Innholdsfortegnelse for 03-sep-16 i Amateur Gardening

I STARTED writing this column to pick up on Bob Flowerdew’s suggestion last week that we abandon bbqs and instead burn tree prunings as a greener option. Men seem to have a thing about open fires – me included. I save every scrap of wood and use it both in my garden fire bowl/bbq, and in my wood-burning stove. In pursuit of this I help neighbours with tree pruning and take the wood as payment. But there’s a problem – wood needs cutting up and storing. I’m not the tidiest of people, and our drive is littered with tree branches cut from a neighbours cherry, pallets and a broken garden bench, all waiting to be reduced to a stackable size (I tell my wife, Kath, that they’re ‘seasoning’). The chaos…

• If you moved your houseplants outside for a breath of summer freshness, it’s time to start bringing them back indoors before the first frost. • Before you do, give them a thorough check to make sure they haven’t picked up any pests such as whitefly, aphids and red spider mites. • In particular, check for vine weevils, and make sure there are no vine weevil grubs in their container compost. • From now on, start reducing the amount you water houseplants, as their growth will start to slow down in the cooler, shorter days.…

ALTHOUGH there is no need to divide perennial plants every year, it will benefit them if they have become congested and lost vigour. Typically, the centre dies down and strongest growth is around the edges. As a rule, summer-flowering perennials should be divided in autumn or spring, as long as the soil is dry enough to work. Spring-flowering plants such as primroses are best split when they finish flowering. I divided a bushy summer flowering salvia, which was growing too big for its space, and getting straggly and losing its shape. It was relatively straightforward to divide by cutting the rootball vertically into two halves using a sharp spade. Each division must have roots and shoots. Bulbous types of iris, and vigorous plants like daylilies and agapanthus can be split…

“Check the height of any chosen packet of cosmos” THE current cosmos trial at R. H. S. Wisley Garden is a fine example of the flower power that comes from a packet of seeds. It also shows what a wide range of heights, flower colours and forms are now available in cosmos to suit many garden uses. While to be on the safe side and to get the longest floral display, it is worth raising cosmos in cell trays indoors to plant out in April, the Wisley trial was sown direct in the soil with dramatic success. The cold wet spring this year did not help germination, so a second sowing had to be made and flowering started a little later as a result. Ten people with considerable experience in…

1 Carefully lift the plant from the soil using a hand fork. Wiggle it around the roots to gently work them free. 2 Put a layer of fresh multi-purpose compost in a container and place the plant’s roots on top of it. 3 Fill around the plant with more compost, making sure it falls between the roots. Fill, and gently firm, the compost. 4 Water the plant well. If the plant will be in a pot for several weeks or months, make sure it never dries out.…

BETWEEN the harvesting and the sowing that’s going on at the moment, I feel a little unsettled. Half my brain is attempting to savour this year, while the other half is planning ahead for 2017. It seems the older you get the more the years just fly by! With one foot firmly in the future, however, my attention has been turned to the carrots I sowed a fewweeks ago. Along with parsnips, they’ve been nestling under some fine-mesh netting to protect them against carrot root fly attacks. Now, as the seedlings develop, is time for me to dip in and thin them out. If I don’t do so I’ll end up with tiny roots twirled around one another – I wouldn’t fancy peeling those! If you’re in the same boat…

IT may look like torture, but it’s actually a method of training that’s incredibly handy for compact spaces. Last week I discussed pruning stone fruit, and this leads on nicely from that because plums and gages are suited to festooning. Cherries, and spur-forming apple and pear varieties also take to it happily. Essentially, any tree (or bush) that produces fruit along the length of older branches (instead of just on the younger shoots) can be festooned. Young trees that are likely to outgrow their space are prime candidates. To do it, take the tip of a young, pliable stem and arch it over to form a downward-facing curve. Either secure the tip close to the ground using a stake and twine, or tie it towards the main central stem. After…

