Innholdsfortegnelse for 30-Mar-2019 i Amateur Gardening

“The weather this year has been pretty good for gardening so far (finger’s crossed!). Last year’s combination of late freeze followed by a heatwave and near-drought played havoc with many of our lawns, and certainly baked a section of mine into a brown-scorched disaster! The scars of last year are still visible in lack of growth, but I’m hoping that with better weather, hard work and some good products, it will improve. A healthy-looking, well-managed lawn makes such a difference to the overall effect of a garden. See Ruth’s tips on pages 4 and 5 to give your lawn the best start.”…

Not all lawn seeds were created equal. Some are designed for a pristine ornamental sward; others are more rugged for areas of heavy use. You can also buy seed for shaded areas or seeds mixed with wildflowers for a natural meadow. Some are purely seeds, while others have additional ingredients to boost germination (Johnson’s Lawn Seed Thickener with Seedbooster) and some contain moss- and weedkillers (such as Westland’s Aftercut All-in-One or EverGreen Complete 4-in-1). The most recent developments in the grass seed market are products that will boost and thicken grass and prevent weeds, while also being safe to use around children and pets.…

Things are hotting up under cover and outside, so take time to ready the greenhouse for this summer’s seedlings, cuttings and tender veggies. Wash down the glass to remove smears and algae, and let the maximum light through to your plants. Wipe down all surfaces and the framework with warm water and detergent or diluted Jeyes Fluid, and get rid of overwintering pests by lighting a garlic candle. Check overwintered plants. Compost any that have died and prune out dead or failing growth. Start watering overwintered tender perennials to start them back into growth. Keep a couple of layers of fleece handy to throw over tender plants on frosty nights.…

IF you are short on space, or have an expanse of patio to fill, growing dwarf trees and shrubs in containers is a brilliant way of jazzing up your garden. There are many roads you can go down, from under-planting standard trees to mixing flowering shrubs with bedding that can be changed through the seasons and growing dwarf fruit trees for colour and functionality. Container trees and shrubs need more attention than those in the ground, as they have limited access to nutrients and are more prone to drying out. Spring is a key time for their care, whether they require re-potting or feeding and topdressing with fresh compost. We have a selection of potted shrubs and trees, and this week I have been tending to their care. A small…

THIS week’s free seeds are something rather special. For our 135th anniversary year, we are giving away special packs of seeds from the RHS and Sarah Raven. This week’s seeds are for Mina lobata from the RHS. A robust annual climber that grows to up to 4-6ft (1.2-1.8m) tall, it scrambles through plants and up supports and is decked out with prolific racemes of flowers that start off vibrant red and gradually tone down to an elegant cream. The seeds are small, hard and round, and you can help them to germinate by either soaking them in tepid water overnight or nicking or filing them to weaken their hard shells. Grow the seedlings on after germination and prick then out when they are large enough. After acclimatising them to outside…

1 Put pea guards or some similar protection over all your sowings as birds are now active, eating and scratching up everywhere. 2 Remove old and dead leaves from strawberry plants, then bring some plants in pots under cover for an earlier crop. 3 Sow sweetcorn in the warm now, then grow on individually under cover, one per bucket-sized pot for a super-early crop. 4 British Summer Time starts this week, so use that extra hour each day for gardening and you’ll surprise yourself with the results!…

✓ Grow early-maturing vegetable varieties with a fast growth rate and quick turnover, to ensure you can pack more onto your plot. ✓ Utilise wall and fence space by hanging large tubs, baskets and planting pouches against them, or invest in vertical growing systems. ✓ Use cloches and covers to stretch the seasons – you’ll gain a whole extra month each side of the growing season! ✓ Choose climbing veg varieties to get them up off the ground (which can be cropped with something else). ✓ Grow edible flowers (hollyhocks, daylilies, violas) in your borders. ✓Sow veg into modules so they’re ready to transplant into beds and tubs as soon as they’re cleared.…

