Innholdsfortegnelse for 18-May-2019 i Amateur Gardening

Vine weevils are a pernicious pest that can decimate container plants and shrubs. The drab-brown adults chew notches in leaf margins from spring to late summer, and the creamy C-shaped grubs feast on roots and can kill plants between summer and spring. Check your plants by torchlight on warm evenings and pick off any adults you find. Always check roots when repotting shrubs or planting out bedding. Add any grubs to the bird table and wash roots clean of contaminated soil, grubs and eggs. Treat with a nematode and encourage predators such as hedgehogs, rove beetles and frogs. Chemical drenches are also available for ornamental plants only.…

Once your bedding schemes, pots and baskets are planted up, continual care will keep them looking good. Add moisture-retaining granules to multi-purpose compost to reduce the amount of watering required. Feed pots fortnightly with diluted liquid tomato feed, and do the same with border plants when they start to lose vigour. Check for pests, especially slugs and snails that hide under pot rims. Squish aphids between fingers, use organic slug pellets or barrier controls and encourage natural pest predators. Deadhead to encourage more blooms and remove faded foliage.…

1 When visiting the Chelsea Flower Show, aim to stay late – crowds thin after 7pm and everything can be seen with ease in the last hour. 2 Gardening with children also provides all kinds of first-time experiences as seen through the eyes of youngsters. 3 Get children to try rooting a few stems of watercress in a glass of water and then growing on in pots – it’s a quick way to get homegrown salad! 4 There will be teapots of mint and fragrant-leaved pelargoniums grown by school children on the Horticultural Trades Association display at the Chelsea Show.…

1 Using sharp, clean secateurs, cut a length of this year’s healthy growth up to 12in (30cm) long from just above a leaf node. 2 Shorten the stem length and remove the lower leaves and any large top foliage that will drain resources at the cuttings develop. 3 Insert the cut end of each cutting into hormone rooting powder or gel, to help encourage strong root development. 4 Set the cuttings around the edge of a 4in (10cm) clay pot filled with a dampened mix of cuttings compost and vermiculite or perlite. 5 Seal the pot in a plastic bag and place it in light and warmth but away from direct sunlight.…

HANGING baskets are becoming more and more popular. Perhaps this is because they provide extra growing space in smaller gardens – and in full view. But they do have another advantage: they can give plants a warmer, protected microclimate, since being up off the ground they are in warmer air. Also, if they are hanging from the eaves, they are often shielded from the cold night sky. However, on the minus side, most hanging baskets are not very large, so they have limited compost yet they are stuffed full of plants that are competing for it, thus requiring extra feeding. The small amount of compost means the plants also dry out quickly, so more frequent watering is required. “Give plants a warmer, protected microclimate” This is aggravated by exposure to…

18: HPS West Mids Annual Plant Sale: Bentley Heath Community Centre, Widney Road, Solihull, B93 9BQ.hardy-plant.org.uk/westmids 19: HPS plant fair: Holywell Community Centre, North Road, Flintshire, CH8 7TQ. 19: Rare Plant Fair: Winterbourne House and Garden, Edgbaston Park Road, Birmingham B15 2RT. ✆ 0121 414 3003, rareplantfair.co.uk 21: Garden Tour: RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorks HG3 1QB. ✆ 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/ gardens/harlow-carr 21-15: RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Royal London Hospital, Royal Hospital Road, London SW3 4SR. rhs.org.uk/ shows-events/Chelsea 23: Natural Plant Supports: RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane, Rettendon, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 8ET. ✆ 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall 24: Micro-Greens: RHS Harlow Carr 25: Iris Show: RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. ✆ 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley 25: Peonies and Irises: RHS Garden Rosemoor,…

Canopy: On larger plots, grow nut trees and fruits such as apple, cherry and plum on more vigorous rootstocks. Small tree layer: Dwarf fruit trees dominate this layer, as do shrubby trees such as sloe, hawthorn and elder. Shrub layer: Ideal for shade-loving currants and gooseberries, along with aronia, berberis and mahonia. Herbaceous layer: Try larger plants that die back down in winter here, like sweet cicely, lovage and lemon balm. Rhizosphere layer: Incorporates groundcover plants like sorrel and ramsons, alongside root crops such as pignut and horseradish. Vertical layer: Home to grapevines, hardy kiwis, honeyberries and hops (in other words, any climber that bears edible or medicinal parts).…

FANCY growing a runner bean-like plant that will have garden visitors swooning at the sight? Normally earmarked for tropical borders, Lablab purpureus (often sold as Dolichos lablab) is a vigorous tender climber that can be sown now. Sow as you would runner beans, either directly into a sunny, free-draining spot or into individual pots of multi-purpose compost. Grown up a tripod of poles, lablab plants will produce striking blooms (widely available variety ‘Ruby Moon’ bears purple flowers) followed by sickle-shaped pods. Cook the leaves like spinach, and once pods have formed in late summer, use the young pods whole or leave the beans to form within. Cook the pods and beans well before eating; give them a five-minute boil as you would for dried haricot beans.…

