Innholdsfortegnelse for 20-Jul-2019 i Amateur Gardening

AFTER six years of culling, planting and renovating, our borders are starting to become a realisation of the colourful combinations we originally imagined. Low-growing perennials interspersed with bedding plants provide a carpet of colour topped by lanky scabious and Verbena bonariensis , whose flowers seem to float above the beds. I am particularly thrilled that some freesias planted earlier in the year are flourishing, their signature scent and glossy petals bringing something more exotic to the party. Perennials come into their own in summer, and as a whole are some of the most easy-going plants in the garden. Apart from tender types such as pelargoniums and gazanias that may require lifting and storing through winter, most can be left alone and will perform throughout the summer. They will be at…

1 Fill a tray or modules with fresh seed and cutting compost. Tamp it flat and dampen with fresh tap water. 2 Scatter the seeds as thinly as possible over the surface. Don’t worry if they clump – you can thin seedlings later. 3 Cover the seeds with a thin layer of compost, vermiculite or a mix of the two, then label the seeds. 4 Add a lid (remove it once the seeds have germinated) and place your tray on a warm, light windowsill. Monitor regularly.…

A COMMEMORATIVE garden created by the veterans’ charity D-Day Revisited has moved to a permanent site on the Normandy coast. The D-Day 75 Garden, which was unveiled at the Chelsea Flower Show, was re-located and rebuilt in seven days by its designer John Everiss, with help from the Royal Engineers. It now sits above Arromanches overlooking Gold Beach and the famous Mulberry Harbour. The stunning garden combines sculpted tributes for D-Day veterans as they are today and as they were 75 years ago. Two life-size sculptures bookmark the entrance. To one side, a veteran modelled on Bill Pendell sits on a stone plinth, proudly wearing his medals and beret. He looks across at an image of himself as a young soldier, constructed from thousands of individually welded metal washers. The…

Sweet Peas: An Essential Guide (2nd Edition) By Roger Parsons The Crowood Press (£19.95) WITH their fantastic scent and stunningly beautiful colours, sweet peas are some of Britain’s favourite flowers. In this, a revised edition of his book, Roger Parsons looks at sweet peas in detail, from their early history in 17th century Sicily to how new varieties are produced. He explains how the size and vigour of the species has evolved, the types of sweet pea (Spencer, grandiflora), growing better sweet peas of the garden, cut flowers or exhibition, and the varieties according to colour. Roger, who maintains the UK National Collection of Sweet Peas and has successfully raised and introduced new award-winning varieties, also looks at keeping plants healthy, how to choose varieties, and how to produce new…

1 Start by digging over the ground, forking in lots of well-rotted compost or manure to feed the bulbs and improve the soil. 2 Set the bulbs at three times their own depth and one bulb’s width apart, either en masse or in separate, individual holes. 3 Infill with a mix of soil and compost and firm it lightly with a boot heel or the back of a rake. Water generously. 4 Alternatively, plant bulbs in a patio container at the same depth and spacing as in the ground. Keep well watered.…

I’VE always grown my tomatoes in growbags, whether they’re in the greenhouse or taking their chances with blight outside. I have tried growing them on my allotment, but they never seem to do as well as those in the growbags at home. This year I have decided to try some different growing media. As well as my ‘traditional’ 33-litre Westland growbag, I will be growing tomatoes outside in a 45-litre Melcourt SylvaGrow peat-free planter for organic growing and a 30-litre bag of Dalefoot Wool Compost for tomatoes ‘no need to feed’. I have placed one ‘Crimson Crush’ and one ‘Moneymaker’ tomato in each bag. ‘Crimson Crush’ is claimed to be 100% blight resistant, while ‘Moneymaker’ is a traditional favourite. Both were planted outside at the end of May. Each was…

THIS year the Best Beloved and I have decided to keep filling our birdfeeders throughout the summer because we’ve had so many baby birds this year. The parents are finding plenty of wriggly caterpillars and bugs for the young, but they’re coming to the birdfeeders to find food for themselves. We have had great tits feeding fatball crumbs to their babies, but mostly it’s parent birds topping up. We’ve also got a family of wrens and the four or five babies, too fast moving to count accurately, often squawk in the evening. Our wrens don’t visit our birdfeeders, as they feast on tiny insects and are quite fearless in their quest. They will enter the coldframe and go into the wooden greenhouse to find food. There was a terrible kerfuffle…