1 Make a seedbed in the normal way – dig over the patch of earth, bashing out lumps with a fork. Allow to dry out a little if possible, then rake to a fine tilth. 2 Once you’ve finished raking, cover over the bed with a clear plastic cloche – the extra warmth will encourage a flush of weed seeds to germinate in the bare bed. 3 When these have emerged, shallowly hoe them off (but not too deep, or you’ll bring more weed seeds to the surface). Sow your veg, and fewer weed seeds will emerge!…

WHILE it’s popular to grow fruit in pots, there aren’t many that actually benefit from it – but figs are an exception. By confining these normally vigorous trees in a container, you effectively ‘bonsai’ them. This keeps them compact (and therefore far more manageable) and will also encourage them to bear fruit earlier in their life; a heavier crop is encouraged, too. What’s not to love? Now is an ideal time to plant a tree. Choose a non-porous container that’s at least 18in (45cm) wide, deep and tall; this prevents roots from drying out. Ensure drainage holes are adequate, then pot your tree up (a John Innes No3 compost is ideal) and site it in full sun. There are plenty of varieties available, and all are self-fertile so only one…

PETUNIAS are sold in two different ways: as seed, or as plugs and young plants. Which is best? Well, I’d always consider plugs or young plants first. One company offers 66 petunia plugs to grow on for £11.98, or 60 ‘garden ready’ plants for £24.98 – that sounds like good value to me. By starting with plugs or plants, you let the grower take all the risk at the most difficult stage – seed germination. True, some varieties are only available as seed; but far more, and many of the latest and best, are only available as plants.…

Gentiana asclepiadea The herbaceous perennial willow gentian likes a moist but well-drained, non-chalky soil in light shade. Flowers open from late summer to autumn on stems 24-36in (61-91cm) high. Delphinium ‘Blue Dawn’ These sky-blue flowers, touched with pink and with black eyes, open on stems reaching 5ft (1½m) tall. Treat your delphiniums to rich, well-cultivated soil for the best results. Anchusa azurea Flowers of gentian-blue bloom on perennials in early summer; heavenly with white foxgloves. Grow from spring-sown seed. Reaches 5ft (1½m) tall. Ceanothus ‘Blue Mound’ Growing to a height of 5ft (1½m) and spread of 6ft (2m), this Califlornian lilac likes fertile but well-drained soil. Blooms profusely in April and May, and bees love it!…

Rotary mower: Lawnmower with a propeller-like blade set face down to the grass. Cylinder mower: Lawnmower with a cylindrical arrangement of blades like a roller at the front of the mower. Push-along mower: A cylinder mower with no motor, powered by the gardener pushing and the blades turned by gears from the wheels. Mulching mower: Rotary mower that chops cuttings very finely and lets them fall back into the lawn to feed the grass. Cut height: The distance between the blade and the soil surface, adjusted by a lever on the side of the mower body – usually three to five different settings. Grass box: A box set at the back (rotary blades) or front (cylinder blades) of the mower to collect grass clippings. Power breaker: Device fitted between plug…

What’s best for echinacea? QI have had trouble getting echinacea to grow from seed or plants. I have been trying for four years but so far I have failed to create the prairie garden look that I’ve admired in pictures, filled with grasses and pink daisies. Please can you help? Fiona Ward, Kempston Hardwick, Bedfordshire A There are many inspirational pictures of these showy lilac pink daisies, and growing them from seed is an economical way of creating lovely swathes and dotting them through grasses, veronicastrums and perovskias. Hybridisers have been at work and you can now buy seed strains including ‘Green Twister’ with its pink, green and cream petals, and ‘Dreamcoat’ with mixed-colour daisies of red, rust, orange, apricot, yellow and white as well as pink. However, for a…

