Garden News February 13

JU P S P& AY T P

10 !

FR EE

W LI OR LY TH B OVUL ER BS £

ONLY £1.99!

February 13, 2016

FREE SEEDS Worth

1.99!

£

B rit a inst'sed m o st t ru vo ice in g a rd e n in g

5

hardy daphnes for scented blossom

Carol Klein

“My top catkins for early spring impact”

FREE SEEDS WORTH

£1.99!

JOBS TO DO !

THIS WEEK

✔ Plant cornus ✔ Install a water butt ✔ Sow ornamental grasses

PERFECT VEG! Terry Walton's tips for shallots and parsnips

Get ahead for

spring!

OW! W t n a st in r fo g in d d e b ● Sow es for taste ● Grow the best potato recycle ● 10 ways to revamp &

LARG ELARGONIUMS PELARGONIUMS

Pot on NOW for CHRIS BEARDSHAW months of colour "Give winter houseplants a new lease of life"

AboutNOW To be o or knot to be!

Bards garden starts to take shape

A

historic knot garden at Shakespeare’s last home is being given a new lease of life in preparation for its reopening in July. The event, being staged by The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust at Stratfordupon-Avon, is the highlight in the iconic playwright’s 400-year

legacy celebrations taking place across the world.

Gardeners and volunteers at Shakespeare’s New Placee recently started placing 4,500 fresh plants in the formal design, as part of a £5.25 million re-imagining of the historic Grade II-listed park and garden. The

The old Knot Garden had remained unchanged for 100 years

The team hard at work replacing box with euonymus

The Knot Garden will use traditional and new plant varieties The Great Garden at New Place as it will appear in July

award from the Heritage Lottery Fund has enabled the largest restoration of the Knot Garden since being created a century ago by historian Ernest Law, a leading exponent of the revival of medieval garden design in the early 20th century. The design is based on an example printed in the book The Gardener’s Labyrinth by Thomas Hill in 1577, a popular book of the day.

“To see the first plants go back into Shakespeare’s home ground is the culmination of much dedication and passion,” said garden manager, Christopher Cunningham.

While the new knot garden

New Kew exhibit will promote pollinators

K

4 Garden News / February 13 2016

and explore an exhibition focusing on the crucial role bees and other pollinators play to support food production on the planet. Exhibits will highlight the work of Kew scientists and the institution’s conservation work with seeds.

Reflecting what happens in a real beehive, vibration sensors will trigger fluctuations in the intensity of light and sound, depending on the number of

visitors in the structure. structure The Hive will draw visitors through a wildflower meadow like bees returning to the hive.

Designed by Wolfgang Buttress, The Hive was the centrepiece of a gold medalwinning UK exhibit at the 2015 Milan Expo, and will appear at Kew from June. ● Visit www.kew.org

The Hive’s innovative design will treat visitors to a sensory experience Mark Hadden

ew Gardens is to install a 17m (56ft) tall, 40-tonne aluminium lattice sculpture that will twinkle with tiny LED lights and create a range of musical soundscapes.

Although sounding fanciful, the distinctive structure has a serious scientific purpose.

Entitled The Hive, the multi-sensory experience will enable visitors to wander through the ever-changing space

includes typical plants of the day, such as English and cotton lavender, thymes, oregano and chamomile, some substitutions have been made, such as anise hyssop, Agastache foeniculum, for herb hyssop, Hyssopus officinalis.

Due to the constant threat of devastating blight disease, the existing dwarf box hedging has been replaced by shrubby evergreen Euonymus japonicus ‘Green Rocket’.

Elements of the Great Garden, the largest surviving part of Shakespeare’s estate, is also being conserved, with other parts freshly reinterpreted for visitors. The new landscape will enable visitors to walk across the footprint of the Shakespeares’ family home, and experience a new exhibition showcasing his life. ● For more information, tel: 01789 204016 or visit www.shakespeare.org.uk

ftonn + Crow Hufton Hufto

Words Ian Hodgson

Plant

Five to try

OF THE WEEK

Daphne odora More compact, you can grow this in a container to enjoy the fragrance on a patio or by a doorway. Height and spread: 1m (39in).

