Innholdsfortegnelse for 19-nov-16 i Amateur Gardening

AT the front door of my house I have a bay tree, grown from a little 6in (15cm) pot plant and trained into a standard ball. It now stands about 7ft (2.1m) tall in a huge pot to stop strong winds blowing it over . The pot has survived so far, unlike its predecessors, but the plant has several times been discovered leaning alarmingly against the wall of the house. That the plant was unsteady on its feet was, perhaps a sign of sorts, as in recent years this Laurus nobilis has suffered a little from neglect – erratic watering – and more recently pest problems. First tortrix moth caterpillars munched the leaves, then scale insects speckled their undersides. Frankly, the tree looked a mess, with dead and nibbled leaves…

YCLAMEN hederifolium, or Ôivyleaved’ cyclamen, are one of my favourite garden plants. Their sweet little flowers have twisted petals in white, and assorted shades of pink, that bloom through autumn, letting C. coum take over in spring. Their spreading heart-shaped leaves are deep green, with distinctive white markings. Best of all, these plants are long-lived and extremely tolerant of even the poorest soil, which makes them perfect for brightening dark areas under trees where the soil is leached of nutrients and receives little sun. The plants are excellent ground-cover subjects, and therefore ideal for keeping weeds down. And once established they will happily self-seed, giving even more plants for better displays in the future. After initial planting, and for a period of a few months, don’t let the soil dry…

Keep your greenhouse in good order if plants are to survive winter: • Avoid a build-up of mould, algae and mossy deposits by opening the door, windows and vents on warmer winter days. But always remember to close them again at night. Check fuel supply in gas and paraffin heaters – and remember to turn them on! • Clear out greenhouse gutters and, if you haven’t done so already, attach the down-pipe to a water butt. • Clean shelves and tables with disinfectants, and wipe down the glass to let as much light in as possible. • Check that all the glass panes are intact, and replace any that aren’t, because cracks will weaken panes, and cold draughts will damage plants.…

AS I said last week, soft fruit bushes and canes are a fabulous addition to any garden. Now is the time to get mature plants in the ground – and to take hardwood cuttings from existing shrubs. Growing from hardwood cuttings can be a bit slow, but it is one of the easiest and most reliable ways of propagating trees and shrubs. The cuttings can be taken any time during the dormant season, but you will have the best chance of success if you do it just after leaf-fall, or in very early spring just before the leaf buds open. The cuttings are taken from long stems of this year’s growth, cutting just above a bud on the plant, close to where it joins a branch. Either plant cuttings in…

SOME of our most popular indoor plants never see the inside of a garden centre but are passed around between neighbours and friends. One is a tall ‘cane’ or angel-wing begonia capable of reaching 3-6ft (1-2m) tall. It has wing-like, olive green leaves up to 12in (30cm) long spotted with silver, and red beneath. In good light, bunches of pink flowers appear, mostly in summer . This is Begonia ‘Lucerna’ which as the name suggests, was bred in Switzerland back in the late 1800’s by crossing species from Malaysia and Brazil. These cane begonias proved themselves as popular and durable as Kentia palms and aspidistras when it came to surviving the gloom and chill of a Victorian parlour. They are long-lived and easy to propagate by stem cuttings. I recently…

THERE’S no doubt that winter is gently but firmly beginning to grip our plots. Crops like asparagus are being knocked back by frosts, and fruit trees are looking decidedly bare. But as plants enter dormancy it gives us a chance to assess if they’re growing in the right place – and my rhubarb certainly isn’t! I had to plant it rather hastily last winter, before the spot I intended to grow it in was cleared of weeds. Now, however, is an ideal time to lift and replant it. My rhubarb is young but if yours is old, congested and unproductive then you can lift and divide it this month. It will inject newvigour into the plant, giving bigger and better harvests – and it’s a hefty job that keeps you…