MANY familiar gardening products (which may or may not be made in the UK) have parent firms that are firmly based in Europe. Take these nine brand names, for example: Husqvarna (chainsaws, trimmers, brushcutters, cultivators, tractors, mowers – and sewing machines): Swedish. Flymo (mowers, trimmers and blowers): Swedish, and part of the Husqvarna Group. Gardena (watering equipment, mowers and lawn-care products): German, but part of the Husqvarna Group. Stihl (chainsaws, trimmers, blowers, mowers, tractors, shredders and tillers): German. Bayer (pesticides and weedkillers): German. Etesia (brushcutters, mowers and electric barrows): French. Fiskars (hand tools, secateurs and other cutting tools): Finnish. Vitavia (greenhouses, coldframes and accessories): Danish. Wolf Garden Tools/Wolf Garten (electric power tools and hand tools): German.…

Never too old to learn IN recent years, the spring flowers on my almond tree had become poor, and I was beginning to think that the tree would soon have to be recycled into logs. I then remembered that the flowers grow on the previous year’s growth, so I decided to give it a really hard prune after flowering. It was fairly drastic, and in fact looked as if it had been pollarded, but it soon started to produce new shoots – a lot of which grew to over 4ft (1.2m) in length, and this spring it has produced its best-ever display of lovely pink flowers. Whilst I have been gardening for over 75 years, I have at last learned not to be afraid of really hard pruning, and this…

How to revive your lawn! These smart tips will make it ready for summer, says Ruth IT’S fair to say that our front lawn is currently letting the side down. We have never been fond of the ‘bowling green’ look, but right now, it’s a disaster area. In previous years, we have been pretty blasé about the amounts of moss growing among the grass – it was green, and could be mowed, and in any case, the lawn was hidden behind a shrubby hedge. But now we have been hit by a double whammy, having taken out some of the hedge, making the lawn more visible, just in time for the moss to die off after last summer’s drought and the long wet winter. So something needs to be done,…

1 Start removing the area of moss by digging around its borders with a sharp spade blade. There is no need to cut too deep. 2 Peel back the moss. It shouldn’t be hard to strip off, as the roots are shallow, and I found it easier to peel it back by hand than use a rake. 3 Rake over the soil to create a fine tilth and seedbed. You may need to add more topsoil if a lot came up with the moss. 4 Sow the grass at the recommended rate, either by hand or by using a handheld or wheeled seed spreader. 5 Water the seedbed well, using a watering can fitted with a fine rose. You may need to repeat every few days if the weather is…

1 You can resume feeding and watering houseplants when they start to grow again. Use a liquid feed and apply fortnightly. 2 Wipe dust, pests and debris off leaves so that plants can optimise natural light for growth and photosynthesis. 3 Pests love indoor warmth, so check plants. Wipe off smaller infestations and use chemicals with care if there is a larger problem. 4 Deadhead, and remove dead and damaged leaves, to keep the plant looking good and remove potential sites for pests and disease. Top Tip Avoid leaving plants behind closed curtains overnight, as cold air will be trapped that will stunt and even kill more tender varieties.…

THERE are some dramatic changes in lifestyle happening as modern means of social communication keep speeding things up. Increasingly, today’s homeowner wants ‘instant’ – if the sun shines and they decide to entertain, flowering containers are bought in to decorate the patio. Garden size is shrinking with modern housing developments, which gives little space for what is described in some circles as “proper gardening”. I see my self as a proper gardener, who gardens all year round, pretty well regardless of weather, in no rush – and prepared to sow, take cuttings and nurture plants both indoors and out. This is no criticism of a ‘Yardener’, perhaps with a stressful job and a young (or old) family demanding attention, little space and no soil to cultivate. “The Yardener has little…

Container trees and shrubs can become pot-bound and grow so large it is hard to move them on. Reduce this risk by lightly trimming their roots, which helps to limit their growth and encourages the development of new feeder roots. Water the plant well to start with, then carefully ease it from its pot –you may need to enlist help in order to do this. Crumble away the old compost and untangle the roots, then carefully trim a couple of inches off to encourage new feeder roots to develop. Re-pot in fresh compost and then water well.…

