Innholdsfortegnelse for 21-Dec-2019 i Amateur Gardening

I KNOW it’s a cliché, but I can’t believe we’re in Christmas week already, with a new year and a new decade just a few days away. We may be in the depths of winter, with the shortest day upon us, but at least this means we can start looking forward to lighter evenings and the arrival of the first spring flowers. Indeed, some of our spring bulbs are already poking their heads through the soil. And there are plenty of jobs to be cracking on with now, even in the thick of the festive hullabaloo. In fact, I’d go as far as to say ‘because of’ the festive activities, as escaping into the garden is a fantastic way of getting some exercise and keeping a clear head while everyone…

1 Plant up a container or hanging basket by your front door. Use bedding plants and a mix of evergreens, scented hardy herbs and grasses. 2 Start the New Year the healthy way by sowing a succession of quick-growing salads in your greenhouse and herbs on windowsills. 3 Keep perennials tidy by cutting them back to a couple of inches above the compost. These physalis lanterns are ideal for festive decorations. 4 If you have cleared a little ivy or pruned your Christmas tree, keep offcuts and seedheads to add to your festive wreath or table decoration. 5 Feed the birds and give them fresh water. They love Christmas cake, fruit, cooked veg and cheese but avoid anything coated in cooked turkey fat. 6 Keep houseplants healthy. Wipe leaves and…

AT the end of a momentous year, when man has leapt through space to take his first tentative steps on the moon, it may be as well to bring our eyes back occasionally from these astral horizons and remind ourselves of the tranquil happiness to be found in our own small backyards. Voltaire, the 18th century philosopher, poet and historian, aghast at the misery and suffering that followed in the wake of the European territorial wars, exhorted his countrymen, ‘Il faut cultivar notre jardin’. He meant that one should seek happiness in one’s own little cabbage patch and not rush around trying to set the world to rights. Certainly, the very real delight and contentment found when one acquires even the smallest garden, particularly if this occurs after a youth…

THE first thing to say about Flora is that the photography is amazing. There are some incredible close-up images depicting fern spores, what goes on inside stems, cross-sections of buds, seeds, leaf structures and storage stems, to name just a few. This book covers many topics, such as what is a plant, why leaves change colour, what happens inside plant stems and how plants are pollinated, in a clear and concise way. If you’re looking for in-depth scientific explanations of these subjects, though, you’ll be disappointed, because the information is basic. This is an introduction to botany, but the photographs make everything seem so interesting that you can’t resist reading about each subject. Flora states that it ‘unveils the beauty, diversity and purpose of every type of plant, from root…

THE break from Christmas to New Year provides a welcome time, if the weather is open, to get the garden straight for the new season. An hour or two digging each day will see most of the vegetable plot ready for spring. Akin to doctors, we can bury our mistakes and cast our minds back to review successes and failures. This year has not been the easiest from the point of view of weather, and scorching sun in June took its toll when we were busy with shows and planting up Floral Fantasia at RHS Hyde Hall Garden. “Crops fell by the wayside and runner beans were late” Summer rain is always welcome in my dry part of Essex, although rather too much fell in October to take the shine…

1 Sieve compost into a clean tray and tamp it flat to create an even surface. Dampen with fresh tap water. 2 Sow the seeds thinly so that when they germinate each seedling has plenty of space to grow healthily. 3 Cover the seeds with a little more compost, the mineral compound vermiculite or a mixture of the two. 4 Label the seeds, add a lid to the tray and place it on a light windowsill away from direct heat. Remove the lid after germination and keep the compost damp.…

It’s Christmas and the word ‘inn’ takes me back to my infant teaching days when I cast a shy lad called John in the role of innkeeper. In rehearsals we got a mumble, which was supposed to be ‘There’s no room’. However, on the night of the performance for parents, John delivered a much longer monologue that began: “What! On a night like this?” The problem was, how could we stop him! However, INNS, in wildlife speak, means Invasive Non-Native Species, and they’re just as difficult to stop as John once they get going. They’re not like the well-behaved, non-native plants we gardeners grow such as peonies, buddleias and hellebores. Invasive nonnatives displace the natives, sometimes predating them, sometimes spreading disease and sometimes outcompeting them. This is bad news for…