IT’S tempting, once you’ve squirrelled away your tree fruit harvests, to only look in on them when you want an apple, pear or quince – but don’t! Fruits that have been quietly sitting in a shed or garage have also been gently maturing and mellowing in flavour. But some will have deteriorated on this journey. When you stored your fruits back in October you hopefully placed them so they weren’t touching each other to minimise the spread of any rots. But it’s still wise to check stored fruit each week and take out any rotters. There’s no need to throw them away – put them out on your lawn or patio and ground-feeding birds such as thrushes and blackbirds will soon thank you for the free meal.…

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BETWEEN now and spring, bees and other pollinating insects will have a tough time. Most native wildflowers don’t flower during winter (apart from the odd daisy or dandelion) so there is not much in the way of natural nectar or pollen on offer. To avoid starving (and therefore succumbing to the cold), insects have evolved different strategies to survive the coldest period of the year. Most live over winter as eggs, larvae or pupae, so you won’t see much in the way of flying insects collecting nectar and pollen, especially in the north of Britain. However it can be quite different in the towns and cities of the south. Milder winters, and the surprising range of winter-flowering ornamental plants in gardens and parks, have boosted flying pollinator numbers. One such…

PLANTING spring bulbs in pots is a great way to add a splash of colour to the smallest of gardens, but for maximum impact try ‘lasagne’ planting bulbs in large containers. Despite its name this style of planting has nothing to do with pasta, but is so called because different bulbs are planted in layers, just like making the famous Italian dish. The aim is to choose bulbs that flower at different times to provide a succession of colour over several weeks. Most spring bulbs can be put together in a lasagne planting, but for the display to work you need to pick three varieties that graduate in height to make a 3D effect and whose colours work together in perfect harmony. For a combination that provides interest from early…

I USED to think the only way to propagate pineapple lilies, or eucomis, was by dividing clumps in spring or by collecting their seeds after flowering. However, I recently discovered a more unusual technique for making more of these summer flowering bulbs…leaf cuttings. The method is fairly simple. Start off by removing an entire healthy leaf – avoid any that are damaged or have started to yellow. Divide the leaf into 2in (5cm) pieces by cutting across its width with a sharp knife. It’s worth taking as many cuttings as possible as you’re highly unlikely to get a 100 percent success rate, so start with more cuttings than you think you need in order to get a few rooted ones. Place the pieces in a small plastic bag filled with…

Festive cheer Plant for winter colour with red cyclamen alongside rich red-flowered winter pansies. Underplant with dwarf bulbs such as Tulip ‘Little Beauty’. Winter warmth Create a colourful display with winter-flowering heather and the shrub Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’. You will need to use ericaceous compost. Attractive foliage Make the most of beautiful leaf colour and use plants such as heucheras, ivies and ferns. Combine several to create an easy to maintain, all-foliage display. A golden glow Brighten up even the dullest winter day by opting for yellows. Choose polyanthus, pansies and narcissus.…

How do I create a tulip display? Q I want to plant a spectacular spring tulip border. How should I do this? Val Bridgeman, Winchester A TULIPS are available in every colour except true blue so there’s something for everyone. They vary in height from 4in (10cm) tall to 28in (70cm) high. Most have plain green leaves but several cultivars are available with ornamental leaf markings such as ‘Showwinner’ and ‘Fire of Love’. Smaller species are best planted towards the front of a border while larger flowered hybrids can be used in formal beds or in clumps among herbaceous perennials. All need alkaline loam soil that is free-draining and a warm dry summer to ripen the bulbs. Avoid waterlogged soils that will cause rotting. Add well-rotted compost to soil but…

Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Angelly’ Not too vigorous, this slow grower is useful for small gardens or pots. It has an upright, compact habit and yellow scented flowers in midwinter. H: 8ft (2.5m); S: 6ft (2m). Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Vesna’ A favourite of garden designers, it has an upright habit and early to mid-season light orange flowers and excellent autumn leaf colour. H: 8ft (2.5m); S: 8ft (2.5m). Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Diane’ The best red flower, grown by gardeners since the late 1960s. It has a long flowering period throughout midwinter, and is lightly scented. H: 8ft (2.5m); S: 10ft (3m). Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Jelena’ Sometimes seen as ‘Copper Beauty’ this beautiful variety has unscented copper-orange flowers appear in early to midwinter. H: 8ft (2.5m); S: 8ft (2.5m). Hamamelis × intermedia…

“Spare a thought for garden wildlife” IT has been a wonderful, colourful and inspiring year in the garden, but now it is time to prepare most plants for some ‘down time’. If you haven’t done so already, lift tubers and corms of gladioli, which should be stored somewhere cool and dry, and dahlias, which should be lifted after the first frosts. Store dahlia tubers in trays of compost or dry sand. In mild areas of the country, canna lilies can be left out in the soil in a sunny spot with a thick layer of mulch. Where it is colder, move pot-grown plants somewhere frost-free, or lift those growing in the ground; cut them down to 6in (15cm), and store indoors in trays of compost. As the soil will be…

1 Before planting, stand each plant in water, to soak the rootball, and make it easier to remove from the pot. 2 Dig a hole as deep as the pot, and slightly wider. Remove the plant from its pot and tease out the roots. 3 Set the plant in the hole and infill with a mix of soil and compost. Firm in well to remove air pockets. 4 Water the plants in, to further firm the soil and support the plants, as well as helping the roots establish.…

LAWNS can take a battering in freezing, wet weather, so it is a good idea to take this last chance to tidy them up before winter. Use a half-moon tool to tidy the grass around border edges. This improves the appearance of the garden, and also removes untidy areas of grass where pests can hide over winter. Grub out perennial weeds, such as dandelions, that are nestling in the lawn. A small hand fork works well, but equipment, such as Fiskar’s Xact Weed Puller, makes the job easier if there are lots to remove. Ideally, place new turf over the area where the weed was removed, even if this is only the size of your fist. Tread it down lightly – it should soon knit in with the grass around…

• Strawberry runners I pegged into pots last month have rooted successfully, and new plants are growing. • I snipped the runners close to the plants, and have placed their pots in a mini-greenhouse for the winter. I also tidied up the parent strawberry plants, removing runners and old, dead and damaged foliage. • Hardy onion sets planted in October should already be shooting. Keep them weed-free, and hope that they don’t fall prey to fungal disease!…

• Good but not harsh light brings the most flowers (circled), while quite deep shade delivers big leaves. In warm rooms, group with other plants to boost humidity. • Normal room temperatures are acceptable. Aim for a min of 45-50°F (7-10°C). • Water carefully, especially during winter at low temperatures. Add a well-balanced liquid feed every month while growth is active. • Pot on (preferably during spring or summer), or root prune as described (right). • Prune old or top heavy stems close to the base and they sprout new ones. • Stand plants in a shady spot outdoors during summer for fresh air and rain showers.…

IN late August I made some sowings of leafy veg to supplement our diet of brassicas, parsnips and leeks through the winter. Perpetual and annual spinach were sown in drills, but I could have equally chosen Swiss chard, turnip tops or komatsuna which are also hardy enough. They germinated well and are now providing weekly pickings for us, and they’ll continue to do so well into March. Sowings like this are little troubled by pests and diseases during the chillier months. But to keep the leaves as tender as possible I’m covering rows with rigid plastic cloches – glass ones would work just as well (polythene sheet isn’t as good). It gives a bit of frost protection to produce softer, more buttery leaves as a result.…

IF you’ve got a bed of asparagus, cast your mind back to late spring when you were harvesting spear upon spear of those delicious gourmet shoots. We label asparagus as a luxury crop because its harvest period is fleeting, you need to wait two years before you can begin picking from a new bed, and it takes up a lot of room in relation to its yield. But boy, is it worth it! I don’t grow it at home yet, but there’s a large bed where I work at East Donyland Hall, and it needs my attention now. Once I stopped harvesting spears in early June (only cut asparagus for 10 weeks otherwise you’ll starve the roots, called ‘crowns’) I allowed the fluffy fern-like foliage to develop. It grew away…