Crocus

Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’ Gold-rimmed foliage is a feature of this easy-to-grow, evergreen daphne. Height and spread: 1m (39in).

Hardy daphnes

Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ Tall, upright, and slightly less hardy than D. odora.

Best in a sheltered spot.

Height: up to 6m (20ft), spread: 1.5m (5ft).

Gorgeous scented blooms to enhance winter days

W

in winter when all around is still rather grey.

Evergreen daphnes have larger, more rounded clusters of scented flowers, in shades from pearly pink and white, to deep rose pink. Among the best known, and earliest to flower, is Daphne bholua ‘Jaqueline Postill’. The flowers appear in January and February, and are very sweetly scented.

They are followed by black berries, that, like the rest of the plant, are toxic to humans.

Daphne odora is a bushier more compact shrub. The clusters of blossom are held amid leathery leaves, and they can waft perfume over a long distance.

If you like variegated evergreens, choose Daphne odora

‘Aureomarginata’. Breeders have recently introduced some exciting new daphnes, including ‘Perfume Princess’, and hybrid ‘White Queen’. These are not quite as hardy as the established varieties, but well worth searching out.

Pink flowers thickly clothe upright stems of the robust shrub, for maximum perfume. Height and spread: 1.2m (4ft).

Keep them happy These slow-growing shrubs thrive in well-drained alkaline or neutral soils. Plant them in a sheltered spot, in a sunny or partly shaded position.

They’ll do well in containers of soil-based compost, too.

Branches can die back after pruning, so only trim to shape after flowering if necessary. ● Available from Crocus, tel: 01344 578111; www.crocus.co.uk

Subscribe now and save up to 67%! Go to www.greatmagazines.co.uk/gn

Photos: Crocus

afts of perfume are rare in winter gardens, but if you grow a daphne their scent can be a daily pleasure.

Daphnes are shrubs with more than a hint of luxury. With their waxy clusters of blossom and glossy evergreen leaves, most seem more at home on a wedding corsage than out in the cold of a winter day. But these shrubs are tough cookies. Hardy to around -10C (14F) , they’ll cope with most UK winters.

Although most daphnes are evergreen, some such as Daphne mezereum erupt into bloom before the leaves appear, studding bare branches with masses of magenta flowers.

These are an eye-catching sight

‘Perfume Princess’

‘White Queen’ A new, pure white hybrid that flowers from March to April. Strong, deliciously sweet perfume. Height 1.2m (4ft), spread: 1.5m (5ft).

February 13 2016 / Garden News 5

What to do this week

ON YOUR FRUIT & VEG PLOT

Harvest purple sprouting broccoli

Start chitting potatoes

An egg box provides the perfect tray for chi ing

Photos Neil Hepworth, unless stated

Whether earlies or lates, get them into growth now

G

et potatoes ordered as soon as possible, if you haven’t already done so. The best varieties often sell out very quickly, leaving you with your second or even third choice. It doesn’t matter if you want to grow earlies, maincrops or lates – they all need to ‘chit’ now. The naming refers to when they crop, not when they are planted.

As soon as the tubers arrive set them out in a single layer in the light to chit. This simply means allowing them to sprout strong green shoots so they get a head start once they are planted.

The more light the better – low light levels will produce leggy shoots that will break off as soon as you plant them. Lots of light will produce

short, sturdy shoots that are more robust.

Seasoned spud growers advise putting them in egg boxes on a windowsill or frost-free greenhouse, ‘rose end up’. This is the end with the most pronounced eyes (the small buds where the shoots will emerge). If they all look similar, just position where the most eyes will get the light. Keep them protected from frost. They are ready to plant after six weeks, when the shoots are around 2cm (1in) long.

Garden News RECOMMENDS Classic spud choices

Sprouting broccoli is more expensive in the supermarket than calabrese, so it’s always a good value-for-money crop to grow yourself. At this time of year their colourful spears are a welcome harvest between Brussels sprouts and spring cabbages. To harvest them, wait until the round buds on the flower heads are well formed, but before the individual flowers start to open. Cut the central spear first, which will be followed later by developing sideshoots.

These can be picked over the next few weeks – in all, you should get four to six weeks of cropping.

