Innholdsfortegnelse for 3-Aug-2019 i Amateur Gardening

AUGUST is a funny months for gardeners because much of the garden is happily ticking over and simply requires watering and feeding where necessary, with a steady regime of weeding, pest checks and deadheading. It feels like one of the rare ‘growth months’ where there are no jobs that absolutely have to be tackled. This is lovely for gardeners because we can take time out to appreciate what we have cultivated and also catch up with less demanding jobs while we do so. On these two pages I look at some of my main priorities for the month ahead. One money-saving idea that’s definitely worth pursuing is collecting seeds for next year. You can save a fortune foraging around the ripened flowerheads of favourite annuals and biennials. Another option is…

BRIGHT and bold nasturtiums are a summer treat, and this trailing variety can either be trained up a trellis or used as vibrant groundcover. The flowers are edible, with a peppery taste, and look fantastic in salads. Cabbage white butterfly caterpillars also find the plants a treat, so regular checking for this pest is essential. 1 Sow your nasturtium seeds thinly in soil that was been weeded, raked to a fine tilth and watered. 2 Cover with a thin layer of soil, label so you don’t disturb them when gardening and protect from pests. If necessary, thin seedlings when they are large enough. 3 Alternatively, and for earlier flowers next year, save your seeds and sow them undercover in spring. Pot on when seedlings are large enough, harden off and…

3: Beekeeping Demo: RHS Members Gardening Advice: RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorks HG3 1QB. ✆ 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr 3-4: Vintage and Classic Weekend: RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Rosemoor, Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH. ✆ 0203 176 5830; rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor 3-4: Hardy and Tender Ferns: RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. ✆ 0845 6121 253, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley 3-4: Meet the Orchid Experts: RHS Members Gardening Advice: RHS Harlow Carr 5: Scented Plants to Lift Your Garden: RHS Garden Rosemoor 5: RHS Members Gardening Advice: RHS Harlow Carr 7: Fruit for Smaller Gardens RHS Garden Rosemoor 8: Get the Best Out of Your Hedges: RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane, Rettendon, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 8ET. ✆ 0845 265 8071, rhs.org.uk/ gardens/hyde-hall 9: Summer Perennials to Lift Your Borders:…

1 Use the hot, sunny days to dry onions, ideally on nets or strung on a washing line; they’ll then keep much better. 2 Inspect your late apples and pears, thinning out all the misfits, so that those left will become bigger and better. 3 Sort through your onions: those that have thick necks or are unlikely to keep are best used first or made into chutneys. 4 Now is a good time to destroy any wasp nests before they eat all of your finest fruits – be sure to hire a professional.…

1 Make your drill deeper than normal; instead of the usual 1in (2½cm), make it 2in (5cm) deep. By burying the seeds deeper in the soil, you’ll protect them from drying out, leading to better germination and emergence. 2 Once it’s excavated, irrigate the drill thoroughly. Apply half a watering can of water to a 2m-long drill, adding in stages so that it really soaks in well. You’re then creating a water reservoir for your young seedlings to tap into. 3 Cover over the drill with dry soil, tamping it down well with the back of a rake to eliminate air pockets. By keeping this top layer dry rather than wet, the moisture won’t wick to the surface and evaporate away.…

DO you walk into your greenhouse with your hand over your mouth for fear of inhaling a massive waft of whitefly or a raft of red spider mites? If left unchecked, glasshouse pest numbers can explode, and maintenance of the crops within becomes a daily dash that makes your skin crawl. Last week, I mentioned biological controls as a way of controlling pests under cover – but if numbers have rocketed, it’s time for an honest review. Biocontrols only work if pest numbers haven’t already grown out of hand, and spraying with organic insecticides won’t stem the tide, either. At this point, you’re better off ditching infected crops and focusing on a clean-up programme. Once disaster plants are removed, scrub down all surfaces with glasshouse disinfectant, then sow undercover crops…

THIS aptly named little annual (Tetragonolobus purpureus) bears winged pods, which, when eaten young, taste like asparagus. Start seed off under cover in mid-spring, and transplant out the resulting seedlings at 12in (30cm) spacings in late May. Choose a sunny spot, keep them well watered and weeded, and soon little pods will appear. Pick them when 1in (2½cm) long (otherwise, they will become woody). Steam or boil them, then toss in seasoned butter: delicious! The reason for growing asparagus pea plants don’t stop there. Before the pods develop, the plant gets smothered in blood-red flowers. Being a member of the pea family, the blooms bear large petals, each with a burgundy keel. So remember to transplant where the flowers, as well as the pods, can be appreciated.…

