Innholdsfortegnelse for 6-Jul-2024 i Amateur Gardening

I’ve always gardened organically, because that’s what always felt right to me. I grew up fascinated by the natural world and as an apparently moody teenager (as my mum likes to remind me) I was absolutely fascinated by wildlife. I remember being mesmerised by the tadpoles in my parents’ pond, watching them transform slowly but surely and emerge out of their aquatic nursery into the brave new world outside. I was always intrigued by the planet around me and how things worked on the ground, and that hasn’t changed at all up to this day. Call it a child-like enthusiasm, call it an over-inquisitive mind, call it what you will, for me a trip to the garage to get my car repaired means that I’ll walk away understanding about another…

How to water crops wisely, summer strawberries and making home-made organic fertiliser Lucy explains how to make the most of the next few weeks Be water-wise We’re highly aware these days of the weather. Frequent gluts and dearths of rainfall can have a huge impact on our plots, plants and yields, so how should we best deal with the corresponding uncertainty? I have a few ideas for you: 1. Mulching In times of drought a thick (4-5cm) layer of organic matter (be that garden compost, bark chips, leaf mould or well-rotted animal manure) helps lock soil moisture around crop roots. Ideally lay this in spring when earth is naturally damp. If you have to lay it now, thoroughly water dry soils beforehand. 2. Trenches Simply dig a 20-25cm deep gully…

At this time of year, our East Devon home attracts surprise visitors on their way back from Cornwall and other parts of the south west. These stopper-offers are always welcome, as they usually bring gifts of exciting foods and wines as inspiration for a good cook up. Now is the perfect time for gardeners to show off because we are gathering the fruits of our plotting, planning and hard work. There should be harvests of homegrown new potatoes, broad beans, peas, lettuce, herbs and enough soft fruits for a summer pudding or Eton mess, with meringues made from freshly laid eggs, for those who also keep chickens. I’ve been growing veg for so long now, the calendar for sowing our regular favourites is firmly lodged in my brain. As each…

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How to pot on a magnificent magnolia Q This spring I bought a Magnolia‘Susan’ but it is still in its original pot. I’d like to move it to another container, but I’m not sure how to go about it. What should I do? Thomas Standforth (via email) A I am delighted that you have purchased a Magnolia ‘Susan’. A commanding cross between M. acuminata and M. stellata ‘Rosea’, its reddish-purple blooms are captivating in late spring. Assuming that you wish to plant it in a pot or some other container, I urge you to set it in loam-based ericaceous compost taking care not to damage the roots as this can impact its flowering. Initially, cover the drainage hole with crocks or pea shingle, then add a few inches of potting…

Q Why does my compost heap have lots of fruit flies? A This is a sign that it’s too wet and is starting to ferment. You need to add more dry brown materials such as cardboard and dried plant stems. Q There are lots of weeds germinating in my compost! A Home compost heaps frequently don’t get hot enough to kill off weed seeds or perennial weed roots. Avoid putting these into your compost directly - you can drown weed roots for a few weeks in a bucket of water first. Q Why doesn’t the compost I make look like the stuff I buy? A ‘Potting compost’ that you buy should really be called ‘growing medium’ – it’s a specially formulated combination of materials such as wood fibre, green waste and…

More than two million tree seeds have been collected in Scotland as part of an initiative to restore the country’s native ancient woodlands and temperate rainforests. The three-year scheme, led by Trees for Life and Woodland Trust Scotland, aims to forage for native tree seeds and grow them on as part of a reforestry campaign. More than 80 volunteers have collected 2.2 million seeds since last August, enabling 1.5 million trees to be grown for rewilding across Scotland. Many of the tree species have unique genetics, dating back to the end of the last Ice Age, which need preserving. With the trees often in remote locations, the new network of volunteer seed collectors is creating access to local woods and local knowledge. Roz Birch, the Tree Seed Collection Project’s volunteer…

