Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2020 i Woman's Weekly Living Series

Bulbs for summer Q Can you recommend some summer bulbs? There are so many varieties to choose from! A Lilies are surely the best summer bulbs. They like cool, moist soils with their heads in the sun and the soil shaded. Larger gladioli, 90cm high, come in a huge range of colours, add height to borders and are good for cutting. I like Acidanthera or Gladiolus callianthus , which has a dark brown throat to its scented white flowers. Shorter gladioli suit smaller gardens and borders. Search out large bulbs for best results. All thrive in large containers. If you have a sheltered garden, try Eucomis or pineapple lilies. Neither pineapples nor lilies, these bear pineapple-shaped flower spikes above strap-like foliage with a topknot of leaves – ‘Leia’ with pink/purple…

Wisteria floribunda ‘Kimono’ is a free-flowering cultivar bearing long tresses with white flowers tinged violet blue from late spring into summer Wisteria floribunda f. multijuga (formerly ‘Macrobotrys’) is one of the most spectacular, on account of the extravagantly long racemes of lilac-blue blooms Wisteria floribunda ‘Rosea’, often hard to tell apart from ‘Pink Ice’, has a lots of of flowers with variable pink shading, that fade with age on 60cm-long racemes Wisteria x valderi ‘Burford’ is a highly scented hybrid that awakes in early summer to bear racemes of pale violet flowers with a deeper purple keel and wings Wisteria sinensis , Chinese wisteria, is revered for its fabulous fragrance, as well as for its inquisitive, twining tendrils that need to be kept in check Wisteria floribunda ‘Hon-beni’ also…

LAGERSTROEMIA The crepe myrtle originates from China and South Korea, but is a popular flowering shrub in the warm climate of the southern US states. CYCAS REVOLUTA The cycad or Japanese sago palm makes a bold and exotic structural addition to a frost-free garden TRACHELOSPERMUM JASMINOIDES The highly fragrant star jasmine provides interest throughout the year, with pretty white flowers in summer, vibrant leaf colour in winter and lush foliage in spring and autumn. OSMANTHUS FRAGRANS Known as the sweet or fragrant olive, this can make a delightfully aromatic and attractive hedging plant. CITRUS x LIMON Popularly grown in pots, lemon trees can tolerate temperatures down to around 1°C, but should be overwintered indoors in areas likely to experience frosts. CAMELLIA JAPONICA A rewarding evergreen shrub, the pink or white…

FICUS LYRATA This tropical plant with its large leaves can be used as a structural plant to provide lush shadiness. FAGUS SYLVATICA Although not usually found in Thailand, this beech hedge can be used to provide a sense of privacy and lush foliage in a garden. CALATHEA ZEBRINA Grown indoors in the UK, this tolerates temperatures as low as 15°C and could go outside in shade on summer days. COLOCASIA GIGANTEAN Another tropical plant with impressively large leaves, this must be overwintered inside as it cannot withstand UK winters.…

Nothing beats the crunch of a freshly-dug carrot or the sweetness of a strawberry plucked straight from the plant and, now that healthy eating is firmly back on the menu, growing your own is very much flavour of the month. It’s a revolution that’s being championed by the likes of Bob Flowerdew and James Wong, and sends out a clear message that with a little know-how, anyone can grow their own produce, and have a lot of fun in the process. With so much available information and mouth-watering crops to choose from, it’s difficult to know where to start. But the first step is simple – assess how much ground is available, and choose crops to suit the space, soil and situation. Wherever space is at a premium, it makes…

CLEMATIS ELODI Here’s news of the first large flowered clematis perfect for patio pots and window boxes. The bushy, non-climber flowers from May to September. £13, taylorsclematis.co.uk. IMPATIENS ‘BEACON’ Busy Lizzies are back with resistance against downy mildew disease. Ideal for shady places, plug plants of mixed colours are available from mr-fothergills.co.uk and thompson-morgan.com. HELIANTHUS ‘SUN FILL GREEN ’ An unusual looking pollen-less sunflower ideal as a cut flower and with distinctive spiky leaves at the base of the flower. Cut before the petals appear. Sow seed February to May. £2.95, plantsofdistinction.co.uk. PETUNIA ‘SURFINIA STAR BURGUNDY’ Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Surfinia, the trailing cousin of the petunia has good weather resistance. Enjoy these burgundy flowers trailing from pots. From £8.99, thompson-morgan.com. ZINNIA ‘PEACHES & CREAM ’ This eye-catching…

