Innholdsfortegnelse for 30-jan-16 i Amateur Gardening

FREE SEEDS! Isn’t it great to be peeling those packets off the cover and discovering how to growvarieties you might never have tried before? I love it. We’ve teamed up with a new supplier of top quality seeds, Mr Fothergill’s, to bring you a more exciting selection than ever. You’ll find packets on the cover everyweek. And that’s not all. We’ve redesigned the magazine to make it easier to read, and packed it with even more practical tips, brought to you by our team of experts. There are new faces, too, covering every aspect of gardening on plots ranging from modest city gardens to classy country plots. So whetheryou like to plant up a hanging basket, set out a bit of formal annual bedding in your front garden, create a…

Sweet peas are hardy, and can be placed in a coldframe until germination. Grow them on cool and bright to avoid stems becoming ‘leggy’. If they do, pinch out the tops. 1 Root trainers are widely available and easy to use. Just clip each row together and pack them tightly into the supporting framework supplied. 2 Fill each module with good quality seed compost, filling them to the top. Sieving the compost first removes debris that makes filling modules awkward. 3 Dampen the compost without saturating it, and make a 2in (5cm) deep hole in each module for a seed. An old pen or pencil is ideal for this task. 4 Remove seeds from water if you have soaked them, and drop one seed per hole in each module. Cover…

• John Innes No 1 This is for pricking out or potting-up seedlings or rooted cuttings. It consists of 1 part loam, 1 part sand and 2 parts peat, with a low nutrient content. • John Innes No 2 This is for potting plants into medium size pots. It has a greater proportion of loam compared to peat and sand, and double the fretiliser of JI No 1. • John Innes No 3 This is for final potting of hungryveg plants, and mature plants and shrubs in containers. It has the same recipe as JI No 2, but with more fertiliser.…

TRADITIONAL wisdom says you need to prune wisterias twice a year – once in summer to keep them tidy, and once in winter to encourage flowering. I find I have to prune mine five or six times over the summer just to keep the rampant new stems in check – if it’s not done these vigorous climbers can get seriously out of hand, and flowering may be reduced. Pruning again, now, sets up the plant for flowering in spring by promoting the formation of flowering buds. Basically what you need to do is chop off all the unwanted spindly rubbish, then cut back last summer’s growth to two or three buds from old wood. Flowers will form from these remaining buds. You don’t need to be too fussy about the…

• 30 Jan: Celebration of Snowdrops Harveys Garden Plants, Great Green, Thurston, Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk IP31 3SJ 01359 233363; harveysgardenplants.co.uk • 30 Jan-6 Mar: Snowdrop Walks at Rode Hall (Tues-Sun), Rode Hall & Gardens, Cheshire ST7 3QP 01270 873 237; rodehall.co.uk • 30 Jan-31 Jan See the snowdrops, Colesbourne Gardens, Coulesbourne Park, Nr Cheltenham, Glos. GL53 9NP 01242 870264 colesbournegardens.or.uk • 31 Jan Norfolk Snowdrop Day, Blacksmiths Cottage, Langmere Road, Langmere Nr Dickleburgh, Diss, Norfolk IP21 4QA blackcottnursery.co.uk • 2-4 Feb: Spring Pruning Talk and Demo (10.30am-12.30pm), RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey GU23 6QB 0203 1765 830; rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley 4 Feb: Rose Pruning Talk & Demo, RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH 01805 626800; rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor • 5 Feb: Butterfly Photography morning (8am-12noon, tuition), RHS Garden Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking,…

• Winter-flowering heathers (Erica carnea) add a splash of colour. They make excellent ground cover, and are happy in alkaline soils, unlike most heathers that like acid conditions. • Pruning helps keep plants in shape, encouraging vigorous growth and more flowers. Do it immediately after flowering. Use hedge shears if you have a lot of plants, while secateurs are fine for just one or two. • Cut each stem back to just below its faded flowers, removing most of the previous season’s growth. Do not cut into the older ‘brown’ wood, because this may not produce new shoots in the coming year.…

