Innholdsfortegnelse for 13-Jul-2019 i Amateur Gardening

IULY is the start of the UK’s peak holiday season, but whatever time of year you choose to take a break, you still need to make sure your plants are catered for in your absence. You may be fortunate enough to have a family member or neighbour who is happy to do the watering for you. If not, forward-planning is key to keeping your plants alive, productive and colourful while you are away. Houseplants are easy to sort for your average week or fortnight-long holiday. Feed and water them before you go, and leave seedlings and young plants in a cool room where they are less likely to dry out. In our house the bathroom is the best place, so I tend to cluster them there, even standing plants in…

Summer weather can turn on a sixpence, so always make sure your garden is prepared to withstand the worst eventualities. Make sure young trees are securely staked, and that there is no danger of long branches splintering and snapping under the weight of too much fruit. Also ensure that if they were to break and fall they won’t cause injury to anyone or structural damage to nearby property. Tall, whippy plants and those with delicate stems, such as delphiniums, should also be staked to avoid upsetting breakages. Containers should be stood squarely on pot feet so they don’t wobble and topple, which allows excess rainfall from summer squalls to drain away quickly.…

Euphorbias are a stylish and shapely addition to the garden in spring and summer, though they can become unruly. They all have different growing habits and need pruning accordingly. Some evergreen varieties simply need a light trim when their bracts have turned brown. Snip them back to the first ring of leaves. Herbaceous perennial varieties should be deadheaded after flowering and then cut to the ground before the first frosts. Biennial euphorbias such as E. characias flower on last year’s stems, and these should be cut back to leave this year’s growth standing. Always wear gloves and clean secateurs blades after cutting as the plants’ thick milky sap is a skin irritant.…

Clematis offcuts are ideal for adding to the compost heap because they are a mix of green and brown materials. However, if the plant was very large, too much of it may overwhelm the compost heap and slow it down, so only add some and take the rest to your local gardening recycling centre. Keep your compost working in summer by adding a balance of green and brown garden materials (grass clippings, deadheads, weeds and any chopped-up prunings). Turn it regularly and water it in very dry weather.…

Edging the lawn is a quick and easy way of tidying up the garden. Removing the long grass around the fringes of borders not only makes the edges more defined, it also removes the overhanging mess that can harbour slugs, snails and other pests. However, chopping border edges that are concealed under low-lying tree branches or densely packed perennials can be something of a challenge. Leading garden brand Gardena has come up with an ingenious solution. Its lightweight Long Handled Grass Shears are ideal for the job, letting you access hard-to-reach places without needing to kneel down and stretch at awkward angles. The shears cost £49.99 from Homebase and independent garden centres. See next week’s news pages for a full review.…

1 Garden alstroemerias need stems plucked (not cut, leaving a stump) for use as cut flowers (trim off the white piece before putting in water) and to remove dead heads. 2 Gerbera Garvinea Sweet Series require the flower stems to be twisted through 90° and plucked out cleanly. The age of each flower is easily seen as the centre mounds with opening florets on the central disc. 3 The recently introduced Helianthus SunBelievable is easily propagated by cuttings; even a piece broken off and pushed into compost will root quite quickly. 4 Garden cut flower pinks from Whetmans, including Dianthus plumarius ‘Red Carpet’, unlike their scentless sister spray carnations, have delicious fragrance – something presenters should be describing.…

DELPHINIUMS offer some of the most spectacular sights of the summer, their tall pastel spires standing to attention in the border, and doing further duty as an excellent cut flower for indoors. They are also loved for their longevity – remove early flowers after blooming, and you will get a second flush later in the summer. This week’s free seeds are for ‘Pacific Giants Mixed’, statuesque hardy perennials that flower from pure white to violet and will return year after year. Growing to 84in (2.1m), they will be the stand-out celebrities of the garden and are relatively easy to grow. Delphiniums like well-drained, fertile soil (they are hungry plants) and are a magnet for slugs when they first start to shoot, so make sure you protect them. For next year’s…

1 The June drop should be finishing now, so it’s time to thin apple and pear fruit ruthlessly, ideally so that no two are able to touch once swollen. 2 Leave grass growing long under fruit trees – it cushions windfalls and takes up spare nitrogen so that fruits ripen redder. 3 Be ruthless with your ‘prize’ pumpkins – take off all but the best one from each plant, so the remaining cucurbit can grow huge. 4 Leeks are really thirsty plants. Make a trough alongside them, and then you can redirect your grey water (recycled bath, shower and washing-up water) to them.…