WE’VE been at Spring Cottage for almost 15 years and during that time we’ve noticed a huge increase in our solitary bees and bumblebees, because we’ve planted lots of flowers. One morning in early April, the Best Beloved went to open the greenhouse and found four different species of bee waiting to be released. We keep a ‘bee-release kit’ in each of our two greenhouses. It’s not very high-tech – nothing we do is. It consists of a jam jar and a piece of rather shabby cardboard. The jam jar doubles up as an observatory, because we always have a good look before pointing our prisoners towards the door to world beyond. One of the bees was an ashy mining bee (Andrena cineraria) and these silvery mining bees begin making…

Plant aquilegias in dappled shade, and in rich, well-drained soil where possible. To prevent cross breeding, remove seed heads before they disperse. You can save the seed to sow yourself in autumn or spring. Sow seed from March to June, or September to October under cover (you can sow direct from April to June when the weather is warmer). Cut back the foliage in late autumn. Lift and divide overgrown clumps in early spring. When buying plants, look out for downy mildew – signs include angular yellow patches on leaves, and white fungal growth.…

Keep the layout simple. The outline will soon be lost once the plants get going. Stone, gravel or grass paths are an important design element. A meandering pathway will look better than a straight one. Create a strong framework by adding an arbour, arch, pergola or similar structure. A simple water feature is a must. Try a pebble fountain, rill, container pond or wall-mounted water spout. Install a bench, seat or lounger in a slightly shaded position so you can enjoy the sights and sounds of your cottage garden.…

Rose: ‘Mme Caroline Testout’ Caroline Testout ran fashion salons in London and Paris. In 1889, she asked a nursery to name a silvery-pink Hybrid Tea rose after her; it became the most popular rose in the world. Flowers: summer. HxS: 39inx2½ft (1mx75cm). Annual: Shirley poppies After years of painstaking selection, in 1901 dedicated amateur plant breeder the Rev William Wilks exhibited a strain of annual poppies with red, pink and white blooms. Still a best seller. Flowers: Jun-Jul. HxS: 2ftx8in (60x20cm). Shrub: Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Miss Jessopp’s Upright’ Plantsman EA Bowles developed this new rosemary in about 1915. Named after his friend ‘Effie’ Jessopp, it has a distinctive, tall habit and wider leaves. Flowers: Mar-Apr. HxS: 6x3ft (1.8mx90cm). Tree: Sorbus ‘Joseph Rock’ Discovered…

I’M trying to imagine a scenario in which I could grow only one vegetable – which would I choose? Climbing French beans are certainly a contender. The flavour, the yield, the small amount of garden space they need to provide a large and tasty crop; the seed is inexpensive, too. But why climbing French beans rather than runners? Well, the crop from runner beans will in all likelihood be heavier, but they can be reluctant to form pods in dry weather (like last summer). They also tend to become stringy more quickly, and can get woody if left on the plant for too long before picking. True, the flowers of runner beans are usually more decorative, but should we really be relying on our veg to provide us with flowers?…

How should I nurture agapanthus? QI have a beautiful blue agapanthus, but I’m never quite sure how to look after it. It produces a spiky head when flowers fade – are these seeds? Grant Rivers, South Ockendon, Essex A You are right. The ‘spiky’ objects are seed pods that are enchanting when sparkling with frost in winter. I urge you to leave them to make your garden even more appealing. In the autumn, mound the dying and softening leaves over the plant’s crown buds to protect them from hard frost. If your plant is growing in a pot, and your garden doesn’t enjoy a micro-climate, wrap the container with two layers of bubble plastic to insulate roots from hard frost. In spring – April or early May – cut back…

Q Why has my peony only had one bloom? Margaret Forster, Chard, Somerset AI wonder if your bed is too shaded, as most herbaceous peonies flower best in full sun. A common reason for lack of flowers in peonies is planting too deeply. The buds emerging from the crown should be just below the soil surface. Remember this when applying a layer of mulch and do not cover the crown of peonies. Q Please could you identify this? It’s growing very fast! Jan Johnstone, via email A This plant is ‘Giant Red’ mustard. Also known as ‘Red Chirmen’, ‘Crepe’ and ‘Osaka Purple’, it is a spicy salad ingredient. Easy to grow, it is a good cut-and-come-again veg. Though edible, do take care, as it may not agree with you! Q…