WHEN I was Gardening Editor on AG, Editor Tim, Peter Seabrook and I had a £50 wager to see who could grow the biggest onion – I won! I’m sad to say I’ve never grown an exhibition onion like expert Peter Glazebrook’s monster (inset above), but that’s all about to change. It’s essential to sow now, because the size of an onion is determined by the amount of leaves it produces before changes in day length encourage it to bulb up. Early sowings make time for leafy growth. Choose an exhibition variety such as ‘Kelsae’ or ‘Mammoth Improved’, sowing one seed per modular cell of seed compost. Water in well and place in a heated propagator in good light. We’ll check back to see how these little beauties are doing…

MOST green waste from my garden, allotment and kitchen finds its way into my compost bins. However, sometimes I just have too much garden rubbish to deal with. Rather than packing it into bags, which then lie around smelling whiffy for weeks until there’s space in the compost bins, I make a bean trench. This is also a great idea if you don’t have a compost bin (though really, you should!) First decide where you’re going to grow your runner or French beans next year. Now dig a trench 18-24in deep (45-60cm), the same wide and as long as the row of beans you’re planning to put in. Pile the soil alongside, but not too close or the rain will wash it back in too soon. Traditionally you line the…

“Roses are breaking into new growth” PENNING this column several weeks before it reaches you is testing in a season like this – I can’t remember a December and early January so wet and warm. Narcissus ‘Golden Harvest’ are in flower on the village green, weeks if not months ahead of normal. Blueberries and roses are breaking into new growth and winter aconites have gone over. Meanwhile autumn sown Lettuce ‘Winter Density’, which I last grew commercially under cloches many years ago, are now further advanced in my polytunnel than I can ever remember for mid-January. Everything should be fine as long as we don’t get a very cold spell with a sudden drop to sub-zero temperatures. All we can do is work to the law of averages and stick…

1 From February to April, fill a wide shallow pot or half-tray with seed compost. I used two parts John Innes seed; two parts multi-purpose and one part 50:50 sharp sand and vermiculite. 2 Level using a pot tamper to achieve a smooth, flat surface and water, using a rose on the can. Allow to drain. Sow the papery seeds thinly and evenly over the surface of the compost. 3 Cover seeds with a light scattering of compost, so they are covered by their own depth. Press gently again so they make contact with the compost. Place in a heated propagator at 18°C (65°F).…

I’VE been lucky enough to visit numerous stately piles over the years that boast lavish landscapes with a dedicated winter garden. These spaces are so uplifting early in the year when there’s very little else of interest about, and I can’t help lusting after the displays of winter flowering trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs, along with specimens that have jazzy bark or branches laden with berries. A winter garden is a bit of luxury for those of us with tiny plots, where every plant should earn its keep by providing more than one season of interest. However, I’ve decided to give my garden a bit of boost by creating a bed with winter interest – a triangular patch of soil in clear view of my kitchen window. I’ve plumped for…

Delphinium Dense, 6ft (2m) spires in blues, purples, pinks and white. Look for seed-raised Centurion, Guardian, Millennium and Raider series. Also try: Choicer named varieties from cuttings, usually only at specialists suppliers like Blackmore and Langdons. Eremurus (foxtail lily) Slender 6-8ft (2-3m) spires packed with hundreds of yellow, pink or white flowers. Also try: Tall kniphofias ‘Prince Igor’ (orange) and ‘Samuel’s Sensation’ (bright yellow) Leucanthemella Like a tall autumn-flowering Shasta daisy with masses of white flowers that follow the sun. Also try: Tall, white flowered asters such as ‘Mount Everest’ or ‘Sam Banham’. Don’t forget Stake taller plants early in the season to stop them falling over – before it’s too late…