Heuchera ‘Can Can’ Shapely leaves with crimped and curled edges are a pleasing purple overlaid with silver with flashes of pink underskirts. Pale green flowers in summer. Reaches 18in (45cm) high. Tiarella ‘Spring Symphony ’ A foam flower with deeply indented leaves marked with chocolate and joined by spikes of white flowers in late spring and early summer. Reaches 12in (30cm) tall, and prefers spring division. Heucherella ‘Golden Zebra’ Citrus-yellow foliage, heavily marked with reddish brown centres, are joined by panicles of lovely white flowers in spring. Reaches 18in (45cm) high. Tellima grandiflora Known as fringe cups, the natural simplicity of this North American species suits semi-wild plantings. Self-seeds freely, hardy and easy on the eye. Reaches 30in (75cm) tall.…

If your plot isn’t kept up to scratch, you’ll be given official notice to improve it – and if you don’t, you’ll lose it. Think twice before gleaning edible produce from an abandoned plot, as you would officially be trespassing! While allotments can’t be used for commercial activity, most authorities allow the sale of genuine surplus. Keep your plot as free from weeds as you possibly can, so you prevent nuisance seeds from blowing onto neighbouring plots. You’re allowed to grow cut flowers on an allotment, but avoid invasive plants such as bamboo and willow. Pests that carry health risks like vermin (rats in a compost heap) must be controlled by the plot holder.…

1 Protect against spotted wing drosophila fly damage by sheathing the individual stems or whole trees with insect-proof mesh as soon as fruits begin to colour up. 2 Then wait! Most cherries are best harvested when they are almost black – this gives superior flavour and maximum juice levels. Taste-test a few to get your eye in. 3 Harvest via the stalk, not the fruit – bruised flesh can rot. Take care to keep the cherries dry to avoid skin-splitting. Gluts can be refrigerated in bags for a week.…

BROCCOLI and calabrese – are they different or the same? Over the years, the two names have become muddled, so what exactly are we talking about? For most of the centuries that we’ve been growing these plants, we had broccoli, sometimes called ‘sprouting broccoli’. These are tall, tough, winter-hardy brassicas, grown for their small, prolific flowering spears – like mini-cauliflowers that sprout from the tops of the plants and from the leaf joints below. They were invaluable as some of the few fresh vegetables that could be cropped outside in winter and spring. Then along came calabrese. Originating in Calabria, at the foot of Italy’s boot, calabrese produces a single, much larger, head – rather like a green cauliflower – at the top of shorter, unbranched plants. Although the plants…

YOU can avoid club root by never growing brassicas in the same site twice; however, root fly, caterpillars, pigeons, flea beetle, rabbits and other pests are a very different matter. All of these are highly destructive, and can waste your effort and decimate your broccoli crops with alarming speed. Physical barriers are the best solution – in particular, very fine pale green (or white) plastic mesh, sometimes sold as micromesh, that keeps large and small insect pests out. It’s ideal, because it will keep insects and larger pests off your crop, while still allowing rainfall, irrigation and liquid feeds through. And as long as you look after it, the same micromesh can be used year after year.…

IT may seem counter intuitive, but growing giant foliage plants actually makes a small garden feel bigger than it is. Lush, jungle-style perennials, shrubs, grasses and bamboos create an enchanting Alice in Wonderland mood of towering greenery and concealed corners. Because they form a canopy above, it means that boundaries are concealed and height meets the eye, giving the illusion of extra space and depth. The effect can be magical. High summer light falls between the architectural leaves of the rice-paper plant (Tetrapanax papyrifer) and Schefflera taiwaniana, stencilling patterns on the ground, and makes the giant leaves of canna and banana glow green and purple. Giant grasses (such as Miscanthus sinensis var. condensatus ‘Cosmopolitan’) and bamboos rustle on the breeze, and the sweet scents of honey spurge (Euphorbia mellifera) and…