Rootstock: Trees are sold on different rootstocks to make them larger or smaller. Ask a reputable supplier to suggest one for your situation. Pollination: Many trees set fruit on their own (self-fertile) but some need a pollinator – again, check with your fruit supplier. Disease resistance: Modern varieties will tend to have a good resistance to diseases such as scab. Research online if buying an older variety. Soil enrichment: When planting, add garden compost to your backfill mix if your garden has a heavy clay or light, sandy soil. Staking: Free-standing fruit trees need initial staking if they are in an exposed site, especially if bought already part-trained. Spiral guards: Place these around the lower trunk if rabbits, hares or deer are local, or consider fencing off the garden.…

1 Ideally, dismantle your secateurs so that you can easily access all parts. Video or photo yourself doing it, or lay the pieces out in the order that they were removed to make reconstruction simple. 2 Wipe all of the sections down with a lubricating oil. Use an old rag on nuts and screws, and a wire brush or wire wool on the blades, where often a thick layer of plant sap has accumulated. 3 Use an oiled sharpening stone (not a metal file) to recreate a sharp cutting edge on the blade. Test the blade’s sharpness until you are happy. Now reassemble your secateurs: job done!…

Nut trees are best planted in early spring or late autumn; order now for planting before the end of March. Almonds on dwarfing rootstocks can be grown as fan-trained trees against a wall. With mature hazelnut trees you can encourage a heavier crop the following year by ‘brutting’. Immediately after harvesting in September, partly break the current year’s long, vigorous shoots roughly halfway along their lengths. In winter, prune them off cleanly. This technique diverts energy into female flower production on weaker shoots.…

While most pitcher plants trap ants and other insects that slip down the sides of the pitcher into a pool of digestive enzymes, Nepenthes lowii pitchers attract a larger animal. The plant, which is native to Borneo, produces nectar to attract the tree shrew Tupaia Montana and then absorbs nutrients from the shrews’ faeces. And there’s no way for the shrews to miss the hole when they’re using the plant as a toilet. The shape of the pitcher opening and the orientation of the leaf lid that’s coated with nectar ensure that a tree shrew will position its hindquarters over the pitcher while feeding. Shrews and rats Another Nepenthes plant has taken things one stage further. Nepenthes rajah attracts the tree shrew Tupaia Montana during the day – and the…

Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ AGM The curly stems of the corkscrew hazel look striking dusted with snowflakes and are hung with catkins in February and March. Remove any non-twisted stems when they shoot from the base. Sun or semi-shade. H: 6½-13ft (2-4m). Prunus serrula ‘Branklyn’ AGM A Tibetan cherry with glossy copper-red bark that resembles polished mahogany – making it a lovely focal point in a wintery scene. Has white spring flowers and yellow autumn leaves, too. Needs well-drained soil in sun. H: 20ft (6m). Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ AGM Arguably the most spectacular plant in snow, the slender stems of the Siberian dogwood will glow sealing wax red against a white backdrop when planted in a suitably sunny spot. Cut back every year in March.…

Best care for Christmas cactus Q Last Christmas, I was given a beautiful flowering Christmas cactus. It bloomed for ages, and has grown well, but new flower buds seem to dry up and fall off before they open. How can I get it to flower again? Margaret Bishop, Saffron Walden, Essex A These festive plants with red, salmon or pink blooms are cultivars of Schlumbergera  truncata, which older gardeners will know as Zygocactus truncatus. Young plants usually consist of three or four cuttings rooted in together. Though upright at first, stems get pendent with age. Majestic older plants are often handed down from one generation to another. There are many reasons why buds might frizzle and drop, and working out why a plant is uncomfortable with its position or care…

Q I have some alstroemeria plants in pots that are being overwintered in my greenhouse, but how can I protect them against mould? John MacDiarmid, via email A Yellow sulphur is sold as a soil acidifier and to help prevent leaf yellowing. It also reduces a plant’s susceptibility to powdery mildew and black spot. Try Vitax Yellow Sulphur, which may help to control mould on your alstroemerias. Q What is this stunning tree in our new garden? Peter Howse, Holloway, London A This flowering cherry, which is a delight at this time of year, is either Prunus x subhirtella ‘Autumnalis Rosea’ or P. ‘Accolade’. The former starts to flower in November and continues into late winter. The latter normally blooms in March or April, so is very early. Q Should…