IT’S nudging into late July, and those of us with children might well want to escape familiar climes for somewhere more exotic. But what happens to the plot when you’re away? Follow this guide, and you won’t have to worry about anything disastrous. Some fruit and veg will be perfectly happy left alone for a week or fortnight, merrily growing away until your return. Fruit trees and bushes in the ground are prime examples – the only thing that might greet you is perished berries or currants, but the plants themselves won’t be harmed. Why not arrange for neighbours to glean any pickings? You never know when you might need a favour from them! Winter squashes and pumpkins, maincrop potatoes, winter brassicas, leeks, onions, carrots, parsnips, celery, celeriac and sweetcorn…

IF you don’t have room for a few of these plants in your vegetable garden, just pop one in a mulched sunny flower border – they are beautiful things! Their impressive silver foliage comes back year after year, with those huge jagged leaves making them excellent statements plants. But for cooks, it’s the edible flower buds that really excite. Picked when the size of a golf ball, the whole bud is tender and edible, but usually it’s allowed to grow larger (roughly the size of a grapefruit) before being harvested. At this point, the leaf scale tips (known as phyllaries) will have become hard and inedible, but the bases are soft, buttery and delicious, and the basal plate upon which the leaves sit – the ‘heart’ – is also edible.…

Bulk up herbs in high summer with ‘semi-ripe’ cuttings – ideal for mint, lemon balm, oregano, thyme, lavender, rosemary and sage: 1 Look for nonflowering shoots from healthy plants. Trim 1in (2½cm) lengths of these using a sharp knife, placing them in a tray of water. 2 Carefully remove around one third of the leaves, taking them from the lower end of the cutting – otherwise, these could rot when placed into the compost. 3 Gently insert the lower ⅓in (1cm) into pots of moist compost. Water in lightly, then place in a propagator positioned out of direct sun. Pot up once well rooted.…

Cultivation will need to vary according to type, but all require a well-drained soil, so consider a raised bed in gardens where the soil waterlogs in winter. Certain corydalis (such as C.malkensis , C.solida , C.flexuosa and C.lutea ) are happy with woodland-style conditions, so use moist, humus-rich soil. A few from higher altitudes prefer sun and sharp drainage in a rock or dry garden. Like spring-flowering bulbs, tuberous corydalis need spring moisture in order to thrive. The smaller-growing corydalis will grow faster and perform better if they are treated to a general-purpose feed when they are in growth. Propagate spring-flowering tuberous corydalis by dividing their clumps while dormant from summer to autumn. Divide summer-flowering corydalis in spring.…

Feed with a general fertiliser in spring, as the leaves start to develop. Once the leaves start to grow, keep them away from any neighbouring plants that might be smothered. Clear away fading leaves in summer as they shrivel and die – don’t be tempted to cut them off earlier. If naturalising in grass, avoid mowing until leaves have died down. Lift and divide corms every three or four years; summer is the optimum time.…

Plant the dry corms when dormant – usually in mid or late summer. Do not make the mistake of thinking that they should be planted in autumn like so many other bulbs. Choose a site with rich but well-drained soil; poor soils should be improved with weed-free organic matter before planting. In heavy soils, working in some grit will really boost the drainage. Most colchicums flower more prolifically and colourfully in full sun. Plant 3-4in (8-10cm) deep, 4-5in (10-12cm) apart; if happy, they’ll soon bulk up into prolific clumps. Colchicums can also be naturalised in rough grass in full sun.…

LAVENDERS will lose their allure without regular pruning. If left to their own devices, a neat mound of stems with their succession of flowers over summer will turn into an untidy woody shrub that flowers poorly. It doesn’t take long for plants to become out of shape. Within a few years of planting they might be beyond hope, so it’s important to develop a pruning regime early on. Lavenders can live for 20 years or more if trimmed correctly to keep them tight, compact and healthy. The key to pruning lavenders is to prune them twice a year, rather than the traditional once. Give them their first cut immediately after flowering, removing the spent flower stems and about 1in (2½cm) of growth to retain an attractive rounded shape. Prune plants…

