Innholdsfortegnelse for 22-Apr-2023 i Amateur Gardening

3 April: Tulip tours, Hever Castle gardens, Hever Road, Hever, Edenbridge TN8 7NG. Visit hevercastle.co.uk for full details and times of tulip tours. 22 April: Glyndebourne open gardens, Glyndebourne opera house and gardens, New Road, Lewes BN8 5UU. 11am-4pm, tickets from glyndebourne.com 22 April: Central Orchid Society Spring Show, Perton Community Centre, Church Road, Perton, Wolverhampton, WV6 7PD. 11am-4pm. 22 April: Alpine Garden Society Ulster Show, St Bride’s Hall, 38 Derryvolgie Avenue, Belfast, Ulster, BT9 6FP. 11.30am-4pm. 22 April: RHS Garden Hyde Hall Spring Fair, RHS Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane, Rettendon, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 8RA. 10am-4pm. 22 April: Hardy Plant Society Somerset Group Plant Sale, West Monkton Village Hall, Monkton Heathfield, Taunton, TA2 8NE. 10am-12.30pm. 22 April: Donington Le Heath Plant Hunters’ Fair, 1620’s House and Garden, Donington Le Heath,…

A FRIEND who grew some basil from seed said she thought there was something wrong as it did not ‘smell right’. That was because she was used to sweet Italian basils, but had wanted Thai basil and had grown ‘Siam Queen’, a lemon-scented variety. The fact is there are many basils and each with their own tastes, some even like holy basil (Ocimum sanctum). By far the most popular basil group are the Italian varieties such as Minimum, Napoletano and Genovese. You could easily find a dozen or more varieties, though – up to three dozen if you searched diligently. Some are even attractive ornamentally, with frilly edges or purple colouring. All are quick and easy to grow from seed, given a bit of warmth. A propagator is ideal, but…

IF tapering orange roots spring to mind when carrots are mentioned, it’s time to dig deeper to find the veritable spectrum of colours and collection of shapes this vegetable has to offer. Carrots have been grown for thousands of years, gradually spreading from the Middle East to gardens across the world. Originally white or purple in colour, the vast number of cultivars available nowadays is the legacy of generations of growers. From the long ‘Imperator’ types frequently found in supermarkets and ‘carrot-shaped’ Danvers varieties developed in the USA towards during the 19th Century, to stout ‘Chantenay’ and ball-like roots associated with France, there’s a world of flavours, shapes and sizes awaiting gardeners keen to try something different. Early or maincrop Carrots have a hardiness rating of H3 in the UK.…

Star letter A burst of blossom I JUST had to send you this photo, having read the article about combining clematis (AG, 25 March). This is my Clematis armandii ‘Apple Blossom’, in flower now, showing off its pink buds and large starry flowers – as your author said, they have a sweet perfume, just like apple blossom. My garden is small, but the space around the boundaries permits a number of types and I also have a pergola, trellis panels and an apple tree to support them! Other delicate flowerers I grow for spring blooms include C. alpina and C. ‘Early Sensation’. I love clematis and also grow several summer hybrids bought cheaply from supermarkets! Audrey Diamond, Harpenden, Herts Reader’s Tip I WAS fortunate enough to receive a big bunch…

GLOWING crimson, letterbox scarlet, golden amber and embers orange – these are the solar shades that ignite the magic of the summer season. And what better way to incorporate them into the garden than in containers of blazing colour dotted around the patio or positioned close to the front door. Combine yellow and apricot cannas that blaze like candles with exotic magenta dahlias and orange ginger lilies (hedychium) and you’ll add a touch of tropical heat. Fill terracotta pots with carmine and sienna orange marigolds, pelargoniums and nasturtiums, and conjure up the ochre warmth of Tuscany. Or fill a hanging basket with every shade of yellow – it will shine as bright as the midday sun. When choosing your plants, bear in mind that while some hot colours combine well…

Q Can I use decayed and chipped rhododendron leaves as a mulch? Neil Macleod, Beauly, Highlands A Yes, but compost them first to break them down. It’s vital that decomposing leaves remain damp and don’t dry out, as this will slow down their decomposition. Q Can you tell me if this is some kind of currant bush? Ceri Worsley (via email) A This appealing mystery shrub, which is seldom seen, is the ornamental buffalo currant (Ribes odoratum). How it cheers spring! A native of Central USA, it was introduced to British gardens in 1812. Q What are these bugs? Doreen Monks, Liverpool A These are large pine aphids, which feed on Scot’s pine and other conifers. Either control them with Bug Clear Ultra or encourage predators, including blue tits, ladybirds…

