Innholdsfortegnelse for 25-May-2019 i Amateur Gardening

“In mid-March I planted up 23 bags with a mixture of first earlies, second earlies and maincrop potatoes. Each week, as foliage broke the surface, I added soil on top and adjusted the height of the bag. It’s an enjoyable process, watching the growth every week. However, two bags had no growth at all. I left them for weeks, patiently waiting for something to appear. Last week I couldn’t bear it any longer and investigated, only to discover that I hadn’t put any tubers in! Oh well, 21 bags left.”…

THE garden is full of tempting young shoots and the pests are on the prowl, so this is an excellent time to stop a few of the blighters becoming an infestation. If you have to use chemicals, do so responsibly, following manufacturers’ instructions carefully and not using them on windy days when spray can carry, or on plants in bloom when you endanger pollinators and pest predators too. You only have until 30 June 30 to buy slug pellets containing metaldehyde as they have been declared an ‘unacceptable risk to birds and mammals’ by DEFRA. Old stock in your shed must be used within 12 months, or handed to your local authority waste team for safe disposal. Alternative pellets containing ferric phosphate are deemed ‘organic’, but should be used sparingly…

MOST coloured plastic plant pots are still ending up in landfill, despite the horticultural industry’s moves to make them recyclable. A survey found that more than 80% of local authorities are still refusing to recycle the pots, even though plant suppliers are now starting to use recyclable grey, or ‘taupe’ pots. The issue was first raised when councils realised their recycling equipment couldn’t spot black plastic. Roughly 500 million plastic pots are produced each year and 80 councils were surveyed about their recycling policies. Excuses used for why the pots end up in landfill include the plastic being too rigid, of poor quality and even too dirty to recycle. Creating a ‘closed circle’ Now the Horticultural Trades Association has teamed up with recycling charity Recoup to launch a campaign encouraging…

MORE than 500,000 people signed an online petition calling for new-build houses to come with ‘hedgehog highway holes’ in their garden fences. The signatories, along with the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) hope housing minister Kit Malthouse will give the go-ahead for all new homes to have hedgehog highways as standard. These are CD-sized gaps cut into fences, or created in walls, so hedgehogs can forage safely at night, without crossing busy roads. BHPS communications officer Hugh Warwick said: We know that hedgehog numbers are in steep decline, down 30% in urban areas since the turn of the century, and down 50% in the countryside. “We also know that one of the best ways to help hedgehogs is to ensure they can move through the landscape unhindered. “The campaign Hedgehog…

THIS week’s free seeds pack a powerful double-whammy – they are simple to sow and will bring essential pollinators flocking to your garden. The colourful collection of hardy and half-hardy annuals has been chosen for its ability to attract bees and butterflies, as well as for its variety, popularity and colour. Flowers in the mix include aster, borage, cornflower, field poppies, larkspur and lavender. They are suitable for areas of full sun and light shade and many will be suitable to cut for indoor arranging. 1 Scatter the seeds thinly onto soil that has been weeded, watered and raked over to create a fine, crumbly tilth. 2 Rake a thin covering of soil over the top and lightly firm it down with the back of a rake. Label and protect…

COMFREY is a fantastic plant to grow as it brings many benefits to the garden. It is a magnet for pollinators and its nutrient-rich leaves can be dug into the soil, used to line a vegetable trench or wilted down to make a liquid fertiliser. The only problem is that making the brew creates an almighty stink as the leaves degrade, so keep it at the top end of the garden, in a bucket with a tightly fitting lid! Alternatively you could use a Hozelock BioMix, which has a lid to keep in the smell, an inbuilt stirrer for blending the fertiliser and tap for draining it off. Making comfrey tea is easy. Place 1kg (2.2lb) of chopped comfrey plus 10 litres (2.6 gallons) of rainwater drawn from a butt…

YESTERDAY, everything looked perfect – now, you look around and plants have holes in their leaves. If there are any obvious culprits, such as caterpillars, then it’s easy to decide what to do; handpicking, or maybe even a spray or dust. But what if no guilty party is evident – how can you tell what is to blame? Going out at night with a torch often reveals critters at work, but not always. However, the shape and position of holes can tell you a lot, and indicates what you should be protecting your plants against. One of the easiest to recognise is bird damage. Birds peck and tear, leaving triangular-shaped gaps along the edges of leaves, especially salads and brassicas. “How can you tell what is to blame?” If the…

