Innholdsfortegnelse for 29-Oct-2022 i Amateur Gardening

HALLOWEEN and November 5th are traditionally our bonfire nights, though oddly it’s often too windy and or too wet to light them. Unfortunately, in the past all sorts of unsuitable things got thrown on bonfires, such as sofas, tyres, toys and general rubbish. These burnt, but polluted the air and potentially even poisoned all around with nasties. Now no one wants stinky black smoke any more, so most of us have cleaner bonfires. Even so, these are a large source of CO2 and micro particles, and really should be kept to a minimum. Anyway, much of the woody material might be better stacked in corners as wildlife piles. However, I don’t want to be a Grinch so if you do have a bonfire, make it cleaner. Do not burn anything…

FOLLOWING this summer’s hottest days – and we are talking heat of 40° and more – my sunny flower beds looked exhausted. Pelargoniums, petunias and verbena were all flagging. However, the salvias continued to stand tall, proud and as fresh as a pin. In one bed I had six ‘dot’ plants of Salvia Mystic Spires, and they remained fabulous right up until I had to remove them to make way for the winter and spring bedding. This is just one example of why, if I could, I’d fill my garden with salvias. They have such variety, and they offer so many benefits. Apart from good heat and drought tolerance, they also perform wonderfully well in ‘normal’ British summers. They flower over a long period, they are low maintenance, they offer…

Chawton Cottage (‘Harxcel’) A delicate-looking rose named to mark the 70th anniversary of Jane Austen’s House Museum opening to the public. Clusters of moderately scented semi-double blooms to 4in (10cm) across open from summer to autumn against healthy foliage. H&S: 8ft (2.5m). ‘Compassion’ AGM If you prefer a shapely hybrid tea-style rose flower as well as vigour, repeat-flowering from summer to autumn and scent, then ‘Compassion’ is a good choice. The coppery-apricot roses have a retro look. Good for roses-around-the door or window. HxS: 10x6ft (3x1.8m). ‘Reveil Dijonnais’ Introduced in 1931, this is not subtle and will wreath your wall, fence or trellis with plenty of barely fragrant semi-double cupped flowers of cherry-red with a yellow centre. It will brighten a north-facing wall and can tolerate poorer soils. HxS: 10x6ft…

What is the difference between climbing and rambling roses? WHETHER a rose is classified as a climber or a rambler depends on its breeding and ancestry. Climbers are generally more ready to repeat-flower and tend to produce larger blooms. Their habit is often rather stiffer than that of ramblers. Ramblers often bloom just the once in midsummer but with great abandon, their flowers tend to be smaller and their growth more pliable for twining around pillars and pergolas, and threading through trees. Ramblers are best pruned after they have flowered, during which much of the older, flowered stems are cut away and newer ones trained and tied in. When do I prune a climbing rose? THE best time for pruning climbing roses is during winter after the flowers have faded…

ONE of the commonest diseases in Britain is dendrophobia. Defined as a morbid dread of trees, this is evidenced by phenomenal sales of secateurs, pruning saws and axes while the resultant amputated stumps can be seen in many front gardens. If these are typical, it is a relief for the sensitive passer-by that most back gardens are out of sight. This is a pity, to say the least; trees can soften or even conceal indifferent architecture yet enhance that which is good as nothing else can. They give scale, add texture and provide – if the word is not too ambitious – beauty. They do this, by their mere existence, for much more than their flowering period. Yet in spaces more than ample for a medium-sized tree, an almond may…

3 Tall Salvia ‘Joan’ A bushy perennial salvia, ‘Joan’ produces many branches of pale-green leaves. Masses of furry buds turn into showy, dusky, magenta flowers. It has overwintered in many gardens over recent years. A good plant for a large patio container or spot in a sunny border. H: 4-5ft (1.2-1.5m). Salvia ‘Amistad’ AGM Keep deadheading this salvia and it will flower from late spring to mid-autumn. The large flowers are deep-purple and near-black, with blackish stems. Bees love it! ‘Amistad’ needs a well-drained sunny, sheltered site. It can be over-wintered if kept frost-free. H: 4ft (1.2m). Salvia ‘Penny’s Smile’ This upright sub-shrub has mid-green leaves, which stay in place over mild winters. Lovely magenta-pink flowers are carried along the stems, from late summer to autumn. This is one of…

Which are the best conditions for growing salvias? ALL salvias grow best in full sun and on free-draining soil. With regards to the soil pH level, salvias are perfectly at home in both acidic and alkaline conditions, providing the pH levels are not too extreme. In terms of drought and wind tolerance, the salvias with the smaller leaves are generally more accepting. How do I keep garden salvias over winter? IF we get a severely cold winter this year, you may find that your salvias die above ground level. They will normally regrow from the base in spring. Leave such plants unpruned over winter, as the old top-growth will provide some protection to the plant. Once the weather starts to warm up in April, cut the dead growth away. Mulching…

