Innholdsfortegnelse for 11-Jul-2020 i Amateur Gardening

“I would like to take the opportunity this week to thank AG’s John Negus, who has been doing an amazing job of answering the flood of gardening questions from our readers since the lockdown. AG is still the only magazine that is providing a service where readers can get their questions answered — usually same day. I think John is a national treasure and I know all those hundreds of readers he helps feel the same way. Thanks, John.” Contact us: Editorial: 07814 905439 Email: amateurgardening@futurenet.com Advertising: 07817 629935…

1 Choose a healthy leaf and cut it lengthways along its spine. 2 Remove the spine and insert both halves into a tray filled with a dampened mix of seed compost and perlite or vermiculite. 3 You can also cut the leaves across their width and insert the cut ends into the compost mix. Cover with a lid. 4 To propagate African violets, remove a healthy leaf and insert the stem in a pot of the previous compost mix. New leaflets will soon appear around the base.…

WE are through that ‘inbetween’ time where there can be a colour gap while the spring flowers fade and the summer ones really get into their stride. This is a good time to look around your borders and see what needs tidying up. A lot of early flowering perennials fall outwards after blooming, leaving a mass of flattened, bare stems that look unattractive Among the worst offenders in our garden are pulmonaria and knapweed, which are only too happy to flop outwards Don’t be afraid to remove the old stems, as once they are gone new growth will emerge from the centre and may even produce a second burst of flowers, if the conditions are right. Cutting back straggly growth removes hiding places for pests and opens up your borders,…

WE all have eyes for our own children, it is said – and the same goes for authors and plant breeders. Scribes get a boost when seeing someone reading their words and, even better, witness the purchase of their book. It is much the same with plant breeders, and I hope you will excuse my lack of modesty by enjoying a picture of Verbena ‘Seabrook’s Lavender’ (above), flowering profusely at Hyde Hall Going to check offthis group, growing along the edge of a brick raised bed the plants had overwintered well, obviously enjoying the warm, sunny, free-draining conditions. Seeing is believing, and wherever possible, it is advisable to grow new plant introductions to see if they measure up to the glowing reports from their producers. “This introduction promises to be…

1 Effective watering devices are plastic bottles of water with a tiny hole in the bottom of each one, slowly dripping to soak in. 2 If you have some dried out compost or soil, spread ice cubes which melt slowly and so soak in (not with tender plants). 3 Leeks will want a lot of water over the coming months, so make a trough on either side of them for easier watering. 4 Sow biennials now: foxgloves, stocks, hollyhocks, and also kale and spring cabbages can be started now. Space thinly to get strong plants to overwinter.…

WiTH eager spring sowings and the correct storage, it is possible for you to supply your kitchen with homegrown beets all year long. So how do you ensure supplies keep rolling in? Hopefully, your garden contains at least one row of beetroot, but I’m here to encourage you to swell that to three or four rows. That’s the secret to great beetroot – sow small batches every month outdoors from April until July for a succession of roots. If you really love this nutrient-packed veg, make a final larger sowing now. “Sow small batches outdoor from April to July” This harvest (made in late October) will keep in storage for months; I’ve kept mine in perfect condition well into May. All that’s needed is a box of damp sand and…

ARE you spotting white fluffy patches on your apple trees that look like cotton wool? What you’re actually gazing at are colonies of woolly aphid, and they become more conspicuous in summer due to their rapid rate of reproduction in warmer spells, coupled with their rather unusual trait of covering themselves with a white, waxy secretion. Luckily, this pest only attacks apples in the edible garden (if you spot it on other fruit crops, it’s likely to be a scale insect infestation). It’s a nuisance, as heavy colonies cause gnarly swellings which can lead to weak points – these can snap off in windy weather, or encourage canker infection. Prune out infected parts if you can; young aphids will be locating and initiating new feeding ‘gnarls’ now. If colonies are…

Calendula PowerDaisy Sunny A container-friendly calendula, this showstopper flowers from March to November on plants that are both bushy and mildew-free. A runner-up in the Chelsea Plant of the Year competition when it was introduced four years ago. H: 1ft (30in). Gerbera Garvinia Series Offers a winning blend of lovely colours, masses of flowers that open together from April to October, and hardiness that you don’t expect from a gerbera. Especially good for containers. Try the pretty rose pink Sweet Memories (left). H: 14in (35cm). Coreopsis Big Bang Series This prolific hardy perennial coreopsis is ideal for sunny borders, and comes in bicolours including the bold red and cream/yellow of Red Shift (left). Flowers appear non-stop from July to October, some changing colour as they mature. H: 2ft (60cm). Leucanthemum…

