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NEWS SPECIAL
Does talking to plants work? What the experts say
Terry walton tips for the allotment carol klein just the plant for dry shade
2 Garden News April 7 2009
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RINCE Charles swears by it, ace veg grower Medwyn Williams does it in Welsh – and now the Royal Horticultural Society wants to prove once and for all if talking to your plants really does work. Throughout April the RHS will be playing the dulcet tones of 10 people’s voices to ‘Gardener’s Delight’ tomato plants at its Wisley Gardens in Surrey. They’ve even held auditions in a bid to find the nation’s plant-friendly voices. More than 40 people volunteered to have their voices recorded, and 10 have become the ‘voices of Wisley’. The trials are running during daylight hours and involve playing the voices through large headphones
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placed on either side of the pot. Wisley gardener, Colin Crosbie says there is solid evidence to support the notion that certain sounds encourage plant growth. But now he wants to go one step further and find the perfect voice for optimal plant growth. “We know that sounds of between 125Hz and 250Hz can affect gene expression in plants and help them grow but this has only been tested using music,” he said. “We were after a diversity in voices from very low to very high. We don’t quite know but a lot of people think that low voices will resonate more and might trigger growth hormones in the plant. Most gardeners talk to their plants and say things like ‘oh please grow better’ and ‘if you don’t you’re going on the compost heap’, so there could be something to it. “For the first time we will be able to advise people not only whether it’s worth talking to their plants but exactly how it should be done. We may even be able to standardise the practice by recording the perfect voice for those less confident in conversing with their plants.” Once the 10 ‘voices of
Wisley’ had been chosen at the auditions, they were asked to record extracts from John Wyndham’s The Day of the Triffids, and the works of Shakespeare. Each recording lasts between two and three minutes and is being played on a loop from 8am until 4pm each day. Anna Tompkins, marketing executive at RHS, said: “The trial is running until the end of April and we’ll be releasing the results in May. “We thought that The Day of the Triffids might give the plants encouragement, while Shakespeare would be stirring!”
What the experts say… “Welsh is my first language – I couldn’t speak English until I was 10 years old – so I talk to my plants in Welsh, especially if they’re naughty. They grow all the better if you talk to them in Welsh. The English will probably start copying me now!” Medwyn Williams, Veg expert
“Yes I talk to my plants and they look better for it. I might say, ‘so what’s the matter with you as you haven’t started into growth yet and it’s a lovely day – maybe we should look at your roots and see if everything is OK?’ If you take the time to talk to your plants, you are taking the time to closely examine them.” Ian Thwaites, Cactus & succulent expert
“I have a habit of apologising to my plants, especially when I snip them inadvertently. I can almost swear I hear them go ‘Ouch !’ in painful indignation. The innocents (I call them), are long suffering, generally wellbehaved citizens of the garden. Alright, maybe I’m a little bit mad, but aren’t we all?” JANE HIPKISS, CLEMATIS EXPERT
“I don’t even have time to talk to my partner, let alone plants – other than ‘that’s your lot’ to weeds.” Clive RussELL, iris expert “I’m too busy barking orders at my boyfriend to worry about my plants.” Clare Foggett, GN Gardening editor
www.liveforgardening.com
April 7 2009 Garden News 3
e ‘voices of wisley’
Top award for our Medwyn
Colin Spires (left) and RHS president Giles Coode-Adams present Medwyn with his trophy Colin Spires, chairman of the Fruit, Vegetable and Herb Committee, presented Medwyn with his trophy, and said: “Vegetables aren’t generally beautiful are they, RHS
GN’s Medwyn Williams has received a top accolade from the Royal Horticultural Society for the fifth year running. Medwyn was presented with the Gordon Lennox Trophy for the best exhibit of vegetables staged at any RHS show during 2008 at the annual awards ceremony in London. It was his exhibit at Malvern Autumn Show that clinched this ultimate prize for a veg grower. After receiving his award Medwyn said: “It’s always nice to win trophies but the Gordon Lennox Trophy is particularly special because it’s for the best display of the year at any RHS show. “The exhibit that won it was the last display we put on last year and we featured heavily on coloured cauliflowers. It’s lovely to have the award.”
