Devon Country Gardener August 2022 by Country Gardener

Devon Issue No 205 AUGUST 2022 FREE

www.countrygardener.co.uk

A handful of summer! Why cherries should be grown in every garden PLUS:

Summer vegetable growing problems Thefts from gardens Preserving and storing summer fruit

High summer NGS gardens Correcting garden mistakes Gardening and depression

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Important pruning jobs in August Gardening news and events from across Devon

A season of inspiration at Bernaville Nurseries It’s our 65th Anniversary year and we’ve been busy growing and carefully selecting a stunning range of plants, accessories and inspirational ideas for your garden and home.

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CUTTINGS

Gardeners cuttings

in Devon

A LOOK AT NEWS, EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS IN YOUR AREA

Two new Devon gardens opening for NGS in August Two contrasting Devon gardens are new openings for the National Garden Scheme - one near Newton Abbot, the other at Kenton near Exeter. Goodwill Gardens at Bickington, Newton Abbot TQ12 6JY which opens for the NGS on Sunday 28th August, is a small nursery and smallholding with a large wild flower area, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, vegetable and soft fruit, and a large cut flower growing area. There’s a small wildflower meadow in an apple orchard with pet gees, pigs, hens – and polytunnels. The garden is laid out in terraces. It will be open for the NGS between 11am and 4.30pm on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th August, admission £4, children free. Light refreshments will be available, plants for sale and dogs are allowed. There will be more openings on Saturday 3rd and Spring Lodge Sunday 4th September, 11am-4.30pm. Spring Lodge, at Kenton, Exeter EX6 8EY, which opens for the NGS on Sunday 21st August from 10am until 5pm, is a fascinating garden that was originally part of the Georgian pleasure gardens of Exton House, and still has a hermit’s cave. There are dramatic cliffs and a stream which runs under the house, and as the garden was built in the quarry of the big house the half-acre garden is on many levels, with picturesque vistas and lush planting. Admission is £4, children free, teas will be available, plants for sale, and dogs are allowed. There is restricted parking, so it is essential to pre-book; visit www.ngs.org.uk for information and booking.

Lewtrenchard Manor’s gardens opens for St Luke’s Hospice

The summer gardens at historic Lewtrenchard Manor at Lewdown will open for St Luke’s Hospice on Sunday, 7th August, raising funds for the charity. The gardens at the manor, now a family-run hotel, extend to several acres with streams, a sunken garden, shrubs and fine trees, a huge rustic dovecote and a recently restored walled vegetable garden. Visitors can find Madam’s walk on the banks of the river Lew, to the woods and beyond. The garden will be open from 12pm until 5pm on 7th August. Admission is £5. Refreshments will be available, there’s wheelchair access, parking, and dogs are allowed. Lewtrenchard Manor, Lewdown, Okehampton, Devon EX20 4PN.

For more gardens to visit go to our main feature on page 28

AUGUST GARDEN TOURS AT HISTORIC FURSDON HOUSE

Fursdon House

Home of the Fursdon family since 1259, historic Fursdon House is surrounded by four acres of hillside gardens that have been extensively restored and replanted over the last 40 years, with stunning views looking over parkland to the Exe Valley, Dartmoor and beyond. Since taking over from David and Catriona Fursdon in 2019, Oliver Fursdon and his wife Emily continue to maintain, restore and conserve this historic house, garden and estate. Over the last two years, a programme of external painting has taken place at The Coach Hall and main house alongside new planting throughout the garden. The focus is on herbaceous, nectarrich planting that is bee and butterfly friendly,

Tour takes in the scents of Rosemoor

Richard Wilson from the RHS Rosemoor Garden team will be leading a course at the north Devon gardens on Thursday, 4th August into the beautiful scents and tactile foliage that help to create atmosphere in the gardens. These same plants also help attract a wide range of pollinators. Scented plants can be used to enhance any size garden and there is a vast array. Take a tour around some of the favourites and find out how we use plants to create an immersive garden experience. The course runs from 11 am to 12.30pm and costs £18 to RHS members and £30 to non-members.

with plants tolerant of dry spells increasingly favoured over those that require a lot of watering! In late summer and autumn, a mass of crimson dahlias appears in Grace’s Border (named after a Fursdon matriarch) in the mysteriously named Fox Garden, which is quite a spectacle! Several special events and open days run throughout the year, all of which can be found on the website. The garden is open on Bank Holiday Mondays and Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, from 2pm to 5pm until the end of September. Until the end of August, visitors can combine a garden visit with a guided tour around the historic manor house with family costumes and artefacts from Fursdon’s long history on display in the museum. Fursdon House, Gardens & Tea-room, Cadbury, Exeter EX55JS www.fursdon.co.uk Tel: 01392 860 860 Email: admin@fursdon.co.uk

Cream teas and jazz to raise funds for Hospiscare A lovely afternoon enjoying cream teas and live jazz on the lawn awaits visitors to Coldharbour Farm House at Ottery St Mary on Saturday 6th August, raising funds for local hospice charity, Hospiscare. Hosted by the Ottery St Mary Friends of Hospiscare, the afternoon runs from 2pm until 4pm, with live jazz provided by local jazz vocalist Michelle Mae. Tickets are £10 which includes a cream tea, and soft drinks are available. There will be a raffle and cake stall. Tickets (cash only) must be purchased in advance from Coldharbour Farm Shop, East Hill, Ottery St Mary EX11 1QL. This is a seated event accessible to wheelchairs, with a limited amount of parking. Dogs are not allowed. For more information call 01404 814220.

Two thirds of gardeners still not composting A new survey part of which was carried out in Devon has found that two thirds of gardeners do not have a compost heap. The findings come as the RHS embarks on its Planet Friendly Gardening campaign calling on the UK’s 30 million gardeners to compost to help the transition to going peat free. The survey found that although gardeners aged over 55 composted more than any other age group, younger gardeners in the 18 to 24 and 25 to 34 age group were more willing to give composting a go if they had no bin already. A third of those who do not currently compost said subsidized or free compost bins from local authorities would get them composting.

THE WINNERS OF THE RECENT BACKDOORSHOES COMPETITION IN COUNTRY GARDENER WERE: V Houston; Jill Payne, Halse; Karen Usher, Taunton; A. Hepburn, Stratford on Avon; Annie Smith, Exeter; Glynis Firman,Ringmer; C. Reece, Bitterne; Elisabeth Lee, Honiton; Jose Osborne, Ston Easton; Jane Manley, Keynsham; Mrs S. Jones, Bristol; N.W Stokes, Huntley; Paul Sands, Emsworth; V Rogers, Studley; Mrs S Harwood, Southampton; Richard D’Arcy, Wincanton; Julie Elkin, Barnstaple; Sarah Byrne, Bransmore; Sarah Frost, Glastonbury; M Duckworth, Chelscomber www.countrygardener.co.uk

CUTTINGS

Gardeners cuttings special IT’S DEVON SHOW TIME AGAIN!

Many of the hugely popular country, horticultural and flower shows have been badly hit by the pandemic over the past two years but this August they are all back to tempt and entertain visitors to a traditional Devon day out.

KINGSBRIDGE SHOW RETURNS BIGGER AND BETTER

Rosemoor summer flower festival a high summer highlight

The Kingsbridge Show is celebrating it’s 141st Year, 67 of which have been held at Borough Farm just outside Kingsbridge. This year’s show is on Saturday, September 3rd and after a two year break due to Covid . There is something to see or do for everyone from all walks of life, whilst maintaining the traditional agricultural and horticultural roots. Horses also feature strongly and have their own show field. Events run through the day and judging begins at 9am. There is free parking and disabled parking can be arranged via the secretary on 01548 562567 or email kingsbridgeshow@gmail.com alternatively there’s the Tally Ho shuttle service from Kingsbridge quay running throughout the day. Gates open at 9am.

RHS Garden Rosemoor’s threeday flower show held on Friday 19th August, Saturday, 20th August and Sunday, 21st August is the only RHS garden show in the South West and stands out as one of the gardening highlights of late summer. Over three days visitors can shop for plants, sundries and more from specialist growers and traders. Top floral designer Jonathan Moseley also returns this year to give twice-daily flower arranging demonstrations. There will be the chance to browse and buy high quality plants from 17 specialist nurseries offering choices of flowers, grasses, houseplants, alpines and more. It comes with the opportunity to talk to the growers and hear how they can advise you on what plants will work in your garden. Visitors can also take the opportunity to enjoy the 65 acres of inspirational gardens. Six areas throughout the garden will be offering festival food and live music will be played by the lake each day. The show runs from 10am to 5pm with the gardens open until 6pm. Normal garden admission prices apply. Free to RHS members. Booking is not required. RHS Garden Rosemoor, Torrington EX38 8PH www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor/RHS-Garden-RosemoorFlower-Show

Kingsbridge Show, Borough Farm, TQ9 7QP

Buckfast Abbey’s Summer Fair is back The popular Summer Fair at Buckfast Abbey in August for three days filled with an array of food, music, crafts and entertainment and set in spectacular gardens settings Running from Thursday ,August 4th to Saturday 6th August from 10am-to5pm) the fair will offer a mix of independent stalls ranging from crafts to local artisan food and drink producers as well as engaging, live food demonstrations. Alongside a mix of food stalls, there’ll be the opportunity to explore the Abbey’s beautiful gardens and enjoy live entertainment. Buckfast Abbey, Buckfast, Devon, TQ110EE

PLUS

OKEHAMPTON SHOW - THURSDAY 11TH AUGUST

The popular show is held on the northern edge of the Dartmoor National Park - a traditional agricultural show with a wide range of prize winning animals, local food drink, shopping, displays, childrens’ entertainment and more. Gates open at 9am. Dogs welcome. Free car parking. Adult tickets £12 Stoney Park Showground, Okehampton, Devon, EX20 1SW

Gardening club events and meetings in the Devon

July

CHAGFORD AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL SHOW - THURSDAY 18TH AUGUST

28TH

At the Dogmarsh Fields, Mill End, Chagford, TQ13 8JN on beautiful Dartmoor beside the River Teign. Adults £10; children £3. www.chagfordshow.co.uk

Budleigh Salterton Garden Club ‘HERBACEOUS PLANTS’ - PETER CANTRILL Details on 01395 445840

HONITON SHOW - THURSDAY 4TH AUGUST

The Honiton & District Agricultural Association – ‘Where Farming Comes First’ show is annually held on the first Thursday in August and has grown to be one of the largest one-day agricultural shows in the country. The show is held in the heart of the East Devon Countryside on a 140-acre site and has a unique atmosphere blending traditional and new. It is a showcase for the best of local farming, produce, crafts and rural skills.Adult tickets £17.50. www.honiton show.co.uk

Exmouth Garden Club FUCHSIAS MY WAY - DEREK DEXTER Details on 01395 263513

August 3RD Brixham Horticultural Society

TOTNES & DISTRICT SHOW - SUNDAY 31ST JULY

The show is over 100 years old and returns this year with main Ring events food demonstrations music and more. Gates open at 9am. Adult tickets £13, Children £3.50. Great Court Farm, Berry Pomeroy, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 6LE LUSTLEIGH VILLAGE SHOW – BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY 29TH AUGUST

The Lustleigh Village Show is a great, family day out at a traditional country show in the Dartmoor National Park. Situated on the edge of the Dartmoor National Park. Adults £9. www.thelustleighshow.com

MONTHLY MEETING Details on 01803 842121

4TH Plympton Gardeners Association SHOWING YOUR EXHIBITS AND ANY QUESTIONS Details on 01752 336057

Teignmouth Gardening Club PRACTICAL DEMO BY STEWART HENCHIE - PROPAGATION Details on 01626 879576

10TH Ogwell Garden Society MINI SHOW Details on 01626 365543

17TH Colyton & District Garden Society ‘WALL SHRUBS AND CLIMBERS’ - CLAIRE FORSTER Details on 01297 552362

20TH Plympton Gardeners Association SUMMER SHOW Details on 01752 336057

‘Time Off’ set to return If your gardening club or association is back in full swing after the restrictions of the past couple of years be sure to let Country Gardener know. Send your club meetings and details to timeoff@countrygardner.co.uk

Look out for the September issue of Country Gardener on Friday, 26th August www.countrygardener.co.uk

Sweet cherry

delights

SWEET CHERRIES (PRUNUS AVIUM) It wasn’t so long ago growing cherries was not rewarding but new varieties from Canada and Europe has brought sweet cherry trees that crop heavily in a wider range of conditions It remains a mystery why more of us don’t grow cherries. Whether for the deliciously sweet taste picked straight from the tree, or the rich indulgent flavour of cherry pie, cherries are forever associated with the height of summer. There is also an excellent reason to make the effort to grow them, as cherries are often hard to find in the shops and expensive to buy. Cherries can be divided into two main types: • Eating cherries (sweet) • Cooking cherries (acid) Traditional cultivars of acid cherry trees were generally smaller, more self-fertile, and more hardy than sweet cherry trees, although modern cultivars of sweet cherry trees have addressed this. Sweeter types (sometimes referred to as ‘mazzard cherries’) tend to be larger trees and may need a pollinator – although there are many exceptions. Advances in cultivation have helped create varieties which offer more choice to the gardener – i.e. dwarf sweet cherry trees that are self-pollinating. White fleshed cherry varieties are often particularly sweet.

The sweet cherries are the delicious ones that can be eaten freshly picked which crop in early summer. They need light and warmth in order to crop well so traditional cherry growing in Britain used to be concentrated in the country’s hotspots such as the south and west of England. These heritage varieties were tall and lanky and harvesting proved uneconomic so many traditional cherry orchards and their varieties disappeared decades ago. However recent breeding in Canada and Eastern Europe has produced sweet cherry varieties that crop heavily in a wider range of conditions. These varieties are grafted on to dwarf rootstocks so commercial cherry crops can now be grown in polytunnels, where yields are guaranteed. Being undercover deters bird damage, because a cherry crop is irresistible, so you must always net a crop or the blackbirds and thrushes will eat every one. These modern dwarf varieties are small enough to be grown in fruit cages and some are even suitable for large containers. A polytunnel, should you have one, is ideal too because it creates extra warmth.

ACID CHERRIES (PRUNUS CERASUS) These were a staple of the old walled garden, because they tolerated shade so the north-facing walls of many a kitchen garden supported fan-trained, acid or Morello cherries. They are self-fertile, so will set a crop

WHEN TO PLANT Cherry trees can be bought as bare root or containerised trees. Containerised trees can be planted at any time, with plenty of well-rotted manure or compost, but must be watered regularly during warm weather until their roots are established. Bare root trees can be planted between November and early spring.

Varieties to choose from: ‘Sunburst’ (1975) A Canadian variety, with almost black fruit in lateJuly. Grown for its exceptional flavour. ‘Lapins’ AGM This, red-fruited, mild-flavoured cherry does very well in British gardens throughout the country. Named after its raiser. ‘Kordia’ AGM Bred in the Czech Republic, this dark almost-black cherry, with exceptionally large fruits, will need another cherry variety in order to set fruit because it’s selfsterile. It’s the best new cherry to emerge in recent years.

on their own by late summer. The fruit, which has a distinctive flavour, is either bottled, jammed or used in pies. It tends to be smaller. Morello cherries (like most sour cherries) contain melatonin, a natural antioxidant substance which helps to regulate sleeping and wakefulness. Acid cherry varieties: ‘Morello’ (pre 1629) AGM The traditional sour cherry, now grafted on to modern root stocks. The cherries have dark-red flesh and small stones. Very hardy and productive. ‘Nabella’ AGM This late, acid cherry bears clusters of bright-red glossy fruits that ripen late. It’s German-bred, naturally more compact and crops more heavily.

HOW TO PLANT Plant bare root trees between late autumn to early spring, when the ground is not frozen. Plant containerised trees at any time, digging a hole twice the size of the rootball and working some well-rotted manure or garden compost to the hole. Water well. Young free-standing trees will need staking for the first few years.