Sunny yellows Achillea ‘Moonshine’ AGM Brighten up a border with these golden flowers, which stand above attractive feathery, grey-green foliage. The flat umbel blooms contrast well when mixed with different flower forms like spikes and spheres. HxS: 28x20in (70x50cm). Kniphofia ‘Bees’ Lemon’ The torch-like flowers of red hot pokers are perfect for adding punctuation points to a planting scheme. This cultivar has tubular blooms in bright yellow with hints of orange, opening from lime green buds. HxS: 39inx2ft (1mx60cm). Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’ AGM Popular with pollinators, this cheery plant makes mounds of dark green leaves and daisy blooms, their slender golden petals encircling dark brown cones. Plant in bold drifts. HxS: 32x20in (80x50cm). Roasting reds Monarda ‘Cambridge Scarlet’ This vibrant red bergamot features ‘top knots’ of petals that…

▪ Eupatoriums are easy to grow, requiring little more than fertile soil – preferably not too clayey – and a sunny or part-shaded position. ▪ They tend to do well in moist soils; our native hemp agrimony thrives in ditches! ▪ They are deciduous; cut back stems close to ground level in late winter. ▪ Plants can look unsightly when the flowers go over; grow them at the back of a border (where they won’t be so visible once past their best), or in a wild garden.…

This week it’s: IF you want to add height to a perennial or mixed border, then look no further than the delphinium. It soars above other flowers, each of its 6ft (2m)-tall spires coated in up to 100 frilly blooms. For structure and old-world English charm, you can do no better. And I haven’t even mentioned the colour blue! From gentian and indigo-blue, to royal, sky, ultramarine and navy, no other flower group provides us with such a diversity of this one primary colour. Today, though, there are pinks, purples, whites, creams and shades of red, too. Delphiniums are doing their thing right now, so let’s look at some facts Delphiniums are in the large buttercup family. Their cousins include clematis, aconites, hellebores, anemones and thalictrum.…

MANY of the traditional blue, tall, spire delphiniums come under the name Elatum Group, and have the species D. elatum in the parentage. Upright, hollow stems grow form a woody crown leaves are divided into three or more lobes with toothed margins. Look for: ‘Lord Butler’ (light blue and white), ‘Faust’ (deep blue-purple) and ‘Fenella’ (violet-tinged deep blue). Elatum Group delphiniums are ‘tetraploids’, meaning they have twice as many chromosomes as most delphinium species, giving larger flowers with more petals. Some have almost semi-double flowers (with 13 petals, and extra petals in the ‘eye’), or double flowers (with no distinction between the eye and petals).…

AFTER a winter that seemed to be constructed entirely of endless grey, rain-soaked days we then found ourselves with the sunniest spring, and the driest May in England on record. While most of us welcomed the blue skies during lockdown, the continued rain-free zone over most of the UK has left gardens and allotments arid and parched. Watering has become a daily task, which can be a concern if you are on a water meter and have been furloughed or jobless during the C19 crisis. When making the most of your available water becomes essential, you need to use it wisely, collecting as much as possible and prioritising what gets the most or is first on the list. Rainwater is the best liquid for your plants as it is natural…

1 Containers, baskets and growbags dry out fast and may need watering more than once a day in hot, dry spells. A bottle dripper makes life easier! 2 Greenhouse plants don’t have access to rain, and high temperatures cause rapid dehydration. Check compost daily and water when dry. 3 New bedding, perennials, trees and shrubs need lots of water while they get established. Remove weeds as they will steal moisture and nutrients. 4 Fruit and veggies should be watered regularly for succulent crops. Peas, salads, beans, celery, tomatoes and squashes are all thirsty plants.…

WE have all heard the theory that gardening is good for our mental and physical wellbeing, but one longstanding AG reader knows it to be true. Elizabeth Brown contacted us about her adult son Graham, who has not let his mental and physical disabilities stop him from becoming a keen gardener. Graham is registered blind and deaf and also suffers from the developmental disorder Dyspraxia, which affects physical coordination, but this has not stopped him creating a beautiful garden for his widowed mum. Elizabeth said: “I have always loved gardening, and although I am not one for making very perfect gardens, I always make sure soil and plants are healthy. “Now I am teaching Graham, and he is doing very well. I am currently teaching him about looking after the…

