Innholdsfortegnelse for Spring 2023 i Garden Answers

Meet the Contributors “This month in the garden I’ll be...” “…cleaning the greenhouse glass, ready for seed sowing.” Val Bourne suggests perfect spring partners, p16 “…sowing seed of an annual wildflower mix to create a tapestry of blooms buzzing with insects.” Sue Fisher on crab apples, p28 “…turning a metal trough into a container pond.” Louise Curley’s top 10 plants with pink foliage, p24 “…sowing a mini-meadow. They’re the easiest thing to maintain.” Adrian Thomas greens up for wildlife, p44 “…sprinkling wild-flower seeds in the bare tree pits on my street.” Dan Masoliver writes our Garden View column, p114 “…adding more pink foliage plants to complement the red acers in my garden.” Gill Lockhart, designs the magazine Welcome to the Spring edition of Garden Answers. This issue started life as…

Quick quiz FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER & INSTAGRAM @gardenanswers A Flowering shrub blooming Feb–Apr with small, double flowers in shades of pink; needs acid soil. H4m (13ft) S2.5m (8ft) B May-flowering bulb with white, frilled petals featuring a bright green stripe. H40cm (16in) S10cm (4in) C Foamy pale pink flowers May–July and dark-blotched attractive leaves; spreading, shade-loving perennial. H&S30cm (12in) D Dainty early bulb with purple inner petals and unusual white outer petals with a dark flash Feb–March. H15cm (6in) S7cm (3in) E Bulb with scented white flowers with dark purple centres in May; loved by bees. H70cm (28in) S30cm (12in) F Perennial whose foliage turns dark purple in autumn and winter, bright green in spring with vivid pink flowers. H&S30cm (12in) RARE CHILEAN PLANTS ON DISPLAY An unusual…

" Seize any opportunity to green up your outside space with enthusiasm" Adrian Thomas is the RSPB’s wildlife-friendly gardening expert and author of RSPB Gardening for Wildlife. He is also a Trustee of the Wildlife Gardening Forum and a passionate gardener and plantsman. You can’t exaggerate the role that plants play in the health of our planet and ourselves. It’s easy to think of their value in terms of food, but plants offer so much more than that. They absorb carbon and release oxygen into the atmosphere; they intercept downpours, which reduces flooding and protects the soil; and they offer shade during heat but also help insulate the ground from the cold. Then there’s the goodness they return to the soil, not to mention the sheer joy their visual appeal…

Fact file Name: Alice Whitehead Location: Northampton Patch type: Urban allotment and garden Size: Two standard-sized allotments and terraced street garden (about 600sq m/ 717sq yd) Soil: Clay allotment; garden loam Aspect: East/west-facing allotment; north-facing garden Top 5 crops: Courgette, rainbow chard, orach, tomatoes, potatoes Failures: Edamame, melon, cauliflower, asparagus Organic tip: Try no-dig – hoe off annual weeds and let worms and nature do the rest Find out more: Instagram/ Facebook/Twitter @allotmentalice SPRING has sprung at my allotment – well at least it feels like it, but the clue is always in the soil. Half my allotment sits on a seam of clay and in the shade of a building, and although the sun can feel warm on my skin in early March, under my feet it’s often a…

Gardening can be a dirty business! Whether you’re weeding, digging or repotting, your clothes can get badly soiled and damp quickly. While you may not tackle outdoor jobs in your Sunday best, reserving a worn-out t-shirt and threadbare jeans for gardening, a gardening apron can keep even these cleaner and drier for longer. If you keep it by the back door, you can quickly slip it on for a quick potter without having to change before and afterwards. And, if it has handy pockets, you can carry around those essential bits and bobs while you’re working and keep them close to hand. There are two main types of garden aprons: full-coverage, usually referred to as a bib apron, and waist or half aprons. Each type has its own benefits. Bib…

Buy any 2 trays and get 1 free save £19.99 Summer bedding plants are such great value, providing months of vibrant colour for very little cost. This YouGarden offer helps your money go even further as they are offering six different trays of 40 Pro Plug plants for just £19.99. Plus buy any two trays and get another one free! Ideal for displaying your pretty plants is a pair of 30cm (12in) easy-fill hanging baskets (below). Their lattice-style gates allow for simple, quick planting with plants and rootballs remaining undamaged while allowing them to cascade. They contain a built-in reservoir and don’t need moss or any other liner. Item 130260 £14.99 BUY ANY 2 TRAYS OF 40 PRO PLUG PLANTS & GET 40 PLUGS FREE! LOBELIA ‘FOUNTAIN’ MIX Lobelia…

