Innholdsfortegnelse for 18-Oct-2025 i Amateur Gardening

It is raining outside as I write, and rather gusty, which means even more of the leaves from the majestic beech tree by my house will be landing on the drive. Yes, they will therefore have to be raked up by the wheelbarrow-load on a near-daily basis (it’s a very big tree), but it is good exercise. I’m not a fan of leaf blowers., although I don’t have such strong views on the topic as Cate Blanchett, pictured at Jo Thompson’s gold medal-winning garden at RHS Chelsea on page 21, and I admit that it’s tricky to get leaves off gravel with a rake, but otherwise I fully appreciate anyone who encourages the use of manual methods of gardening with such good humour and gusto. Cate Blanchett talks about leaf…

Sometimes, isn’t it the small things that give the greatest joy? In the September 20 issue I wrote about an overcrowded and seriously depleted delphinium crown that I’d dug up and divided. It had failed dismally in the border, thanks to the extreme dryness and a couple of other perennials (looking at you, overenthusiastic sunflower and humungous hollyhock) that were seriously cramping its style. I didn’t hold out much hope for it and sent a heartfelt plea to St Fiacre (patron saint of gardeners) that at least one of the divisions would pull through. It seems he was listening, because a couple of weeks later, all three of the potted pieces started to produce healthy shoots and now, mid-way through October, I need to decide what to do with them.…

I’m so excited that I can finally write about soil! At last, it’s on trend, and it’s SO important to look after yours. So, let’s see what the timely options are as soil shifts from being the home of our summer crops to its earthy self during winter. Keeping soil ‘life’ robust and healthy is paramount – what I mean here is that the soil ‘ecosystem’ (such as the larger millipedes, earthworms, etc alongside the smaller fungi and bacteria) needs to be kept in good balance. In summer, warmth helps this tick along but as winter approaches we can step in to give it a helping hand. A covering of bulky mulch (e.g. garden compost), cardboard (hoard your cardboard packaging) or hardy green manure (such as Italian ryegrass or clover)…

Athyrium ‘Ghost’ Is there a ghost in the house? Hopefully not, but you can definitely have a ghost in the garden with the otherworldly, deciduous Athyrium ‘Ghost’, a fiendishly favourite fern of mine that sits perfectly in the midst of a shady or partially shaded border in a moist, well-drained soil. Its silver-green, heavily pinnate, laced fronds almost glow in the dark like a spectre, falling from beetroot-coloured midribs and veins (rachis). Athyrium ‘Ghost’ looks great planted alongside other ferns, hostas and astilbes. H: 40 to 60cm (15.7 to 23.6in). Tricyrtis hirta Another shadeloving perennial for a magical woodland garden is the toad lily, Tricyrtis hirta, with its bewitching, white and purple-spotted, three-lobed flowers, putting me in mind of the skin of a psychedelic toad – which, of course, one…

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Erica arborea (Tree heather) Tree heathers, unlike their low-growing cousins, can reach varying heights of several metres, making great focal points in the garden or, alternatively, a very effective evergreen hedge with the added bonus of their flowers attracting numerous bees and butterflies. Why not go big and bold with a beautiful, tall evergreen tree heather smothered in scented white flowers hanging in long panicles from February to May with an ultimate height and spread of 250cm (8ft 2in) x 1m (3ft 3in). It should grow well if given free-draining, acidic or neutral soil and full sun or part shade, and would be equally happy growing near or under the canopy of a taller tree. Calluna vulgaris ‘Firefly’ (Heather) This is one of the cultivars whose leaves change colour throughout…

Gardening doesn’t stop as the temperature plummets and the daylight wanes. This is the perfect time of year to invest in a hedge as autumn heralds the start of the bare-root season. Compared with pot/cell grown hedging, bare-root plants can cost considerably less. The hornbeam hedge that surrounds my quarter acre garden was planted over a decade ago and cost less than £100. Today, the cost has risen to £190 but this is less than hedging grown in pots/cells which would have cost me £500. Deciduous hedges are easier to work with There are ups and downs to growing bareroot plants and I recommend for first-time hedge growers, deciduous hedges – these are plants that go dormant during autumn and winter and are less likely to suffer transplant shock. I…

Sowing and growing bulbs from seed Sowing bulb seeds requireses patience but is worth it Q Can you ID these seed heads please? Seeds are quite shiny, black and round. I thought it was yellow rattle seedheads, but now I think they’re something else. Margaret Lanares (via email) A Thank you for the attached images of what I feel sure are seeds from Triteleialaxa, formerly called Brodiaea laxa, common name Ithuriel’s spear. A bulbous plant, it delights us with its impressive display of bright blue flowers in midsummer. If you would like to raise plants from the seeds you’ve gathered, surface-sow them thinly in pots or trays of seed compost in autumn or spring and water them in. Sprinkle perlite over them to keep the compost moist and position them…

Gardening isn’t just about plants; the how and why of the people that do it is just as important. The ‘how’ is interesting as down the ages horticultural know-how has hardly changed: seeds are sown, trees are pruned and secateurs are lost. It is the ‘why’ that has evolved considerably. In the beginning there was a square patch of paradise known as the Garden of Eden, so it is said. Whatever your belief, the story of Eden indicates that gardens were regarded as divine back in the day. Take the pharaohs of ancient Egypt - their job wasn’t just to rule and build pyramids, they were the link between humanity and the heavens and, like Eden, their gardens were sacred and free from the ungodly chaos of the outside world.…