LAST year I divided two overgrown clumps of Siberian irises that had become congested so that the centre of the plants was bare and woody, and flowering was greatly reduced. They didn’t flower brilliantly this year, which didn’t come as much of a surprise as replants can take time to get established. Irises do best in slightly damp soil so our free-draining chalky garden isn’t ideal for them, even when the soil is improved with lots of well-rotted manure or compost. But they were here when we moved in and are a stunning addition, with their tall, early summer glamour, so I don’t want to lose them. Once they finished flowering this summer I deadheaded and then fed them with a generous amount of slow-release fertiliser, and forked and watered…

1 Watch out for Xerochrysum Granvia Pink Flame; it is proving as good as the Gold and a preferred colour according to public comment. 2 The breeder of the garden gerbera Garvinea Sweet Series advises growing it in free-draining compost and always watering the compost/soil. Try to avoid watering overhead to reduce the incidence of root rots. 3 Modern cultivars of petunia are proving very rain-resistant. Surfinia White Morn, with 3in/8cm wide flowers, has just shrugged off heavy rain. Older grandiflora types would have been mush after storms. 4 Allium ‘Quattro’ F1 is proving a good, hardy edible/ornamental. Grown on each year, it is multiflowering and its leaves can be picked and eaten in salads.…

WHO doesn’t like daisies, with their cheery, open faces and determination to thrive whatever the conditions? One of my favourite varieties is the Shasta daisy – a hearty clump-forming perennial that resembles a large ox-eye daisy. We have a large stand of glowing white Shastas growing in the garden. They have pretty fringed petals and provide a succession of flowers for the garden and indoor arrangements throughout the summer months. I’d love more plants, though, so I am delighted with this week’s free seeds from Mr Fothergill’s – Shasta daisy ‘Alaska’, one of the most easy-to-grow varieties available. These are also the most popular variety of Shastas and were voted a ‘best buy’ by gardening press and consumer groups thanks to their longevity and pristine white petals radiating out from…

Ensure year-round beetroot supplies ▪ Position beetroot in an open (not shady) site, and lime the soil to neutral if it’s at all acidic. Work in a chicken pellet base dressing. ▪ Sow bolt-resistant varieties (such as ‘Boltardy’) under cloches in mid-March, or sow into modules under cover and then transplant out. ▪ Start sowing outside in April/May, spacing the rows 12in (30cm) apart and seedlings 4in (10cm) apart; overcrowding gives tiny roots. ▪ Keep sowing outdoors every month, making your last sowing in mid-July. Water the base of drills thoroughly in dry weather. ▪ Irrigate rows every fortnight. Frequent, light watering may encourage generous top-growth but small roots. ▪ Lift and store beets in late October. Twist off the foliage and then gently bury roots in boxes of damp…

Next week: Sowing for autumn harvests, key stages to watering veg well, treating pea moth, harvesting spuds, trying Indian shot PUNGENT, juicy, fresh homegrown garlic is heavenly in comparison to generic, dry shop-bought cloves, so I hope you’re growing your own this summer. While onions die back completely before lifting in autumn, garlic is harvested while top growth is still relatively green; lift once it’s died back by a half to two thirds Harvest it too late and the cloves re-grow, denting storage life. The two types – hardnecks and softnecks – give different yields; hardnecks give fewer, bigger cloves, whereas softneck cloves are smaller and more numerous. Those of you in milder locations may have already lifted your garlic, but for those who don’t, gently slide a fork alongside…

IF you’ve got space in a cool greenhouse or conservatory over winter, and you fancy your chances of growing an Andean shrub then Solanum quitoense is for you. It’s quite a striking plant to look at: deeply lobed leaves flushed heavily with purple, and bristly as you like – it will make a talking point before it’s even fruited! Usually grown from seed in the UK, don’t expect flowers for a year or more (give it the same growing conditions as a tomato). Once flowers do appear, clusters of small orange-yellow fruits packed with juice eventually follow. Rub off the bristly hairs, then consume them raw or cooked. Keep well fed with tomato fertiliser, and well watered throughout summer. Move under cover for winter, then keep irrigation to a minimum.…

