Innholdsfortegnelse for 18-Nov-2023 i Amateur Gardening

Like many others I read with a heavy heart news reports of AG’s closure in September. The story resulted in a flurry of national press attention and an outpouring of grief, love and nostalgia for the world’s oldest gardening magazine. It was incredibly moving and sad in equal measure. Thankfully the high profile media coverage also caught the attention of Kelsey Media, one of the fastest growing, independently owned media businesses in the UK and they purchased the magazine from Future plc soon after, thereby ensuring the magazine’s continued publication. AG is an iconic gem of a magazine and it is an honour to take on the role of 12th editor. To help Kelsey Media lead the publication into its 140th year and beyond. We are living through such stressful…

A mateur Gardening magazine’s long been part of my life, as reader then contributor. I’m so relieved it is saved. The magazine is such a unique source of ideas and inspiration. A clue to the values is hidden in the name; Amateur Gardening. It is not in any sense ‘amateurish’, it is just non-professional gardening. For the people and not to please some business or owner. You see we’re gardening entirely because we want to, for our own good reasons and pleasure, so we can have our gardens just as we want (well that’s our aim anyway). Freedom to garden To experiment, to try unusual crops or flowers, even to get things wrong and then observe what happens. “A clue to the values is hidden in the name; Amateur gardening. It…

News of the magazine’s closure in September The story resulted in a flurry of media attention with coverage across many of the national press and BBC broadcast channels. Even gardener and broadcaster, Alan Titchmarsh stepped in to express his sadness at news of the magazine’s closure. As a former deputy editor of Amateur Gardening magazine, Alan explained how he had read the magazine since childhood in Ilkley, West Yorkshire. “It will always hold a special place in my affections” Alan was quoted as saying. Readers far and wide got in touch to express their grief. As former AG editor, Garry Coward-Williams explains;” When I had the unenviable task of announcing that Amateur Gardening would cease publication I got literally hundreds of emails, letters and phone calls from readers who could…

‘Swiss cheese’ plant - Monstera deliciosa A statement plant that’s great for beginners Monstera delicosa is one of the most sought-after and talked-about houseplants of the last 70 years. It is an emblem for all things exotic, earning its title of ‘charismatic megaflora’, a select group of huge species including the giant redwood. The difference is that Monstera is the charismatic megaflora you can grow easily at home. The ‘Swiss cheese’ plant is supremely adaptable: it can grow as a terrestrial plant with its roots in the soil at ground level, live as a lithophyte anchored to rocks, or as a hemiepiphyte, starting off at ground level then climbing trees, or vice versa. However and wherever it grows, if a Monstera can access enough light, space and water, it will…

Thrifty tips Help us make your money go further in the garden Times are hard, with no apparent sign of getting better, and here at AG we’re watching our pennies just like you, our dear readers. Like everything else, gardening isn’t getting any cheaper, and a hobby that should provide a blissful escape from the cares of the ‘real world’ is slowly becoming one of the financial worries we share. Yet this need not be the case and Amateur Gardening is continuing with its campaign to bring you the best financial gardening advice and tips, along with practical help. I suspect I speak for all of us when I say that I am increasingly shocked by the rising cost of everything and look for discounts wherever I can. Finding a…

How do I care for my hellebores? Q Last spring I planted some Christmas roses (Helleborus niger). I love them but have never grown them before. What should I do to get a wonderful display this winter? A Provided you have looked after them – watering in dry spells and feeding monthly with a balanced fertiliser - these hardy heroes should thrive and delight you with their creamy-white blooms. Thereafter, monthly from April to September, feed them with sulphate of potash which is quickly leached from the soil. This fertiliser also boosts resistance to adverse conditions and disease. Sprinkle it over the root area and water it in. Additionally, mulch plants with moisture-conserving well-rotted garden compost or composted manure available from garden centres. In our opinion, the finest form of…