Golden rules for containers Chris Collins offers his top tips for gardening in pots this summer Flowers, food and wildlife can flourish in a container garden - especially if you stick to some of my golden rules. Unlike a conventional garden planted directly into the soil, container plants will rely on you for all their needs. The first job is to get the watering right, and I would argue it’s the most skilful job a gardener can do. Timing is important: the coolness of early morning or early evening will have the most beneficial impact as you’ll reduce the amount of water lost to transpiration. Drip trays at the base of your pots will catch water and aid supply. Most importantly, however, is the relationship you build with your container…

Perfumed leaves are a real treat for the nose I think there is nothing nicer than a stroll through a garden, whether it’s my own or one I am visiting. Wherever I might be, you can guarantee the experience is made even better when there is fragrance floating in the air and I especially like plants that generously release their fragrance when brushed against as you walk past. Most of the plants on my recommended list are prolific growers and can outgrow their allotted space quite quickly. Where space is limited, grow them in pots and lift the pots off the ground on a regular basis, to ensure that the roots haven’t passed through the holes in the base of the pot to escape into your garden beds. I grow…

Delve into daffodils SAVE 10% ▪ Among the most recognisable and much-loved spring flowers, their reliable performance along with resilient and perennial nature means they certainly have a lot going for them. Planting a combination of early, mid and late flowering varieties means you’ll enjoy a dashing daffodil display all through spring. Choose from our huge range daffodil varieties and save 10% on your order with offer code AG10. farmergracy.co.uk @farmergracy…

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As we drift into midsummer, the plants and our team are adjusting to a slightly slower pace, less frantic than late spring and early summer when keeping up with the garden’s rate of growth seemed almost impossible! There are many treasures still to look forward to, including the distinctive flowers of eryngium (sea holly); sculptural and dramatic among contrasting colours and textures, especially soft, tactile grasses such as Stipa tenuissima. Eryngium encompasses a diverse range of plants with more than 250 species throughout the world. Found growing throughout our garden, but always in a position offering full sun, the individual flowers are small but arranged in tight cone-like or rounded heads and often surrounded by spiny colourful bracts enhancing their beauty. The foliage, although at times spiny, can be deeply…

Which products, or projects would you like Adam to cover and trial in his column? Please contact editor@amateurgardening.com with suggestions. The broad range of tools available to buy means that it can be tricky to know what you actually need and what you don’t. The choice can be a little overwhelming. Truth be told, you can get by with the simplest of tools to begin with, but once you are truly smitten with the gardening ‘bug’ it’s nice to be able to have a few more trusty tools to hand. Here are five of my all-time favourites to help you on your way. A trusty trowel You won’t get very far without a trowel – the absolute backbone of most of your planting out efforts. A hand trowel will serve…

Your lovely letters, emails and social media posts continue to flow in beautifully. 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 and we have also started a new Instagram account @amateurgardeningofficial. We hope to see you there. Ideas and a question Dear AG I’m emailing to make a couple of suggestions as to topics I would be interested in, but would like to start by saying how pleased I was to see AG saved and also to see articles by Toby Buckland returning. The two…

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My motto ‘never say never’ might make it difficult to tell people my motto (jokes!) but it does come in handy for planting in the height of summer. When the July sun (we hope) beats down, the red soil in my garden resembles the hard, dry surface of Mars and for unestablished plants it’s almost as inhospitable. But there is one place that’s even worse… ‘death row’ aka the step outside the greenhouse/kitchen door. Whether bought at a plant fair, gifted from a friend or the result of a daring rescue mission from the bargain supermarket trolley, you’re not alone if you keep new acquisitions waiting on the step while space is made in the garden. This is normal. It can take a lot of looking to find just the…

Wasps are a gardener’s ally early in the year and incredibly useful predators and pollinators feeding countless insects to their young, and helping our crops grow forth. But as colonies mature the need for fresh meat reduces and they want more sugary fuel. Thus wasps seldom bother our strawberries and early ripening fruits, but later in the season can make a beeline for our apples and plums. It’s a tricky conundrum as we need wasps next year, yet we also want to be able to harvest our lovely home-grown fruits as well. What is an organic gardener to do? Front line fruit protection Netting is the answer, physically keep them off with fine mesh net (re-purposed nylon net curtains are free). Ideally, this netting is sown into bags and slipped…