HOW TO PRUNE CHERRY TREES All cherries (and all other stone fruits such as peach, plum and apricot) need to be pruned when in leaf, because the flow of sap seals the wounds as they are cut. This will help prevent diseases such as Silver leaf (Chondrostereum purpureum) from infesting the tree because in summer there are fewer fungal spores. The main symptom of silver leaf is silvery foliage, caused by a toxin produced by the fungus that’s carried upwards by the sap stream. Morello trees fruit on the previous season’s growth so when pruning take out some older wood and leave newer wood, so there’s a balance of both. 6

THE GREAT APPEAL OF CHERRY BLOSSOM One of the benefits of growing cherries is of course cherry blossom which is such a welcome addition to the spring garden. Blossom can vary from a sprinkling of delicate, single flowers on bare branches to clusters of full-skirted frilly flowers that almost weigh down the branches. Prunus ‘Kursar’ One of the finest cherry trees for early colour is the awardwinning Prunus ‘Kursar’, a Japanese cherry that flowers in March or April producing rounded clusters of bright-pink flowers on bare branches. However the pink buds, which hang down in clusters, are often highly prominent in January and February. Prunus serrula The Tibetan Cherry produces simple white flowers in April or May on airy branches. But in winter it’s the shiny, mahogany bark that catches the eye. Country Gardener

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MY TOP gardening mistakes Former Yorkshire head gardener Joe Ellis now busy in retirement in his Somerset garden shares his top garden mistakes which you can quite easily eliminate

quickly and you’ll get those tell-tale yellow-brown patches. Set the blades on their highest setting so you don’t scalp the grass. Don’t lower them too much over the coming weeks as It is easy to kill houseplants with kindness cutting at a higher height allows daisies and other lawn plants to flower and DON’T PLANT TOO DEEPLY help pollinators, and the grass is also more likely to stay This is one of the frequent mistakes made by beginner lush and green. gardeners and a reason why some plants don’t survive.

DON’T KILL HOUSEPLANTS WITH KINDNESS

Don’t sow too many seeds at once

SOWING TOO MANY SEEDS Growing from seed must be the easiest way to grow lots of things in the garden. If you get a thousand seeds in a packet its very tempting at the start of a season to envisage thousands of plants later in the summer all growing away beautifully. What you don’t think about is the implications of all those seeds in terms of time, patience, compost between the seeds and the result. One of the most common mistakes is sowing too many seeds so thickly and seeing so many of them wasted. The key is to sow little and often.

DON’T WASTE TIME WITH BAD WEEDING Don’t use a hoe to chop the top off a weed. Many weeds such as dandelions and thistles have a strong root structure under the soil. You must dig as much of the root up as you can.

CUTTING THE GRASS TOO SHORT It might be tempting to lower your lawn mower blades and cut your lawn short so you don’t have to worry about cutting it again any time soon. However, this is particularly bad during a dry spell as it will lose its moisture more

Most house plants are killed by kindness. Too much generosity with water is the number one killer. You should never let your plants sit in water continually. A great technique is to put about an inch of water in your sink or bath, and then sit your plants in it. After an hour, once they have absorbed what they want you take them out and put them back. Too many people fuss too much with houseplants. They are generally great survivors.

THE WRONG TREE IN THE WRONG PLACE Too often I see these monster trees that have just taken over people’s front gardens. Conifers, oaks and Norway maples invade windows and door spaces, blocking all the light to the front of the house. There are several smaller, more modest trees that look stunning and won’t dominate the space. Pencil cherries, sometimes called flagpole cherries because of their unusual slim build, are gorgeous and covered with stunning pink flowers. Weeping pear and weeping cherry are another two beautiful options. And don’t forget the striking Japanese maples. Any of these options will bring tons of character without needing tons of space.

START EARLY IN THE FIGHT AGAINST SLUGS Many people don’t start dealing with slugs until it is too late. Whether you are using copper tape, grit, eggshells, beer traps, or whatever – start in early spring as the sun warms up. Otherwise they will breed and breed, and you will just be holding back the tide. Make sure their numbers don’t get so great in the first place and you will have a much easier summer.

DON’T OVERFEED PLANTS There’s a common belief that we must keep fertilising and feeding plants throughout the summer to get better, bigger plants. It is a myth. Like overwatering, too much plant food can have the opposite effect to the one you’re looking for. Feed soil life instead with a mulch of compost on top of the soil and leave it undisturbed, is my advice.

Don’t cut the grass too close 8

This way plant food is then available through biological interactions, such as the work of naturally-occurring mycorrhizal fungi. By overfeeding, however, you can do more harm than good by creating an imbalance in growth and encourage more leaf, less fruit and more aphids. Country Gardener

When setting the plant make sure it is at the same level as it was in the pot. This means above ground level if you plan to mulch (and you should as mulch helps preserve moisture and keep down weeds). Pay special attention to trees: The root flare, where the base widens slightly, should be above ground - a tree should not look like a telephone pole coming out of the ground. Typically, larger seeds prefer deeper depths of planting and smaller seeds closer to the top, but this is not always true. Don’t make the mistake that all seeds get planted at the same depth.

DON’T IGNORE A PLANT LABEL OR GUESSTIMATE OF THE SIZE OF A PLANT It may sound a little obvious but always read the plant label before planting. Planting a plant or tree too close to your house, or garden shed could prove very costly once it’s no longer a sapling in a small container.

WATERING AT THE WRONG TIME Many people water at the wrong time of the day. If you water in the heat of the day you will do two things: you’ll lose a lot of the moisture through evaporation, and the water droplets on foliage can act as magnifying glasses for the sun, scorching the leaves. Instead, water your plants either first thing in the morning or last thing at night to retain the moisture and protect the delicate leaves. Pots and baskets need daily watering in sunny weather.

DON’T GROW VEGETABLES YOUR FAMILY DOESN’T EAT I know quite a few gardeners and my brother is one of them who grow things in the veggie patch they want to grow because they are exotic and fun to grow, but why grow them if your family is not interested in eating them? I know it’s temping to want to try everything out there, but practically speaking, it’s best to plant what you know your family enjoys.

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perennials | bedding plants | roses | shrubs

If you would like a last resting place in beautiful countryside overlooking Dartmoor. Phone 01647 24382 and speak to Julie or Martin Chatfield

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Selection of Trees, Shrubs, Fruit, Roses, Perennials, Alpines, Seeds & more...

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HISTORIC MANOR HOUSE Beautiful informal gardens Stunning setting Delicious home-made teas GARDENS & TEA ROOM OPEN 2pm-5pm, Weds, Thurs & B Hol until the end of September HOUSE TOURS 2.30pm & 3.30pm, Weds, Thurs & B Hol in August only Fursdon, Cadbury, Exeter, EX5 5JS Tel: 01392 860860

COUNTRY GARDENER

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Kingsbridge Show Borough Farm, Nr Kingsbridge TQ9 7QP

There’s something for everyone at this great family event!

Saturday 3rd September 2022 9am Back after a 2 year break for its 141st year! All the usual animal classes plus over a hundred trade and craft stands - local food and drink, children’s pets corner, donkey rides, vintage and modern tractors, live music, a licensed bar, a wide range of main ring attractions and much more. Entries now extended to 6th August.

Tickets £10 in advance www.kingsbridgeshow.co.uk www.countrygardener.co.uk

THE SWEET REWARD OF A

bee keeper Sara Bredemear-Gill and her husband have transformed their East Devon garden into a haven for foraging bees – so much so she now shares her new passion with bee keeping taster sessions Sara Bredemear-Gill: “I love it when the bees surprise me and I learn something new.”

To open the lid of a beehive on a summer’s afternoon is one of life’s secret pleasures. It begins with a roaring hum of bees and then a sweet earthy infusion of cedar wood, beeswax and honey wafts from this gently warmed ‘Box of Delights’. All sense of time is lost as the harmony of a beehive never fails to captivate. To observe the ‘supers’ filled with oozing honey is a joy for any beekeeper but it has been the journey to this little pot of elixir which has made myself and my husband real gardeners. The hive has taught us to appreciate our flowering plants from a bee’s perspective - the first snowdrop to the last flush of ivy blossom, we look out for our foraging bees and listen to the trees. Late spring and the sycamore is buzzing - its pendulous spikes provide copious amounts of pollen and nectar. The horse chestnut is next to take the stage as the workers return to the hive, their little baskets brimming with deep red pollen. Managing bees has drawn our attention to the plight of all our pollinators and how it is the garden that must compensate for modern land management practices which so often fail. It is the diversity of forage that not only enriches our environment but also, just happens to make a delicious pot of honey! At the end of our village in East Devon, tucked away by the edge of a wood, is a grassy track leading to our “I have a deep respect for the bees” ancient cob cottage. Whilst this old dwelling holds many a secret, it is the garden that shares its story. Stocked with unusual tree specimens and shrubs, it has evolved through the ages from paddock to orchard and formal lawns, but the stream has remained its backbone, together with the spring fed pond, a constant haven for wildlife. Today our garden remains well tended, not with lush green lawns or a neatly clipped hedge but with swathes of long grasses, hosting buttercups, vetches and orchids. Replanting apple trees and establishing a natural meadow are plans in motion and as we strive to turn back the clock, we are rewarded each year by a different wildflower or butterfly. In early November we decided to lay our hedges, a traditional method of weaving the stems which furthermore creates a dense corridor for wildlife. We cut down overbearing conifers starving the light and the bluebells, violets and primroses appeared. More than a 100 native trees have also been planted as we look to the future. Offering bee keeping taster sessions at our cottage apiary has been my aspiration and the culmination of a journey with the bees and our garden. I studied environmental science at university and with a young family and a wonderful garden, I was looking for a hobby that would feed my love of nature and one I could share with my children. I joined the BBKA (British Bee keepers Association) and attended various courses before obtaining my Basic Assessment in Beekeeping. As a primary school teacher, I enjoy sharing my interest and encouraging children to consider the environmental importance of their garden. Bee keeping is an amazing educational hobby for all ages and I just love it when the bees surprise me 10

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and I learn something new! My bee keeping taster session begins with a spritely introduction at ‘Bee HQ’, a few slides about the honey bee plus fascinating facts to amaze. Equipped with bee suits, gauntlets and gloves, we head to the bee shed piled high with beekeeping miscellanea and light the smoker. We have a quick rehearsal at the demonstration hive before meeting the bees and with curiosity and confidence still intact, don our hoods. In a trail of smoke, we trundle to the hives like intrepid spacemen landing on Mars. Searching for a queen marked with a dot amongst 60,000 bees is not for the faint hearted but as we focus on the frame we begin to observe the little workers cleaning cells, performing waggle dances and returning with pollen. Another frame is pulled from the box to reveal newly laid eggs and milky white larvae – an indication of royal presence. Queen cups and queen cells might be seen at any stage of our inspection and the male drones with their bulbous eyes loiter about in a bewildered daze. The hour passes in a moment and a cream tea beckons us to the chairs by our pond. As we sit and chat about the afternoon, some feel a sense of relief as they tick off another on their ‘Bucket list’ whilst others have always thought about keeping bees and it was a perfect opportunity to gain hands-on experience. Whatever their reason everyone has gained a deeper respect for the humble honey bee and asked lots of questions mainly how often do I get stung! The answer is to never rush, take your time and learn to slow down – a formula needed in most of our lives. My homemade hampers, balms and soaps are also available to sample, naturally made with a little help from the hive.

The garden is stocked with unusual tree specimens and shrubs

An afternoon with the bees may not be everyone’s choice, but if you thought bee keeping was all about the honey, perhaps you will think again – It has many sweet rewards and it might just set you off down a different garden path. To find out more about my bee keeping taster sessions, the garden or my honey hampers, please visit my website sarasbees.co.uk or contact me at sarasbees@outlook.com

CRIME

in our gardens Levels of theft in our gardens is set to reach a peak this year both with tools and equipment being taken from sheds - plus the more subtle crime of plant theft

There is a lot of crime going on in our gardens. In fact, it is set to reach record levels this year. There are the more obvious thefts as robbers seek out more easily accessible gear such as garden furniture, mowers, garden tools and bikes. Then there is the increase in plant theft – either the taking of plants, shrubs and trees in containers or the subtle taking of seeds, cuttings to propagate from public and private gardens without the knowledge or approval of the owner. It is becoming known as ‘green collar crime’. Officially the RHS says: “Yes, taking cuttings from plants without asking is theft and we’ve had reports of this activity increasing dramatically over the past couple of years. It is a crime no matter what people might say about it.” There were 595,000 thefts from gardens last year – up 23 per cent according to analysis of Office for National Statistics. Insurance expert Casey Kennett says garden owners are not doing enough to deter thefts. “There is almost a feeling that no-one would dare come into a garden and take things. But thieves are very determined and watchful so can be aware of when people are away or when a garden is left unguarded.”

or setting in concrete, it makes it almost impossible for thieves to take them away. Covers for furniture also act as a deterrent (especially if they are anchored to the ground) and protects furniture, so can be useful. One of the biggest deterrents for thieves is motion sensitive security lights; they draw attention to your home and put thieves off from targeting it. Making it ‘noisy’ to enter your garden can also discourage would-be thieves, so putting gravel down can help. Having high fences, walls and hedges to make entering your garden more difficult is also a good idea.

Lock up and put things away If you are out all day in the garden it is tempting to leave tools, furniture, bikes and other valuables out, either for use again the next day, or while you pop out for more supplies.

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO? Cuttings can be taken very discreetly and be hardly noticed

Don’t make it obvious when you go away If you are away, try and get someone to pop over every now and again to water your plants, put your rubbish out on the right day – perhaps even mow your lawn – so it will look like you are still around. Maybe see if someone will park their car on your drive at night too. Think about putting lights on a timer!

Leave a fingerprint It is a good idea to mark all your valuables – not only does it make them identifiable which can help with the recovery if they are stolen, but if you make it clear to thieves that your items are marked, they are less appealing and potentially less valuable, so not worth taking. Some insurance companies offer home insurance customers who buy a policy a free fingerprint forensic property marking kit. Ideally all valuable items would be put away to prevent theft, but sometimes this is simply not practical, so for bigger items which cannot easily be stored, think about anchoring them to the ground. Garden furniture thefts account for most garden thefts so prevent it by using wall or floor anchors. It is also a good idea to secure things like water features, bird tables, and valuable plants, hanging brackets and potted trees and shrubs. By anchoring them with wires,

An unlocked shed is an open invitation for thieves

But leaving them out makes them prime targets for thieves, so it is important that you put these items away when you are not around and at night and that you lock any sheds, garages and gates. It is a sad fact that thieves use tools they find in gardens to break into houses, so don’t make it easy for them.