Amaryllis belladonna AGM Thick purple stems carry large, loose heads of six or more funnel-shaped flowers – the petal tips are a strong pink, fading to white towards the centre. Blooms have a soft, apple-like scent. Flowers: Oct. H: 32in (80cm). Crocus cartwrightianus AGM Pale to bright-purple crocus flowers appear at the same time as the leaves. In a pot, they’ll respond best when given a hot summer baking, and fed in early spring as the leaves die back. Flowers: Oct-Nov. H: 3½in (8cm). Eucharis amazonica AGM A tender subject, Amazon lily needs indoor protection in winter. Each head carries up to eight highly scented white blooms, so keep it in a pot on the patio where you can appreciate the fragrance when passing…

WHETHER in pots or in garden soil, bulbs should be planted at the depths recommended on the packets: any higher, and they’re likely to droop and be spindly; any deeper, and they may not emerge at all. Place a few handfuls of grit in the bottom of each hole for drainage, and mulch with leafmould after flowering. Water well through this first summer but, once established, plants need little help year on year.…

Why is my hydrangea multi-coloured? Q Why does my healthy hydrangea produce pink and blue flowers? Chris Anderson, Chippenham, Wilts A THE colour is influenced by the pH of the soil they are growing in, which affects aluminium availability. Those with blue or pink flowers tend to be blue in acid soil with high available aluminium levels, mauve in acid/neutral soil and pink in alkaline conditions. I wonder whether the natural pH of your soil is quite varied, even in the localised region around the roots of your hydrangea. I would hazard a guess it is acidic to neutral with pockets of greater acidity – hence the mix of flower colours. If it is supposed to be a blue hydrangea, then you can keep the flowers blue by acidifying the…

Sarah Raven Ergo Snips £15.95 (+£4.95 delivery) ✆ 0345 092 0283 sarahraven.com ES T BU B Y Features Ergonomically designed snips with carbon steel blades, sprung alloy handles with built-in control pillar and index finger notch, and foldaway handle blade lock. Length: 6½in (17cm). Weight: 3½oz (101g). Performance Comfortable and secure in the hand in spite of slim handles. The curved shape and control pillar (which works left- or right-handed) nestling between thumb and forefinger seem to help. Slightly awkward handle lock, but it folds out of the way when you are working. Long blades reach deep into plants to snip back stems. Blades cut cleanly and are strong enough to tackle woody stems fairly easily. No blade protection, so watch your fingers on the point if you pocket them.…

ON this day, carpenters working on the roof of a house in the town of Shreveport, Louisiana, USA, had to take cover when green peaches began falling from the sky. The fruits were all about the size of golf balls and, of course, being unripe, they were quite hard! They seemed to have fallen directly from a dark cloud overhead. Often such happenings can be explained by whirlwinds or tornadoes (or even water spouts in the case of fish or frogs dropping from the sky) but, according to the local weather bureau, the conditions around the city on that day were not sufficient to cause this sort of a weather phenomenon. Fifty-eight years later there is still no explanation for the flying furry fruits!…

IT’S said the best things come in small packages – well, if I were cast away on a desert island, the plant I’d rescue from the waves would be wild thyme. This valuable alpine/herb might be petite, but its usefulness makes it worth its weight in pieces of eight. The leaves are pungent, especially in bright sunshine, so they’d make flavour-filled additions to the suppers of the shipwrecked. The piney, almost peppery taste has the power to elevate roasted red snapper and ‘caiman kebabs’ (my desert island speciality) from very good to great! Then, as the sun goes over the yardarm, a sprig or two in a highball glass gives balance to the freshly squeezed pineapple in my spiced-rum daiquiri snifter. Like all thyme varieties, the clusters of pink blooms…

1 Place plants somewhere light and cool. I sometimes stand ours in the bath in very shallow water so they don’t dry out. 2 Make sure plants are standing on damp gravel as this will create healthy levels of humidity around their leaves. 3 Place plants on capillary matting with one end in water. The dampness seeps up and keeps the roots irrigated. 4 Remove damaged foliage and deadhead so plants may start to produce more flower buds for when you return home.…

TIMED irrigation systems, which are supplied by many leading garden brands, take the stress out of watering the garden, whether you’re at home or away. They comprise thin lengths of flexible hosepipe that can be cut to the required length and attached to small drippers. You thread them around the pots, growbags and borders that need the most watering. This system is linked to a timer attached to an outside tap. You set the timer to release water when needed. Some timers can be linked to a smartphone and will keep you updated with the weather back home, allowing you to alter irrigation timings from your poolside sun-lounger! You can also buy porous soaker hoses (which slowly release drops of water along their length) to attach to a timer.…