Duncan and Kate’s display of historic daffodils at the RHS show
A bid to save rare daffodils
Bowled over by Beethoven
Susie Hartley auditions to be one of the voices
The idea that singing or talking to plants can help them grow has been widely documented. In 2007 South Korean scientist Mi-Jeong Jeong found that playing Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata to rice plants encouraged quicker growth and the plants to flower earlier. In a television interview in the 1980s, Prince Charles said he thought it was very important to talk to plants and that they respond when spoken to.
A couple from Wester Ross in the Highlands of Scotland are helping to save rare daffodils from extinction. Duncan and Kate Donald have been studying and collecting historical daffodils for more than 25 years and have collected together some 500 distinct varieties to save them from extinction. Duncan and Kate displayed a selection of their daffodils at the RHS Greener Gardening Show in Westminster last week. Some on display, such as ‘Van Sion’, date as far back as 1629. “Interest in daffodils really took off in the mid 1800s right up to the present day,” Duncan said, “but we’re particularly interested in the older ones.” The couple want to find other old daffodil collections
to help them identify around 100 unknown varieties. “We’re trying to rescue these daffodils while they’re still identifiable. The best thing is to find an indexed collection. That’s one of the things we hope will come out of this show,” Duncan said. “But all too often they get put in a naturalised un-labelled collection and it’s extremely difficult to put names to things.” Duncan and Kate look at old books, magazines and even woodcut illustrations to identify unknown varieties. They’ve just identified one as ‘Havelock’ thanks to an Award of Merit painting that had been done for the RHS. You can contact the couple at 16 Midtown of Inverasdale, Poolewe, Achnasheen, Wester Ross, IV22 2LW.
but his are. The amount of trouble that goes into his presentation – at the shows, people who haven’t seen his stand before, stand in front of it with their mouths open.
Children beat parents on the environment Children now have a better knowledge and understanding of the environment than their parents, according to new research. With more schools developing wildlife and vegetable gardens for pupils, their awareness of environmental issues is on the increase. The research was carried out on behalf of the Horticultural Trades Association. Their director general, David Gwyther, said: “Children undoubtedly have a better knowledge of environmental issues than their parents, through topics covered in school, and this too is good news for garden centres. “Providing specific events and activities for children is a must for centres that want to attract family groups – especially during the current economic climate where people will be looking for good value ‘experiences’ to keep them entertained.” Garden centres have been providing activities and events for children for many years but there is new found momentum with the ‘grow your own’ trend, an increased environmental awareness among the population and a number of campaigns that are providing resources to schools. Many garden centres will be holding special events over Easter to attract families.
“His exhibit at Malvern Autumn was the best in show by a mile,” said Colin. ERead Medwyn’s column on page 19
GN’s Derrick makes marathon trip to win GN’s Your Gardens contributor Derrick Turbitt won first prize with one his own seedling daffodils at last week’s RHS show, after travelling more than 500 miles to get there. It was a lucky escape for the un-named Division 2 daffodil with a white perianth – unfortunately quite a few of the blooms Derrick took with him to exhibit didn’t survive the journey from Portstewart in Northern Ireland to London. “The airline charges you for the privilege of throwing your things about!” Derrick said. ERead about Derrick’s garden on page 39.