GARDENERS Michael and Caroline Dedman LOCATION Shoeburyness, Essex LANDSCAPED Initially, the garden was basic, mostly laid to lawn, and planted with a number of shrubs with minimalist flowers such as euonymus, laurel and conifers. ‘It was very dull, almost park-like, and a bit rundown.’ SPECIAL FEATURES Wrapped around the house, this one-acre walled garden unfolds as a series of beds and borders filled with bulbs, shrubs, roses and trees. ASPECT The rear garden is south-facing. SOIL TYPE Sandy and free-draining. PROBLEMS The rainfall is very low, with the nearby village of Great Wakering said to be one of the country’s driest places. INSPIRATION Keukenhof tulip gardens, near Lisse in Holland, and new tulip introductions in each year’s bulb catalogues.…

1 Fill 9cm pots or seed trays with moist (but not wet) seed or multipurpose compost and firm lightly so there is a gap of two fingers’ width at the top. Sprinkle your seeds on the firmed compost, allowing about a finger’s width between each seed. 2 Cover the seeds with sieved compost or a similarly granular material such as vermiculite. Water gently or stand the container in a tray of water until the surface darkens. 3 Allow to drain and then place the pots or trays in a warm, bright place. 4 Once the seeds have germinated and have two seed leaves (called ‘cotyledons’), replant them in cell trays or small pots filled with multipurpose potting media, ideally peat-free. Handle only the cotyledons and never the delicate stems. 5…

Colour is very much a matter of taste, and one gardener’s hot hue-of-the-hour can be another’s nightmare. Visiting a garden jam-packed with thousands of cheerily clashing tulips is not everyone’s cup of tea but, after a lacklustre winter, a defiant blaze of colour is joyous in a way that textbook taste might not be. ‘The plants haven’t read the rule book,’ murmured the owner of the particular garden I describe. Clearly neither had he, and it mattered not a jot. Every gardener nurses prejudices against certain plants or flowers, based on their colour Colour plays a vital role in every corner of a garden, exciting and stimulating, calming or cheering. Gardeners have at their disposal a superb palette of flowers and foliage that can be used as a design tool…

PINUS THUNBERGII Native to Japan and South Korea, the black pine is found in environments as diverse as mountainsides and cities. ACER PALMATUM Although often known as the Japanese maple, this feathery-leaved tree is native to large areas of Eastern Asia including China. ALSOPHILA SPINULOSA (syn. CYATHEA SPINULOSA ) A tall and graceful addition to the garden with a delightful common name – the flying spider-monkey tree fern. NELUMBO NUCIFERA The sacred lotus has been in cultivation in China for more than three millennia and is deeply significant in the Hindu and Buddhist religions. ADIANTUM CAPILLUS-VENERIS The maidenhair fern is found in diverse habitats worldwide, including the tropics and temperate areas such as the UK.…

ACER PALMATUM or A. JAPONICUM These instantly-recognisable small trees are essential for a traditional Japanese garden look. ENKIANTHUS PERULATUS This deciduous shrub has small, white bell-shaped flowers in spring and brilliant autumn leaf colour FARFUGIUM JAPONICUM The leopard plant is an evergreen perennial with large, glossy, kidney-shaped green leaves, sometimes with golden-yellow spots. PINUS DENSIFLORA The Japanese pine or Korean red pine is often found growing in the Satoyama forests in Japan.…

If you don’t have a greenhouse, or are limited for floor space, try growing tomatoes in a hanging basket. There are a number of suitable bush varieties which, unlike other tomatoes, need no staking, training or side-shoot removal. ‘Hundreds and Thousands’ is exceptionally flavoursome, while ‘Tumbler’ is one of the heaviest croppers. HOW TO GET STARTED Tomato seed can be sown now, in pots, covered in a plastic bag, and germinated on a sunny windowsill. Within several weeks, seedlings will be sufficiently large to prick out into separate biodegradable pots. It takes about a month for plants to become mature enough to plant outside. PLANTING AND AFTERCARE Once risk of frost has passed, young tomato plants can be planted in a lined hanging basket – wire, plastic or woven willow.…

