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August 1, 2015
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Quick ways to help your heap!
GLUT-BUSTING IDEAS TO USE UP TOMATOES
Carol Klein
“My top plant picks to bring in the bees”
Squeeze in
Pack your garden with
colour!
e of the Med st ta a r fo s er b im cl t n Vibra ic flowers NOW! Patio plants with exot loving beauties tea h of s ie et ri va y d Har
more veg! NO MORE WEEDING! Try quick-growing catch with weedcrops to fill every nook
Cover your beds smothering plants instead
AboutNOW
‘Adults without knowledge of the natural world would be unthinkable!’
Sir Daviddeeply concerned
Renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough talks to Garden News about butterfies and his concerns for planet Earth Interview Ian Hodgson Why are you concerned about the plight of butterflies? Butterflies are among the loveliest wild creatures we have in the countryside, but they are in trouble. The ongoing and
alarming loss of their habitat is a major and worrying factor in their falling numbers. What can the annual shifts in butterfy populations tell us? Their populations can change for complicated reasons. Food
Bu erfly Conservation
Exclusive int e r v ie w
plants can be missing one year, and be present the next. Some butterflies, such as the Painted Lady, are migrants, while others are resident in the UK. That’s why we need citizen science such as the Butterfly Count to help build up a more complete picture about what’s going on, and map the distribution of the various species. Last year we had 45,000 people take part, but we need as many of the public as possible to be involved. How can the public and gardeners help butterflies? We can do far more in our townscapes and gardens to attract them by growing plants that provide nectar, such as lavender, oregano, catmint and other flowering herbs. And what can be more pleasant than spending 15 minutes each day
looking at such beautiful creatures. Caterpillars are among the most astonishing things in the natural world, and the process by which they turn into butterflies is truly astounding. What is your most memorable butterfly experience? Seeing clouds of Blue Morpho in the Amazon rainforest was an unforgettable sight. Their wings flash brightly as they fly through the forest to dazzling effect. Big migrations like that of the Painted Lady are also astonishing. You see a few and then you know there will be millions appearing a few days later, settling all over the UK. How important is it to get children involved in the natural world? Children need to be aware of and
Looking for diminutive clematis for snug spaces? Look no further because here’s a quartet of new lovelies that will fit right in. Any soil in sun or part shade, or grow in pots.
icle Live Chronicle
Ladies day dancing to success
atis croft Clemat Thorncroft
Compact clematis ‘Diamond Ball’
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6 Garden News / August 1 2015
Rufed, double pale-blue striped fowers May to September. Prune lightly after fowering. H: 1.2-1.6m (4-6ft). £12.50. Thorncroft Clematis, tel: 01952 850407; www.thorncroft clematis.co.uk
Vernon Nurseries
‘Blue Ocean’ Herbaceous type, with upward facing fowers June-Sept. Hard prune in spring. H: 90cm (3ft). Price: £14.99. Vernon Plants, tel: 0844 573 6010; www.vernonplants.com
atis at Raymond Evison Clem
isitors arriving at a garden opening for charity couldn’t believe their eyes recently when the atmosphere turned distinctly rock and roll. Breaking with tradition, owner Liz Reid decided to have a ladies-only day with a 1950s/60s theme for one of her National Garden Scheme (NGS) openings, and invited ladies from local theme park Bede’s World to help. “It was big skirts, petticoats, ponytails, Capri pants and Grease fashions,” said NGS county organizer Liz, whose garden ‘Woodlands’ is in the village of Springwell, near Gateshead. “The idea was for people to dress up and have a bit of fun. Ladies danced the afternoon away and enjoyed fantastic cakes and tea in china cups, which the ladies from Bedes had donated, raising £630.” ● Visit www.ngs.org.uk
Thorncroft roft Clemat atis
Rock ‘n’ n roll garden
‘Lemon Beauty’ Larger than normal pale-yellow bells April and May. No regular pruning required. H: 1.8 -2.3m (6-8ft). £12.50. Thorncroft Clematis
‘Ninon’ White, redwhiskered fowers from April to August. Compact habit. Prune lightly in late winter. H: 0.9 – 1.2m (3-4ft). £14.95. Primrose, tel: 0118 9035210; www.primrose. co.uk
organisations and it may take time to get the necessary momentum. We should never be satisfied we are doing enough though.
fully engaged with the natural world. It is their birthright and we should all respect that. It is crucial they build up knowledge of living systems as there will be serious repercussions for the future if they are cut off from it. Adults with no knowledge of the natural world would be unthinkable. Do you think world agriculture can create sufficient food without using genetic modification or pesticides? We are making great strides, but while (not using these methods) may be possible in developed nations, for those countries in poverty with huge populations to feed all avenues are needed, so the answer is no.
What’s your favourite out of all the TV series and programmes you have made? It has to be Life on Earth.