1 Fill a clay pot with fresh seed and cuttings compost and vermiculite, and dampen it with clean tap water. 2 Using sharp, clean secateurs, remove 5in (12cm) lengths of this year’s healthy non-flowering growth. 3 Pinch off around 2in (5cm) from the bottom and strip away the lower leaves, leaving the top leaflets. 4 Dip the cut end in hormone rooting powder or gel to help promote the healthy root systems. 5 Insert the cuttings into the dampened compost mix, so each cutting has plenty of room to grow. 6 Seal the pot in a plastic bag that isn’t touching the foliage and place it somewhere light and warm.…

1 Start by shearing away the external soft green growth. Shears are also useful to cut through the thinnest inner stems. 2 Secateurs and loppers make easy work of cutting through thicker, older stems. 3 You should end up with a spray of stems 1-2ft (30-60cm) tall. Cut away thin, spindly growth, leaving the robust stems in place. 4 Finally, feed the plant with a granular fertiliser, fork it in and water well. Don’t hard-prune the plant again for at least three years.…

1 Robust perennials weeds such as dandelions can be dug out or lifted using a tool like those from the Fiskars weed-puller range; these will also help to clear the roots. 2 Perennial weeds can leave holes in the lawn, so fill them with soil and re-seed. I used Johnson’s Lawn Thickener Lawn Seed, which is excellent for patching. Water well after. 3 Alternatively, consider spraying or watering on a specific chemical such as Weedol Extra Lawn Weedkiller. Never use a generic weedkiller, as it will kill the grass as well.…

1 Skim off algae and weeds as they may deplete oxygen levels. Leave plants by the pond overnight so trapped creatures can return to the pond. 2 Deadhead faded flowers, cut off dead and damaged foliage, and remove fast-growing oxygenators before they become invasive. 3 Choose what sort of pond you want, because ornamental fish and wildlife ponds don’t mix – the fish will eat insect larvae and tadpoles. 4 Test the water to keep the pond in balance. Fish excretions and phosphate from fish food, soil and tap water can cause algal blooms. Top Tip If tap water is your only option, fill a watering can and leave it standing for 24 hours before adding to the pond, so the chlorine dissipates and it warms up.…

13: Planting for Plantaholics: RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. 0845 6121 253, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley 13-14: Belvoir Flower and Garden Festival: Belvoir Castle, Grantham, Nottingham NG32 1PE. 01476 871001; belvoircastle.com 13-14: Cactus Show: RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane, Rettendon, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 8ET. 0845 265 8071, rhs.org.uk/ gardens/hydehall 13-14: National Sweet Pea Show: RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorks HG3 1QB. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/ gardens/harlow-carr 15: Garden Walk – Fabulous Ferns: RHS Harlow Carr 15: Free Gardening Advice for RHS Members: RHS Harlow Carr 16: How To Grow Sweet Peas and Roses: RHS Harlow Carr 16: Get The Look – Garden Design Styles: RHS Garden Hyde Hall 17: Bat Walk: RHS Wisley 17: Behind The Scenes at RHS Hyde Hall: RHS Garden Hyde Hall 18:…

IT’S been a bit windy in our Gloucestershire village of Cold Aston. It often is, and when the wind blows, the niger-seed feeder rocks about and the fine seeds end up on the ground – should the finches have left any! Goldfinches seem to love niger seed and the other day, when I opened the door, I put up a flock of about 40. That’s more than a charm of goldfinches – it’s more like a rain cloud! I’m delighted to say I have had a family of greenfinches roosting on the sunflower seeds as well. They’re quite sedentary birds and the other day the Best Beloved saw one youngster disappear into the claws of a fast-flying sparrowhawk, quicker than you could sip tea. It reminded me of a hobby…

Ask family or neighbours to water your fruit and veg while you’re away. Let them harvest any produce that ripens as a token of your gratitude! Install an automatic watering system, attaching it to individual nozzles for pots, and seep hoses when irrigating beds. Complete a last-minute pest walk, armed with an organic spray to blast away critters before populations get free rein to build. Stand potted crops together so that they shade each other’s roots. Shallow trays of water can be useful reservoirs for short breaks. Strip developing pods off all beans and peas – it will encourage them to form more, ready for your return. Lay an old tarpaulin over any bare earth. It might not look pretty, but it will stop weeds growing while you’re away.…