TAKING PLANT CUTTINGS FROM GARDENS REALLY IS THEFT Let’s set the scene. You’re in a garden - maybe a friend’s, or perhaps a public park or National Trust place. You spot a plant you’ve been lusting over for years - a particular aeonium, say. What would it matter if you pinched out a cutting, took it home and nurtured it to create a new plant? The original plant would quickly regrow, you’d have a new www.countrygardener.co.uk

plant for free and no one would be any the wiser. But wait - that’s still wrong, isn’t it? You haven’t asked permission from the garden owner, the plant material belongs to them, and if every visitor follows your lead, there won’t be much to look at by the end of the season. Wholesale theft of plants, shrubs and trees by digging them out of the ground or removing pots is completely wrong, but what about carefully removing a nigella seedhead full of ripe seeds, or snipping off a stem of fuchsia? Does it matter more in a friend’s garden than a public park? Perhaps the correct approach should be “Always ask first, but never hesitate to ask”. Fellow gardeners know how tempting it can be to take a cutting from something you fancy when you’re out and about. The plant you are lusting over may be unique or perhaps you recognise that it’s strong and hardy–the perfect specimen. So, if you find the perfect plant, what do you do? If the owner of the home is not there, is it okay to take a cutting without asking permission or is it wrong in every way? Sue Murley from Tavistock remembers a nun in her garden club always sneaking a few cuttings: “On one of our gardening trips she had a plastic bag in her pocket and when something took her fancy, she would slip a piece into it. When we questioned her about it, she said they were ‘gifts from God’. A lovely lady who gave us a lot of knowledge and laughs.” 11

COUNTRY GARDENER READERS SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES ON TAKING PLANT CUTTINGS FROM OTHER GARDENS A year or so I knocked on a door of a house I knew and was met by the disabled owner sitting in a chair. I asked if I could take a cutting from a Weigela ‘Florida Variegata’ that I saw flowering in her garden. She was chuffed. She did not know the name of her plant so I told her and we discussed it. Her garden was a treasure trove of old shrubs and perennials and she told me to help myself to anything, cutting wise. I returned that same day with a box of chocolates. I have had plants taken from my front wall or cuttings taken from them. I caught a couple pulling bits from osteospermum out there and I confronted them and got quite aggressive. “We’ll pay,” they screeched. “£20 please,” I said, and they paid up. They learned a lesson or two. I think, but not sure, that takings cuttings without permission would be classed as theft. If we see something we like in somebody’s garden then we knock on the door and ask. We have never been turned down in over 30 years and most people appear flattered that we noticed things. We always carry plastic bags. Yes, it’s stealing. However, I have found that most people are happy to give you a cutting if you ask. That way, they can choose where to take the cutting. I’ve only been rejected twice. Once at an RHS garden and the second timewas outside our public library.”

Forty years ago, Percy Thrower used to open his garden for charity and welcome people to visit. My late mother used to go along as she was a real fan of his. I admit she was a fond of taking pieces from his plants to propagate her own- she even boasted of it. Then Percy announced he was not doing it any more because of people taking cuttings. Lots of people were apparently doing it, plants were mutilated so he knew what they had been up to. Then plants weren’t so much for sale then at Open Gardens. I’ve always felt like I have been keeping a secret about my mother’s gardening activities. At Dixter House I asked a lady gardener if I could take some Dierama seedling growing in a pathway. She thought about and said ‘Ok’, and got them out for me. I had an embarrassing experience at RHS Wisley. We were there for a day out and had lunch before on the way. After lunch I felt a bit queasy to say the least. I felt sick. I was looking closely at an interesting seedhead and started to move to take a part of it. Suddenly a voice boomed from behind me: ‘Leave that plant alone’. I turned round …….and threw up on his shoes!

RHS advisor Kevin Blythe gives his definite view about plant theft • The flower patch at the library near me is maintained by volunteers from the local gardening club. They turned me down in a routine sort of way when I asked for a cutting. They get a lot of requests but she did remember to add “Thank you for asking first.” Under no circumstances take a cutting that would damage a plant’s health or appearance. • If the plant is in a private garden and you are a visitor of any sort you must ask permission. I’ve never had anyone refuse my request for a cutting; on the contrary, several times when it’s a neglectedlooking plant, I’ve had the owner tell me I could have the whole thing if I take it out of the pot. • If the plant is in a public area, like a traffic roundabout, public landscaping (ornamental planters in parking areas, hedges, etc.), a cutting is okay if you can do it without causing a hazard and it doesn’t harm the plant. • If the plant is associated with a home or business that appears to be empty and uncared for, and the plant is obviously not doing well, a cutting is okay. • Off limits: plants in RHS gardens, botanical gardens, public parks, private gardens, NGS gardens open. • When in doubt about whether it’s okay to take a cutting, don’t. There are lots of plants and lots of chances for cuttings. • As you receive, so shall you give. Be generous with other people when it comes to cuttings.

‘PLANT THEFT MADE ME STOP OPENING MY GARDEN’

Caroline Morris used to open her Cotswolds garden for the NGS open gardens scheme – two or three times a year. She gave up on it three years ago because a whole range of her plants were being mutilated by visitors taking cuttings or even whole plants. ‘The first time we noticed something it was quite shocking. It had been a busy day and more than 50 people came to the garden. That evening I noticed a gap where a new dogwood ‘ Midwinter Fire’ had started to be established. Somehow, someone had just dug it up and taken it away! “It was the start of us noticing plants were being damaged. I am sure it was only a small minority of visitors to the garden but they were very persistent. I started posting ‘watchers’ in the garden because it was clear visitors were taking plants from my garden without asking. I was very, very annoyed. It is stealing wherever you do it. Would I have agreed if they had asked? I don’t know. It would depend on the plant I suppose but no-one ever asked me. I became quite dispirited about it and stopped opening the garden”. 12

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GREAT PLACES TO VISIT

August and high summer days out We all know how much gardens change in August and take on that high summer look and feel. It’s a long way away from the burst of colour and early season spring delights. Yet August gardens still have so much to offer with brighter and often wilder feels to them. August this year is also a great month for shows big and small to attract garden lovers and we highlight some great events to visit. We have again rounded up some idea of places to visit, things to do, events to take part in so you can make the most of what promises to be a sensational August.

Rosemoor summer flower festival is a standout event RHS Garden Rosemoor has won itself a great reputation for the range and variety of events it stages throughout the year but the three-day flower show held on Friday 19th August, Saturday, 20th August and Sunday, 21st August stands out. It is a summer delight with specialist growers and dazzling floral displays in the spectacular north Devon gardens. There will be the chance to browse and buy high quality plants from 17 specialist nurseries offering choices of flowers, grasses, houseplants alpines and more. It comes with the opportunity to talk to the growers and hear how they can advise you on what plants will work in your garden Floral arranging personality Jonathan Mosely will bring his expertise to the event with twice daily flower arranging demonstrations. He is backed up by specialist nursery owners sharing their knowledge with a series of talks over the three days. New for this year will be floral displays created by Devon flower clubs and inspired by the theme ‘The Great Garden Adventure’. New also for this year, the flower clubs will be decorating willow structures. Six areas throughout the garden will be offering festival food and live eusic will be played by the lake each day. The show runs from 10am to 5pm with the gardens open until 6pm. Normal garden admission prices apply. Free to RHS members. Booking is not required. RHS Garden Rosemoor, Torrington EX38 8PH www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor/RHS-Garden-Rosemoor-Flower-Show

National giant vegetable event the highlight for Malvern Autumn Show The Three Counties’ annual celebration of autumn is back with a three-day event running across a long weekend of September 23rd, 24th and 25th. Tickets are now on sale for the Malvern Autumn Show held at the Three Counties Showground,which will include gardening grow your own delights, with celebrity speakers and gardening gurus, unique retail experiences and a selection of quality regional food and drink. For the green fingered, there is the RHS Flower Show, where you can leisurely wander through impressive displays and soak up all the gardening inspiration, hints, and tips. No visit to the Malvern Autumn Show would be complete without experiencing the CANNA UK National Giant Vegetables Championship! At the heart of the show is the Autumn Potager Theatre which will feature an impressive line-up of guests and celebrities, sharing seasonal gardening tips and trends for 2023. To book tickets visit www.malvernautumn.co.uk

Discover the Alpine Garden Society garden at Pershore, for free

There’s a wonderful opportunity to visit the Alpine Garden Society garden in Pershore, Worcestershire to discover a world of alpine plants. This quarter-acre garden is filled with alpines, hardy plants and bulbs, grouped in different areas that reflect the conditions in which they thrive. There are trough gardens, a crevice garden and Alpine House, plus a new Mediterranean bed that displays droughttolerant plants. The Alpine Garden Society is more than 90 years old. It welcomes new members to celebrate alpine plants, and benefit from a quarterly journal, Zoom talks and plant shows. The AGS Garden, Avon Bank, Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 3JP is open daily and admission is free www.alpinegardensociety.net

BOSGREGE – A REAL TASTE OF CORNWALL Boscrege Caravan and Touring Park in Cornwall is a peaceful and picturesque park, set at the foot of Tregonning Hill, Godolphin National Trust and amongst a myriad of Cornish lanes in an area of outstanding natural beauty. The park, open all year through, is situated close to the wonderful Cornwall coast and only a few minutes’ drive to Praa Sands, one of Britain’s best beaches. St Ives, Penzance, Hayle, Lands’ End, The Lizard Peninsular, Helston and Falmouth and many other Cornwall attractions and beaches are very easily visited from the central location in West Cornwall. And new this year, an exciting development of single/twin lodges available to buy with a 20-year site licence and two years free site fees. You can stay for two nights free, available for genuine buyers. Boscrege Caravan Park, Boscrege, Ashton, Cornwall TR13 9TG Tel: 01736 762231 www.caravanparkcornwall.com

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for families and couples, we are open all year, and offer seasonal pitches. We offer the following: • Designated dog walking fields • Pet friendly accommodation • Comprehensive storage • Luxury holiday homes for sale

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Nestled in the heart of North Devon, Marwood Hill Garden is a hidden gem Home to four National Plant Heritage collections, this private valley garden spans over 20-acres and showcases three stunning lakes, rare trees & shrubs, and colourful surprises throughout each season. Not only a haven for wildlife, the garden is also the perfect environment to explore and be inspired. Enjoy a day of inspirational and relaxation for the whole family.

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Catch up over coffee and homemade cake or a cream tea in the picturesque Garden Tea Room or take a bit of Marwood magic home with you from our Walled Garden Nursery and Plant Sales.

Enquiries & Tea Room 01271 342528 Plant Sales & Nursery 01271 342577 e info@marwoodhillgarden.co.uk w marwoodhillgarden.co.uk Marwood Hill Gardens, Marwood, Barnstaple, Devon EX31 4EA

Rosemoor Flower Show BOOK NOW Fri 19 – Sun 21 Aug Join us for a vibrant show full of inspiration, expert tips and delicious food and drink.

THE

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GREAT PLACES TO VISIT

Late summer show spectacular at Picton Garden

Cadhay dahlias set to be resplendent in August

As mid-summer becomes a memory the place to visit is The Picton Garden in Colwall. A hidden gem at the foot of the Malvern Hills this one-anda-half-acre garden is just starting its late summer and autumn show. Home to the National Plant Collection of Michaelmas daisies there is plenty of colour to wow and it only gets better as October draws nearer. Should you be tempted by the plants you find on your wanders the adjoining Old Court Nurseries is well stocked and almost everything is grown on site from unusual succulents to delightful daisies.

Cadhay has earned a considerable reputation for its dahlia collection which will be resplendent in August. Yet again the winter was so mild that all the dahlias left in the ground survived and a few more have been propagated. Cadhay has opened its gardens over the last two years while the House remained shut and they have become a major attraction in their own right alongside tours of the House which are now open. From the beginning of August the gardens are open every Friday afternoon from 2pm to 5pm and also Saturday, Sunday and Monday of the Bank Holiday weekend, the 28th to 30th August. See cadhay.org.uk for further details. Cadhay, Ottery St Mary, EX11 1QT

Tel: 01684 540416 www.autumnasters.co.uk

Early September opening for Badminton House private gardens

Hartland Abbey is open again with Outdoor Theatre back!

The private gardens of the historic Badminton House, home to the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort are opening on Sunday 4th September. There will also be a variety of plant sellers, plus hot food, drink, and cakes from local stallholders in the West Courtyard. The event will support the Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) who will have volunteers on site and The Badminton Church Restoration Fund. Tickets are £7.50 pre-sale or £10 on the day. Children under 12 go free. Gates open from 10am with last entry at 4pm.

After an exciting month of filming Series Four of Enid Blyton’s ‘Malory Towers’, once again Hartland Abbey has reverted to its peaceful self! The main reception rooms, closed during filming, are fully re-open. Young Malory fans will recognise many of the locations in the house, gardens and at the beach. The Walled gardens are ablaze with the annuals and bright perennials of late summer whilst the Shrubbery with its deepest blue and white hydrangeas is cool and calm. Massive gunnera and tree ferns flourish in the Bog garden and Fernery. Late July onwards brings some wonderful theatre productions to the lawns.

Visit www.badmintonestate.com Badminton Estate South Gloucestershire, Badminton GL9 1DD

For details see www.hartlandabbey.com or 01237441496/234 Hartland Abbey and Gardens, Hartland, Nr. Bideford EX39 6DT www.hartlandabbey.com

Hartland Abbey & Gardens

Visit this timeless historic house, gardens and wildflower walks to a remote Atlantic cove Visit our family home with its fascinating architecture, collections, displays and film exhibition. Fully reopen again after filming Series 4 of ‘Malory Towers’. Enjoy its beautiful Walled and Woodland gardens, Fernery, Bog garden and walks to the Atlantic Coast. * Dogs welcome * Holiday Cottages * * Homemade light lunches & cream teas * * Hartland Quay 1 mile*

Badminton House Garden Open Day SUNDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER 2022 10AM-4PM

Sunday to Thursday until 3rd October 11am - 5pm (House 2pm - 5pm last adm. 4pm)

For more information and events see www.hartlandabbey.com Hartland, Nr. Bideford EX39 6DT 01237441496/234

Tickets PRE-BOOKED TICKETS £7.50 PER ADULT ON THE DAY ENTRY £10 CHILDREN UNDER 12: FREE

Tickets and full information available through the website: www.badmintonestate.com Any questions please contact the Estate Office on 01454 218203 or by email estateoffice@badmintonestate.com

GARDENS & TEAROOM Open every Friday 2pm - 5.30pm from 6th May to 30th September

Also August Bank Holiday weekend Saturday, Sunday & Monday GARDENS: adult £5, child £1

CADHAY, OTTERY ST. MARY, DEVON, EX11 1QT 01404 813511 www.cadhay.org.uk Member of Historic Houses Country Gardener

Visit the AGS Garden AGS Centre, Avon Bank, Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 3JP Open daily; admission free This quarter-acre garden is filled with enchanting alpine and mountain plants, growing in areas that replicate their natural habitats. A new Mediterranean bed has been planted with drought-resistant plants. The crevice garden, troughs and woodland, as well as an Alpine House, offer more inspiration for gardening with alpines. For more, see our website: alpinegardensociety.net Email: ags@alpinegardensociety.net Tel: 01386 554790 Reg. Charity No. 207478

MELPLASH SHOW THURSDAY 25th AUGUST WEST BAY, BRIDPORT DT6 4EG

Buy tickets to Show early and save!

Free bus, free car parking + Park & Ride FREE Admission for 16 years & under

For latest info visit www.melplashshow.co.uk

We’re back & Can’t wait to see you! www.countrygardener.co.uk

Adult Advance Ticket £17 (on the day £19) 17

GREAT PLACES TO VISIT

Wilder but still wonderful August gardens at Marwood Hill In August, Marwood Hill Gardens are looking much wilder – it’s all about ornamental grasses this month. Large straw-coloured meadows, populated with muted greens and purples of grass flowers and spikey seedheads dominate the gardens northern face, creating a beautiful backdrop and a great habitat for wildlife. Marwood’s collection of astilbes can still be seen - late flowering pink, pale blue and dark, purple-coloured astilbes provide a hazy meadow effect against the stillness of the lakes. The herbaceous borders at the top of the garden are changing too, blues, whites and pinks of spring are seen less often, though Campanulas, Agapanthus and Hydrangea provide a blast of blue! In contrast it is also time for the plants originating from the southern hemisphere to flower. The hot, fiery colours of Crocosmias, Orange Kniphofia’s, Ginger Lilies and Yellow Rudbeckia’s which originate from South Africa light up the garden. It’s unusual to see trees flowering so abundantly at this time of year, as most trees concentrate on sporting berries or papery seed heads. Marwood proudly display many truly spectacular, white flowering eucryphia trees to be admired - Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ and the interesting dark leaved and pink flowered Clerodendrum bungei are looking spectacular and well worth a visit! Marwood Hill Gardens, Marwood, Guineaford, Barnstaple, North Devon EX31 4EA Call 01271 342 528 www.marwoodhillgarden.co.uk

Stock Gaylard show a celebration of rural life

A celebration of countryside, woodcraft, timber and, above all, conservation, Stock Gaylard’s Oak Fair on Saturday, 27th and Sunday ,28th August enjoys widespread support and is a major draw for town and country folk alike. Although there is a plethora of shopping opportunities with more than 200 exhibitors showing everything from homewares to industrial machinery, the primary concern of the Oak Fair is to provide a platform for rural crafts and demonstrations including the ever-popular falconry, chainsaw carving, heavy horse logging, pole climbing and the daredevil stunts of the Adams Axemen Display Team. The fair opens at 10am on both days.