READY-grown plants will provide some instant impact but, let’s face it, they cost a pretty penny. However, by planning ahead you can save yourself a packet by growing your own plants from scratch. Many perennials are suitable for starting from seeds sown in spring, providing colour in late summer and autumn. Good candidates are Anthemis tinctoria ‘Kelwayi Yellow’, hollyhocks, coreopsis, echinacea and Verbena hastata , its multi-branched, 4ft (1.2m) stems carrying spikes of purple flowers into autumn. New England and New York asters, among others, will turn heads until late autumn. Flick through a seed catalogue, and you’ll be tempted by plenty more varieties that flower at the tail end of the summer season. Before placing an order, make sure they are designated as first-year flowering perennials – otherwise, you’ll…

Once flowers appear, feed once a week with a liquid feed. The one you use for your tomatoes is perfect. Water regularly, especially in spells of hot, dry weather. Misting flowers can help set the fruit. Inspect for aphids, red spider mite and whitefly, and use your preferred controls. Pick the first fruits as soon as they are large enough – even when still green. However, mature fruits will have the best flavour. If your peppers fail to ripen before the first frosts, cut off branches bearing fruit and hang them upside down under cover. They’ll turn red in a week or so.…

Lavender angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ When choosing lavender, avoid French and Spanish types – they’re less hardy than the English L. angustifolia. ‘Hidcote’ is a stand-out variety for its dark-purple flower colour and compact size. Must have free-draining soil and full sun. H&S: 2ft (60cm). Arbutus unedo ‘Compacta’ Spotted in several Chelsea show gardens this year, the strawberry tree has pinkish-brown bark and neat, glossy foliage for a stylish Mediterranean look. Trees can grow to 24ft (8m), but this shrub version is a more realistic option for smaller gardens. H&S: 6ft (2m). Buddleja ‘Lochinch’ From July, the orange-eyed lilac flower spikes of this classy buddleja will attract bees and butterflies (remove faded flowers to encourage more blooms). Prune back in spring to within two buds of the older…

Why have my alliums failed to flower? Q I am trying to grow alliums in a container, but this year the bulbs have failed completely and none of them flowered. What went wrong? Simon Hughes, Caernarfon, Gwynedd A It is unusual for allium bulbs not to grow as they are relatively undemanding, but you don’t say when you planted yours and I wonder if it is just that the season was wrong. The best time to plant alliums is in the autumn. The bulbs are then exposed to winter cold – something all our hardy plants need to stimulate growth and flowering the following year. The bulbs should come into growth in late winter, producing their magnificent flowers in June or July. Alliums do best in light sandy soils in…

POTS and baskets around the garden need checking every day throughout summer and watering where necessary, as the compost can dry out rapidly. This poses a particular problem when you go on holiday unless you have a neighbour or gardening friend willing to pop in and pick up the chore. But even on a day-today basis, anything that makes the job of watering containers easier or less frequent is a bonus. Watering trays The simplest solution is to use watering trays. If I go away for up to a week, larger pots (two-litres plus) are grouped together in a shady spot on big, black plastic watering trays – widely available from garden centres. The pots are well watered, then I fill the tray with about an inch of water –…

1 Carefully cut a slot ½inx2½in (1cmx6½cm) in the middle of the lid of a plastic fertiliser/fatball tub. Cut a second horizontal slot (the same size) in the side of the tub just under the rim. 2 Take a second tub and cut a slot of the same size in the centre of the base. Fold a 4ftx2 1/2in (1.2mx6 1/2cm) length of capillary matting in half and thread the folded end through the base from the inside. 3 Pull halfway through and thread the folded end on through the slot in the lid. Now place the lid on the first tub, with the second tub standing on top. Ensure matting touches the base of the bottom tub. 4 Spread the capillary matting ends in the top tub to either…

JOHN Tradescant the Younger was born in Meopham, Kent, on this day. He was educated at The King’s School, Canterbury and, as an adult, he became a respected horticulturist, and even succeeded his father as Keeper of the King’s Gardens, Vines and Silkworms at Oatlands Palace in Surrey. Also, like his father, he collected specimens and rarities on his many trips abroad. The younger Tradescant went on plant-hunting expeditions to Virginia (now USA) between 1628 and 1637. Among the seeds he brought back were magnolias, bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) and the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera, inset), as well as garden plants, including asters and phlox. He died in 1662. The perennial and houseplant tradescantia was named after his father, John Tradescant the Elder (c1570-1638).…

