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Free crowns
beating garden pests
6 asparagus April 2009 £3.30 www.liveforgardening.com
e e r f raised bed
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Worth £50 plus seeds & DVD
Small plot
big crop! Grow healthy veg at home Sorted! how to...
Grow camellias, arrange flowers, keep honey bees
giveaways essential things to do worth £2000
Create your best-ever baskets, plant spuds, grow fruit in containers
1 £900 lawnmower 15 veg books 20 clematis
11
April
pages of what to do now
essentials
Garden jobs and projects indoors and out Compiled by Geoff Stebbings
Trim evergreens to keep them neat. Remove any ‘reverted’ shoots on variegated plants.
lower 08 fgarden
Plant out a great Easter gift
& veg 10 fruit
Get some potatoes planted now
12 14 patio
Spray gravel areas with a path weedkiller to remove weeds and prevent new ones appearing
As casualties from winter start to show, remove them and fill the gaps with spring flowers like pansies, bellis or primroses.
greenhouse Plant up your hanging baskets early
Invest in bumper bulb displays
Spring clean Get set for a cracking plot this summer ith Easter in the middle of this month, W gardeners emerge from
17 wildlife
Make your garden a butterfly paradise
hibernation and realise that there is lots to do in the garden. If you have not started yet, don’t despair. Although the garden may look a mess, just start on a small area and get that
6 Garden Answers
sorted rather than flit from shrub to pot in a panic. If the weather is kind, we will soon get on top of things. If you concentrate on the patio or the veg plot first you will soon get it done and, spurred on by your success, will be ready for something else. Clematis and roses can
still be pruned and, although many gardeners have greenhouses or windowsills packed with seedlings, it really is not too late to make a start. The brighter and warmer conditions ensure that plants grow really fast now and soon catch up. April is a busy month.
flower garden
Prune back wayward shoots and remove any stems damaged in winter cold.
Don’t foRget
3Gladioli
Plant the corms 12cm (5in) deep and 10cm (4in) apart in clumps in the border for late summer blooms.
3Hostas
Mulch around hostas to feed and conserve moisture. Apply slug and snail protection.
3Sawfly
Buttercups, dandelions, grass and other perennial weeds are in leaf now so can be sprayed with weedkiller. Use Glyphosate on perennials. Porous containers develop green algal growth in winter. Scrub them, while wet to smarten them up a bit.
Look out for sawfly larvae on Solomon’s seal and aquilegias – they strip plants overnight. Pick the grubs off.
3Bergenias
Look over plants and remove snails that hide in the leaves. Cut off flowers as they fade.
3Sweet peas
Plant out seedlings sown in autumn. Sow seeds in the garden where they are to grow.
3Roses
your garden The top five quick jobs for instant impact If you have visitors coming and want to impress them, stick to the jobs that take the least time and have the greatest effect! Mow your lawn – this instantly makes
1
the garden look great – but remember to cut the edges too! Make a good first impression – tidy by the front door and plant a few pots with flowers. Then the first
2
and last sight they see will be a good one. Sweep paths – getting rid of leaves and rubbish really makes a good impression – and gets rid of some pests too.
3
Cut straggly branches 4 overhanging paths
and patios Kill the weeds – weeds in paths and gravel show more than weeds in borders.
5
Prune if you have not had a chance to do it yet. As soon as new growth has full grown leaves, start to spray against disease.
3Ponds
Start to feed fish now water is warming up. It is the ideal time to put in new plants.
3Bulbs
Remove dead flowers. Lift and move if necessary, dividing them and replanting immediately.
Garden Answers 7
Garden to visit
In a
monastery
garden
photography: heather edwards
G
ardens evolve over the life of the gardener, but when a garden spans some 850 years, it will not only have seen some significant changes, but it will have had its share of master gardeners too. Mark Roper, the current owner of Forde Abbey in Somerset, is the third generation of Ropers to act as master and head gardener here and he has embraced his role in running, and overseeing, this 300-acre garden.
A huge undertaking
Forde Abbey flourished as a monastery between 1140 and 1539, and is a rare example of a preserved medieval monastery that now includes a family home. “The remarkable thing about this house is that the
18 Garden Answers
Jean Vernon discovers eight centuries of spectacular planting at Forde Abbey
structure is almost totally monastic. A lot of houses call themselves ‘Abbey’ but have just a bit of the foundations left,” Mark said. Within the boundaries of this titanic garden lie distinct envelopes containing complete gardens of a particular style. The walled kitchen garden that borders the Forde Abbey Nursery is always popular with visitors. Here vegetables, herbs and cut flowers are nurtured to supply the family and tearoom Mark Roper
Garden Answers 19
Homegrown
Small plot
big crop You don’t need an allotment to enjoy delicious, healthy homegrown produce. Get out that rake and spade and start now – you have nothing to lose except your love handles. 26 Garden Answers
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Healthy harvest
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Garden Answers 27
Flower arranging
Bring the garden into your home
photography: tom bailey
Florist Simone Pickering shows how to take materials from your garden and create a beautiful display whatever the style of your vase
1 Submerged arrangement 42 Garden Answers
2 The ‘no rules’ arrangement You will need 1Small Small round glass vase bunch of tulips Pussy willow wands
will 1anyYou need ‘kitchen
Strip leaves 2 from the stems of the
china’ vase Small bunch of daffodils Hyacinths Branches of blossom Stem of Helleborus argutifolius
twigs, remove any bulb leaves and take off leaves from the hellebore. Only the shrubby hellebores take up water well.