BE the envy of your neighbours with this fantastic garden tool collection from Kent & Stowe. The carbon steel set includes everything you need to weed, cultivate and plant with a long handled weeding knife, cultivator, 3 edge hoe, and draw hoe as well as hand tools including a fork, transplanting trowel, daisy grubber, patio weeding knife and cultivator. All of the handles are made from ash wood, to provide comfort when working in your garden. Each product is made with high quality carbon steel to ensure a strong, durable performance, while also maintaining a clean, traditional finish. The quality design should ensure that you can use these products for many seasons to come, as each one comes with a 10 year guarantee. Kent & Stowe is also giving you…

• 18-20 November: Christmas Market, Hestercombe Gardens, Cheddon Fitzpaine, Taunton, Somerset TA2 8LG. Over 60 festive stalls full of gifts and hand-crafted items. Entrance is £3 online £3.50 on door. 01823 413923 hestercombe.com • 19 November: Woburn Abbey and Gardens, Woburn, Bedfordshire MK17 9WA 10.30am-4pm. Christmas Flowers Workshop with Jonathan Moseley. Expert advice on arrangements and design. £135 including lunch. 01525 290333 studydays@woburn.co.uk • 23 November-2 January: Christmas at Kew, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB 020 8332 5684; kew.org • 23 November-2 January: Birmingham Magic Lantern Festival, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Westbourne Road, Edbaston B15 3TR. See spectacular lights and lanterns. Gardens open 5-10pm. Pre-booking required. Tickets £9.62-£13.87. 01214 541860 birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk • 24 November: Christmas Cocktails Workshop, RHS Garden Wisley, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. Learn how to make…

1 Cornus mas ‘Golden Glory’ A small, hardy tree to 15ft (4.6m). February flowers attract bees, while red summer fruits are taken by birds and small mammals. 2 Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’ Small evergreen with pale- pink flowers from late- December into spring. Sweet, spicy scent is one of the best. 3 Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Pallida’ After New Year, winter might seem daunting but not if you have a witch hazel bursting into fragrant bloom outside your door. 4 Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ Responds to mild wintry periods with bold clusters of rich-pink, fragrant blooms fading to white against bare branches in winter.…

REMOVING some branches from this honey bush (Melianthus major) will bring it back into line. When I planted it back in spring it was a rather puny looking specimen that had been confined to a pot for several years. Since being released it’s gone bonkers, reaching 5ft (1.5m) with a similar spread. Unfortunately, the shrub’s expanding girth has started to cast a shadow over my wall-trained fig. I know that I’ll eventually have to move it but, for the time being, removing some of the branches will help restrict the exuberant growth.…

EVEN in the digital age, many people take delight in a traditional calendar. Gardeners are particularly aware of the passing of the months with jobs to complete and the promise of new life during the growing season. This week, we test six gardening calendars – some with monthly and others with weekly ‘at-a-glance’ timely reminders of jobs to do. Beautiful pictures feature in many of our samples to provide inspiration, and one even gives tasty recipes to try. As always it’s all a matter of personal choice, – while some people will love the tips and reminders others will enjoy the amazing photography. The space a calendar takes up on a wall is another consideration, as well as how generous the grids are for entries. Most of these calendars start…

• Kaufmanniana tulips bloom in March and April on short stems. They come up year after year without much care. I recommend Tulip ‘The First’ with its pure-white blooms with carmine red on the reverse of petals with a yellow base. • Greigii tulips produce beautiful flowers with marbled and striped leaves with flowers that last a long time. Try Tulip ‘Pinocchio’ with its outer petals of scarlet edged in ivory. Plant with white Anemone blanda for good effect. • Fosteriana tulips have elegant flowers in oriental colours with large flowers. A bed of Tulip ‘Zombie’ can be breathtaking with its stunning raspberry-and-cream elongated flowers at a height of 12-16in (30-40cm) in April.…