Centaurea cyanus Cornflowers are essential in the early stages of creating mini meadows, and in annual wildflower displays. Blooms – in vivid blue, white, pink or deep aubergine – are good for cutting, too. H: 2ft (60cm). Leucanthemum vulgare A perennial star of the roadside (it’s often sown on verges after road repairs), the ox-eye daisy thrives in most soils. Instantly cheering, the flowers are white with yellow eyes. H: 16-28in (40-70cm). Chicorium intybus Good on chalky soil, chicory is very forgiving – it tolerates the worst of treatment to come back year after year, with soft blue summer flowers lining stiff, upright stems. H: 2-3ft (60-90cm).…

Eupatorium maculatum Atropurpureum Group Tall, purple-flushed leafy stems are topped with large, dome-shaped clusters of small maroon-pink flowers from July to September. Plants rarely need support, and are wonderful for adding height at the back of the border. H&S: 7ft (2.2m). Ageratina ligustrina Sometimes called ‘snakeroot’, privet-leaved ageratina is a smaller form of eupatorium that features bronze-green foliage and heads of slightly fragrant fluffy grey-white flowers from August to November. It may grow slightly larger in a really sheltered position. H&S: 39in (1m). E. maculatum (Atropurpureum Group) ‘Riesenschirm’ AGM Known by some as ‘rise-and-shine’ (take a look at the cultivar name and you’ll see why). Produces lovely deep green leaves and, between August and October, large umbrella-shaped heads of fluffy wine red flowers, carried on dark stems. H&S: 8ft (2½m).…

IN recent years, new eupatoriums have emerged, particularly from the US and the Netherlands. Look out for: E. dubium ‘Little Joe’ A truly compact form at 3-4ft (90-120cm); features rose-purple flowers. E. maculatum ‘Gateway’ This has some of the fullest heads of any eupatorium. E. maculatum ‘Phantom’ A short, compact variety with flowers in a paler pink than most E. maculatum ‘Little Red’ One of the best, with deep red flowers.…

THERE are around 300 delphinium species, and many more cultivars. Most are perennials, but there are also biennials and annuals. They range dramatically in height from such as D. tatsienense, of delphiniums as a tightly packed spire of bloom, but many species have elegant, widely spaced blooms. Among these are the Belladonna Group, which produce shorter spires: they flower at 3ft (90cm) in the first year, and a little higher after that. Look for ‘Atlantis’ (deep blue with a purple flush), ‘Oriental Sky’ (pale blue) or ‘Volkerfrieden’ (gentian-blue, and very good as a cut flower).…

Evergreen Garden Care is giving AG readers the chance to win one of two bundles to keep their plants clear this summer with products including Bug Clear, Rose Clear, Fungus Clear and Slug Clear worth £36.95! From the BugClear range, winners will receive the 1-litre BugClear Ultra Gun! to protect for up to three weeks, killing all major pests. Also from the range is BugClear Fruit & Veg (250ml), which can be diluted and sprayed to protect crops against pests. Winners will also receive FungusClear Ultra (225ml), a systematic protection and control of black spot, powdery mildew and rust for ornamental plants. For perfect roses, the 1-litre RoseClear Ultra Gun! is included in the bundle protecting up to 21 days to prevent further attacks. Finally, winners will receive SlugClear Ultra…

WILLIAM Keble Martin was born to an illustrious family on this day in Radley, Oxfordshire. He was schooled at Marlborough and then Oxford (where he read Greek philosophy and botany), and trained for the church. As the Rev Keble Martin he held many parish posts over his life. He’s included here because his passion, outside of the Church, was wildflowers; he was also a highly skilled artist As a young gardening student I had to buy a copy of Keble Martin’s book The Concise British Flora in Colour (pictured). The culmination of 60 years’ meticulous fieldwork, it was full of his exquisite paintings. Launched in 1965 – when Keble Martin was 88 years old – as an aid to the identification of wildflowers across Britain, it was an immediate best-seller.…

1 This was the original show put on by two bulbs of ‘Pinball Wizard’ (the third was consumed by a badger). 2 Digging carefully with a trowel meant there was less chance of puncturing or slicing bulbs. I was surprised they had multiplied to 22. 3 Next, replant these bulbs into well-conditioned (but still well-drained) soil, taking care to set them 4in (10cm) deep. 4 If there is nowhere to plant the bulbs immediately, buy time by potting them temporarily into a well-draining compost.…