A CELEBRATION OF FARMING AND RURAL LIFE BY THE SEA! The Melplash Agricultural Show is back on Thursday 25th August after a break of two years and plans are going well!! The e popular show brings together the best of West Dorset with animals, food, fun and entertainment. Show secretary Lucy hard said: “Having had a two-year break due to the pandemic we are determined to make this year’s event one of the best. As always it will feature many of the traditional aspects of an agricultural country show along with plenty of new and exciting visitor attractions. There really will be something for everyone, with lots to see and do for all the family to enjoy. It is going to be another amazing show day!” The show runs from 8am to 6pm. Adult tickets are £19 on the day or £17 bought in advance. For more information visit www.melplashshow.co.uk Melplash Agricultural Show, West Bay Bridport Dorset DT6 4EG

Extend the flower season by seeing how Cotswolds Garden Flowers achieve it The summer border plants flowering will be in profusion at the Cotswold Garden Flowers nursery in Badsey near Evesham over the next few weeks. Many gardens have lots of flowers in early summer but have fewer by midseason, so have a long look at your own patch and come out to get some ideas for how you could add to extend the flower season. There will be heleniums and helianthus to echo the shape of sunflowers. Daylilies and Crocosmia to add to your colour palette, and many others. Don’t forget to think about structure and form as well – grasses are good to give you movement in the flowerbeds. Ferns can be used to complement your flowering plants. Cotswold Garden Flowers, Sands Lane, Badsey, Evesham WR11 7EZ

Stock Gaylard Estate, DT10 2BG, 01963 23511, www.stockgaylard.com

Old Court Nurseries & The Picton Garden The Michaelmas Daisy Specialists since 1906

DELIGHTFUL GARDENS TO INSPIRE YOU PLANT AND GARDEN ADVICE Mail order and click and collect available, or pop along and visit us at the nursery

Specialist nursery and beautiful 1.5 acre garden just waiting to be explored CATALOGUE ONLINE OR AVAILABLE BY REQUEST

SEASON TICKETS AVAILABLE OFFERING 12 MONTHS OF GARDEN ENTRY AND 10% DISCOUNT ON PURCHASES OVER £20.

Wednesday to Sunday 11am to 5pm, plus bank holiday Monday. Also open SUNDAY 16TH AUGUST for the National Garden Scheme OPENING TIMES FOR THE YEAR: 1st Feb - 31st July, Wednesday to Saturday / Throughout August, Wednesday to Sunday (plus BH Mon) / 1st September - 20th October, Daily. Open 11am - 5pm (except during Feb/Mar, 11am-4pm)

Tel: 01684 540416 www.autumnasters.co.uk Old Court Nurseries, Walwyn Road, Colwall WR13 6QE 18

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Groups welcome by appointment Open 7 days a week from 1st April to 30th September. Weekends 10am -5pm, Weekdays 9am-5.30pm

Sands Lane, Badsey, Evesham, WR11 7EZ 01386 833849 info@cgf.net www.cotswoldgardenflowers.co.uk

TREE SPECIALIST

the gardeners’ Reversion enemy or nature fighting back? Mark Hinsley looks at the phenomenon of reversion in trees where greener sections appear which initially look encouraging but can eventually take over and the tree becomes mutated Leaves are green. Chlorophyll absorbs the light that the plant needs for photosynthesis. The part of the light spectrum which the chlorophyll does not need is the green bit, so it reflects it away. When that reflected light reaches your eye, you see a green leaf. Green is therefore the colour of efficiency in the production of carbohydrate in plants. Light that penetrates through the plant to the ground is wasted. Therefore, the most efficient plants have leaves which are arranged or shaped to capture as much light as they can. Fancy fern like leaves with frilly edges are less efficient at gathering light than boring old entire ones. The light filtering through the canopy of a cut-leaf beech is beautiful indeed, but to the beech it is a dreadful waste. Many of the fancy trees and shrubs we grow for their ornament are abominations of nature which would not survive in the wild because they would be outcompeted by their ‘natural’ cousins. But nature doesn’t always take these botanical affronts lying down… Take a close look at a copper beech. In all but the most stable of hybrids, you will see that the leaves that are high in the tree enjoying full sun are generally the deepest richest purple. Whilst the lowest undercanopy leaves are barely purple at all; they are a dark purplish green. If those leaves were the deep purple of the upper canopy leaves, they would not function at all in the lower light levels so nature reverts them to green. Elaeagnus pungens ‘Maculata Aurea’ - fabulous striking shrub with vivid splashes of yellow in the centre of the leaves... until you try and grow it in the shade, where it will go greener and greener in its efforts to survive in the low light levels. Most of these fancy plants are mutations, and just as nature can mutate one way so can it mutate back the other, or ‘revert’ as we call it. Elaeagnus pungens ‘Maculata Aurea’ will do that as well, even in full sun. However, the most obvious example of an ornamental gem which wants to be green and mean is Acer platanoides ‘Drummondii.’ I have been making a study of them this summer. Very easy to spot as they really stand out with their lovely creamy white variegation over most of the leaf …but take a closer look at most of them and you will see plain green bits. The first photo shows what, at first glance, appears to be a perfect specimen of this variegated Norway Maple. But look where the arrows point – do you see the plain green leaves? The main problem with these plain green bits is that they are much more efficient at photosynthesis than the pretty variegated leaves. Consequently, the reverted green branches are far more vigorous than the pretty cream ones you bought and will, in not a huge amount of time, take over completely as in the second photo. These are mutated plants reverting to their much more vigorous and efficient original forms. Quite a number of them will do this. I am not going to list them here; you need to be vigilant. If you catch them early the solution is

Acer platanoides ‘Drummondii’

simple, just nip out the green bits whenever they show up. One word of caution – technically if the reverting tree is protected under a Tree Preservation Order or within a

Acer platanoides ‘Drummondii’

Conservation Area, you would need the formal consent of the local planning authority, but unless you have left it way too late, such consent ought to be forthcoming.

WHAT IS REVERSION? Some plants – particularly those with variegated leaves or other colours – produce stems with allgreen leaves. This is called reversion, as the plant is ‘reverting back’ to a different form from its parentage. It is most commonly a problem in trees and shrubs with variegated leaves. Because the leaves on the all-green stems contain more chlorophyll (the pigment used to make food for the plant) than variegated ones, they are much more vigorous, grow quicker and can take over the plant. This ruins the look of the plant – both its shape and its colouring. Many variegated plants originally originated as a natural mutation or sport of an all-green plant. The variegated shoot is propagated and this results in a new variegated variety. However, these mutations are not always stable and the plant ‘reverts back’ to the original all-green leaved mother plant. Some variegated-leaved plants, especially hollies, may produce pale yellow or white stems. As these are weaker than green ones they don’t take over the plant.

Mark Hinsley runs Arboricultural Consultants Ltd which offers a wide range of tree consultancy services.

www.treeadvice.info www.countrygardener.co.uk

Speakers List 2022

£B

CHEEK, ROY

35 Wembdon Rise, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 7PN q 01278 451814 / 07788593674 E rvcheek@btinternet.com

1. Chelsea Flower Show - Creating

20 different silver and gold gardens and displays.

2. 2 Irresistible garden plants for Butterflies - Bringing them winging in

Welcome to Country Gardener’s annual guide to gardening speakers and lecturers offering their services to gardening clubs, societies and associations. After a demanding two years when gardening clubs were forced to temporarily shut down and cope with the Covid pandemic there are finally signs that things are improving. The much-loved club meetings stopped and there was no welcoming of speakers to share their knowledge and expertise. Slowly throughout the first half of 2022 clubs have started to meet again and many are now starting to put all their efforts into their event list programme for next year. And this is where Country Gardener’s speakers list provides an invaluable

£C

www

by adding carefully chosen plants.

3. Insectivorous plants - Discover new 4. Fascinating Gardens - Choose from 50 regions worldwide from Cornwall to Costa Rica.

5. Holly & Ivy - Entertaining Winter Talk. aid to provide new options, ideas and possibilities to plan meetings. We have full details each speaker, including their synopsis of talk subject, what they charge and how far they are willing to travel. If you come across speakers who you have been impressed with let us know and we will try and include them in a later edition or update our online information.

£B

Benson Bush, Itton, Chepstow, NP16 6BZ

www

1. THE SEED-SAVERS OF RAJASTHAN - Uncovering the remarkable world of local varieties and their conservation.

2. THE ADVENTURES OF A SEED DETECTIVE - Finding rare and endangered vegetables around the world.

3. SEED SAVING MADE SIMPLE -

1. 2. 3. 4.

Many other talks, ask for details. Widely experienced and qualified, Roy progressed from Gardener to Director of parks and gardens around Britain. As senior lecturer and curator of gardens in Somerset he amassed ten thousand different plants, ten national collections and created new hybrids, diverse gardens and gold medal exhibits at Chelsea. Now Chairman of an RHS trials forum, international tour leader, judge, advisor, designer and writer.

CANDLIN, BEN

£C

32 Featherbed Lane, Exmouth, Devon, EX8 3NE

www

q 07763 348148 E ben@adventurousplants.co.uk Ħ www.adventurousplants.co.uk

The fascinating world of Aroids UK Subtropical Gardening Plants of the Canary Isles Wildlife Friendly Gardening

- Transforming a meadow into a productive garden for growing vegetables for seed.

5. GARDENS OF THE MEKONG -

A voyage of discovery, revealing the secrets of vegetable cultivation along the river.

- continuing a 12,000 year-old tradition of growing delicious fruit and vegetables.

Adam is a consummate story-teller thanks to forty years making food and gardening programmes. His true passion is collecting rare, endangered vegetables from around the world and saving their seeds. He has appeared on Gardeners’ World, CNN’s Going Green and The Great British Food Revival. His book, The Seed Detective, is published in September.

£D

APPLEGATE, SUE Polden Wines, Stocklands Vineyard, Bawdrip, Bridgwater, Somerset TA7 8PN q 07493 773153 E poldenwines@gmail.com Ħ www.poldenwines.co.uk

Vineyard talks and tasting the wines.

Visit this beautiful vineyard on the Polden Hills, marvel at the views, savour the wines and learn about the success of English Wine. Transferring my skills as a Peony Grower to growing nearly 4,000 vines has been very exciting. My talk explains seasonal management of vines to produce quality wines and reduce our Carbon footprint. Cellar Door prices, lunches and suppers can also be arranged.

£A Price band £0-50

£B Price band £51-100

Online talks available

CARL WOODMANS WORLD

5. The Hardy Exotic Garden 6. Grasses in the Garden

1 BroomHill Cottage, Broom Hill, Huntley GL19 3HA

q 07717 846814 / 01392 437792 E becca.redkite@gmail.com Ħ www.rowanleaf.co.uk

1. Wildlife Gardening - Attracting beneficial wildlife to your garden

2. Water, Water Everywhere - Ponds,

bog gardens and water-wise gardening

3. Food For Free - A guide to foraging for wild foods

BBC Gardener of Year 1999 BBC Gardener of Decade 2008 Chelsea Gold Medal 2013 Katherine has been a garden designer in South Somerset for 22 years and loves to talk gardens!

3. Bees and their products

COX, MYRA

£C

q 01278 784110 / 07896 351693 E coxmyra20032000@yahoo.co.uk

1. Inspirational, versability and ideas for floral art for shows and around your home 2. Christmas cracker fun with flowers 3. Seasonal wonderland of baskets, boxes, bottles and bows 4. Afternoon tea with Mr Shifter and his P.G Tips tea friends 5. Life as a Cinnamon Trust volunteer Sundries and greeting cards for sale.

Radius covered 0-25 miles

£D Price band variable

Radius covered up to 50 miles

www

DOWN, FELICITY Former owner of Cleeve Nursery q 07739 977431 E downtoearthfd@gmail.com Ħ www.down-to-earth.co.uk

1. All year round colour in the garden 2. Plan it, plant it! 3. Climbing and wall shrubs Please contact me for the full list. Zoom talks available!

£E

Price band expenses only

Radius covered up to 100 miles

Country Gardener

32 ADDISON CLOSE, EXETER EX4 1SJ q 07720714720 E ladyhort824@yahoo.com Ħ www.ladyhorticulturist.co.uk

Claire Forster CMTGG (Consultant member of The Gardeners Guild), qualified RHS Certificated Horticulturist with RHS Level 3 Advanced in Horticulture. 20 Years professional horticulturist experience. Featured in Devon Life Magazine. £B

HAIG, GAVIN FRCS The Castle Lodge, Castle Street, Bampton, Devon, EX16 9NS

q 01398 332419 E gavinhaig@googlemail.com

1. Creating a Wildlife Garden 2. The Healing Garden 3. Celebration of Devon/Somerset Wildlife 4. Trials and tribulations of being a Surgeon Practised as Surgeon and Doctor with a passion for attracting wildlife to our gardens. Developed award-winning Wildlife Garden at Tiverton Hospital.

£D

HARTLEY, LUCY Wellesbourne, Warks. CV35 9LL q 01789 840834 or 07771 596962 E Lucy.hartley@yahoo.co.uk Ħ www.lucyhartleygardens.co.uk

1. Climate Change and Our Gardens! 2. Principles and Pitfalls of New Border Design 3. In Search of a Low Maintenance Border 4. Plant Choices and Combinations for a Year Round Border Please refer to website or contact me for more detailed description and further Talks offered.

£B www

HAYLOCK, JULIE 20 Sandhurst Road, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 2LG q 07899710168 E juliesandhurst1@gmail.com Ħ www.sandhurstgardendesign.co.uk

1. Container Planting 2. Planning your Garden Borders 3. An Introduction to Garden Design 4. Going for Gold - BBC Gardeners’ World Live

Slide presentations included D

FORSTER, CLAIRE

1. Women in Horticulture - past and present 2. Pots and Baskets 3. Other talks available

8. Bulbs That Should be Better Known

2. Besoms and Gypsy Flowers

£C Price band £100+

£C

7. Self Seeding Garden

called me

07594 574150 info@katherinecrouch.com www.katherinecrouch.com

4. Plants That Should be Better Known

1. Trugmaking by a miserable old trugger - I think that’s what the wife

£C

q E Ħ

3. Winning BBC Gardener of the Decade

q 01452 830 258 E woodmansworld@live.co.uk

6. THE CULTURE OF SEED SAVING

Corner Cottage, Great Street, Norton sub Hamdon, Somerset, TA14 6SJ

2. First Time at Chelsea - and Winning Gold!

Please visit website for more titles and info.

£B

CROUCH, KATHERINE

1. New Tricks for Old Gardeners

Saving your own flower and vegetable seeds, rewarding and fun.

4. THE GARDEN ABOVE THE ESTUARY

39 Regents Park, Exeter, Devon, EX1 2NY

www

hardy year round attractive ones for the garden or the windowsill.

ALEXANDER, ADAM q 07860646613 E adam@theseeddetective.co.uk Ħ www.theseeddetective.co.uk

FLINTHAM, BECCA

£B

Radius covered 100+ miles

www

Website

Plants or items for sale

£A

HAZELL, GILL

£D

17 Valley View, Clutton Bristol BS39 5SN q 01761 452036 E clutton.glads@btinternet.com

1. 2. 3. 4.

