Innholdsfortegnelse for 17-Feb-2024 i Amateur Gardening

As I was settling myself down to write my pages for this issue I glanced out of the window into the back garden and was astonished, and not a little outraged, to see a mound of freshly dug soil increasing in size on the lawn. Yes, the mole is back after several months’ absence, and what are we going to do about it? Late winter and early spring is the key season for mole activity in our gardens because this is when they are making their tunnels, mating and breeding. While the molehills they create are something of an eyesore, they have wider implications for the garden and for gardeners. The subterranean channels dug by the moles can disturb bulbs and also plant roots. We have also found that tunnels…

Are you gazing at a vast pile of seed packets, eagerly waiting to rip them open and get your 2024 veg growing season off to a flying start? Me, too! As tempting as it is to sow in earnest now, some cold-sensitive crops will fare better if left in their packets until April, or even May. However, many aren’t so delicate so here’s the green light to start them off, now. Here’s what can be sown now I sow celeriac and parsley, in mid February (celery, too). These slow-to-grow crops appreciate a long season. Beetroot, annual spinach, ‘Little Gem’ and ‘Tom Thumb’ lettuces, turnips, American land cress, mustard, kohl rabi, Texsel greens and mizuna are all hardy edibles that I start off now, in modules. These can then be planted…

You could buy ‘slips’ (which are rooted cuttings) but they’re seldom available for some months, by which time too much of the growing season has passed. You see sweet potatoes need a long growing period to make a really good crop, so the sooner you start, the better. Unfortunately, you can’t plant sweet potatoes like ordinary potatoes, they need more warmth and the roots would otherwise just rot. Instead, bury a middling-sized supermarket specimen in a tall pot of slightly moist, gritty compost, cover with a plastic bag and keep really warm. An airing cupboard is perfect. Keep an eye on it, and when shoots appear above the compost tip, then it’s time to carefully have a look. Your tuber will have sprouted wee shoots which will have small roots…

An exciting new growing season is just around the corner, so over the past few days (when it hasn’t been raining or freezing cold) I’ve been wandering around my own garden, looking, thinking and realising that some of the borders are calling out for a much needed overhaul, some rejuvenation, or an entire horticultural facelift. I’ve also been thinking about the future of my garden. I want to design and plant borders that will be more resilient to our ever-changing climate, better able to cope with hot, dry summers and wet, milder or cold winters. Maybe, like me, you’ve identified a tired or neglected area of your garden in need of a shake up, or perhaps somewhere you can create a brand-new border to add a splash of colour and…

Plastic is too easy to use. There, I said it. You can drop a plastic plant pot and it will usually survive. I have accidentally buried several, I have flattened them with my big feet, backside and on one occasion, my car. I drove for over a mile thinking the exhaust had come off only to pull over and find an orange pot wedged under the car, sadly minus the clematis it originally held. But then there was the time I dropped a large terracotta pot in a house move. That was 14 years ago, and the memory still makes me wince. Plastic lasts for decades The first winter in this garden I lost several terracotta pots to harsh frosts. I wept and whipped myself with the bubble wrap I…

I’ve been gardening on a six-by-two metre balcony in London for seven years so I know what can be achieved in a small growing space. And let me tell you, it’s plenty! My passion for balcony, roof, and small-space gardening comes from the five years I lived and worked in Tokyo, creating British-style gardens. Not only can small gardens provide flowers, veg and herbs, they can even include small trees and lots of habitats for wildlife. The smaller the space, the more important it is to map your plan on paper, and thinking of your garden as a cube will hugely increase the space you’ve got to play with. Walls, fences and railings can be used as growing spaces and you can upcycle obelisks, arches and shelving. After all, who…