COMPOST CONUNDRUM Here’s an autumnal question often asked: Q. If plant waste material (such as leaves, stems and roots) decomposes over time, why shouldn’t we put it in our rubbish bins that go to landfill sites? A. When general rubbish goes to landfill, air cannot get in to any of the organic elements mixed in with it. So, as this waste breaks down, harmful methane is created – a greenhouse gas that damages the atmosphere. However, when this organic waste is composted above-ground, oxygen helps it to decompose with hardly any methane produced – good news for the planet. Even better, after 9-12 months, you get a free fertiliser for your garden! This fortnight in gardening history 14 – 27 NOVEMBER ■ 14 Nov 1840 French impressionist painter Claude Monet was…

Cyclamens the cool season plant I do love a cool season plant. I know that some of us like to be patient, as our begonias and pelargoniums squeeze out those late season blooms. But, I am ruthless with my plants-I’d rather be enhancing my compost heap than be looking at a patio display limping to the finishing line. So, I always make sure I have some cyclamens lined up to slot into what I call ‘the cool season’, late September to November. Anyway, for my first Inspo column for Amateur Gardening, I’m going to give you some insight into some new cyclamen breeding, which mostly occurs in France, at the breeding location of experts, Morel Diffusion. But first, let’s get this straight, cyclamens do not like having a wet bum.…

Here in autumnal East Devon, our apple trees have been weighed down by an impressive crop of fruit. Yet speaking to gardeners in other parts of the country, it seems they have not been equally blessed. Variations like this are usually down to weather. Only a few varieties are self-fertile, meaning they can set fruit on their own but even these benefit from a pollinating partner. When the trees are in blossom, pleasant sunny weather as opposed to frost, wind and rain means there will be plenty of bees and other insects on the wing to carry pollen from one tree to another. An absence of heavy frost at this crucial time, and drying winds mean that pollen tubes can grow down towards the ovaries for successful fertilization and fruit…

Welcome back dear readers! It is so good to see you. I’m of an age when my post box gets full of letters about retirement developments, adjustable reading lamps for the myopic, affordable funeral plans and medical recommendations for dementia. They all get flung into the recycling bin, after I’ve muttered a few choice words, for life carries on at Spring Cottage in the wonderfully named village of Cold Aston, high in the Cotswolds. “If you want to help wildlife - putting the garden to bed isn’t the way to go” The weekly visit to the local supermarket supplements the food in my store cupboard, the freezer and on the veg plots. The supermarket I use is burgeoning at this time of year because Christmas (sorry to mention that before…

“Try to avoid using chemicals to beat pests and weeds. As we all know, insecticides are there to kill.” In 2012, gardening expert Sarah Raven hosted popular BBC series ‘Bees, Butterflies, and Blooms’ exploring the decline of Britain’s most cherished pollinators and what we can do to protect them. Since then, she and her husband Adam, have been on a journey to increase biodiversity in their own garden at Perch Hill, and encourage others to do the same in theirs. According to WWF’s latest Living Planet Report, global wildlife populations have plummeted by 69% on average since 1970. In a mission to encourage small actions to combat this global challenge, Sarah and Adam have compiled their top 10 things gardeners can do to encourage biodiversity and natural life to thrive…

Get the garden winter-ready Autumn’s conditions are ideal for tending grass, says Ruth How on earth did we get to mid-November so quickly? I’m sure that the last time I looked it was the middle of September and we were basking in a beautiful Indian summer, the garden flourishing and soaking up the last of the late warmth. It feels like ‘proper’ autumn snuck up, and caught us unawares, thanks to the smattering of warm days and generally mild temperatures that persisted until the end of October. So there are jobs to be done before we tuck up the garden for winter - though anyone who thinks that this is an ‘easy season’ for gardeners should think again because there is a lot to do throughout the darkest months and…

Even the most bah humbugged of gardeners cannot now deny that Christmas is just around the corner. While for many that means gift buying and searching the loft for the decorations, for us gardeners it also spells a significant drop in outdoor temperatures (especially come January). Protecting greenhouse plants If you have moved your tender edibles (e.g. gingers, feijoas, pomegranates) into your glasshouse, be sure now to add bubble plastic insulation to it. Cut it to fit each ‘window’ then fix in place using special fixing clips (available online). The warmest spot in a glasshouse is in its centre, up off the floor. Place tender plants on staging and keep the compost just moist, not soggy. An extra wrapping of heavy-duty (30gsm) horticultural fleece will help get plants through very…