Gardeners’ Question Time this week Petunia parade Thompson & Morgan will run a ‘Petunia Parade’ during 2016. It will promote 12 novelties and tried-and-tested varieties. thompson-morgan.com/petunia-parade. On this week’s programme... Pippa Greenwood, Christine Walkden and Matthew Biggs join Eric Robson at Barnard Castle in County Durham. BBC Radio 4 at 3pm on Friday 29 January (repeated at 2pm on 31 January). Got a story? call 01202 440848 or email marc.rosenberg@timeinc.com…

How do I prune my fruit trees and will this help to increase yields? Q I have a five-year-old Victoria plum and a ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’ apple. How do I prune them? Neither tree has produced much fruit so far. Andrea Garvin, Eastleigh, Hants A Pruning may help, but for successful pollination and fertilisation to take place, the trees need to be grown in a sheltered spot where frosts are unlikely to harm the pollen, which can result in poor crops. If frosts kill the flowers in early-spring, little fruit will be produced. Consider moving both trees to a more sheltered site. If the site is very windy insects may be unable to pollinate blossoms and this will also reduce crops. Are other plums and apples growing nearby? As you…

THESE incredible varieties of oriental lily can grow as tall as 8ft (2.5m) in as little as two years, adding a sweet and fresh fragrance. One single Tree Lily bulb can produce up to 30 8in (20cm) trumpet blooms and will take on a shrub-like appearance over the years. Height: 8ft (2.5m). Spread: 24in (60cm). Supplied as Bulbs Size 18/20. Collection comprises: ‘Yellow Rocket’, ‘Starburst’, ‘Pink Explosion’. •Buy 3 of anyvariety for £7.99 •Buy 9 (3 of each) for £14.99 – SAVING £8.98 •Buy 18 (6 of each) for £24.99 – SAVING £22.95…

‘Darkarin’ A medium-sized variety, which is very versatile – good in a pot, in the border and for cutting. It has the texture and colour of the most beautiful faded velvet cushion. I love it. Height: 31in/80cms ‘Blue Bayou’ As soon as the sun comes out, this bright mauve variety is always alive with butterflies. It holds its flowers on tall, elegant, slim stems well above the leaves. Height: 39in/100cm ‘Waltzing Mathilda’ A single dahlia, with a relaxed, informal shape loved by all pollinators. Has beautiful coral petals with plum reverse and dark crimson leaves. A true all-rounder. Height: 51in/130cm ‘Rip City’ Huge and incredibly reliable, this is the first dahlia I fell in love with in the deepest darkest chocolate. You can’t go wrong with this long-flowering variety in…

“They can be placed outdoors on a sunny patio from June” IF you have visited the Canary Island of Tenerife, were you tempted to bring back a box of cut blooms of Strelitzia reginae – the bird of paradise flower? It’s a symbol of the island. Actually it is a native of South Africa, which is why its other common name is the South African crane flower. These plants are cultivated for their exotic blooms, which stand well above the foliage, at the tips of long stalks. The flowers emerge from pointed sheaths, held at acute angles giving them the appearance of birds’ heads and beaks. In their countries of origin these sheaths provide stable perches for sunbirds, which are important pollinators of the plants (they hop from flower to…

NOTHING says ‘summer’ more clearly than the sight and scent of a wonderful stand of sweet peas. This most traditional of cottage garden plants is a delight in every way. They are easy to sow and look after, and once they are in the ground and growing well, they will flower reliably for weeks (providing you cut flowers and remove seed heads regularly). I sowed a few sweet peas back in the autumn for an early show of flowers, but late winter is the main time to start them into growth. This year I am sowing two batches – one in special root trainers designed to train the long roots of legumes including beans, peas and sweet peas, downwards. I’m also sowing a few in one large, deep pot. Remember…

• As well as sowing in individual modules (see step-by-step below), you can plant several seeds together in one large, deep container. • When the soil has warmed up and the seedlings are ready to be planted out, gently separate the roots of each plant before setting them in the soil. • Don’t have Root Trainers? Save up the cardboard insides of toilet rolls, fill them with compost and sow one seed in the top of each one. They’ll be easier to manage if you pack them together in a half sized seed tray or similar.…