HAVE you ever thought of growing your own pineapple? They can be grown in pots on sunny windowsills in warm rooms, especially centrally heated ones, or in a heated greenhouse. Even without fruit, the plants make very handsome houseplants, with their rosettes of spiky, yucca-like leaves. Moreover, a plant need not cost you anything as it can be grown from the green top of the next pineapple that you buy. Instead of shopping for a really ripe fruit, look instead for one with the freshest and greenest undamaged leafy tuft at the top. Take it home and slice off the top with one row of piplike protrusions and flesh attached. Prepare a pot to plant the top into; generally clay pots are preferable to plastic, as plastic may be too…

Golden glow awards I AM writing to sing the praises of Euonymus as a tough shrub. It grows happily in dry soil, doesn’t grow too fast, and will take the worst winter weather, even the ‘Beast from the East’. The small cultivars, ‘Emerald Gaiety’ and ‘Emerald ’n’ Gold’, creep happily up a fence; a light clip in late spring or early summer keeps them tidy. The japonicas make taller shrubs just as easily shaped. I have several in flower beds and pots. I love them all. They thrive in my enclosed garden, which is baking in summer and very cold in winter. Maggie Marshall, East Northants Wendy says: I agree, Euonymus are such useful plants, and they are easy to multiply by taking summer cuttings. AG seeds bring our gardens to…

1 Do water the soil all the way round the plant. Giving the soil a good soaking twice a week is better than a gentle trickle every other day. Don’t get the leaves wet. It wastes water and if left sitting will create perfect conditions for fungal diseases. Water droplets also magnify the sun’s rays and may cause leaf scorch. 2 Stop water running off very dry soil by building a ‘moat’ around plants. Weeds are generally more aggressive and prolific than cultivated plants and will steal water and nutrients, so give your plants a fighting chance by keeping on top of the weeding.…

1 Plants are growing and flowering so keep them tidy and healthy, and blooming for as long as possible, by removing spent flowers and brown leaves. 2 Pests are a threat so check plants and remove colonies by hand or use a spray if infestations are bad. Standing a plant on a tray of damp gravel helps keep pests at bay. 3 Spider plant offshoots are an easy way to propagate – and they’re a great gift for university students in your life! Pot them up in compost and either keep them attached to the parent or cut them free, and they will soon root. 4 Wipe dust and debris from the plant leaves and spray with tepid water every few days. This helps to create a humid microclimate that…

THE RSPB is urging bird lovers to resist the urge to ‘help’ fledgings that appear to have left their nest too early. The wildlife charity says that fledglings should be left alone and it is normal for them to be flightless at first. RSPB wildlife advisor Mey Duek said: “Every year we are inundated with calls from people worried about an abandoned chick in their garden, desperately calling for its mum. “It’s extremely unlikely they have been deserted and in many cases there is a parent nearby keeping a beady eye on their chick’s progress or collecting food. Fledglings are pretty tough “Although it’s natural to want to protect fluffy and fragile creatures, the most helpful thing you can do is keep your distance. “Fledglings may appear dainty but they…

▪ A red campion I planted last spring somehow managed to flower right through last summer, continue through winter and only started to fade a few weeks ago. ▪ Admittedly, it is in a sheltered area of the garden, but still, 12 months of flowering is pretty impressive! ▪ I made sure I saved some of its seeds before cutting it back. I will either sow them next spring or this autumn, so they start to germinate and get established before winter, or next spring. ▪ Red campion is a hardy perennial that looks wonderful in borders, at the base of hedges and in wildflower lawns. It flowers in a variety of shades of pink – there is also a white version – and appears as the bluebells fade, usually…

RIGHT now, our apple and pear trees are likely showing the June drop, which is when a massive set of tiny fruitlets is naturally shed, and hundreds of ‘chats’ lie under each tree. The trees ‘know’ roughly how many so drop the surplus before these get any bigger. The important point is that this is the tree’s estimate: it wants to ripen the maximum number of seeds, and the number of fruits is almost irrelevant. However, we want to eat the fruits, not the seeds – were don’t want lots of small seedy fruits, which is the tree’s preference. So what we do is thin the remainder heavily – this leads to far fewer fruits, and equally fewer seeds. “Thinning leads to fewer but bigger fruits” The bit we want…