In the depths of winter we’re not necessarily as busy as we are in the other months, but there is one thing that I’ll always prioritise in our garden – looking after the birds. I love watching them feed and flutter about. Selecting which food to use can be a minefield but help is here. Thankfully the range from Peckish offers an array of different mixes, suet pellets, mealworms and so much more. If you’ve already got feeders then one of their seed mixes is perfect to keep them topped up, but Peckish also supplies a choice of pre-filled feeders to hang up as they come. Both the Complete and Natural Balance mixes are also packaged in 100% recyclable paper that will be collected at the kerbside. See peckishbirdfood.com from…

Your plant recommendations from expert plantsman, Michael. The moment the snowdrops start to push through, I know the year is really getting going, a snowy-white frosting of Galanthus gives us the lift we need in the depths of winter. Get in closer and you might even find a sweet honey fragrance too, a further delight for the senses. Galanthophiles have become better known in recent years, and prices of specialist snowdrops have rocketed as collectors trade precious cultivars. Prices of £500 upwards - for a single plant - are not unheard of. However, there are still plenty of reasonably priced, and quirky, cultivars within reach of every gardener. It’s often thought that snowdrops establish much better when planted ‘in the green’, when in full active growth. Working with a dry…

In the last couple of weeks, I’ve put those winter jobs, such as leaf picking and pruning, behind me. Now I’m admiring the first flowers of the year. Snowdrops are everywhere, of course, and many of mine are tucked under my roses. Cyclamen coum is in full flow all along my front path, in one of the sunniest positions in the garden. The rounded foliage and jaunty flowers welcome me home, along with the scent of Sarcococca confusa. Crocus tommasinianus is taking over my main bulb lawn, along with patches of winter aconites also called Eranthis hyemalis. The combination of yellow and purple is heart warming on a chilly February day. Both of these bulbous plants spread by setting seeds, but they only do so if they can attract a…

Right now, gardens up and down the land are filled with the little smiling faces of winter pansies and violas. Their bold, cheerful, multi-coloured, easy-to-grow flowers brighten up front porches, flowerbeds, doorstep pots, winter baskets and windowboxes. And don’t forget, there are spring, summer and even autumn versions of these fantastic plants, too. What’s the difference between pansies and violas? All pansies (as well as violets) are forms of viola. In fact, all of the pansies you buy from garden centres or mail order suppliers generally derive from the one garden plant, Viola × wittrockiana. During the 1800s this was bred with other species, predominately ‘heartsease’ or wild pansy (V. tricolor), and by the start of the 20th century, at least 400 named varieties were in existence as the result.…

I confess to being one of those gardeners who sows a seed and then comes back to check on it half an hour later. Did it sprout yet? Logically, I know that it did not, but the excited and child-like gardener in me is desperate to see those first little shoots curling up from the soil’s surface, especially this time of year. There is something truly magical about turning a tiny seed into a beautiful plant, but some of you will be going into the new season with some trepidation. Peat-free compost has changed the game when it comes to seedling care. We have become so accustomed to the ease of using peat that we have forgotten the art of raising seedlings in peat-free compost, as our grandparents would have…

We’ve all been there; the excitement of spotting a flower on one of your cucumber, courgette or pumpkin plants, only to find that the tiny fruit behind it is beginning to rot, rather than swell. Or your tomatoes put out an enormous truss of flowers, and the ensuing crop is nothing by comparison. This is due to a lack of pollination. It’s a frustrating problem and can occur more often in a polytunnel than outside. Why is this? It is often the case that bees, wasps, hoverflies, and other pollinators simply have a harder time getting into a polytunnel. Drawing them in to your precious undercover growing space is however easy, fun, and incredibly colourful! Firstly, we must leave polytunnel doors open during the day (and during summer also, overnight)…

Your lovely letters, emails and social media posts continue to flow in beautifully. I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying receiving them. Every message, poem, idea and comment matters. Please keep them coming. We will send out a thank you gift for every item published in the magazine so do please send your address and contact details when you get in touch. The Facebook account for Amateur Gardening magazine is now up and running again so we hope to see you there. Gardening from a young age Hi, I really enjoy reading your magazine. I was sad when you announced it was being discontinued. What a lovely surprise to see it back on the shelf. I run a Gardening Eco club at school, maybe you could include ideas for…