I HAVE had a fabulous, long-running crop of peas this year. They were small, ‘cold grown, hardy plants bought from a local supplier. The plants have now died back, and I want to clear and prepare the ground for the next lot of crops. Peas, like all legumes, are valuable because their roots help to ‘fix’ nitrogen in the soil. Nitrogen is a nutrient that is essential for promoting vigorous leafy plant growth. A lack of it causes pale green leaves with yellow or pinkish tints. Deprived plants fail to thrive, or grow spindly and thin. Therefore the next crop to grow in the space vacated by the peas will be nitrogen-hungry brassicas, after which I will grow root crops that are less nitrogen-needy. Before removing the spent pea plants,…

• 2-4 September: Handmade and Homegrown Festival, Hever Castle & Gardens, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7NG 01732 865224; hevercastle.co.uk • 3-4 September: Southbourne & Pine Lodge, Dinmore, Hereford HR1 3JR (1.30-5.30pm) garden open in aid of the National Gardens Scheme.ngs.org.uk • 3 September: Plant Hunters' Fair (11am-5pm), Bodenham Arboretum near Kidderminster, Worcs, DY11 5SY planthuntersfairs.co.uk • 3-4 September: Autumn Plant Festival, RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Beckwithshaw, Harrogate, North Yorks HG3 1QB (9.30am-6pm) Plant Heritage Plant Fair and Tender Plant Show. Information and advice for autumn and winter gardening. 0845 265 8070 rhs.org.uk • 4 September: Plant Hunters' Fair (10am-4pm), Ness Botanic Gardens Wirral, Cheshire. CH64 4AY planthuntersfairs.co.uk • 4 September: Caro’s Garden, 79 Church Lane, East Finchley, N2 0TH (2-6pm) open in aid of The British Red Cross. redcross.org.uk •…

IBERIS are generally trouble-free. Like other plants in the cabbage family, they could be susceptible to clubroot in the soil (a persistent fungal disease of brassicas), in which case plants will fail to prosper and, on being dug up, show swellings and distortion on the roots. Either grow in soil that’s not affected, or sow into containers of proprietary compost. Caterpillars (pictured left, on cabbage) are sometimes a nuisance but usually towards late-summer, so make autumn or early-spring sowings to enjoy plants before they proliferate.…

THE fuchsias in our greenhouse have been flowering their socks off all summer. Out of all the tender perennials that we grow under glass they are by far and away the most reliable. Some of the plants are now over 20 years old. The good thing about fuchsias is that they tend to shed their own faded flowers, so it’s simply a case of taking time to sweep up the fallen flowers. In order to reduce the risk of pest and disease under glass it is vital that faded and fallen petals are swept up almost every day now. Heat, moisture and rotting foliage and flowers are a recipe for disaster. I would compare it to wearing a warm, wet sock for days in your wellies – likely to result…

A TUBBY toad sparked a rescue mission after it became stuck between garden decking boards. The porky amphibian came a-cropper when it tried to squeeze between wooden planks at a garden in Norwich. RSPCA Inspector Jason Finch, who was called to the property by the owners, said: “It didn’t take me long to spot its little legs sticking out of a gap in the wooden decking – they were waving around in the air! “I knew I had to get the little guy out as soon as possible. He must have been very uncomfortable.” Jason had to saw through the decking and lever it up to bring a swift end to the toad’s nightmare. “He was the biggest, fattest toad I have ever seen,” Jason added. “I can only think…

Ornamental cabbages The pink, silver and purple foliage is stunning when coupled with pink cyclamen. Plant in early autumn and the show will go on throughout winter. Winter heathers Erica carnea types will flower into winter. Choose from pink or white and either use them as ground cover or add to a container display. Winter pansies Perfect for pots. Take your pick if the many colours. Deadhead and they’ll flower into spring. They will thrive almost anywhere – sun or shade. Cyclamen hederifolium Pretty pink flowers over mottled foliage. Requires a sheltered spot in partial shade. Reaches 5-7in (15-20cm) and continues to flower into December.…