Ficus carica ‘Brown Turkey’ AGM An iconic shrub with big, beautiful lobed leaves and fruit that’s produced in early autumn. Grow in well-drained soil, in sun, or in a container to restrict its size. H: 6½-13ft (2-4m). Phyllostachys aurea AGM The golden bamboo is a graceful evergreen with green canes that yellow with age. To prevent it becoming invasive, grow in a well-drained container positioned in sheltered sun or semi-shade. H: 13ft (4m). Begonia luxurians AGM This gorgeous foliage plant, known as palm leaf begonia, pairs its big, palmate leaves with white flowers – on red stems! One for well-drained pots in sheltered semi-shade. Overwinter indoors. H: 5-8ft (1½-2½m). Arundo donax You can’t fail to be impressed by these grey-green strap leaves of giant…

How can I save my lovely old buddleja? QI am clearing out a bed and moving an old buddleja. When should I take cuttings in case it doesn’t survive? Sheila Mills, via email A The best way to propagate your buddleja is to take 9in (23cm) hardwood cuttings in October or November. Select the middle of a well-ripened current-year shoot and cut just below a leaf joint at the bottom and just above a joint at the top. Insert cuttings to half their length and 9in (23cm) apart in a slit trench made with a spade and cover the base of the trench with 1in (2½cm) of sharp sand. If your soil is sandy and drains freely you won’t need to line the trench with sand. Your buddleja cuttings should…

1 Open lid, remove grill, place a lighter in the base and pile a few charcoal lumps or briquettes over and around it. Set fire to the lighter with a match. 2 Leave it a couple of minutes to get burning. Put on fireproof gloves, then pile a little more charcoal around and over the lighter using tongs or shovel. 3 Wait for five to 10 minutes for the charcoal to start glowing then pile more charcoal carefully over the top. Wait 15 to 20 minutes. 4 When charcoal is glowing and covered in white ash, rake it gently over the base of the barbecue. Replace the grill and wipe hot rails with a wet cloth.…

FEW people could fail to notice a cytisus in full flower, covered with masses of pea-like blooms. It is the main genus of plants that are referred to as ‘brooms’, with the others being types of genista and spartium. Between them they offer a huge array of colourful late-spring and summer shrubs – and the flowers aren’t always yellow! There are a few other garden plants and growths with ‘broom’ in the names, too. Many are in flower now, so let’s look at them in detail. Twigs from ‘broom’ went to make besoms – for sweeping – hence the word for the long-handled sweeping brush is a ‘broom’. The cytisuses MOSTLY when we see a broom in flower, we’ll be looking at a form of cytisus. There are both deciduous…

A ‘WITCH’S broom’ is a deformity in a tree or large shrub where a dense mass of shoots grows from a single point to form a cluster of growths resembling a thickly matted and oversized bird’s nest. Caused by many different types of organism, from fungi, insects, mites, nematodes and viruses, even to parasites (such as mistletoe), the deformity may last for the rest of the life of the host plant. Humans are responsible, too: by improper pruning and weakening of the tree, or failing to observe hygienic practice and thereby infecting the tree with the organism. Ho hum!…

The views, information and opinions expressed during this series of extracts from past issues of AG are solely those of the individuals involved, at the time they were written, and are not necessarily relevant or even legal today. Please treat these pages as a look back at how things were done in the past and not necessarily how they are done today. AG accepts no responsibility if readers follow advice given in these articles from past issues. This extract from 15 July 1916 shows summer-pruning techniques for cherries, plums, apples, pears and climbing roses:…

Bee & Bee vacancies I WAS inspired to make my own insect hotel, having seen the nests of bees in my daughters’ bee homes. I also wanted to take part in Dorset Wildlife Trust’s ‘Get Dorset Buzzing’ project. The ‘bee & bee’ took about two hours to knock up, et voila : recycled fencing, branches, bamboo and some sore finger ligaments, and an 87 room abode is ready for business! I used 4½ft (1.4m) of old fence rail (you could use any plank over 10cm wide), and 4ft (1.3m) of old branches (an old apricot tree), plus a length of bamboo cane, 12 nails and two fittings to hang. Julian Wardlaw, Dorchester, Dorset Cheat’s chimney CHIMNEY pots too expense? Why not buy two straight-sided pots from your local garden centre?…

