Innholdsfortegnelse for 21-Nov-2020 i Amateur Gardening

“I love my garden in the early morning, just after dawn. I like to check that all’s well and think about the next job while tea is brewing in the pot. Recently, I went out to inspect the wreckage of my poor sodden dahlias after a night of heavy rain and was caught by the beauty of my sedums, which glowed an iridescent, deep-crimson colour, as did my late mop-head hydrangeas. Nature had given me a ‘shepherd’s warning’ red sky and its effect on the plants was simply stunning. We are so lucky to be able to enjoy nature in our gardens.” Contact us: Editorial: 0330 3903732 Email: amateurgardening@futurenet.com Subscriptions: 0330 333 1113 Advertising: 07817 629935…

Town & Country Thermal Aquamax gloves Cold winter weather doesn’t usually keep me out of the garden, but cold hands can make simple gardening tasks difficult. So these washable thermal and waterproof gloves, which keep hands wonderfully warm and are flexible enough for fiddly jobs, are brilliant. They have a waterproof coating and thermal liner, while a nitrile coating provides extra protection and grip and elasticated wrists to keep out dirt and debris. (Available in blue, medium and large sizes, ?6.99. LU) David Austin’s ‘Silas Marner’ rose Plants are a very personal gift (I’m not talking garage/supermarket flowers here) and who could fail to feel loved when presented with this gorgeous new rose from the world-beating Austin stable? ‘Silas Marner’, named after the kindly hero of the George Eliot novel,…

THERE’S a bit of sage advice the old gardeners got so right, which is generally forgotten now. That is this: to lime a part of your vegetable plot every third or fourth year. The reason is that few vegetables will do better in acid soil, most preferring a neutral or slightly alkaline one. Further, when the soil receives a new dose of lime then it also becomes more fertile as other nutrients will get liberated. Oddly, applying extra lime is even necessary on alkaline soils if manure, compost or leaf mould have been added regularly over the years, because these can slowly make a soil too acid, as can acid rain. A clue that there’s not enough lime is that you will find there is a dearth of snails, and…

WITH clever selection, you can be pulling fresh leeks from August to May, but how can you get the best from these slender-stemmed alliums? There is a wide range of leek varieties to choose from – at least 20 presently hold an RHS Award of Garden Merit. Early varieties such as ‘Krypton’ (below) mature during late summer into autumn, while mid-seasons will bulk up through winter, and late-season leeks such as ‘Porbella’ can stand well into April. F1 hybrids have now largely replaced older, open-pollinated types. Improved vigour, stronger germination, better disease resistance and uniformity all lure us to these more costly seeds. While no leeks are resistant to onion white rot (so practise rotations to deter this soil-borne disease), rust tolerance varies hugely – try ‘Neptune’ and ‘Swiss Giant…

THERE’S something so special about flowers that bloom during the winter months. In summer you are spoilt for choice, but winter-flowering plants should be treasured all the more for their relative scarcity and ability to put a smile on our faces when the days are short and skies are grey. One such mood lifter is clematis; or, more specifically, varieties of C. cirrhosa, the sweetly scented flowers of which can appear from late autumn through to early spring. Originating from the Mediterranean and North Africa, these clematis are hardy and easy to grow. While most clematis prefer moist, cool conditions around their roots, the cirrhosas favour drier soils, especially in winter. They can cope with temperatures down to between -5° and -10°C, and need neutral-to-alkaline soil and a sheltered spot…

Best ways to grow shallots QI have taken a liking to shallots and would like to learn how to grow them. Can you tell me when to plant them, and any problems to watch out for? Julia Simmons, Redruth, Cornwall AIf onions are Allium cepa, then shallots are known as Allium cepa Aggregatum Group, and aggregate is exactly what they do. Plant an onion set (a tiny immature onion) and it will swell to deliver one much bigger onion. Plant a shallot set and it develops a cluster of bulbs, so from one you are likely to harvest six or seven. Shallots are generally smaller than onions, they store for longer, and they have a more delicate flavour and unctuous texture. The easiest route to a crop is by planting…

IN 1893, when Caleb Bradham blended a new drink made from sugar, water, caramel, lemon oil, nutmeg and cola nuts, he hoped it would make him rich. It tasted like the real thing, after all, but few would give it a try because its name – Brad’s Drink – even put off people called Brad. Then, in a moment of genius, he relaunched the brew under the perkier moniker of Pepsi Cola, and his fizzy-drink fortune was made. I’ve been thinking of this story because I recently discovered an Ugni molinae, aka Chilean guava, in a friend’s garden. I walk past the shrub every week, never giving it a second glance, but this winter it’s come on to my radar, as its branches are laden with fruit. With their characteristic…

AUTUMN and winter, when the sap has retreated deep down the trunks of deciduous trees and they have lost their leaves, is when you give most of them a trim. There are exceptions (see p5) but most of them can be cut back during these dormant days without harming them. If we were to prune them in spring or summer when they are growing, they could lose a lot of sap from pruning wounds. This not only weakens the tree, but as with any cut to live material, opens the way for problems. Trees and shrubs we can safely prune in cold weather are apple and pear trees, soft fruit bushes, many climbers, roses and most species that lose their leaves in autumn. Pruning can seem daunting, especially if you…

IF you haven’t done so already and you can still find some in your local garden centres and supermarkets, get your spring bedding plants and bulbs in the ground this week. We are theoretically still in late autumn so the next few weeks should be warm enough for bedding plants to settle in and send out some new roots before the deep winter weather sends them into dormancy. Spring bulbs will welcome the cold as they need this shock to their system to flower their best next year. However, they won’t be happy if your soil is heavy and retains water as this can cause them to rot. If this is the case, you will get better results by planting in containers or opening up the soil by digging in…