Q Is this caused by white butterflies or something else? I haven’t seen any caterpillars. Charles Ross, Newburgh, Fife AI fear that caterpillars of cabbage white butterfly have invaded your brassicas. Apart from hand picking, remedy the problem by spraying with BugClear for Fruit and Veg or Py Spray Garden Insect Killer. Alternatively, apply Nemasys Caterpillar Killer. This is a biological control based on microscopic eelworms, and it is very effective and easy to use. Q Please could you identify this plant – it changes color from white to blue. Barry Cunningham (via email) A The plant is chicory (Cichorium intybus). Cultivated for its dense leafy chicons – cos-lettuce-like hearts – or roots which are dried for culinary use – it is a British native. It has very pretty blue…

BUY YOUNG primrose plants from reputable suppliers now and get them in the ground before the end of October so that they establish before the onset of winter. Using a trowel, make a hole about twice the size of the pot, and add a handful of good quality compost. Carefully knock the plant from its pot, then loosen the roots before setting the plant in place, firming in with more compost and watering well. Keep an eye on the weather - you’ll need to water regularly during prolonged dry periods.…

LOPPERS are the bolt croppers of the gardening world – designed for all those tougher pruning jobs that secateurs can’t handle. The long handles allow you to reach across beds and borders to tackle shrubs at the back, and can be pushed safely into prickly bushes, while also providing leverage to cut through thicker, older stems. Loppers come in bypass and anvil models. The bypass versions, cutting like a pair of scissors, are best for a clean cut on live wood. Some have extendable or telescopic handles to give extra reach and leverage when needed. There are also different actions, with gearing and ratchets providing added assistance on thicker stems. Having decided you need bypass action, check out the cutting capacity and quality of the blades. Hardened or carbon steel…

• Choose a medium-sized pot or basket, approximately 1ft (30cm) in diameter and fill to two thirds with a mix of potting compost and topsoil or choose a John Innes No 2 mix. • Choose your plant combination: a low-growing blue gentian to spill over the sides with a grass such as Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’ for texture, and for colour contrast, a Dahlia ‘Art Deco’ and pink heather, or a vibrant daisy such as Rudbeckia ‘Little Goldstar’. • Tease out the roots of each plant, tuck into your container and fill to just below the brim with the rest of your compost mix. Water in well and enjoy!…

That’s not stingy! I LOVE reading Tim’s weekly letter because he’s usually talking about money-saving or ‘stinginess’ as he calls it, and he seems to feel quite guilty about it. Personally I have no qualms about being tight! Don’t get me wrong, I’m the first to help my family and support good causes but I don’t like waste. Used compost goes on the back of the border, rose trimmings are potted up as cuttings – even though there’s no room for them! Gardening gets harder now old age is here and I could afford better tools but, like Tim, I’ll carry on with my old faithfuls as long as I can. I must have saved a fortune over the years by subscribing to AG. I just can’t understand why every…

WITH autumn here, it’s good to take a look back at the year so far, and see what you have achieved. It is also the perfect time to look ahead and plan your garden for next year, starting with the first splashes of colour. Spring-flowering bulbs go in the ground now, while the soil is still warm from summer, and also damp from increasing autumn rainfall. Daffodils, narcissi and tulips are a traditional favourite for beds and containers, while crocus, snake’s head fritillaries, grape hyacinth (Muscari), squill, and dwarf daffs look beautiful scattered in lawns and under trees. When you have planted your bulbs, it is a good idea to mark their position so you don’t grub them up when undertaking border maintenance. It will also help you avoid damaging…

• Showy bulbs such as alliums and tulips make a real statement in containers. Plant them at three times their own depth, one bulb’s width apart. • For one season in a container, use 3:1 multipurpose compost and horticultural grit. For long-term planting, use three parts John Innes No 2, and one part grit. • Water regularly while the plants are growing, but reduce the amount when the leaves start to dry down. Feed every 7-10 days with liquid tomato feed from when shoots start to appear, to when the foliage starts to die down.…