SOMETIMES I feel like I should find a group of like-minded enthusiasts, where we all sit in a circle, and when it comes to my turn I stand up and say: “My name is Graham, and I am a sproutaholic.” You see, Brussels sprouts are, without question, my favourite vegetable; broad beans come second but they are way behind! Yet a large percentage of the UK population consider sprouts to be not just horrible, but positively evil, and to be endured just once a year at Christmas, and then only out of a sense of duty. Well, as sprouts are such a staple at this time of year, let’s look at some of the quirky stories surrounding them. A touch of frost THE best-tasting sprouts – and parsnips (another Christmas…

ON this day, Thomas Neame was born near Faversham in Kent. After serving in the First World War he married Gwendolyn Thomson (an opera singer whose stage name was Astra Desmond). Although a keen gardener, with a penchant for roses, Thomas instead became a commercial fruit grower and farmer. His knowledge and business acumen bloomed, and in 1944 he became chairman of East Malling Research Station (famous for creating new fruit varieties and developing different rootstocks). In 1960 he was knighted for his services to fruit growing. He died in 1993. Thomas Neame saw a white variant (or ‘sport’) of the pink rambler rose ‘Mrs FW Flight’ and, realising that it had commercial potential, sent it to Hilliers Nurseries of Winchester in Hampshire to grow on, and introduce. It was…

1 Parsnips need a hard frost to make them sweet. But if the forecast is for appalling conditions, lift your festive veggies, such as leeks, a few days before 25th December – at least it’s another job done! 2 According to tradition, and for the best results, Christmas is the last chance to plant this year’s garlic. Use seed cloves, rather than supermarket varieties that may not grow so well and carry disease, and if space is tight don’t forget you can grow it in large pots, too.…

Keep your Christmas tree looking stunning for as long as possible. Stand it away from direct sources of heat such as open fires, wood burners and radiators. Stand it in a reservoir and, if necessary, top it up with water every day. If you have a living tree brought in from the garden, make sure it stays in a cool room and goes back outside within a fortnight. It will be much happier if it is left in the garden and decorated with lights as a welcome for guests and something to delight the neighbours.…

PLASTIC, peat and slug pellets were major horticultural talking points throughout 2019 and look set to continue centre stage in 2020. The chemical glyphosate, sold under the brand name Roundup, is also the source of worldwide controversy after several multi-million pound lawsuits were filed by people claiming to have contracted cancer after using it. Glyphosate is being phased out or banned by several EU countries including Italy and the Netherlands, with France and Germany planning to discontinue use in 2023. Peat extraction at an alarming rate Leading horticultural brands have been put on the defensive following claims that they are not doing all they can to reduce the use of peat in composts. Research has shown that precious peat bogs, which help reduce carbon gasses, are still being excavated at…

I LOVE the festive season, but by the time Boxing Day rolls round I’m in despair over all the packaging, plastic, polystyrene and cardboard – not to mention edible debris – and wondering what to do with it all. This year we are, as a family, making a conscious effort to be more environmentally friendly and avoid plastic packaging and gifts. We are using brown paper tied with reusable ribbon instead of wrapping paper and sticky tape and, as usual, we will collect our turkey from a local farm to reduce food miles. There will still be some waste, of course, but the key is to find uses for it. Here are some ideas for using up yours: Food: Once you’ve had your fill of turkey and the veggies have…

1 Have a bag of dry leaves handy to cover the crowns of tender plants, such as fuchsias, when hard frost is forecast. 2 Lift a crown of rhubarb and leave it exposed to the frost, ready to force it into early cropping in February. 3 Whetman’s fragrant, cut flower garden pinks – ‘Bridal Star’, ‘Pink Ruffles’ and ‘Red Carpet’ – proved outstanding and flowered from May to December 2019. 4 New Catmint introduction Nepeta ‘Purrsian Blue’ is an excellent, neat, continuous-flowering, border-edging plant.…