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Pungent, fragrant garlic is a must-have vegetable in my house - and it’s so easy to grow with very little maintenance. Autumn is the perfect time to get this crop in the ground as it likes a cold spell to spring it into action. You can choose softneck varieties, such as ‘Solent Wight’, which have abundant cloves (these are the kind that can be plaited and stored for long periods). Or, go for hardneck types, such as ‘Chesnok Wight’ with its purple stripes (these are superior for flavour but don’t store as well and can run to seed more easily). You can also buy ‘elephant garlic’, which produce giant cloves. This is a fantastic variety for kids as they’re fun to plant and have a much milder flavour – though…

With expert broadcaster, author and long-standing AG columnist, Anne Swithinbank Some call it sticky berry because the small, sweet fruits are so tacky you can almost pick them up on a finger. Mostly though, they’re known as Japanese wineberries or, occasionally, dewberries. We planted one here but while my back was turned, it disappeared under a large and vigorous clump of rhubarb. The tasty fruits ripening from late July to September are an asset to any edible garden and in its prime this species (Rubus phoenicolasius), from the blackberry tribe, is a handsome beast. I’d grow it just for the show of red bristles on its ruby-red canes, perfect for training against a fence or parallel wires. Similar red bristles coat the calyces encasing developing fruits. New plants are inexpensive…

How often do we see certain flowers in spring and summer and wish that we had planted some? I have an annual cycle of seeing a wonderful flower and making a mental note to plant some of the bulbs in autumn and, invariably, I’ll forget. Now is an ideal time to plant bulbs for flowers next year and as I write, I am making a shopping list. If you are unsure how deep to plant bulbs, a good guide is to measure the height of the bulb (I use my trowel for this) and plant so that there is double the depth of soil above the top of the bulb. It doesn’t need to be precise, although planting too shallow can result in some plants coming up ‘blind’. In other…

Darling daffs For many of us, daffodils are the highlight of our gardens from late February. We are slap-bang in the middle of the daffodil planting season, so let’s look at some daff facts. ■ Surprisingly, Cornwall is the world’s largest producer of daffodils, growing more than 30 million tonnes of bulbs each year; its farms are some of the largest and most efficient anywhere, selling bulbs across the UK and exporting them to Europe and the USA. Three golden daffodil rules 1. When planting, the effect is so much better if you set the bulbs in large, distinct groups (particularly if you are 'naturalising' them in a lawn) rather than setting them randomly or individually. Most varieties should clump up from being planted about 10cm (4in) apart. A little…

Sunshine on a rainy day Dear Kim, This is one of my sunflowers in my garden. It was grown from seed and several plants were given to neighbours. All seem to have grown at least 3m (10ft) tall and are continuing to produce more flowers every day…in fact I counted about 20 the other day on the same plant. Despite the heat and drought they have all done well! Best wishes & happy gardening Elna Forsyth Kim says; Elna thank you for sharing. They are such happy blooms aren’t they and especially so at this time of year. Amazing second flush of amaryllis flowers Hi Kim, Thought you might like to see a picture of my amaryllis. It flowered in January for the second year, as expected, and I followed…

Few flowers bring as much colour and cheer to the garden as dahlias. They bloom in so many shapes and shades, it’s hard not to smile when they appear. Whether you grow them in pots, beds or for the vase, dahlias always give a fabulous show. I’ve been to the CNB trials in the Netherlands to see what’s happening in the world of dahlias. The best thing about dahlias is that each one feels different. Some are bold, some are soft, and some look like they’re straight out of a sweet shop. Choosing them is like picking friends for your garden – each adds their own spark. Here’s some of my favourites from the trials: ’Tamburo’ Dark and moody, ‘Tamburo’ brings a splash of drama to the garden. Its near-black…

with Bob Flowerdew, long-standing AG contributor, broadcaster and all-round expert. As we move towards winter there are still plenty of tasks; harvesting late crops and seeds, clearing beds and borders, making and turning compost, hedging, planting and pruning. However, we’re no longer in the balmy days of summer and now need more warmth than shorts and T-shirt provide. Fortunately, gardening clothing generally avoids fashion trends, most of us just wear whatever’s convenient; comfort’s more important than the look. (Each to their own, maybe some folk ‘dress up’ to garden; we can’t know what goes on the other side of some hedges. Periodically folk appear in the news for gardening nude. Tried that once: it’s okay only if your garden is totally devoid of absolutely any stinging nettles, holly, brambles etc and…

We all have our favourite traditional plants and they all fully deserve their place in our hearts and gardens. Take aquilegias for instance. Also commonly known as granny’s bonnets, they are one of the most delightful biennials, or short-lived perennials, their nodding flowers sometimes ruffled, sometimes more simple, in shades of white, pink, mauve and blue. One of the more intriguing varieties of aquilegia is ‘Green Apples’, a fairly new introduction with clematis-shaped blooms that have narrow petals in shades of very pale green. It is a stunning plant, happy in sun or dappled shade in a sheltered spot where it will shine out among the other flowers. The nodding flowers that appear in late spring and early summer are held aloft on sturdy stems that grow to 80cm (31.5in),…