“The final tomatoes and tender veggies should be ripening” • Clearance: Summer annuals and bedding plants will be fading now, so remove them from containers and borders, and add them to the compost heap. This is also a good time to weed the cleared area, and mulch the soil to enrich it for the next season’s plantings. • Lawn care: Brown patches and birds pecking your lawn is a sign that chafer grubs, the larvae of beetles, are underneath eating the roots. Treat with a nematode, or lay cardboard or carpet over the lawn at night. This will being grubs to the surface, and they can be removed each morning. • Look after wood: Protect wooden structures before winter, as well as garden furniture before you store it away. Remove…

1 Using a fork, carefully lift the plant with its root ball and put on a board, plastic bin liner, or newspaper. Shake off the soil so the roots are visible. 2 Prise plant apart vertically. Cut tough rootballs with a sharp, clean knife or spade. Make several chunky divisions each with roots and shoots. 3 If you can’t plant your divisions straight away, wrap the roots in damp newspaper to keep them cool and moist. They’ll last for 2-3 days. 4 Replant the divisions separately as soon as possible, firming the soil around them, watering well, and applying a mulch to trap moisture.…

CONFESSION time – I am not a tidy gardener. The sight of plants thriving in a state of colourful anarchy works for me every time. However, when beds get too crowded, and plants end up where they aren’t supposed to be, I do take action. This year it’s been the turn of a lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis), which self-seeded in an already-busy border. The plant is a favourite of mine, with its broad, soft green foliage and delicate, acid lemon flowers. It is also low maintenance and versatile. But lovely as it is, this one needed to be moved. Here’s what I did: Top Tip If the weather has been dry, water plants well an hour or so before lifting them. It makes it easier to work the soil, and…

ONE of my favourite shrubs is a cistus that produces large, papery white flowers with golden hearts, each petal stained with a splodge the dark, rich colour of a blackcurrant sorbet. I am planning to move it to a better spot later in the year, but in case it doesn’t survive in its new home, I’ve decided to take semi-ripe cuttings. This is the best time of year to do so, and this form of cutting can be used to propagate a wide range of hardy climbers, trees and shrubs. Autumn is also a good time to make sure your shrubs are in good order. Late summer and autumn-flowering varieties don’t need pruning until the spring, but you can still take this opportunity to trim back flowered rock roses (Helianthemum),…

I THINK I got my cucumbers in a little late this year – the plants are still tiny yet they’re managing to crop their socks off! Are you growing the traditional long types, or one of the more modern snack-box varieties? In my experience the mini types, such as ‘Baby’ and ‘Mini Munch’ are even more prolific than the long-fruited ‘Femspot’ that I’m growing here. Plants will still have a lot of life in them, so keep watering and feeding with tomato food to continue harvests well into October. It also pays to remove the lower leaves as they naturally yellow with age. Spray over the plants and floor with water to maintain humidity – cucumbers are prone to powdery mildew and red spider mite, and misting helps keep them…

HOW are your tomatoes doing? Mine (both glasshouse and outdoor) started ripening in early August and haven’t looked back! I’ve been diligently removing sideshoots, tying in the main stem, watering, feeding and generally pampering my plants. Tomatoes are high-maintenance, but my efforts seem to have paid off. Once you begin harvesting from the lower trusses, remove the leaves around them to get more of that essential sunlight to the fruits. This will help to boost flavour and reduce the likelihood of rots like botrytis setting in. Just firmly snap the leaf upwards, holding it at the base – it should come cleanly off. Only remove leaves from the lower half of the plant – it needs a few left on to feed itself.…

“Get rid of awkward shapes and corners that need mowing” MANY of us have grass to cut, if not a whole lawn then some smaller grassed areas like verges or pathways. I wonder whether we could do this in more environmentally-friendly way? Obviously one way is stop mowing altogether – then we ‘d have a meadow, not a lawn. Likewise, living lawnmowers (pet goat, anyone?) don’t give a ‘nice sward’, and push mowers are far too hard work, I know, I’ve been there. Anyway, have you ever wondered how often you mow? The keenest start in March and continue weekly till November most years. That’s thirty to forty times. So if we cut a little less often when the grass is growing slowly at the start and end of the…