IS it a coincidence that I put the kettle on just before writing up this project? Hardly – gardeners are notoriously fond of a cuppa (next week, it’s tempting to write about growing your own biscuits!) and while big-brand PG Tips and Tetley are all well and good, who can resist a homegrown peppermint (see panel below) or delicate chamomile brew to wet your horticultural whistle? Something for everyone The great thing about herbal teas is that there’s a perfect plant for every location. Lemon balm, mint and sweet cicely will all thrive in the shade, whereas sage, bergamot and fennel enjoy the sun. The young leaves and flowers of many herbal plants can be steeped in just-boiled water to make a refreshing drink, either alone or in combination. See…

THESE closely planted loose-leaf cabbages are bulking up well now, so eat them regularly. Traditional varieties like ‘Durham Early’ are planted out in late summer, ready to heart up during spring, but modern F1 hybrid types have a bit more pep to their pencil. The increased hybrid vigour means that early February sowings made under cover and planted out in late March under cloches will be bulking up now. I prefer hybrids such as ‘Summer Jewel’ and ‘Regency’ because less time in the soil means less vulnerability to pest attack! Plus, the quick-growing hearts are incredibly tender. Begin harvesting as soon as the greens are large enough, leaving a few to heart up as ‘proper’ cabbages. Leaving the stump in the soil is an old yet effective method of gaining…

1 If fruit trees are growing shoots around the trunk from soil level, remove them – these are lik ely to be suck ers. 2 The soil is now warm enough in most regions to sow tender crops direct, such as runner and French beans, squashes, ridge cucumbers and sweetcorn. 3 Did you know that baby broad bean pods are edible whole ? Pick a few at finger size , gently steam and slather in a rich cheese sauce – it’ s a delicious springtime treat! 4 Although citrus plants aren ’t fully hardy, the nights are generally now warm enough to move lemons, limes and relatives outside . They’ll thrive with this treatment. 5 Fancy livening up a green salad? Flowers such as campanula, viola, chives and borage are…

Prepare planting area first by working in plenty of weed-free organic matter. After soaking plants with liquid feed, plant so that the surface of the compost sits a little below the general soil level. Water the overall area; don’t just focus on the rootball. Mulch with more weed-free organic matter after planting, and then again annually in autumn. Protect from slugs and snails, and from late spring frosts. Leave plants to mature steadily into fat clumps; don’t lift and divide regularly. Before deadheading, see whether flowers give way to attractive seed pods.…

How should I improve and plant up our poor, thin soil? Q We recently moved into a new-build property. It is exposed and the soil is poor and sandy. How can we improve it and what will grow well in it? Jamie Sanderson, via email A Start by improving the soil by mixing well-rotted manure or compost into the bottom of each planting hole (especially for shrubs) and into the soil for back-filling. Woody plants in particular will also benefit from mulching in spring with organic matter. Exposed gardens come with their own set of issues, and windy conditions will compound the problems of moisture loss from the soil and plants. You could also set up a windbreak using ‘screening’ shrubs. Many annuals, particularly bedding plants, will also be quite…

Single hoop: One hoop attached to three or four vertical legs. Tiered hoops: Hoops attached to tall legs positioned one above the other, usually increasing in diameter higher up. Grid support: Hoop with square grid divisions for training growth through. Link stakes: Vertical leg with bar that has a hook at the end to link to another link stake. Half-hoop: Horizontal half-circle with a vertical leg at each end, used for holding growth back at border edges. Spiral: Spiral of metal wire with a vertical leg, for supporting single stems. Releasable support: Horizontal hoop with hook open/close and single vertical leg, also good for supporting single stems late in growth.…

How do I tackle a fairy ring? Q My husband is very fond of his neatly kept lawn, but last year a fairy ring appeared and it is driving him mad. How can he get rid of it? Carol Fielding, Guildford, Surrey A When I was growing up in North Kent, the disruption caused by a fairy ring in our lawn was so significant I remember it to this day. The lawn was small, the ring dominant, and my father enraged – so he decided to pursue the digging-out method. Great volumes of soil were excavated and swapped with some from his veg plot, the ring was re-seeded, and it did work. The culprit here is usually a fungus called Marasmius oreades, also known as Scotch bonnet, although there are…

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…

IF a dazzling display of summer bedding is ‘your thing’, try to get along to the Trials Grounds of Ball Colegrave, near Banbury, Oxon, for its annual Public Evening on Wednesday 24 July, from 4-8pm. There are more than 4 acres of trials, gardens and patios to explore, as well as the largest display of hanging baskets and containers in the UK. You will also be able to preview new plant introductions to be released into garden centres next year, and experimental plant varieties for the future! This year there will also be craft stalls, alpacas and musical entertainment, with plants and refreshments to buy. For more detail visit ballcolegrave.co.uk.…