I GAVE the postman quite a fright when I opened the door to him while completely naked. However, the post-related shock was all mine, when I opened what I thought were packets of kale seeds only to discover the parcel (sent a week ago) was filled with perennial kale cuttings. They were a gift from Steph Hafferty, organic no-dig gardener and author of The Creative Kitchen, an inspirational cookbook, as well as No Dig Organic Home and Garden (winner of the Peter Seabrook Practical Gardening Book of the Year in 2017). Back in the spring, I’d heard her talk about Perennial Kale ‘Taunton Deane’ and wanted to try this heirloom variety for myself. “I would like to use the kale as an edible parasol!” Perennial kales and other long-lived brassicas…

BRASSICAS thrive in alkaline soil, so it’s well worth checking the pH before planting. While garden lime will dramatically increase the pH, a mulch of spent mushroom compost or recycled green-waste compost from the council can tweak and maintain alkalinity. Cabbage whites are the main enemy of brassicas. Fleece covers will keep them at bay, as will regular picking by hand. Some damage is inevitable, but – come autumn, when winter brassicas have a growth spurt –even the most tatty will recover. On windy sites, remember to stake tall types such as perennial kale and Brussels sprouts to prevent them blowing over.…

1 Cut back short-lived perennials such as lupins to return energy to the plant rather than wasting it on seed production. 2 Keep watering during dry spells, making sure the liquid doesn’t just run off the soil by creating a moat around plant stems. 3 Our warm, damp summer has been great for weeds, so remove them regularly before they over-run your borders. 4 Plants can’t perform on water alone. Liquid-feed weekly or fork in a granular feed monthly, then water well.…

Healthy perennials should be able to shake off most pest and disease attacks but the British summertime can throw up problems for even the most robust plants. Busy beds clustered with many plants can fall foul of fungal problems such as powdery mildew and botrytis, especially when the weather is humid. Bolster plants with regular watering and by not planting them with plenty of space, so there is good airflow between each one. Remove and destroy affected material and use a fungicide such as Scotts Fungus Clear Ultra on extreme infections. Check regularly for pests, picking snails off during torchlight dusk patrols and squishing aphids between your fingers. Many pest predators, such as hoverflies whose larvae eat aphids, flock to perennials for their nectar and pollen, so avoid using chemicals…

AS summer’s floral glory starts to fade, it’s time for the next swathe of plants to start living their moment in the spotlight. Autumn isn’t just about the turning colours of leaves and berries; many plants flower at this time of year, and you still have time to plant autumn-flowering bulbs, as long as you look lively. Late summer is a good time to plant your colchicums, or autumn crocuses, and although dahlia tubers will no longer be available to buy, plants will be available in garden centres. They will thrive in fertile soil that has been fed and watered beforehand, and they should flower well into autumn. Just remember to lift them after the first frosts have blackened their leaves, and store them somewhere frost-free over winter. Chrysanthemum plants…

WORK takes me to many interesting and beautiful places, although doing the job often gets in the way of seeing everything and, as they say, “taking time to smell the flowers”. Last month, I was invited to open the new Alitex Conservatory at Beeleigh Abbey in Essex, a hidden gem of a country garden on the River Chelmer near Maldon. It could well be called the Essex Great Dixter, with several similarities to Christopher Lloyd’s world-famous garden. First and foremost, there is the building, the ancient Beeleigh Abbey, a perfect backdrop to a lovely garden – just like the house at Great Dixter. “They have a huge collection of David Austin roses” Then there are the head gardeners: Fergus Garrett, who works tirelessly to find the right place for new…

WOULDN’T you love to have bigger, sweeter apple and pear fruits this harvest, and again next year, all for little extra effort? If so, you need to try summer pruning. Many of us think of pruning as an autumn and winter affair, and never consider pruning now. After all, this year’s crop is still ripening. Yet counter-intuitively, pruning now helps these crops do better. All you do is trim off the ends of most of the young shoots, which checks trees and redirects their resources. “Instead of masses of new shoots, you get more flowers” The trees receive about the same amount of sunlight, as this now falls on leaves that were previously shaded, and the removed growths are no longer consuming sap. As a result, this year’s fruits get…