I COULDN’T do without my hand trowel and fork – like Eric and Ernie, they’re a perfect pair and bring me sunshine every day. Setting out plants, planting bulbs, weeding between plants, dividing clumps, scooping compost – they’re never far out of reach year-round. It pays to buy tools that suit your soil, and these are no exception. A lightweight set is a delight to use on sandy or loam soils or when ladling compost, but will struggle on clay. A chunky, weightier design slices through heavy soil, but can be tiring to use for long periods and can feel cumbersome as a compost scoop or doing fiddly weeding. The six I’ve tested here are all good, and my close marking reflects it. Town & Country Boxed Trowel & Fork…

Choose a sheltered, sunny site away from the roots of trees and shrubs. Plant in well-draining soil improved with organic matter, or in containers of 50:50 John Innes No2 and multi-purpose compost. In the ground, set plants 14in (35cm) apart and in rows 30in (75cm) apart. Add a general-purpose fertiliser to soil or compost in early spring, and later a couple of liquid feeds. After fruits have set, tuck straw or special mats under plants. This protects berries from soil, suppresses weeds and holds in moisture. Cover the crop with mesh or netting to keep birds and squirrels off. After harvesting summer-fruiting types, shear away old foliage 3in (8cm) above the crown, removing weeds and debris. From June to August, propagate from healthy plants by pegging runners to pots of…

ROSES are a great way to add vibrant and bold colours to your garden, and to ensure that your roses flourish this season and create a garden oasis, Miracle-Gro is giving AG readers the chance to win a jar of Miracle-Gro Rose & Shrub Continuous Release Plant Food. The unique coating of the plant food enables the feed to be continuously released when plants are growing, meaning that just one application will last for six months and your roses will flourish into the autumn. Miracle-Gro Rose & Shrub Continuous Release Plant Food is suitable for all varieties of roses, from Bourbons to Hybrid Teas, and can be used in pots, beds and containers. We have seven jars to give away, each worth £4.50. How to enter Send your name and…

Chelsea Flower Show: The first official Chelsea Show was held in May 1913, just after AG’s 29th birthday. The photo (right) shows the AG stand in 1929. Harry S. Truman: The 33rd President of the US was born on 8 May 1884. Allotments: It was not until 1908, when the Small Holdings and Allotments Act came into force, that a duty was placed on local authorities to provide allotments, according to demand. Bing Crosby: The singer was born in 1903 on 3 May, the day AG celebrated its 19th birthday.…

I HAVE been gardening and reading Amateur Gardening since I was nine years old. My mother used to give me packets of flower seeds to plant when I left home and married. I am now 82 years old, and going blind and deaf, but I still get great pleasure looking at the beautiful pictures in AG. I still try to grow your free seeds and read the gardening tips, even though I have to use a magnifying glass to see them! Mrs Margaret Watts, Portsmouth AT 88, I can no longer garden myself, but I still love AG. It’s full of ideas and facts and the beautiful flower photos always make me smile. Barbara Wilson, Bournemouth Amateur Gardening was probably the first gardening magazine I met with long before I…

“Amateur Gardening will be allowed to speak for itself. If promises are like pie-crust, they  must be served out in moderate quantities in case the intellectual digestion be taxed beyond reason. We shall therefore endeavour to make ourselves generally useful, our principal object being to smooth the path and delight the life of the lovers of the garden. Amateurs are glad of literary help when it is offered by practical men who have no special interest in view, and no special fancies or theories to promote. It is a world of work and the restfulness of the garden depends in great measure on the amount of work we bestow upon it.” Shirley Hibberd, 1st Editor , 1884 These are the first 111 words written by the founding editor Shirley Hibberd.…

1 Plants need healthy, nutrient-rich soil, and adding well-rotted organic matter (manure or compost) is the best way to do this. 2 Robust plants are less susceptible to pests and diseases, so give them space to develop well and food for sustained growth. 3 Pests are an eternal problem. Deal with them before they become a major problem and before you need to use chemicals. 4 Plants prefer rainwater as it is naturally softer than tap water, doesn’t contain added chemicals and is at the right pH.…

1 Place crocks in the base of the pot and add compost. I used multipurpose and ericaceous for acid-loving plants. 2 Lift the plant from its pot and check the roots. If you find vine weevil grubs or slugs, remove and rinse the rootball in water. 3 Centre the plant in its new pot and infill with compost, firming it down to knock out air pockets and support the roots. 4 Water well, ideally with rainwater, especially if you live in a hard-water area. Raise the pot on feet for better drainage.…

1 Choose your container and line the base with crocks before adding proprietary container compost with a little multi-purpose. 2 Add the central focal plant to the pot, teasing out any congested roots and planting it at rootball depth. 3 Then add the others around the edges, mixing low-growing carpet plants with leafy trailers to hang over the edge. 4 Water generously to soak the plants and firm the soil. Add slug pellets or deterrents and don’t worry about gaps – they will fill as the plants grow.…