No: 668 This word search comprises words associated with parsnips! 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 five letters remaining; arrange these to make this week’s KEYWORD. PARSNIPS LONG ROOTS BUTTER CHITTING EASY GLADIATOR PASTINACA ROAST SHOWBENCH SOAKING SOWING STEWS SUGARS TYPE VEGETABLE HOW TO ENTER: Enter this week’s keyword on the entry form, and send it to AG Word Search No 668, Amateur Gardening, Future Publishing Limited, Unit 415, Winnersh Triangle, Eskdale Road, Winnersh, RG41 5TP, to arrive by Wednesday 3 May 2023. The first correct entry chosen at…

Q The tall flag irises in our garden are so lovely, we’d like to add more. How do we keep the existing plants healthy with plenty of blooms and when is the best time to plant new ones? Gemma McClarty, Hinckley, Leicestershire A The flowers of bearded or flag iris are definitely in my top 10. They have glamour and a sweet scent, plus I enjoy their romantic and often eccentric cultivar names. How about ‘Colorado Bonanza’ or ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’? There are three main categories, with the shorter types flowering first in spring; middle-height cultivars next; and finally the taller kinds in June. Sword-like leaves make good vertical shapes all summer, die back for winter, and grow again from the thick rhizomes in spring. For successful growth and…

THERE is no need to limit cuttings to garden plants – houseplants are easy to propagate the same way and I have had lots of success with African violets and their close cousins, streptocarpus (Cape primrose). Last summer I took leaf cuttings of streptocarpus. It is easy to do: simply remove a healthy young leaf and cut it crossways into sections. Insert these into trays of dampened seed and cuttings compost, cover with a lid and set somewhere warm and light. Within a few weeks, fresh leaves will sprout from the rooted cuttings and when the new plants are large enough they can be potted into multipurpose compost. They should flower within the year. African violets are even easier to propagate. All you need to do is detach a healthy…

MUCH has been written about the reasons for the sale of compost containing peat to home gardeners being banned by the end of 2024. We welcome any initiative that genuinely helps the environment, but equally we have voiced our concerns in previous issues about the quality of replacement products. These views have been seen as heretical by some and a breath of fresh air by others, but at least we had the gumption to air them when others shied away. Dealing with the changeover The reality is that soon there will be no peat-based compost available to home gardeners and our concern has to focus on helping readers with the changeover, and hopefully get them to the stage where they can find a product that gets them the results they…

THEY’RE rampant, yield generously, store forever and taste delicious – why wouldn’t you grow winter squashes? Here are my hints for a bumper year… Sowing and planting Winter squashes are part of the cucurbit family and botanically they belong to three main species: Cucurbita maxima, C. moschata and C. pepo. Like pumpkins and marrows, they can set hard skins and store well into the winter. Many have a long growing season, needing more than 100 days from sowing to fruit maturity. Being tender, sowing outdoors early in the year isn’t possible (at least 13°C/55°F soil temperature is needed), so the solution is to start them off under cover instead. “Many winter squash have a long growing season” Seedlings are ready to transplant outside four-five weeks after sowing, so in the…

THERE are around 2,000 wild euphorbia species and they include a surprising mixture of plant types. Many are succulents, reminding us of the cacti seen in TV westerns. There are also small annual garden weeds and the Christmas poinsettia is a euphorbia, too. Mediterranean euphorbias for sunny drought gardens Mediterranean euphorbias are unusual in that they can be said to be part shrub and part perennial. They develop a bold shrubby, evergreen structure, with the unbranched stems topped by large and striking heads of greenish or yellowish spring flowers. Some develop upright growth, while others lay flat on the ground. The stems then die away, to be replaced by new growth from the base. These are drought-tolerant, sun-loving plants that appreciate good drainage. Examples include Euphorbia characias and its many…

ACROSS 1 Italian painter – and a tulip cultivar! (10) 7 The subjects of this week’s Miscellany are grown for their tasty _____ (5) 8 Genus of tropical palms, often grown for their nuts (5) 9 The subjects of this week’s Miscellany! (8) 11 Genus of the Chinese bellflower and the Indian mallow (8) 14 Dish – originally from Switzerland – comprising mainly potatoes, sautéed or shallow-fried in a pan (5) 15 Sanguisorba minor is known as _____ burnet (5) 16 Cultivar of primrose – and a Beatle! (5,5) DOWN 1 The sedge genus! (5) 2 Up on the ‘James ____’: a cultivar of Garrya elliptica! (4) 3 Forming a mental image of something, such as how your garden could be! (11) 4 Glazed buildings, generally on a commercial scale, in…