Innholdsfortegnelse for 12-Sep-2020 i Amateur Gardening

WHO said gardeners can start taking it easier once autumn arrives? Are they quite mad? This is the season of multi-tasking, of keeping summer’s garden going for as long as possible while also preparing for worsening weather and packing away our hot-weather toys. So this week you will find me cajoling the remaining greenhouse tomatoes and aubergines into ripening (they have been extremely slow this year) and deadheading the remaining perennials for a few more late blooms, while also preparing and preserving woodwork and metalwork. I will also be making sure gutters and drainage channels are unblocked and will run clear. It may seem like rather a nuisance and an added hassle, but these practical maintenance jobs need tackling now rather than later in the year when any weather-induced wear…

DEVON farmer and award-winning food producer Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones MBE, also known as The Black Farmer, has spoken about the importance of allotments and having space to grow your own fresh fruit and veg. He is also driving a movement to encourage more young people, especially those from ethnic minorities, to take up growing and become involved in rural communities. His statement comes after the National Allotment Society (NAS) reported a massive spike in allotment interest as a result of the Coronavirus lockdown. Wilfred was born in Jamaica and brought up in inner-city Birmingham. He started working in the food industry before joining the BBC’s Food and Drink programme. He later went on to realising his dream farming, buying land near Launceston in Cornwall. The Cornish community initially called him ‘the…

CORNFLOWERS are a delightful native British hardy annual that, if sown now, will delight next summer with their rich blue flowers. They used to be a familiar sight throughout the countryside, though they are not so common now thanks to the increased use of herbicides and more intensive farming methods. You can also sow them in early spring, but they will survive through winter in all but the most exposed and hostile gardens if sown in autumn and will flower earlier than early year sowings. Although cornflowers have been bred to perform in a range of colours, I still think the traditional blue is their best shade, and it sits beautifully with other cottage-garden favourites and wildflowers such as poppies. Their sweet nectar makes them a magnet for pollinators and…

I LOVE bellflowers and I really enjoy growing Campanula lactiflora ‘Prichard’s Variety’ for its rich-blue flowers. It begins to flower just after the roses and, if you cut the old flowers off, it produces another lot. It can give six weeks of flower, if deadheaded regularly, and fills the gap between the first flush of roses and the second. ‘Prichard’s Variety’ was raised by Maurice Prichard of Riverslea Nursery, which used to be in Christchurch, Hampshire. I’ve grown this plant for 50 years in various gardens, but it’s been around for longer. It has a mop of richblue flowers on a 3ft (1m)-high plant, and it’s something I wouldn’t be without. We also grow a tall biennial called C. trachelium in the garden. Commonly known as the nettle-leaved bellflower, this…

Lilium martagon The species has the classic Turk’s cap shape, with purplish-pink petals marked in deeper pink, curving backwards to reveal bright orange anthers. As vigorous as it is floriferous. H: 4ft (1.2m). Lilium ‘Orange Marmalade’ In mid-summer, petals of brownishorange open out wide into a star shape, rather than reflexing backwards. Shorter yellow anthers surround an orange stigma. H: 4ft (1.2m). ‘Fairy Morning’ Golden yellow petals are overlaid with intense pink and carmine spotting. The flowers seem to float in the air and look apricot-coloured when viewed from a distance. H: 4ft (1.2m). L. martagon var. album The white Turk’s cap produces handsome pyramidal spikes of pure white flowers. These are small but highly prolific, with up to 40 per raceme. H: 61⁄2ft (2m). ‘Arabian Knight’ Deep red petals…

Flaming foliage Parthenocissus henryana AGM Less rampant than Virginia creeper, Chinese Virginia creeper produces the same stunning scarlet autumnal colour. During summer the foliage is dark with silver veins. Suits any aspect. HxS: 33x10ft (10x3m). Vitis coignetiae AGM A tendril climber, crimson glory vine is related to the grape vine, only it’s healthier and won’t produce edible grapes. In autumn, the deciduous leaves burn red. Plant in full sun for the best colour. HxS: 50x10ft (15x3m). Parthenocissus tricuspidata ‘Veitchii’ AGM Ideal for giving ugly buildings a makeover – but only if you’re prepared to do the annual prune on ladders. Vigorous and not for the faint-hearted, its leaves blaze crimson in autumn. HxS: 66x33ft (20x10m). Fiery flowers Clematis ‘Lambton Park’ AGM Bright yellow and resembling lemon rind, the bell-shaped blooms…

Lychnis coronaria AGM Throughout summer the rose campion produces a striking display of magenta single flowers that sit above downy silver foliage. The white form is also lovely. Happy in sun or semi-shade. H: 16in (80cm). Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’ With their mellow apricot-orange colouring the single flowers of this avens easily blend into the border, and look good with grasses. Flowers: May-Sept. Happy in sun or semishade. H: 16in (80cm). Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch’ AGM An early autumn must-have, this aster produces lavender daisies with golden centres from August to October and provides useful late-season nectar for pollinators. Needs well-drained soil in a sunny spot. H: 21?2ft (75cm). Verbascum bombyciferum Broussa mullein is a drought-tolerant biennial that forms a rocket of yellow above silver leaves. Ideal for creating vertical accents,…