TREES, shrubs and roses have long been used to bring definition and focal points to a garden, and many varieties were introduced to this country in the late 19th century. Bamboo, buddleja, camellias, ceanothus, forsythia, philadelphus, skimmia, and viburnums all found their way here and settled in very happily. Rose breeding and growing also became a passion in the 19th century. This week I pruned our forsythia as flowering had finished and each spring’s blossom develops on new growth produced the previous year. When pruning, create an open shape and start by removing dead, damaged and diseased wood. Then concentrate on spindly shoot and unwanted shoots growing from the ground. Cut to a healthy outward-growing shoot, then feed and mulch your shrub. Early summer is also a good time to…

IN Victorian times, having a greenhouse (or ‘glasshouse’) was a privilege of the very wealthy. Thanks to the Window Tax imposed on houses and the Glass Tax, which was levied by weight, even the smallest conservatory was out of reach for most people. But as demand rose among the middle classes, manufacturers started making smaller replicas of the orangeries and conservatories found in grand estates, launching a trend that continues to this day. Our greenhouse is buckling under the weight of seedlings, cuttings and tender plants waiting to be hardened off and moved out, to make room for tomatoes and tender veggies. Keeping so many plants healthy is a confined space becomes increasingly difficult as the temperature rises. If you let your greenhouse get too hot, delicate young plants will…

1 Thin gooseberries early and hard, as the pickings make excellent jams and tarts, while those left on get much bigger. 2 In case of late hard frosts, be sure to have sheets and papers ready to cover over newly planted bedding and tender crops. 3 Sow runner beans and running French beans in situ right now – the warmer soil will encourage stronger, better cropping plants. 4 Check blackcurrant bushes for fat buds that don’t open – burn these, as they’re riddled with bugs carrying the reversion virus.…

FRUIT and veg gardens don’t need to consist of regimental rows of crops with bare earth in between. Imagine walking in a glade, plucking nuts, berries and herbs – that’s the essence of forest gardening. The concept of this growing method evolved in millennia past alongside the ecosystem, but the idea of using it as a way to cultivate crops was pioneered by Robert Hart in the 1970s, and Martin Crawford since the 1990s. It’s a low-impact, organic method that looks towards the dynamics of a forest to utilise numerous growing ‘zones’. These zones include tall upper tree canopies, understorey groundcover, and several layers in between (see the panel, right). Once established, the effort needed to maintain a forest garden is minimal – very little irrigation, fertilisers or human intervention…

DON’T feel you can’t grow tomatoes if you haven’t got a greenhouse – a sunny fence, wall or patio provides the heat and light these plants need, especially if you throw horticultural fleece over them on cold nights. Growing directly in the soil makes watering a synch because of the extra root space, but pot growing is possible if you opt for a large tub or bag. Now is the time to plant young toms out. The key is to establish your tomato type: bush varieties such as ‘Roma’ are multi-stemmed and need only modest staking – ditto modern dwarf types like ‘Totem’ – whereas cordon varieties such as ‘Sweet Aperitif’ are trained with single tall stems so need one strong, 6ft cane per stem. Once this is in place,…

1 Remove covers from peach and nectarine trees, plus any cloches protecting early strawberries when they are flowering so bees can pollinate blooms. 2 Greenhouse toms will be growing apace in warm weather . If yours are cordon (single-stemmed) types, regularly remove all sideshoots. 3 Greenhouse cucumbers, peppers, melons and tomatoes all benefit from a warm, humid environment, so damp down the floor each morning. 4 If you’re sowing directly into the earth on a light, sandy soil, mak e the drills slightly deeper to protect seeds against drought conditions. 5 If you want to transplant out tender crops such as sweetcorn and squashes, do so – but protect them temporarily with a double layer of horticultural fleece .…

THE morning of the 3rd May 1884 was one of those dreary, bitter-cold days when everything seemed black, grey and miserable. Dense smoke spiralled skywards, floating from a sea of chimney stacks, reaching up like hundreds of blackened fingers trying to poke the foggy sky. London was the most important city in the world and the most polluted. The air was clammy-wet with a drizzling cocktail of rain mingled, with smoke and soot. This noxious mixture endowed a patina of wet, sticky black dirt onto everything – trees, flowers, and even the matted hair and ragged clothes of the news vendor standing on the corner of Aldersgate Street and Little Britain. The vendor was plying his trade selling the London Illustrated News. His cries of “Gordon besieged in Khartoum!” echoed…