1 If you have young trees on your plot, check their ties. S tem girth can increase rapidly when summer is in full swing, potentially cutting into supports. 2 Sugary crops such as cherries, peaches, nectarines and gages can all be ripening now . Hang wasp traps among the branches or string up decoy nests. 3 Harvest globe artichok es regularly over the next few weeks while still in bud, to ensure you pick them before the scales begin to open. 4 Once you’ve harvested the main ‘head’ of your calabrese (broccoli) plants, don’t uproot them. In a few weeks they’ll produce a load of smaller side heads. 5 Fancy eating homegrown new potatoes on Christmas Day ? It can happen! Order specially prepared ‘second cropping’ potatoes now .…

IN addition to sprouting and non-sprouting, there’s also quite a range of other, less widely grown broccoli varieties. These have been developed by crossing together different types of brassicas, and while none of them yet have AGMs, they’re all worth looking out for. ‘Kailan’ broccoli is a cross between regular broccoli and Chinese cabbage, and is ideal for stir-frying. ‘Atlantis’ is a green-speared hybrid of regular broccoli and Chinese broccoli. Tenderstem broccoli varieties are hybrids between broccoli and Chinese kale – look for ‘Inspiration’ or ‘Stemia’; their tender, tasty green spears are packed with flavour and goodness.…

WHEN I moved into my current house, I inherited a small garden full of mature summer-flowering shrubs. Rubbing shoulders in the borders that ran down each side of my rectangular space were ceanothus, philadelphus, several bush roses and a cotoneaster that had been strapped to a wall to prevent it toppling over. Overshadowing them all was a Buddleja davidii ‘Black Knight’. Planted close to my kitchen door, it had clearly not seen a pair of secateurs for some time. The vast butterfly bush was 10ft (4½m) wide and at least 8ft (2½m) tall, with its purple blooms carried at the very ends, making them hard to appreciate. All these shrubs, including the gargantuan buddleja, would have been fine in a bigger garden, where they could be allowed to flourish without…

Tetrapanax papyrifer AGM The fast-growing Chinese rice-paper plant has gargantuan grey-green leaves. Best positioned in sheltered sun, it is hardy in most of UK, and will regrow from the ground after a harsh winter. H: 6½ft (2m). Musa basjoo AGM With wonderful paddle-shaped leaves that can reach 10ft (3m) long, Japanese banana has bags of impact. In very cold areas, grow in pots; in others, protect the leaves over winter with a jacket of fleece or straw. H: 6½-13ft (2-4m). Dicksonia antarctica AGM The soft tree fern is a lush green giant featuring 10ft (3m)-long fronds. Deciduous in cold areas; requires winter protection. Likes moist acid-to-neutral soil and a spot in shade or semi-shade. H: 6½-13ft (2-4m). Melianthus major AGM Plant honey…

Mix and match different foliage shapes, sizes, textures and colours – planted side by side they will look doubly stunning. Create a layered look – and allow the sun in – by using plants of different heights in clumps. For an exotic feel, combine big-leaved specimens with those that have bright flowers (such as crocosmia, dahlias and Tithonia ). Jungle-style plants are ideal for summer-autumn, but ensure the garden also has spring bulbs, evergreens and winter-flowering shrubs.…

What’s wrong with my clematis? Q Why won’t my clematis thicken out and flower? I planted it against a rose, but it just makes wispy stems and not the great cloud of bloom I wanted to complement and extend the flowering of the rose. What can I do? Sammy Dent, Bristol, Somerset A There are many different sorts of clematis, but I’m guessing yours is either a large-flowered hybrid blooming in May and June with a smaller show in September, or one with abundant but slightly smaller flowers opening from late June to October. Clematis are needy plants and, in most gardens, demand regular feeding, mulching and pruning before they’ll deliver the display you are looking for. First, it would be worth revisiting the planting process. The best times are…