• DON’T use old, leftover compost Don’t use seed sowing or cuttings compost left over from last year. Fungal spores and creatures (from tiny insects to toads and rodents), may have contaminated it, making it unsuitable for seeds and cuttings. Mix it with potting compost to bulk it out, or spread it on to garden soil. • DO improve drainage Orchids, cacti, bonsai and alpine plants hate compost that holds water. Dedicated composts for these groups are very ‘open’ (containing grit or vermiculite) but can be expensive. Save cash by adding your own grit or vermiculite. Alpines, for example, like a 50:50 mix of John Innes No3 and grit. Mulches: It is stilltoo earlyto mulch the soil around plants, because the soil is still winter-chilly, and mulch willtrap the cold…

1 Cut off all the old seed pods and their dangly stems. You can sow the seeds, but you’ll wait around seven years to see any flowers – that’s why most garden varieties are grafted. 2 Trace back and cut off at source long, spindly stems. If a stem of the main framework has died (which happens occasionally) train in one of the spindly bits as a replacement. 3 Cut back all of last year’s growth to two to three buds from older wood. It looks brutal, but hard pruning will keep growth manageable, and boost flowers rather than leafy new stems.…

FIBROUS-rooted begonias, also known as ‘semperflorens’, are usually bought as plug plants, but you can get yours started now by sowing them undercover. These colourful annuals make attractive bedding plants. Their flowers are usually white, various shades of pink, or yellow, and they often have an attractive reddish tinge to their foliage. The seeds are as fine as dust, so mix them with a pinch of horticultural sand and they’ll be easier to sow. Some suppliers coat the seeds for this very reason – so I sowed both varieties to see which produces the best results! This is what I did:…

THERE was a time when, if you didn’t have room for an orchard, you’d need to scour nurseries for miniature fruit trees that could cope with life in a pot. This meant pouring over labels to see if the tree had been grafted onto an M27 (extreme dwarf) or M26 (dwarf) rootstock, for example, so it would remain compact throughout its containerised life. Now, nurseries have wised-up to the fact that more gardeners are growing fruit on patios – and have brought out novelties to cater for demand. Not onlywill such trees remain small, but many have two or three fruit varieties grafted onto a dwarfing rootstock. This year I’m trialling the ‘Family Apple Tree’ (Thompson & Morgan). It’s three apple varieties (‘James Grieve,’ ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’ and ‘Golden Delicious’)…

KEEP the seedlings somewhere light, frost-free and well ventilated. Make sure the compost is damp, but not saturated as this can cause the fungal disease damping off. 1 If you sowed onion seeds undercover towards the end of December, they should be ready to transplant once their stems have developed a distinctive ‘crook’. 2 Fill some 3in (7cm) pots with good quality potting compost, such as John Innes No 1, and make a hole in the centre for the seedlings. 3 Using the pointed end of a plant label, gently lift each seedling from the compost, roots and all. Hold seedlings by the leaf to avoid damage to the roots. 4 Lower the roots of the seedlings into the holes in the compost, without crushing their stem. Gently fill the…

1 Spread dry leaves around the base of tender plants when temperatures plummet. Dutch Iris growth is much taller than usual, for example and would benefit from protection. 2 Complete winter fruit pruning before sap really surges. It may be too late for grapes in the south. So, to test, cut one pencil thick stem and if this drips sap it is too late to prune. 3 Clean glass on cloches and cold frames, as plants under cover need every bit of light through the winter. Green growth on glass comes off with warm water and washing-up liquid.…

• Martyn, a gardening writer, author and Mail on Sunday columnist joins AG as a regular contributor. A qualified horticulturist, he has 30 years hands-on gardening experience, working in nurseries, garden centres, private gardens and at a horticultural college. Martyn shares his 40ft x 20ft (12.1m x 6m) north-facing Portsmouth garden with his family and Labrador, Ollie. He is passionate about choice trees, shrubs, perennials and architectural plants suitable for smaller spaces and has an allotment nearby for fruit and veg.…