THE Whitsun Bank Holiday always feels like more of an event that the break at the start of May, and with hopefully better weather too there’s lots to be getting on with outside. The long weekend offers the perfect opportunity to start thinking about what you want from the garden over the summer. Yes, there will be weeding, deadheading and watering to do, of course, but there could also be some fun stuff to get stuck in to. Look at seating areas and decide whether your furniture needs an overhaul, and if there’s room for some pots of scented plants to make evening meals al fresco that bit more special. We have a patio corner and a small summerhouse that we use a lot in summer, so this weekend I’m…

Garden animals and birds are busy rearing families and we can help see them through. Keep bird feeders filled with fresh food and make sure there’s fresh water in birdbaths. During hot, dry periods, place fresh water in quiet wild areas for hedgehogs and leave them meaty cat and dog food or kibble, never mealworms. Specific hedgehog food is also available. If you have cats, please make sure they have bells on their collars and keep them indoors at night.…

THE RHS is expanding its campaign to ‘turn grey Britain green’ to include growing more plants to benefit our mental and physical health. The Greening Grey Britain campaign, launched in 2015, is now called Greening Great Britain and aims to promote growing more plants for the environment and our wellbeing. A survey of 2,000 RHS members reveals they are making a significant impact on the UK’s increased ‘greenness’ by getting a massive 22 million new plants in the ground each year. Research shows the area of new plants grown by RHS members in the past 12 months is the size of 350 football pitches. The plant numbers include at least 157,000 trees – the equivalent of 98 hectares of forest. Plants for pollinators are important Sue Biggs, RHS Director General,…

GROWING from seed is an economical and exciting way of creating a beautiful garden packed with colour, scent and interest. If you have always wanted to try it, but have had problems with germination, disease, pricking out and creating the right conditions, this fabulous book is for you. It is broken down into easily navigable sections focusing on cottage garden favourites, fillers such as lace flower and grasses, bold and beautiful additions (pot marigolds, cosmos, zinnia etc), scented beauties, exotics, edibles and bee-friendly varieties. The book is also beautifully illustrated. Each flower has a spread of fabulous photographs plus tips for sowing and the best conditions for growing, with information about indoor arrangements, making a sweet pea arch and planning a mini meadow. So not only is The Flower Garden…

THERE are more than 60 pot plants on the windowsills at home, sitting on wide quarry tiles that are easy to mop dry in the event of water spillage. They are joined by two recycled grape punnets of watercress (more on that in the future), and several pans of germinating seeds and pots of rooting cuttings. The number of plants propagated from the 5ft/1.5m-wide office windowsill (in white polythene bags from April to September, and clear polythene through darker and shorter days) is very satisfying. “Heavy means wet enough, while light demands watering” Pot numbers will reduce once the chance of night frost has passed to allow some of them to spend summer outside. Even now, the hardier Christmas cacti, aspidistras and so on have been gently hardened off over…

On the surface it may look as though not a lot is happening in our wildlife pond, but in fact, one month on, it is already bustling with life. The water is clearing ,helped by oxygenating plants and the work of ramshorn snails, and there are lots of diving beetles scurrying around. A fleet of pond skaters has moved in and blackbirds have been stripping moss from the sides to line their nests. We deepened the top shelf after the initial digging and added an escape ramp for hedgehogs. Once the water settles a bit more, we’re going to ad a small lily and then wait for the frogs to arrive!…

1 When you see flowers appearing on potato plants then remove them – if they make seed pods, it will reduce your crop. 2 Flowers appearing on potato plants also means it’s time to give them a huge watering, as this will significantly increase your crop. 3 Progressively raise the height of cut on your mower, and your grass will then stay greener throughout the summer months. 4 Put nets over any soft fruits before they colour. It’s also a good idea to make more bird baths, as less-thirsty birds will eat less fruit.…

Peppermint: A classic tea said to aid digestion and boost concentration ‘Black Mitcham’ is an especially good variety to source. Lemon verbena: A tender shrub with a perfumed, citrusy flavour. It regulates your appetite, thereby helping with weight loss, and it also alleviates anxiety. Chamomile: Another timeless tea, well known for its calming effects. The annual German chamomile ( Matricaria recutita ) is the best form. Perilla: This tender herb (shiso) is easily seed-grown. It tastes like a spicy complex mint, and is excellent for both warm and iced teas. Fennel: The seeds of fennel can be steeped in boiled water. A pleasant aniseed flavour that is excellent for aiding digestion and bloating. Holy basil: This tender perennial ( Ocimum tenuiflorum ) is claimed to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.…