1 If you planted new apple or pear trees this winter, now is a great time to prune them, to establish the initial shape that you’re after. Wait to prune new cherries and plums until late spring. 2 Fancy planting something a little different this spring? Why not order some Chinese artichoke (Stachys affinis) tubers? Your autumn harvests will be abundant, mild and crunchy. 3 Forgot to plant any autumn garlic? Don’t fret – just buy some stock to plant this, or early next month. Yields are frequently smaller than autumn plantings, but at least you’ll have some. 4 Cooking apples should still be happy in storage, but larger-fruited types can develop bitter pit (brown spots in the skin) as they age. The fruits will be edible but use them up quickly. 5 Owners of…

A song thrush starts the dawn chorus, the drumming of a woodpecker echoes from the copse and spring is just around the corner. As the growing season swings into action, I’ve already sown broad beans, salad leaves, parsley, beetroot and chard in a cold frame, with peas next on the list. You might ask ‘why bother? to grow shelling peas when they are easy and nutritious to buy frozen. Peas are beautiful plants, delicious eaten raw straight from the pod and the many different cultivars vary in taste and texture. Shelling a colander of peas is a perfect antidote to life in the fast lane. Recently on Gardeners’ Question Time, I was on the panel when the topic of hot beds cropped up. I know the theory of these heat-releasing…

The language of flowers ■ In homage to St Valentine’s Day (14 February), let’s take a look at the 1000-year-old language of flowers, particularly as it relates to affairs of the heart. China rose Grace and beauty, ever fresh Honeysuckle Generous and devoted affection Lilac First love Moss rose Voluptuous love Snowdrop Hope Stock Lasting beauty Tulip (red) I love you Veronica Fidelity White rose bud Too young to love Wreath of roses Beauty and virtue rewarded Wow! I didn’t know that… ■ Until the early years of the 20th century, tomatoes were generally referred to as ‘love apples.’ It was thought by many that, because of their heart shape, tomatoes were an aphrodisiac. ■ Most of the red roses we buy for our loved ones at this time of…

To get the best from your soil throughout the coming year, you need to start preparing it now, warming, feeding and weeding so when the temperature rises and it’s time to sow and plant, you are ready and raring to go. Another important task for now is testing your soil, and this is especially important if you are in a new house and aren’t sure what sort of soil you have. Testing the nutrient and pH values of soil is the easiest way to garden well and save money by buying plants that will thrive. Conversely, you won’t get the best from your plants, even if you lavish them with all the fertilisers and care in the world, if they are not happy where their roots are growing. Over the…

How do I care for my bonsai? Q I have grown these bonsai from seeds. They are 4in (10cm) tall. Could you advise me which compost to use and what size pot to transplant them into? When should I transplant them and when should I feed them? Also, how much watering do they require? G Boldero, Pontypridd, Wales A Well done! Your seedlings appear to be those of European larch (Larix decidua). Ideally, in April, transfer them to specially fired shallow bonsai pots, 6in/15cm in diameter, setting them in a compost mix, by volume, of 3 parts Akadama (hard-baked Japanese clay granules), 3 parts pumice and 3 parts lava rock. Porous compost and good drainage are vital for strong growth. Initially, when your plants are 6in/15cm tall, behead them to…

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My husband is a primary school teacher so we have to take holidays outside of term time. For us in Essex, we finish for the half term on February 16, and are going away for the week - it’s a much needed break for the children and teachers. I’ve found that this week can mark the transition between the end of the worst of winter and the start of spring - well, fingers crossed anyway! The evenings grow lighter as the short month of February trips into March and in theory, this could be our busiest month for selling plants. As all gardeners know, we are at the mercy of the weather and as we have quickly learned, we need to be able to adapt to its demands. So if…