WHAT gardening-related gift would you really love to find in your Christmas stocking? After all, there may still be time to drop hints… I’ll bet there are few of us who would not be thankful for another decent pair of secateurs, no matter how many we already have. And watering cans, as you can never have too many of those – ideally, nice metal kinds painted black for greenhouse use, as these then pre-warm the water. “There may still be time to drop hints” Likewise, a long hosepipe on a reel – one of those will invariably prove handy. Also, I know not the gardener who wouldn’t appreciate a fat bundle of substantial garden canes, as we never seem to have enough longer ones. Furthermore, a pallet-load of mulch (delivered)…

ANY fruit tree is a 30-year investment in your garden’s future. So what are the key points to consider? Taste should be the overriding factor in your purchasing decision. There’s noticeable variation between varieties of apple, pear, plum, fig and gage; less so between cherries, peaches, nectarines and apricots. Autumn tasting days offer first-hand experiences, but recommendations from friends, family and specialist nurseries are valuable. Consider where the tree will go. Is a semi-shaded spot your only option? Sugar-rich fruits such as figs, gages and peaches need full sun if they’re to develop their best flavours, whereas acid (cooking) cherries will grow in full shade. Avoid frost ‘pockets’ if planting early-flowerers such as almonds, peaches and pears. Some apples (such as ‘Court Pendu Plat’) flower late, which offers more success…

IF you’ve grown a few of these late-season spuds, you can afford to lift a taster this week, if only to ensure they are up to standard for the big day itself. Christmas, or ‘second cropping’ potatoes are either planted into the ground or large tubs in August, ready for harvest during October. Commonly, though, gardeners leave tubers undug until this time of year, in order to enjoy that new potato taste and texture on Christmas day. Unless you’re growing yours in a heated greenhouse or polytunnel, the topgrowth will have been knocked back by frosts. Plants growing outside should be mulched with a layer of straw to insulate and protect the tubers from freezing damage. Those in pots can simply be moved somewhere frost-free. Tubers store best in the…

BOTANICALLY known as Camassia quamash, this hardy, early summer-flowering bulb is well known to gardeners as an excellent plant for naturalising in moist grassland. But why not take on board what native North Americans have known for centuries? It’s also incredibly tasty. The raw bulbs have a sticky texture so they aren’t worth eating, but slow-roast them in an oven for two hours and you’ll create a dish reminiscent of roasted chestnuts. Given that bulbs are 2in (5cm) across, it knocks diminutive chestnuts firmly into second place! While dormant bulbs are sold in autumn, you can source potted plants in spring. Position in full sun, in a site that receives summer moisture but avoids winter waterlogging. Bulbs will gently bulk up, ready for autumn harvests.…

Prunus x persicoides ‘Robijn’ Beautiful pink blossom (late enough to avoid the frost) develops into a heavy yield of nuts. Trees are grafted onto a semi-dwarfing rootstock, which restricts their size and improves cropping. Pick the nuts in September. H&S: 12ft (3.6m). Corylus avellana ‘Cosford’ Arguably the sweetest-tasting cobnut. Large nuts with thin shells are ready for picking in September; two plants in close proximity will give a much better crop. Bright-yellow catkins are produced in early spring. H&S: 4ft (1.2m). Corylus maxima ‘Kentish Cob’ AGM The most popular filbert for growing commercially in Britain, due to the fact that it’s a reliable and heavy cropper. The nuts are long and large, and the tree carries short yellow-green catkins in…

IF you have a taste for the exotic, you’ll be familiar with many of these, but where do they grow? Brazils: Named after their home country, trees can grow up to 160ft (48m) and live for 500 years. Peanuts: Annual plants of the bean family, from Paraguay; the ‘nuts’ develop underground. Macadamias: From Queensland, Australia, these nuts have shells so hard, they take five times the amount of pressure to crack as hazelnuts. Cashews: Originating in Central America, cashews are the seed of a larger fruit – the ‘cashew apple’. Pistachios: From Central Asia and the Middle East, these need long, hot summers and little rainfall in winter. Pecans: The seed of a species of hickory tree, from Mexico and Mississippi in the US.…

