave up and decided to head home, just as the light was fading. In the distance I saw one red kite,…

Bedding in containers needs the same care as border plants – regular deadheading, weeding and checking for pests and diseases. You should ensure that your pots are raised on feet to let excess water drain away, and make sure they are pushed against a sheltering wall and wrapped in fleece when a hard freeze is forecast. If containers and baskets are sheltered from rain by house eaves, make sure their compost is damp enough and water if it is dry to the touch. For safety, baskets hanging in exposed sites should be taken down in stormy weather and kept in a greenhouse, shed or cool porch until conditions improve.…

1 Choose a clean, shallow seed tray or collection of egg boxes, and a light, frost-free position such as a sunny windowsill (but not dark, or else the chits will be etiolated). 2 Stand the individual tubers in the tray, ideally with the ‘rose’ end uppermost – this is the end with the most eyes. Within just a few weeks, sturdy short ‘chits’ will develop. 3 You can plant your chitted tubers into pots in a heated greenhouse in January, or into the earth in mid-to-late March. Take care not to knock off the chits when planting.…

AS gardeners, we’re programmed to grow herbs such as basil, rocket, parsley and coriander from seed, yet encouraged to visit garden centres to buy plants of chives, oregano, thyme and rosemary. What if I told you all these can be grown from seed, too? A multitude of herbs can be raised cheaply and easily this way. Now is the ideal time to stock up on packets to prepare for spring sowings in the propagator. As well as the mainstays listed above, look out for packets of alpine strawberry, sorrel, hyssop, savory, lovage, sage, mint, angelica, tarragon, lemongrass, borage, feverfew, dill, fennel, lemon balm, caraway, chervil – the list goes on – and all the packets come with sowing instructions. If you shared the order with a circle of gardening friends,…

MY FIRST encounter with hamamelis was while walking through the arboretum at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, on a dull day in January. There was not a flower to be seen anywhere, just grass and grey. But then came the scent. Hanging in the air, sweet with a spicy tinge, it wasn’t until I had passed a large conifer that the source was revealed. The scent came from a handsome shrub, 10ft (3m high), its branches – each lined with flurries of bright yellow – striking out at an angle from the base to create a large, bowl-shaped plant. And rooting around in the fallen foliage beneath were three cock pheasants. OK, the ornamental birds may be beyond most of us, but the colour and that fragrance, supreme among winter…

THE dappled shade under hamamelis is ideal for drifts of early bulbs that flower at the same time. Snowdrops, scillas and chionodoxas are ideal, and will multiply into carpets of colour. Just be sure to mulch in the autumn before they peep through. Shade-loving evergreen perennials are also good partners, as their structure is visible through the witch hazel branches. Bergenias and hellebores, especially H. foetidus , are good choices. Plant chrysanths and asters in autumnal shades to complement the leaf colour. And consider coloured stems – red ‘Sibirica’ dogwoods in front in small spaces or, where there’s more room, white Rubus biflorus alongside.…

Lemon verbena ( Aloysia citrodora ) AGM This sun-loving deciduous shrub makes a delicious tea that smells of lemon sherbet and eases anxiety. Plant in well-drained soil in spring; cut back and mulch in autumn. Black peppermint ( Mentha x piperita ) The black strain of peppermint has attractive burgundy-green foliage. Use it to aid concentration, clear up colds and improve digestion. Plant in spring, in sun or semi-shade. Nettle ( Urtica dioica ) In March, pick the tips of perennial stinging nettles from the messy patch of the garden or an obliging field. Nettles have been shown to ease symptoms of arthritis; use them to make tea or soup. Rosemary ( Rosmarinus officinalis ) Used in a…

Cornus sanguinea ‘Winter Beauty’ This hardy deciduous shrub reaches 6 ½ ft (2m) in height. White spring flowers, colourful autumn foliage display followed by red winter stems. Requires hard pruning in March to ensure colourful stems. Betula utilis var. jacquemontii A robust tree that will reach 33ft (10m) in height. Effective as a standard and multi-stemmed tree. Brilliant white bark. Perfect for a well-drained soil in full or part shade. No pruning required. Acer x conspicuum ‘Phoenix’ Reaches a height of 13ft (4m). The new winter shoots are bright red, but the mature trunk is orange streaked with silvery white. Requires little or no pruning. New shoots can rival the red of cornus. Prunus serrula Perfect tree for…