A STUMPY, short-tailed bird about the size of a mistle thrush, the little owl is, as its name implies, the smallest of its family. It is not native to this country and was introduced from the Continent in 1889 and found conditions so congenial that it multiplied rapidly, spreading out far and wide until it is now widely distributed. Its greyish-brown plumage is streaked and spotted with white, and it has rounded wings, glaring yellow eyes and a peculiar flat head. The feet and legs are feathered. Nesting sites range from holes in hedges, walls and trees to rabbit warrens, quarries, caves and the disused nests of other bird. For two years in succession a pair (presumably the same two birds) raised a family of five in an unoccupied dovecote…

1 ‘Boldor’: This F1 hybrid beet is quick to germinate and bulk up due to its hybrid vigour, so it’s great for gap-filling. The golden roots have an exceptionally sweet flavour, far tastier than many other yellow types. 2 ‘Chioggia’: This is such an eyecatching variety that it’s always worth growing for looks alone! Luckily, it performs well, too, yielding spherical roots which, when cut open, will reveal striking red and white rings. 3 ‘Monorubra’: This monogerm variety saves the faff of thinning, and provides you with cylindrical roots that are excellent for slicing. It’s a great maincrop variety to follow on from early sowings of bolt-resistant types.…

1 Strawberries need to build up strong crowns and leaf rosettes in order to support next year’s flower initiation and fruit development. Keep plants well fed (use a balanced liquid feed to bulk them up) and irrigated, well into early autumn. 2 Often the current year’s foliage looks tatty and tired post-harvest, so kick-start plants into producing more. Sever all leaves that aren’t green and healthy. With Step 1 in progress, your plants will soon produce a flush of verdant new foliage. 3 How old are your plants? To maintain vigour and good berry size, plants older than four years should ultimately be ditched. Before they are, peg down any runners that they produce (from healthy plants only) for autumn propagation.…

A FEW years ago I had to interview an Oxford professor about the origin of apple trees. DNA evidence had confirmed that apple trees were not British natives, as was first thought. He and others had proved conclusively that they were descended from fruit trees found in the Tian Shan forests of Central Asia. The interview took place on one of those summer days pregnant with the possibility of rain so, after we’d finished, the aforesaid professor said he would run me to my bus station on the outskirts of Oxford. It was already sheeting down as we began zigzagging through the streets that were still largely inhabited by university academics and straight out of an Inspector Morse set. Suddenly my unlikely chauffeur remembered that he had a meeting and…

Bellis Double daisies in reds, pink shades and white will sail through the coldest of winters to bloom prolifically in spring, alongside crocuses and dwarf tulips. Likes sun or partial shade. H: 6-8in (15-20cm). Leucanthemum Traditional Shasta daisies are easy to raise from seed. They vary in height from short, front-of-the-border types to taller varieties that are better suited to the middle ground and are ideal for cutting. Grow in a sunny spot. H: 1-3ft (30-90cm). Erigeron An invaluable perennial that flowers as a biennial. Expect lots of cheerful, sun-loving, pink-flushed white daisies, opening from deep pink buds on naturally bushy plants from May to October. H: 1ft (30cm). Tanacetum Previously known as Anthemis and Pyrethrum, these cheerful, prolific, large-flowered daisies are always at their best in their first year.…

Coreopsis grandiflora ‘Early Sunrise’ AGM Forms a compact mound covered in flowers made up of tightly packed golden petals with jagged edges. Will bloom from July up until the first frosts. H&S: 11/2ft (45cm). Team with: French marigolds (tagetes), calendula, gaillardia. Pelargonium ‘Mystery’ AGM Conjure up a flavour of the Med with this deep red pelargonium. Keep deadheading and you can expect summer-long blooms. H&S: 16in (40cm). Team with: dark-leaved Ipomoea ‘Black Tone’, Penstemon ‘Red Riding Hood’. Calibrachoa Cancan Terracotta A trailing half-hardy annual, the burnt umber mini petuniaesque flowers of which gently cascade over the side of a pot or hanging basket. Trail & S: 15in (35cm). Team with: Rudbeckia ‘Prairie Glow’, scarlet pelargoniums. Begonia ‘Glowing Embers’ AGM Delicate, single, bright orange flowers nestle daintily among dark purple-bronze leaves,…