Do ✓ Prepare carefully so you have all the kit you need close to hand. ✓ Use a lighter block to fire up charcoal – it’ s a lot easier than paper and sticks. ✓ Take your time . Light the charcoal and wait until it’ s glowing hot with white ash covering it, before cooking. ✓ Cook meat thoroughly . For larger cuts or bone-in meat use a probe thermometer to check internal temperature . Don’t ✗ Use waste building timber or offcuts when cooking on a fire bowl or chimnea. Only use seasoned firewood logs. ✗ Pile more charcoal onto the barbecue while you’re cooking, as it tak es a long time to light. ✗ Overload the grill with fatty meats, which will mak e flareups more lik…

ON this day Sir John Lubbock (Lord Avebury), who we have to thank for introducing us to Bank Holidays, officially opened a Laboratory Building at the RHS Garden at Wisley, Surrey. But it was quickly realised that it wasn’t big enough to handle all the horticultural science of the modern age (identification of plants, pests and diseases, along with research and garden design). So, just as the First World War was starting, architects drew up plans for a much grander affair, in the Arts and Crafts style and strongly influenced by Elizabethan architecture, as well as that of surrounding buildings in Surrey. This resulted in the Laboratory building we know today (see above). Although it looks as though it has stepped right out of Tudor England, it is actually a…

TO celebrate 50 years since the Apollo astronauts’ first moon landing, this week reader Iona Chisholm shares her space-themed planting ideas to pay tribute to mankind’s giant leap! This year, I am growing ‘Armstrong’ (stringless) runner beans, in honour of the first man on the moon. They are best picked regularly at about 15cm (6in) to ensure a tender and continuing crop. Rocket ‘Apollo’ couldn’t be more aptly named! This peppery salad leaf has flat, rounded leaves which give a non-bitter kick to salads. Easy from seed, make regular repeat sowings from March to August. Primula auricula ‘Lunar Eclipse’ will light up pots with its rich copper-orange double flowers. Why not try making an auricula theatre using a single variety, or mixing different colours for a dramatic effect? ‘Take Off’…

1 Dig all the way around the plant so you can lift it with soil attached and without damaging the roots. 2 Once the plant is out, replenish its replanting site with plenty of well-rotted compost or manure. 3 Divide the plant using a spade or knife or insert two garden forks back to back and lever them apart. 4 Replant divisions to the same depth as before, in a hole large enough to accommodate all their roots. 5 Infill around the roots with soil and compost, firming it down as you go and heel-treading around the plant. 6 Water generously and don’t let the ground dry out while the divisions get established.…

WHEN you pick your garden products off the shelf, do you ever consider the finance and research that goes into their production? Last month, AG was invited behind the scenes at the Evergreen research centre based in Levington in Suffolk. This is where the company behind the Miracle-Gro, Tomorite, Roundup and Roseclear create and test their products. The site comprises laboratories, greenhouses and a vast testing area where weedkillers, grass feeds, herbicides, pesticides and fertilisers are put through their paces. When we visit the lawncare research side of the site is pegged out into squares ready to test fertilisers and weedkillers (one area has been seeded with different weed varieties to check their robustness) and in a large tilled area staff are planting asters in preparation for fungicide trials. Testing,…

20: Introduction to Scything: RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorks HG3 1QB. 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/ gardens/harlow-carr 20-21: Carnivorous Plant Show: RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. 0845 6121 253, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley 21: Rare Plant Fair: Highnam Court, Highnam, Gloucester, Glos GL2 8DP. 01278 661352, rareplantfair.co.uk 21: Plant Hunters’ Fair: Middleton Hall, Tamworth, West Midlands B78 2AE 22: Free Gardening Advice for RHS Members: RHS Harlow Carr 23: Midsummer Cottage Garden Perennials, RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Rosemoor, Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH. 0203 176 5830; rhs.org.uk/ gardens/rosemoor 23: A Celebration of Echinacea: RHS Garden Wisley 24: Walkies at Wisley Evening: RHS Garden Wisley 24: Global Growth Vegetable Garden Tour: RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane, Rettendon, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 8ET. 0845 265 8071, rhs.org.uk/ gardens/hydehall 25: Living…

