Innholdsfortegnelse for 20-Sep-2025 i Amateur Gardening

I have a very satisfying little mini-rant in my column this issue about the number of times I’ve heard people say, ‘that’s the gardening year done’ now or ‘that’s it till next year, when we are not even a full third of the way into autumn and the air is still mainly warm and our gardens abundant. The so-called ‘false autumn’ is widely evident in the colour of many trees and shrubs, so that’s probably part of the reason so many have jumped so fast into default ‘hunker down mode’. The news, doesn’t help, but we’re not talking about that here thank you, let’s focus instead on the fact that there is much to be gained, and to be grateful for, in our gardens right now. The gorgeous earthiness of…

I don’t know if this resonates with any of you, but my summer raspberries weren’t up to much this year, as we had a prolonged dry spring and summer in Essex. However, my autumn raspberry bed has more than made up for it and I’ve been picking punnet after punnet of them since early August. There are still plenty of fruits on them now, so I thought it high time to spotlight these later-cropping canes (the summer types already get plenty of coverage!). Let’s address the fundamental question: what’s the difference between summer and autumn raspberries? Of course, the name refers to their harvest period, so let’s look at why certain varieties crop in summer, and others in autumn, because this determines their care. Summer raspberries crop on last year’s…

Cooler nights, bright shiny conkers, dewy spider webs, and gardens lit by low shafts of sunlight mark the gradual transition of summer to autumn. Hopefully soils have now moistened after summer’s drought, so that clearing and mulching veg beds and between fruit bushes and perennial veg can start. Worms will then pull fibrous, well-rotted matter down, improving texture, encouraging microbial activity and adding nutrients. This is an in-between time for seed sowing, as most autumn and winter crops are already growing and late-sown sweet peas, peas and broad beans are not started until October or November. What we can do is root through seed tins for packets of quick-growing leafy veg to sow closely, little and often, to deliver cut-and-come-again salads. This is a great way of using up open…

Of cabbages and things! We are now at the start of autumn, historically the one season devoid of homegrown cabbages. For hundreds of years we’ve been able to grow summer, winter and spring cabbages, but autumn cabbage varieties didn’t really exist until a few decades ago. Now modern plant breeding has enabled us to grow cabbages all year round. ■ Cabbages are from the Cruciferae plant family, which contains many plants – both edible and decorative. It is also known as the mustard family. The word Cruciferae comes from the Latin word for ‘cross’ – think of ‘crucifix’. The name was applied to plants in this family because the flowers have four petals, arranged in the shape of a cross! Cabbage timeline ■ In the wild, cabbage species are native…

I cannot pass a fruit tree or bush without giving the fruit a little taste. There are fruit trees and bushes around my area, lost in thickets of sycamore or bramble, that have been left to languish. I often come across fruit trees and bushes by roadsides, on abandoned plots or beside laybys. My wife, Carol, and I have a forager’s map and every tree, from fruit to nut, is logged in ever-increasing circles. The smallest circle is within a mile of our home, and these harvests can be brought back in a shopping trolley, a bag or, in an emergency, a jumper. After that, the circles get bigger and to forage in them, we use a car or public transport. I was once refused entry to a bus by…

Clearing out the back of our car, I found a bag of clothes. I say ‘found’, they’d been in the boot and ‘on the way’ to the clothes bank for months, and might have made it too, if I hadn’t clocked that the contents were in better nick than what I was wearing. So, instead of the recycling centre, they’re now back in the drawer from whence they came. I mention this because a similar thing happened when I drove the now cleaned-out car to visit my aunt in Oxfordshire. Judith is a very keen gardener and back when I owned a nursery I’d often send her plants that I really liked as presents. Most have thrived and gently spread, including a few that I’d completely forgotten that I once…

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Clearing away the summer crops can feel a bit disheartening, but I always like to think that yesterday’s harvest can make tomorrow’s dinner - particularly if you save your own seeds. Seed saving gives you control over what you grow, with plants adapted to your garden conditions, and it saves money. Plus, if you help to preserve heritage varieties, like the ones from Garden Organic’s Heritage Seed Library, you’re helping to boost plant diversity and aid food security in the process. Saving these seeds is so simple Every gardener can do their bit by saving their own seeds and, for me, there’s no easier place to start than tomatoes. The seeds are easy to harvest and access as they’re stored in the fruit, and unlike most seed saving, you can…

