Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2023 i Woman's Weekly Living Series

✣ MAKE SURE bird feeders and baths are regularly washed and refilled, and give your hedgehogs some extra goodies – no mealworms, though, as they cause a serious and debilitating metabolic disease. ✣ WASH old plastic pots and seed trays in warm, soapy water so that you can reuse them for new sowings. ✣ TIE IN CLIMBERS on a weekly basis, and also coax a few stems horizontally to fill out your support frame and encourage lots of beautiful blooms throughout the flowering season. ✣ GET RID OF last year’s dead perennial stems. It should also be warm enough to cut back penstemons, but if your garden is exposed, it may pay to wait until later on in spring. ✣ IF YOUR LAWN is looking peaky, you can still give…

Once upon a time, most gardens were bordered by hedges. Sadly, many have been replaced by fences or ripped out in the quest for a parking space. But they are easy to put back where they belong. And in the process, you’ll gain a living barrier to noise, wind and pollution, while providing lush, green corridors for wildlife. Fancy footings Embellish a hedge with plants that will nestle in the footings or scramble over the top. Clematis and honeysuckle will weave through and over stems, adding another layer of colour and scent. At the base, spring bulbs, such as daffodils and bluebells, will take advantage of the extra light and flower before a deciduous hedge comes into full leaf. Other options include native hedgerow plants, such as cow parsley,…

✣ TOMATOES ARE SUSCEPTIBLE to blossom-end rot or split skins, especially if watering is inconsistent. Water regularly to keep compost evenly moist. ✣ TRIM FADED HERBS BACK and as new growth appears, cut, chop up and freeze into ice cubes. Add a cube or two to stews, soups and casseroles when required. ✣ DON’T NEGLECT indoor plants, which will need more watering as the weather starts to get warmer. ✣ GIVE BEDDING PLANTS a good weekly soaking – once a week is better than little and often, which encourages surface rooting. ✣ ONCE STRAWBERRY PLANTS HAVE FINISHED FRUITING, train runners into pots to produce new plants. Once rooted, sever from the parent plant and pot up ready for next year. ✣ IF YOU HAVE A POND, make sure you have…

✣ CLEAN YOUR TOOLS to keep them in good condition. If the mud is caked on, dunk them in warm, soapy water then wipe down with a towel or cloth. Rub oil (any type will do) onto the metal blades, before storing them in a dry shelter for the rest of winter. ✣ MAKE SURE you have picked all your summer veg so that it doesn’t go to waste. Store or preserve any gluts to make sure they don’t rot. ✣ FRESHEN UP your containers by adding some late bloomers, such as chrysanthemums and asters. You’ll be surprised how long their flowers last into autumn. ✣ HARVEST ANY WINTER squashes now before there is any risk of frosts. Cut them with a length of stalk attached and place in a…

Hedgehogs love to roam around looking for food, but garden fences create barriers and stop them in their travels. One of the first things you can do to help is to cut a small hole in your fence, so hedgehogs can wander freely into the next garden whenever they want. Tidy gardens aren’t good for them either. Our hedgehog friends need piles of leaves and logs to create their preferred habitat of a quiet and secluded spot that’s warm and dry, to see them through the winter. Gardens are the last refuge of the hedgehog, because intensive farming has destroyed their habitats, exposing them to predatory badgers. Sadly, a one-time population of 35 million has fallen to 1.5 million today. Keep reading to discover other ways you can help the…

✣ DEADHEAD BEDDING PLANTS. Pansies, violas, primulas and polyanthus will flower for much longer if you remove deadheads from the plants regularly. ✣ FOR BLOSSOM IN A SMALL GARDEN next spring, pot up the compact shrub Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-mai’. It will grow happily in a container. ✣ CHECK YOUR PLANTS FOR PESTS and other signs of disease and treat them if needed with an appropriate pesticide or remedy. ✣ NEW BARE-ROOT TREES AND SHRUBS can go in the ground before the frost sets in. ✣ CLEAR YOUR BEDS AND POTS of any plants that are dead and rake over with new soil ready for planting your spring displays. ✣ HELP HUNGRY HEDGEHOGS, which sometimes emerge from hibernation early during mild weather. Leave water and meaty dog food out for them…