IN times of a changing climate, we’re not sure whether summer will bring us deluge or dearth. But come rain or shine, we can take action to ‘weatherproof’ our crops via careful soil management. Add bulky organic matter (such as composted bark or well-rotted farmyard manure) to your plot – it makes light soils more moisture-retentive and heavy plots less claggy. Dig gullies alongside your crops, plugging them up to catch your irrigation water in a drought or opening them up in times of heavy rain. Add plenty of water butts to capture rainfall, and grow a little bit of everything (try drought-tolerant asparagus and globe artichokes alongside moisture-loving rhubarb and Oriental leaves. Choose raised beds on low-lying areas, but grow on the flat if your plot is on the…

IF you get frustrated when your annual spinach runs to seed in hot, dry summers, then Tetragonia tetragonoides could be for you. This short-lived perennial (treat as an annual) bears succulent, fleshy leaves which, picked young, make an excellent alternative to conventional Spinacia oleracea. It grows best on free-draining soils, naturally colonising shorelines due to its tolerance of saline conditions. In gardens, it grows happily in pots if your soil is heavy clay – otherwise, sow direct into sunny beds now. It quickly forms weed-suppressing groundcover and will not flower if frequently harvested. Simply pick the growing points regularly – these will taste the sweetest – and you’ll be supplied with spinach shoots from July through until the first frosts.…

THE most significant hosta pests are slugs and snails – and they are certainly worth worrying about! There are two approaches: grow slug-resistant varieties or use an organic slug killer. Research has shown that barrier methods simply do not work. From 2020, metaldehyde pellets will be banned, but they’re dangerous to wildlife that you should stop using them now. I use pellets containing ferrous sulphate, but recently doubt has been cast on their safety, too. Biological controls work well for slugs (not snails), but can be expensive, so it’s best to start with resistant varieties. Look for hostas with thick, heavily textured leaves. Those with AGMs include: ‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’ (corrugated and cupped blue-green), ‘Blue Angel’ (deeply lobed blue-green), ‘Hadspen Blue’ (one of the bluest), ‘Sagae’ (gold-edged green) and ‘Spilt…

Lovestruck A floribunda; deep-red, velvety petals form large flowers that nestle among dark green, glossy foliage. Particularly healthy – no need to resort to sprays. Bred by Dickson Nurseries and named Rose of the Year 2018. H&S: 39in (1m). Starlight Symphony Introduced by Harkness at Hampton Court in 2018, and the winner of Rose of the Year for 2019. Will repeat flower, producing masses of semi-double, blushed-pink/white blooms with a spicy fragrance. HxS: 10x8ft (3x2.5m). Scent from Heaven Rose of the Year 2017, this compact, repeat-flowering climber has apricot-orange flowers from June to September. The fruity fragrance also captivated judges at the Paris International Rose Trials. HxS: 10x6½ft (3x2m). Vanessa Bell Introduced in 2017 by David Austin Roses, this free-flowering shrub rose is compact enough for containers. The exquisite pale-yellow…

Achillea ‘Moonshine’ AGM When it’s planted in quantity to maximise the impact of the flat golden heads, pollinators will make a beeline for this achillea – especially if you combine it with a drift of ‘Veitch’s Blue’ echinops. H&S: 2ft (60cm). Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’ AGM For contrasting shape but complementary colours, try this Russian sage in a border with deep-blue echinops. The multiple, fine spires of lavender-blue flowers team well with those spiky globes. HxS: 4ftx39in (1.2x1m). Veronicastrum ‘Adoration’ Best grown in larger drifts, in a mixed, prairie-style border, the purple-pink spires of ‘Adoration’ look good with Cirsium ‘Mount Etna’. The result? A mix of bold textures and summer colours. HxS: 4ftx20in (120x50cm). Santolina chamaecyparissus ‘Nana’ AGM Plant this cotton lavender with…

Most annuals like an open, sunny position and good, well-cultivated soil. Rake the surface smooth, removing stones, and create shallow drills in lines or curves 9-12in (23-30cm) apart, according to instructions. Moisten the base of the drills if necessary. Sow thinly and evenly, around 1-2in (2½-5cm) apart. Brush soil to cover seeds by their own size, and tamp gently. Alternatively, sow a tiny pinch of seed per module, and for small, fine plants, grow on as a clump. For larger plants, thin to one per module and plant promptly. After germination, thin seedlings following packet guidelines, usually 8-12in (20-30cm) apart, so they have space to reach their full potential. Thin hardy annuals in at least two stages, firming the remaining ones in and watering them using a rose (sprinkler) on…