Q  I bought this plant without a label – what is it? Mr W Constable, East Barnet, Herts A This is a Dischidia platyphylla that is native to Burma, Thailand and Malaysia. Grow it in peat or epiphytic orchid compost. Keep it warm and mist it 2-3 times a week with rainwater. Water it freely in summer when it’s growing strongly, but less in winter. Q  I saw this plant in America –can you identify it? Mr E Shaw, Worthing, West Sussex A I think this is Thespesia lampas, a native of India, Malaysia and the Philippines. A member of the hibiscus family (Malvaceae), it grows to 20-30ft (6-9m) and bears hollyhock-like flowers. Q  Can you tell me what is wrong with my Rhamnus alaternus? I fear it might be some sort…

How do I help my restios? Q Having admired them at shows, we splashed out on some South African restio plants of several varieties, but a cannomois has died and the elegia looks poorly. Have you any growing tips? Anita Purley, Nottingham, Notts ARestios are plants belonging to the family Restionaceae, an ancient tribe whose members resemble bamboos, rushes and horsetails. They look primeval, are thought to date back to the Cretaceous period around 60 million years ago, and are early examples of wind-pollinated flowering plants. Today, the 58 genera are scattered across the Southern hemisphere, with a large concentration in South Africa. Plenty grow in the famous Kirstenbosch Botanic Garden, but you’ll also see them out in the landscape. In UK gardens, we enjoy them for their structural beauty,…

BACK in the 1980s, when I worked as Glasshouse supervisor at RHS Wisley, clumps of daylilies grew in long borders running alongside the old (and now demolished) glasshouse range. One morning, our American orchid scholar picked a handful of flower buds and handed them round as a snack. At the time, eating flowers was far from mainstream, and for us Brits this was quite a novelty. Hemerocallis translates as ‘beautiful for a day’, and yet a succession of buds ensures an acceptably long flowering season and blooms continue to open in a vase. Commonly grown H. fulva is a tough, hardy plant bearing single or double orange trumpet-shaped flowers during summer, along with strappy leaves that die back for winter and grow again in spring. Thick clumps of fleshy roots…

Heavenly scent In Nature, most winter flowers are yellow or white; bright colours (red, oranges, blues, purples and so on) tend to be absent. So to attract pollinating insects, flowers have to work harder – and a scent is one way they do this. Mostly, we recognise these scents as lovely fragrances (although there are some exceptions where flowers can, for example, smell of rotting meat). The fragrant qualities of these blooms more than offset any lack of colour, and with careful choice it is possible to have a succession of perfumes all through winter. Let’s look at some stories surrounding plant fragrance. Making sense of scents Smells are detected in the nose by the specialised receptor cells of the olfactory epithelium. The olfactory tract transmits the signals to parts…

Still good after 55 years! I ENCLOSE a pic of my ‘Western Red Cedar’ greenhouse from the now closed Baths greenhouse company who used to have a weekly advert in AG in the early 1960s. I have just replaced the four roof vents, but the rest of the greenhouse is still sound and it has been treated with preservative yearly. It was designed to go on a 2ft (60cm) brick base that my dad, a bricklayer, built. It cost £42 including delivery, and is now over 55 years old. Barry J Lambert, Thetford, Norfolk Wendy says Cedar greenhouses have certainly gone up in price! What a good idea to place the frame on a brick base, as Anne Swithinbank advised in her recent Masterclass feature (AG, 5 Jan). Green…

Not all trees should be pruned in autumn and winter. If you cut back early flowering varieties such as forsythia now, you will lose this year’s blossom as it grows on wood that is made the previous year. Early blooming trees and shrubs are pruned straight after flowering to give them maximum time to create new shoots. Members of the Prunus family (plums, cherries, peaches, almonds and nectarines) are susceptible to silver leaf disease and should be pruned from April-July, when disease spores are not so prevalent. Evergreen trees rarely need pruning, though dead and diseased material should be removed in late summer.…