No fountains or waterfalls! All waterlilies, of whatever size, dislike moving water around their leaves and stems (which suppresses flowering). ‘Gladstoniana’ (yes, named in honour of the Victorian prime minister) is a giant of a waterlily, having double, white, fragrant flowers with golden-yellow stamens. It needs a planting depth of 18-32in (45-80cm) so is only suitable for larger ponds. Young waterlily leaves and unopened flower buds may be boiled and served as a vegetable – but you would quickly debilitate the plant and be unable to enjoy the flowers.…

1 Tip out the plants and compost and then separate the contents. Save the healthy plants and dispose of dead ones and any soft bulbs. 2 Replant in good-quality multipurpose compost or John Innes No2 after checking the roots for vine weevil grubs. 3 Remove dead and damaged plant material and any faded flowers so the plant devotes its energy into new growth. 4 Finally, stand plants in a bowl and water well, leaving them to re-absorb any liquid.…

WE may love the summer, but long, hot dry spells can be hard work for your garden’s birds and wildlife, especially when they are rearing young. Keep them going by giving them plenty of nutritious food and by providing them with ample supplies of clean water. Refill bird feeders and bird tables with seeds, mealworms, suet nuggets and fat balls, and keep birdbaths brimming. Bird tables, feeders and baths should be thoroughly washed out every few weeks to avoid the spread of disease carried by sick birds. Remove uneaten food as it can also attract disease and vermin. If feasible, it is a good idea to move the bird table around the garden every few weeks so vast amounts of droppings don’t accumulate underneath in one spot. Hedgehogs will also…

Haynes Publishing (£22.99) HAYNES has long been renowned for its manuals that cover everything from vintage cars to spaceships from the Star Wars films. Now the company has turned its considerable knowledge to horticulture, and this book about trees is a library essential for anyone who has trees or is thinking of planting one. It gives information on everything the amateur gardener and treegrower could possibly need, from what tree is best where, to planting, pruning and troubleshooting (everything from pests and diseases to what to do if someone crashes their car into your tree). Each section contains plenty of concise, practical information with clear photography and illustrations. It ends with a planting-site checklist, maintenance schedule, a tick-list of what to look for if you suspect your tree is ailing,…

IN recent weeks, several people have mentioned the box tree caterpillar to me, because it’s munching their box plants. Ailsa Wildig, who volunteers at Warley Place nature reserve in Essex, once the garden of Ellen Willmott, tells me that they’re attacking mature box trees possibly planted by Willmott herself. Another gardener, working in a famous private garden near Newbury in Berkshire, has had to contend with them as well. It’s difficult to know what to say to people, because box tree caterpillars are the larvae of an alien moth from China so there are no natural British predators. There’s no way this moth can have flown all the way from China, so it’s another pest that’s come in on nursery stock. These days, global trade moves things around the world…

Baby beets Some varieties, like F1 hybrid ‘Action’ are bred to quickly give tender baby roots. This one has bolt-resistance. Baby turnips Sow a quick-maturing F1 hybrid like ‘Tokyo Cross’ for pure white baby roots with no hint of woodiness. Radishes Both summer (‘Marabelle’) and winter (‘Black Spanish’) types quickly grow to produce peppery roots.…

1 Capillary matting: Lay a strip of this wick-like matting over the base of a large tray, hanging a ‘tail’ into a bucket of water. Potted crops placed on the tray draw up moisture as and when they need it. 2 Gravity-fed irrigation: Fill a hanging pouch with water, then let gravity irrigate pots via a system of spaghetti hoses and adjustable nozzles. Kits are available (like Big Drippa) or why not make your own? 3 Bottle reservoir: Take a plastic bottle, piercing the lid a few times. Cut off the base, upturn the bottle and sink it (lid still on) alongside your plant. When filled, water slowly seeps into the pot.…

NOTHING beats a garden in its mid-summer pomp, but by the tail end of the season things can go downhill fast. Beds and borders can quickly turn into an overgrown mess, and unless you’ve got some late-interest plants then displays will look washed out by early autumn. But don’t be too disheartened. Even planting schemes that are worn out can be resurrected with a bit of effort. Tackling weeds and editing seedlings, tidying up existing plants, and introducing a few new ones to provide a quick splash of colour – all make a huge difference. It’s beyond doubt that it can be a challenge to know where to start when faced with a tired-looking bed or border. Rather than just jumping straight in, it’s best to take a methodical approach.…