THE most obvious ways plants defend themselves, especially against plant-eating animals, are with hard shells, thorns (modified branches) and spines (modified leaves). Thick bark and waxy leaf cuticles help protect plants against environmental conditions. Plants have evolved to thrive in a range of environments. We grow plants from around the world and from massively different climatic conditions to our own, so understanding how they cope and use the environment helps us to select and grow the right plant for the right place in our gardens. Surviving intense temperature Cold, heat, wind scorch and dehydration can leave plants shredded, stressed and battling for survival, so many plants have needed to evolve defences. By adapting to withstand and even thrive in these environmental conditions, they find their ecological niche where they can…

THERE is little more exciting than watching foxgloves, alliums, lupins, rudbeckias and sunflowers send flower spikes soaring skyward. And there is little more depressing than seeing them flattened by strong winds or heavy rain. However, this is entirely avoidable as there’s a huge range of plant supports available to suit every size of plant. Taller, bulkier plants suffer Many plants within a flowerbed will support each other, but taller and bulkier perennials and specimen plants are vulnerable, and so are plants around the edges. Supports are best put in place as early as possible, when growth is just beginning. When installed at this point, the growth covers and hides the support as the plant reaches maturity. However, supports put in place later will still save your tall plants from being…

1 Advice on how much soil to remove with a fairy ring varies from 1-3ft (30-90cm). My dad would dig 2ft (60cm) deep and 18in (45cm) on either side of the ring. 2 Mow the fairy ring area separately and dispose of the clippings. Dispose of toadstools before they shed spores. 3 It is said that watering the lawn with Epsom salts (Magnesium sulphate) helps to get rid of fairy rings, but a general lawn feed is probably a better bet. 4 Toadstools growing randomly in groups are feeding on organic matter (often dead tree roots) under turf. They will gradually disappear as the organic matter is used up.…

ON this day, the UK’s first national flower show was held at Chiswick, West London. It was hosted by the Horticultural Society (before it received ‘Royal’ status), at its Chiswick garden. The show was popular, but had trouble attracting visitors because transport links from central London (and, indeed, the rest of the country) were not good. In 1862, it moved to Kensington, West London, where the RHS had a new garden. But it was still felt that a Central London location would be better so, in 1888, it moved again, this time to Temple Gardens (near Fleet Street). This became so popular that a bigger site was required, so in 1913 it was moved again, to Chelsea, where it remains to this day!…

In a pre-Victorian florist’s magazine, The Floricultural Cabinet, dated 1836, there is a list of 150 new types of flowers available in Britain for the very first time. They include now-familiar names, including petunia, clarkia, the Peruvian lily (alstroemeria), Californian poppy (eschscholzia), evening primrose (oenothera) and poor man’s orchid (schizanthus). For years, some of the country’s best summer bedding schemes were shown at the RHS Tatton Park Show in July, under the auspices of the RHS National Flower Bed Competition (pictured). This has now evolved into this year’s new Blooming Borders competition, where exhibitors will create realistic planting schemes to inspire. For more details visit rhs.org.uk.…

A GARDENER has harnessed atomic energy to the flower power game and exploded the myth that colours have their limitations. Mr Bromley grows over 250,000 plants in Audenshaw, Manchester. What he wanted was a bigger and brighter chrysanthemum. So five months ago he began to bombard buds with gamma and neutron rays using a machine similar to an X-ray. Patiently, he experimented with 50 varieties of chrysanthemums before he finally struck gold. An almost startling bloom has been produced from a yellow variety called ‘Repute’. Mr Bromley told me: ‘I hoped for only one bloom when the experiments began. Now we have an outstanding improvement on the original with better formation and more petals. But even more startling is the improvement in the colour. It is not just yellow. It…

LATE August can be a time when gardens start to fade, but this certainly isn’t the case for Tuck and Juliet Moss’s Devon plot. A collection of hydrangeas ensures that this multi-level site remains colourful well into the autumn without jarring with the green foliage of the trees and hedges in the surrounding countryside. Tuck and Juliet came up with the idea of using hydrangeas as a unifying feature in their late-summer garden after becoming fascinated by the way they were naturalised in the rural areas of France. “Over there they grow hydrangeas in the countryside in the same way we grow rhododendrons here in the UK,” laughs Tuck. “We returned home from a trip to Normandy with a car-boot full of shrubs, intending to do the same thing in…