MOST owners of small gardens grow lots of plants in pots, and I’m no exception - dotted around the place are perennials, shrubs, small trees and plenty of summer flowering bulbs. I have to admit that other than packing them all closely together to help them insulate each other, I don’t really take any other precautions over the chilly winter period. This year I’ve decided to make an exception though. All plants in containers are at risk of root rot if the compost remains saturated for any length of time, which is highly likely given all the rain we’ve been having. It helps to move pots into the rain shadow of a wall or fence, but you can reduce problems further by raising them off the ground to allow excess…

Is it a rose or is it a begonia? Answer: it’s a new cascading begonia that smells like a rose! The novelty, exclusive to Woolmans, bears vigorous 16in (40cm) trails of double-flowered salmon-pink blooms. ‘Sweet Coral Cascade’ is suited to hanging baskets, window boxes and pots. Woolmans’ Laura Oakes said: “It’s free-flowering, but its special quality is the strong, rich, rose-like fragrance. “Flowers are disease-resistant and tolerant of poor weather, so it’s a great all-rounder and blooms from June until autumn frosts.” A pack of five jumbo plugs costs £12.95 plus p&p, for despatch in April. Call (0845) 658 9137 orvisit woolmans.com for more.…

INDOOR plants have a habit of drying out quickly, just as much in winter when the central heating is running at full blast, as they can during a hot, dry summer. So it’s important to keep their soils moist – though in most cases not too wet. Indoor watering cans therefore need to be able to dispense water to pots in a controlled manner, and then not dribble all over your highly-polished sideboard! Priced from ridiculously cheap to eye-wateringly expensive, we’ve found noticeable differences in those on test this week – including two that look quite similar. The largest capacity of 1.5ltrs works out to around 2 1/2 pints. Chalk coloured can £18 + P&P £4.95 0845 608 4448 gardentrading.co.uk Features Glossy, chalk-coloured powder-coated steel finish. Includes a…

‘Apricot Shades’ Cascading double blooms in sunshine shades of apricot and lemon. Ideal for baskets, window boxes and flower pouches, and great for lighting up shady corners. H 12in (30cm), S 18in (45cm). ‘Fortune Peach Shades’ Flowers without pause from June to October. The rounded uniform shape and habit of this new variety from Thompson and Morgan makes it a classy choice for patio pots, beds and borders. H 10in (25cm), S 8in (20cm). Non-Stop Mixed Traditional tuberous begonia, originally raised in the 1970s. A boisterous range of shades and double, weather-resistant blooms that will carry on flowering well into the autumn. H and S: 12in (30cm).…

Write to: Jenny Bagshaw, Amateur Gardening Westover House, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1JG or email: amateurgardening@timeinc.com Our Star Letterwins £40 in National Garden Gift Vouchers; tip of the week, £10; other letters £5 (£10 if we use a photo you’ve sent). Vouchers can be bought and redeemed at over 2,000 UK outlets offering more than 90,000 Star letter This fun-guy was a total surprissssse! IN early November I was taking a walk around Strumpshaw Fen, at times lying on the ground to take close up photographs of some beautiful fungi, when up popped this huge grass snake from beneath some fallen leaves! I knew what it was so I wasn’t afraid of it, or it of me. As I watched, it raised its head and stuck out its…

Good for wildlife Orange ‘Happy Halloween’ and purple ‘Blue Bayou’ mix perfectly together, and they’re a Mecca for butterflies and bees. Sophisticated purples ‘Purple Flame’ (rich purple), ‘Soulman’ (deep crimson) and ‘Waltzing Mathilda’ (coral and orange) give you luscious colours and textures and make a perfect trio in a vase. Indian summer The warm orange ‘Jescot Julie’ and ‘New Baby’ provide a wonderful contrast to the rich purple cactus dahlia ‘Ambition’. Dreamy pale pinks and whites ‘Bishop of Leicester’ and ‘Bishop of Dover’ are a perfect pair planted together amongst other soft-coloured and white flowers such as Cosmos ‘Purity’. Their dark crimson foliage makes them extra classy. Traditional colours Team pale green eucomis (pineapple lily) with scarlet red dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ for a classic colour combination TopTip If you…