Hold the 3 hellebore stem and
Add the 4 hellebore foliage around
arrange the other flowers around it. The effect should be informal so add them randomly but make the daffodils face outwards.
the edge. Cut stems level and place the arrangement in water. Cost: Free from garden, florists’ flowers £5
Clean the vase carefully and put 2 in some water. It need only be one quarter full. Bend the willow gently to shape and curl it around inside the vase, making sure the cut ends are submerged in the water.
3
Cut the tulips and curl them inside the bowl. Keep cut ends in the water Cost: Free from garden, florists’ flowers from £5
Top tip
Condition flowers by removing leaves and cutting stems at an angle Garden Answers 43
64 Garden Answers
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t r a t n e i c n a An
! e v ali
ou’ll find y y a d o t s d o o w e th If you go down to eser ving an old tradition. a couple pr vestigates in e p r o h t n a F a r u a L
I
f you’re like me, you regularly buy gardening products without a thought for where they’ve come from. But there are benefits choosing locally produced food and consumer goods, so why not opt for locally grown beanpoles instead of imported canes? If you buy a British beanpole, you’re investing in the woodland it came from. Today this is more important than ever – during the 20th century the area of managed woodland in Britain fell by 90%, making coppicing a near forgotten craft. Products have been made from coppiced wood throughout history, but have been largely replaced by alternatives, such as imported bamboo poles. You can avoid ‘air miles’ when you buy locally grown hazel beanpoles instead of alternatives transported from the other side of the world. Ancient woodlands are a vital part of our heritage, and coppicing is a method of woodland management that goes back around 4,000 years. It involves the regular cutting back of trees to the ground. This sounds drastic, but freshly cut hazel will throw out new shoots from the stump or ‘stool’, producing a crop of straight poles every 8-10 years. The technique creates diversity in the woodland, and regularly cutting back allows light to reach the ground for wildflowers to thrive. Two people keeping the coppicing tradition alive are Hugh Ross and Carolyn Church, with their 30-acre Rawhaw Wood in Northamptonshire, home to Hazel Woodland Products for the last www.liveforgardening.com
Garden Answers 65
Pest control Currant blister aphid Plants affected Red, white and blackcurrants Damage seen Raised and discoloured puckered leaves, yellow aphids Chemical control Contact insecticide: ‘Bug Clear Gun for Fruit and Veg’ (Scotts) – pyrethrin Organic control ‘Organic Pest Spray (Bayer) – natural fatty acids
Nip pest problems in the bud... before a problem becomes a plague
BUG busters 74 Garden Answers
D
espite our best efforts everything in the garden isn’t always rosy… Keen gardeners soon learn there are hordes of pests out there waiting to munch through crops and sabotage our plans. It is tempting to ignore small infestations but it’s vital to deal with pests as they appear – if you don’t, they will soon eat through and disfigure plants; some pests may stop plants from flowering and others help to spread disease. Worst of all, they cost you time and money and spoil your dream of the perfect garden! Deal with them by keeping vigilant and tackling problems before they get out of hand. Whether you use chemicals or garden organically there is a solution for most garden pests.