Buddleja ‘Butterfly Towers’ Most buddlejas are unruly beasts; not this newcomer, which has a neat, columnar habit, making it ideal for the smallest of plots. Over summer, the branches carry a succession of honey-scented, purple plumes. HxS: 6x3ft (2x1m). Lilium formosanum var. pricei Compact; knee-high stems are topped by huge, pink-flushed white trumpets that pack a whopping punch of scent. Small enough to work at the front of beds and borders, or to grow in patio containers. H&S: 1ft (30cm). Lonicera periclymenum ‘Graham Thomas’ AGM A honeysuckle variety named after the author and horticulturist. Plant for scented, creamy-white summer flowers (ageing to golden yellow). Spring prune to control wayward growth. HxS: 22ftx39in (7x1m). Philadelphus ‘Manteau d’Hermine’ AGM Excellent if you want a…

OF the different colours available, varieties with yellow (waxpods), purple or speckled pods are often thought to have the finest flavour. ‘Golden Gate’ is the only climbing waxpod with an AGM, while ‘Golddukat’ and ‘Sonesta’ are dwarf AGM-winning waxpods. No purple-podded varieties have AGMs, but look out for ‘Purple Cascade’ (climbing) and ‘Amethyst’ (dwarf). Similarly, no speckled varieties have AGMs, but both ‘Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco Nano’ (dwarf) and ‘Solista’ (climbing) are well worth growing.…

Q Last year, I grew some dahlias from seed, saved the tubers and they are now shooting. Is it too late to split them? Colin Mace, Rotherham, South Yorkshire A It is getting a bit late to split dahlias as this is best done when the new growth starts and I would think the shoots are well established by now. If you do it now it will take time for divisions to heal and develop root systems and you may get little from the plants this year. It might be better to let your seedling plants have another growing season and divide them next year when they are bigger, so you get more from them. Make sure each division has a piece of old stem attached, as dahlia top growth…

Can I get better compost? Q Despite composting everything possible, I can’t make enough to satisfy the needs of my medium-sized garden. How can I create more bulky, well-rotted organic matter, or should I buy it – in which case, what are the pitfalls? Benjamin Sizemore, Rochester, Kent A Feed the soil, not the plant – so the pundits say, but as you have found, a garden quickly swallows well-rotted organic matter. This is invaluable for increasing microbial activity, in turn breaking down and releasing more nutrients. Fibrous material also helps open up and aerate heavy soils, and adds body and water-holding to sandy soils. In a dry summer like last year’s, mulching over moist soil helps hold in moisture and protects the roots from drying out. You are composting…

Wolf Garten Wide Trowel and Flower Fork (fixed handle) £21.98 from garden centres 01869 363674  wolfgarten-tools.co.uk Features Contemporary-style zinc-plated cold-rolled steel trowel and four-pronged, round-tined fork. Ergonomically designed handles are made from plastic/composite materials drilled for hanging loops. Trowel – length 12in (30cm), blade width 3in (7½cm), weight 9⅛oz (260g). Fork – length 11in (27cm), prongs width 3¼in (8cm), weight 9½oz (267g). Performance Colourful handles give really good grip and make flowerbed wanderers easy to spot. Both tools feel light and manoeuvrable but very robust. Round tines on the fork are excellent for loosening soil and lifting weeds, but they cut into the roots when lifting big, stubborn plants. Trowel has a straight edged blade giving great control for fiddly jobs while still shifting a good quantity of soil. Chamfered…

‘Toscana’ Great for windowboxes and pots. Rosy flowers followed by tasty red fruits open from both the main plant and the runners cascading over the sides. An everbearer to grow from seeds or plants. Pineberry ‘White Dream’ Sweet, juicy fruits ripening in June are slightly smaller than normal, but are white studded with darker red seeds – less attractive to birds, and with flavours of strawberry and pineapple. ‘Golden Alexandria’ These alpine strawbs (Fragaria vesca) are small, but they possess a sweet, aromatic flavour. This one, easily raised from seed, will make a carpet of golden foliage. ‘Sweet Colossus’ Giant sweet and tasty strawberries, weighing in at up to 1.5oz (43g) each, yet the plants remain compact. Attention to watering and feeding will help them to achieve full size.…

RICHARD Cox died on this day. Until he retired in 1820, he has been the owner of Black Eagle Brewery in Bermondsey, London. With his wife Ann, he moved to Colnbrook, near Slough, Berkshire, to pursue his hobby of gardening. His house sat on two acres of land (where what is now a residential area, and about a mile due west of Heathrow Airport’s northern runway). In 1830, Richard planted pips from a cross of two apple varieties: ‘Ribston Pippin’ and ‘Blenheim Orange’. Liking the result, he supplied two of the offspring to a nursery for propagating, and by 1840 his ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’ was being sold commercially. He died five years later, and didn’t see that, by 1884 when AG was launched, his was the most popular apple in…