PEPPERS are a useful ingredient for summer dishes, whether you’re cooking them on the barbecue, stir frying or eating them raw in salads. Supermarket peppers can be a bit hit and miss, though. I recently bought a pack of three – one red, one green and one yellow – and they weren’t that great. The flesh was quite thin and the flavour a bit feeble. I can’t wait for my homegrown ones to be ready. Flavour in peppers, as in most other vegetables, depends on three things: variety, weather and the way they are grown. Sadly, we can’t guarantee endless sunshine, but when it comes to variety there are plenty of delicious peppers that are well worth cultivating. When the RHS ran a trial at its garden at Wisley in…

I’M a big believer in growing grafted vegetables, including grafted peppers – especially when you’re cultivating them out in the open garden. Grafted plants marry a named variety with a special rootstock developed to carry resistance to soil-borne diseases. They grow well in tired soils and combat soil-borne diseases effectively, and plants will be larger and crops heavier. It’s as simple as that. True, grafted plants cost more, and fewer varieties are available than varieties supplied as seed, but I suggest you try them anyway.…

Find a sheltered position where roots will be cool, moist and shaded, yet the tops of the branches are in full sun to encourage plenty of bloom. When planting, make sure that the rootball is moist, remove the pot and gently tease out winding roots. Make sure that the old compost surface remains at soil level. Generally, Eucryphias require a neutral-to-acidic soil, but E. cordifolia and E. x nymansensis tolerate alkaline conditions. Pruning is not essential, but tidy plants as they grow by removing any ungainly stems in late winter or early spring or immediately after flowering.…

Liriope muscari AGM A very good August-flowering evergreen that will tolerate most conditions thrown at it. Useful in shady spots (even under trees) and perfect for edging tight spaces. The wands of purple flowers last until November. HxS: 1x1 1/2ft (30x45cm). Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora ‘George Davison’ Apricot-yellow freesia-like flowers rise above pleated leaves. Hardy (like the pinkish-orange ‘Severn Sunrise’ AGM), but best grown from container plants rather than dry corms. H: 3ftx20in (90x50cm). Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch’ An early flowering variety with purple daisy-like blooms that keep on going until late September. Undemanding, although flower size will be better in full sun and fertile ground. Looks great with kniphofia and crocosmia. H: 3x1 1/2ft (90x45cm). Viticella…

UTILISE eco-friendly sustainable landscaping materials where possible. Here’s how: Enquire where wood, stone and gravel have been sourced from, and favour sustainable local sources over imports. Opt for permeable paths and patios rather than concrete, which can create localised flooding and negatively impact wildlife. Use reclaimed paving slabs, tiles, bricks and railway sleepers if you can – it’s well worth scouring salvage or stone yards.…

How do I brighten up a dull spot? Q What can I plant in a container to add interest in a dull, shady corner? There is no bed, so it will stand on paving stones – all ideas welcome! Maggie Dunlop, Taunton, Somerset A Cool shade can be a bonus for plants, providing a refuge from summer heat. Yet to create a lush, leafy bower, we need to choose plants wisely, sticking to those capable of thriving in low light. These are easy to spot because their leaves tend to be thin, with large surface areas designed to absorb what little light penetrates through a higher leafy canopy to the forest floor. Some woodland-adapted plants perform well in spring, but by summer have died back to bulbs or tubers. Fortunately,…

Watering spike: Spike screwed to a drinks bottle filled with water. Spike goes into compost and delivers a slow drip of water. Unregulated watering system: Delivers a continuous drip feed of water until the reservoir is empty, similar to watering spikes. Regulated watering system: Uses an electronic switch and timer to turn the flow of water on and off at pre-selected times. Capillary matting: Highly water absorbent fabric sold off the roll in good garden centres, which can be used to wick moisture.…

OF all the many types of aquatic plant that grow in garden ponds, it is the exotic-looking waterlily that epitomises the subject for many people. There are plenty of varieties, for all sizes and depths of pond, and in a wide range of colours, from the purest of whites to the darkest of reds, with a fair number of pinks, creams and yellows in between. Many are in full flower now, so let’s take a timely look at some of the facts and stories surrounding them. Hardy waterlilies are day-flowerers, usually opening their blooms around 9am and closing them around 4pm. They may not open at all on dark, cloudy days. Waterlily vs True lily WATERLILIES (types of nymphaea) are not in any way related to the true lily (species…

