Innholdsfortegnelse for 8-Feb-2025 i Amateur Gardening

The ability to nurture and grow with our gardens, with plants, with green spaces and the wildlife living within, never gets boring. Especially not if we make time to put down any exacting must-do lists and look, listen and learn from the natural world around us. As well as providing us with lots of beautiful blooms, luscious leaves and edibles to bring to the table, gardens and gardening offer us space to be. They afford an opportunity to switch off from the world around and be at peace in the here and now, in what we see around us. As proud custodians of our own little spaces we have the ability to create radiance and resilience within them and ourselves. Reaching out to others can also take gardening onto new…

with AG’s gardening expert Ruth Hayes When I was 10, my dad took me to see the hottest new film on the block - Star Wars. Even though I was still too young to fully appreciate the charms of a young Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford, it still blew me away and over the years I have remained a fan of (most of) the series. Now, of course, that famous first film (still the best of the bunch in my book) has been renamed as Star Wars - A New Hope and I always think that the second part of the name chimes well with this month of February. Because just look around you! Everything is starting to bustle and get busy; the birds are pairing off and claiming their…

Brace yourself Instagrammers, the forced rhubarb reveals will soon be upon us! And who can fail to be impressed by videos unveiling hot pink stems topped with sulphur-yellow leaves? It all does look very pretty. But, most importantly, forced plants taste utterly scrumptious, so how do you go about it if you’ve not tried forcing before, and is rhubarb the only crop you can force? Luckily, no. Perennial edibles are undergoing a revival, and many can easily be forced. Every year I force seakale now, and can testify that it is truly delicious. Globe artichokes, asparagus, sorrel, chicory, lovage and dandelions (yes, dandelions!) all produce incredibly tasty forced shoots. The flavours are milder and sweeter than the unforced edible, and the texture is nonfibrous and tender. So, how is forcing…

Looking for a low-maintenance plant? Brunnera is a brilliant choice for a shady spot. Resistant to any major pests and diseases, it’s a perfect alternative to hostas if you are plagued by slugs and snails in your garden. There are three species, mostly derived from Brunnera macrophylla (meaning ‘large-leaved’). Known as the great forget-me-not or Siberian bugloss, it thrives in shady spots but can handle some dryness - just avoid full sun to prevent scorching. During April and May, blue or white flowers appear alongside heart-shaped leaves which come in beautiful forms, including silver to cream variegations and spotted patterns. For a second flush of foliage and, hopefully, flowers in autumn, cut back when flowering has finished in late spring/early summer. Wildlife credentials with our Dr Chris Gibson The flowers…

Winter bites, but long before we hung up our secateurs and headed for the fireside, the gardeners of the past turned to fresh manure in the cold months in order to extend the growing season. The hotbed has a long history, going as far back as when the Romans were here, and was especially popular in the 17th century when estate and market gardeners wanted to bring out-of-season crops to the dinner table. The idea of eating strawberries in the depths of winter may diminish our eco-credentials today, when much of our fresh fruit and veg is imported and stacked high in supermarkets when it ‘shouldn’t’ be, but the race for growing out-of-season produce is actually more than 2,000 years old and something that many of us can do without…

Winter can be cold, wet and grey, with the wish that spring would arrive sooner rather than later in many of our minds. Hoping for spring is important, and natural, but winter will seem so much longer if we are unable to embrace it as it is. Without winter, our landscapes would be very different and the impact on ecosystems would be huge. We can learn a great deal from the flora and fauna around us - how to flow with the seasons, how to be patient and persevere and, importantly, how living in the present moment brings a great sense of connection both with nature and ourselves. We know the daffodils will soon bloom and the birds will nest again, but in the meantime, I recommend trying to ‘be’…

The Garden Winter touched me today, rendering me stilled and quieterfor a time; less productive, less growth, less greening And as the sun rose, dimly warm and gently glowing, itsmisted orange fire alight but with its power fading, winterheld me close and tight, its chill embrace invading everystone, every blade of grass while I watched with dyingeyes as my former glory passed The red, the green, the gold were turning brown and oldand seared, and with frost upon my body, I now knew thatdeath was near. I passed peacefully away and the branches of the treestanding in its quiet corner bent to cover me and shed awinding sheet of leaves upon my earth, while its buds androots silently awaited rebirth The robin sings a requiem mass for me The hedgehog…