1 Cherries will begin ripening over the next few weeks. R ather than pick them while red, wait until they are almost black – the flavour is superb! 2 Shallots mature earlier than onions and will be full-sized now . Slide your fork prongs underneath each clump and lever out of the earth to aid drying. 3 Raspberries, strawberries and blueberries ripen over a long period, so keep harvesting your plants every few days to ensure you pick at perfection. 4 Are trailing squashes making a takeover bid on your plot? T rain meandering stems into a circle or up a tripod to ensure they k eep within bounds. 5 Keep sowing short drills of lettuce radish, rock et and other quick - , maturing salad crops. This helps to…

WHILE the Latin name of this fast-growing hardy annual might be a mouthful (Atriplex hortensis var. rubra), that’s nothing compared to the abundant pickings it will give you for the kitchen. Sow directly into warm earth (full sun is preferred) in mid-spring, and the resulting tiny seedlings will quickly develop into spires of wine-red growth. Glaucous-grey on top and felt-like underneath, the leaves themselves are highly ornamental, and they make an excellent dot plant on veggie plots and allotments. Salads, too, are immediately given a visual lift if you pick some of the young leaves to scatter among the greenery. The taste is spinach-like (well, it is called mountain spinach, after all), and if they are left to their own devices the head-height plants will flower and self-seed in late…

Corydalis lutea A familiar sight sprouting from walls and filling borders, this bright yellow-flowered evergreen fumitory will fill gaps, helping prevent and smother weeds. Reaches 12-16in (30-40cm). Corydalis malkensis A summer-dormant woodlander from the Caucasus, this pretty fumitory will produce creamy white blooms every spring. Reaches only 8in (20cm) high. Corydalis solida ‘Beth Evans’ A good doer, with pretty coral-pink flowers that open in spring against grey-green leaves, at 6in (15cm) tall. This tuberous perennial is dormant from midsummer. Corydalis solida ‘Purple Bird’ Flowers of light and dark purple-pink contrast with ferny blue-green leaves in March and April. A robust summer-dormant plant, growing to 8in (20cm).…

UNLIKE true crocuses, colchicums produce large amounts of foliage that emerges in spring, then fades away in summer. Some gardeners see the broad, floppy, bright green leaves as an asset, and plant robust grasses as a foliage contrast. To others, it’s an eyesore that needs disguising. Either way, never cut back the foliage until it starts to turn brown and collapse in summer. The problem is that while the flowers are best viewed in close-up, the leaves are too dominant for a frontal position. I’ve seen colchicums planted amongst small-leaved variegated ivies, amongst vincas, epimediums or ophiopogons; the bold leaves of bergenias also make good partners. The advantage is you can arrange the colchicum foliage amongst the other plants to hide it.…

MENTION lavender and most people will think of Lavandula angustifolia, the so-called English lavender with its aromatic grey leaves and spikes of purple flowers in summer. The species has been popular on our shores since its introduction from overseas in the 16th century, first as a medicinal plant and then as an ornamental. Yet this instantly recognisable and much-loved shrub is not the only lavender worth growing. In fact, there are almost 300 different types readily available to gardeners in the UK, with new varieties joining their ranks every year, thanks to breeding work carried out by nurseries around the world. There’s great diversity among the lavender family. Plants range in height from 1ft-3ft (30cm-90cm), with flowers that appear between early June and late September, depending on the variety. The…

TEMPTED to bring back more than photos from abroad? There are strict rules in place so that pests, diseases and invasive species aren’t introduced from one country to another, and to protect native plant populations. Plant collectors have to apply for special permits, while reputable seed companies must adhere to strict phytosanitary tests. Holidaymakers should stick to buying retail seeds – you can bring back up to five packets. For more info go to gov.uk/guidance/ plant-health-controls.…

What’s ailing my cherry? Q We have a cherry on a dwarfing rootstock. Some years, it doesn’t set fruit – but this year, there was a lot of blossom and many green cherries. They all disappeared without ripening, and leaves became curled and distorted. What can I do to help it? Emily Proctor, Harrogate, North Yorks A There was a good set on cherries this spring, even on the wild ones at the bottom of our garden. Cherries flower early and in some years, pollination is compromised by late frosts or wet, blustery weather. Make sure you plant them in sheltered locations and avoid frost pockets. On poorer soils, or where nutrients are washed away by winter rain, spring feeding and mulching are important. A dry spring (especially on sandy…

STRAWBERRIES are synonymous with the British summer. And millions of them will be knocked back with cream at Wimbledon from 1-14 July. They are definitely the berry of the moment, despite not technically being a berry (see below), but while we all know that strawberries work well with cream, ice cream or a glass of bubbly, what else do we really know about them? Let’s look at some of the facts and stories about this quintessentially British fruit. In medieval times, strawberries were served at important functions, as they were thought to bring peace and prosperity to both host and guests. The Wimbledon factor THE catering firm that runs the food and drink outlets during the Wimbledon Championship estimates it will sell around 27 tons (28,000kg) of English strawberries, which…