PYGMY waterlilies are excellent for sinks, troughs or ponds where the water is no deeper than 30cm (12in). Most of these will grow well in just 10cm (4in) of water, or on the marginal shelves of a larger pond. Nymphaea tetragona (right) has white, single blooms with golden-yellow stamens. The leaves are deep-green, dark-red beneath, and very small. It is the only waterlily that can be grown in an aquarium with any degree of success. N. ‘Pygmaea Rubra’ has blood-red, single flowers with orange stamens. The purplish-green leaves have reddish undersides. N. ‘Pygmaea Rubis’ is slightly larger, with single, wine-red flowers and yellow stamens.…

THE violet figured in this week’s coloured plate is one of the sweetest and best varieties in cultivation. It excels all other varieties in robustness and vigour, is very hardy, and exceptionally free-flowering. The blooms, moreover, are very large, and borne on stout stalks varying from 8in-1ft [20-30cm] in length. Readers who want a really good violet should not fail to plant this variety largely next spring. We may mention here, that violets rarely do well in congested suburban gardens. They will grow, it is true, but not flower satisfactorily. Those who live further out in the country, where the air is purer, will find the Princess of Wales violet thrives far better than the ordinary single-flowered sorts. The views, information and opinions expressed during this series of extracts from…

It has been a dry year, which means that watering has become an essential part of the gardener’s regime. We use grey water from the washing up so long as it isn’t contaminated by food scraps and bleach. The roots of established border perennials, trees and shrubs should be widespread enough to be able to quest for the water they need. However, bedding plants, annuals and anything growing in containers will need regular feeding and watering to keep them looking good. Liquid fertilisers added to the watering cans give an instant hit of nutrients that will need to be reapplied every couple of weeks. Granular feeds that are scattered on and watered in give a longer supply of goodness.…

THE RHS Hampton Court Show underwent a change this year as the popular event morphed into the ‘Hampton Court Festival’, writes AG Editor Garry Coward-Williams. The RHS says it wants the event to become a ‘Gardening Glastonbury’, hence the change to ‘festival’. The idea is to make the show more engaging and accessible to young people by having live music and to focus the show on the well-being benefits of gardening and spending time outdoors. I think this is a very laudable move. Here are my thoughts on what I saw this year… Highs and lows I visited the Floral Marquee first, which for me is the best part of the show: gorgeous examples of plants at their finest, inspiration for what you can achieve, and the chance to buy…

MOST deciduous trees are pruned during their autumn and winter dormancy, but if you cut back your evergreens then you would be risking frost damage to their exposed tips. As a general rule, most evergreens only need a gentle trim and summer is the best time to do this. As with all pruning, start by removing dead, damaged and diseased wood (the immortal ‘three Ds’ of pruning) then cut back long, unproductive growth to keep the plant in a neat shape. You should also reduce vigorous side shoots, cutting back to just above a healthy bud. This also has the advantage of deadheading spent blooms at the same time. Robust summer growth of climbers such as honeysuckle, jasmine and wisteria can get tangled and congested by mid-summer. Be brave and…

OME crops will make it obvious when they are ready for picking – you hardly need telling when to pick a strawberry. However, some are rather more difficult, and this includes sweetcorn. Sweetcorn is a modern development (well, modern in horticultural terms) and is like maize, but with much higher sugar levels. Developed in North America and the old British Empire, sweetcorn is almost unknown in many places; even the French missed out on this delicious treat. Sweetcorn was developed from – but is not – maize, which is left to mature and dry to preserve the starchy grains (although it may be eaten cooked as with African ‘mealies’). “If the contents are cheese-like, you’ve had it!” Crucially, sweetcorn is much sweeter than maize, but only when picked fresh. Soon…

THERE’S no doubt spring is the main sowing period, but August comes a close second. Utilise this valuable month, and you’ll be doing two things: making the most of bare patches that appear as summer crops are harvested, and maximising your veg harvest volume during autumn, winter and spring. That’s every season covered by just one month of activity! High-summer sowings require a bit of care (see below), but grow the seedlings through into autumn and they’ll revel in the cool, moist conditions to provide buttery lush foliage. Most of these crops are leafy; some also produce baby roots. Hardy leaf beets Annual spinach: One sowing now will provide leaf rosettes through to March. Opt for bolt-resistant types like ‘Missouri’. Perpetual spinach: More robust than annual. Perhaps less delicious, but…