1 Roses scent the air, and Beeleigh Abbey Gardens have a large collection of David Austin cultivars. 2 Floating flower heads in water put out for birds is a pretty idea that is seen at Beeleigh. 3 Metallic-coloured Rosemary beetles are taking their toll on lavender bushes, and more help is needed to reduce numbers. 4 Hand-picking is one way to control the Rosemary beetle. Alternatively, place newspaper under plants, shake the branches, and beetles will fall onto the newspaper.…

1 At end of barbecues, bake meat bones on the last of the coals and, once cool, powder these down to ashes and then add them to the compost. 2 Sow Chinese greens and mustards such as pak choi in small weekly batches for stir-fry greens from autumn into winter. 3 Save seedheads, especially of grasses and sunflowers, to put out for the birds to eat later in winter. 4 Get Japanese onion seed ready for its sowing window in three weeks’ time, as by then it may be sold out.…

Plant into well-cultivated, well-drained soil. These related plants enjoy light shade. Tiarella, heucherella and pale-coloured heucheras will tolerate deeper shade. Heucheras (though not the palest-leaved) tolerate sun if they have moist soil. Water during droughts while plants are establishing. Clumps will become woody and jaded after three or four years, so lift in early autumn (well-drained soils only) or spring. Divide, tidy up and replant. Vine weevils find heuchera roots tasty and are especially troublesome in pots. If they become a problem, drench plants in autumn with a solution of nematodes.…

THE National Allotment Society (NAS) is an excellent resource for allotment holders. This not-for-profit organisation upholds the interests and rights of the allotment community across the UK, offering advice to its members on legal issues, how to obtain a plot and site conservation, along with a discounted seed scheme, allotment insurance and a wealth of crop cultivation information, plus details of upcoming shows, events and campaigns. To find out more about the society and how it can help you with your plot, visit nsalg.org.uk.…

YOU’LL want to squeeze as many crops out of your plot as possible, especially if you have limited space. So as soon as you harvest salads and spring greens, or your broad beans and peas go over, be ready with other veg to take their place! There are loads of quick-to-mature edibles that will give pickings within a few weeks. If you’re smart, you can have them lined up in modules, ready to transplant out at soon as bare soil becomes available. This leapfrogs over the two-three weeks that sowing, seedling emergence and bulking up takes – a nifty garden hack! Look to sow crops like lettuces, basil, dill, mustard, mibuna, baby kale, pak choi and Chinese cabbage now, sowing some into modules, too. Others, like rocket, broccoli raab, spinach,…

HUGELY popular in the Caribbean, callaloo ( Amaranthus tricolor ) is a fast-growing leafy annual. It’s an invaluable alternative to annual spinach (which often runs to seed in hot, dry summers), revelling in high temperatures by producing lush foliage that is delicious steamed or sautéed in garlic and butter. The tiny seeds are best sown direct into warm, free-draining soil; choose the sunniest spot on your plot for the quickest growth. Sow in drills ¾in (2cm) deep, thinning out seedlings to 8-9in (20-23cm) apart. Plants will grow rapidly in warm weather (some forms have red leaf veining, while others are predominantly green). Once they reach 12in (30cm) in height, harvest the growing tips and upper leaves, allowing the remaining plant to re-shoot for subsequent pickings.…

Sow seeds of sprouting broccoli in July, in a seed bed or in pots. Thin out, or prick out into 3½in (9cm) pots. Plant out 2ft (60cm) apart, preferably in a sheltered place, later in summer. Support with stout stakes, one per plant, in autumn. Sow regular broccoli from March to August; it can react badly to transplanting, so sow in pots, move seedlings into 3½in (9cm) pots, then plant out. Grow in a new site each year – this will prevent the build-up of soil-borne problems that will ruin your crop. Protect both types from pests – right from before the seeds germinate to when the crop is finished (see below). When cropping is over, remove plants promptly and put on the compost heap.…