EASY on then eye and quick to grow, this straightforward hardy annual derived from southern European Iberis umbellata is often recommended for children to grow. Plants make bushy mounds around 8in (20cm) high and are soon smothered in flattish heads of four-petalled flowers characteristic of the cabbage tribe. These open from the outside of the 2in (5cm) wide corymbs, so the outer blooms surround a centre of unopened buds. Colours vary from white to deep-pink with every shade in between, but they are never muddy and have a crisp, freshness about them. There is a light, sweet perfume so it is worth raising a few in pots to display at nose level. Sunny disposition In their native habitat, candytufts favour open sites where soil is free draining and calcareous, so…

1 Sow into parallel curved or straight moistened drills made 8in (20cm) apart in prepared soil. Cover the seeds lightly by brushing soil back over them, or trickling a little seed compost to provide a covering. 2 In spring, sow two to three seeds per module under unheated glass or a cold frame. Fill with good compost first, make a dent in the surface of each one, sow and cover lightly with compost. Thin to one after germination, or grow on and plant out as a clump of two to three plants. 3 In spring, sow thinly and evenly into a seed tray filled with good seed compost. Scatter compost lightly over the seeds and place in an unheated greenhouse or cold frame to germinate. Afterwards, transplant one seedling per…

WE’RE approaching bulb planting time. I’ve already ordered our tulip bulbs from Blooms at RHS Malvern Spring Festival. To me there is nothing more magical than planting a bulb in autumn and seeing the results later in the year. With bulbs for our pots sorted I’ve been eying up avonbulbs.co.uk for border bulbs. I’m tempted by Ornithogalum, uvalaria for shade and the elegant blue triteleia as all of these will grow in our heavy clay soil. Last year we had great success with Crocus tommasinianus ‘Ruby Giant’, planted in a border under deciduous shrubs. More of these will definitely be ordered this month.…

A NEW sweet pea for 2017 will raise funds for Greenfingers, the charity that builds gardens at children’s hospices. Sweet pea ‘Greenfingers’ has an old-fashioned Grandiflora flower form (pictured, left) with strongly-scented rich-cream blooms, edged with picotee violet. The variety is said to be excellent for cutting. For every pack of 20 seeds sold at £2.45, Suffolk seed firm Mr Fothergill’s will donate 25 pence to Greenfingers.mr-fothergills.co.uk.…

ANOTHER local authority has ditched glyphosate – and will kill weeds by spraying them with hot water instead. Shetland Islands Council is abandoning glyphosate, often sold as Roundup, despite the EU re-approving the weedkiller ingredient for 18 months. Brighton City Council also stopped spraying with glyphosate earlier this year. The Shetland Islands, 110 miles north of mainland Scotland, has an average of 250 days of rain a year, making spraying tricky. The council’s William Spence said: “The environmental advantages are that we are not using chemicals in any form, thus reducing the risk of contaminating waterways, and effects on pets and wildlife.” Glyphosate remains approved and legal to use.…

SHOPPERS are buying shrubs over the internet instead of venturing out to garden centres – according to a mail order company. Thompson & Morgan sold £1.5million worth of “garden ready shrubs” in the last 12 months, since it launched its new offering. Boss Paul Hansord told AG: “We approached garden centres to try and work with them but they didn’t want to. They thought there wasn’t a place to deliver nursery stock by post. “But we beat our targets. It performed better than expected. I think we have 5,000 varieties now and we’re looking to go to 10,000. It will be a comprehensive range of shrubs and perennials,” Paul added. He said that gardeners liked the “convenience of being able to “press a button, pick shrubs for height, colour and…

What do I do with delphiniums now? Q My delphiniums finished flowering some time ago and have set seed. What should I do to the plants now? And can you tell me how to go about saving the delphinium seeds, including when and how to sow them next year? Philip Pearce, Wythall, nr Birmingham. A From your photograph (above) it’s apparent that some of the seeds are ready to collect while others still need more time. Wait until the seed pods are fully mature and about to split open – the capsules will change colour from green to brown when completely ripe. On a dry day, remove the stems and put them straight into a paper bag, head first. Tie a string around the stems and hang them upside down…