HAVE you dabbled with a fan, cordon or espalier? If these terms are familiar to you, then welcome to the world of fruit training! Both bushes (like redcurrants) and trees (apples and peaches) lend themselves to training (this is often called restrictive training in the books), allowing you to grow an abundance of fruit in the tiniest spaces. Some, like peaches, plums and cherries, make excellent fans; others (like gooseberries) make great cordons. But all appreciate summer pruning. While the objective of winter pruning is to stimulate a flush of strong growth, summer pruning aims to keep shapes tight and restricted. For cordons and espaliers, you simply need to cut all this year’s growth back to 2in (5cm), and that’s it. With fans, cut out old, unfruitful shoots and tie…

1 Dodge the thunderstorms, for good reason – raspberries hate being pick ed whilst the fruit is wet. Berries rot quickly and turn into a squishy mess! 2 Be mindful that you may well need to water pots – and crops in greenhouses twice a day in scorching weather . Opt for early morning or late evening . 3 Kohl rabi is a quick -to-mature veg (that looks a bit lik e an alien). It will turn woody once too old, so check and harvest on a regular basis. 4 Give runner bean plants a thorough soak in any hot, dry spells. These extensive climbers have a large leafy canopy to support, so they hate drought. 5 The earliest varieties of plum and gage will soon be ripening. Give fruits…

Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch’ AGM Introduced way back in 1918, this bushy perennial produces masses of 3in (8cm)- wide lavender blue flowers with a golden eye, that cover 3ft (1m)-tall plants from August well into October. Kniphofia rooperi AGM This striking, red-hot poker boasts fiery orange, bulbous flowers that perch on stout, 4ft (1.2m) spikes that punch their way through clumps of evergreen foliage throughout September and October. Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Goldtau’ A form of native tufted hair grass with 3ft (90cm) stems carrying feathery flowers above mounds of evergreen, dark-green leaves. The spent flower spikes weather well, adding interest into winter. Miscanthus sinensis ‘Ferner Osten’ AGM Bred in Germany by Ernst Pagels, feathery red flowers rise above 3½ft…

Raise seedlings in the same way as tomatoes. Sow seed in a propagator at 21ºC about 10 weeks before your last frost if planting outside, 12 weeks before if growing in a greenhouse or tunnel. Move the seedlings into 10cm pots and plant out when they grow to around 4in (10cm) tall. Alternatively, order grafted plants or seedlings in early spring. Check the listings for the size of plants and delivery times, and choose to suit your situation. Three plants will fit in a growing bag. Outside plant 16-18in (40-45cm) apart each way. Give grafted plants the most space as they will grow more strongly.…

SWEET peppers come in three main types: round, blocky and cone-shaped (or oxhorn), while the fruits can be large, medium or small. Round-fruited types are relatively uncommon; blocky types are the most familiar and the most widespread; while long, cone-shaped oxhorn varieties are becoming more popular. Fruits change in colour as they mature. Some mature from pale or dark green to red, to yellow, to orange or to purple. Others mature from cream to red. Most make bushy plants up to about 39in (1m) tall. Patio varieties are shorter and bushier, while a few develop a trailing habit.…

Azara lanceolata This evergreen shrub, reaching 5m (16ft) tall, is smothered in spring by yellow flowers with no petals but lots of stamens, emitting a spicy vanilla perfume. Ours grows in the shelter of a north-facing house wall with good light from east and west. Crinodendron hookerianum This large evergreen shrub, which grows to 20ft (6m), opens waxy, lantern-shaped red flowers during early summer while still young. The lantern tree loves a neutral-to-acidic, woodland-type environment with moist, well-drained soil and shelter from winds. Embothrium coccineum Evergreen tree-shaped plants from the Protea family reach to 30ft (10m), and make thickets in its wild habitat. During late spring and early summer, expect a show of tubular scarlet flowers. Plant the Chilean fire bush in good neutral-to-acidic soil. Lapageria rosea In most parts…