Growing and Showing Sweet Peas Classic, Rare and Unusual Bulbs So you think you know Gladiolus! Illustrated On-Screen Flower and Vegetable Quizzes 5. Holland, its flowers and flower festivals 6. Halfway round the world in 30 days Other talks in relation to the above can be tailored to suit your society. £B www

HINSLEY, MARK ARBORICULTURAL CONSULTANT Office F11, 10 Whittle Road, Ferndown, Dorset, BH21 7RU q 01202 876177 E enquiries@treeadvice.info Ħ www.treeadvice.info

1. The Churchyard Yew 2. Trees in your Garden

MIGNOTTE, NATHALIE

£B

1 Stanley Cottages, Blaisdon Longhope, Gloucestershire GL17 0AL

www

q 077 66 197 129 E nmignotte@aol.com

1. 2. 3. 4.

1. Gardens of Versailles 2. Islamic Gardens 3. Medieval Gardens

5. Seasonal Colours in the Garden

£B

6. Le jardin Majorelle in Marrakesh Please, feel free to contact me for more information on the above talks as well as on further subjects. I base my presentations on personal experience, photography, travel and academic research.

www

Netherfields, Frog Lane, North Nibley, Glos GL11 6DJ

Twitter and Instagram: @nahemi25

£D

different aspects of why we visit gardens

3. Blaise Castle - A Stranger at Blaise 4. Westonbirt School - A Historical Introduction to the Gardens

£B

HOPE, NICOLA

q 07711285447 E info@nicolahope.co.uk Ħ www.nicolahope.co.uk

1. Organic Gardening ~ happy plants, happy minds 2. Tales from the Potting Shed ~ where gardening magic begins! 3. Talking Tomatoes ~ Seeds with Stories make Tastier Fruits An organically trained gardener, Nicola has over two decades of experience working in prestigious public and private gardens.

£B

PAKENHAM, CAROLINE

The Old Manor, Rudge, Frome, Somerset BA11 2QG q 01373 830312 E carriepakenham@gmail.com

1. The cultivation and uses of unusual herbs 2. Getting ready for winter Money from the talks is donated to the Wessex Therapy Centre for Multiple Sclerosis. I always bring a large variety of herbs for sale and demonstration plus my book Making Jellied Preserves and the jellies.

£A Price band £0-50

£B Price band £51-100

Online talks available

£C

STAPLEY, CHRISTINA 38, Wenhill Heights, Calne SN11 0JZ q 01249 821087 E christina.stapley@tiscali.co.uk Ħ www.christinastapley.co.uk

USHER, DAVID 10 Rowbarton Close, Taunton, Somerset, TA2 7DQ q 01823 278037 E dave.usher@hotmail.com

1. Gertrude Jekyll - Her Plants & Designs. 2. The Restoration of Hestercombe Gardens 3. Bedding Plants for your Gardens 4. Care and management of trees & shrubs 5. The history of our gardens 6. The answer lies in the soil 7. Herbaceous Plants David, a professional gardener for over 40 years, was Head Gardener at Hestercombe for 18 years. He is interested in all aspects of ornamental gardening and has given talks to a wide variety of groups. Contact him for a brochure about his talks. David is also available for giving talks via Zoom.

www

E stephen@stephenpowles.co.uk Ħ www.stephenpowles.co.uk

about the five years Stephen spent filming one individual otter in amazing detail)

4. Tawny Owls - Coming to a Wood Near You 5. Hornets - Gentle Giants 6. Wildlife Photography - Tips and

£D

7. The Countryside Detective 8. Wildlife Photography - In Pursuit of

the improbable ...and more. Please see his website or contact Stephen for his full list of talks. Stephen Powles is a passionate naturalist, award winning wildlife photographer, film maker and conservatist. His specialist interests are otters, tawny owls and hornets. He, the otters and the hornets have appeared on national TV. Most of his wildlife subjects are found in and not far from his house.

www

WILLIAMS, CATHERINE

The Coach House, Tramlines, Okehampton, Devon EX20 1EH

14 Mill Park, Newent, Gloucestershire GL18 1EX

q 01837 54727 E paul.dartmoor@gmail.com Ħ www.paulrendelldartmoor.co.uk

q 01531 579160 / 07767 690009 E mail2@thegardenlady.me.uk Ħ www.thegardenlady.me.uk

1. Planting and Plant Care 2. How to love your garden 3. Design and Create a Garden to be Proud Of

The speaker can offer over 40 talks about history, wildlife and landscapes of Devon and Cornwall. All talks are illustrated and last about one hour.

£D Price band variable

Radius covered up to 50 miles

Many other talks available, please ask for more details.

£E

q 07815807832 E saul.walker123@btinternet.com Ħ www.talkingheadspodcast.co.uk

1. Stonelands House and Gardens: Devon’s Hidden Beauty 2. My Career in Horticulture: A Pot Plant to 16 Acres 3. My Time as the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Manager 4. Orchids in Oz: Plant Hunting in north Queensland

7. Exotic Plants: Turning your garden into a Jungle

www

3. The Secret Wildlife On Dartmoor

Plymouth, Devon www

White Fan Talks, ‘Starshine’, 15 Half Moon Court, Buckfastleigh, Devon TQ11 0GA

Both talks have powerpoint presentations. Long journeys can only be undertaken in the summer months, from April till October.

£B

WALKER, SAUL

5. The Gardens and Plants of Madeira

1. 301 years Tribute to Gilbert White, 1720-2021 2. Gardening with Jane Austen

RENDELL, PAUL

£C Price band £100+

£B

TOWNSEND, PENELOPE

q 01364 644028 / 07792517145

1. Devon’s Water Wildlife 2. Wild Plants Of Devon

Radius covered 0-25 miles

q 07546874083 E andrew@atpgardening.co.uk Ħ www.atpgardening.co.uk

1. Off the beaten track, hidden gems 2. Glorious gardens, a gardeners choice 3. Art of Topiary & Ornamental Hedges 4. Stumperies, ferns & shady friends

1. Hedgehogs - In Need of Your Help 2. Otters - Coming to a River Near You 3. Hammer Scar - Five Years Together (all

£A

TOLMAN, ANDREW Malmesbury, Wiltshire

Swallows, Withleigh, Tiverton, Devon EX16 8LA

Experiences

Malmesbury, Wiltshire www

POWLES, STEPHEN q 01884 242965

1. Rosemary Verey 1918-2001 - Her 2. Garden Visiting - a very British Tradition - A lighthearted look at the many

Medicinal Garden Plants Flowers in Healing Hedgerow Pharmacy Plants for wellbeing

£B

Talks given over Zoom are offered at a discounted rate.

q 07876 196074 E margiehoffnung@gmail.com Contribution & Legacy to C20 gardening

q 01453 884092 E cjsheldrick@gmail.com Ħ www.carolinesheldrickmedicalherbalist.co.uk

1. Native and Garden Trees – Harvests for Medicine and more 2. The Living Garden – Gardening for Natural Survival 3. Compassionate Herbs for Stress

Travel charges and fee on request. Thank you.

Please contact us to discuss requirements.

HOFFNUNG, MARGIE

Middle Path, Keble Road, France Lynch, Stroud GL6 8LN

Caroline is a qualified medical herbalist in practice in rural Gloucestershire.

4. Landscapes of Vietnam and Cambodia

3. Trees and the Law

£C

SHELDRICK, CAROLINE

Price band expenses only

Radius covered up to 100 miles

www.countrygardener.co.uk

6. Woodland Gardens: Working with Shade

8. Meadows: Making Grass work for you and nature Head Gardener of Stonelands House, Devon. Trained at Antony House, National Trust and a graduate of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Former Show Manager of the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show and RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Regular contributor for BBC Radio Devon and Plant Expert for BBC Gardeners World Live.

£B

17 Seymour Drive, Torquay, Devon, TQ2 8PY D

q 07964 824673 E info@garden-together.co.uk

1. Camellias 2. The Scented Garden 3. Blood, Sweat and TEA Ex Head Gardener of private estates and now specialist camellia grower of over 400 varieties and a wide range of fragrant plants.

Slide presentations included D

WILSON, JEREMY

www

Website

Plants or items for sale

Radius covered 100+ miles

Getting

the best

from your harvest! For many gardeners harvesting at the right time, storing crops and dealing with gluts has become as big an issue as growing the produce itself It is getting to that time of the year when we can really reap the rewards of all the hard work. It’s when harvesting fruit and vegetables reaches its peak of activity. Getting the crop out of the ground or picking from the trees doesn’t thankfully happen all at once but August is the time when one of the biggest issues is how to store and look after crops long term. For many gardeners storing crops and dealing with gluts has become as big an issue as growing the produce itself. Some fruits and vegetables store well for months if they are kept properly. The right conditions are crucial for successful storage, and the produce itself needs to be in perfect condition – no blemishes or breaks in the skin. It is easy to bruise fruit and veg as you harvest them, and once they are no longer growing, they have no means to heal. Different crops, such as root crops, potatoes, alliums, beans, cabbages, leeks, tomatoes, pumpkins, apples, and pears all need different storage conditions. You can also freeze many fruits and vegetables. It’s also a question of timing. Most vegetables should be picked before they peak. Tomatoes and peppers are good examples. They will slowly ripen off the vine. Some vegetables need to ‘cure’ or ripen and harden before storing. A good example of this is pumpkins and gourds.

Feed tomatoes weekly to keep the flow of fruit coming

Tomatoes Harvesting tomatoes can be an art. Pick as they ripen and feed them weekly to keep the flow coming. Don’t overwater at this stage this can split and dilute the flavour. When temperatures fall to around 10°C bring any outdoor fruit inside to ripen. Greenhouse plants will of 22

course keep growing. Look out carefully during this stage for blight, a blackening of the leaves and fruit that kills plants -ripe or not!

Courgettes can too quickly become too big

Don’t let the apples touch

To freeze courgettes, slice then blanch in boiling water for one minute and cool rapidly in iced water. Drain them and then pat dry before freezing and they should keep for three months. To cook, fry from frozen.

Apples Pick when they are easy to pull from the tree with a gentle twist. Use any that are damaged first and remember only to store perfect blemish free fruits. Apples will keep for a few weeks at room temperature. Place a few apples in a clear freezer bag you can buy (biodegradable options online) – or even better, paper bags – and store in the fridge for up to a week. To store apples over winter, wrap each one in a single sheet of newspaper and place them in single layers on a tray. The trick is to make sure they are unblemished, not bruised or have any sign or pest infection. Make sure they don’t touch each other. You will need to monitor then because it is almost certain some will go into storage with some damage and not make it. If you have the space and a large apple tree, you may want to invest in an apple rack. Apple racks can store a large quantity of fruit, and enable air to circulate between the layers, so you don’t need to wrap each fruit individually.

Courgettes and marrows The key is to pick plants before they get too big. At this time of the year, they grow at an alarming rate and too often the marrows that are left get wasted. In warm weather, water, feed and pick courgettes little and often when they are cigar sized. Keep courgettes in a plastic bag in the fridge and they should last a week. Country Gardener

Leave onions in a dry sheltered spot

Garlic and onions Pick once the foliage starts to fade and turns yellow and then you know this is the time to harvest. For onions it is when the leaves have flopped over. Leave in a dry sheltered spot to dry for just over a week. Lay them on a rack and don’t leave them on the soil where they might dampen and attract pests. Store for up to ten months in a cool dark, frost-free place. Tie or plat the leaves together and hang them somewhere up to dry and layer them in ventilated boxes. Onions will last for months pickled or up to two months in the freezer sliced or chopped. To pickle use a ratio of 100g peeled onions, 100ml white vinegar and 40g honey.

delights of the growing season. Maincrop potatoes will store though the winter in a dark, dry place (not the fridge) especially in a hessian bag. Potatoes freeze best in a pre-cooked recipe.

Open freeze raspberries on trays

Summer berries

Chillies

For preserving and freezing pick before they are ripe and firm. You need to cover plants with a fine mesh or netting to protect the fruit from birds without trapping them. If you don’t, you will see the crop disappear in a few days. Keep in the fridge unwashed in a single layer so they don’t touch each other. Take out of the fridge an hour before serving so they have the fullest flavour. Raspberries and currants are best frozen on an open tray then bagged. Strawberries do not freeze well and are not worth the effort.

The trick is to harvest when they are green or for a hotter taste leave on the plant until the fruits turn red. As with tomatoes don’t overwater as this will weaken the intensity of the flavour. If the temperatures dip below 10°C at night and your plants are still fruiting, bring them inside, place on a sunny windowsill and treat them like houseplants. They should keep cropping even in winter. Chillies will keep for at least a couple of weeks in the fridge. You can freeze chillies whole on an open tray than bag and store for up to a year, cooking from frozen or dry them out in an airing cupboard and use them to add to oils and chutneys.

Pears

Plums and damsons Harvest when fully ripe or when just ripe but still firm if you are freezing or making preserves. Don’t leave on the tree for too long as they will get damaged and rot, attracting wasps. They will keep in the kitchen for a few days. Both will freeze for up to nine months. Stone and freeze open on trays before bagging. If you are going to make jam, use equal quantities of fruit and sugar. You can also bottle plums in syrup with rum or steep damsons in gin instead of sloes. Use 550g fruit and 250g sugar for every litre of alcohol.

Pears can ripen and pass their best quickly so need daily checking. In warm storage conditions they will soften slightly when ripe but, in cooler storage, ripeness will be indicated by a subtle change in colour and they’ll then need to be brought into the house for a day or two to soften before eating. In proper storage conditions, pears will keep long enough for you to eat them until the end of winter, even the beginning of spring. There is no point in picking up fallen pears, they are very fragile and will only keep for a few days. Spread the pears out in crates or on shelves, without them touching each other and Ensure that air circulates well around the pears. Store the crates in the dark, away from moisture and ideally at a temperature of around 10°C. Inspect regularly to quickly remove those that deteriorate first.

Potatoes You can leave maincrop potatoes in the soil until autumn to bulk up and then dig them upon a dry day and let the tubers dry out for a few hours but no more. Look out for blight, a blackening of the leaves and tubers. Cut down the leaves and harvest in two weeks if you see any signs. This disease can wipe out an entire crop if it isn’t caught early. New potatoes from your own garden are one of the

Blanch runner beans before freezing

Beans Harvest runner beans when they are between 15 and 20 cms long. French beans are best when young before the pods start to bulge and toughen. You should pick every couple of days to encourage growth and avoid a glut. Beans are one of the thirstiest plants so water regularly. A liquid seaweed feed will also boost the crop. To freeze, blanch then refresh with cold water. Lay in a single tray and freeze. French beans will keep for 12 months and runner beans for six.

Carrots and beetroots Don’t leave in the ground for too long as they can both become tough, woody and inedible. Twist off the foliage but leave a few cms of stem on beetroots to stop the colour bleeding. Arrange in layers of moist sand so they don’t dry out then keep somewhere dark and dry, away from rodents, when they will last until late winter. Blanch carrots before freezing. Carrots will keep for 12 months; beetroot for six months.

Plus Plants in the squash family such as pumpkins and courgettes can last for up to three months, depending on the variety. Pumpkins and marrows don’t keep after midwinter, but other squashes (such as butternut and spaghetti) may keep until early spring. Ensure they are in good condition and store them in a cool, dry place such as a cupboard. Leafy crops such as lettuce and spinach do not store well and should be eaten within a few days of harvesting. Sow regularly right into early autumn so that you still have a salad crop.

DIGGING CROPS When digging root crops such as carrots, parsnips and leeks, use a garden fork and make sure that you dig down deeply, so that the bottom of the root is not damaged. Allow plenty of room between the row and your fork to prevent damaging crops with the tines as you ease the roots up. Try to avoid digging root crops in dry weather as there is more possibility of the lower portion of the root snapping in the ground. During prolonged dry spells, water the rows before harvesting. Always dig root crops up rather than trying to pull them out of the ground – you will probably just snap the leaves off unless your soil is very fine. Start to dig new potatoes when the flowers begin to open. Gently ease up the haulms with a garden fork taking care not to spear the tubers by digging down deeply. Cover the potatoes with an old towel once they are dug to keep the sun off them.