That’s a plum job! I’VE had an abundance of fruit and veg from my garden this year. I shared a lot with family and friends and was given a large bag of damson plums from my mother-in-law. Having never made plum jam before, I was keen to give it a go. I make a lot of other jams which I share among my family, but found I’d ran out of jars for the latest batch. Luckily I had some microwaveable glasses that I’d received as Christmas presents over the years, so I sterilised them and poured in the jam. The result was better than I thought. I must admit when I first started cooking the plums, I was a little bit put off by the brownish colour. I needn’t have…

“I’ve bolstered the bird defences” WHILE filming in a garden in the West Midlands I was introduced to an African Grey Parrot called Derek. He was a lovely bird and would perch on strangers’ shoulders and if they were lucky he’d say ‘Pretty Polly’ in their ear or gently rub his beak across their face as if giving a kiss. There was one thing that Derek didn’t like and that was visitors wearing sunglasses. Maybe he thought they were hiding something but whatever his reasons I’ll never forget how he set about my producer Gareth’s head, trying snatch his Ray Bans. As if witnessing my boss embroiled in a fight with a bird wasn’t remarkable enough, what made this fracas memorable was that both combatants swore like pirates! Who taught…

1 Add colour. Get winter bedding in the ground, and if you bought too many plants for your containers, use them too! 2 Don’t let perennial weeds get a foothold. Remove every bit of them, as they can regenerate from the smallest piece of root. 3 If you haven’t already, lift and store gladiolus corms. Dahlias should also be lifted after the first frosts. 4 Cut back perennials, and deadhead late-flowerers. Leave more tender penstemons intact to protect the crown. 5 Rake up the last leaves; add to the leaf-mould bin, or store them in black bin liners with holes punched in the sides. 6 Keep adding green waste to the compost heap, turning it occasionally. Watch out for hibernating wildlife.…

GREENHOUSES are an absolute boon to gardeners in winter. The more you can heat them, the more you can grow in them. If you can, aim at least to keep them frost-free. The best heaters for greenhouses are either electric or gas-powered. Heaters using electricity are easy to regulate, but you’ll need to have a power point professionally installed. Propane-powered heaters are self-contained, but produce condensation which can lead to fungal problems. Paraffin heaters are even worse in this respect. Clear out the remains of summer crops, such as tomatoes, peppers and aubergines. Check for lurking pests, especially underneath growbags. If the growbag compost is free from weeds and pests (check for vine weevil grubs), you can use it as mulch on garden borders. It won’t contain many nutrients, but…

“They also allow trials for best positions” ATTRACTIVE and productive gardens come with attention to detail, especially where space is limited. We need to select plants at the outset that will really work for us through most of the year. One small triangular bed in my front garden has the rose ‘Graham Thomas’ trained along the backing fence, a cut leaved Japanese maple of modest mushroom shape, a clump of short, stiff stemmed delphiniums and then is in-filled with seasonal flowers. The acer is leafless through the winter and early spring, so can be under-planted with March flowering bulbs. The new growth each spring is attractive, then mid-green leaves through the summer are followed by brilliant autumn colour. I like the way delphiniums push spikes up through the fine cut…

1 Fill a clay pot with a mix of cutting compost and perlite. A clay pot is more breathable and porous. 2 Cut a stem of this season’s growth. Remove the top 1/3rd, then cut the rest into 10in (25cm) lengths. 3 Cut the base end straight across, and the top end at a slant. Dip the base ends in hormone rooting gel. 4 Carefully insert cuttings to half their length, water and put the pot in a cold frame or by a sheltered wall.…