Snip, snip A pair of traditional-looking secateurs feature a chromium-vanadium steel blade which will not become blunt after repeated use. Ideal for thicker stems of shrubs (19mm) and perennials. £19.95, sarahraven.com. Flowers for drought-resistance Climate change will undoubtedly affect the plants we grow in the future. Using plants that thrive during the driest summer is the answer. RHS experts have created a collection of perennials and annuals that will require less watering. Seed pack £4.99, mr-fothergills. co.uk. Tel: 0333 777 3936. Forest garden corner shed A new shape of corner shed has double doors and two large windows to help to maximise light if you wish to create a potting space. Two sizes: 7ft x 7ft or 8ft x 8ft, from £459.99. forestgarden.co.uk.…

A fully-fledged wisteria at its peak is a vision of loveliness, lavishly adorning buildings and pergolas, and dripping with cascades of tiny, pea-like flowers with a sweet, musky perfume that drifts on a balmy breeze. By the time the flowers fade and fall, countless shiny, light-green leaflets have unfurled, softly shrouding the weather-beaten forms of noble wisterias branches that have seen a century or more. Wisterias have been prized in Japan and China for hundreds of years, and even today there are wisteria gardens in Japan with long tunnels of the flowers through which visitors can stroll. European countries were unaware of wisteria until 1816, when the first seeds were brought from China by mariner Captain Robert Welbank. The story goes that, while visiting a Chinese businessman, the Englishman became…

Many think of gardening as a quintessentially British pursuit – but beyond the cottage borders of the classic English country garden waits a whole world of horticultural inspiration. From Thailand to America, designers at the top flower shows have taken their cue from every corner of the world to create spaces reflecting the culture, heritage and natural environments of truly diverse places. Take a look at some of the recent gardens from Chelsea shows for inspiration. And, even though Chelsea 2020 is on hold, we still have a preview of some of the beautiful and varied gardens proposed. NORTH AMERICA World gardens were a theme at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival in 2018, including two strikingly different gardens inspired by the USA. The Oregon Garden presented a naturalistic…

DRYOPTERIS WALLICHIANA A tough, hardy alpine wood fern that is native to the Himalayas. PRIMULA Almost half of the known species of Primula are from the Himalayas. Varieties include Primula capitata ssp. mooreana, Primula florindae, Primula sikkimensis, and Primula geranifolia. MECONOPSIS The legendary Himalayan Blue Poppy. Erect leafy stems bear a succession of clear blue poppies with yellow stamens. PINUS WALLICHIANA A coniferous evergreen tree native to the Himalayas. This attractive, pyramid-forming conifer has unique drooping, long thin green spines. RHODODENDRON The national flower of Nepal, this comes in large and small leaved species and hybrids.…

ROSE The Rose Garden at Kew is currently home to 170 different species and cultivars of roses, and there’s more to this perennial shrub than just a pretty face. It’s a popular ingredient in skincare, and many parts of the plant are used. Rose essential oil comes from the flower petals and rose hip oil is extracted from the small fruits that sit behind the flower. Rose water, a by-product from rose oil production, is often used as a facial mist or toner. LUFFA Luffa is a tropical vine belonging to the cucumber family. The fruit is very fibrous when ripe, and once peeled the flesh is made into a sponge for exfoliating your skin – or even a sustainable alternative to plastic pan scourers! Loofahs are relatively easy to…

APRIL ✣ HARDEN OFF TENDER PLANTS for two to three weeks to toughen them up before planting outdoors (do this towards the end of the month, or after the last frosts). For the first week, place outdoors in the day and bring in at night. The second week, leave outside but cover with fleece. For the final days, remove the fleece during the day. ✣ IT’S SAFE TO PRUNE TENDER SHRUBS such as fuchsias, penstemons and caryopteris to promote strong new growth. Evergreen shrubs such as holly, pyracantha and privet can be pruned now, but first check for nesting birds. ✣ PROPAGATE PERENNIALS by taking fresh growth from the base (basal cuttings). Use a sharp knife to cut 10cm (4in) lengths, trim below a joint and strip lower leaves. Dip…