Charity: 100% profit from sales of ‘Eleanor Udall’ sweet pea seeds bought via thrive.org.uk goes to the disabled gardening charityThrive…

THE end of January is the time to start off a selection of new plants; this week I’m sowing sweet peas (p4/5) and bedding begonias (p12). I have the seeds, pots and trays – I just need to get my compost now. When I am choosing good compost for sowing seeds, there are five things that I look for: 1.When a pot or tray is filled, I must be able to make the compost surface flat, with no lumps and crevices. Sieving before use will improve the structure. 2.The compost must be free draining, yet hold enough moisture to allow the seeds to germinate. 3. It must be open enough to allowwater and air movement, and light enough to let young roots push through freely. Good compost makes pricking out…

“Birds are thinking it might be time to find a partner” THE start of winter was, for many, the mildest in living memory, and because of this a chaotic time for garden creatures. Wildlife organisations have been flooded with reports of animals that usually hibernate being spotted out and about. Hedgehogs, and many species of butterflies and bats, have had their winter sleep interrupted. Hedgehogs usually go into hibernation during October or November but in the south of the country were spotted visiting garden feeding stations as late as December. Bats, too, were still on the move at that time. Common pipistrelle bat hunting took place in Devon on December 21 – the shortest day of the year. And at Polesden Lacey in Surrey, the National Trust reported that bats…

Cover the tray with clingfilm or plastic, but remove it as soon as seeds germinate. Keep compost moist, away from sunlight, and at around 18-20°C (65-70°F). 1 Before sowing fibrous-rooted begonias, run your compost through a sieve. This removes larger debris which could prevent the tiny seeds from germinating. 2 Fill the tray to the top with sieved compost, and lightly firm it down. Wet the compost so it is moist, but not completely saturated. 3 Mix the seeds with silver or horticultural sand, to make sowing easier. Spread a thin layer of the seed-and-sand mix over the top of the compost. 4 Specially coated seeds, which are easier to sow, are also available. These make the seeds easier to place, so you can space them out with more accuracy.…

THE New Year heralds fresh starts and exciting adventures, so I’m delighted to be sharing my latest gardening journey with AG readers. Each week I’ll be showing you how to pack your plot with luscious edible treasures. Get ready to grow fruit, veg and herbs that will excite home cooks with their punchy, mouth-watering flavours. 2016 is going to be an utterly delicious year! I have to admit that I don’t stick to conventional crop rotation advice in my garden, but the veg don’t seem to suffer for it. At East Donyland where I work as Head Gardenerwe’re lucky enough to have separate, equal-sized beds so rotation is effortless. At home I don’t have such a luxury of space! In theory it makes sense to grow a crop or group…

1 This is great therapy if you’re in a bad mood! If you just want autumn fruits next year, cut all the old stems down to ground level using clean, sharp secateurs. 2 Wear gloves as the stems are clad in tiny fibreglass-like thorns. This is also a good opportunity to tame row widths, so dig out any canes that shoot up out of the row. 3 To force autumn raspberries to act like summer ones, cut them down by half only – the lower portion will crop in July, after which it can be cut out. New canes will yield Aug-Sept.…

“You’ll have crops within two weeks” WE could all do with adding more greenery to our diet, especially in winter; but too often we don’t. Traditionally, our salad selection has been dominated by lettuce – once soft-leaved and green, now usually crunchier white Iceberg sorts. But growing lettuces in winter is not easy. The low light makes them slow to grow, and thus tougher and more bitter than summer lettuces, and prone to mould. To say little of the pests that seem to thrive no matter what the month. It became easier, and healthier, with the introduction of cut-and-come-again lettuce where you take leaves over a period. Then other winter greens became more popular, such as the Chinese brassicas, mustard and rocket. But even with this much-extended range I never…