BACK in the 1970s, the Kew Seed Bank was set up as part of the Jodrell Laboratory’s Physiology section under the leadership of the section’s then head, Dr Peter Thompson. It moved to Wakehurst, West Sussex, in 1974 and in 1996 the Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) project began after being awarded a Lottery-funded Millennium Commission grant. The Wellcome Trust Millennium Seed Bank building in Wakehurst opened in 2000 after a grant from the Wellcome Trust specifically towards the MSB building, which replaced earlier cold stores of seeds held at Kew and Wakehurst. Now, the MSB is the largest and most diverse wild plant species ex-situ genetic resource in the world. Three glass sections house laboratories, seed-preparation facilities and a public exhibition area. Under these lie a storage vault that is…

Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ A burning bush of coral, amber and red stems during the cold months, this wonderful dogwood should be grown in sun if you want the fieriest shades. Cut back in March. H: 6½ft (2m). Betula utilis var. jacquemontii ‘Doorenbos’ AGM Sometimes sold as Snow Queen, this Himalayan birch provides ghostly magic via its bright white bark, which develops after a few years. H: Over 39ft (12m). Camellia x vernalis ‘Yuletide’ Blooms at Christmas, with crimson petals encircling golden stamens. Evergreen. Can be grown as a wall shrub in neutral-to-acid soil, in sheltered semi-shade. Prune after flowering. H: 6½-13ft (2-4m). Ilex aquifolium ‘JC van Tol’ AGM A self-fertile female holly that…

THE Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf wrote that a plant is only worth growing if it looks good when it is dead. Behind his hyperbole is the truth that what remains of many herbaceous plants, particularly their seedheads, can be captivating and will bring beauty into the garden even during the most desolate winter days. It is cheering to stare out the window to admire a scene created from the framework of stems and seedheads — a scene that will be enlivened when hungry birds arrive to feed on the seeds. Tall spires for impact In the absence of flowers and colour, it is the shape and structure of plants that become important in the winter. The most impact is created by tight groups of tall spires from plants such…

1 Having removed the rootball, plant the empty plastic pot into a slightly larger clay one, using two parts soilless compost, one part John Innes No2 and No1 part grit. Then remove. 2 Carefully drop the rootball into the tailor-made hole. New compost will help the roots stay cool and moist in warmer rooms. Water in carefully. 3 For a multi-coloured and potentially longer-flowering potful, root three or four cuttings of different cultivars into one pot of gritty compost. Each should consist of two-three segments. 4 When flowers have finished, hold the flat stem with one hand and gently twist the firm base of the dead watery bloom with the other, and it will come away.…

WHEN I set out to work in the garden I always pick up a pair of secateurs. A lot of gardening is about controlling growth, which means regular cutting back and deadheading. Find a pair that you’re comfortable with and jobs like this are a pleasure. Over the years my wife Kath and I have found makes that suit us – both different – and we wouldn’t swap for the world. So from the extensive ranges of six top brands I’ve chosen pairs of bypass secateurs (for a cleaner cut – I don’t really get on with anvil secateurs) designed for small-to-medium-sized hands and priced at around £20 to £30. Smaller pairs fit neatly into a jacket pocket and work perfectly well for gardeners with big or small hands, unless…

Plant tree lilies from late winter to spring, or in mid-autumn, choosing a position of sun or light shade. In groups, set them 12-24in (30-60cm) apart or dot them in around existing plants. Neutral to acidic soil is preferred, deeply cultivated and well drained. Improve with organic matter. Plant so bulbs are covered by three times their own depth, usually with a good 7in (21cm) of soil covering them. Mulch bulbs annually in spring, after the soil has been moistened by rain. For pots, set three bulbs to a 12-18in (30-45m) container. Half-fill with 50:50 John Innes No2 and multi-purpose compost, with a little extra grit and leafmould or composted bark. Arrange the bulbs and then fill in. For winter, move potted bulbs to a sheltered spot or an unheated…

WEEDS can creep into even the most well-maintained gardens and can be nuisances to remove. To help you reclaim your garden from pesky weeds, Roundup is giving AG readers the chance to win one of two bundles of a Roundup Telescopic Wand, plus two Roundup Total Weedkiller 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. Using just one hand, and at the click of a button, you can release the precise amount of gel needed to target the weeds without risk to other nearby plants. We have two bundles to give away, each worth £32.50. How to enter Send your name and address on the back of a postcard to Roundup Draw (21…