As well as being a fortnightly columnist for AG, Chris Collins is well known for being the head of horticulture at the charity Garden Organic and a former Blue Peter gardener. He has now been recognised for his long-standing achievements by being named a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture and been conferred with fellowship of the City & Guilds Institute. Chris, who writes AG’s Small Space, Big Ideas page, said: After an incredible 40 years in horticulture, much of which I never dreamed would happen, it is a massive honour to be recognised by my peers with these awards. “Horticulture is such an amazing and important subject, a real force for good on both a personal and social level and I’m proud to be a part of it.”…

Essential rose care tips for the summer Keep your roses in top condition for prolonged flowering, says Ruth Thanks to all the rain that fell in spring and early summer - which we may have not appreciated - it’s been a good year for the roses. Ours are putting on their best show for years and I have been busily going round feeding, deadheading and making sure they stay in good condition all summer. We had to take some urgent remedial action with our two climbing roses as their bases had become rather congested with weeds (I swear they sneaked in overnight when my back was turned), which the roses didn’t take kindly to. But once the unwanted plants were cleared away and the roses fed and watered with proprietary…

The Met Office has ruined my year, with an announcement that this is going to be a very wet summer leading to fears of further flooding in the UK and dashing any hopes of a period of warmth. The Met Office apparently back-tracked the next day, refusing to be quite so specific, adding to my general confusion. Gardeners are at the sharp end of the weather and the RHS Chelsea Flower Show didn’t help to clear my mind. Tom Massey and Je Ahn were storing water in their Water Aid Garden, ready for hot, dry summers. Naomi Slade and Ed Barsley designed a Flood Resilient Garden, that managed water in various ways to prevent flooding. I’m reminded of Tiger Woods’ famous saying. “It is what it is.” We will have…

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The wonders of Wimbledon! It’s Wimbledon fortnight (from 1-14 July), but did you realise that without gardeners, plant growers and greens-keepers, the event just wouldn’t be the same. Just think of the grass courts, the thousands of strawberries that are synonymous with this global tennis tournament, all the floral displays, and then there’s that amazing climbing creeper that covers the famous Centre Court! Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam event that has a day free-of-play right in the middle. It’s not just to have a day off, or to keep a Sunday free for religious reasons. It is simply to give the courts ‘a breather’. This is the only opportunity the groundsmen have to properly irrigate the courts in readiness for the second week. It’s all about the grass. Wow!…

You can call me thrifty, frugal or penny-pinching over the way I try and grow everything from seed, but the truth is also that I do not embrace spending a fortune on plants imported from abroad to create a ‘quick fix’ garden. I simply can’t ignore the impact such a form of gardening is having on climate change. Also I think raising, where you can, plants from seed provides more hands-on learning when it comes to the growing of vegetables, fruit and flowers, as well as a living, breathing eco-system on your back doorstep. There’s the real wow. My first ever ‘wow moment’ was the time I decided to grow rhubarb from seed. Though Carol, my wife, is not a fan of rhubarb, I love it as a dessert and…

Increase your houseplant stocks for free Taking streptocarpus leaf cuttings is easy to do Is it too early to be thinking about Christmas? Possibly not if you’re considering giving plants as gifts. For the right person plants make great prezzies, whether they are for the house or garden, but as prices go through the roof, we have to start thinking outside the (beautifully wrapped) box. I love houseplants, especially those that often flower through the winter months, so this week I’ve been taking leaf cuttings from a pot-bound streptocarpus (which I also repotted). Summer is a great time for taking cuttings because the plants are growing well and if you use healthy new growths your cuttings should thrive. Streptocarpus and African violets are some of the easiest plants to propagate…

Your plant recommendations from expert plantsman, Michael. Each year in the middle of June, there is a week in the Netherlands and Germany when most of the large breeding houses open their glasshouses for visitors, and this is where you can find more plants than you could ever plant into your garden. It’s called the FlowerTrials, and it’s such a special week, full of new ideas, and rediscoveries. This issue I’m sharing some of my favourite findings with you from the 2024 trails. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to find any of these beauties in the garden centres yet, but keep your eyes peeled, they are likely on their way soon! New Anigozanthus series (kangaroo paw) This intriguing plant is one that we might be seeing more of, as it…

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