AG’s peak in circulation was in the early 1960s when, several times, it topped 300,000 copies per week – despite having mostly black-and-white pictures and only one famous contributor, Percy Thrower. In those days, some issues even had around 100 pages – of adverts! AG’s fifth editor, Anthony Huxley, was the son of writer Julian Huxley, and nephew of philosopher and writer Aldous Huxley. In 1984, to celebrate AG’s centenary, we created a Victorian Villa Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. Created by top garden designer Roger Sweetinburgh (who wrote dozens of design articles for AG in the 1980s and 1990s), it was typical of gardens at the time of the launch, containing only plants that were popular in the 1880s. Oh, and we won a gold medal as well!…

ARCHITECTURE, plumbing, laws, language and Caesar salads… just a small selection of the abundantia of traditions inherited from our Roman forebears. While it’s true they didn’t invent much, it was Rome’s willingness to develop the customs of others that ensured so many have stood the test of time. Long before Romulus and Remus were the apples in a wild wolf’s eye, ancient Egyptians were planting up terracotta – yet it was the Romans who first used pots for adding summer colour to their terrazza . I’m doing the same, but it’s taken a Herculean effort to rip out the reliquary of pelargoniums, Cape daisies and trailing bacopa that still cling on from last year. Usually, the decision to ditch the spent bedding is easy, but so much has come through…

WE all have moments when we agree to something in haste and then think, “Why on earth did I say yes to that?” When we were discussing how to mark AG’s 135th anniversary, it was mooted that maybe I could dress up as a Victorian lady to celebrate the occasion. This was some time ago and I agreed to do it, foolishly thinking the plan would be forgotten. Of course, that didn’t happen, which is why you find me going about this week’s tasks dressed not unlike Mr Toad when he escaped from prison disguised as a washerwoman in the children’s classic The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. In this week’s pages, I am carrying out a range of late spring jobs that Victorian gardeners may well have…

WITH its luscious red winter berries and creamy spring flowers, Skimmia japonica is one of many shrubs introduced to Britain in the 19th century. They are still popular today due to their no-nonsense attitude, sitting happily in most soils, as well as containers, and tolerant of most weathers. The one thing they are not so keen on is alkaline soil, so because we garden on chalk our skimmia is growing in a pot of multipurpose compost mixed with ericaceous. Our skimmia hasn’t been looking happy of late even after several feeds, so I decided to repot it and move it to a more shaded area (they are not fond of too much sun). I discovered the reason for the plant’s disquiet as soon as I lifted it from its pot.…

LATE spring is all about bedding, either for borders or planted up in baskets and containers. It is a tradition that developed from the Victorian era, when opportunities for travel inspired wealthy citizens to experiment with plants seen on their expeditions. Today, of course, you don’t need to be wealthy to buy a few packs of plants, but many of the varieties available now would be familiar to gardeners in the late 19th century. Victorians packed their gardens with colour and intricate planting schemes. Formal bedding was all the rage and the riot of plants and colours used included asters, dianthus, hollyhocks, agapanthus, roses, penstemons, delphiniums, pelargoniums, irises, Kniphofia, poppies, dahlias and chrysanthemums. In contrast, their carpet bedding was more muted, mainly containing foliage plants such as sempervivums, echeverias and…

COINCIDENTALLY, this week sees both the 135th anniversary of AG and the 106th Chelsea Flower Show! It’s tempting to look back over the 67 years since my first visit to the show, and 61 years since then-editor, the late and great Arthur Hellyer, sent a rejection slip for my first submitted column to AG . The show needs to be experienced with a first-time visitor – I still clearly remember the sights and smells while walking into the Great Marquee, now the Great Pavilion, in 1952. Repeated visits numb the senses and inevitably draw comparisons with what has gone before. “Industrious young scholars picked up a hatful of awards” Travelling in early (5am) by taxi on one Chelsea Show Tuesday, I asked the cabby if he had ever visited the…

Suckers are unexpected stems that sometimes appear close to the main base of roses. They originate from the rootstock and can be caused by accidental damage due to hard frosts or a nick from a tool. The stems are paler and more slender than the ‘proper’ ones and produce paler leaves. They will steal resources from the main plant if left in place. Never cut them, as this encourages them to come back more strongly. Instead, remove the soil around the sucker’s root and, wearing strong gloves, twist and pull it off.…

1 For the best results, fill clay pots with a mix of John Innes No2 and perlite and dampen with clean tap water. Dib one-two holes in each. 2 Carefully lift seedling roots from the compost with a spoon, steadying the plant by gently holding a leaf. 3 Lower each seedling into its own dibbed hole and firm the compost gently around the stem. 4 If necessary, pinch off lower leaves so more stem can fit into the compost and create more roots. Move to a cold frame.…

YOU could fill your garden with many varieties of salvia if you so choose, but to my mind there is one that will outshine all the rest. This week’s free seeds from Sarah Raven are clary ‘Blue Denim’, a hardy annual variety that produces bushy stems supporting startlingly blue bracts. Outside, this easy-to-grow plant delights in the herb garden and looks glorious lining paths and border edges. It is also highly prized by flower arrangers for its longevity indoors and the way it holds its beauty when dried. A third, and most important, reason for growing this plant is its benefits for pollinators – bees and butterflies love it and throng to where it grows. By now it is warm enough to sow it where you want it to grow,…