What can I grow underneath my roses? Q I have several rose bushes, and when they are in flower the ground beneath them looks rather bare. I was thinking of planting Brunnera round the base of the roses for ground cover. Would this be detrimental to the rose bushes? Mrs Eunice Akid, via email A I think it is a lovely idea to grow plants under your roses. This is something that gets discussed by gardeners time and time again, and I think that in a domestic garden roses will be enhanced by underplanting. It is only in formal rose gardens that perhaps it may be better to leave the soil bare! Brunnera is a wonderful groundcover plant and ought to be a great foil for the roses. The only…

Miracle-Gro is giving two AG readers the chance to get their garden ready for autumn with autumn lawn-care essentials worth £36.98! Each winner will receive Miracle-Gro Autumn Lawn Care, covering 400m2 (RRP: £24.99). This product helps to protect your lawn from harsh winter weather and gives your lawn a good start next spring, all while killing moss! What more could you need? It toughens the grass to help it withstand harsh winter weather and strengthens the roots. For any bare patches on lawns, each winner will also receive a 1,015g container of Miracle-Gro Patch Magic Grass Seed, Feed & Coir (RRP: £11.99). This contains a special binder that helps keep seed from washing away, with first shoots appearing in just four days! Plus, your grass will grow back twice as…

LEARNING new gardening skills is exciting and so is getting free plants! You can do both by trying your hand at taking stem-tip and semi-ripe cuttings now from perennial plants and shrubs in your own or a friend’s garden. Struck in small pots or cell trays and protected over winter on a windowsill indoors or in a frost-free greenhouse, they’ll make sturdy plants to set out as the weather improves. My 15 top species of flowering perennials and shrubs listed in the panel (right) are widely grown in the UK. The hardy ones will be easiest because they need less warmth over winter, but all are fairly easy to root in a basic electric propagator that can also be used to keep cold at bay through winter. Stem-tip cuttings To…

Prep houseplants for winter Q My houseplants have looked great all summer, but they tend to suffer in winter with poor growth and brown leaf tips. How can I keep them healthy into the colder months this time round? Penny Fothergill, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire A Winter can be tough on houseplants and they all react differently to the problems of diminishing light, variable temperatures and dry air. So act now to nip potential problems in the bud and keep plants looking healthy. Any still standing outdoors after a summer holiday in fresh air had better come in before temperatures plummet. My cymbidium orchids sit out from June to September, experiencing cooler night temperatures to help them set flower buds. Look for slugs hitching a lift under pots. Unlike tropical moth orchids,…

Growing journey OVER lockdown, I have developed a newly found love of gardening. I’m not a very experienced gardener. If someone was to tell me about colour coordination or even mention the Latin name of a plant, my honest reaction would be, “Huh?”. But I’m getting there! I have learnt to appreciate, to love and to care for my garden. I will actually be a bit sad when life gets back to normal and I’m back at school… simply because I will not be able to spend as much time with my plants! There have been a few mistakes (actually, quite a lot), but through them I am learning what to do. I’m not sure where my gardening will take me, but I know it is something I will never…

WHEN I was a child, our family pet was a freerange guinea pig that spent his days grazing the lawns. Horatio – thanks for asking – lived in an upturned washing-up bowl that had a cavy-shaped hole cut in the side. Once the grass below was trimmed, he would poke his nose out of the hole, lift the plastic dome and move, tortoise-like, to pastures new. Neighbours might have laughed, but Horatio kept both his dignity and the lawn in excellent condition. If only the same could be said for my daughter’s rabbits. Their bawdiness I could forgive, but their cavalier attitude to lawn care has left me with no choice but to present Bunson and Hedges – kind of you to ask – with their P45s. The rapscallions have…

Plant for free: In next week’s AG I look at dividing and caring for perennials and what to do with your roses in autumn AUTUMN is a good time to catch up on structural jobs that will make the garden look neater and tidier overall. The area behind our shed is something of an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ drop zone for old pots and bags of compost, and it regularly becomes choked with weeds. So I weeded it, laid a layer of weed-blocking fabric, or geotextile, and covered it with several inches of 30mm stone chippings. Both materials are widely available from DIY outlets and builders’ merchants. It’s a job that takes little more than a morning and will hopefully help keep weeds at bay and make the…

THE turning colours and late warmth make the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness one of my favourite times of year. However, late sunshine, calm weather and increased rainfall make autumn a Shangri-la for pests and diseases. Nip potential problems in the bud by making sure your garden is as hygienic as possible, sweeping the patio, removing weeds, deadheading, and removing dead and dying plant material. The main problems in early autumn are the re-emergence of slugs and snails, continuing problems with aphids, and vine weevils in patio pots. These can all be dealt with using chemicals, organic sprays or nematodes – biological controls that parasitise specific pests and are safe to use around children, pets and garden wildlife. Common diseases at this time of year are mildews and moulds…