Water the rows before harvesting

Main crop potatoes can be dug when all the top growth has died down. Try to harvest when the soil is dry and do not wash the tubers.

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HOW TO SAVE BLIGHT AFFECTED SPUDS

Long grass warning on ticks

This year I tried No Mow May and encountered a serious problem with ticks. I and my family have always had a fear of potential Lyme disease and when we walk in the countryside are always careful about covering up but I was shocked and worried to find a large tick on the back of my knee when I had only been in the garden regularly for a couple of days. I have never had this happen before and can only think it has happened because of gardening alongside the longer grass. I obviously removed it and took medical advice, and all seems OK but I wonder if there should be more of a warning about this as I know the occurrence of ticks in gardens has increased.

There has been a lot of concern amongst my allotment neighbours’ over the past week or so because some plot holders have suffered with potato leaves which have gone black. It is of course late blight which is around much earlier this year and occurs after warm wet weather. It starts with brown blotches on leaves which blacken and then rot until the whole plant collapses. I’ve been advising them that blight can spread to the tubers so to save the harvest you have to remove the top growth to soil level. Then leave the spuds in the ground to harden for a fortnight and dig them up and eat them straight away. I’m afraid I’m a bit smug as this summer I am growing blight resistant varieties ‘ Sarpo Mira’ and ‘Sarpo Axona’.

Matthew Weyant

John Everett

Chichester

Memories of an old push mower

Barnstaple

Compost and health issues

I wanted to sing the praises of the much derided and I think much loved push mowers. I have read about them in the past in your magazine. At the start of last summer my husband suffered a bad fall and was really limited in what he could do in the garden. I have never been a fan of petrol rotary mowers. I find them hard to start and eventually difficult. I rummaged through the shed to find my late grandad’s old push mower. After not being used for perhaps 25 years the mower started to cut as though it had been sharpened yesterday. My grandad loved gardening and was the reason I fell in love with it and I know he is with me and smiling at his old mower.

I have been made aware of three cases of keen gardeners (all with underlying health issues) including myself contracting pneumonia possibly as a result of close contact with compost. If anyone does suffer from asthma or breathing issues, I urge them to wear a face mask when handling compost.

Hillary Marshall

Poole

NATURE HAS BEEN HELPING ME

Thanks to the efforts and hard work of various birds in my garden including blackbirds, magpies and crows a large quantity of dead thatch has been removed from my garden. I assume that in return for all their hard work they enjoyed some juicy worms and grubs!

Judith High sent by email

Donna Wilson

Hayling Island

Not a good year for sunflowers?

I wonder how many of your readers have been having trouble with sunflowers this summer. The seeds germinate but when I plant them out, we never see them again. I have been careful to protect them from slugs and I have hardened them off but still no result. I mentioned this at our gardening club last week and there were lots of nodding heads. Perhaps it’s just not a summer for them.

Rachel Vaughan

My compost really is hot stuff I attended a local council open day about composting in the spring and since then I have been passionate about composting and think I have been making a good fist of it. The wooden slatted compost bin gets plenty of variety and I step in and admittedly with great difficult turn it every few weeks. So, I thought I would just carry out a little experiment and put a thermometer in it to check the temperature. I went back after an hour or so and the reading was 60°C. Now that really is hot stuff! Christine Coutts Martock

Burnham

YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES, SUPERMARKETS

One real bugbear of mine is the amount of withered plants displayed outside supermarkets. I imagine these plants are ‘factory’ raised with artificial lights and heating and then transported from abroad and dumped at supermarkets. I often imagine this is the first sight of proper daylight they have had. The environmental cost is massive. It would be cheaper and greener to transport them straight from the growing ‘factory’ to the nearest composting facility. Supermarkets -you should be ashamed. Why not contact a local nursery and arrange to sell quality local produce?

Mary Stocker 24

Let’s buy the flag

I recently visited RHS Garden Bridgewater on a holiday weekend and loved the garden and would recommend it to anyone. I visited the plant centre with the intention of buying just one plant but was tempted to buy four. I was also pleased to see a Union Flag with the words ‘British Grown’; I feel we should all look out for the flag when buying plants. By doing so we are helping British growers and avoiding bringing disease into this country.

Susie Murphy

Exeter

sent by email Country Gardener

WORMS TO THE RESCUE

I wasn’t looking to be very impressed when I saw the subject of the talk at our gardening club for June . It was just called ‘Worms and why we need them’. But the speaker, a former head gardener and knowledgeable chap opened my eyes into what needs to be done to attract more worms into our soil. His basic message was to start a compost heap; don’t overdig your garden and disturb the worms: improve drainage and while worms like moisture but not an waterlogged garden and applying manure. I now accept that worms are probably the most valuable of all the animals in our garden and I like the title that they are ‘earth movers’.

Laura Thomas

Bristol

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YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Garden advice August A busy gardening season has brought a record number of queries from readers which we are happy to advise on. If you need advice on any gardening problem or concern then write to us at Country Gardener, Mount House, Halse, Taunton TA4 3AD or email editorial@countrygardener.co.uk

Is it easy to graft roses or is taking cuttings the best option for me? Matt Lars Plymouth Grafting certainly isn’t straight forward but it is worth trying in late summer. You need a new rose plant for the rootstock which would have been planted the previous autumn and another rose which will provide the ’bud wood’. Ideally, they should be the same age and obviously both healthy and vigorous. Then you select bud wood from a healthy shoot with several buds. Remove the leaves than use a knife to pare away a healthy bud along with roughly three cms above and below it. You will need to remove the woody material behind it. Then about 10 cms from the base of the rootstock cut a ‘T’ shape in the bark and slide the bud down between the horizontal flats. Finally bind it in with grafting tape. If you have done it all correctly the new plant will grow the following spring.

What are the little worms in my plums? This is the second season I’ve had them.

Jon Adams Exmouth Pink plum maggots, the caterpillar larvae of the plum moth – live in and eat the fruit of plums and related damsons and gages. The adult moths start to emerge from late May, but mainly from mid-June to mid-July. They mate, and the female adult moths lay eggs singly on the underside of the fruit. The eggs hatch into small creamywhite or pinkish, brown-headed caterpillars. They then tunnel into the fruit and feed on the flesh around the stone until late summer. Once the caterpillars have burrowed into the fruit, there is nothing you can do to control them. Any control methods must be used before they enter the fruit. Plum maggot pheromone traps, which are designed to monitor adult plum moth activity, may also give some degree of control. They trap the adult males, resulting in the females laying fewer fertile eggs. They should be hung in the tree from early May.

Why hasn’t my agapanthus flowered yet? It’s very frustrating.

Kate Barber sent by email Agapanthus should be in full bloom now with large blue flowers. There are several reasons for non-flowering which can include not enough sunlight, boggy soil, frost damaged flower buds, too much nitrogen or because of recent planting, potting or dividing. I have always been keen to grow melons in the greenhouse but I seem to have problems getting them to fertilise properly. Is there a trick to this? Erin Black Cheltenham There is something you can try. If you seem to have male flowers only, you can collect the pollen on a cotton bud and store it inside a paper envelope in the fridge for a couple of weeks. When you see the female flowers open you can carry out pollination yourself by wiping the cotton bud on the female flower. Timing of all this is important so the trick is to look out for open flowers.

Agapanthus often displays fewer flowers in the first year after planting, re-potting or dividing of clustered roots due to transplant shock and potential damage to their roots when dividing. In the first year of planting most of the plant’s energy is directed into growing and establishing the roots in the soil and to growing its lush green foliage rather than displaying flowers. Also bear in mind that the optimal time for re-potting is in the spring before the plants starts growing. Summer temperatures may make it more vulnerable to drought and therefore the conditions are not ideal for developing flower buds.

I have lots of mare’s tail in my small garden. Is there an answer to getting rid of it? Alan McClai Petersfield Mare’s tail or horsetail is very deep rooted with wiry rhizomes that penetrate down two metres or more and they can regenerate from deep down to form new plants. It can persist for years even if the top growth is suppressed so it’s no surprise there is no easy answer. The only non-weedkiller approach is to dig out and dig deep and often. You may not be able to get rid of it first time round but you will weaken and finally destroy it.

I understand that irregular watering causes blossom end rot on tomatoes so this year I have been diligent on when and how I water. However, the first fruits of the new season still have the same problem. Is there another reason for this I am missing? Amanda Wilkinson via email

This is the time of year when blossom end rot can be very frustrating. Typically, the problem starts on the first flush of fruits and those that haven’t quite reached their full size. The spot appears watery and yellowishbrown at first and will grow until it destroys much of the fruit. It’s all about the roots and their ability to carry calcium upward. There are several things that will prevent a tomato plant’s roots from uploading calcium to the plant’s fruit. Calcium is transported up from the roots to the fruit by water, so if you’ve had a dry spell or haven’t sufficiently or consistently watered your plants, you may see blossom rot. If you’ve been more careful about this it may be the problem is that plants have had too much fertiliser and they may be growing too quickly, which can prevent the roots from delivering enough calcium fast enough to keep up with the growth. It maybe your soil may be lacking in calcium. Do a soil test first and, if this is the problem, adding lime will solve it.

How can I get rid of earwigs? This year I’ve got really upset on the impact they have made on my borders. Lesley Hampson Painswick Flower petals and young leaves are a prime target for earwigs and older foliage is sometimes reduced to a tattered network of veins. However, earwigs are part of the natural balance in a garden and in some cases, especially with fruit trees and shrubs, they can help reduce aphid numbers. Trap earwigs by placing upturned flower pots loosely stuffed with hay or straw on canes among plants being attacked (This can also provide useful shelter when encouraging earwigs in fruit trees). Every morning shake out the pots and remove the earwigs. This may not protect plants when earwigs are abundant, but it is a useful means of monitoring their numbers. Country Gardener

My beloved monkey puzzle tree looks as if it is dying. Is there anything I can do? Liz Charlton sent by email It may simply be your tree is short of water. Monkey puzzles, are very hardy but like well-drained soil and plenty of moisture – especially in winter. Clear all soil for a metre radius around the trunk, water well and then mulch thickly with bark chippings or compost. If it isn’t water don’t despair. The tree has a natural tendency to shed lower branches and it is not dying, just revitalising itself. Cut off the old wood and the rest of the tree should flourish.

What is the greyish coating forming on my grapes? David Hampson Poole This whitish, chalky film on grapes (and on blueberries) is called the ‘bloom’. It’s not dirt and it’s not pesticide. It’s a waxy coating that is produced by the plant itself and acts as a barrier to pests and bacteria. Powdery mildew affects grapes by giving them a bad flavour, but you can still eat them.

GARDENING TERMS EXPLAINED

Bare Root versus rootball plants The term ‘bare root’ means simply that the plant is dormant, or not actively growing. Lifting the plants from fields, with as much of the soil taken off the roots as possible. Bare root is easier to ship as they do not weigh as much as a potted plant, saving about 25 per-cent in costs! It remains a great way to plant a large area at good prices for healthy, but sleeping, plant material. Bare root plants are a great option for achieving a new hedge whilst also being very cost-effective. Bare roots are generally deciduous so they can look quite bare when delivered in the dormant season, however, what you get is a good root system with a decent amount of stem and side shoots (depending on your chosen height). Bare roots do not require re-potting each year and do not incur costs for the weight of the soil, as with other root types. It is sometimes quoted that bare root plants have a ten per-cent failure rate. Bare roots are easy to handle but they need protecting from frost and should be planted quite quickly after delivery. They are available from autumn to early spring, depending on the weather. Suppliers stock a range of sizes, from 40cm to 2m, and they can be pre-ordered from mid-summer. A bare root plant

What causes a magnolia tree to bloom a second time? Tim Bull Chichester Yes, magnolia trees can bloom twice a year, but it is not common. Some varieties can bloom once in early spring and once in late summer. Chinese or Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana) varieties are the ones that most often bloom twice. While the variety has the largest impact when magnolia trees bloom, location is also an important factor. In general, magnolia trees bloom sometime between February and June. Unfortunately, the flowers usually do not last long. Most varieties only bloom for less than two weeks. However, magnolia trees can bloom longer if they are given proper care. There are a large variety of magnolias available and if you have lucky enough to have a double flowering variety it does provide double the benefits.

I read that radish were a good thing to start growing as they are according to everyone very easy to grow. Mine will not form properly so I am doing something wrong which is rather embarrassing. Valerie Lange Dawlish Lack of moisture is the most likely problem. The warmer drier conditions in mid-summer when you have probably sown the radishes are often responsible for poor swelling and root formation. Add some more organic matter into the soil before sowing to increase soil retention and ensure the young crop is kept watered regularly.

A root ball plant

Root Ball Root ball plants are normally quite large and are delivered with a substantial ball of soil. All plants have a root ball. This includes trees, shrubs, and even annual flowers. Simply put, the root ball is the main mass of roots located directly beneath the plant’s stem. Though the root ball may consist of several different types of roots, including feeder roots, the root ball in gardening generally refers to the part of the plant’s root system which will be transplanted into the garden or landscape. Root balls should be planted into their permanent positions as soon as possible and generously watered during their first year. Given their larger size and maturity, root balls are great for establishing a plant quickly when growing time is at a premium. Root balls are available from autumn to spring.

Crossword answers from July 2022 issue:

My box hedge which has always been very healthy and strong growing has started to go brown at the bottom. Is this the start of blight and if so can I do anything to slow it down or stop it? Ian Alsopp sent by email If this is blight, it begins with dark or light brown spots or lesions on the leaves. The leaves turn brown, fall off while the stems develop brown or black lesions. The leaves are lost very quickly after the first signs of the disease appear so you will soon know. By pruning out dead or diseased growth, regular watering and feeding and with a thick layer of mulch and compost, it is possible to nurture your hedge plants back to good health. If you have halted the blight you can apply a slow-release, balanced fertiliser to the soil in the autumn. www.countrygardener.co.uk

B H H G O W A N G A R T E M C A L M E D B E

A K L A N D S E T J E M

N A I N N A C T G A T H E

R S O T H E O Y M B R A G E

E U B A R M O G R S U

U A S C H E B J P L U M B A G A U M A C H I M E N K R S

D E D G A N

T E I G H E R A Z A D E R I O R O A N N U A L W T S E S B A S I L R L L 27

GARDEN VISITS

CORSLEY HOUSE

GARDENS TO VISIT

Corsley, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 7QH A garden full of surprises with a sculpted wave lawn, a beautiful walled garden and many well preserved ancient outbuildings around this Georgian/Jacobean house including a granary built on staddle stones, and all overlooking the National Trust’s Cley Hill. Open for the National Garden Scheme on Sunday 7th August, 11am-5pm. Admission £10, children free.

in August compiled by Vivienne Lewis

HARCOMBE HOUSE

August can be a difficult time for gardeners, with some plants fading, but there are many beautiful gardens opening for charity that show what can be achieved in late summer. Here’s a selection that will inspire you. We advise checking wherever possible before setting out on a journey as circumstances can force cancellations in private gardens. www.ngs.org.uk

Pitman’s Lane, Morecombelake, Bridport, Dorset DT6 6EB Landscaped into the hillside 500ft above the Char Valley, with spectacular views across Charmouth and Lyme Bay, the steeply sloping garden has a formal area and a wild garden; in August the hydrangeas and eucryphia are the stars. Open for the NGS on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th August, 1pm-6pm, admission £5, children free. Visitors can also explore the wood above the garden, extending to the top of Hardown Hill, one of the best viewpoints in Dorset.

CHURCH HOUSE Trinity Hill, Medstead, Alton, Hampshire GU34 5LT A new opening for the NGS on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th August, a colourful oneacre garden with a variety of trees and shrubs, long sweeping colour borders and wavy lawns, and the contrasting features enhanced by sculptures. Espaliered fruit trees, a woodland area, small greenhouse and roses make for an interesting visit. Open 1pm-6pm both days, admission £5, children free.