5 Feb: Elworthy Cottage Snowdrop Garden Opening: Elworthy Cottage, Elworthy, Taunton, Somerset. TA4 3PX. 11am-4.30pm. 7-9 Feb: Wye Valley Sculpture Garden Snowdrop Days, The Wye Valley Sculpture Garden, The Nurtons, Tintern, Brockweir, Monmouthshire, NP16 7NX. 1-4pm. 8 Feb: The West Yorkshire Organic Group Potato Day, Exhibition Building, Shipley College, Exhibition Road, Saltaire, BD18 3JW. Tubers 20p each, bring a bag. 10am-2pm. 8-9 Feb: Colesbourne Park Snowdrop Gardens Open Day, Colesbourne Park, Colesbourne, Near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL53 9NP. 1-4pm. 8 Feb: Kenilworth Potato Day & Seed Swap, Large Church Hall at St John the Evangelist, 205 Warwick Road, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, West Midlands, CV8 1HY. 10am-2pm. 8 Feb: South East Essex Organic Gardeners’ Potato Day, Trust Links House, College Gardens, Rochford, Essex, SS4 1YL. 11am-2pm. 8 Feb: East Anglia Potato Day, Suffolk Rural…

Your plant recommendations from expert plantsman, Michael. Did you know that autumn and winter are often the best planting season? As long as the ground isn’t wet or waterlogged, you can actually pull your gloves on, and get planting. Bare-root plants offer amazing value, as you’re basically buying just the raw material of the plant. It won’t come with a fancy pot, or even any compost, you simply get the root of the plant. But, it is THE BEST way to establish new plants in your garden, as you’re basically planting them whilst they’re asleep, in their dormant winter season. Come the spring, they will, of course, spring into life! And, those plants will be way ahead of anything you end up planting later in the spring or even in…

The apple is a quintessential fruit, only rivalled by the strawberry in terms of recognition and usage in the UK. Yet the origins of this British stalwart are far away in Kazakhstan – and it was the Romans who first introduced apple trees to our shores. Since then, more than 2,000 varieties of this amazing plant have been bred and grown. Many of these are of a heritage nature, making them an important genetic database and a symbol of the truly international nature of horticulture and plant growing. If you can only garden in a restricted space, the possibility of growing your own fresh organic apples probably feels out of reach - but I’m glad to tell you this is not the case. Dwarf apples will happily thrive in a…

Which products or projects would you like Adam to cover and trial in his column? Please contact editor@amateurgardening.com with suggestions. ● I’ve shared my shame in the past of being an awful houseplant parent, so now I’ve come up with a nifty little hack for giving the illusion of having houseplants in your home without the risk of them, er, dying. Before you all write in and tell me off, this is in no way a method for replacing houseplants. Instead, maybe think of this as a quirky decoration for your home so you can enjoy the real plants in your garden outdoors. Happy crafting! Step 1 Find your perfect pebbles. Our driveway is covered with large stones/pebbles that are the perfect size for this make, but you could also…

What grows well around roses? Q I have just planted a new flower bed with bare root roses in full sun so that I can enjoy cutting flowers for the house. My father used to keep the soil around his roses free of plants so he could mulch and fertilise them easily. But I would prefer not to have bare soil around mine. Can you recommend any plants I could grow around the roses to complement but not compete with them? Simon Eccles, Carrickfergus A It’s good to hear that you’ve planted a new rose bed and wish to associate your bushes with perennials. Pleasingly, there are many to choose from and the following will enrich your summer display: Achillea ‘Moonshine’: Soft yellow flowers, greyish feathery foliage. Agapanthus ‘Peter Pan’:…

We might have already sown ultra-early batches of crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers or leeks, more if we’ve warmth and space, many more if we’ve also got artificial light. Still, we will make the vast majority of indoor sowings in a greenhouse, tunnel or cold frame over the next month or so. It’s only after that we can start sowing hardier crops and flowers in situ, directly in the ground where they’re to mature. Noticeably, most plants sown where they grow do better than those transplanted into place, but only if they come up and survive. A huge advantage with transplants is eliminating any possible waste of time and opportunity awaiting germination, only to find nothing emerges. We can also plant out just enough, at the exact spacing, and if…