IT often seems as though the normal rules of everyday life are suspended at Christmas, which leads to a general feeling of relief when things return to the humdrum and mundane. One thing a lot of people will be thinking about as spring approaches is renovating their gardens or moving house altogether. Exciting times – but what do you do with outdoor plants you want to keep or relocate? You could take and nurture cuttings, of course, but if time is precious you might be better off taking the more simple route and lifting and storing your treasured plants and relocating them wholesale. Lift the plant as close to moving day as possible. To make transportation easier, cut the plant back and lift it carefully, digging around its root area…

LAST year’s bizarre weather patterns caused problems across the entire horticultural community, and several of these may have recurring effects over the next year or so. There is no way of predicting what this year’s weather will be like, but it helps to know how to protect your plants and garden should the worst occur. January and February are usually the coldest, most snow-prone of the winter months, though March and even April can still spring uncomfortable surprises, as the Beast from the East proved in 2018. Snow and hard frosts look beautiful, but can be incredibly destructive. As with all things, prevention in avoiding damage in the first place is a better option than trying to right it afterwards. When snow is forecast, protect your most tender border plants…

1 ‘Rocket’ and ‘Swift’, as their names imply, are the quickest to yield earlies, although my choice here is ‘Maris Bard’. 2 Second-early ‘Kestrel’ is a very pretty purple-eyed tuber and a show favourite amongst exhibits of vegetables. 3 Choose ‘Ratte’ for excellent flavour eaten hot and in salads – even if the tubers can be rather long and narrow in funny shapes. 4 Potato ‘Cara’ is a popular cultivar on allotments, with some resistance to eelworm, virus and blight.…

AS SPRING approaches, it’s sensible to reassess the space you allocate to each crop. Did you have too many carrots, and not enough French beans? Few of us have enough space or time to grow everything, so choices have to be made. Obviously, if you’ve not enjoyed a crop enough to use it up, then perhaps less should be grown this year. Don’t listen to thoughts such as, ‘But x is so healthy and full of vitamins’. There’s no point growing something healthy if it’s then not eaten! Conversely, if a crop ran out you probably need to grow more of it. But even with such easy decisions, you should judge carefully, especially if time is your limiting factor. It makes sense to grow less of those crops that take…

THE border bedding that went in during the autumn is doing well, despite the cold and wet. The wallflowers are robust and healthy, promising a colourful, headily scented spring, and the violas and cyclamen have flowered for months. Many of the cyclamen are past flowering now and have bowed their seedpods down to the soil and hopefully sowed seeds there to create a carpet of colour and variegated leaves in subsequent years. Spend a few minutes tidying around your bedding so it bounces back into growth after the cold weather. I was most concerned about the violas as last year many plants fell foul of black spot. This is a tenacious fungal disease transmitted via spores in the soil by previously grown contaminated plants, or is brought in on new…

EVERYONE should experience that pivotal, joyous moment when fork prongs are pushed into the soil to unearth the first new potatoes of the season. For those of us growing them outside, this is usually in early to mid-June. However, you can force Mother Nature’s hand further by growing in tubs under glass. So, how do you go about getting the best early crops? Choosing ‘earlies’ is key – this is the name given to varieties that take 100 days to mature (whereas maincrops can take at least 130). These hit the ground running as soon as they enter warm soil. Warm soil is crucial – impatiently planting into cold earth won’t reap any rewards; at best, the tubers will sit in stasis until things warm up – at worst, they…

WITH this and next month being predominantly the coldest of the year, you might well see snowflakes falling in your locality. While a light dusting is nothing short of stunning, steady flurries can be problematic for all grow-your-owners. The weight of 3-4in (8-10cm) of snow can buckle fruit cages and cloches, and also crack panes on the glasshouse roof – ouch! Rejoice in the beauty of the white stuff, but take a broom to any on these garden structures. Hardy crops (annual spinach, hardy salads or Swiss chard) buried under a good layer of snow will actually be insulated due to the trapped air between the snow crystals; they will also be protected from icy wind chills. The outer leaves that are directly in contact with the snow may be…

1 Clear away any weeds on the chosen site by hand. At this stage, you might have to dig out deep-rooted perennials like bindweed and ground elder. 2 Add a 2-3in (5-8cm) surface layer of garden compost (leave until spring on frozen soil). With annual mulches, the bed’s performance will improve year on year. 3 As the soil warms in March and the mulch settles down, you’re ready to go! Either sow directly into the mulch or, if it’s still a bit lumpy, transplant young veg.…