80,000 The number of metric tons of sprouts grown in Britain each year. 3,240 The number of football pitches whose area is equivalent to the total area given over to sprout production in Britain. 80 The percentage of annual British sprout sales estimated to take place in just two weeks over Christmas and New Year. 46 The number of diseases and pests that specifically target Brussels sprouts, which is why they are so difficult to grow organically. 31 The number of sprouts eaten in one minute, for a World Record, by Swedish man Linus Urbanec, in 2008. Each sprout had to be skewered and swallowed individually. In 2009, TV personality Esther Rantzen (pictured) attempted to beat the record, but failed to eat more than five! 18lb 3oz (8.3kg) The record…

Brighten your boundary RECENTLY, Anne Swithinbank wrote about hedge options and how they are more wildlife friendly than fences and can look much nicer ( AG , 26 October). I have a boundary wall which separates my border from the pavement and road, and I thought long and hard about how I might cover the outside of this wall and make it more attractive. Realising that I could not grow anything in the concrete pavement, I planted an evergreen cotoneaster in my border and, over a few years, I bent the long shoots over the wall and tied it down on the outside. This not only makes an all-year-round cover to the wall but, in the spring, the flowers are a magnet for bees and in the winter the birds…

THE photo is of my amaryllis (hippeastrum) which has flowered again this year with four flowers. This plant had a magnificent display earlier this year and still looked healthy after flowering, so I kept it in the greenhouse and looked after it all summer. Will it flower next spring? Derek Alexander…

HAVE you heard the plotline for this year’s Downton Abbey Christmas Special? It’s amazing! The drawing room is captured by terrorists, until long-lost American cousin ‘Jed Stetson’ – played by Bruce Willis – saves the day using Her Ladyship’s mustard spoon and an antique Gatling gun gifted to the Countess by Abe ‘Bullets’ Lincoln himself. I can’t wait! As if that’s not enough, Downton – or rather, Highclere Castle, where the hit series is filmed – has produced another Christmas special that’s even more spectacular! Back in the 1830s, before Lord Crawley could crawl and the Countess was just knee-high to a tiara, a cross between our native holly (Ilex aquifolium) and the tender Madeiran Ilex perado took place in the greenhouse at Highclere. The result was a new variety,…

We are not complacent about safety around the garden and in storage areas, but not everyone else is aware of the potential hazards of chemicals and tools. If you have family and friends descending over the next week or so, especially if they are arriving with pets and small children, make sure chemicals are securely stowed away out of reach. Keep them in their original containers under lock and key, not in the greenhouse, which is easy for inquisitive youngsters to investigate. Ensure tools are neatly stored and electric cables coiled. Keep the shed locked when not in use. And if riotous games involving footballs are suggested, firmly suggest that they take place away from the greenhouse!…

IT has been a massive year for Amateur Gardening – and not just because as the world’s longest running weekly gardening magazine we celebrated our 135th anniversary in May. We have also moved away from plastic packaging after months of tests and trials, helped by our readers and contributors. From 11 January 2020, subscribers will receive their copy of AG in a fully recyclable and compostable paper bag. The magazine’s writers were also shortlisted for two prestigious gardening media awards. Fruit and veg expert Lucy Chamberlain was nominated for Practical Journalist of the Year and Ruth Hayes, our gardening and news editor, was nominated for News Journalist of the Year in the Garden Media Guild Awards. ‘A brilliant gardening magazine’ AG celebrated its 135 anniversary on May 18 with a…

For the first time this year, the National Trust’s Sissinghurst Castle Garden will open during winter. It is in winter that the brilliance of Harold Nicolson’s design – which provided the framework for Vita Sackville-West’s exuberant planting – comes to the fore. Winter opening means the clever use of hedges, used to define the now-famous series of garden rooms, is particularly obvious. Around the garden, Osmanthus, Sarcococca, Chimonanthus, Hamamelis, hellebores and snowdrops add bursts of welcome winter colour and scent. Those looking for a longer walk can enjoy estate walks through woodland, farmland and past lakes. Visitors can also see the International Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition.…

until 28 Dec: Glow: RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorks HG3 1QB. ✆ 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr until 4 Jan: Glow: RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Rosemoor, Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH. ✆ 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor until 5 Jan: Glow: RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. ✆ 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley Until 5 Jan: Enchanted Botanical Christmas in the Glasshouse: RHS Wisley until 31 Jan: Winter Sculpture Exhibition: RHS Garden Rosemoor 20-23 Dec: The Magic of Christmas Santa Experience: RHS Garden Rosemoor 21 Dec: Festive Family Fun Make A Birdhouse: RHS Wisley 22 Dec: Festive Family Fun Sow and Grow Kale: RHS Wisley ■ Snowdrops: The first harbingers of spring can be seen at two stunning venues in January 2020. Heralding Spring takes place at Chelsea…