‘Aimee Vibert’ This vigorous Noisette climber from 1828 is almost thornless. The reasonably healthy lush foliage acts as a backdrop to clusters of very fragrant double pure-white flowers that emerge from buds striped and flushed with carmine-pink from midsummer to autumn. HxS: 12x10ft (3.6x3m). ‘Desprez à Fleur Jaune’ The quartered blooms of this vigorous Noisette climber open in glowing clusters mainly in summer, but with a few later in the season. Emitting a sweet scent, they are a combination of creamy-apricot and pink. This old rose introduced in 1830 has an arching appearance. H&S: 18ft (5.5m). ‘Sombreuil’ In his book A Passion for Roses, Peter Beales asserts that this 1850s climber is ‘One of the most beautiful roses ever raised’. Large, fragrant, cushion-like blooms of creamy-white stand out against dark-green…

Q We planted some new dahlia tubers in spring and they have been beautiful. Should we lift them for the winter and, if so, when – or would they be better left in the ground? Eleanor Brooke, Boston, Lincolnshire A Dahlias are among the best plants for producing a fresh display of large and colourful flowers until the first frosts. They originate mainly from Mexico, but at high altitude, so they are not put off by the dwindling temperatures of autumn nights. Where I live in east Devon, I have successfully left dahlias in, and despite our heavy soil they have bloomed year after year. Eventually, an exceptionally cold winter will come along and wipe them out, so there is an element of risk. If left in the ground for…

TOP-rated tomatoes such as ‘Gardener’s Delight’ and ‘Moneymaker’ are at risk of disappearing from seed catalogues and garden centres throughout the UK, as suppliers fight a mountain of red tape caused by Brexit. Seed firm Mr Fothergill’s has warned that varieties cherished by generations of gardeners could vanish as stringent new seed testing regimes, brought in after the UK left the European Union, continue to disrupt supply chains. “Previously, testing had to take place to bring seed into Europe [from outside the Continent], which could then be moved freely within Europe and brought into the UK without additional testing,” said Ian Cross, Mr Fothergill’s head of retail marketing. Preventing viruses “That’s different now, because we have a border between [the UK and] Europe.” Rigorous post-Brexit seed-testing regulations have been established…

REGULAR readers of my column will know how much I enthuse about herbs. When carefully used, their unique flavours will elevate a dish from distinctly average to mind-blowing signature – isn’t it brilliant how a plant can do that? But what can you do with your herbs during their dormant months? Well, first of all, understand that they don’t need to be dormant! Evergreens such as thyme, rosemary, sage and bay will deliver flavour-packed leaves all year round, and even the hardy perennial herbs that would normally die back for winter (such as oregano and mint) can be forced into growth indoors (see my windowsill projects on page 20). Propagation, too, can be addressed during the winter months – division, layers and root cuttings (see panel on page 20) are…

CLIMBING roses are perfect for clothing the vertical surfaces of a garden with alluring flower shapes, colours and fragrances. Choose your cultivars carefully as you might fall in love with the fragrant, creamy-apricot blooms of old-fashioned ‘Desprez à Fleur Jaune’ but can you accommodate a rose capable of topping 20ft (6m)? Many gardeners have a soft spot for the thornless old Bourbon rose ‘Zéphirine Drouhin’, but though the fragrant pink flowers are lovely and the plants tolerant of poor soils, they can also be prone to mildew – a problem for those of us who choose not to spray. Good, deep soils The best approach is to analyse the space or structure a rose will fill. Note its size and the background colour. It’s sad to see white-flowered roses looking…

ACROSS 1 The lilac genus (7) 6 The subjects of this week’s Miscellany! (6,5) 7 Jealous of the hosta cultivar ‘Green with ____’! (4) 8 Shrub genus that is now technically called veronica! (4) 9 Parliamentary bill starting off the bugbane genus! (3) 10 A plant will do this if it grows quickly and goes to seed (4) 11 Mark used to identify the species of ladybird eg. two-___, seven-___, twenty-two-___, and so on (4) 13 The Boston-based genus of plants discussed in this week’s Miscellany! (11) 14 Rearrange or remake in a new shape or layout (7) DOWN 1 Backbone of a thorn! (5) 2 Rearranged or remade in a new shape or layout! (11) 3 Segment of an Allium sativum bulb (6,5) 4 Glaucium flavum is the yellow one,…

Write to us: Letters, Amateur Gardening magazine, Future Publishing Limited, Unit 415, Winnersh Triangle, Eskdale Road, Winnersh, RG41 5TP (please include your address). Email us: amateurgardening@futurenet.com Star letter Creating a haven for wildlife ALTHOUGH I have never been a fan of the term ‘rewilding’, I have been busy creating an environment for wildlife. It has been particularly pleasing for the results achieved so far. Although not yet the desired garden (is it ever finished?) the influx of various birds, frogs and insects has been wonderful to see. To quote Rudyard Kipling: “Gardens are not made by singing ‘Oh how beautiful,’ and sitting in the shade”. The photo shows part of my back garden, I hope you enjoy it. David Alberts, Long Stratton, Norfolk Wendy says Hi David, your garden looks…