31: Plant Hunters’ Fair: Middleton Hall, Tamworth, Staffs B78 2AE 31: World Of Alpines Show: RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley 31: Success With Orchids: RHS Wisley April  2-3: Early Daffodil Competition: RHS Wisley 4: Garden Walk – An Introduction To Allotments: RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorks HG3 1QB. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr 5: Garden Walk – Staking and Supporting Plants: RHS Harlow Carr 6: Plant Hunters’ Fair: Hoghton Tower, Preston, Lancs PR5 0SH 6-7: Cornwall Garden Society Spring Flower Show: The Royal Cornwall Showground, Wadebridge, Cornwall PL27 7JE. cornwallgardensociety. org.uk/spring-flower-show 7: Rare Plant Fair: Evenley Wood Gardens, Brackley, Northants NN13 5SL. 01278 661352, rareplantfair.co.uk 7: Plant Hunters’ Fair: Bramall Hall, Stockport, Greater Mancs SK7 3NX 10: The Curator’s Spring Garden…

I’M in the midst of sowing the seeds of annuals to plug any gaps in the summer garden. One of the plants I always major on is scabious because their pincushions, made from lots of tiny nectar-rich flowers, seem to satisfy butterflies, bees and larger hoverflies alike. They begin to flower in July, from a March sowing, although they can be later following a cold spring. If that’s followed by a hot summer, like last year, they may well be later. Seed mixtures are often labelled Scabiosa atropurpurea. This scabious, from the Mediterranean region, is usually listed as a half-hardy annual or HHA. However, I do find that plants overwinter here in the cold Cotswolds if you treat them like penstemons and cut them back in the spring. Pollinated easily…

1 Intercropping: Grow more than one crop in a given area. Partner quick-growing annual spinach, rocket or radish with slow-to-mature Savoy cabbages or some purple sprouting broccoli. Sweetcorn, which loves full sun, can be underplanted with shade-loving loose-leaf lettuce and land cress. 2 Cut-and-come-again: Leave lettuce, chicory, endive, radicchio, spring cabbage and kale stalks in the earth once the main head is harvested – they’ll sprout a new flush of loose leaves in four weeks. Cut-and-come-again salad leaves flush two or three more times before getting exhausted. 3 Multi-use crops: In a small space you want big returns, so choose plants that deliver. There are plenty of edible bits that get overlooked: pumpkin shoots, radish and turnip leaves, courgette flowers (pictured). So harvest these as well as the more conventional…

1 It’s your last chance to plant bare-root fruit plants, because they’ll be coming into growth soon and their roots need time to settle in beforehand. 2 Congested veg seedlings are a nightmare to transplant with tangled roots everywhere! A void the 3 frustration – don’t delay this job . Make a sowing of broad beans such as ‘The Sutton ’ now, as these will mature a week or two later than batches sown in October 4 . Warm up growing bags and pots of compost before transplanting crops into them, to avoid giving roots a chilly shock. 5 It’s now warm enough to sow batches of annual herbs such as dill, basil and summer savoury into modules under cover .…

PETUNIAS are probably Britain’s favourite patio plant. And it’s not hard to see the appeal: with colourful flowers over a long period, for hanging baskets and other containers, they are unbeatable. I’ve found that basket petunias make vigorous and dramatically colourful summer ground cover, too, with their flowers turning up their faces to look at us from ankle level. The range of colours is certainly impressive – every colour of the rainbow, including green (plus black!). They also come in shades and patterns we never thought possible, including Night Sky (‘Kleph15313’) with its white ‘stars’ on a deep blue background – not a favourite with everyone, it has to be said, but certainly unusual. In terms of habit, they range from tall, ‘climbing’ types that need a frame to support…