Flowering is most prolific in open, sunny situations, although plants will thrive in partial shade. Hamamelis grow well in most soils that aren’t waterlogged, but they’re not happy in shallow chalky conditions. To accommodate the shallow, spreading root system, make a planting hole significantly wider than it is deep. Do not ‘improve’ the soil with organic matter – doing so will discourage the roots from spreading. After planting, mulch with weed-free organic matter, leaving a small area close to the main stem unmulched. If planting in a container, choose a large pot and do not crowd the roots with other plants.…

BEDDING plants are a must-have if you want to create the kind of summer hanging baskets or colourful containers that are guaranteed to turn heads. Most people wait until mid-spring to snap up plants from the garden centre, but there’s another option available – growing some of your own specimens from seed. Apart from saving you a lot of money when compared to buying ready-grown, larger plants later in the season, raising your own plants from scratch has other benefits. You will be able to grow some varieties that are not readily available and it’s rewarding to see displays of plants you have nurtured from the start. If you are dyed-in-the-wool ‘readygrown’ plant buyer you might be put off by thinking that growing from seed is hard work. Well, it…

Galanthus Snowdrops will take just about anything except very low temperatures in a raging gale. They’ll still look good peeking through snow, and will even stretch to emerge through a few inches. Hamamelis I’ve seen witch hazel blooming at below 0ºC, with snow on the flower clusters. Darker colours like orange ‘Jelena’ (above) stand out; and as the sun warms them you’ll notice the scent. Helleborus Pastels and reds look best against snow. If you get regular snowfalls, avoid those with double flowers, which will be weighed down. Melting overnight ice crystals on the blooms can be delightful. Jasminum Winter jasmine, J. nudiflorum (above), is a tough plant, especially when in bud. A ferocious frost may damage any open flowers, but there will be more buds waiting to replace them.…

Six million Britons are living with tinnitus – but many feel they aren’t getting enough help. More than half of those who visited their GP with the condition were unhappy with the advice they received, according to research by the British Tinnitus Association. Eighty-eight per cent of those referred to an audiology unit reported having to wait up to four months for an appointment. The good news is there are people who can help. Global hearing specialist Amplifon can quickly provide expert advice and hearing aids to bring respite from symptoms.Studies suggest that hearing aids do reduce the effects of tinnitus for a significant number of people. By amplifying the sounds around them, aids can make the noises associated with tinnitus less noticeable for sufferers. Amplifon can offer state-of-the-art digital…

For double the impact, plant cornus and salix so they reflect in your pond. Prune cornus, salix and rubus hard in late winter/early spring. This encourages new, brightly coloured stems. Plant shrubs with bright stems against the dark backdrop of an evergreen hedge to allow the colours to sparkle. If space allows, grow cornus in a group for a spectacular show. Plant trees with attractive bark unhindered by evergreen shrubs to enjoy the glory of the winter colour. Wash the trunk of sliver birch to remove algae. Underplant your deciduous shrubs with snowdrops. Put new life into your old silver birch by washing the stems.…

Can I cut back my fuchsias? Q How should I care for the overwintering tender fuchsias in my greenhouse? Elizabeth Ranson, via email A Your frost-tender fuchsias will overwinter well if you keep the compost damp. For the moment, shorten stems to about half their length. No new growth will appear before February or March. When it does, if you with to propagate your plants take 3in (7cm) cuttings of new shoots. Remove the lower leaves, make a clean cut below the bottom joint and insert the cuttings to half their depth and 2in (5cm) apart around the edge of a 4in (10cm) pot of seed and cuttings compost. Water and seal the pot in an inflated plastic bag to keep the air moist. Summertime gold Q What is this…

PLANT restios in well-drained, moderately fertile soil. They enjoy sun, but our rhodocoma thrives in an east-facing border. Water young plants during dry spells. Give mature potted restios enough water to soak the entire rootball, then let the surface begin to dry before watering again. Provide winter protection for young, vulnerable restios in colder gardens. Place a bark mulch over their roots and cover the tops with fleece. Wrap the sides of potted plants.…