Be careful if there is a sudden cold snap, as the mild weather has prompted tender growth now that could get damaged by a hard frost. If frost or snow threatens, protect any unharvested spears by throwing horticultural fleece over the plants.

Sprouting broccoli is a good-value crop

Mr Fothergill’s

D.T. Brown

D.T. Brown

‘Charlotte’

‘Desiree’

Just about the earliest early potato, so a good variety to grow if you want to avoid blight season. From D.T. Brown, tel: 0333 003 0869.

Second early salad variety, with waxy yellow skin that’s got good flavour and texture.

Can be eaten hot or cold.

From D.T. Brown.

The most popular red potato and deservedly so, this maincrop is great for roasting and baking. Available from Mr Fothergill’s, tel: 0333 777 3936

Leave the necks exposed

Plant shallots

Shallots can be grown from seed, but for faster results plant them as sets. These baby bulbs are less prone to pests and diseases, and quicker to mature. However, they’re more prone rone to bolting, so make sure they ey are well watered from spring

40 Garden News / February 13 2016

onwards. Unlike onion sets, which produce one big bulb, shallots will multiply to form a bunch.

If you live in a mild area, you can get away with planting sets directly in the ground any time between November and February.

Space them 7-10cm (2¾-4in)

Shu erstock

‘Rocket’

apart along a row. Make sure rows are at least 30cm (12in) apart. Push each bulb in pointed side up, so that the neck is left just protruding.

If its colder, or your soil is heavy, plant the shallots in cell trays and keep them in a cold greenhouse, making sure they don’t dry out, up until they are in active growth and you can plant them out, in spring.

Plant blackberry canes Blackberries are a late-summer treat, but they need to be planted now. Grow them in a sunny, sheltered site. Against a south or west-facing fence or wall is ideal. They need good, fertile, freedraining soil, so improve poor soils with homemade compost or composted stable manure. You can buy canes as bare-rooted plants or in containers. Whichever you choose, give them plenty of room to spread. A spacing of 2-4m (6ft 7in-13ft 2in) is necessary.

Bury the rootball deeply, covering with around 8cm (3in) of soil.

After planting, prune the canes to a healthy bud, just above the ground. This encourages the maximum number of fruiting canes.

Plant allowing plenty of space to spread

Garden News RECOMMENDS Easy-to-grow blackberries

Thompson & Morgan

Thompson & Morgan

Thompson & Morgan

‘Karaka Black’

‘Loch Ness’

‘Ouaichita’

Mammoth-sized fruits with excellent flavour and a long cropping season from early July to September. From Thompson & Morgan, tel: 0844 573 1818.

Compact and upright, this variety is good for small gardens. A heavy cropper, producing up to 3.6kg (8lb) of fruit per bush. From Thompson & Morgan.

A thornless variety with extra large, very sweet fruits that have a firm texture, which makes them good for freezing. From Thompson & Morgan.

Grow garlic in modules If you missed the chance to plant garlic, shallots and onions outside in autumn, you can still plant them into cell trays and modules in the greenhouse. Fill small 9cm (3in) pots with good quality compost and insert the individual garlic cloves or onion sets into each pot. Keep them frost-free and well-watered, ready to plant them in their permanent positions outside in spring when soil is warmer and sodden areas have dried out.

Last chance to dig in manure!

Before you know it, it will be warm enough to start sowing crops such as salads and roots direct into the soil. So, if you want to add a soil conditioner such as well-rotted farmyard manure, now’s the time to do it. It needs a chance to break down into the soil, which even with the help of worms can take a few weeks. Digging it in will speed up the process.

It’s not too late for a crop of broad beans!

Sow broad beans

If you didn’t sow broad beans in autumn there is another opportunity now. As the weather gets milder you can sow spring-growing varieties such as ‘Meteor Vroma’ and ‘Optica’, but if it’s colder where you are stick to the hardier varieties normally used for autumn sowing, such as ‘Aquadulce Claudia’. If you don’t trust the weather to stay mild, or conditions are very wet where you are, sow them in pots or modules indoors. If you want an early crop from a spring sowing, plump for a fast-maturing variety such as ‘Express’.

Subscribe now and save up to 67%! Go to www.greatmagazines.co.uk/gn

February 13 2016 / Garden News 41