WITH an attractive bluish tinge to their evergreen leaves and masses of red berries, this pair of 1m tall bushes will set off your Christmas displays in style. A new variety bred to produce an abundance of bright berries, they will look stunning from the moment you plant them – and will get better year after year! Supplied as well-established four-year-old trees, they are slow growing and easy to manage – a single annual trim will keep that perfect lollipop form. And each comes with a 28cm (dia) pinecone planter (worth £8 a pair), finished in gold metallic paint for maximum impact. Stock is strictly limited – order now to avoid disappointment. SAVE £10 with offer code RAG114 and we will send you two decorative pots worth over £8! Christmas…

IF you buy Amateur Gardening magazine regularly you’ll already be familiar with our practical pages offering good gardening advice that’s easy to follow, just when you need it. You’re one of around 94,000 readers who take advantage of our weekly expert advice on everything from raising plants from seed to nurturing shrubs and trees, growing healthy crops of fruit and veg, and solving pest and disease problems. You’ll be able to grow the range of high quality flower seeds from leading suppliers that we give away free every week over the spring and summer (worth over £95 in 2016). Our carefully selected colourful flowering annuals and perennials will produce a broad range of plants suitable for a wide variety of different garden locations. Getting free seeds is one thing, growing…

“There is almost no weather that should stop us gardening” THEY say there’s no such thing as bad weather; only bad clothes. Fortunately for us, modern gear is far more effective than that worn by old-time gardeners for beating the elements. Except for gale force winds, blizzards and monsoons, there is no weather so bad it should stop us gardening. Of course if it is downright unpleasant it may not be the best idea, but I love getting out on bitter winter days as I am snug and warm in my clothes. Now I know most of us like to garden in our ‘favourites’, be they jacket, shorts, slacks or whatever. However, during the colder months it makes sense to get something warm and waterproof to go over the top.…

MENTION hardwood cuttings and most gardeners will think of propagating willows, dogwoods, forsythia and the like, by rooting 6in (15cm) lengths of bare stem in the ground. Well, they’re not the only shrubs that can be treated this way – among the lesser-known subjects for hardwood cuttings are ornamental elders. I’ve been bowled over by the performance of my two ornamental elders this year – Sambucus nigra f. poryphyrophylla ‘Eva’ with its dissected black leaves and Sambucus racemosa ‘Sutherland Gold’. Both have worked hard to earn their keep providing flowers, fantastic foliage colour and berries, while making the perfect foil for other plants. As a result, I’ve decided to take a few cuttings, providing me with some plants to grow elsewhere in the garden. It’s well worth doing if you…

Attach to a shed If you can’t install a windowbox on your house, this is an excellent alternative. Woodenboxes work well and look particularly stylish when painted the same colour as your shed. Cheat it! A freestanding wire table for pots and containers, positioned against a wall or directly beneath a window, gives the impression of a windowbox but needs no sill or fixing. Fix shelves to a wall or fence Put up some outdoor shelves, add a coat of protective paint then stand a collection of pretty pots on top. Or create pot-sized holes in the shelf, into which you can sink pot plants. Ornate wall planters Perfect for attaching to a wall or fence near a doorway, or brightening up an alleyway. They tend to hold small pots…

Wind Action Decoy £14.79 + P&P £4.99 0118 903 5210 primrose.co.uk A rotating head that moves with the wind and reflective eyes will keep pigeons and other pests at bay without causing harm. This lifelike scarer can be hung on trees, sat on a flat roof or any number of places. H. 16in (40.8cm) x L. 7¾in (20cm) x W. 7in (18cm) Wicker Planter £14 + P&P £4.95 0800 408 0660 dibor.co.uk Bring the owl theme indoors. Made from hand woven wicker on a sturdy metal frame the water tight lining allows herbs to be kept close by for cutting on the kitchen windowsill. Alternatively slip a vase inside to hold fresh flowers H. 9½in (24cm) x W. 10½in (27 cm). Solar Light £19.95 + P&P £4.95 0844 482 2800…