Do you remember your first love? Horticulturally speaking, that is. I’m referring to the moment you realised that your heart could be bewitched by the botanical; made to swell with affection for a plant just as it might for a pet or even, dare I say it, a person. Think back. Maybe it was the first time you buried your nose in a fragrant English rose. Or perhaps you have a childhood memory of falling for a foxglove, after watching a bumblebee shake its fuzzy bottom within the trumpet-like blooms, twerking its way from flower to flower. My first true love was a tree. A weeping willow, to be precise (or as precise as is possible some 30 years after the fact). I grew up in a first floor flat…

Gardener’s gauntlets £32.95 Cream rose linen and leather. 0345 548 0210; annabeljames. co.uk Burgon & Ball FloraBrite hand trowel & fork set from £29.49 RHS-approved; fluorescent pink or yellow. 01308 326426; auntiemorags.co.uk Rive Droite bistro set £300 Large (90cm diameter) metal table with 4 chairs; 3 colours. 01993 845559; gardentrading.co.uk Garden obelisk £49.95 Wooden or painted slate 1.5m. 0844 482 5555; scottsof stow. co.uk Pink watering can £24.99 Pink and chrome 9L metal watering can with rose. manomano.co.uk Tool shed with shelves £279.99 Pastel green, dove grey, chalk white or natural finish. 01276 535641; gardenesque.com Polkadot garden trug £12 Pink handle and pink poka-dot fabric lining otherbunch.com B&Q pink wheelbarrow £90.49 90L heavy-duty plastic with puncture-proof wheel. 0333 014 3357; diy.com…

HANG A SPRING BASKET Enjoy the fresh bright colours of spring at eye level by planting a themed hanging basket. Here we’ve created a pink and green colour scheme to complement pot-grown tulip ‘Pinnochio’, but ensure the plants you choose are hardy and able to withstand late frosts. Balancing your basket on a bucket makes it easier to plant. Fill with compost and create a central focalpoint using an ornamental grass such as Carex comans ‘Milk Chocolate’, then place the tulips behind. Add in attractive foliage plants such as Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Purpurea’ and red mossy saxifraga ‘Pixie’, then slot dainty Bellis perennis between them. Remember to water regularly. PLANT FORCED BULBS OUTSIDE Unseasonably early displays of plants such as crocus, hyacinths, narcissus and miniature iris are one of the joys…

1. CHECK YOUR POT SIZE The smaller the pot, the more chance of the compost drying out and the plant struggling. It doesn’t mean your pots have to be huge, but bigger is better. 2. BE WEIGHT CONSCIOUS If you do grow in large containers, look for specialist lightweight peat-free compost, to make it easier to move your pots around. Use light containers rather than heavy terracotta. 3. WATER FREQUENTLY Plants in pots tend to dry out much quicker than those in the ground – be prepared to water daily if not more in dry weather in summer. 4. KEEP HUNGRY PLANTS FED Plants can quickly exhaust the nutrients in a pot, so slow-release organic fertiliser granules or liquid feed in the growing season is important. 5. FOLLOW THE RIGHT…

Love it or hate it, yellow is a key colour of spring and in March and April daffodils in full bloom brighten up borders, pots and lawns with a little bit of sunshine. But not all daffodils are yellow and a visit to Saltram in Devon, which is home to 120 different cultivars, reveals that there is a colour, shape and scent for everyone. From the early 1700s right through to 1957, when it was passed to the National Trust for safe keeping, the Grade I-listed palladian mansion and estate of Saltram was owned by the Parker family. As well as being a home, Saltram was the family’s stage for displaying its wealth and lavish style to friends and dignitaries and this spilled over into the garden. Here a folly,…

1 Get ready for sowing You will need: aubergine (Solanum melongena) seeds – this one is ‘Black Beauty’, pot, potting compost, propagator or airing cupboard. 2 Sow the seeds Empty the seeds into your hand and sow thinly on the surface of damp seed compost, then lightly sprinkle with compost, just covering the seeds. 3 Water and label Water in the seeds with a fine rose and add a label. Then place your pot in a heated propagator or airing cupboard at 20C. 4 Bring into the light Check the pot regularly for signs of germination – usually in 7-14 days. Then move into the light and aim to keep at 15C or above. 5 Prick them out Once seedlings have their first true leaves, prick out the largest ones…

CLUES ACROSS 1 ‘- - - - -Tor’, hosta cultivar named after a county of SW England (5) 3 Botanical name of the flax genus (5) 6 Quince tree, ornamental - - - - - - - oblonga (7) 7 Slender-branched Salix viminalis, whose withies are used in basketry (5) 9 Abbreviated name sometimes used informally for chrysanths (4) 12 The - - - -Islands, Galway Bay group sharing its name with a cultivar of ivy Hedera hibernica (4) 13 White-bloomed crocus cultivar named for Neverland’s ‘- - - - -Pan’ (5) 16 Exotic-looking bulbous plant genus also known as pineapple flower (7) 17 Firework of an auricula – ‘Catherine - - - - -’ (5) 18 Pinus sylvestris or - - - - - pine, long-lived, widely distributed conifer…