KING James I was famously tricked into buying 10,000 black mulberry (Morus nigra) trees for silk production, and he found out the hard way that silkworms only eat leaves of the white species (Morus alba). The trees were imported from all over Europe, and courtiers and landowners were expected to buy and plant them on their land. The king’s orchard was north of what is now Buckingham Palace, and the hope when it was planted was that French monopoly of the silk industry would be broken. The silkworms did not survive, but many trees did, and the palace gardens are still home to the National Collection.…

1 Give your plants a good drink by standing them in water for at least 30 minutes before planting. 2 Fill the base of the pot with a layer of crocks, which will help improve drainage and prevent waterlogged compost and roots. 3 Add some granular or slow-release fertiliser to the compost. This will ensure a regular supply of nutrients to the plants. 4 Plant to the depth of the rootballs, firm the compost to knock out airholes and water well. Raise the pots on feet.…

1 The nematodes (tiny, predatory roundworms) come in two Ziploc bags with a full set of instructions. Each sachet will treat 6m sq. 2 Put 3 pints (1.5l) of water in a bucket and drop in one of the sachets (remove it from its bag first), leaving it to soak for five minutes. 3 Then stir the solution for up to three minutes until it turns an opaque, milky colour. It is now ready to decant and dilute. 4 Decant a third of the solution into a watering can with a coarse sprinkler attached, filled to 4.5l with clean water. 5 Pour the solution onto already-dampened compost in the pots you want to treat, repeating until all the solution is used up. 6 Once you have treated all your pots,…

AG columnist Peter Seabrook has been awarded a prestigious accolade by the Worshipful Company of Gardeners. The Prince Edward Award for Excellence in Horticultural Career Development is an annual presentation that recognises excellence in the field of horticulture and focuses largely on education and careers in the sector. Peter was given the award by the Master of the company, Margaret Holland Prior, at the Spring Court Dinner, held at the Apothecaries Hall in the City of London. Peter said: “I was thrilled to get the award and what made it really special was having my son Roger and grand daughter Rachel there. It was really rather humbling “The Apothecaries Hall is an amazing place, one of the oldest in London, and to have a presentation of that kind in such…

IT is easy to be confused when pruning clematis because there are so many varieties and they flower on different growth at different stages of the year. Clematis largely fall into one of three main pruning groups, the exception being herbaceous clematis (Clematis heracleifolia, C. integrifolia and C. recta) that are cut back to near ground level in late autumn or early spring. Late spring and early summer is when your Group 1 clematis need some care and attention once they have finished flowering. Varieties include winter-flowering Clematis cirrhosa, C. armandii, C. Montana, C. macropetala and C. alpina. These are easy to prune as you simply remove the spent flowers and feed afterwards. If they are overgrown or flowering has dropped off, you can effectively renovate most of them by…

1 With the warm temperatures and bright sunlight, now is a good time to root softwood and leaf cuttings. Rooted new growth from overwintered mother plants, such as coleus (above) and zonal geraniums will perform better than their parents. 2 Root-bound houseplants need potting on. Split up things like sansevieria, so the divisions are well established before shortening days. 3 Now is the time to prune overwintered tender hibiscus plants quite hard to remove any bare stems. 4 Plants such as fragrant hoya and stephanotis (above) can have size retained by training stems horizontally around a circular frame.…

25: Iris Show: RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey, GU23 6QB. ✆ 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/ gardens/wisley 25: Peonies and Irises – how to grow beautiful blooms: RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Rosemoor, Torrington, Devon, EX38 8PH. ✆ 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor 25-27: Kent Garden Show, Kent Showground, Detling, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3JF. ✆ 01795 474660, kentgardenshow.com 26: Rare Plant Fair: Kingston Bagpuize House, Kingston Bagpuize, Abingdon, Oxon, OX13 5AX. ✆ 01278 661352, rareplantfair.co.uk 28: Garden Tour: RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorks, HG3 1QB. ✆ 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr 29: An afternoon with Chris Beardshaw: RHS Garden Rosemoor 31 May-2 June: Gardening Scotland Show: Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh, EH28 8NB. ✆ 0131 333 0965, gardeningscotland.com JUNE  1: Beekeeping demonstration: RHS Harlow Carr 1: Make a willow sculptural…