THE tree pipit is a summer visitor, wearing a brown mantle streaked and mottled with dusty browns, its underparts being of a much lighter shade, with a spotted breast. The male is quite a good songster and often sings on the wing, but seldom bursts further with his richest melody until he has risen well into the air, then downward to earth he dives again still singing. Most tree pipits have their favorite perches from which to sing and perhaps the most amazing quality of their song is its carrying power. Both sexes are equally attentive to their domestic duties. The nest, made of bents and grasses, is well concealed on the ground. Four to six eggs are laid, varying in appearance from light greenish-blue to pinkish-white. Although normally single…

WHETHER your compost area happens to be large or small, indoors or outside, there’s a method out there to suit every household and gardening requirement. Let’s look at the options for organic-rich bliss! The process itself is simple. Grab a mixture of ‘green’ (such as kitchen fruit and veg scraps, broadleaved hedge prunings and sappy veg garden waste) and ‘brown’ materials (woody prunings, bark chips and dry leaves, for instance). Mix it together thoroughly, keep moist and allow for the passage of time – and compost will be yours. It’s decomposed via naturally occurring fungi and bacteria, along with tiny creatures like woodlice, earthworms, nematodes and millipedes, into a nutrient- and organic-rich material that can ultimately be added back into your garden. Follow my checklist tips on the following page,…

This word search comprises words associated with bamboos. 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 eight letters remaining; arrange these to make this week’s KEYWORD. BAMBOO CLUMP FORMING RUNNING MASS FLOWERING ARROW BAMBUSA BLACK CANE CHUSQUEA FARGESIA GRASSES HEDGE RUSTLE SCREEN SHOOTS HOW TO ENTER: Enter this week’s keyword on the entry form, and send it to AG Word Search No 535, Amateur Gardening, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7BF, to arrive by Wednesday 23 September 2020. The first correct entry chosen at random will win our £30…

Top Tip Never use spring lawn fertiliser in autumn as its nitrogen content causes new growth that is vulnerable to frosty weather. I REALISED it was time to do something about our front garden when a neighbour asked, “So, what are you going to do about your lawn?” Poor soil and a couple of large trees that have drained any remaining nutrients have left the grass looking thin and sparse, with more moss than lawn! Luckily, September is the month to tackle lawn care as the weather is warm and damp enough, and the grass will react to any treatments you give it. You can turf and sow grass seed now, by the middle of the month in the north and by the end of the month in warmer areas.…

WHILE the wet winter delayed outdoor sowings and then scorching summer temperatures checked growth this year, only to be saved by thunder storms of heavy rain, there has still been a much-increased homegrown harvest. People new to grow-your-own report bumper yields and quite a task distributing surpluses to neighbours and friends. Tomatoes have always been popular, and high temperatures have suited them, as it has aubergines, courgettes, cucumbers, melons and the like. Two plants of Cucumber ‘Emilie’ F1 RHS AGM (DT Brown) in my polytunnel yielded up to eight fruits a day for weeks. Three Melon ‘Alvaro’ F1 RHS AGM (Thompson & Morgan), raised on the windowsill and planted under polythene to spread out untrimmed and trained, cropped well. This Charentais-type cantaloupe melon can be ripened outside and certainly benefited…

IN autumn, many plants ripen seeds which dry naturally. Some of these became our first preserved foods for use at a later date. In fact, peas and beans were originally grown far more for this purpose than to be eaten fresh (or frozen), as we enjoy them today. Basically, such dried pulses (kept well) were very important to our survival and so they were carefully grown and they were stored in quantity. Likewise, in warmer countries, raisins were always a more important crop than fresh grapes. Indeed, it was soon discovered that most fruits and vegetables could be dried, if you lived in a warmer country. However, here in Blighty, drying never took off for obvious reasons. Apple rings were sometimes made, but our cool climate and damp air meant…

Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii The Mediterranean spurge forms mounds of fleshy blue-grey leaves that look good all year plus clubheads of lime flowers in spring. Sap can irritate skin; always wear gloves to prune. Likes well-drained soil in sun. H: 4ft (1.2m). Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ AGM An elegant deciduous grass with slender, cream-green leaves; it has an upright, arching form and looks wonderfully hazy when the autumn light hits it. Grow in a sunny border or in generous containers. H: 5ft (1½m). Rodgersia pinnata ‘Superba’ AGM Large and textured, the leaves of this architectural plant are bronze when young, later maturing to green; pink panicles of flowers are produced in early summer. Happiest in moist soil in semishade. H: 39in (1m). Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ AGM This wormwood is a…

I SUSPECT that bamboos are loathed by more gardeners than they are loved. They have a reputation for being garden ‘thugs’, spreading and encroaching on anything in their path. And they don’t, of course, produce brightly coloured blooms, or fill gardens with fragrance. However, this doesn’t mean they lack interest. Many can make valuable screens and ‘hedges’. And many are not invasive at all, producing beautiful stems and leaves that move gracefully in the slightest of breezes, creating gentle rustling sounds that add a whole new dimension to the garden. Let’s take a closer look. ■ Culm is the word used for any grass stem – in the case of bamboo, it becomes long, hard, woody and usually hollow: in other words, the cane. How bamboos reproduce “I’LL never have…