When it came to redesigning the front garden, Sue’s first step was to decide how the family were going to use the space. ‘It was a question of whether we wanted a quick dash to the front door, or a leisurely meander with space for planting and a place to sit,’ she recalls. The unhurried option won and, having decided on two separate but linked spaces, her next challenge was to disguise the irregularly shaped site. ‘I chose circular shapes – circles are an excellent means of concealing awkwardly shaped gardens and create calming spaces to be in.’ Thereafter the design evolved in a relaxed style, with the hard landscaping laid in reclaimed bricks to complement the old Suffolk cottage. ‘Any materials used in the garden had to work…

‘Making a garden was high on our to-do list’ It was the promise of creating a garden that led John and Su to move down the road to a detached house overlooking a wooded valley. ‘We had both retired early, and making a garden was high on our to-do list,’ recalls John, whose background was in music and the arts. ‘Drawing a plan came naturally – I even made a 3D model, showing the estimated heights of different trees within five years.’ During the six months prior to completion, John surveyed the two-thirds-of-an-acre rear garden and started taking cuttings and potting up sufficient plants to fill four vanloads when they moved. ‘We moved in with four Luton vans full of cuttings and plants in pots from our previous garden.’…

Plug the gap If your ideal veg patch involves getting great results for minimal effort, then embrace the months of May and June. The rising soil and air temperatures mean that shop-bought young vegetable plants can go straight into the ground or containers. Look out for ‘garden-ready’ plug plants or small plants in 9cm pots. The really tiny plug plants, which usually come in multi-cell trays, need a bit more care before they can be planted out. If planting in the ground, clear the soil of weeds and rake it over beforehand. Fork in handfuls of a general fertiliser such as Growmore, and water the new plants in well. Tomatoes They need a minimum temperature of 10C, so keep them on a sunny windowsill until June, when they can happily…

Come autumn, and Ray and Michele Blundell’s garden becomes more colourful by the day as scores of acers colour up, and smouldering tones eclipse cool greens. ‘I’m not sure what started my fascination with acers, except that I have always preferred shrubs and trees to just flowers which are, at best, transient,’ explains Ray. ‘Also, I’m a painter and that artistic streak comes out in gardening, in trying to create pictures.’ Maples clad in crimson, gold or orange foliage are arranged in meandering borders and island beds, and underplanted with shrubs, ornamental grasses and herbaceous perennials. They stand head to shoulder with other outstanding specimen trees — silver birches, liquidambars, a Ginkgo biloba, Nyssa sylvatica, oaks, hornbeams, pines and rowan trees. ‘Trees form the backbone of the structure, fitting…

Time to plant out spring cabbages f you sowed spring cabbages in July or August, they should be ready for planting out in September and October. Before doing this, tamp down the soil then rake it lightly. Cover the young plants with horticultural fleece or netting to stop pigeons shredding them. Keep an eye on the weather and water the plants during prolonged dry spells to ensure they establish well before colder weather sets in. Buy a blueberry bush Blueberries are easy to grow provided you get the soil right. Unless you garden on acidic soil, they’re best grown in containers or half barrels (one per pot) filled with a soil-based ericaceous compost. If you’re unsure how acidic your soil is, garden centres will sell a soil pH testing kit.…

Once inside the gate, within just a few steps there is a feeling of being led on a journey by the series of beckoning paths that wander idly through woodland, past borders and terraces, to linger in shady retreats or sunlit spaces. ‘I like things to flow and connect — after all, there’s no such thing as a straight line in nature and our garden reflects that with curving lines and rounded shapes,’ points out Jackie, who has created a garden of profound significance. Her concept is based on a journey that is depicted through the use of paths, some obvious, others more obscure. ‘I wanted the garden to be meaningful — everything has a deeper connection,’ she explains. For example, beneath a great willow lies a grass spiral cut…

Across 1 Iceberg and romaine are both types of what? (7)6 Genus of the tufted hairgrass or hassock grass (11)7 A common name for coreopsis is tick__ (4) 8 A wet lawn in the morning is said to be this! (4) 9 With romaine, this is a type of 1 across frequently used in Caesar salads (3)10 Floribunda or hybrid tea? (4)11 One Tottenham footballer, perhaps, is a small branch on a tree that carries fruits! (4)13 Campanulas, collectively, are known as these (11)14 One of the alternative common names for both Senecio haworthii (cocoon plant) and Aegopodium podagraria (ground elder) (7 or 3,4) Down 1 Salad of reliable cars with simple, DIY-friendly mechanics and unpretentious functionality, popular in Russia! (anag) (5)2 Salted sodas generally use 1 across as a…