1 Damson: Hardy and robust, this smaller tree offers an excellent canopy layer for small plots. The early flowers are great for pollinators, and late ripening extends the fruit season. 2 Alpine strawberry: More tolerant of a woodland floor than conventional strawberries. Who can resist this ground-cover plant when it will be dripping with flavour-intense fruit all summer? 3 Good King Henry: With shoots eaten like asparagus, leaves sautéed like spinach, flowering shoots akin to sprouting broccoli and edible grain, you’ll love this herbaceous veg.…

CATCH-cropping and intercropping are two ways to make the most of a small plot. A catch-crop is one that quickly yields a harvest in a newly created patch of soil or in gaps between a slower-maturing crop. When you intercrop, you mix different veg together that might well mature at the same time, like sweetcorn and pumpkins. It’s all about getting maximum yields from a small space, which requires a healthy, fertile soil. Digging in plenty of nutritious organic matter helps no end with these techniques. Then it’s just a case of utilising quick-to-mature crops like mustards, loose-leaf lettuce, mizuna, rocket and annual spinach; sowing these into modules to transplant straight onto the plot is super space-savvy. Baby roots such as carrots, turnips and beets will work well, too –…

1 Regardless of whether your varieties are summer or autumn, fork out any canes that have meandered too far from the row in order to keep things tidy. 2 The fruiting canes of summer types like ‘Glen Ample’ should already be tied into their supports. Simply remove any damaged new canes at this point. 3 Autumn raspberry canes are freestanding (they are not tied into wires). Pull up any weak or damaged canes to leave strong, vigorous shoots.…

HIBBERD wrote or edited 33 books on subjects as diverse as the Crimean War, aquariums, clever dogs and horses, civil and sanitary engineering, and stories and plays for children (The Golden Gate and Silver Steps, for his daughter Ellen). He wrote 15 books specifically about gardening, and they are: The Town Garden, 1855 Rustic Adornments for Homes of Taste, 1856 Garden Favourites and Exhibition Flowers, 1857 Profitable Gardening, 1863 The Amateur’s Rose Book, 1864 New and Rare Beautiful-Leaved Plants, 1868 The Fern Garden, 1869 Field Flowers, 1870 Amateur’s Flower Garden, 1871 The Ivy, 1872 The Seaweed Collector, 1872 The Amateur’s Green House and Conservatory, 1873 The Amateur’s Kitchen Garden, 1877 Familiar Garden Flowers, 1879 The Alphabet of Gardening, 1882…

Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch’ AGM Add late-season colour with a highly regarded Michaelmas daisy that was introduced in 1918. From August well into October it produces masses of 3in (8cm) wide, yellow-eyed, lavender-blue flowers. HxS: 3ftx16in (90x40cm). Erysimum ‘Bowles’s Mauve’ AGM Named after famous plantsman EA Bowles, this bushy perennial wallflower boasts bluish-green leaves and stems of purple flowers that appear (on and off) from late winter right through to early autumn. HxS: 2½x2ft (75x60cm). Digitalis x mertonensis AGM A cracking foxglove that is equally content in sun or part shade, with tall spires of huge (2x1in/5x2½cm) flowers the colour of strawberry sorbet. Blooms from June to July, after which it will self seed happily. HxS:…

EVEN a modest urban plot can be a refuge for wildlife, with some experts believing they’re more valuable than larger gardens due to the diversity of plants in a small area. Make sure there’s a selection of climbers, shrubs, perennials and annuals that bloom at different times of the year, favouring those with single flowers. Add a pond and bug boxes, and take a more relaxed approach to maintenance.…

Aubrieta ‘Dr Mules’ Dr Philip Mules was an eye surgeon in Manchester in the late 1800s. An amateur breeder, he created this purple-flowering creeper around 1890, and many say it has never been bettered. Flowers: Mar-Apr. HxS: 4inx2ft (10x60cm). Leucanthemum x superbum Bred in Shasta County, California, by entrepreneur Luther Burbank, who began experimenting with these plants around the time AG was launched. By 1890, the Shasta daisy was born. Flowers: Jun-Sept. H&S: 39in (1m). Papaver orientale ‘Mrs Perry’ In 1903, orange blooms appeared among red Oriental poppies at Amos Perry’s nursery in Enfield. Three years later, he had enough to launch this new variety, still rated as one of the best. Flowers: May-Jun. H&S: 39in (1m). Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ AGM…