How do I prune an unknown rose? Q We inherited a mature, overgrown rose when we moved house. I don’t know what variety it is, but it is around 8ft (2.4m) high. How should I prune it? Toby Worthington, Salisbury, Wilts A We can advise you on pruning, even without knowing the variety or growing habit of your rose. Start by pruning out any dead, diseased and dying wood, cutting back to healthy wood just above a bud. Also, look at the plant and cut out crossing branches where the thorns on one stem might rub and damage another. Stems can be removed either to their base or to a strong side shoot. Where you remove them depends on the overall shape of the plant. Keep the centre of the…

DO ✓ Choose a warm, dry day and set the blades to the highest cut if you’re mowing through winter . ✓ Before each use check the power cable charge, or petrol and oil levels before starting , battery to cut. ✓ Empty the grass collection bo x regularly to avoid clippings spilling back onto the lawn. ✓ Mow regularly , especially when using a cylinder or a mulching mower as neither work well with long grass . ✓ Store your mower in a dry , frost-free place . Don’t ✗ Mow when sub-zero temperatures are forecast, as frost can damage freshly cut grass. ✗ Mow when the grass is wet – knock off droplets with a broom, then let it dry for an hour before mowing. ✗ Mow too…

AT the time of writing, the UK is scheduled to leave the European Union at 11pm GMT on Friday 29th March. This date was set because on the same day in 2017, Theresa May triggered the two-year leaving process. A European court has ruled that the UK can decide to halt the process and stay in the EU at any time up to this Friday’s deadline, or the process can be extended if all 28 EU member states agree. Whether you are a ‘leaver’ or a ‘remainer’, it seems like a convenient, if poignant, time to look at some of the ways European individuals – and companies – have influenced gardening, both before and since the EU was formed. Familiar Dutch bulbs BULBS with the name ‘Tubergen’ or ‘Zwanenburg’ in…

The first-ever hybrid tea rose was ‘La France’ (pictured). Raised by French nurseryman Jean-Baptiste André Guillot in 1867, it was a cross between a ‘tea rose’ (supposedly ‘Madame Bravy’) and a ‘hybrid perpetual’ (possibly ‘Madame Victor Verdier’) – hence ‘hybrid tea’. Monet’s garden at Giverny, 50 miles north-west of Paris, famous for its lake, bridge and waterlilies painted by Monet, is drowning with visitors. Last year, around 530,000 people went to see it, causing huge problems for staff and the local village – which has just 502 inhabitants!…

SIR, that was a delightful and most instructive article upon cyclamen culture in the issue of Amateur Gardening for July 8; but when at the end, Mr Fletcher says after a three-year cycle corms should be destroyed, as plenty of young stock should be coming on, I think that is a counsel of perfection for those of us who like to keep our cyclamen as pets. I am personally acquainted with two plants: one a fringed white, 10 years old, that was a glorious sight last season with over 40 blooms, and a red one, 13 years old with 30. (Mrs) AH Tulloch, Canterbury ■ As part of AG’s anniversary year celebrations, we’re re-printing a few letters by readers from issues past – so here’s one we published in the…

WHEN Albert Einstein said, “The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources,” he wasn’t talking about ketchup. He was referring to the fact that inspiration tends to come from the most unlikely places. I’ve learnt from experience that the germ of ingenuity can quite literally be a seed or, more accurately, a ‘storage solution’ for opened seed-packets. When new, these colourful, instruction-covered envelopes stack neatly, one behind the next, happily lining up like Brits abroad waiting for a bus. But as soon as the paper wallet and inner silver sachet are torn open, or the tops folded to keep unused seed inside, they become an unreadable, unruly rabble. “Inspiration comes from the most unlikely places” Using elastic bands to bundle seed types together (beans with beans, tomatoes…

1 Compressed and waterlogged lawns will be improved by aerating. Punch holes 2in (5cm) deep over compacted areas using a fork or aerator. 2 Worm casts smear and cultivate weed seeds when trodden on, so carefully brush them away once they have dried out. 3 Remove perennial weeds such as dandelions with a weed puller and infill any resulting gaps with lawn seed. 4 Neaten the edges of your lawns so borders are clearly defined and there’s no straggly grass for pests to hide in.…