SHEEPEHOUSE COTTAGE Stepping Stone Lane, Painswick, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL6 6RX A new opening for the NGS on Sunday 14th August from 11am until 5pm, this lovely hillside garden has outstanding views across the Cotswolds, and a mixture of garden rooms with perennials, herbaceous and evergreens, a new cottage garden with formal pond and arbour, a wildflower orchard, small woodland area, greenhouse and wildlife pond. Admission £5, children free.

ROMAN HOUSE 5 St Andrew’s Meadow, Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3NS A small town garden with a tropical twist, terraced cut flower beds, herbaceous borders and lawn, garden studio, raised beds for vegetables, and all bordered by a trickling stream. Open for the NGS on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th August, 1pm-5pm both days, admission £4.50, children free.

VEXFORD COURT Higher Vexford, Lydeard St Laurence, Somerset TA4 3QF A new opening for the NGS on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st August, 10.30am-4.30pm, a large garden surrounding three converted barns, with one and a half acres sloping gently down to a stream. Roses around the courtyard entrance leads to herbaceous borders, shrubs and trees including a large Liriodendron tulipfera, catalpa, ginkgo, Wollemi pine and Persian Ironwood trees. Admission £5, children free.

OUR KEY TO FACILITIES ON OFFER AT THE GARDENS:

Refreshments available

Plants usually for sale

Wheelchair access to much of garden

Partial wheelchair access

Unsuitable for wheelchairs

Dogs on short leads

Visitors welcome by arrangement

Coaches welcome consult owners

Accommodation at this venue

Picnics welcome

Country Gardener

GARDEN VISITS

WESTBROOK HOUSE

GREATCOMBE Holne, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ13 7SP

West Bradley, Somerset BA6 8LS There are four acres with three distinct gardens to explore in this garden four miles from Glastonbury, with mixed herbaceous and shrub borders leading to a meadow and an orchard with plants including species roses. The planting and layout began in 2004 and is continuing. Open for the NGS on Saturday 27th August, 11am-5pm, admission £5, children free.

22 AVON AVENUE Avon Castle, Ringwood, Dorset BH24 2BH

OLD DOWN MANOR GARDENS

Hidden in a Dartmoor valley, a tranquil garden set in two acres that has unusual planting and colour schemes, with a moorland stream, climbers and perennial borders, artist’s studio and art, plants and metalwork for sale. Open for the NGS on Friday 19th, Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st August, 1pm-5pm each day. Admission £5, children free.

A Japanese-themed water garden with granite sculptures, ponds, waterfalls, cloud topiary and a collection of waterlilies and goldfish. Open for the NGS on Sunday 28th August, 12pm-5pm, admission £5, children free. Adult supervision of children necessary due to the large, deep pond.

Tockington, Bristol BS32 4PG A new opening for the NGS on Wednesday 31st August from 10am until 4pm, with a Victorian walled garden, a formal rose garden, rolling lawns and newly restructured rockery gardens with views across the Severn Valley; paths lead through woodland or meadows to a tranquil lake. Admission £6, children free.

TREETOPS, BROADCLYST Exeter, Devon EX5 3DT A one-acre cottage garden made from a former orchard, bordered by a forest and lovely landscape; there’s an avenue of ‘Olivia Austen’ roses and an old brick path surrounded by borders and a pond. Open for the NGS on Sunday 21st August, 1pm-5pm, admission £4, children free.

www.countrygardener.co.uk

1 POVEY’S COTTAGE Stoney Heath, Baughurst, Tadley, Hampshire RG26 5SN There’s plenty of interest in this cottage garden, with an orchard, small wildflower meadow area and an unusual natural swimming pond, as well as herbaceous borders, trees, shrubs, greenhouse and fruit cage, beehives and chickens. Home-made pottery for sale, also plants. Open for the NGS on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st August, 1pm5pm each day, admission £4, children free.

TREE HILL 76 Gretton Road, Winchcombe, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL54 5EL A visit to Barbados inspired this Cotswolds garden with its tall, exotic plants, banana plants, palm trees, tree ferns, cannas and massive leaves of the tetrapanax. There’s also a small orchard and an abundant vegetable garden. Open for the NGS on Sunday 28th August, 10m-4pm, admission £4, children free.

JOBS FOR THE MONTH

MUST DO JOBS FOR THE

August garden

Watch out for blight on potatoes and tomatoes

Watch for any signs of blight on potatoes and tomatoes. Keep leaves dry on undercover tomatoes as blight enters the plant when the leaves are wet. The first signs of blight on tomatoes are large, dark-brown spots on the stems. Similar brown patches appear on the leaves but they are lighter in colour or grey. Some fruits develop dark ‘bruising’ and smell bad. If you spot an infected plant, pull it up. The first signs of blight in potatoes are small, dark areas, often on the edges of leaves. Infected tubers have brown and purple skin blotches that go into the tubers. If you spot blight on the leaves, cut off all the top growth to stop fungal spores spreading to the tubers underground. Then wait two weeks before lifting them.

Last chance to sow any annuals

Sowing annuals means you plant the plants that germinate, come into flower, set seed and then die, all in the space of one year. This month is the last chance to sow the seeds for them to come into flower in the later summer months. The flowers that you should be looking to sow now would be both cosmos and nigella. These make a stunning addition to any flower bed and will be a beautiful flower to have in late summer.

Cut higher to keep grass healthier

Raise mower blades in dry spells. During dry weather, raise the blades on your lawn mower to allow the grass to grow a little bit longer. This will keep it greener and help retain moisture. Don’t panic if your grass does turn brown as it will soon green up again when the rain returns.

Stop strawberries from spreading too much

Cut back strawberries If you don’t want to create new strawberry plants using runners, it’s a good idea to cut back plants after they finish fruiting or they’ll spread very quickly. Remove any straw mulch and take out any weeds. New strawberry leaves will soon appear, so don’t worry if your plants look a bit bare after you prune them.

Collecting seeds for sowing

We are approaching the time when it is ideal to start collecting seeds. Growing plants from seed is mostly straightforward and inexpensive. It is an opportunity to increase the number of plants in your garden for free. It does however take a little understanding and planning. Seedheads can ripen quickly, and must be watched carefully in order to collect the seed before they are dispersed. As a rough guide, seed is set two months after flowering. Berries need to be collected before they are taken by birds. The plants from which you collect seed must be healthy and vigorous. This will help ensure good quality seedlings and plants. Most seed germinates best if sown as soon as it ripens, whereas seed harvested while immature will not germinate. 30

Mix grass cuttings with other materials to avoid a slimy mess

Compost grass clippings. If you don’t have a mulching mower, you’ll need to dispose of your grass clippings. It’s tempting to use the green-waste bin but it’s a waste of material for the compost heap. To avoid the clippings turning into a slimy mess, mix other materials into them, such as cardboard, and add a spadeful of soil as trials have shown this helps them to break down.

Keep on deadheading roses

Roses should be deadheaded not only in the summer months but throughout the whole growing season. While you are deadheading your roses it is important that you remove the entire flowering head. You can do this by simply cutting the stem just above the first leaf that has five leaflets. Once you have done this you can then cut any disproportionately long stems to the height of the other stems to help keep everything looking neat and tidy. Deadheading has so many benefits, not only does it help clean up the appearance of the rose but it also controls the spread of seeds and encourages your flower to grow thicker and fuller than previously.

7 Pick off flowers on coleus plants A coleus plant is a stunning genus of perennial herbs or shrubs. Their unique beauty stems from their gloriously vibrant colours and their unusual shape. They come in different types of combinations of green, pink, yellow, red and so many more brilliant colours. They can be added to both beds and borders to add an extra element of character to your garden. It’s very important that you maintain the beauty of these plants; you can do this by picking off any leaves or flowers that may be going through a stage of browning or discolouration so that the vibrant colour is not overshadowed or dulled down. Some coleus flowers can take on a slightly spiky texture. You can remove these if you wish but keeping them will not be a hindrance or harmful to any of your other plants.

Water to reduce evaporation

It is important to keep on top of the watering of your plants during late July and August as it is a prolonged period of dry weather. High temperatures mean that the soil dries up and therefore the plant finds it far more difficult to absorb water from the soil. The plants need this water to help transport vital nutrients from the soil into the plant. Watering plants in peak heat will mean that a lot of the water will not fully soak into the soil as it will evaporate due to the heat.

Country Gardener

READERS STORY

‘WHY I AM TOTALLY AGAINST RAISED BEDS’ Former professional gardener Paul Miller who now has a two acre garden and an allotment near Minehead argues that raised beds are hugely overrated and he recommends gardening on the flat Raised beds are hugely popular. They are everywhere, but do they make sense for the garden? What benefits do they provide? Will they grow more food than convention low beds? Does a raised bed need to have side walls? What is the best building material and soil for raised beds? The term raised bed is a bit confusing. If you add a few inches of soil to a garden bed that is at ground level, it is a raised bed. When most people talk about raised beds for vegetable growing, they mean a bed that has been raised with walls surrounding the soil, sometimes called a garden box or framed bed. I’ll use the term raised bed to mean a bed that has walls and compare it with a traditional bed that does not. A traditional bed may or may not be raised a lot, but it is usually not raised more than six inches. I understand the reasons people like raised beds and they make some strong claims to justify them.. The problem with many of the claims is that they are not comparing apples to apples. When you compare raised beds, using intensive cultivation to traditional farming practices you do find many benefits, but that comparison makes little sense. If you want to understand the real value of raised beds you need to compare them to intensive gardening done on level ground, or even raise ground without side walls. There are some legitimate reasons for using raised beds. • The garden looks neater. The walls keep soil in place, and pathways can be kept cleaner. • They require less bending to work on the plants, but a 12 inch wall does not help much for us tall folk. I am over six feet! • They can be used in areas that have very poor soil, contaminated soil or no soil at all. Containers are small raised beds, I would argue. • They warm up quicker in spring, allowing earlier planting. • They can be great for people with a disability. • Different beds can hold different types of soil allowing you to match soil to crops. • Drainage can be better in areas with very poor drainage, but raised beds can also cause drainage problems. • Helps keep kids and pets from stepping onto plants. Productivity is better without a raised bed

Some people claim they deter slugs and animals like rabbits. Others say they have no effect on these pests. Raised beds may help concentrate resources like compost and fertiliser to the growing areas, but if you are careful you can also do this in a non-raised bed. Notice that none of these reasons have anything to do with higher productivity, better flavour or improved nutrition. If you grow the same food, in the same kind of soil, raising the soil level and adding walls will produce the same food as growing in the ground. If you use better soil in a raised bed then it might produce more food, but you can also use better soil on the ground. Techniques like square foot gardening make all kinds of claims for improved productivity, but the reason for increased productivity is due to intensive cropping – not the raised bed. You can do all the intensive cropping on level ground. So, here’s my reasons for not using raised beds. • You have to buy soil, unless you have high spots in your garden that you want lower. • They cost money to build. In some cases, a lot of money. • The soil dries out much faster in summer. • They need more watering. • They are less sustainable since you need to buy and transport walls and soil. • There is some concern about chemicals leaching from the material used to build the walls. • Soil gets warmer, which is not good for roots, except in early spring. • Perennials need to be hardier since a raised bed gets colder in winter. • The rows between beds need to be wider if you plan to use a wheelbarrow with taller walls. • Drip irrigation is more difficult to install. Productivity is probably better without a raised bed. The roots of a tomato plant in the ground grow several feet in all directions, but in a raised bed its root system is confined. Raised beds dry out quicker in summer, and water becomes a limiting factor for yield. Given good soil, and the same amount of fertiliser and water, it is hard to see how plants crammed into a raised bed would produce as much food as in the ground. I recommend gardening on the flat ground. This isn’t just a view I’ve arrived at recently. I’ve always had it and believe me it has led to some interesting discussions. This is especially true if you are a first-time gardener or someone that might move in a few years. Give it a try before spending the extra time and money building walls.

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Summer troubles in the veg plot? The vegetable plot is often a scene of intense activity during this stage of the summer. There is a lot to harvest but many vegetables may be causing summer problems. Vic Jeffrey owns a double allotment plot outside of Exeter and has been an enthusiastic vegetable grower for over 30 years. He answers some of the questions he often comes across from his fellow allotment owners. Q. MY RAISED BED ISN’T AS SUCCESSFUL AS I HAD HOPED. DOES IT NEED BETTER DRAINAGE?

Q. THE TOPS OF MY TOMATOES ARE CURLING. WILL IT AFFECT THE FRUIT?

Raised beds can be accessed without having to walk on them, this prevents soil compaction, which also improves drainage, helping plant roots to grow more freely and take on more nutrients. Some raised beds allow for drainage through the air gaps between each block, and if you have built raised beds directly on patios, tarmac and concrete you could benefit from a drainage layer at the bottom if the bed - stones or gravel can be used for this. If your garden is particularly susceptible to collecting surface water and feel you need an additional drainage source you could add a French drain to the base of the wall. This requires you digging a small trench, adding a perforated drainage pipe, which will needs to be directed away from the wall to either a main drain or to somewhere where it can easily soak away.

Many tomato growers get used to the leaves curling. One cause is the fluctuation in temperature. For example, when you grow tomatoes in a greenhouse it is often the fact that those nearest the door will have leaf curl. Another cause is windy conditions. Although it may not look as if the plant is healthy, it will not affect the fruit.

Q. HOW DO I KNOW WHEN MY ONIONS ARE READY TO PICK? Yellowing and toppling of the foliage is a sign that the crop is reaching maturity. Harvest before the foliage dies down completely. Carefully lift the bulbs with a fork, taking care not to damage or bruise them, as this could cause them to rot in storage. Use any damaged onions straight away. When an onion flowers, often referred to as bolting, the bulbs are still edible, but the quality of the bulbs as an edible food crop diminishes. The overall size shrinks, flavour diminishes and the onions are harder to store.

Q. I AM KEEN TO KEEP FEEDING MY VEG PLANTS. WHAT IS THE BEST FEED, WHEN SHOULD I FEED THEM AND IS TOMATO FEED GOOD FOR ALL VEGETABLES? There is a danger you are overthinking this. If you are growing in containers or pots you should need to apply a regular feed as there will not be the depth of soil. But for other vegetables it should not be necessary at this stage of the growing season. Yes, you can use tomato feed on all plants, including vegetables, fruits, and ornamentals. The tomato feed contains high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are essential nutrients for plant growth. Tomato feed can also help improve the taste of fruits and vegetables.

Q. HOW DO I KEEP GARDEN PESTS OUT OF THE GREENHOUSE IN AUGUST? The problem with greenhouse pests is that in the summer warmth and protected environment under glass, they can proliferate rapidly. If infestations are severe, plants won’t crop as well and might even die. Luckily, most of these pests are easy to spot, if you know what to look for. The two most common pests are red spider mite and glasshouse whitefly. Red spider mites are tiny, almost invisible, little mites but the fine webbing that they use to clamber over plants is much more visible. You might also notice the leaves becoming pale and speckled, and, on their undersides, the mites’ eggs and cast skins. Honeydew is a tell-tale sign that a pest is about. It’s the sticky excretion pests leave behind if they’ve been feeding on a plant’s sugary sap. Scale insects, mealy bugs and greenfly will also produce honeydew, so check plants for them too. Scale insects look like small brown limpets, usually on stems or the underside of leaves. Mealy bugs cover themselves in white, fluffy wax so are easy to spot. You could try an organic spray based on natural pyrethrum, fatty acids or plant oils to gain control, but it will probably need repeated applications.

Q. HOW OFTEN SHOULD THE VEGETABLE GARDEN BE WATERED IN JULY AND AUGUST? Most plants require an inch to an inch and a half of water per week. But variables such as wind speeds, humidity, rainfall, air temperatures and the consistency of your soil can cause this to vary. When the soil feels dry an inch or two into the ground it’s time to water. A deep watering is more beneficial than a shallow or short watering period.