This week’s hot products
Pansies and violas are a springtime favourite with over 200 varieties available in Bents Garden and Home’s pansy and viola festival. Plants from £2.99 per pack. Garden Centre of the Year, Bents, of Glazebury, near Warrington, Cheshire, also say that the new Reed Diffusers from Yankee Candle's Aromatherapy Spa Range have proved an instant hit in their gift department. They sell for £14.99 and there are seven fragrances available. Ewwww.bents.co.uk
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6 Garden News April 7 2009
April 7-13
k e e w g in n e d r a g r u o Y The key things you should do over the next seven days
EXOTIC containers P11 essentials P6 and 7 Fruit & VEG P8 and 9 Recipe P9 magnolias P10 This week’s tips, ideas and reminders are brought to you by gardening expert Martin Fish. He helps you spruce up your lawn and tackle overgrown shrubs
After 19 years of gardening at Meadowfield in Nottinghamshire, my wife Jill and I have moved house to a village in North Yorkshire. For the past 16 years, Meadowfield has regularly featured in Garden News and during that time we created several small gardens and many features and projects. We’ve now got the exciting challenge of creating a new garden. Although I haven’t got the six acres
I had before, we’ve managed to find a good-sized plot that already has an established garden, plus a large grassed area which will be my blank canvas to work with this spring and summer. As for the established part of the garden, before I rush in and make drastic changes, I’m going to take my time and wait and see what grows in the borders over the coming months – watch this space!
Prune overgrown shrubs Late summer-flowering shrubs such as buddleia are best pruned annually in early spring. This will remove old wood and encourage new growth that will produce larger and better quality flowers this summer. It might be a little late, but there is still time to prune if you haven’t already done it. In our new garden, there is a large buddleia bush that doesn’t look as though it has been pruned for many years and it is swamping nearby shrubs. Cutting the shrub hard back now will set it back a little as it is making new growth, but it will still flower this summer, albeit a few weeks later than normal.
Nothing makes a garden look better!
1
In order to encourage strong new growth from the base of the shrub, cut out the thick branches with a saw. Don’t worry if you can’t find new shoots to prune back to as dormant buds will soon develop.
Pruning tips
ETo encourage the heavilypruned shrub back into growth, feed around the base with fertiliser and mulch with some wellrotted manure or garden compost to improve the soil condition.
2
Revitalise your lawn
Once you have cut out the main branches, tidy up the centre of the plant by removing any old stumps and deadwood to create and open centre with good air circulation.
3
The braches that have been pruned off can be shredded and composted for the summer and then used as mulch around the garden in autumn.
EShred the branches that you’ve pruned off and compost for the summer, and then use as a mulch around the garden in autumn.
AFTER a slow start, the grass is now making new growth and very soon you’ll need to be mowing regularly to keep your lawn neat and tidy. If your lawn is in good condition, it’ll usually make
the rest of the garden look much better. The lawn is often the first thing you see when entering a garden, so it does pay to spend a little time keeping up appearances! I certainly don’t want a
bowling green, but I do want a lawn that looks neatly-mown and healthy. Before you get busy with other jobs around the garden, spend a little time working on your lawn to get it off to a good start.
Steps to get your lawn back into shape
1
A light scarify to lift the long grass and remove thatch will improve the look of your lawn. It will also help with surface drainage and aeration around the new shoots.
2
It’s best to mow the lawn little and often. The secret is to mow before the grass gets too long – ‘topping’ the new growth every time you mow.
April 7 2009 Garden News 7
Other jobs to do... Borders
start feeding Feed all plants in borders with a general fertiliser such as Growmore, blood, fish and bone or pelleted poultry manure to get them off to a good start after winter. Think of this spring feed as breakfast for plants! tackle weeds As the ground starts to warm up, annual weed seedlings will start popping up all over the garden. The best way to deal with these small weeds is to chop them off with a hoe on a dry, sunny way.
Greenhouse dahlia cuttings As new shoots appear from potted dahlia tubers, carefully remove them with a sharp knife and insert them around the edge of a pot of compost. Kept warm and moist they should root in a couple of weeks.
Wildlife
Top tips for mowing EFor a neat finish, only mow when grass is dry. EIf the grass does become too long, rather than scalp it with a short cut, mow it a few times and gradually reduce the height of cut each time. EWhen the grass is growing vigorously, mow with a grass box on, or collect up the clippings, unless you are using a mulching mower.
3
Trim the grass edges to finish the job and make the lawn look really neat. Doing this at least every other lawn cut will make the job easy and fast.