Patio project Pink & Perky Brighten a sheltered corner or porch with this delightful spring ensemble grouped together in a woven planter (try dunelm.com or thebasketroom.com for similar). If the woven planter isn’t lined, place a layer of plastic, such as a piece of compost bag or bin liner, inside and then use a plastic or terracotta pot with holes in the base for the arrangement. Fill with good-quality peat-free compost and start by planting the hellebore at the back. Choose a dark pink cultivar such as helleborus (Rodney Davey Marbled Group) ‘Anna’s Red’ with its attractive marbled evergreen leaves (H&S60cm/2ft). Position the dainty nodding flowers of Fritillaria meleagris (snakeshead fritillary; H30cm/12in S8cm/3in) to one side and allow the feathery foliage of Polystichum tsussimense (H&S45cm/18in) to soften the front edge.…

Hyacinth ‘Hollyhock’ Intense blue double-flowered muscari makes a late spring statement. ✿ H20cm (8in) S10cm (4in) £4.80/20 bulbs Farmer Gracy 0330 808 7304; farmergracy. org.uk Muscari armeniacum ‘Fantasy Creation’ Create a vibrant splash with this bright red double-flowered hyacinth that has a strong sweet scent. ✿ H20cm (8in) S10cm (4in) £5/5 bulbsKevock Garden Plants 0131 454 0660; kevockgardenplants.co.uk Iris tuberosa Previously known as Hermodactylus tuberosus, this hardy snake’s head iris has flowers of a reptilian green with striking black falls. Emerging in late winter, the flowers last until mid-spring. ✿ H20cm (8in) S5cm (2in) £3.90/10 bulbs Farmer Gracy 0330 808 7304; farmergracy.org.uk Narcissus ‘Blushing Lady’ Blooms start yellow, then develop a white halo at the petal base, while the soft pink trumpet matures to rich salmon. ✿ H35cm (14in)…

Alipstick purple tulip will always look good, but give it a complementary underplanting and you offer it the chance to really fizz. Here a low-level trio of herbaceous perennials bring a complementary backcloth of textures, shapes and colours, from deep purple heuchera to ferny blue dicentra and the sunlit pools of astilbe. Even the dark green leaves of ivy, so often overlooked, bring a depth and light-reflecting shine to the scene. It’s a clear demonstration of how a simple repeating palette creates a far more satisfying picture than a varied scatter-gun approach. Colour palette Sultry purple, zingy lime and snowy white STEP 2 CHOOSE THE RIGHT PLANTS TULIPA ‘NEGRITA’ Purple-pink tulip with strong stems and large mid-April flowers. Reliably perennial so try leaving the bulbs in the ground. H45cm (18in)…

FROM JUST £3.99* A MONTH! SAVE ON SHOP PRICES WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE TODAY: ✔ 13 issues a year ✔ Free UK delivery to your door every four weeks with a print subscription ✔ Read Garden Answers on your smartphone and tablet ✔ Packed with ideas to try at home to help you discover your garden’s true potential ✔ Perfect for anyone trying to make their garden beautiful ✔ Free packet of seeds with every issue Print magazine: £4.30 when you pay monthly or £49.99 when you pay by annual recurring payment SPECIAL OFFERS PRINT ONLY DIGITAL ONLY PRINT & DIGITAL PACKAGE Digital magazine: £3.99 when you pay monthly or £39.99 when you pay by annual recurring payment Print & digital package: £5.20 when you pay monthly or £59.99 when you…

Q I’m a real beginner and my new big garden is a bit overwhelming – how do I start as I mean to go on? Having removed imposing leylandii hedging and starting to replace the fencing, this reader’s garden’s is essentially a blank canvas. However, she’s at a loss as to what to do next saying: “I’m a complete garden novice but with such a big garden in a nice location I really want to make the most of what we’ve got and not have the garden just become a boring expanse of lawn surrounded by fences…. I’d love all- year-round colour and interest in the garden. The summerhouse was here when we moved in, and we’ve made that into a bit of a grown-ups’ retreat and I’m keen for…

Hardy geraniums are some of the easiest plants to grow but they give so much back, offering longevity and exceptional value. Throughout summer and into autumn, they form colourful groundcover, perfect for filling gaps in beds and borders and acting as natural weed suppressors. Pest resistant, drought tolerant and unfussy on soil type, they can also be grown in containers. Hayloft is offering readers this collection of six different hardy geraniums, supplied as bare roots, with delivery from March. ● Hardy geranium collection of 6 plants (1 of each cultivar) £18  ● Hardy geranium collection of 12 plants (2 of each cultivar) £30 – save £6 Buy 12 for £30 just £2.50 per plant! ASTRANTIA COLLECTION – BUY 3 X3 PLANTS & SAVE £20! ASTRANTIA MAJOR ‘ROMA’ ASTRANTIA MAJOR ‘SHAGGY’…