• Divide named primroses by teasing them apart with your fingers, Replant and water the pieces in, or pot them up. Always check for vine weevil. They can be a problem. • You can divide in early autumn, or straight after flowering. Trim back any over-large leaves before replanting. • Most single primroses set seeds abundantly, but the seedlings will almost certainly vary. You may wish to deadhead a choice form to prevent this miscellany. • Many are grown in peat-based composts that dry out into a hard ball - which primroses hate. When planting pull as much of the peaty compost away as you can.…

OXO Good Grips Food Compost Bin £11.99 01539 488 100 lakeland.co.uk Stay-open and removable flip-up lid makes this bin easy to fill and empty. At 8in (20cm) square x 7 1/2in (19cm) tall it has a fairly small 2.8ltr capacity, but is dishwasher safe so is easy to keep clean and smelling fresh. Water Butt Pump £39.01 RRP   silverlinetools.com  for stockists Make better use of your harvested rainwater. The 400W motor on this pump drops into the bottom of a large water butt and pumps from your standard hose coupling at the top – saves traipsing around with watering cans. Has a 30ft (10m) power cable.…

Gentiana ‘Kingfisher’ A mat-forming hardy perennial. Produces blue trumpet flowers with distinctive stripes. Looks good in pots or at the front of a border. H4in (10cm). Aconitum carmichaelii ‘Arendsii’ Also known as Monkshood because of the shape of the unusual midnight blue flowers that appear on tall spires. H3ft (1m). Phlox paniculata ‘Blue Evening’ As the name suggests, these lilac flowers look bluer in the early evening light. They come into flower in July and carry on into September. H31in (80cm). Ceratostigma plumbaginoides This hardy spreading plumbago has brilliant blue flowers from late august and leaves that turn red as autumn progresses. H17in (45cm). Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘Summer Sorbet’ Abundant heads of small bright blue flowers and contrasting golden variegated foliage. Attracts bees and butterflies. H3ft (1m).…

Also known as winter windflower, Anemone blanda have lobed leaves and star-shaped blue, pink or white flowers. Dwarf Narcissus ‘Tete a Tete’ are bold yellow, and grow well at the front of beds, naturalised in lawns, and in rockeries. With their bowed heads, mauve and white snake’s head fritillaries look perfect naturalised in lawns, and under trees. Delicate white petals with blue veins make Russian snowdrops, or Puschkinia scilloides an intriguing addition.…

THE garden is never quiet, especially at this time of year when we are on the cusp of two of the busiest seasons. Enjoying and nurturing summer’s beauty is giving way to the time for removing spent annuals, improving soil and lawns, lifting and protecting tender plants, moving shrubs and planting new bare-root specimens. The north of the country runs the risk of early frosts more than the rest of us, so remember to stock up on horticultural fleece and bubblewrap to protect vulnerable plants that are too large to move somewhere sheltered for the coldest months. Take stock of houseplants too, as they will soon require less water and feeding, while those that have spent the summer outside will need to be brought back in. Do this in stages…

1 Continue to water during dry spells, paying particular attention to containers (which have a finite supply of moisture) and plants in arid areas such as under house eaves, or in the rain shadow of a fence. 2 As autumn progresses, fallen leaves and debris will start to build up. Remove it as soon as you find it, as it can harbour pests and the spores of fungal diseases. 3 Continue to deadhead spent flowers, as this will keep your plants colourful for as long as possible into the autumn.…

• Dividing plants is a relatively easy process, but there are certain steps you need to take to get the best results. • Never try to divide a plant if the ground is waterlogged or frozen, and always make sure that each division has a healthy section of roots and shoots attached. • When you replant, always water well to firm the soil and settle the roots. After planting, make sure the plant doesn’t dry out while it gets established. • Keep an eye out for pests, and keep plants weed-free. A mulch of well-rotted compost or manure helps suppress weeds.…

• It is not always possible to get plants in the ground immediately after lifting them from the soil. • If there is only a short delay, wrap the plant’s rootball in damp newspaper. This will keep the roots healthy for up to 48 hours, as long as you keep wetting the paper and the roots. • If the delay is longer, it is worth potting up the plant in multi-purpose compost for the duration. • Keep it watered, and the plant will stay there for several weeks (or even over the winter) before planting out.…