WE may be in the depths of winter, but the signs of spring are breaking through and there is plenty to look forward to in the New Year garden – not least the sowing of this week’s free seeds! Aquilegia ‘Lime Sorbet’ is an old hardy perennial favourite. It grows in attractive clumps up to 30in (75cm) high with attractive blue-green leaves, and its flowers are sweet and slightly shaggy clusters of pale green and white petals. Sow the seeds undercover in the New Year or early spring, let the seedlings grow until they are large enough to pot on individually, then harden them off and plant out in the garden where they will delight for many years to come. Morning glory ‘Grandpa Otts’ is a dramatic half-hardy annual climber…

1 Mistletoe becomes less expensive close to Christmas, so buy then for the berries, and in February ‘sow’ by sticking the seed onto branches. 2 Carefully water houseplants and all those in a coldframe or greenhouse, as they’ll likely be overlooked in the next few weeks. 3 Look out for inexpensive stocking fillers such as packets of favourite seeds – they make excellent gifts, especially with appropriate names! 4 Get a huge appetite any time – simply turn your compost heap onto a sheet, then repack it back in, well mixed up.…

1 When ready to plant, soak your tree’s rootball in a bucket of water, then begin digging the hole. This should be as deep as the pot and three times its width. 2 Fork over the base and sides to alleviate compaction, loosen your tree’s rootball, and then place it in the hole so that the uppermost roots are 1in (2½cm) below soil level. 3 Backfill with soil, firming it in gently in stages to prevent large air pockets. Water in well, then add a 2in (5cm) deep mulch of bark chips, avoiding the trunk itself.…

THERE’S something evocative about a grape in the greenhouse eaves. A gnarly, mature vine brings thoughts of suntanned holiday skin and long, lazy lunches, but in winter my mind turns to mealybugs, scale insects and red spider mites – it’s a proper reality check! In order to keep older vines healthy and productive, they require good hygiene. The older the grape, the more pests can gain a foothold. The three I’ve mentioned are your main suspects, and they’ll overwinter on your vine unless stopped. In cooler weather, they hunker down in nooks and crannies. Loose bark offers the perfect shelter, and old vines accumulate lots of it. So now, while the vine is dormant, use a blunt garden knife to scrape the excess off. Don’t cut into green wood –…

1 Do you own established fruit trees, canes or bushes ? A winter fruit wash applied to them now will help thwart overwintering pests. 2 Give your greenhouse a service . Replace brok en glass, check the roof vents are working, and clean the moss out of the gullies. 3 If you have not yet pruned your grapevines, step to it! They’ll ooze or ‘bleed’ sap from their pruning wounds if cut in the spring. 4 Cut all your autumn (not summer) raspberry canes down to ground level with loppers – a satisfying job , if ever there was one! 5 Not put your asparagus to bed yet? Cut all the stems to ground level, and shred or burn to disrupt the asparagus beetle lifecycle .…

The saffron crocus Anyone who has taken a holiday in Cornwall will probably have seen in a baker’s shop one of those vividly yellow yeast cakes known as saffron cakes. Whether they have tasted one is another matter, for their bright colour is somewhat daunting to the uninitiated. The jaundiced appearance of these dainties is no gimmick, but the natural by-product of the slightly bitter pungent flavouring that has been used – saffron. The source of the saffron is more surprising than any fiction: it consists of the deep orange-coloured stigmas, dried, from the lilac/purple-flowered Crocus sativus . With commendable precision it was calculated in 1840 that it requires 4,320 blooms to yield 1oz [28g] of saffron. Dried and sold in the loose state, it use to be known as…