Keep heucheras healthy IKE Graham Rice in his article ( AG , 15 June), I enjoy heucheras, although I am not entirely certain that I would cut off too many of the small blooms, as many bees in our garden enjoy those, despite the fact that it must be hard work for them. Sadly, we too have suffered from the dreaded vine weevil; many will know the tell-tale signs of a sad-looking plant which, when pulled to check on the condition of its roots, comes straight out of the ground with no roots! All may not necessarily be lost, though. On many occasions, I have found it is well worth cutting back what is left of the roots/stump and removing the last weevil-eaten bit, and then putting the plant into…

1 Cluster pots together somewhere sheltered and shady to reduce the rate of water evaporation and cut up old towels for a ‘wick’ system. 2 Weed well before you go, so you don’t come home to a thicket of unwanted greenery stealing your plants’ water and food. 3 Returning from holiday is bad enough without finding a garden of dead blooms. Cut off flowers before you go to encourage new buds and blooms. 4 If you can, lay a soaker hose through your most important beds. Set it on a timer, and it will then slowly release water in your absence.…

THE summer may have been disappointing compared with last year, and some flowers were a little slow in getting going, but tender perennials such as pelargoniums, penstemons, fuchsias and gazanias are flourishing now. This is an excellent time to use some of their non-flowering stems for softwood cuttings. When this year’s wood starts to harden from its base as summer progresses into early autumn, you can still use it for cuttings but they are known as ‘semi-ripe’. The cuttings will be an ‘insurance’ policy against any tender plants lost in winter. You can also use them to replace old, unproductive and woody plants. I use clay pots when striking cuttings because they are slightly porous, reducing the risk of waterlogging and letting the developing roots breathe. Once potted up, they…

OUR well-established white Clematis montana used to flower abundantly in early summer, but we’ve seen a drop in its performance over the past two years. It was looking straggly and unkempt, its centre just a tangle of bare stems with a pitiful number of blooms. It was time for drastic action and complete renovation, cutting the plant right back to its base. Luckily, Clematis montana is a variety that responds well to hard pruning straight after flowering, shooting forth new, vigorous growth and quickly returning to its flowering grandeur. There are no hard-and-fast rules about how to cut back clematis. I find the easiest way is to shear off the fresh green growth and work inwards. The trickiest part can be cutting entwined stems free from their trellis or support.…

ALTHOUGH lawn growth slows down in summer, it still needs cutting and maintaining. You need not take off more than a third in length with each mowing, but trimming does keep it healthy and looking presentable. Because the grass doesn’t grow as fast, it needs mowing less regularly – and in very hot, dry conditions, it shouldn’t be cut at all. Leaving it to grow a little longer than usual also helps trap moisture by reducing evaporation from the ground. This also encourages the development of deeper root systems, which improve drought tolerance. Whether or not to feed the lawn depends very much on weather conditions. Feeding in spring usually provides enough goodness to see the grass through to autumn, but if conditions are cool and wet – as they…

AMATEUR gardeners are not happy with TV coverage of garden shows, if the comments I receive at shows and events are any guide. The number of presenters grow, while the content diminishes. When viewers watch football, they do not see the commentator – and at the interval, very successful former players make comment from considerable experience. Gardening presenters just get in the way and block the views of plants, areas of garden and flower show displays. All that most of them seem able to do is describe what we can already see on screen, rather than adding depth with unseen information. “They only describe what we can already see on the screen” Take, for example, the flower show last month at the NEC in Birmingham, where over 50 schools had…

1 Check plants and deadhead every day, because if seedpods are left to develop, the plants will stop flowering. 2 Sweet pea tendrils usually hold plants secure, but you should tie in wayward stems to prevent breakages in bad weather. 3 Sweet peas flourish for longer and produce more flowers with regular waterings and weekly feeds of liquid tomato food. 4 Aphids are a major sweet pea pest, so squash colonies between finger and thumb before the need to use chemicals arises.…