1 Select a healthy shoot 6-8in (15-20cm) long, and cut it from the plant using clean, sharp secateurs or a knife. 2 Trim each cutting to 4-6in (10-15cm) long, pinching off the soft, green tip, and all leaves from bottom 2/3rds. 3 Dip the base of each in hormone rooting gel or powder, and insert in a pot of cuttings compost and perlite. 4 Water the cuttings, and place them in a greenhouse. Alternatively, cover with a plastic bag, and keep on a warm, light windowsill until they root.…

HARDY palms are dramatic garden plants. I put in this Chamaerops humilis five years ago, and it’s started to throw up suckers around the base. All the books say this palm is best propagated from fresh seeds in spring (see panel below). I’m saving seeds now, but I’m also going to try and root suckers taken from around the trunk. I was removing them anyway to restrict the width of the plant. There is very little information about rooting suckers from C. humilis. I contacted cooltropicalplants.com and a chap called John steered me to the European Palm Society website (www.palmsociety.org) and some info from society member Dave Brown. His story didn’t sound very encouraging, but I like a challenge. John at Cool Tropical Plants suggested a potting mix of one…

AT this time of year you cannot walk down a garden path without, it seems, stepping through a spider’s web, or a strand of drifting gossamer. These strands are produced by dispersing baby spiders climbing to high points on plants or fences; the silk threads act like a sail, allowing the wind to carry them long distances. Spiders prey on a range of insects, some of which are garden pests (including aphids, and craneflies); some spiders have a particular preference for woodlice. In turn, spiders are themselves eaten by birds, frogs and toads, as well as some parasitic insects. Garden ‘orb web’ spiders are evident now. They spin large, roughly circular silk webs, suspended vertically from plant stems and leaves. Adult females can be up to ¾in (2cm) long and…

1 There are 500 seeds in your packet, so experiment. I encouraged sedum, Verbena bonariensis and gazanias to colonise part of our drive and decided to sow some candytuft into the gravel. 2 Scatter the seeds thinly and evenly across the areas you want to sow by rubbing the medium-sized, orange-brown matt seeds between finger and thumb. 3 The seeds trickle between gritty particles in the driveway and find small grains of soil. I didn’t cover mine but settled them in by watering using a rose on the can. Let nature do the rest.…

EARLY September is a tricky time in the flower border. Do you step in and remove faded flowers, at the risk of damaging delicate seed heads, then plant more late flowerers? Or, do you leave well alone. Either option is fine but I just can’t resist adding a bit more colour. Chances are that if you keep adding late colour with hardy perennials the border will go on to look after itself after a few years and offer colour into autumn. Once I had cut back the faded delphiniums and lupins in one of the borders here at Stockton Bury I was left with an obvious hole. To replace them I added height with three (I like to plant in threes or fives) Rudbeckia ‘Herbstsonne. Their bright yellow flowers add…

IF you worry about when to clip your mature hedges you’re not alone. After waiting years for the perfect hedge to form who would want to get it wrong? Pruning at the wrong time can mean missing out on flowers and fruit and could even cause frost damage. It’s also really important that we all avoid hedge cutting when birds are nesting – usually from the beginning of March until the end of July. Now’s the perfect time to clip beech and pyracantha hedges. It’s also probably the last chance you have to clip box as it prefers a trim whilst in active growth. Autumn is a more suitable time to clip yew, so I’m going to leave this until our garden closes in October.…

 AS estate agents will tell you, it’s all about location, location, location. “Now, 58 per cent of people grow their own produce” But house-buyers beg to differ; it seems, with 60 per cent saying they’d be most swayed by an impressive garden when viewing a property. A poll of 1,200 UK residents revealed that a nice garden was the most important feature they looked for when buying a home – followed by a big kitchen, a conservatory and a stylish new bathroom. Ray Roukin, manager of the Southport Flower Show, which carried out the study, said: “We are a nation of garden-lovers and gardens clearly are one of the most important elements of the home.” The poll saw Monty Don emerge as the UK’s most popular celebrity gardener, followed by…