1 To propagate Cape primroses (Streptocarpus), remove a healthy leaf and slice it lengthways down its spine. 2 Remove the thick spine and inset the leaf halves, cut side down, in trays of dampened cuttings compost and vermiculite. 3 Alternatively, cut leaves across and inset the cut sections in the compost. Seal in a plastic bag and place in light and warmth. 4 Make more African violets by removing a leaf at its base and inserting it in dampened gritty compost before sealing it in a plastic bag, as before.…

1 Fragrant, evergreen Chinese box ( Sarcococca ), flowering in late winter, is easy to care for and provides good year-round value. 2 Extend the flowering season of any given narcissus cultivar by planting some bulbs early in the autumn so they flower a week or two earlier than those that are planted two months later. 3 Make a sowing of land cress in succession through spring and again in September to provide fresh salad leaves all year round. 4 Forest has just introduced the Victorian Walkaround Glasshouse, which you tend from the outside. At 38x50in (96x126cm), it is designed for gardeners with limited space.…

1 Place a layer of broken crockery crocks over the drainage hole to help water escape and stop pests crawling in. 2 Mix loam-based John Innes No3 with multi-purpose compost to provide a balance of nutrients and good drainage. 3 Slip the plant from its pot and carefully tease out the roots, freeing any that are congested or circling. 4 Plant at the same depth as before, in-filling around the shrub with compost and firming it down to give support and knock out air pockets. 5 Stand the pot on feet to help drainage and water the plant, letting it soak in before adding more.…

ARE you troubled by slugs and snails – or, rather, how badly? Most of us would happily rid our gardens of the lot of them. Although, naturally, these are all part of the web of life and food for the birds, so no molluscs would mean no thrushes. Nonetheless, we just don’t want them eating our plants! It wouldn’t be so bad if they only made holes. It’s their total wiping out of whole rows of seedlings and decimation of new bedding plants that infuriates. So we ought to thin them out now, if just to stop them breeding even more. Going out at night with a torch reveals many. Having cleared those, you need to return a couple of hours later to catch later arrivals, and then again, and…

IT’S official: UK gardens are getting smaller (by about 1% per decade, to be precise). And with larger plots harbouring more weeds and extra work, it’s no surprise that small-space gardening is popular among time-strapped growers. Luckily, there are loads of successful ways for you to grow crops in compact gardens. Here’s how to make more of every spot… Check soil health Closer spacings and more intensive cropping is only successful if your soil is up to scratch. Adding bulky organic matter (well-rotted manure or garden compost) will help add nutrients and lock in moisture. Dig a 3in (7½cm) layer into the top spade’s depth of soil. If you’re growing in pots, opt for a good-quality brand with extra nutrients and water-retaining materials added, such as Gro-Sure Container & Basket…

DON’T get me wrong: I love a classic purple beet. The colouring is caused by a pigment called betacyanin, which has proven antioxidant, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as high levels of magnesium, folic acid and manganese. So with these impressive credentials, why grow any other colours? Because you can! We are so lucky as gardeners that seed companies offer such a vast range of varieties. Golden, orange, white and even striped – you can buy packets of seeds individually or opt for a far less costly seed mixture such as ‘Rainbow Mixed’ (inset). The bonus of these is that they don’t stain your fingers or clothes (a boon if you’re a mucky eater). Now is the ideal time to sow beetroot (follow my stale seedbed project below for…

AS gardeners, we’re all familiar with honeysuckles, but did you know that some produce delicious fruits? The honey berry ( Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica ) is one such species, yielding elongated, milky purple fruit in midsummer. The edible species is just as hardy as the ornamental types, being happy in sun or dappled shade where it can scramble into the light – just add some support wires or trellis. The fruits taste somewhere between a grape and a plum, and are tasty raw and cooked. Yield for one plant is impressive (no additional pollinating plant is needed). Now is an ideal time to plant one of these hardy climbers, so why not make it a weekend project?…