Q Please could you tell me what this shrub is and how we can propagate it? Sandra Jones, via email A This shrub is California allspice (Calycanthus occidentalis). A native of California, it grows to around 10ft (3m) and pleases us with its aromatic dark or red flowers. I am pleased that yours is flourishing. It is not commonly seen and it makes a garden special. Most plant centres stock it. The best way is to take half-ripe cuttings in early August. Start by tugging side shoots from the main stem, complete with a heel of bark. Then shorten cuttings to 3in (8cm). Additionally, reduce the heel of bark to 1/4in (6mm) from the base of the cutting. Remove lower leaves that might be buried and insert cuttings to half…

OVER the years, many breeders have strived to grow a red delphinium. One of the first to be introduced, back in the 1930s (and the only survivor from those days to still be available), is the lovely D. x ruysii ‘Pink Sensation’. A second-wave of breeding in the 1950s, jointly conducted by Wageningen University in the Netherlands, and the RHS Garden at Wisley in Surrey, resulted in plants known today as the University Hybrids. Many more generations have been developed since, resulting in pink, red and orange-red shades. They all tend to be less vigorous than blue delphiniums, and possibly more prone to mildew. Look for ‘Princess Caroline’, ‘Red Caroline’ and the short-growing D. nudicaule ‘Laurin’.…

This word search comprises words associated with delphiniums. They are listed below; in the grid they may be read across, backwards, up, down or diagonally. Letters may be shared between words. Erroneous or duplicate words may appear in the grid, but there is only one correct solution. After the listed words are found, there are seven letters remaining; arrange these to make this week’s KEYWORD. DELPHINIUM ELATUM GROUP BELLADONNA LARKSPUR WHITE EYE BLUE BORDER DOLPHIN INDIGO JUNE PETAL PINK PURPLE SLUG SNAIL SPIRE TALL HOW TO ENTER: Enter this week’s keyword on the entry form, and send it to AG Word Search No 526, Amateur Gardening, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7BF, to arrive by Wednesday 22 July, 2020. The first correct entry chosen at random will win…

MY first appearance on TV In 1994 I was at the Chelsea Flower Show, happily minding my own business, when an RHS press officer I knew accosted me and asked if I would be interviewed by an ITN film crew about the new red delphinium ‘Princess Caroline’, being other than Michael Brunson (ITN’s political editor at the time; it must have been a slow news day)! I was thrust in front of a camera, and a microphone was thrust in front me. Mr Brunson quizzed me on why, when delphiniums were usually blue, we were now seeing red ones. Fortunately, I had read the RHS press notes about the new variety before I got to Chelsea, so I had the most basic of knowledge to get away with it: the…

Q A few years ago, I planted a few bulbs of a tall, purple-flowered allium. At first they did well, but now all I’m getting is leaves but no flowers. Everything has yellowed and died back now. How can I get them to bloom again? Margaret Childs, Kettering, Northants. A There are 700 species of allium, mainly from dry, hilly regions of the northern hemisphere. The lovely durable Allium christophii, for instance, comes from Turkey and central Asia. A number of species and many cultivars make popular garden plants, especially those with spherical heads of purple or white flowers sitting atop tall, sturdy stems. Now is a great time to order bulbs for planting in autumn and flowering next May and June. They are especially effective threaded through borders in…

SPRINKLERS stand accused of being wasteful when used for watering gardens, but I still prefer them over drip watering systems – and I know I’m not alone. Good oscillating sprinklers (those that rock from side to side) give precise pattern control so you can direct water exactly where you want it. Some have a dial with fixed settings of centre, right, left and full for controlling the spray. Others have two slides offering infinite adjustment between the extremities. Full is great for lawns, left and right for directing water onto flower beds, and centre is handy for watering rows of veg. Area coverage of sprinklers depends on water pressure, which varies around the country. However, I was surprised at the difference in delivery between the best and worst of the…

STICK a rose near a friend’s nose and ask them to describe its scent and they’ll probably say it’s ‘nice’. But if you hint that your rose is fruity or spicy like Turkish delight then the chances are they’ll perceive those aromas, too. Much of what we smell is the product of practice. If you split a pong into different ‘notes’ and learn words that describe each one, then any smell becomes both more noticeable and complex. Much of the rest is down to suggestion… I mention this because I’ve been trialling a novel (to me) cure for fungal mildew. Every summer, when the soil dries and the morning dew dampens the foliage, my colourful purple bugle, gooseberry bush and climbing roses succumb to the disease that over night covers…