4
Spiking areas of the lawn with a garden fork to allow air to the roots and help with drainage in wet weather, will make it look heathier.
FEED BIRDS It is important to carry on feeding the birds even though the weather is improving and more natural food is available. While birds are breeding and nesting they need lots of energy.
Trees and shrubs CHECK TREES Check any bare root trees or shrubs that were planted in the winter to make sure they are coming into leaf. If the soil is fairly dry around them, give the roots a soaking with a can of water. PRUNE HALF-HARDY SHRUBS Half-hardy shrubs such a lavatera, perovskia, ceratostigma and artemisia should be pruned now. These plants tend to grow leggy and don’t flower as well as they should unless they receive this annual cut back.In colder regions, or if severe frosts are forecast, wait until the weather warms up.
10 Garden News April 7 2009
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k e e w g in n e d r a g r u Yo
t h g i l t o sp
FIVE ‘MUST Magnolia stellata
garden r u o y in t’ a e tr l a e ‘r a g Growin
This one of the most widely available and easiest magnolias to grow. The white, star-shaped flowers of this deciduous magnolia appear on bare branches about now, with the narrow leaves following later. Fully hardy and only growing to a height of 3m to 4m (9-12ft), this is an ideal choice for a small garden or you could even grow it in a container.
By Greg Loades garden Writer
S
eeing a mature magnolia in flower at the start of spring is a real treat and if it’s in your garden, even better! For all their beauty though, magnolias have a reputation for being difficult to grow. For every magnolia success, there’s the odd failure, too. Planting a magnolia in the right place makes growing it a lot easier. Although many are frost hardy, all magnolias benefit from protection from strong, cold winds and frost, so a sheltered site is a must. Frost and cold winds will damage the emerging buds of early-flowering types and the leaves of evergreens. Growing magnolias in a sunny spot is best for getting the maximum amount of flowers. You can also get good results in semi-shade. Some magnolias will tolerate heavy shade, but are unlikely to flower.
Magnolia wilsonii
Best time to plant
Now is the ideal time to plant, with frosts soon over and the soil starting to warm up. Planting now also gives the plant a full growing season to establish before the winter arrives. Garden centres will have lots of potted magnolias available now. Add lots of organic matter to the soil before planting, as magnolias love it. Take care not to disturb the roots too much because they are fragile and break easily. Plant shallowly, with the top of the rootball just below the soil surface.
Grow a magnificent
magnolia Do I need to prune a magnolia? The good news is that you don’t have to prune magnolias at all. In fact, they don’t always respond well to pruning, especially into old wood. However, if you have a magnolia that is being greedy for room and has spread more than anticipated you can cut it back. Low branches that are touching the ground should also be cut
off to stop them rooting. Prune in the summer to give the plant a chance to recover before winter. If your magnolia has outgrown its space, completely remove the widest spanning branches. This will prevent the magnolia from having to regenerate from old wood. Remove thick, heavy branches bit by bit to prevent them
splitting when you prune. Any branches showing signs of dieback need pruning out as soon as you see them. Older, shrubby magnolias can get rather congested so check for crossing branches. Removes any that are rubbing against each other. This will let in light and allow air to flow, making the plant less prone to disease.
Be
Remember that they can be slow-growing plants. They take time to grow into something special, so don’t write yours off as a lost cause if it’s not grown much yet. Growing magnolias on chalky soil is not always a good idea. Some species will tolerate it, others will struggle. Magnolias grow best in slightly acid or neutral soil that is rich in organic matter and holds on to moisture. Their roots are shallow so mulching at the base of the plant will help stop them drying out as well as increasing fertility. Make sure the roots are completely covered with soil before mulching on top.
co st f lou or r
Slow growing
This attractive deciduous species flowers from late spring to early summer and sometimes has a second flush of flowers later in the summer. The attractive blooms are pure white, with large red stamens and a lemon scent. Unusually, its leaves are capable of producing attractive autumn colour, turning buttery yellow, although it doesn’t happen every year. Will tolerate chalky soil.