A Swell as enjoying their beauty, it is fascinating to learn about the origins of our garden plants. Osteospermum sinuata is an annual whose common names Cape marigold, star of the veldt and African daisy certainly drop a lot of clues. This seed strain of gentle pastel shades is even named after the famous Limpopo River. Native to Southern Africa, Cape marigold lights up vast areas of semi-desert in Namibia and Namaqualand, where seeds germinate after spring rains in August and September. Given the right conditions, they’ll do this in our gardens too, blooming in summer and attracting many insects. Not surprisingly, these daisies love the sun. Flowers close at night and if accidentally planted in the shade, they’ll struggle to open at all. Give plants good, well-draining soil and…

1 Fill a pack of modules with cells 1.5-2in (4-5cm) square with multipurpose compost. Do not compact the compost. Make a shallow dip in the middle of each, using a finger. 2 Sow three to four seeds in each dip. Brush compost back over the seeds and water with a fine rose. Stand the modules on the greenhouse staging. 3 Cover the modules with a plastic propagator lid or similar to keep rodents off. This will also help to increase the temperature slightly. Air should be able to circulate up through the slats below.…

1 First, arrange your plants in groups on the soil, placing taller specimens at the back of the bed and smaller ones towards the front of it. Make sure they look good and have enough room. 2 Remove the plant furthest away and dig a hole for it – twice as wide as the rootball, and same depth. Drop the plant in, firm it in, then work forward setting each plant in the soil 3 Water well after planting, then mulch with a 1 1/4in (3cm) layer of composted bark spread over the soil. Leave a gap between the mulch material and plant stems.…

More to harvest Tamsin harvests leeks in herHerefordshire garden and reviews the winterveg crop Kiss and tell Making the most ofmistletoe. How to propagate this fascinating festive plant on trees in your own garden Get larger leaves Discoverwhich plants you can pollard to create a more dramatic foliage display later in the summer . WELCOME to two new gardens in your new-look AG. Gardening experts Martyn Cox and Tamsin Westhorpe will bring you topical stories from their plots every fortnight. This weekyou’ve met Martyn, who cultivates a compact city garden in sunny, south coast Portsmouth. Next week Tamsin, will be offering advice from her Herefordshire country garden (see pictures for what’s coming up). Both are former AG staff members, both are widely acclaimed gardening experts, and both have very different…

Echinacea Large double and single daisies in a wide range of colours. Goes well with: Ornamental grasses such as dwarf miscanthus. Butterflies love them. Penstemon Long season of many-coloured patterned trumpets lining tall stems Goes well with: Rich foliage of cannas and dark coleus. Hosta Fantastic patterned foliage on plants, also dwarf and very large forms. Goes well with: Contrasting foliage such as ferns, irises and Japanese maples. Phlox Fragrant summer colour in mainly soft colours and bicolours. Goes well with: Contrasting shapes of eryngiums and perennial salvias. Iris Flamboyant rainbow colours on a vast variety of prolific sun-loving plants. Goes well with: Oriental poppies, lupins and old shrub roses. Aster Autumn daisies in soft clouds, colourful mounds or bold sprays. Goes well with:…

Agapanthus Stunning heads of blue, white or bicoloured flowers in summer. Superb in large pots or as focal features. Grasses Calamagrostis and other tall grasses make impressive features but are not too dominant, even in a small space. Spring bulbs Planted in clumps, spring bulbs enjoy early sun but fade away as other plants come in. Verbena bonariensis A tall, upright feature plant whose see-through growth ensures that it never overwhelms other plants.…