Choisya x dewitteana ‘Aztec Pearl’ AGM A Mexican orange blossom with slender leaves and scented white flowers in early summer, followed by a second flush in August. Height: 8ft (2½m). Lavatera x clementii ‘Barnsley Baby’ A dwarf tree mallow with 3in (7½cm)- wide red-eyed, white flowers that turn silvery-pink as they mature. Loved by bees and butterflies. Height: 48in (1.2m). Buddleja davidii ‘Butterfly Towers’ New for 2019, this butterfly bush has magenta flowers and a unique habit of growth. It has a narrow habit, eventually reaching 6½ft (2m) tall. Nandina domestica ‘Firepower’ A heavenly bamboo with white flowers on 20in (50cm) stems in summer, followed by red berries. The greenish-yellow leaves turn orange and…

Fatsia japonica AGM The generous palmate leaves of the evergreen Japanese aralia will create a ‘jungle’ effect in shade or semi-shade (the foliage yellows in sun). Grow as a shrub; or prune to a single-stemmed tree. H: 6½-13ft (2-4m). Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun’ AGM This architectural evergreen sends up tall rings of glossy, spiky leaves that are the perfect partner to its scented yellow winter flowers. Likes well-drained soil in shade or semi-shade. H: 6½-13ft (2-4m).…

BUILD a fire, cook food. It’s no surprise that men are keen on barbecues – there’s something very caveman about them. The real pleasure is to be had from cooking on glowing charcoal or wood embers, but firing up takes a little effort. Though some charcoal barbecues have a few bells and whistles, most are a simple metal bowl or box on legs with an ashtray at the base and a food grill above. Good ones will have a cover to trap heat and smoke food while it cooks. I use a Smokey Joe barbecue from Weber. First, consider the charcoal fuel. Charcoal choice Lump charcoal, basically chunks of carbonised wood, lights quickly and burns quickly – great for fast-cook meat such as burgers, sausages and kebabs. Charcoal briquettes are…

Charcoal barbecue: Metal box or bowl on legs for burning charcoal under a metal cooking grill. Lump charcoal: Made from burning wood slowly in the absence of oxygen, then breaking it into convenient-sized lumps. Burns fast. Charcoal briquettes: Made from compressed powdered lump charcoal. Burn slower and longer. Charcoal lighter: Small, flammable block to start fire. Charcoal chimney: Metal tube with air holes drilled in the sides, a grate fixed a little above the base, and a handle on the side. Used for lighting charcoal. Probe thermometer: A thermometer with a long, slim, pointed probe. Take cooking meat off the grill and push the probe into the thickest part of the meat to check that it is hot enough to cook properly. This is important for bone-in meat.…

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 (20 July), Amateur Gardening, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7BF. Or you…

Some 85% of brooms are bought in the eight weeks when they are in bud or flower. They’re some of the most impulsive of garden centre purchases as, when not in flower, they are just pots of green sticks! Fields of broom near the area now known as Kensington in London gave us the name of ‘Broom Town’, which became ‘Brompton’, as in Brompton Road, Brompton Cemetery and the Brompton Oratory. Many genista flowers ‘explode’ when alighted on by an insect, covering it with pollen. This is how many brooms hybridise naturally. Spartium junceum (pictured) is the Spanish or weaver’s broom. The junceum part means ‘rushlike’, as its stems have a passing resemblance to those of the rush genus ( juncus).…

THANKS for the invite to write to AG . I have waited for the postman to deliver the magazine on a Saturday for the past 23 years. I love the whole mag, but my favourite has to be the new plants available, then the crossword and wordsearch competition, which I always enter but have never won! Don’t make too many changes – I love it the way it is! Sandra Lewis, Stevenage, Herts MY father must beat the lady of 88 who’s been reading AG the longest. He turned 100 on 21 June and has always been an avid reader. His garden is mostly grass and shrubs now, but there is a section in which he plants the free seeds for some colour. During the war years, he had an…

I RECKON this clematis has earned its place in my garden. I wanted to introduce some height into an area that was fairly bare with no soil for planting. I potted a clematis called ‘Arabella’ and then realised that it was an herbaceous type and doesn’t have tendrils! So I used a metal obelisk as a support and hooked the stems through the wires – it has since romped away and done its job! Pam Eaton, Beckley Heath, Kent Wendy says: This delicate support is ideal for your semi-herbaceous variety, Pam. Clematis really are tops!…