Plant during spring in a position where the sun is received for at least half the day. Daylilies will grow well almost anywhere, but they prefer a good, moist yet well-drained soil. Water during droughts while establishing – thereafter they will look after themselves. Some modern re-blooming hybrids require extra watering to continue flowering. Mulch in spring as they return to growth. Propagate by lifting and dividing clumps in autumn or spring. Divide evergreen varieties in spring only.…

Peckish Complete Energy Balls are packed full of 12 different ingredients and added Calvita vitamins, resulting in each bite containing 28% more fat than a standard ball. Each ball has a blend of high-energy suet and the 12 ingredients from the Peckish Complete seed mix, which has been specially chosen to attract a wide variety of birds. They are enriched with Calvita, a natural nutrient supplement containing calcium and vitamins to help improve the overall health of birds. We have two packs of 24 Peckish Complete Energy Balls to give away, each worth £4.99. 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 Peckish Complete Energy Balls Draw (19 January), Amateur Gardening, Pinehurst…

I HAVE followed the highly respected Bob Flowerdew’s advice in Amateur Gardening faithfully, and some years ago he told us to prune our vines in the dead of winter in January. However, Lucy Chamberlain is now telling us (AG, 24 Nov) that vines will bleed if pruned after Christmas? Maybe I have misunderstood Bob? Bob replied: Pruning time varies, depending on indoor or outdoor vines and local conditions. The old boys reckoned earlier was better than later and I agree, even before all the leaves have fallen and especially so when under cover. Pruning too late does risk cut ends bleeding – this may be by January under cover! Outdoor vines do not often move that early and so can be pruned as late as February. However, once sap…

Owners: Peter and Sandra Curl Address: 79 Crabtree Lane, Burscough, Lancs L40 0RW Garden size: Three-quarters acre Month visited: June Aspect: North-west facing Soil: Free-draining peat and sand over silver sand layer Special features: Series of garden ‘rooms’, themed island beds, ponds, a waterfall, gravel garden, stone features created from reclaimed materials, a rockery and roses. Open for the NGS: Sundays 19 May and 16 June, 11am-4pm, and by arrangement in May, June and July…

Joining forces Toby considers how Ethiopian farmers are utilising catch crops to boost yield with some clever group dynamics WANT to be eight years younger? Just head to Ethiopia! Unlike the rest of the world, which foolishly moved to the new-fangled Gregorian calendar in 1582, the Abyssinians stuck with the 13 month-long Julian almanac – and according to that, it’s still 2011. And that’s not all. The days begin at 6am, not midnight, which means breakfast is at one, while the mid-day meal gets cooked up at nine, and I haven’t felt this discombobulated since I sat O-level algebra! Still, it’s been worth it to witness the work of Send a Cow – a charity that helps farmers grow their way out of poverty using crucially sustainable horticultural practices. “Walking…

Our ‘Conference’ pear tree had lots of foliage but no fruit and was becoming congested, so a hard prune was called for. After pruning, the tree looks neater and the branches are more ‘open’, increasing airflow and creating a healthier plant. 1 Start pruning by removing spindly, crossing, inward-facing branches that are rubbing together and congesting the centre of the tree. 2 Remove the wood cleanly, cutting it back to the main branch. Sharp, clean secateurs are the perfect tool for this job. 3 Then move to larger branches growing in the wrong direction and spoiling the tree’s shape. Loppers make this task easier. 4 Use a saw to remove the thickest wood, sawing in smooth movements to create a clean break that will heal quickly. 5 Prune back the…

Ensure houseplants are healthy by positioning them where they can get maximum natural light. Avoid leaving them on windowsills overnight, as closed curtains can create a cold spot that can damage foliage and flowers. Stop feeding plants unless they are in bloom and only water once compost feels dry to the touch. Wipe leaves clear of dust and debris, and check plants regularly for pests. Any plants that have outgrown their containers can stay where they are and be repotted in spring. watered, feed monthly between April and September, and mulch to retain water and block weeds.…

On milder days you can open greenhouse doors, windows and vents to let fresh air blow through, but remember to close them again at dusk. Check that plants are healthy, removing dead and damaged foliage and dealing with any pests. Lay fleece over tender varieties on frosty nights, lifting it when the temperature rises the next day. A failure to do so may cause condensation to gather, which will attract mould if left. Most overwintering plants will survive with hardly any water, but do give some sparingly if they droop. Check stored corms and tubers, and discard any that are rotting. check that the soil hasn’t been lifted around new trees and shrubs. If it has, heel it down to firm the plants back in and secure their roots.…