Topical tip Think twice before making permanent plantings under magnolias. Large growers will choke anything underneath once they get growing.
Suppliers
EBurncoose Nursery; tel: 01209 860316, www.burncoose. co.uk ECrocus; tel: 0844 557 2233, www.crocus.co.uk
Magnolia ‘Susan’
The slightly scented purple flowers of ‘Susan’ make it an eye-catching tree for spring colour to rival any tulip. Blooms appear from mid-spring and carry on until summer arrives. A compact magnolia with a height and spread of around 2m (6ft), it is also possible to grow it in a large container.
April 7 2009 Garden News 11
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GROW’ MAGNOLIAS
Gardening in
containers
s r fo en st rd Be l ga al sm s r fo lot st p Be sed po ex
Magnolia soulangeana This magnolia is as tough as old boots. It will cope with being exposed to strong winds, isn’t fussy about the type of soil it grows in – except waterlogged soil– and is very hardy, too. Flowers are white, flushed with pink and scented, appearing from the middle of spring. This magnolia has a spreading growth habit, with a height and spread of 6m (20ft).
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r fo st t Be cen
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Are you planning on exotic containers this year? It might be too cold for exotic or tropical plants to be outside, but it’s not too early to get a range of tender plants growing under cover. Start now, and by late spring or early summer you’ll be able to create fantastic exotic displays, ready for putting outside in summer when the risk of frost has passed.
‘Exotic’ bulbs
Now’s the time to start off tender bulbs that will help to give you that tropical look. Eucomis (pineapple lilies), cannas, hedychium (ginger), alocasia (elephant’s ears) and even agapanthus, all look as if they’ve come straight from the jungle. Good garden centres have these bulbs in stock now and there’s also plenty of time to order them through mail order bulb firms. When they arrive or you’ve got them home, pot them up in multi-purpose compost and keep them in your greenhouse (if you haven’t got a greenhouse, a frost-free porch, a conservatory or even a window-sill will do the job). Keep the compost moist to encourage the bulbs to start into growth and before long you’ll see green shoots appearing. If you pot each bulb up individually into a suitably-sized plastic pot, you’ll have more flexibility when it comes to making up complete containers and putting different plants together later on. Of all the tender bulbs, eucomis are my current favourite. I think they look great in pots, their big, strappy leaves falling over the edges and their tufty ‘pineapple-topped’ flowers providing height to balance the whole thing out. It’s not just me they’re popular with – Eucomis bicolor has been crowned 2009 Summer Bulb of the Year by industry professionals at The International Flower Bulb Centre! Eucomis bicolor has purpleedged green star-shaped flowers on stout purplespotted stems, but if you want something a bit different, choose ‘Sparkling Burgundy’. It’s a relatively new selection of Eucomis comosa, with pink flowers – very attractive.
Making more plants
Magnolia grandiflora One of the finest of all magnolias, a mature tree in bloom being an awesome sight. The white flowers have a strong scent and are very big – hence the name – appearing from mid-summer to early autumn. A slow growing evergeen tree, its large oblong leaves make it a great specimen all year round. Be patient though, it can take a while to flower for the first time! Will tolerate chalky soil. Height and spread 10m (30ft).
THIS WEEK: EXOTIC POTS
What’s more, once you’ve got your eucomis, they’re easy to make more plants from. My Eucomis bicolor obligingly self-seeds into the cracks of my patio from where I scoop the seedlings out and pot them up. They also tend to produce smaller ‘offsets’ around the base that can be detached and planted up separately.