Autumn hanging baskets If your summer hanging baskets have faded then why not turn them into a fabulous display for autumn? Choose a variegated ivy, Gaultheria procumbens (offering red berries), a carex and a small potted aster or chrysanthemum (which will need to be planted out into the garden when they outgrow the basket). The chrysanthemum will give you colour up until the first frost. Think ahead to spring: Before setting your plants in the basket pop some miniature spring-flowering bulbs into the compost. How about Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete’? Or, if blue is more your colour go for muscari. By doing this you’ll extend the life of the basket right into spring. Pink perfection Lady Ursula Cholmeley f Easton Walled Gardens in Lincolnshire opens her garden throughout October. “The…

• The ideal place to store your delphinium seeds is in a cool, dark, dry place. An airtight container containing one tablespoon of silica gel (available from chemists or often found as small parcels in product packaging) will help to remove the moisture. Then place the box in the bottom of a refrigerator. • If sowing immediately, sow thinly into trays or pots filled with a standard soil-less seed and cutting compost, making sure to add some fine sand for extra aeration. Mix three parts compost with one part sand. Cover the seeds with Perlite and place in a cold frame.…

Cowslip (Primula veris) If you want to naturalise a wild species in grass, the cowslip is a better option than the primrose because it holds its dainty heads of pale-yellow flowers on taller stems. Plugs can be planted now. Barnhaven Primula ‘Tango’ Large flowers of orange and gold add warmth to the spring garden. Like all primroses, lift and split every two to three years to ensure longevity. Supplier: Cath’s Garden Plants Primula ‘Dawn Ansell’ These beautiful double primroses almost became extinct but thanks to micropropagation cloning we can still enjoy them today. Supplier: Hayloft Plants ( 01386 562999). Primula ‘Dark Rosaleen’ Has unusual bronze-red foliage and deep red flowers with a golden eye. I’ve found it to long-lived and…

Bright dogwood stems For an eye-catching fiery late winter display underplant Cornus ‘Midwinter Fire’ with cowslips or wild primroses. Early flowering species tulips Plant Tulipa clusiana in a sunny spot and primroses in a shaded area and enjoy them in flower at the same time. Lush green ferns Polypodium vulgare, a native evergreen is a very versatile fern and is content in most soils. Hellebores Create a jewel-box of colours with primroses growing at the feet of colourful Hellebore x hybridus varieties. Anemone blanda The bright blue-purple daisy flowers are an excellent contrast to the pale lemon colour of Primula vulgaris…

FULLY double rose-like flowers appear in late winter to add a warm loving glow to the coldest, darkest days of winter. They tempt you into the garden with the promise that spring is on the way. Nestling in a cosy collar of deep green foliage they continually flower until the end of spring. Exceptional performance, incredibly beautiful and extremely long-lived. Prefers humus-rich, moist soil in full or part shade. Fully hardy perennial. Supplied as young plants in 14 days. This collection comprises of: Val Horncastle Corporal Baxter Dawn Ansell Ken Dearman Miss Indigo Height 20cm. Spread 25cm. PLUS 100 FREE CROCUS BULBS WORTH £17.50! How to order Cardholders call direct: 01386 426 245 quoting ROAG16-35 Alternatively, please complete the coupon in BLOCK CAPITALS. Remittance may be made by MasterCard, Visa,…

“Snip back and let plants regrow before taking cuttings” IN Victorian times, knowledge about plant propagation was so closely guarded that being promoted from apprentice stove-stoker (responsible for keeping the greenhouse warm) to gardener entrusted with taking cuttings could take decades. Thankfully, things have relaxed since then and the ‘beans’ have been well and truly spilled on the secrets of the Victorian plant propagator –secrets still worth remembering, especially at this time of year when we’re entering the most reliable period for taking cuttings. After weeks of warm weather, cells inside summer-grown shoots have plumped up and become firm, so can hold on to water even when severed. That gives them a longer window of opportunity to root and the best chance of ‘taking’ before they wilt. The range of…