Innholdsfortegnelse for 23-Sep-2023 i Amateur Gardening

“Just enjoy your gardening – and to paraphrase the late, great Frank Sinatra, make sure you do it your way! A simple enough sentiment, but one that can get clouded at times by those who suggest we should all garden in accordance with current trends. You do not have to leave some of your garden to go wild, if you find that unattractive. Aesthetics matter. Part of the joy of gardening is the beauty of the result, so why do something that you think is ugly? Gardens are personal to those who create them, regardless of trends – as well intentioned as they may be. Make your garden for you. The bees, insects, birds, hedgehogs, squirrels, worms and so on will still benefit.” Contact us: ■ Subscriptions: 0330 333 1113…

AS the leaves start to fall it’s time to think about using them in the garden. You can add them to the compost heap, leave a few on your borders for the worms to break down and add to the goodness of the soil or you could think about making leaf mould. It’s a slow process, taking at least two years, but it is worth the wait as the end product can be used for so much around the garden. Leaves can be stored in open mesh bins where they are kept damp by the rain, or they can be piled into black bin liners and stored somewhere out of the way. It is important to keep them damp because dampness, not sogginess, helps them break down. Leaf mould is…

THE warm, damp soils of autumn are perfect for starting all manner of plants, and hardy annuals fall sweetly into that category. Nigella damascena, or love-in-a-mist, is a traditional favourite with gardeners that originated in North Africa and the Mediterranean, but is happily at home in the cooler climate of the UK. The variety ‘Persian Jewels’, this week’s free seeds, flower in white and shades of blue, pink and mauve. They grow to a height of 18in (45cm) and the blooms are set off to their best advantage by delicate foliage. Hardy annuals, they can be sown this month and next or you can wait until next spring. Autumn-sown seeds will flower before spring-sown seeds, so I like to sow now, and in spring, for a longer succession of flowers.…

NO one is keener on wildlife than I am. It’s a huge part of my gardening life and I attract plenty of insects and birds into my plant-packed garden. I have well-tended borders and neat lawns balanced with two mini meadows and some wilder edges. When I began garden writing in 1995, there was already a wildlife gardening trend. The key book at that time was How to Make a Wildlife Garden by Chris Baines, published in 1985. I have a huge respect for Chris Baines and we share a unique experience. When the RHS launched its wildlife initiative with the Wildlife Trusts, probably more than 20 years ago, we were both there with our notepads. A famous garden designer of the day, known for his use of concrete structures,…

This word search comprises two keywords associated with pirates. 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 10 letters remaining; arrange these to make this week’s TWO KEYWORDS. PIRATES JACOBS LADDER BLACK SPOT AHOY BEARD BUCCANEERS DECK DOUBLOONS HULL KEEL KEG LILY PINK PRIVATEERS RUM SCURVY TREASURE HOW TO ENTER: Enter this week’s TWO KEYWORDS on the entry form, and send it to AG Word Search No 690, Amateur Gardening, Future Publishing Limited, Unit 415, Winnersh Triangle, Eskdale Road, Winnersh, RG41 5TP, to arrive by Wednesday 4 October 2023. The first…

MY mum always told me off for playing with my food, so I wouldn’t like to think what she’d make of my ‘Padron’ peppers. Foodie games are in their DNA, and when you serve up a dish of this wonky green fruit, they come with a dash of mischief mixed in. Their flavour is nutty, mild and as moreish as a bar snack. But just when you think their heat is acceptably mild, you bite on one that bites back! This unpredictability makes for mealtime shenanigans, either playing ‘Padron’ Pepper Roulette with friends in the know or giving one to unsuspecting dinner guests – a fiery surprise for whoever takes more than their fair share. The reason that roughly one in 15 of these peppers have their heat turned up…