Mulching with a layer of organic matter does a great job in protecting soil from the elements and adding nutrients at this time of year. Ground cover planting can also work well as the roots of plants hold soil in place better than an extra layer of mulch. Also, the continuous activity between plant roots and the microbiome further adds to the long-term stability and health of the soil. You could use green manure as ground cover of course. Sow the seeds and then chop back the growth and either leave it on the soil or dig it into the first few centimetres. But in my mind, that’s a lot of work, takes time for plants to grow and it has the potential to disturb the soil more than necessary.…

If I was to sum up my garden in one sentence it would be: A charming Victorian-inspired haven, filled with whimsical features, treasured memories, and a blend of creativity and resilience that reflects the journey of our life and home. Forty years ago, as newlyweds brimming with excitement, we moved into a house in North London that many would have turned their back on. It had stood derelict for years, a probate sale waiting for a brave soul to breathe life into it. With more enthusiasm than experience, we began to tackle the overwhelming task of transforming this neglected space into a home. Little did we know, the garden would become as much a reflection of our journey as the house itself. A Victorian vision With no prior knowledge of…

I love a plant with an intriguing name, so something like night-flowering catchfly (Silene noctiflora) doesn’t just float my boat, but sails away with me completely. A domesticated wildflower that looks remarkably similar to white campion, this catchfly does exactly what it says on the tin: its flowers in shades of pink, or white open at dusk and are pollinated by night-flying insects. The flowers have a sweet scent, making them perfect for growing alongside garden seating areas and pathways. The ‘catchfly’ part of their name derives from the sticky hairs that cover the plants, just tacky enough to hold on to insects while they go about the important business of pollination. These are robust plants, introduced to the UK in ancient times and since then springing up in wasteland…

The AG team love receiving your letters, emails and social media posts and finding out what your gardens mean to you. 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 as soon as we can, so do please send your address and contact details when you get in touch. Homegrown blooms Dear Kim, I have recently started reading Amateur Gardening magazine and would like to say how much I have been enjoying it! It is really different to other garden magazines and has so many interesting articles. I love to grow flowers, fruit and vegetables in our garden and at our allotment. I also love to grow cut flowers and I was so…

We may be lucky and escape frosts, cruel winds and interminable rain for a long while yet with an ‘Indian summer’, but doubtless really harsh weather will arrive all too soon. Fortunately, brassicas, leeks and most root vegetables can be left in the ground until extremely cold weather threatens and only then do we need to protect the roots with insulation and/or lift some to store in a cool, dark, damp place. Right now though, we’d best hurry to gather any remaining crops that cannot survive outdoors much longer. Tomato plants are likely to soon expire, but if they still have fruits forming, they can be pulled and hung upside down in a dry place (preferably also warm and light) in which position the fruits will further ripen and keep…

Once a defining feature of classic cottage gardens, lupins, with their colourfully dramatic, pollinator-friendly flower spires, are now waiting in the wings, ready to reclaim the spotlight. These stunning plants are perfect for the gardener looking for a touch of heritage combined with modern appeal. ‘Where lupins grow, the past meets the day, a quiet beauty that will not fade away…’Source unknown Although there are several hundred different species of lupins, mainly originating from North and South America, the majority of the perennial hybrids grown in our gardens today are derived from the big-leaved, blue-flowered species, Lupinus polyphyllus. Early Egyptians ate the seeds and the Romans grew lupins to improve poor soils as the plants are members of the pea family Fabaceae, known for fixing nitrogen in the soil via…

How can I get my clematis flowering again? Dry weather has affected flowering in many plants Q I have two clematis plants that faceeast. I have deadheaded the purple clematis frequently and it is quite happily flowering till now. I also have a Clematis viticella 'Alba' that I also deadheaded but it did not flower again. There are funny fruit/seed heads on the branches. What can I do to make sure it is flowering OK next year? Jan Schut (via email) A Thank you for the attached images. I think, on balance, that your clematis are thriving. They’ve made good growth and have bloomed reasonably well. The pink and white-hued variety could be ‘Minuet’, a Clematis viticella that normally blooms midsummer to autumn. Sadly, lack of rain has reduced its…

As we head further into autumn, let’s keep feeling some heat after the summer we’ve just had with a little rewind, looking at some of the best hot weather-tolerant plants. Who knows what weather we’ll get next year. Sometimes summer is gentle and pleasant, even a little chilly, yet at other times (like the summer just gone), it kicks down the door like a fire-breathing dragon. That’s why I went plant-hunting at Benary in Germany, where I discovered a bunch of perennials that can take the heat without melting like an ice cream cone at a barbecue. They come in all shapes and sizes, and honestly, they’re the type of plants that will perform like champs in hot-weather conditions. The best bit is they are all available to grow from…