Clematis armandii This clematis is special in that it has both evergreen leaves and large, white flowers that appear in late spring. When the flowers finish, the leaves create a wall of shiny foliage, perfect as a backdrop to a tropical border. This species is vigorous, so train it along support wires to cover a wall or pergola. H4-8m Fritillaria meleagris(Snake’s head fritillary) Deservedly popular, the pretty, purple, nodding chequered bells on thin, slim stems are most effective naturalised in drifts in grass and meadows. Fritillaries will grow in the garden given the right conditions, relishing a cool, damp, moist soil in spring. H30cm Paeonia lactiflora(Herbaceous peony) Herbaceous peonies come in a vast array of colours and shapes. The doubles provide the ‘wow’ factor, and the singles and semi-doubles are…

Lathyrus odoratus var. nanellus ‘Pink Cupid’ AGM A pretty, dwarf sweet pea that looks lovely tumbling from a hanging basket. Cutting the scented flowers will encourage more, over a long period of time. Needs a moist, well-drained basket in sun. H20 Calibrachoa ‘Can-can Black Cherry’ Rich and velvety, the blooms are maroon-black with golden throats, and the plants have a gently trailing habit. Longflowering and robust, they’re ideal for well-drained baskets in sheltered sun. H15cm Glandularia ‘Sissinghurst’ AGM Butterflies will visit the magenta-pink flowers that coat this trailing vervain (you may find it sold as Verbena ‘Sissinghurst’) from May to November. Full sun. H20cm Amaranthus caudatus The flower tassels of annual love-lies-bleeding decorate baskets well. Sow now and fast-growing plants will flower in late summer and autumn. Some have purple…

Lonicera periclymenum ‘Serotina’ This lovely honeysuckle will fill the air with breathtaking scent when it blooms in late summer and early autumn. Grow in sun or semi-shade. H8m Leycesteria formosa ‘Purple Rain’ The arching stems of this Himalayan honeysuckle are weighed down by clusters of white flowers and purple bracts in summer and autumn, with purple berries later. Deciduous. H2.5m Rosa glauca Attractive reddish stems and purple-grey leaves. Small pink summer flowers are loved by bees. A generous show of shiny red autumn hips. It all adds up to a fine hedge rose. H1.8m Harlequin Glorybower Weird but wonderful, Farges harlequin glorybower is adorned with turquoise berries encircled by crimson calyces. A deciduous shrub in cold regions or a tree in warm areas. H8m Rosa ‘Scabrosa’ This repeat-flowering rugosa is…

If you don’t fancy buying a firepit off the shelf, it’s quite easy to safely build one from stones or bricks on a cleared patch of ground. It’s ideal for an impromptu al fresco gathering at home, just make sure you choose a suitable spot away from trees, fences and buildings. We’ve gathered together this handy guide on how to build a firepit, which you can easily get set up in no time. But, if you’d prefer to invest in a ready-made one, you’ll find plenty of options online. You will need ✣ Trowel or small spade ✣ Collection of rocks or bricks ✣ Tinder, kindling and firewood ✣ Gas fire lighter or long matches ✣ Bucket of water or sand 1 First, make a clearing. Ideally, fires should be…

Family fruit trees You don’t need a huge space to grow fruit trees – compact varieties grow well in containers. Many apples and pears need a pollinator, so, if space is limited try a self-fertile variety that fruits on its own. You could also try a ‘family’ or ‘duo’ plants, with two or three varieties grafted onto a single tree. Use a container of at least 45-60cm in diameter, and fill with John Innes No.3 compost with added grit and a slow-release fertiliser. Amazing edibles to start now Here’s some growing advice to see you through the month of December. 1 Rhubarb A crumble is a real comfort food and rhubarb crumble is one of life’s culinary pleasures. For fresh stems each year, plant new rhubarb sets now if it’s…