Chafer beetle Plants affected Many, including turf, root vegetables Damage seen Wilting plants, yellow patches and bird damage in lawns Chemical control Provado Lawn Grub Killer (Bayer) lawns only Organic control Nemasys ‘Chafer Grub Killer’ – nematodes; in cultivated ground dig up and expose grubs to birds
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Carrot fly Plants affected Carrots, parsnips, parsley, Damage seen Tunnelled roots and brown lines. Chemical control None available Organic control Protect crop with barriers or fleece; grow resistant varieties; sow thinly and destroy thinnings; sow carrots after late spring or harvest before late summer
Earwigs Plants affected Many, including dahlias, chrysanthemum, clematis Damage seen Ragged holes in petals and shoot tips Chemical control ‘PY Garden Insect killer’ powder (Vitax) –pyrethrin Organic control Flowerpot and straw traps
Pollen beetle Slugs and snails Plants affected Many including delphiniums, dahlias, hostas, seedlings and young plants Damage seen Stems and leaves destroyed, slime trails. Chemical control Slug Clear(Scotts) – metaldehyde liquid and pellets, metaldehyde tapes Organic control Nemaslugnematodes, for slugs only (Nemasys), ‘Slug Defence Gel’ (Doff), Fito Slug Stoppa’ – non-toxic granules; beer traps; tapes; copper rings; eggshell barriers; pick off by hand
Ants Plants affected In lawns Damage seen Heaps of fine soil on lawn Chemical control Contact pesticides: ‘Nippon Ant Killer Liquid’ – borax; ‘PY spray Insect killer’ concentrate (Vitax) – pyrethrin Organic control: ‘No Ants’ ant nemysis – Nematodes deter ants from the lawn but won’t kill them; expose ant nests and eggs to birds
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Plants affected Many flowers, especially yellow blooms, sweet peas, cauliflowers Damage seen Small beetles can be a nuisance indoors on cut flowers, if heavily infested, buds may be damaged, discoloured curds Chemical control None recommended Organic control Shake blooms to dislodge beetles or let beetles disperse before bringing flowers indoors
Leaf miner Plants affected Malus, prunus, holly, chrysanths Damage seen Silvery white or brown lines and blotches on foliage Chemical control ‘Provado Ultimate Bug Killer Aerosol’ (Bayer) Organic control ‘Organic 2in1 Pest and Disease Control’ (Vitax) – natural plant and fish oils
Garden Answers 75
Garden Gear Plantmaster 2000 Propagator
Everything you could want in a home plant propagator, including pots, trays, a capillary mat and lots of information and tips. Enough headroom for plants with the lid on, or take it off later in the season when your tender plants have grown tall. Some pomegranate seeds romped away in it. I ‘guessed’ the exact temperatures because I don’t have a soil thermometer (this worked fine for me but if an accurate temperature is needed that would be an add-on buy). Rating ★★★★★ Price £69.99 From Sankey Home & Garden Products, 0115 927 7335 or visit www.rsankey.com Tested by Pam Richardson
Tried
Tested
Every month we test different gardening products in our own gardens and give them a star rating
Backsaver Auto-Spade
This spade definitely stops you bending down to dig. However, it is best suited for use on soils that are light and easy to work. On heavy soil, it was difficult to release the soil from the blade after sinking it in. It is also not easy to leave a patch of soil level or looking neat because you can’t use the spade for putting the ‘finishing touches’ to it. However if you want to roughly dig over an area quickly and look after your back, this will do the job. Rating ★★★★★ Price £109.99 with stainless steel blade and free fork head. From Backsaver Garden Tools, tel. 01943 870486 or log on to www.backsavergardentools.co.uk Tested by Greg Loades
Sneeboer Weeding/ Sowing Finger
This has all the workmanship you’d expect from a Sneeboer tool. I tried it for weeding out a patch of weeds including dandelions and, more successfully, as a tool for drawing out a seed drill. It was great for this but a very expensive option for jobs that a hoe could do just as well. Rating ★★★★★ Price £15.95 From Harrod Horticultural, tel. 0845 218 5301 or log on to www.harrodhorticultural.com Tested by Pam Richardson
88 Garden Answers
best buy
garden products Telescopic Ratchet Lopper
These loppers are just the job for a spring clean-up. They are surprisingly light, with a well-built feel. I’ve given them a tough work out in the last couple of months, cutting tree branches up to 50mm (2in) thick and eradicating an old elderberry bush. The telescopic handles have been useful, extending to just under a metre in length. They’ve worn well – the blade is still sharp and the cut clean. I’ve no doubt these loppers will be with me for a long time to come. Rating ★★★★★ Price around £30 From Darlac, tel. 01753 547790 or visit www.darlac.com Tested by Mark Timothy
Two-Tone Boots
These wellies have adjustable side straps, which means they can be altered for added comfort. The solid soles are slip resistant and give a good surface grip – even when walking in the snow! They are a good pair of boots for pottering around the garden in. They have everything you might want in an inexpensive pair of wellies. Rating ★★★★★ Price £19.99 From Briers, tel. 01622 717373 or take a look at www.monrobrands.com Tested by Stacie Coburn
Heavy-Duty Gauntlet Gloves
Offering great value for money, these gauntlet gloves are perfect for pruning or even battling overgrown garden shrubs. They are made from hard-wearing leather, to protect your hands, and have extra long safety cuffs. Although they are not thin enough for wearing when carrying out delicate gardening tasks such as pricking out seedlings, they are good for tougher jobs. Rating ★★★★★ Price £12.99 From Town & Country, tel. 01530 830990 or log on to www.townandco.com Tested by Laura Fanthorpe
2400 Watt Electric ‘Quiet’ Shredder/Mulcher
This shredder had the usual safety features, was easy to move around and dealt with most of what I fed into it without any problems. It was not the noisiest shredder I have used – so a good choice for small gardens. The collection bag was a nice touch. Overall, a good product. Rating ★★★★★ Price around £199.99 From Ryobi, tel. 01628 894400 or visit www.ryobipower.co.uk Tested by Geoff Stebbings
Garden Answers 89