Autumn can be something of a forgotten season in the garden with attention focussed more on bulb planting for glorious spring displays or planting to improve the following summer. But, with a little planning, autumn can be one of the most colourful and exciting times of all. Here’s how I’m able to bring colour to my garden at St Timothee in Berkshire right through the season One: Dial up reds and yellows When I think of autumn, I think of walks in woods and of yellows, oranges, reds and browns – but rich, warm and mellow so more saffron, sienna, crimson and russet. These are the colours I try to include in my planting. There are usually plenty of browns from decaying perennials and lots of green from the grass…

It’s that time of year when shelves in our garden centres are full of impressive bulb selections. It is so tempting as arguably no spring garden display is complete without the majestic tulip. But there is one fly in the ointment looming large – climate change. Just this last year we’ve had a wet winter, a very cold snap, the warmest June on record followed by a pretty wash out summer, then heat, storms and much topsy-turvy weather besides. None of it is good news for the tulip as they need more reliable winter cold spells to truly grow and flourish. One of the world’s best known tulip gardens, Keukenhof in Holland, is already experiencing problems. They need their displays to be ready from March on, and in order to…

“Whether frost hardened or covered by a blanket of snow, kale leaves always bounce back and as long as you don’t take too many leaves at a time, you can harvest right up until late March.” Kale I grow a lot of brassicas – a vegetable family that includes cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and purple sprouting broccoli – but if I had to choose just one it would be kale. This undemanding vegetable, which grows on my plot for a full 10 months of the year, withstands everything the weather can throw at it, including wet soil in winter. What’s not to love? I’ve grown several kale varieties, from dwarf ‘Red Ruble’ with serrated red foliage that is excellent in salads, to ‘Dazzling Blue’ with blue green crinkled leaves. However, top…

“I am loving Country Smallholder, which is just getting better and better!”Barbara Le Gallez, Reader SAVE UP TO 48%* ■ Never miss an issue ■ Delivery direct to your door ■ Receive our bi-monthly e-newsletter 3 EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE 1. Online at shop.kelsey.co.uk/CSHAD 2. Call 01959 543 747 and quote ‘CSHAD’ 3. Scan the QR Code *UK Direct debit offer only. Savings based on the standard basic annual rate of £100.62 which includes the cover price of £4.99 plus Kelsey Media’s standard postage and packing price per single issue for one full year (13 issues). You will pay £51.90 per year. Offer ends 31st December 2023. Your subscription will start with the next available issue and you will receive 13 issues in a year. Prices correct at time of…

“I was so sorry to hear of the demise of Amateur Gardening on BBC news. It is definitely the most helpful and insightful of the gardening magazines and will greatly missed.” Best regards, Phil Johnson “Hello all at Amateur Gardening. Just heard the bad news that your magazine is to go for good. I have been reading your magazine since the 1980s. You have helped me in so many ways. Thank you so much for your great tips and help.” Yours Pam Steel “I just cannot believe what I am hearing and reading that the magazine which has been giving wonderful practical advice and information for 139 years is now going to cease. It is in my opinion the best gardening magazine on the market and at this moment I…

Ecological thinking Julia Boulton introduces her new column Welcome to our new Amateur Gardening column, we’re very excited to be here! Since 2007, I have worked within my grandma’s business. Firstly from a distance (I grew up and lived in the Midlands), and later moving here to Essex in 2013 with my husband, Ian and children, Ned and Eleanor, to work full time at the Gardens. What an absolute privilege that has been. During that period, Beth and I were able to spend a great deal of time together which enabled me to get to the fundamentals of her and Andrew’s ethos and make sure that this was integral to the business. In 2018, Beth passed away peacefully in her home within her beloved garden, and I like to think…