1 Make sure you keep off frosty grass, as walking on it will bruise the blades and may even kill them. 2 Brush heavy snow off the greenhouse to protect the glass and frame from its weight and to let more light in to the plants inside. 3 Some plants, such as hellebores, look flattened after snow or a hard freeze, but they will quickly spring back when it thaws. 4 Last winter, I couldn’t get in the shed when the lock mechanism froze. Simple solution: dunk it in a pot of warm (not boiling) water.…

FIRST came the scorching summer, and now we have a damp and sporadically freezing winter. Neither of these things is helping lawns look their best, but there are things you can do to keep yours looking reasonable. Grass keeps growing if the temperature rises, so if you decide to get the mower out set its blades high and only cut the grass if it is dry. If you have lumps and hollows in the lawn, cut away the affected turf and rake the underlying soil flat before returning the turf and lightly treading it down before watering. Do this on a mild day when the lawn isn’t frozen or saturated. Moles become more active around now. Various sonic and chemical deterrents are available, but if you are happy to live…

1 Coldest weather often comes over the next six weeks, so check all outside taps, pipes, gutters, butts and drains. 2 Weeds may flower and seed even this deep into winter, so pull them right out or at least deadhead them. 3 Trap woodlice and other active pests in greenhouses and cold frames in hollowed-out roots, potatoes or under bits of wood. 4 Under cover, sow pak choi, loose-leaf lettuce, spring onions and rocket densely in trays, for fresh salad leaves in weeks.…

22: Apple Pruning: RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Rosemoor, Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH. ✆ 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor 23: Make Your Own Natural Beauty Products: RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorks HG3 1QB. ✆ 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr 25: Healthy Hedges – selection, planting and pruning: RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Rosemoor, Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH. ✆ 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor 26: The Ultimate Snowdrop Sale: Myddelton House Gardens, Bulls Cross, Enfield EN2 9HG ✆ 03000 030 610, visitleevalley.org.uk/myddelton 31: Get the Best from Your Roses: RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane, Rettendon, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 8ET. ✆ 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall 31: Pruning and Training Climbers and Wall shrubs: RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Rosemoor, Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH. ✆ 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor ■ Send details…

‘Lady Christl’ I’ve grown this reliable variety for 10 years, and it never disappoints. Yellow, oval tubers with a sublime taste. ‘Red Duke of York’ Older variety (introduced in the 1940s) that’s quickly moving on to my ‘mustgrow’ list for its superb flavour. Red-skinned. ‘Jazzy’ This oval, waxy tuber is a second early (110 days to mature), but it’s tasty and prolific in pots, so you can start it off under glass.…

1 Make a sowing calendar for 2019 veg. Wine bo xes or shoebo xes make ideal containers for your seed pack ets, separated by monthly dividers. 2 Tidy the garden shed. Wipe down tools, oiling any moving parts. Stack pots and trays, and create a potting-up station. 3 Did you wrap up your feijoas, pomegranates and other tender crops for winter? Check that insulation is still in place , and drain off any ‘puddles ’ 4 . Are your greenhouse borders bare? Use the space – sow rows of radishes for early pullings, covering the drill with a cloche 5 . Check gutters and downpipes for any blockages of leaves or weeds. Clear them out to ensure your water butts are fully topped up .…

While I regularly walk past wild seakale ( Crambe maritima ) on the gravel beach at Dunwich, none has ever worked its way into my garden, so I’m denying myself the chance to eat a perennial delicacy – the forced shoots. Eaten raw or lightly steamed, these – along with the flower buds – can be eaten while young and tender (hollandaise sauce is said to be the perfect accompaniment). Good drainage is key for this hardy maritime plant. It can be raised from cuttings (buy via mail order, wait two years until harvest) or seed (this takes three years to reach maturity). Both can be purchased now. Once clumps are mature, place a forcing pot over them in mid January, ready to harvest shoots (and later flower buds) in…