Eucomis ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ shines in a tub
‘Of all the tender bulbs, eucomis are my current favourite...’ GN forum members (see our website www. liveforgardening.com) have even grown them from leaf cuttings taken in exactly the same way as you would take leaf cuttings from streptocarpus (Cape primrose). If you wanted to propagate a named variety (like ‘Sparkling Burgundy’) rather than a species, you would need to propagate vegetatively, as seed may not come true. If you’ve already got tender bulbs that you’ve been over-wintering, now’s also the time to start them into growth again. You will have been keeping them on the dry side over winter, but start to gradually up the watering now to stir them into action. Cut off any old, yellowing or dead growth to make room for the new shoots (any green growth that has kept growing during winter can be left alone). If it’s looking tired, scrape away and refresh the top layer of compost. EAll the tender bulbs you need to make your patio look like a jungle this summer – see page 28.
Get ahead with seed Tender bulbs aren’t all you can get started with now. If you’ve got a heated propagator and somewhere light and frost-free to grow the resulting plants on, you could also start sowing some impressive tropical-looking plants to incorporate into
your containers. Ricinus (castor oil plant) always looks dramatic with its big leaves, or you could try cleome, with whiskery exotic looking flowers in pink or white, and Mirabilis jalapa with its vibrant and punctual four-o’clockopening flowers.
Start ricinus off indoors now, for fantastic foliage in summer
Cleome can also be started from seed now
16 Garden News April 7 2009
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Epimediums will flourish where other plants just won’t grow
W
Delicate foliage and Alchemilla mollis set sweet peas off well
Caroline Ball grower and exhibitor
Sweet peas SWEET peas make lovely cut flowers for your home. My favourite way of displaying them is en masse in a sparkling crystal vase. I have a lovely old inverted coneshaped one in which a generous bunch looks a treat. It doesn’t seem to matter if I have selected colours that blend elegantly together like pinks, whites and lavenders or have thrown everything in to create a wonderful clashing burst of vibrant colour. I also enjoy selecting the best of the bunch to make a much smaller posy – equally stunning, especially early in the season as the flowers are just coming into bloom, or whenever they are in short supply. I have also experimented successfully with arrangements of sweet peas using just one to three stems – try a bud vase or a stylised ‘Continental’ arrangement. They also look
‘My favourite way to display sweet peas is in a pedestal’ Suppliers
EEagle Sweet Peas, tel: 01889 270215; www. eaglesweetpeas.co.uk EMatthewmans Sweet Peas, tel: 01977 621381; www. sweetpeasonline.co.uk EOwl’s Acre Sweet Peas, tel: 01775 723284; www. sweetpea-seed.com ERoger Parsons Sweet Peas,
very attractive in bowls, supported either by a wire mesh support or a round of floral foam.
Baskets
Sweet peas and baskets are made for each other, creating a wonderful cottagey look. If you’re arranging them in a basket, it’s important to use the basic skills of flower arranging to achieve the best result. I make sure that I create an elegant framework of foliage to suit the dimensions and shape of the basket and select delicate foliage that works well with the lightness of the flower. Most ferns work well and so do the delicate lime green flowers of Alchemilla mollis and grasses. As sweet peas are not that long lasting without help, it is important to add some flower food to the water and keep it well topped up.
If you are growing sweet peas purely for decoration, it is probably better not to strive for the straight stems that exhibitors like. ‘Bush’ grow the plants, leaving the tendrils on the leaves. The plants use tendrils to climb naturally and they will twist themselves around anything on their upward journey, including flowering stems, and this is how you can achieve interesting stem shapes. The tendrils and young leaf foliage can also add an interesting dimension to flower arrangements with sweet peas. My favourite way to display the flowers, however, is in a pedestal arrangement. Here the elegance of long stems can be shown off to full effect. Sweet peas are hard to arrange as they have no one focal point and look best with the flowers facing the viewer.
