Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2019 i Woman's Weekly Living Series

1 MANDEVILLA ‘SUNDAVILLE RED’ Mandevilla, also known as Chilean Jasmine, is a tropical beauty with a number of different varieties in vibrant shades. It’s evergreen and needs shading from scorching sunshine. Growing tips ✿ Requires overwintering in cold months either in a cool conservatory or in a heated greenhouse. 2 TRACHELOSPERMUM ASIATICUM Hardy in most of the UK, this evergreen climber bears small but strongly scented flowers in summertime. Commonly called the Chinese Jasmine, if planted in well-drained soil in full sun or dappled shade it can reach 8m (26ft) in height and spread. Growing tips ✿ Best to plant in a sunny, sheltered spot. 3 BOUGAINVILLEA ‘ELSBETH’ Named in honour of a French admiral, bougainvillea is a familiar sight in southern Europe, where it cascades in flamboyant clusters of…

‘As a boy, I’d sell cacti on a small stall outside Nan’s front door to all the women who walked past’ Adam’s career in gardening began at a very early age when, as a boy, he sold pots of propagated cacti on his nan’s doorstep. ‘A lot of my childhood was spent with my grandparents,’ he explains. ‘I had Scruffy Nan and Tidy Nan. Scruffy Nan’s garden was an overgrown mess outside her back door. She was a hoarder, and I distinctly remember Belfast sinks and a whole array of weird and wonderful things hidden amongst the undergrowth. As a boy, for me it was a magical world full of newts and frogs.’ As well as being able to explore and play, there were some marvellous skills for Adam to…

Over the years, I’ve regularly overheard people in the kitchen garden at RHS Garden Harlow Carr exchanging exclamations of how difficult it is to grow carrots. Although occasionally problematic, if certain conditions are met correctly, carrots are relatively easy to grow. The starting point for getting it right is with the soil. See the panel below for a checklist of how to select and prepare your plot... Carrot varieties From short, stubby white varieties to large conical purple ones, there is now a world of carrot diversity to choose from. This can all seem a bit overwhelming at first; however, choice can be narrowed down significantly depending on how long you want your crop to grow for. Carrots can be classified into two main categories – early and main-crop. Early…

Jobs for April ✿ Tie in climbers on a weekly basis and coax a few stems horizontally to fill your support and encourage plentiful blooms. ✿ Feed the lawn when rain is expected within the next two days. On mossy turf, apply a fertiliser with integral moss-killer. ✿ Mulch the ground with well-rotted compost or manure to conserve moisture in summer, reduce weeds and improve soil structure. ✿ Plant new evergreen shrubs and trees, and transplant existing shrubs in April, too, as roots are actively growing. Keep well watered until autumn. ✿ Insert stakes around tall perennials like delphiniums before growth gets too large. ✿ Cut the grass once a week and ensure the mower blades are sharp. Keep the level of the blades high until all frost has passed.…

Few gardens dazzle in more than one season, but Philippa Burrough’s is an exception. Not only does one marvel at it in spring with a rainbow of glistening tulips, but autumn also scintillates with fiery colours and foliage. ‘We play to the strengths of our climate,’ says Philippa, who’s created this spectacular Essex garden in one of the driest regions in the country. The one-acre garden and ten acres of woodland, ponds and meadows at Ulting Wick have been redesigned by Philippa over several decades. At the heart of the gardens lies a 17th-century farmhouse and a former farmyard surrounded by three listed barns. ‘This space has the feel of a walled garden,’ says Philippa, ‘and I quickly realised that the black timber walls would create a marvellous backdrop for…

The major RHS flower shows at Chelsea, Hampton Court, Tatton Park and Chatsworth provide much inspiration, especially when it comes to plants. Many of the stars of the show gardens combine drama and height – delphiniums alliums, lupins and foxgloves seem to be all the rage. In terms of the latest planting fashions, cottage garden and naturalistic styles abound, while the popularity of evergreen topiary, clipped from box or yew, shows no sign of abating. Unusual small trees, so vital to a garden’s permanent structure, are also showcased, and include kousa dogwoods and the katsura tree. When it comes to design, imaginative space-saving ideas are a boon for many gardeners, and include wall troughs shelving, and recycled tins. Split-level design is prevalent, with a combination of raised and sunken areas…