A homeowner was shocked to find kiwi fruit growing at the bottom of her garden. Jane Manssuer, 56, couldn’t believe her eyes when she spotted the exotic fruit ripening in her garden at Swanland in East Yorkshire last month. Kiwi fruit is usually grown in warmer climates such as Italy, Greece, New Zealand and Chile. Jane said: “My partner found five. We weren’t sure what they were at first, and we didn’t know we had them in the garden. I couldn’t believe it.” Shocked Jane called former owners of the house to ask if they knew about the fruit, but they were unable to help. She added: “The house is more than 200 years old. If we didn’t know about them, and the previous owners didn’t either, then maybe they…

My bougainvilleas bloom in winter Q A have bougainvillea in pots on my south-facing terrace, which I bring inside in winter. They flower inside in the winter, and are dormant outside for summer. How can I get them back to normal? Peter Scrivener (via email) A I suspect the problem is that they are not being allowed to have a dormant season during the winter months. There are two main species (B. glabra and B. spectabilis) that need slightly different care. Hopefully the label will tell you which yours are. Both species like lots of light and high humidity, with good ventilation. During the winter a minimum temperature of 7°C (45°F) is ideal for B. glabra, but B. spectabilis prefers it slightly warmer at 10°C (50°F). In March, the temperature…

Flamingo flower £14.99 + £3.95 delivery 01344 578811 waitrosegarden.com Anthurium ‘Pink Champion’ provides waxy pink flowers periodically throughout the year. It likes bright but indirect light. As supplied in its pot it stands around 20in (50cm) tall. Mist regularly. Winter cherry £7.99 + £4.99 delivery 01344 578 111 crocus.co.uk Solanum pseudocapsicum ‘Megaball’, or winter cherry, has bright green foliage and attractive orange berries. Stands around 10¾in (27cm) tall, but you’ll need a 6¼in (16cm) planter for the plastic pot. Ficus microcarpa  ginseng £69 instore only 0203 645 0018 ikea.co.uk An attractive, 35½in (90cm) tall bonsai-style plant in a glazed earthenware pot of 15½in (39cm) diameter. Keep indoors in a light area, out of direct sunlight. Needs only moderate watering. This Week: Find out which…

LIVEN up your borders with this extravaganza of colourful dahlias. Flowering throughout summer and well into autumn, they will certainly make a long lasting display! With so many varieties to choose from, you will never be short of varieties for producing cut flower arrangements. Height: 47in (120cm). Spread: 24in (60cm). Size 1 tubers supplied. Collection comprises of five different varieties: ‘Fire and Ice’, ‘Lady Darlene’, ‘Maxime’, ‘Rebecca’s World’ and ‘Royal Bumble’ •Buy 2 of any variety for £9.99 •Buy 10 (two of each) for £19.95 (RRP £49.95) – Saving £30!…

1 The seeds are shiny black orbs about ¼ in (6mm) across, topped by a tuft of bright orange ‘fluff’. Before sowing, pull this fluff off, and soak in water at room temperature for up to 24 hours. 2 Fill a small pot or cell tray with damp horticultural sand. Press soaked seeds into the surface so they are just buried. Keep the seeds quite far apart, to make transplanting easier. 3 Label pot or cell tray, seal in a clear plastic bag. Seeds need dark to germinate, so wrap the bag in black plastic, or put in a dark airing cupboard, if not too hot. 21-24°C (70-75°F) is right. 4 If not using the airing cupboard, put the covered pot/tray in a heated propagator. Germination can take from one…

“They grow back like zombies to haunt your borders” THERE are two types of gardener: those who’d rather ignore the weeds and those that love nothing more than donning their gardening gloves and doing battle with unwanted greenery. My mum was very much of the later persuasion. In fact she enjoyed weeding so much she’d fall into an almost Zen-like calm as she clanked through the soil with her hand trowel, only breaking from her reverie when the sun set behind the hedge. If you’re like her, then it’s good news as 2016 is set to be one of the weediest years ever. I say this as the weeds that grace (or disgrace) our gardens are coming up earlier than ever this year. Weeds come in many guises but fall…