Keep plants moist during summer for the first couple of years, until their roots are well established. Protect young plants with fleece on frosty nights to avoid the risk of damage to young shoots. Older plants will recover from any frost damage – young plants not so much. Renew the mulch of weed-free organic matter every autumn. Remove any weeds that penetrate. Feed with a light dose of general fertiliser in spring. Suckers sometimes grow vertically from the base of the main stem, or from the roots. Remove these promptly. Pests and diseases are rare, so you’ll have few worries there.…

Remove the chains from the basket and place the empty container in an upturned bucket on a table to help keep it steady and at the right height for planting up. If you are using a traditional basket containing a plastic or waterproof liner, pierce it a few times to make holes for drainage. Bags of special hanging basket compost are available for planting up, but multi-purpose compost is fine. It’s less expensive and can be improved by adding some controlled-release fertiliser granules and a few teaspoons of water-retaining crystals that absorb up to 400 times their own weight in water, releasing it as the compost starts to dry. The secret to making a good basket arrangement is to use a mixture of plants that have different shapes and growth…

AS I admire the wonderful displays offered by colourful winter stems, I am taken back to my time as a horticultural student. The weekly plant identity test at college became progressively trickier in the winter months. During the other seasons the mystery plants were presented with a selection of stems, leaves, fruits or flowers. In winter, the object was to recognise the plant by its stems alone. This was a challenge worth facing as these hardy winter-interest plants were well worth knowing. It’s plants with brightly coloured stems that give many of our most acclaimed winter gardens that extra dimension in the coldest months of the year. Mottisfont Winter Garden in Hampshire and Cambridge University Botanic Garden are both fine examples of where woody plants with brightly coloured stems and…

Can I plant a honeysuckle hedge? Q I am thinking of planting a hedge of Lonicera nitida in an area of garden that faces south-east, so it is sunny and can be windy. Would it be suitable? Marion Cortina, via email What a lovely idea – I applaud your idea of planting a boundary hedge of Lonicera nitida, commonly called Chinese honeysuckle. It will make a dense barrier. Encourage it to grow strongly by double digging the planting area and work in soil conditioner such as well-rotted farmyard manure into the bottom spit. Before planting, mix Vitax Q4 fertiliser with soil that you firm around the root system. Ideally, set the plants (which are best bought pot-grown) 18in (45cm) apart in a double staggered row. If you can only buy bare-root…

1 If you know someone with a mature restio, beg for a small portion. Using a tough transplanting spade, dig under an outer section. 2 Push or chop downwards to sever the new plant from its mother clump. 3 Lift the new plant, reduce the stem length slightly and replant immediately or pot up, using 50:50 John Innes No2 and soilless multipurpose, with 20% added grit and composted bark. 4 Provide some support to hold the plant steady while the roots are growing.…

‘Anzac’ This re-blooming daylily bears an abundance of large crimson blooms with yellow throats held well above neat foliage. Reaches 28in (71cm) and dies back for winter. ‘Pandora’s Box’ A re-blooming evergreen daylily with creamy 4in (10cm)-wide flowers that feature red centres. It appears in flushes through summer. Plants reach 19in (48cm) tall. ‘Calico Jack’ An eye-catching daylily with yellow blooms decorated by a maroon centre and petal rims. The large flowers are held on stems 28in (71cm) high, and its foliage is evergreen. ‘Strawberry Candy’ Large coral-pink flowers with glowing strawberry and yellow centres that open early in summer and repeat throughout. A semi-evergreen reaching 2ft (60cm) tall.…

Extract from the ‘Legal’ column: Q At the bottom of my yard are some trees, which hang over my wall. One, I think, is a willow, the other a lime, and every year they grow taller. Can I have them cut down, or must I be content to cut off what hangs over? If the tenant gives me verbal permission to cut off what hangs over, is that sufficient? Can I make him reduce the height? A You have the legal right to cut off any branches which overhang your garden, but not cut the trees down or reduce their height. Send a written notice by registered post to the owner of the trees, politely asking him within seven days to remove the overhanging branches; if not, then you will…

One surprising crop outside nearly every house in Ethiopia is rue. In the UK, rue was once valued as a cure-all but now is better known for being poisonous and causing painful blisters if the sap gets on the skin in bright sunlight. In Ethiopia, every smallholder and street coffee-seller has some and uses it to flavour coffee, briefly dipping the blue leaves into the brew just before serving. It tastes like rooibos tea – but don’t try this at home!…