IF there’s one group of people who know just how beautiful and precious the natural world is, it’s gardeners. We enjoy the presence of butterflies when we grow nectar-rich plants and we’re aware that we need bees to pollinate many fruit trees. Those who’ve dabbled in green gardening understand that organic compost makes plants healthier, and copper rings deter slugs. But there’s a lot more we can all do to protect the environment as we garden. Not only is it easy, but it will also make our plants healthier, save us money and attract wildlife. Good eco-friendly gardening starts at ground level. When your soil is healthy, your plants are too, which means they’re less susceptible to pests and diseases, and won’t need spraying with chemicals that can harm wildlife.…

Choose a frost-proof container with adequate drainage holes, and fill roughly one-third full with good potting compost (perhaps 50:50 John Innes No2 and a soilless peat-free multi-purpose). Make sure that any roots are moist before removing pots and arranging plants. Check that the semi-evergreen scaly male fern (Dryopteris affinis) is positioned at the correct depth. Where roots are congested, as with this Hakonechloa macra ‘Albostriata’, gently tease them out. Add compost, then place the Begonia rex in position, fill in around the roots with compost, and water in.…

Do ✓ Use good-quality compost when potting plants, and add a water-retaining product to the compost for plants that like moist soil (not pelargoniums!). ✓ Pot plants into self-watering pots where possible , which will save time with watering, and plants will survive happily when you go away for a few days. ✓ Experiment with water drip speed on every pot on drip-watering systems to avoid over- or under-watering. Don’t ✗ Leave large plants growing in small pots – pot them on to a bigger pot with fresh compost, which will hold more water and nutrients. ✗ Leave potted plants sitting in deep trays of water the roots can rot if compost is saturated. , as ✗ Depend on a pot-watering spik e, or any system with a small reservoir…

WEEDS can creep into even the most well-maintained gardens and can be a nuisance to remove. To help you reclaim your garden from pesky weeds, Roundup is giving AG readers the chance to win a Roundup Telescopic Wand, plus Total and Path gels. The Roundup Gel Wand extends up to 86cm, meaning you can get to weeds no matter where they are, leaving your garden beautifully weed-free. Total Gel is ideal for treating weeds in hard-to-reach areas, killing the root so weeds don’t come back. For weeds that grow on hard surfaces, such as paths, drives and patios, Path Gel weedkiller gets to the root of the problem. We have one bundle to give away, worth £32.50. How to enter Send your name and address on the back of a…

THE giant-leaved Victoria waterlily (Victoria amazonica) is the largest plant in the family. It is native to the shallow waters of the Amazon River basin. Its leaves may measure up to 10ft (3m) across, floating on the water’s surface, and are strong and buoyant enough to support a child. They are set at the ends of submerged stalks that could be up to 26ft (8m) long. The species was once called Victoria regia, after Queen Victoria, but botanists decided to honour the second part of the name with the plant’s place of origin, rather than the full name of the monarch. The 16in (40cm) wide flowers open white, but turn pale pink within a day. The Victoria waterlily is the national flower of Guyana, and features on the Guyanese coat…

Horticulture, not hot air... THANK you, Peter Seabrook, for your piece (AG, 13 July). From school boy to adult, I have been inspired by the specialists and gardening programmes on TV. Thanks to them, to a great extent, I chose to study botany at university and go on to work for 30 years at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – but not in horticulture. So I rely on getting help from horticulturalists. The current personality-led television offering leaves me in a cold sweat of frustration. There are very good presenters that inform and inspire, so why do we get content-less drivel and “another chance to be in the company of…” instead? I cannot agree more with Peter Seabrook, whom I commend for voicing this concern. And when we do get ‘knowledge’,…

MY first pair of proper lace-up shoes came with a metal button-badge emblazoned with the letter ‘C’, which stood for Clarks Commandos. I loved them, although I struggled with the laces and said to my mum who tied the bows in the morning – and the numerous strangers recruited to re-tie them during the day – that laces were ‘impossible’. I mention this, as I’ve been summer-pruning my apple and pear trees, a task that also seemed daunting and counterintuitive, until I understood the science behind the snipping. Left to their own devices, apples and pears will grow into hefty trees that require the help of a fireman’s ladder to harvest. A single pear tree could shade a whole garden and, worse, produce little or no fruit until it reaches…

WHIPPY shoots originate from two different parts of the tree; the longest (over 8in/20cm) grow straight from the branches and should be snipped down to just three leaves so a small stub is left on the branch. In a season or two, this stub will blossom and fruit. Then there are whippy growths that originate from existing stubs and ‘spurs’ above already swelling fruit. These tend to be shorter and need pruning even harder, down to a single leaf above where they originate.…