A fan-shaped display in a bowl
tel: 01243 673770; www. rpsweetpeas.co.uk ESimply Sweet Peas, tel: 01945 880501; www.simplysweetpeas. co.uk EThe Sweet Pea Company, tel: 0845 658 9126. EUnwins, tel: 01480 443395; www.unwins.co.uk ESutton Seeds, tel: 0844 922
2899; www.suttons.co.uk EE W King & Co Ltd, tel: 01376 570000; www. kingsseeds.co.uk EKerton Sweet Peas, tel: 01278 683517; www.kertonsweetpeas.co.uk EPeter Grayson, tel: 01246 278503. EEckford Sweet Pea Society of Wem, tel: 01948 840779.
herever you garden and whatever the character of your plot, there are almost certainly difficult spots under trees, between shrubs or perhaps in the shade of a building where nothing seems to want to grow. One of the most problematic areas in any garden is dry shade. Summer and winter, tree roots or the footings of walls and fences, not to mention the roots of the climbers which they support, suck out all the life-giving moisture from the soil. Overhead canopy and tall walls steal any rain that falls. Only the tough can survive such inhospitable conditions, but one group of plants takes this hostile environment in its stride – epimediums. They come from all over the northern hemisphere – some are plants of deep shade, others inhabit scrubby woodland margins. Wherever they grow, they colonise areas where other perennials might give up the ghost, adding their handsome foliage and extraordinary flowers to the springtime mix. They belong to the berberis family and though at first it might be difficult to spot the similarity, on closer inspection the basic flower shape has much in common with the flowers of mahonia and berberis. Some are evergreen and have the same midwinter gloss as the burnished leaves of Mahonia japonica, others start from scratch each year, their new foliage emerging in spring side by side with the flower buds and dying away at the end of the season.
Epimediums to try
One of the most outstanding species is Epimedium grandiflorum which hails from Japan and Korea. Totally herbaceous, its pristine new leaves start to push through in April alongside dainty buds which open to exquisite flowers. As its name suggests, they are large in comparison to the plant with slender spurs flaring out above neat bells. In Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Nanum’, which holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit (AGM), everything is in miniature. Stems of both flowers and buds are maroon and the leaves are edged in the same colour. E.grandiflorum ‘Rose Queen’ and ‘White Queen’ have also been awarded AGMs.
‘Their new foliage emerges in spring side by side with the flower buds’
Klein
April 7 2009 Garden News 17
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Epimedium versicolor ‘Neosulphureum’
Chinese species
There has been an influx of exciting Chinese species thanks to several latter-day plant collectors. Roy Lancaster introduced Epimedium acuminatum from Sichuan more than 20 years ago and since then several other collections have been brought into cultivation. All are breathtakingly beautiful with wide, elegant flowers with petals and sepals in close-matched shades of lilac and purple. They dangle from long arching stems in some selections opening over several months. The foliage lasts even longer and is equally striking – new leaves are marbled with rich crimson. Another species from the same area, Epimedium davidii, was re-introduced by Martyn Rix. It is a dainty species with gay yellowflowers hovering on wiry stems above rich green foliage. Its new leaves are splashed with red. Many of these Chinese species not only cope in treeshade but actually need the protection from cold winds that trees and shrubs afford. Every so often, tatty foliage can be removed to ground level so that flowers and new foliage can be enjoyed fully. For foliage effect, Epimedium rubrum is hard to beat. Both in old age and infancy its leaves are strikingly red, their cascading growth providing one of the most memorable pictures. It is a hybrid between Epimedium grandiflorum and E. alpinum, a European species, an illustration of the happy outcome of introducing to each other, two species from different sides of the world who in the normal course of events would never have met. There are several interspecific hybrids that make brilliant garden plants, many of them introduced by Darrell Probst in the USA and here
Epimedium davidii is a dainty species from China by Robin White of Blackthorn Nursery and Elizabeth Strangman at her much missed Washfield Nursery. Elizabeth bred and introduced epimedium ‘Enchantress’, an apt name for this hybrid between Epimedium leptorrhizum and E. dolichostemon combining both parents’ best points. Epimedium leptorrhizum has bold, leathery leaves serrated at their edge. When
Division is the usual means of making more although some of the Asiatic species self seed freely. The majority have woody crowns with a mass of fibrous roots. Best time to split clumps is in spells of mild weather when the plant is dormant. Lift the whole clump and shake off any excess soil. Pull it apart – it may be necessary to use a sharp knife to start off the process but try not to sever the dormant buds which will make the new
young they are a soft bronzy-pink – perfect company for large lilac-pink flowers with the typical ‘space age’ formation. It’s easy to see how epimediums acquired their vernacular name of spiderwort. All three plants spread by underground rhizomes. If you need a tolerant, accommodating plant to provide elegant ground cover and year-round interest, nothing compares with
season’s growth. If you are planting among tree roots, excavate carefully to find pockets of soil and add plenty of humus-rich material around the epimedium’s roots. It is always worth getting the plant off to a good start. In nature, tree and epimedium would have grown up together so in a garden situation where the tree is established, it seems unfair not to give the epimedium extra help initially.