Having first properly experimented with ways of cost-free gardening more than a decade ago, the sheer feel-good factor of transforming the unloved into the useful and waste into something wondrous has stayed with me firmly ever since. It can be so empowering to rescue and revive something that would otherwise go to landfill, and to find inventive ways of working with materials you might already have to hand. It saves money and boosts resilience as well as helping one to garden in a more sustainable way, knowing that you aren’t completely reliant on buying everything in. I highly recommend having some good, honest green-fingered fun in the process. Get inventive with planters Have a look around your home to see what you can find to work with, and browsing in…

With expert broadcaster, author and long-standing AG columnist, Anne Swithinbank Gardens, hedges and woods tremble with the creamy tails of hazel catkins, while the snowdrops are, slowly but surely, revealing their pearldrop flowers. The birds are singing their hearts out too, as they stake out their feeding territories and think about nesting; a reminder that any cutting into dense hedges or thickets must be completed soon. We’re lucky to have a population of song thrushes, as theirs is the most significant and complex tune. My mare, Raffle, is starting to shed her winter coat and I’ll collect the hair to bring home and shake out so birds can weave a soft nest lining for their eggs and chicks. Early sowings continue with hardy peas and broad beans and I’m ordering…

In this series I share a host of ideas with you on how to make and upcycle useful and beautiful items for the garden with found and unwanted objects. As an individual undergoing treatment for cancer, I draw on recent experiences to share with you thoughts on how these projects can benefit our collective well-being and, in the process, encourage us to spend quality time outside in the garden. Design tips for using colour Introducing colour into the garden can turn a simple space into a stunning oasis and influence our mood, creating, in the process, a joyful as well as serene space. Think about how you would like to feel when using your garden; relaxing after a hectic day, or giving yourself an energy boost if feeling worn out…

National Nest Box Week! To celebrate National Nest Box Week (14-21 Feb), I thought we’d look at a few facts about garden birds. For example, did you know that ivy is one of the best plants to encourage birds to your garden? In autumn, when it flowers, insects are attracted by the pollen. This, in turn, provides food for birds (particularly robins and wrens). In winter, its black berries are eaten by blackbirds and thrushes, as well as starlings, waxwings, finches and jays. The leaves also provide nesting and roosting shelter for small birds. Worst bird award Much as we love them, and appreciate the assistance they provide with natural pest control, some garden birds cause us problems – bullfinches may eat a few fruit buds in spring, and blackbirds…

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. Money-saving inspiration Hello everyone, I thought you would like to see what I made from old pallets last summer, I painted them with leftover paint. The troughs were split old ones and the screws were old ones too, so no expense. Yours Derek (Quarterman) of Banbury. PS keep up the great news. Kim says; thank you for sharing this brilliant creative idea Derek. They are so jolly, and especially so given they were entirely free to make.…

Well here’s an absolute bobbydazzler of a plant to start the month! Not only will it bring a firework display of exuberant colour to your garden, but it’s edible as well. Amaranthus tricolor ‘Joseph’s Coat’ is a bushy, upright annual plant that can also be grown as a short-lived perennial if moved undercover during the colder months. As it grows, reaching around 60cm (22ft) in height and 40cm (1.5ft) wide, it forms green and dark purple or brown lower leaves and a spray of dazzling yellow and red upper leaves - which is why it’s named after Joseph’s technicolour dreamcoat! Despite its dramatic appearance, ‘Joseph’s Coat’ is relatively easy-going, happily growing in most soils and situations, though you will get better colour if it’s planted in a sunny spot, as…

When Greek philosopher (and all-round clever clogs) Aristotle observed that ‘Nature hates a vacuum’, he was referring to Mother Nature’s endless capacity to fill empty spaces with life. But he could have been talking about gardeners, as we have a similar, if sometimes competing, ambition. When empty pots or borders come up for grabs, we’re in a footrace to fill ‘em, before Mother Nature’s wildlings lay their claim. As regular readers will know, I have a new kitchen garden project with borders that have more gaps than a picket fence. This means that most of my time is spent mulching the bare earth before the (weed) growing season starts in earnest. The rest is spent looking through lists and working out what I’m going to sow and grow in the…