PETUNIAS can be used in many ways – pick those that best suit your needs: Traditional bedding Choose bushy varieties in mixtures, single colours or colour-themed blends. Plant 8-10in (20-25cm) apart, in well-drained, fertile soil, in full sun. The Storm Series has excellent weather resistance. Tubs and pots Semi-trailing single or double varieties will spill over the sides generously, and snuggle around the base of cannas, medium-height dahlias and other upright plants in large tubs. Priscilla and the other Tumbelina Series are ideal. Groundcover Choose trailing hanging basket varieties, planting them 14-16in (35-40cm) apart on sunny banks or along gravel driveways where they will spread out brightly. ‘Purple Wave’ works particularly well as groundcover. Hanging baskets Position carefully – you need your basket to be easy to water and in…

Plants All lupins enjoy full sun and good drainage. Plant in spring and support with canes and string, or with grid supports. Deadhead promptly. Seed Sow in warmth, in spring, in individual pots. Move into 3in (7½cm) pots and plant out after all risk of frost has passed. Division Lift and divide carefully in early spring; do not break them up into small pieces. Pests & diseases Lupins have their very own huge fat grey aphids. These should be dealt with ruthlessly as they transmit viral diseases.…

Grow bluebell creepers in a 50:50 John Innes No2 and soilless compost mixture with a little added grit and leaf mould. Pot on every spring to a slightly larger pot until a final size is reached. Thereafter, top-dress in spring by removing loose compost from the top and replacing with fresh. Feed established plants fortnightly from spring to midsummer with a well-balanced liquid fertiliser. Should a plant lose vigour, either pot on or root-prune by shaving 2in (5cm) from the outside of the rootball and then potting back into the cleaned container, using fresh compost. Pruning is not essential but should plants need tidying, or to encourage new growth, thin or shorten stems either after flowering or during late winter or early spring. Propagate by taking 3-4in (8-10cm) cuttings made…

CREATING a good lawn requires effort and patience… and a good lawnmower. The obvious choice for a small- to medium-sized lawn of 22-60 square yards (20-55m2 ) that is close to the house is a cabled, mains electric model. The cable should be long enough to reach a power point in the house or garage – so check the distance before you buy! Such mowers are light to carry and quite cheap, plus they are powerful and they work very effectively. Many are rotary bladed, with a propeller-like blade mounted face down to the grass. This type of blade is capable of tackling coarse and long grass, and still gives a very neat cut You can also buy mains electric cabled cylinder mowers. These have a cylindrical arrangement of blades,…

1 Check your mower has fuel, is charged or plugged in. Set the cut height, then take your starting position on the edge of the lawn. 2 With petrol and battery mowers, start cutting around the edge first, and then mow in parallel lines across the body of the lawn. 3 Stop to check and empty the grass box regularly – frequency will depend on the length of grass and the height of cut. 4 When you’re finished, empty the grass box, disconnect the power and clean the mower on top and underneath.…

Creating an indoor garden oasis is set to be a big trend for 2019 and to ensure your houseplants continue to flourish, Miracle-Gro is giving six lucky readers the chance to win a bottle of Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food Concentrate. Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food Concentrate guarantees beautiful, healthy and strong plants, plus its high nitrogen formula will also result in greener leaves. The plant food can be used to feed all indoor plants including cactus, citrus and bonsai plants. We have six bottles of Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food Concentrate 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 Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food Concentrate Draw (30 March), Amateur…

SEEDS germinate best when the temperature and humidity around the kernels stays constant – if they fluctuate, the kernels dry out and the emerging leaves are damaged. That’s where a lid comes in handy, especially for plants that need warm temperatures to sprout. At the top end of the temperature scale are tropical bananas and palms that require 25-35ºC (77-95ºF). The next band is for the South Americans – petunias, begonias, tomatoes, chillies and aubergines, which germinate at 21ºC (70ºF). Below these are garden perennials, along with foxgloves and Europeans such as cabbage, beets and salads; these prefer 15ºC (59ºF).…