THE planting seasons come round fast and as the early bird gets the worm, buy your bedding plants now, while there is still a massive choice in garden centres and online. Planted now, when the soil is warm from summer and dampened by autumn showers, they will have several weeks to establish and develop robust root systems. When the weather turns really cold they will enter dormancy and stop flowering and growing, before bouncing back when warmer weather returns. The varieties available are eye-popping, including colourful pansies and violas, daisies, wallflowers, which can be bought cheaply in bunches as bare root plants, and sweet williams. To create a classy foil for their bright colours, mix them with the rich foliage of sempervivums and heucheras with yellow and maroon leaves, ornamental…

THIS week I spent a few hours making sure our garden equipment and structures were set for autumn. Weather in autumn and winter can be unpredictable and hard, so it pays to make sure everything is in good order to avoid expensive damage later on. Trellises and climbing plant supports attached to walls can be a flashpoint for trouble if they work loose or plants aren’t secured, so take the time to secure them and stems that are hanging loose that could be damaged in heavy weather. Fasten any wind breaks you have around the garden too. We have a hazel hurdle to protect our greenhouse from the prevailing wind. The woven wood has plenty of gaps that diffuse the air rather than creating a solid barrier that forces the…

AHOY, me hearties! This week, I’ll be talking bilge! Well, hopefully not. You see, this Tuesday (19 September) is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, when landlubber romantics fantasise of a life somewhat more glamorous than the one they’re actually living. Most of us have heard of pirates from history, such as Blackbeard (real name Edward Teach), Henry Morgan or Mary Read. We’re also familiar with fictional pirates, like Jack Sparrow, Long John Silver and Captain Hook. Of course, I would never condone piracy, but I do think this day is a perfect excuse for us all to act daft, once a year. It also gives me the opportunity to take a look at the connections between pirates and… yes, gardening! There are a few! Piracy phrases! PIRATES, especially those…

THE time is here to start thinking about getting your pond ready for winter. It is a little early, still, to think about removing and cleaning the pump if you have one, and bagging up tender plants for overwintering, but there is still plenty to do over the next few weeks. I’m starting by cutting back the marginal plants that are past their best. It is important to remove them to stop dead and decaying plant material falling into the water and rotting. The dead, browning leaves of established lilies should also be fished out and composted. Remove blanket weed and excessive oxygenators that are crowding the surface. Leave them on the side for 48 hours afterwards so trapped creatures can escape back to the water. We don’t have ornamental…

Why have my dahlias failed to flower? Q This year my dahlias looked perfect, with large abundant blooms. I thought they were going to look amazing, but to my dismay all the blooms wilted and rotted away before they opened. Could you tell me what went wrong and how to prevent it from happening again? A. Hill, Northern Ireland A The usual reason for dahlias failing to open is heavy rain, which soaks petals and causes them to decay. Thankfully, it won’t affect your plants’ general health. Leave them for now and in late October or November, whenever their leaves are blackened by the first frosts, cut back the stems to 9in (23cm). If your soil is light and free-draining, and your garden sheltered and not prone to hard frosts…

No. 132 It’s time for our just-for-fun puzzle – AG’s Garden Wall. This wall comprises 12 bricks in three courses. Each brick has a different word, or phrase on it. The first brick in each course, with BLOCK capitals, is cemented in place and cannot be moved. Just rearrange all the other bricks, so that the four words in each course of bricks are linked. There are three different connections to look for, one for each course. You may find that some words have more than one connection to other courses, but there is just one correct answer. You’ll either find this puzzle fiendishly difficult, or incredibly easy! Answers below. Hint: In one of the courses, the bricks are all linked to pirates! Answers: HUNTER (actress) = Valance (singer and…

THERE are more than 7,000 wasp species in the UK, both solitary and social species. Many produce young that eat insects, caterpillars and spiders, keeping numbers at manageable levels. The adults do not live long, so do not need such protein, instead feeding any insects they catch to their young. Instead, they only feed on sugars from plants and any food they find at picnics or in bins. In accessing the nectar in plants, they also act as inadvertent pollinators, so they have an important role to play in our gardens. When wasps can a be a hazard Wasps sting when they feel threatened and to defend the nest, but in late summer and autumn they begin to indulge in sugary substances, including ripening fruit, that can affect them as…