SADLY, a few plants have disappeared during AG’s 135-year history. In North Wales in 1901, Edward Charles (EC) Buxton discovered a most beautiful double primrose with near-turquoise flowers. However, ‘Buxton’s Blue’ did not have a strong constitution, and within a few years it had completely vanished from cultivation. Then there is the much-lamented white-berried holly (Ilex aquifolium). The last one (at least in the Western world) was destroyed in a fire in Ireland during the mid-1960s, before anyone had the chance to propagate from it……

WHETHER you choose climbing or bush varieties of French bean depends on your requirements. Climbing types are usually later to start cropping. They need support and more thorough preparation, but crop for longer and produce more beans in a given area. In addition, older gardeners may appreciate that they can be picked without the need for bending down! Bush varieties can be harvested sooner – earlier still with cloche protection. Cropping from a late sowing can also be extended by using cloches. Although they are dwarf, plants may still need support in windy areas. A wider range of varieties is available in bush form.…

Q Our hellebores were glorious this year, but how should I feed them? Avril Beatley, Middleton, Manchester A Mulch annually with leafmould, chipped bark or other organic matter in autumn. Where growth is unsatisfactory, apply a general-purpose fertiliser, such as Growmore or fish, blood & bone, in spring at 50-70g/m2 (1½-2oz per square yard). Container-grown specimens can be fed with a balanced liquid fertiliser, or with a high-potassium fertiliser such as tomato feed, to encourage blooms. As an alternative, you could consider pelleted chicken manure – it contains good levels of nutrients and is more organic than the manufactured chemical fertilisers. Write to us: Ask John, Amateur Gardening magazine, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough Business Park, Farnborough, Hants, GU14 7BF. Email us: amateurgardening@ti-media.com…

1 Manure: A little horse manure laced into the heap in thin layers will feed microbes and speed decomposition. I prefer to let large quantities rot down to a crumbly mass in its own clamp. 2 Grass clippings: Grass clipping are best added in thin layers, otherwise, they tend to make a claggy mess. Ours are piled separately and fed in between fibrous, carbon-rich ingredients. 3 Comfrey Bocking 14: This perennial comfrey is a sterile hybrid and won’t spread by seed. Its leaves (rich in essential nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) can be dug in, composted or used to make liquid feed. 4 Degradable packaging: Biodegradable cartons and wrappers are valuable compost fodder, but they are best broken into smaller pieces to speed up the rate of decomposition.…

A COUPLE of weeks ago – on 3 May – AG celebrated 135 years of continuous publishing. We have survived two world wars, countless crises, financial crashes, changing monarchs and governments and, of course, the rise of TV, radio and computers. AG was there before it all. When the magazine was launched, William Gladstone was our Prime Minister, Chester A Arthur was US President, Oscar Wilde was being outrageous, and Britain ended penal transportation to New South Wales, Australia. Being here, 135 years later, despite many competitors past and present, is a testament to its loyal staff and readers. Let’s look at some of AG’s stories and highlights over the decades… Spending a penny… THE very first issue of AG (dated 3 May 1884) cost just 1d. That’s one old…

IN AG’s 135 years it has had just 11 editors. By 1967, when Arthur Hellyer retired, the magazine had reached the grand old age of 83, but had seen just four editors. Here are all of them: Shirley Hibberd, 1884-1886 Thomas William (TW) Sanders, 1886-1926 Albert James (AJ) Macself, 1926-1946 Arthur Hellyer, 1946-1967 Anthony Huxley, 1967-1971 Peter Wood, 1971-1985 Jack Kendall, 1985-1986 Graham Clarke, 1986-1997 Adrian Bishop, 1997-2001 Tim Rumball, 2001-2017 Garry Coward-Williams, 2017-present…

AG’s heritage in the frame I THOUGHT you and your readers would be interested in seeing these framed prints, particularly as you are celebrating 135 years since the magazine was first published. Here is the photo of mom, Nancy, with three lithographs; each one is labelled as ‘Supplement to Amateur Gardening, Collingridge, Litho, London’, dating from 1897-1899. My mom’s aunt was an antiques dealer in Massachusetts and they were found in her attic after she passed away – no idea where she picked them up. Mom had these three framed and then my sister has six more. Mom enjoys reading Amateur Gardening and seeing what the English gardeners are interested in. She included the framed prints in her Club’s talk in February. Ann-Margret, Paducah, Kentucky, USA Wendy says:…

OLD compost loses nutrients – and more importantly, air – from its structure, which is essential for all healthy roots. It’s OK to plant winter bedding in spent summer containers, but for the best results always refresh pots at the start of the growing season. When potting up, leave the containers and baskets in a sheltered spot for a few days to root before putting them out on windy patios. Whether you use liquid or controlled-release fertilisers, you should also add a liquid seaweed or tomato feed once the flowers have knitted together – and every few weeks through the summer to encourage extra flowers.…