Q. HOW DO I KEEP PESTS OUT OF MY RAISED BED IN SUMMER? If you have problems with rabbits build the raised bed at 0.35m and above to prevent them getting to your prized plants and veggies. Crop protectors can provide some cover, especially from cats, insects can be a little more difficult to control but there are friendly ways to keep them out; adding a bug hotel nearby will help encourage beneficial insects into the garden who can feast on pests such as greenfly and black fly and if you add a bird feeder they will repay you by picking out insects too, but make sure you add a deterrent to keep them away from seedlings and strawberries!

Q. WHAT CAN I STILL GROW IN LATE SUMMER? Most of us wishing to grow vegetables go slightly bonkers in the spring dash to sow and plant, but forget about all the things you can grow in late summer. On my allotment what really makes for a productive plot is getting succession right, and establishing a steady harvest across the growing season rather than the boom-bust of gluts. July or August is a great time to sow a last batch of borlotti beans, fennel and French beans, as well as radishes, spring onions and beetroot, ready to harvest at the end of summer/mid-autumn. Sow a wave of salad leaves in mid- to late summer too, along with spinach and chard, which together will give cut-and-come-again leaves from August into October. Late sow some borlotti beans 32

Country Gardener

The importance of

August pruning Cutting back and tidying shrubs, evergreen hedges and fruit trees in summer can get everything back into shape for the autumn and produce better results for next year

It isn’t surprising that in August and with the background of the dry hot weather we have had to endure, our gardens are beginning to look a little frazzled. There’s little left of the sparkle and zing of spring and shrubs and perennials may be getting shaggy and looking unkempt. But a careful pruning session can quickly reinstate order and give you time to enjoy the garden more into the autumn. Pruning in August can improve next year’s flowers and especially fruits on trained fruit trees. Herbs and lavender can be shaped and tidied after flowering and the summer pruning window for wisteria and pyracantha is still open. For some hedges it is now or never, such as box, privet and thuja as the nesting season is over and we are some way off the cold temperatures that can damage newly cut hedges. Pruning in summer also helps to avoid infection, as the fungal spores are airborne between September and May. This is also the time to prune out any branches that are weak, competing or crossing. Discover how to prune plants to avoid disease. Late summer is the best time to prune many midsummerflowering shrubs to keep them vigorous and flowering well. It is also the ideal time to prune several trees that are prone to bleeding if pruned at other times, and it’s not too late to complete the pruning jobs for July if you haven’t got round to them yet.

How summer pruning brings out the best in your fruit trees Summer is the perfect time to do some pruning on your fruit trees and give them the attention they need. When you prune trees like apple and pear trees in summer, you allow in more sunlight and air in to reach your fruit. This helps fruit to grow larger and have more flavour and colour. It also allows the tree and its fruit to better protect against pests and disease. When you perform some summer pruning, you are protecting your crop for the coming year. Getting rid of the shoots from the current year’s growth helps the tree make more fruiting spurs, which leads to a better and bigger harvest the following year.

What trees should be pruned You can prune your apple and pear trees to form them into shapes like fans, espaliers and cordons. You are not as likely to get these shapes if you prune in the winter.

What is the best time to prune? If you are pruning apples, you can do so from mid-August onwards. For pears, you should prune around mid-July. If you live somewhere north of the UK, then you want to add about another ten days before you begin your pruning. When the tree is ready for a pruning, its shoots will have some dark green leaves known as adult leaves. Trees that are not ready to be pruned will have smaller, lighter-hued leaves. They will also have some leaves in clusters near the base. The shoots’ lower parts, where they connect to the trunk, will be woody and stiff.

What you should be pruning in late summer Now is the perfect time to prune a selection of shrubs and evergreen hedges, to encourage dense leafy growth, a fresh flush of blooms or fresh stems from the base.

Box Trim now to promote bushy growth - whether as hedging or shaped into balls or cones. Likewise with yew, privet beech and Leyland cypress.

Laurel

Box

These hedges need a little more care. Their large leaves once damaged do not recover so prune individual stems with secateurs.

Rose Many modern hybrid roses and ramblers will flower again if cut back and deadheaded in August. While you are at it remove damaged or dying shoots.

Philadelphus After flowering cut one in five of the oldest stems to the base.

Philadelphus

Pruning Buddleja alternifolia

Pruning Laburnums

This elegant deciduous shrub bears its scented flowers on stems produced the previous year. So, to ensure good flowering next year you need to prune immediately after flowering is over, which is normally the beginning of August. Remove any dead or damaged growth and shorten lop-sided or over-long shoots to balance the overall shape of the shrub. Old and neglected shrubs can be rejuvenated by cutting out one-in-three stems, starting with the oldest. Either cut them back to a sideshoot lower down or remove them completely. You will lose some flowering shoots for next year but the shrub will be the better for it in subsequent years.

Laburnums are best pruned during late summer because they are prone to bleeding if pruned in spring or early summer. Laburnums make excellent specimen trees or can be trained as an eye-catching standard or over a sturdy arch or pergola to help show off their spectacular flower trails. Specimen trees should only be pruned to improve the shape of the canopy and to remove damaged stems, while trained forms will need regular pruning to maintain the shape of the plant so that the flower trusses can be clearly seen.

Pruning Ilex (holly) Bushy evergreen hollies such as Ilex crenata as well as holly trees trained as hedges, such as the common or English holly, can be pruned to shape now that the growth has stopped but before the stems are fully ripened. It is important to leave the pruning of formal hedges to this time to avoid re-growth that will spoil the hedge’s neat outline. Always use a pair of secateurs so that you can avoid damaging the leaves that remain on the hedge after trimming. www.countrygardener.co.uk

Havens on Earth The Caring for God’s Acre charity is working hard to keep burial grounds beautiful, accessible and connected to their communities Old churchyards and cemeteries are increasingly important sanctuaries for wildlife as well as for people -enclosed spaces where the grass has been relatively undisturbed, growing and re-seeding naturally for hundreds if not thousands of years. The charity, Caring for God’s Acre, works across England and Wales supporting groups to care for these special places. But what makes them so special? There are many reasons but let’s start with the flowery grassland. It has been both scythed for hay and grazed by animals during this time, but not treated with chemical fertilisers/pesticides or ploughed. Essentially they are meadows. Meadows were once widespread in the UK but this habitat is now rare. Since the 1940s over 97 per-cent has vanished but, as most churchyards and many other types of burial ground pre-date the 1940s, meadow areas are often found within their boundary walls. One way of preserving this rare grassland is to allow it to grow and flower for around 10-12 weeks over the summer. Then cut and rake the grass clippings up so that the nutrient levels are kept low and coarse grasses such as cocks’ foot and false oat grass don’t outcompete the finer flowers. Conservation in these special places is all about active management, not neglect and we always promote keeping grass short where there are recent and visited memorials. These sites are also sanctuaries for a diverse array of lichens. As undisturbed, natural outcrops of rock and stone have decreased over the years, places with headstones have become of supreme importance for lichen conservation. The different types of rocks and building materials support different lichen communities: limestone, sandstone, marble, mortar etc. Also, the stonework varies from rough to smooth, shaded to exposed, damp to dry, horizontal to vertical - providing different niches for lichens. Those on the shaded north side of a wall are different to those on the sunny south side. Of the 1700 British species, over a third have been found in burial grounds and many sites have well over 100 species on the stonework, on trees and in the grassland. Some grow very slowly at less than half a mm per year!

One way of preserving rare grassland is to let is grow for 10 to 12 weeks

Then there are the yew trees. Britain contains one of the world’s greatest collections of ancient yews, with well over half of our total population being found within churchyards. Around 800 yews with an age of above 600 years have been recorded in churchyards across England and Wales. Experts estimate age using a variety of ways including investigating old maps, looking up tree records, measuring tree girth and looking at the growth form. Several yew trees are believed to be over 2000 years old and there is no known limit to how old they could live. Churchyards and cemeteries often have a mixture of tree types – which is really valuable to birds that raise several broods in a breeding season. These birds have to start early so often use a conifer as a nesting site for the first nest, when deciduous trees are leafless, and may then switch to the deciduous trees later in the season. Many sites offer a wealth of nesting, feeding and roosting opportunities– think of the external building walls with buttresses, gargoyles, ledges, porches, towers, spires, along with moss and ivy covered memorials. Birds such as blackbirds, song thrushes and wrens live there all year round, nesting in trees and hedges. Other birds, such as swifts are here for only about three months and those sites with suitable nesting places are really important for this beautiful bird which is in decline. Swifts need our help – over the past 15 years numbers of this amazing bird have dropped by about 40 per cent. Some site managers - as well as ensuring that building renovation work doesn’t remove swift nesting places – are also increasing nesting opportunities by putting swift boxes behind the louvers in the church tower. Nest holes, nest boxes or swift bricks can be fitted into and onto buildings (including listed ones) without difficulty. Burial grounds are often the only locally accessible green space for many people and the treasures within them are there because of the way our ancestors have looked after these sites for centuries. Now it is our time to give them the attention and care they deserve and enjoy being custodians of these amazing places. If the idea of spotting the wildlife in your churchyard or cemetery appeals to you, you may like to join in with the charities citizen science project (information on the website) where visitors are encouraged to record the species they see and send in their records. Last year over 20,000 records were submitted. From the smallest ladybird to the largest yew tree, the charity would love to hear about them all!

Churchyards capture the history of communities

• • • •

There are over 20,000 burial grounds in England and Wales. They range from small rural medieval churchyards to large Victorian city cemeteries. They span different cultures, religions and centuries. They capture the history of communities and offer refuge for wildlife. They are now increasingly under threat from development and often mismanagement.

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ACROSS

1. Neatness that starts with a garden

fruit? (5-3,5) 8. Capsicum or a pungent, hot-tasting powder (6) 13. Invasive weed also called herb Gerard (6,5) 14. A plant that is parasitic on the roots of hazel and beech (9) 15. Botanically egg-shaped with the narrow end basal (7) 16. The cultivation of flowers (12) 18. Flower girl? (5) 19. Gobble ones food in a disgusting manner (3,4,1,3) 20. Cathedral city home to the beautiful Jubilee Gardens (3) 21. South African flower sometimes called Buck Bay vygie (11,5) 24. Scottish name for the corn spurrey flower (4) 27. A plant of the genus Baptisia with blue flowers (4,6) 29. A condition or time of flowering (10) 32. Of vegetation, growing too thick and coarse (4) 33. Bright red, arable flower and fictional hero of Baroness Orczy (7,9) 37. Evergreen shrub widely appreciated, but especially in the UK! (3) 38. Useful aid for summer gardening? (8,3) 40. Country bumpkins or yokels (5) 41. Monk’s rhubarb or rumex patientia (8,4) 42. Falls between Canada and the United States (7) 44. Most crunchy, as applied to apples (9) 45. An attractive woman named after a beautiful home-grown flower (7,4) 46. Tropical fruit tree of the soapberry family (6) 47. A female teacher in charge of a residence at a boarding school (13) DOWN 2. Russian composer famous for ‘The Love for Three Oranges’ (9)

3. Flowering plant of the verbena family, sometimes called Spanish flag (7) 4. Dead before another person such as a relative (11) 5. Tropical vegetable closely related to taro (4) 6. Classic countryside book written by political reformer William Cobbett (5,5) 7. The muse of music (7) 9. Scientific study of animal behaviour (8) 10. To swell or bulge (11) 11. Devon village where rodents might be found (7) 12. Abstract ideas or theories (8) 13. Plant of the buttercup family, belonging to the Trollius genus (11) 17. More powerful and muscular (8) 22. Black radish or radis ____ (4) 23. Made from the dried berries of Pimenta dioica and highly valued in cuisine (8) 25. Goeppertia insignis - plant from Brazil (11) 26. A small amount of land surrounded by water (4) 28. Red like this House’s rose (11) 30. Garden pests perhaps, but an edible import to our shores? (5,6) 31. Technically a Brassica, this is a weed found in fields (9) 34. Protective layers that cover the epidermis of higher plants (8) 35. Sweet and fragrant like the drink of the gods (9) 36. Favourite, intensely fragrant summer flower (5,3) 37. Up to date and current (7) 39. A public ball or masquerade, popular in the 18th century (7) 40. A girl’s name and a flowering Calluna (7) 43. An ancient British and Irish alphabet (4)

Answers from July 2022 on p27 37

READERS STORY

‘Depression: how my garden gives me hope.’ Country Gardener reader Amy Sharpe shares how fresh air and working hard in her Dorset garden have lifted the anxiety and depression she has had since being a teenager I have experienced bouts of depression and anxiety since I was a teenager. I am now in my early 40’s and there are still dark days when I am too stressed to do anything. But gardening has given me hope and I am so thankful for it. I lived for a long time in rental houses with no garden but I started growing a few vegetables in pots for years before we moved into our current house. I got my first proper garden six years ago. I can honestly say that gardening has proven to be the best self-administered therapy around! As a friend said, “Gardening can be really grounding”! When we bought our house the garden had been neglected for several years by the previous owner. It was just over half an acre but a mess. Part of it was a lawn which was worn and full of patches. My memory of first seeing it was there was no hint of any colour in it – just brown and green. Over the past six years my family and I have worked very

hard and it now features a plentiful vegetable patch which is my domain, a pergola with grape vines over our north facing kitchen window, (my husband likes to think of this as his vineyard), a mini orchard with apples, pears, apricot, nectarine, a cherry tree and raspberries and mandarin, chickens and a succulent collection. On sunny days like the ones we had in June with the sun overhead it is nothing short of a paradise and I just stand there and am so grateful. It is easy to be overdramatic about the effects of gardening but I think it saved my life. It gave me something to look forward to. Depression is tiring and bleak. You are not able to see into the future without getting upset and stressed. So, the simple task of planting seeds in spring gave me that hope. That there was something in the future that I could look forward to. I have gained immense satisfaction and pleasure from the garden. I glow with pride when people visit and say how wonderful it all looks. There is often a degree of surprise when people look out of the window to

‘The garden needs me and rewards me in such a tangible way’

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view such a fertile and plentiful garden because I think they thought it was beyond me. I think that the trick to gardening as therapy is to be in the present – to smell the plants and feel the soil. To notice the bugs and the moisture. To listen to what your garden is telling you about what it needs and to respond without fear of failure. The hardest moments in gardening for me came when I embarked on getting rid of the old lawn and the weeds in the old garden without using any chemicals. I look back on what surely must have been months of digging. I would close my eyes and be haunted by the image of the brambles and four foot high weeds. Pulling up couch grass and hearing the snapping sound that means I haven’t got it all, is still a source of despair. But it was all very much worth it and through all that digging and sifting (and digging and sifting and digging and sifting) I learnt so much about the soil in different parts of the garden. If I find myself digging up weeds with resentment or watering the garden (from our rainwater tank) on autopilot then I know I need to stop and slow down and be mindful. There is always work to be done outside and if I find myself feeling heavy with depression or stunted by anxiety then I know I need to get out there and get on with it. The garden needs me and rewards me in such a tangible way. The garden is the one place that the black and white thinking that can come with mental illness can be constructive. When it comes to human relationships black and white thinking is rarely realistic or constructive and one can get tangled up in emotional knots trying to make sense of things through a bout of depression. However, a garden has clear needs and if one is not present enough to tend to them then it becomes obvious through the garden’s response. Hiding in bed is not an option! I also believe that there is a lot to be said for the healing properties of good old fashioned fresh air and exercise. Of course, the therapeutic side of gardening is only one small part of why I do it. I didn’t start digging up the couch grass because I thought it would help me – I wanted to grow veg and teach my kids about nature and sustainability. I still belong to a group of people who meet regularly and talk about our depression. There is so much of it around if only people would be open about it, accept it and start doing something about it. Gardening has saved me. I hate to think where my life would be without it.

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