Biddulph Grange This most extraordinary of Victorian gardens near Stoke-on-Trent is a very lucky survivor, and one that almost disappeared forever Biddulph was originally created after 1840 by horticulturists James and Maria Bateman with help from artist friend Edward Cooke. The gardens surrounded the couples’ newly built house, and were designed using their extensive collection of plants from around the world. They’re a rare example of the interim period between Capability Brown-style landscaped parkland and High Victorian style. The couple stayed here for 20 years before moving to London, after which the gardens slowly fell into disrepair. The house burnt down, was then rebuilt, and eventually – as it fell on hard times – became a hospital, and the very existence of the gardens came under threat. The National Trust…

Epimedium ‘Akebono’ A semi-evergreen variety with pretty white flowers that are flushed a pearly pink and open at the same time as the foliage which opens red-coloured, fading to apple green, but retaining a red edge. Epimedium ‘Sphinx Twinkler’ This very distinctive hybrid has elongated, pointed leaves that are spiny (similar to holly) and open reddish bronze, before turning green once the small golden flowers have faded. Confusingly, it also goes by the name of ‘Spine Tingler’! Epimedium x versicolor ‘Sulphureum’ This evergreen perennial bears a profusion of delicate, pale lemon coloured flowers, and copes so well in dry shade that it even establishes beside leylandii hedges. In early spring, the low canopy of leaves can be parted to reveal clusters of flowers beneath, ready to rise in the warmth…

Events and walks Bluebells at Blickling Norfolk, mid April-mid May Discover the Blickling Estate, one of the best places to see beautiful English bluebells in the country. ✿ Adult £16.50, child £8.25 (Gift Aid prices). Open 10am-5.30pm; Aylsham, nr Norwich NR11 6NF. Tel 01263 738 030; nationaltrust.org.uk/ blickling-estate Bluebells at Hodsock Notts, dates vary Take a woodland path and admire the impressive display of these spring beauties. ✿ Adults, £2.50, child free. Visit the garden’s website at hodsockpriory.com for opening times before travelling. Hodsock Priory, Blyth, Worksop S81 0TY. Tel 01909 591 204. Blooming Bluebells Herefordshire, 23 April-12 May Croft Castle will be brimming over with bluebells – enjoy a stroll followed by bluebell-themed treats in the tea room and shop. ✿ Adult £13.40, child £6.70 (Gift Aid prices). Open 10am-5pm;…

Storm warning In terms of rainfall, there are likely to be more frequent prolonged periods without rain, most pronounced in summer in southern England. There will also be more very wet days, especially in winter in northern areas of the UK, as well as a continuing high year-to-year variability in rainfall. There will also be more frequent and intense windy spells and storms. It’s hotting up Average temperature is predicted to increase in all seasons and across all regions of the UK. Much of the country could theoretically be frost-free in the future, and global temperature may rise by 1.5-2.0°C over the next century. Plants can help manage these temperature extremes. As well as providing obvious shade in exposed areas, the process of plant transpiration, where plants release water into…

Plant hunters endured weeks of loneliness and physical hardship, to bring back the extraordinary plants which can be seen in our gardens today’ The plant hunters of the last three centuries frequently travelled across the world to discover new and useful plants for science. They were botanists and horticulturalists who were willing to take risky journeys to travel to the other side of the world, sometimes even for several years, to discover these new plants for science and to ornament people’s gardens. Their passion for discovery, plants and adventure was unparalleled. Let us introduce you to just a few of these remarkably intrepid travellers. Sir Joseph Banks Sir Joseph Banks, who had accompanied Captain Cook on HMS Endeavour ’s voyage to the South Pacific (1768-1771), was appointed as an informal…

The domesticated, conical carrot we know today as Daucus carota subsp. Sativus is thought to have originated in what is now Turkey around 1000 AD. However, various records indicate that wild carrots were first cultivated for their aromatic leaves and seeds – similar to their close relatives parsley, coriander and dill – for thousands of years before that throughout Europe and Asia. Selective breeding of wild carrots occurred over the centuries to produce sweeter, less bitter carrots with a less woody taproot core. In the 15th century carrots arrived in England and were a highly-prized vegetable. Other plants belonging to the Apiaceae family with carrots include celery, fennel and chervil. In nature, carrots are biennial, although they are grown as an annual for their edible roots. If left to their…