IN certain months of the year I find myself criss-crossing England doing gardening talks and I get to meet some delightful people. I’ve spoken at Stourton Caundle Garden Club in Dorset twice in recent times. When I visit this club, a lovely lady called Sally-Anne feeds me before my talk. In fact, the first time she fed me and the Best Beloved, because he had to drive me as I had a broken arm. We were both fascinated to hear that Sally-Anne had glow-worms in her Dorset garden, because they are in decline. Once they were very common, and Thomas Hardy (1840-1928), writing in Return of the Native (published in 1878), describes a dice game that could only continue once 13 glow-worms had been collected on a foxglove leaf. Thirteen,…

1 Harvest young shoot tips rather than older, less flavoursome leaves. Pick any flowers as soon as they have opened. Make harvests at the start of the day, when they are at their freshest. 2 Either use leaves and flowers fresh, or dry them to use later. To dry them, lay them on sheets of greaseproof paper across a baking tray. Dry in a low-set oven, then store in airtight jars. 3 Measure one dessert spoon of fresh herbs, or one teaspoon of dried, per person. Boil the kettle, then leave to cool for five minutes. Steep for three-five minutes, strain and serve.…

AS the weather heats up, so does a glasshouse – and anything above 30 ° C/86 ° F can be harmful to plants. Look to these options for a solution: 1 Shade paint: Applying this milky liquid to a glasshouse exterior is inexpensive, though it’s not always efficient at reducing temperatures. 2 Interior shade netting or fleece: Fix this into place using clips. It’s very simple to erect and take down but, again, not that efficient at cooling. 3 Exterior blinds: The most costly method, but the most effective at cooling. Because the blinds are external, the sun cannot hit the glass.…

THE hosta is the classic shade plant. Actually, hostas will grow in the sun, too, but we’ll get to that later. As specimens, as ground cover, in containers, associated with shrubs or with other perennials, and for a continually expanding range of leaf shapes and sizes, colours and combinations – you really can’t beat these faithful foliage plants. Some even have fragrant summer flowers or autumn leaf colour as an added bonus. They’re tough, too. When dormant, they’ll take the most severe weather winter can throw at them, and they’ll grow well in surprisingly poor soil, responding enthusiastically to good preparation. Yes, slugs love ’em and the young shoots can be frosted in spring (although they always spring back), but that shouldn’t put you off. Hostas are one of America’s…

WITH hostas, the foliage is the main attraction, but there are some whose flowers are valuable – and even a few grown for their scent. At 16in (40cm) high, ‘Golden Tiara’ would be worth planting for its neatly variegated leaves alone, but its crop of purple flowers is dramatic. Others, with the notable exception of the tiny ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ (lavender flowers), tend to be on the larger side: ‘Big Daddy’ (lavender-tinted white), ‘Blue Umbrellas’ (pale lavender) and ‘Krossa Regal’ (lavender). Some also come with the bonus of strong evening fragrance. Look out for ‘Aphrodite’ (double white), ‘Fragrant Bouquet’, ‘Honeybells’ and ‘Summer Fragrance’ (all with pale lavender flowers), among others.…

Feeding and watering Water established roses once a week and new roses more often – every couple of days is ideal. Direct water towards the roots as any splashes on the foliage can encourage fungal diseases. In late July, sprinkle rose feed around the base and carefully fork in; or spray leaves with a high potassium liquid fertiliser, fortnightly, from June through to August. Pests and diseases Pick off aphids and rose sawfly. Watch out for black spot, and remove and destroy any affected leaves. Deadheading For repeat flowerers, snip off fading and dead flowers regularly. Leave heads on single flowerers so that attractive hips develop – these are a good food source for birds. Pruning Prune single-flowering ramblers after they have flowered. Leave others until they are dormant (late…

Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’ AGM Tough plants featuring large red-purple flowers that first appear in May, then continue throughout the summer. They need moist soil to thrive, and should be cut back and divided in autumn. HxS: 4x2 ½ ft (1.2mx75cm). Cirsium rivulare Frosted Magic This relatively new introduction has tight, white thistle flower heads on tall, erect stems in July and August. It likes moist, well-drained soil and should be cut back in autumn if you want to prevent self-seeding. HxS: 4x2ft (1.2mx60cm). Cirsium ‘Mount Etna’ Slightly smaller than most thistles, and more unusual. In July and August you’ll get white flowers with soft pink tips. These are carried on stiff stems above a mound of long, thistle-type (but non-prickly) leaves. HxS: 3x2ft (90x60cm).…

Cirsium tuberosum A hardy British native, good for natural-style plantings in full sun. Painted lady caterpillars feed on the leaves, while the peacock and meadow brown butterflies use the purple-pink thistle flowers as a nectar source. HxS: 5ftx32in (1.5mx80cm). Echinops sphaerocephalus ‘Arctic Glow’ This globe thistle self-seeds readily. The ghostly-white globes look equally attractive in flower and as seed heads, which hungry birds love. Leave for winter silhouettes, then cut back in spring. HxS: 5ftx28in (1.5mx70cm).…