DO you think you are growing enough strawberries? I doubt it. There is no better fruit, and strawberries are so easy to produce. You can have fresh strawbs from May to September outdoors, but for this to happen you need early, mid, late and perpetual varieties, and for any quantity of crop you need several plants of each sort. Even so, that’s not a huge investment – but you can reduce this significantly by getting one of each variety and multiplying the plants yourself. Right now, along with flowering and fruiting, strawberries are throwing runners. To keep the cropping up, we usually remove these as fast as they form. If you let these run, they form a chain of new plants and you get fewer berries from the parent. So…

1 Make a scarecrow: Stop pigeons ravaging your brassicas by asking the children to make a scarecrow; just set them off with the framework plus stuffing materials. Use it as an excuse to get rid of your spouse’s less fashionable clothes – result! 2 Grow a cress head: Have dippy eggs for breakfast, then wash them out and get your kids to draw faces on the shells; stick-on googly eyes will make them come alive. Pack inside with damp cotton wool, get them to sow a pinch of cress seeds as hair, then watch it grow. 3 Make fruit ice lollies: Give little fingers a bowl, and teach kids how to pick raspberries, strawberries and blueberries from the plot. Blitz everything in a food processor, freeze into lolly moulds and…

SOIL pests and diseases can be tricky to control. Gone are the days of applying armillatox, lindane or chlorpyrifos to the soil to control the likes of club root, root flies and honey fungus, so what are your options? Crop rotations help, but if your plot or allotment has cultivated edibles for years, all your beds may be struggling. Sowing Mustard ‘Caliente’ now may help. It acts as an organic biofumigant, releasing natural gases that kill off many soilborne pests and diseases. Needing two months to grow, it can be sown now on any bare patches (you can also sow in spring). Add a high-nitrogen granular feed before sowing, then broadcast-sow as you would lawn grass. Keep well watered and then, just before the flowers open in autumn, strim down…

OK, what’s the difference between a crocus and an autumn crocus? Actually, it’s kind of a trick question, as there are both spring- and autumn-flowering species of the true crocus, while what we usually refer to as the ‘autumn crocus’ is a different plant altogether: the colchicum. Colchicums are related to lilies. The flowers develop from fat corms, with up to a dozen large and showy blooms in pinks, lavenders and white, each with six stamens. Mostly, the flowers open in autumn and are followed by bold strap-like leaves in spring. Colchicums are also very poisonous. Crocuses are related to irises. They develop from smaller corms – rounded with neat points – and in autumn or spring produce fewer and daintier flowers, with three stamens. These blooms, which come in…

WHEN you buy colchicums the flower buds are already developed, deep inside the corm. Flowers will emerge even if you never plant them, and a useful trick is to pot individual corms into 10-12cm pots, cover the compost with grit and sit them on the windowsill. They will soon start to flower. Then, as the final blooms fade away, simply plant the whole potful in the garden. It’s sometimes suggested that you stand a colchicum corm in a saucer of water and allow it to bloom. Although this works, it tends to exhaust the corm, which will then take some years after planting to regain its strength.…

L. angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ AGM Introduced in the early 20th century, this classic variety has silvery-green leaves and deep-violet flowers on 24in (60cm) tall spikes from July to September. L. angustifolia Little Lottie (‘Clarmo’) AGM Perfect for pots, this compact variety made its debut in 1998. It has grey-green foliage and pale-pink flowers on 15in (40cm) stalks in late spring or early summer. L. angustifolia ‘Loddon Pink’ Forming a compact, bushy shrub of grey-green foliage, this English lavender from 1950 has pale-pink flowers that open in July above 18in (45cm) stems. L. x intermedia ‘Alba’ AGM A sprawling mound of broad silvery-green leaves are topped with 3ft (1m) tall stalks of snowy-white flowers in summer. It’s one of the…

Hesperantha coccinea ‘Major’ AGM Very hardy, this crimson flag lily grows from rhizomes rather than true bulbs, and the copper-red flowers look spectacular in drifts. A South African native, it likes a sunny spot. Flowers: Sept-Nov. H: 1½ft (45cm). Eucomis pallidiflora AGM Pale greenish-white flowers are carried on a long spike that takes up more than half the flowering stem. The leaves may flop against neighbouring plants, but it’s elegant nonetheless. Flowers: Sept-Oct. H: 1½-2½ft (45-75cm). x Amarcrinum memoria-corsii ‘Howardii’ A cross between Amaryllis belladonna and Crinum moorei, possessing the best qualities of each. The soft-pink funnel-shaped blooms have a delicate scent. Flowers: Sept-Nov. H: 32in (80cm). Colchicum agrippinum AGM The curiously chequered amethyst-and-white funnel-shaped flowers open almost flat in…