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leading drinks company and two charities have come are spearheading development of community orchards across the UK. Helping Britain Blossom is a partnership between brewer Heineken, the Bulmer Foundation and The Urban Orchard Project (TUOP) with the aim of creating or restoring 100 community orchards across the UK by the end of 2017. “We want more community groups to come forward so we can start more projects and train people to look after them,” said TUOP’s Kath Rosen. TUOP run open days and training sessions for groups, while area project managers look after all the orchards. Ten orchards have currently been planted with a further 16 already proposed this year. Kath added: “We hope these fledgling orchards will provide a legacy for the future, providing green spaces, a source of food and a focus for the community.” ● Visit www.helpingbritain blossom.org.uk
● Sir David will be narrating a new BBC series called The Hunt, focusing on the relationship between predator and prey in habitats around the world. The series will air in autumn. ● To take part in the butterfly count campaign visit www.bigbutterflycount.org
Summer holiday
Boredo m b u st e rs
The project launches in London
Helping Britain Blossom
Are governments doing enough to safeguard the future of the planet? There are great pressures and great dangers confronting the earth. Governments are taking action and there are now international agreements. In developed countries there is considerable action, such as the concern for nature you see in this country. Collaboration is key as there are too many competing
What were your thoughts after your recent meeting with President Obama? President Obama is well aware of the ecological dangers that we collectively face and the incredible value of wild places needed to support the future of the planet. He has created more national parks during his administration than anyone since President Franklin Roosevelt.
Orchard project bears fruit
Masterpiece in progress for the painting category
With Mandy Morrison
Hold your own summer fête!
E
triangle of material you use, then use fabric glue to attach to a ribbon. The more the merrier – why not invite some friends to come along with their entries? Then you could have a plant swap table, too – it’s a lovely way to increase the variety of plants in your garden and to help others start gardening. Make rose es out Have a go at making some of coloured paper elderflower cordial for the winners or real fruit lollies and, whatever the weather, everyone will feel like summer’s really here! ● www. littlegardeners.co.uk
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Photos: Mandy Morrison
verybody loves a summer fête, with bunting, ice cream and, most of all, rosettes for Best in Show. So why not set a date and have loads of fun with the kids hosting your own in the back garden? Categories for children could include flower arranging, paintings (inspired by the garden), miniature garden, prettiest flower and tastiest fruity pudding! For a great no-cook option, grab some strawberries and rustle up an Eton mess – it’s always a firm favourite! You could make simple rosettes out of coloured paper for the winners, with packets of seeds or children’s tools as prizes. Making bunting can be fun – ask children to draw little flowers on each
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August 1 2015 / Garden News 7
WHAT TO DO Meet the tea m
THIS WEEK
Clare Foggett
Ian Hodgson
Karen Murphy
Horticulturist Clare’s 50m (165ft) garden is home to fruit, cut flowers and ornamental borders.
Kew-trained horticulturist and garden designer. Previously with the RHS, Ian is interested in all aspects of gardening.
Keen fruit, veg and ornamental container gardener, Karen is also a wildlife enthusiast.
If y o u d o ju st o n e jo b...
Cool down your
greenhouse! Damping down and ventilating will also help to keep pests and diseases at bay
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Photos: Neil Hepworth
reenhouses can bake during the day when the sun’s shining and temperatures are high. Help keep them cool by regularly damping down during the day, or in the morning before you go to work. Just tip a watering can full of water over the floor and it will evaporate during the day to help lower the temperature and keep the atmosphere inside buoyant and humid. On really hot days, you may need to repeat the process at midday. A humid atmosphere also helps keep pests such as red spider mite at bay, which love dry heat. It’s important to keep air flowing through the greenhouse at the same time. If there’s a breeze it will help keep things cool inside, and it encourages air to flow through your greenhouse
3 more quick greenhouse jobs
1
Keep the greenhouse tidy and free of debris to limit hiding places for pests. Sweep up fallen leaves and compost from the floor.
2
Check plants regularly for dying leaves and faded flower stalks and pick them off before they start to rot and introduce fungal problems.
3
Mice can still be a problem at this time of year, gnawing on indoor crops, so set traps if you need to. Treat summer ant infestations too.
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stopping it from becoming stagnant – ideal conditions for diseases to proliferate. Depending on what you’re growing, if temperatures stay warm during the night, you can leave windows and vents open more or less permanently at this time of year. The best option though is to use automatic openers that adjust ventilation according to the temperature within. If you’re buying a new greenhouse and have the option to choose these, definitely go for it. They can also be fitted retrospectively (try Two Wests & Elliott, tel: 01246 451077; www.twowests.co.uk). Shading will help stop plants drying out as quickly. Some plants demand it – begonias for example, which will quickly wilt to death if left in a greenhouse in direct sun – but others will cope with sunlight flooding in, such as tomatoes. If that’s all you’re growing, shading’s not essential, but if you do apply shade paint or netting, you’ll find their watering needs aren’t as demanding.
August 1 2015 / Garden News 33