CUTTINGS can be taken in almost every season and now, when the soil is damp and cold and there is no fresh growth to harvest, is when we turn our attention to root cuttings. This is an easy technique used on some herbaceous perennials including Oriental poppies, Japanese anemones, phlox and verbascum (mullein) As well as being easy, root cuttings have the added benefit that the new plants develop under the soil, so are less prone to pests and disease. You can also propagate several plants from one parent without damaging it. Harvest your cuttings by lifting the plant, removing a few roots (not too many as you don’t want to weaken it) and then replanting immediately. Only choose healthy, pencil-thick roots and remove no more than ⅓ of the…

EVERLASTING flowers had developed a dusty, fusty, oldfashioned image, but in recent years a new generation of florists and British flower growers have rediscovered these plants and what they have to offer. Brides are choosing dried gypsophila, larkspur and achillea for their wedding bouquets; social media platform Instagram is awash with arrangements made from dried blooms; and the artist Rebecca Louise Law creates installations for international exhibitions using these flowers. Categorised by their papery, petallike bracts, the joy of everlastings is that, once they’re picked and dried, their beauty continues long beyond their time in the garden. As other flowers fade and die, these keep on looking good, capturing the essence of summer. The seedheads of certain annuals, perennials and grasses have similar qualities, and will make fabulous partners for…

John will reply personally to all your gardening questions every week Is it too late to sow my sweet peas now? Q I was clearing out the shed and found some sweet pea seeds. Can I sow them now or should I wait until spring? Melissa Griffin, Erdington, West Midlands A That was a lucky find! If you start your sweet peas now and overwinter them they should have developed into healthy seedlings by next spring. Sow the seeds in deep pots or root trainers because like all members of the pea family, these develop long root systems. Drop the seeds into holes made in seed compost, about 1in (2.5cm) deep, cover then and water well. After sowing, these hardy seeds can be placed in an unheated greenhouse or cold…

SHRUB roses can be grown with the minimum of attention. All are bushy plants, usually larger than bush roses, and require little pruning beyond the removal each winter of old or diseased branches. They make excellent individual specimens, perhaps planted on a lawn so that each can be viewed from any side. They can also be used with other shrubs in borders, usually in informal arrangements, so that the whole effect is natural and unforced. Some kinds make excellent hedges, though they should not be clipped but pruned once or twice a year just to keep them in shape. ‘Golden Chersonese’ A rose in the style of ‘Canary Bird’, ‘Golden Chersonese’ was raised by Mr EF Allen from a cross between an Afghanistan species named Rosa ecae and ‘Canary Bird’.…

Leave it alone! These should wait until 2021 On the move: As well as being the season for pruning, autumn and winter are when deciduous trees and shrubs can be safely moved, as I show you in next week’s issue.…

THE new-season catalogues are arriving like falling leaves, but with fewer press-briefing open days on trial grounds and no trade shows, checking out the listed new plant arrivals is not so easy this year. Fortunately, we have been able to grow many of these novelties in the Floral Fantasia area at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex, and even now some are still flowering. A number of these modern introductions have remarkable vigour that allows repeat flowering for many months. Nepeta ‘Purrsian Blue’ is an excellent example, with a neat semi-global habit. It provides lovely blue colour from May to Christmas if trimmed over after every flush of flowers. ‘Purrsian Blue’ makes the purrfect(!) border edging, and we are going to use it as a formal rose-bed edging. Two more…

OCCASIONALLY I help our wonderful gardening editor Ruth Hayes with her community radio show in Dorchester, Dorset. It’s hosted by John Shepherd, and in late September I got a question that baffled me. One of John’s neighbours had seen thousands of bees on his lawn and asked what they were. Whenever I’m stuck for an answer about bees, I ask expert Jeremy Early of BWARS (the Bees, Wasps & Ants Recording Society). Jeremy lives in Reigate, Surrey, and he’s a fellow wildlife gardener and author of a fascinating book called On my Side of the Fence. Jeremy explained that the bees in question were ivy bees and kindly supplied many of the pictures here. These mining bees emerge in August or September and fly until mid-November, just when English ivy…

This week it’s: Stir-up Sunday We look at the ingredients used in Christmas fare THIS weekend we have ‘Stir-up Sunday’ (22 November). It’s the day, five weeks before Christmas, when traditionally family or friends get together and make a Christmas pudding. It started in Victorian times when, it was said, wishes would come true on this day. In time, Christmas cakes and the mincemeat for pies and tarts also was made on Stir-up Sunday. So, let’s look at the ingredients for Christmas puds, mincemeat and cakes, and see how, as gardeners, we can put our own spin on them. ■ Traditionally, when stirring the Christmas pudding mix, the spoon should start at the eastern-most point, stirring towards the west, in honour of the three wise men who visited the baby…

Write to us: Letters, Amateur Gardening magazine, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough Business Park, Farnborough, Hants GU14 7BF (please include your address). Email us: amateurgardening@futurenet.com My wildflower patch FOR 15 years we kept a patch of garden to grow potatoes. Sadly, in 2010, my potato eater died. My handyman, husband and heavy lifter left me with questions about what to do. Due to a mobility problem and old age, I am unable to get down to the level and upkeep the patch. Three years ago, I saw a wild flower roll ready to put on top of the soil. Fortunately, my nephew from overseas helped me to roll out the mat and throw some soil on top. The photograph shows the wildflower garden. I put plastic over the patch during…