October is the best time to divide, buy and plant all herbaceous peonies, including Itoh hybrids. Give Itohs a ‘standalone’ position in good sunlight because the large flowers, up to 8in (20cm) across, need space to shine. Make sure the top bud on the root (on all herbaceous peonies) is just below the soil because cold temperatures stimulate flower buds. Itohs have woody stems. They don’t need staking, and rabbits and deer don’t touch them. Don’t deadhead them – the furry carpels ( which don’t contain viable seeds) are attractive in winter. Leave the stems intact during winter. Once spring arrives, cut back to the lowest shooting buds as you would a hardy fuchsia. Feed them in spring with a slow-release, potash-rich fertiliser such as Vitax Q4.…

Lunaria annua The paper-thin seed capsules of annual honesty are too delicate to survive throughout winter, but are worth keeping for those days early in the season when the pods are illuminated by low rays of sunshine. Phlomis tuberosa and Phlomis russeliana (left) After flowering, both species leave behind seedheads in a hard casing that are arranged in layers along the upright stems. They are most attractive when seen in drifts against a background of golden grasses. Monarda The rigid upright stalks are tough enough to last all winter and support domed seedheads. Some varieties have several seedheads in tight whorls along the stem. Miscanthus sinensis Miscanthus provide drama in the bold stature of their stems, and the lightness and delicacy of their plumes.…

How to keep your hippeastrum happy Q My grandchildren always give me an indoor amaryllis for Christmas, but I never know how to care for them. What can I do to help it flower more than once? Kathleen Ward, Oxford A From January until autumn, keep your amaryllis (also known as hippeastrum) happy by keeping it on a sunny, warm windowsill. Water to keep its compost moist, and feed weekly with a liquid houseplant fertiliser. Stop watering in late September, and let the compost dry out and the leaves turn yellow and wither. When the foliage has shrivelled and the bulb is dormant, place it in a spare room where the temperature is at least 10ºC (50ºF). In late winter (February or early March), repot the bulb in John Innes…

Lilium ‘Honeymoon’ A majestic and floriferous hybrid with large, fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers, paler gold at the edges, and deep within. Each bloom can reach 8in (20cm) across. Lilium ‘Miss Feya’ Large, fragrant blooms bear reflexed petals of rich crimson-maroon with darker spots. This orienpet (oriental/trumpet) hybrid is tolerant of alkaline soils. Lilium ‘Monet’ Fragrant, long-lasting double blooms show many shades of pink and a sprinkling of dark freckles. Pollen-free, so perfect if you have cats that like to roam the garden. Lilium ‘Friso’ Also known as ‘Silk Road’. Large, fragrant, trumpet-shaped blooms, white with rich cherry pink centres and stripes on the reverse. Very strong stems, suits any soil.…

Reason 1: In 2011, a study found that sprouts contain a chemical that tastes bitter to people who have a variation of a certain gene. Around half the world’s population have this variant. The lucky half, without the variant, don’t taste the bitterness usually associated with sprouts, and therefore find them much more palatable. Reason 2: Sprouts are often over-boiled, ending up as a mush, when they should retain a little texture. Bring them to the boil and simmer for seven-12 minutes. For me, they are past their best if you can cut them with a wooden spoon!…

I HAVE seen some odd tomato plants in the greenhouse but the devil wasn’t one I expected. Decided to eat it and, yes, it tasted good. Sir Brian Donohoe, Irvine, Ayrshire I’VE been growing crops with my stepson Harris for years, and he’s never been more excited about a vegetable than when he dug up this carrot for our roast dinner the other evening! It’s amazing what gets them interested… he sowed the carrot seeds himself and couldn’t wait to dig the rest up to see what was on offer. It did make us laugh. Georgie Vacher THERE’S no confusion about this vegetable that I pulled up in August. This is definitely a male carrot. Keith Gilbert, via email MY ‘Nimrod’ cucumber plants had a good summer in the greenhouse…

MOST hollies require a male and a female to produce berries, but there’s a self-fertile form called Ilex aquifolium ‘JC van Tol’ that berries on its own above leaves with golden midribs and veins. 2019 has been a bumper year, and the berries on Highclere hybrids have been exceptional. Along with a red sky in the morning, laden hollies have long been regarded as portents that a cold winter is around the corner. However, the abundance owes more to the warm summers in the years before, as it’s heat that causes berry-bearing branches to form rather than an inbuilt crystal ball.…