Ipomoea ‘Grandpa Otts’ Of the morning glories, this electric-purple beauty is my favourite. It loves to germinate in warmth, and needs a framework or fence to climb up. Eschscholzia californica ‘Sun Shades’ California poppies grow in any soil and self-seed in driveways or gravel gardens. Expect satiny orange petals above fern-like blue-green foliage on plants reaching 12in (30cm) high. Nigella damascena ‘Miss Jekyll’ Expect structural blue flowers over a mass of feathery foliage, reaching to 20in (50cm). Enjoy the ornamental seed pods. Papaver rhoeas Shirley Group The result of selection in the 1880s by Rev W. Wilks in Shirley, Croydon. Key hallmarks are single blooms with a white base, yellow or white stamens and no black. Reach 24in (60cm).…

THE needle and scale-like leaves most often found on coniferous trees are perfectly evolved for extremes. They have such a small surface area they are less susceptible to cold winds, which can also be salt-laden in coastal areas. The needles are ‘waterproofed’ with a waxy covering so there is minimal water loss in hot climates. In cold climates where water uptake is difficult in frozen ground, they have minimal water needs too. This thick, waxy coating retains more water than an ordinary rounded, flat leaf, they don’t shed as often and can capture sunlight for nearly the entire year. Needles are adept at surviving ice, and heavy snowfall just slides off. They have lower wind resistance than ordinary leaves, and they filter strong winds and gales so branches are less…

1 Drive the legs of a single hoop or grid support firmly into the soil around the crown of plants up to 3ft (90cm) tall, and guide stems through the hoop as they grow. 2 Taller plants need supports with two or three tiers of hoops. They must be strongly made, and decorative styles will look good. 3 If growth is advanced, build a link stake support tightly around the plant. Push the leg of each section firmly into the soil and then hook it onto the previous one. 4 For floppy growth at lawn or path edges, use a border restraint. Set one in firmly behind the plant, push the plant back into it, set another in front and wire the corners together.…

BRITAIN is famous throughout the world for its displays of summer bedding plants. From city parks to seaside town promenades, we are all familiar with the vibrant, dazzling, multi-coloured displays of pelargoniums, marigolds, ageratum, petunias, and the like. Our own small back gardens once rang out with the same vivid tones, but these days there has been a swing towards less formal planting schemes. However, there is still a place for summer bedding plants in private gardens, and this week is arguably the best week of the year to plant them out, so let’s look at some of the facts surrounding them. The issue of frost MOST summer bedding, and certainly the half-hardy types, should be planted out as soon as possible after your last spring frost. But how can…

HERE’S a riddle for you: when might you have to rip out summer bedding that’s looking good, in order to plant new summer bedding that isn’t? The answer relates to biennials, and over two years. Summer-flowering biennials, such as foxgloves, Iceland poppies, Canterbury bells, hollyhocks and sweet Williams (pictured), are usually planted out in late September or early October. Of course, by then much of that year’s summer bedding may still be looking good. Biennials, however, must be allowed time to establish in the soil before winter, so you may have to sacrifice the old for the sake of the new!…

My happy cacti collection I WAS so pleased to see one of your readers highlighting cacti and succulents ( AG , 23 February). I have been a collector since the early 1970s so some of them are 50 years old and most of the plants flower every year. I must have the right touch (or they like how I care for them) and Hazel Taylor’s advice is spot on. I hope her collection lasts as long as mine – I am 84 this year. By the way, I must have bought a few hundred AG magazines over the years and hope I have lots of them to enjoy in the future. I grow lots more flowers and vegetables besides cacti, which keeps me going. Shirley Hopkins, Moreton-in-the Marsh, Glos Bargain…

“ IF it looks like a bean…” I said, adding a pause to give my next words extra gravity, “then it probably is a bean.” The lady who had brought the bag of ‘cashew seeds’ to me for identification gratefully agreed – although to be fair, she’d always suspected that what she actually had was a bag of beans. My sagacious words of wisdom hadn’t fallen on fallow ground, though. No, they had confirmed that the mystery seeds weren’t what they had purported to be on the bag. Over the years, I’ve been asked to explain more plant-related murders and mysteries than Midsomer CID. Amongst them are many a missing persons (or rather, missing label) case, requiring deep thought to crack. Either that, or flicking through a big pile of…