Hesperantha coccinea ‘Sunrise’ AGM Similar to ‘Major’, but with clear pink (not red) blooms. These have a long vase life, especially if you remove the bottom leaves and add a drop of clear vinegar or bleach to the water. Flowers: Sept-Nov. H: 1½ft (45cm). Nerine bowdenii AGM There are several varieties but, with its head of seven-10 candy pink spidery flowers, this straight species nerine is hard to beat. Plants bloom best when mature and in slightly congested clumps. Flowers: Sept-Nov. H: 28in (70cm).…

Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead’ English lavender varieties will cope far better with our climate than other types – although they still need well-drained soil. ‘Munstead’s compact, bushy plants have grey-green leaves and dark purple flower spikes. HxS: 1½x2ft (45x60cm). Vitis vinifera ‘Boskoop Glory’ AGM You can’t get more Mediterranean than a vine-covered pergola. This is one of the most reliable for outdoor growing in this country, producing sweet black fruit with the added bonus of fabulous autumn leaf colour. HxS: 33x13ft (10x4m). Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Miss Jessopp’s Upright’ AGM This tall, shrubby variety of classic Med herb rosemary has pale blue flowers from May to June. Hardy to -10°C (14°F), it’s happy in pots – just bring them under cover in winter. H&S: 5ft (1½m). Centranthus…

■ Bin the grass – lawns rarely feature in gardens in Mediterranean countries as they need too much water to keep them looking lush. ■ Use low maintenance gravel for paths, and as a mulch around plants. ■ The Med is known for the intensity of the light in summer; for a similar effect, paint walls around a patio white to reflect more light. ■ Use trees with strong shapes, like the slender, upright Italian cypress, and clip evergreen shrubs to provide structure.…

AS summer advances, many flowering plants start to set seed when blooms fade. Leave them, and your borders and containers will soon look a mess. However, a quick snip to remove dying flowers will stimulate most plants to produce fresh buds, extending the season for weeks, or even months. Ordinary secateurs are a bit clumsy for this job. You’ll get a better, cleaner cut using snipe-nosed pruners or specialist deadheading snips. I’ve put six different designs through their paces, so you can find one to suit your gardening style. Burgon & Ball Ergo Deadheader £9.99 + £4.99 delivery ✆ 0114 233 8262 for stockists burgonandball.com Features Ergonomically designed ‘wearable’ pruner with finger loop and palm handle for control and stability. Carbon steel blades. Blade lock. Length: 5 ½ in (14cm).…

ERICACEOUS plants add beautiful, vibrant colour to any outdoor space, but need special conditions to thrive. To ensure that your flowers flourish, Miracle-Gro is giving AG readers the chance to win a bundle perfect for acid-loving plants, which includes Miracle-Gro Azalea, Camellia & Rhododendron Continuous Release Plant Food and Miracle-Gro Azalea, Camellia & Rhododendron Soluble Plant Food. Miracle-Gro Azalea, Camellia & Rhododendron Continuous Release and Soluble Plant Foods are ideal for ericaceous plants including heathers, hydrangeas and magnolias whether in pots and containers, hanging baskets, beds or borders. We have three bundles to give away, each worth £12. How to enter Send your name and address on the back of a postcard to Miracle-Gro Ericaceous Draw (13 July), Amateur Gardening, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7BF. Or you…

From AG 13 May 1905 The swamp pink ONE hundred and fifty years have elapsed since the swamp pink (Helonias bullata) was introduced into this country, and, strange to relate, it is unknown to many garden and plant lovers. It is, as its name implies, a bog plant, and I have often seen miserable specimens in the hardy plant border or wild garden; and just at the time when the plant should be surrounded with abundance of moisture, which is so essential to their welfare, the conditions were such that even the best drought-resisting subjects would suffer. There is no doubt but that it can be successfully grown in any open position, provided the site is properly prepared; and to this end clay is a capital medium, a couple of…

AFTER flowering, trim thyme, mint and oregano to keep the plants compact and encourage new shoots to grow from the base. Then give the roots a generous water. Trimming rosemary and sage also makes for bushier plants, and the straight, flower-free regrowth is excellent material for taking cuttings. Trim off 5in (12cm) sprigs just below the lowest bud. Rub the leaves off the lower half, then push into compost-filled pots spaced with the foliage just touching. Loosely cover with a clear plastic bag and place on a shaded windowsill. In a few weeks, they’ll root and be ready for potting on.…