red-flowered Epimedium versicolor except perhaps its twin offspring, E. versicolor ‘Sulphureum’ with bright yellow flowers and the palerflowered ‘Neosulphureum’. All have delicate new foliage becoming glossy and hard as the season progresses and at their burnished best during winter. In spring clumps are laced with stems of clustered buds easier to see when old foliage has been sheared away.
24 Garden News April 7 2009
By Pam Richardson garden Writer
A
s summer progresses, borders can begin to look tired, but there are plenty of late-flowering plants that will keep them performing well right into autumn. You just have to choose your plants carefully and sow throughout the year. As well as half hardy plants like zinnias and dahlias that naturally take until late summer to get into their stride, some biennial plants such as wallflowers can be fooled into flowering outside their normal timescale if you sow them early. Pansies and violas seem ready to bloom for us at any time, making them some of the most obliging of flowers. If you sow them in cool conditions, it’s possible to have pansies in flower all year! Sow annuals in summer to encourage them to scramble into life before the season ends. A greenhouse is useful but it isn’t essential – most seeds can be raised on windowsills or even in a sheltered porch and if you choose hardy annuals, they are easy to sow outside where you want them to flower.
For more tips and offers visit
sizzling lat Start sowing now for a sensational show this autumn
Suppliers EMr Fothergill’s, tel: 0845 3710518; www.mr-fothergills. co.uk ESuttons Seeds, tel: 0844 922 0606; www.suttons.co.uk EThompson & Morgan, tel: 0844 573 2020; www. thompson-morgan.co.uk EJohnsons, tel: 01638 552200; www.johnsons-seeds.com EChiltern Seeds, tel: 01229 581137; www. chilternseeds.co.uk EWallis Seed Company, tel: 01245 360413; www.wallis-seeds.co.uk
Rudbeckias fit in perfectly in this border which includes dahlias, ricinus, heleniums and cannas
Try these favourite late-flowering plants from seed
MR FOTHERGILL’S
Dahlias are classic late summer plants and you can grow them from seed to use as bedding. Then you can save the small tubers from any that turn out to be particular favourites. Seed mixes produce a range of brilliant colours. ‘Bishop’s Children’ have dark foliage and single flowers in a riot of colour. Collarette dahlia ‘Dandy’ (below) has a ruff of petals. Height: From 50cm to 75cm (20-30in). ESow seed from February to April at 20C to 30C (68-86F) and keep in good light as this helps germination. Prick out and transplant seedlings into pots. Grow on in cooler conditions and plant out after all risk of frost.
Verbena bonariensis
Invaluable for late summer colour and height. However tall the plant gets, the overall impression is of a mist of lavender-mauve and it attracts insects by the score. Plant it with tall, seed-raised dahlias, cosmos or achillea and under-plant with rudbeckia or coreopsis for an almost ‘wild meadow’ look. It clumps up for an even better display next year if you cut off the spent flowering stems. EFor best results, sow seed where you want it to flower, or sow now at 60F to 65F (15-18C) into cell trays to plant out after risk of frosts. Keep the seed compost cool and moist, but not wet. Seed can be slow to germinate.
Sunflower ‘Dwarf Yellow Spray’
Sunny yellow flowers on neat plants – a good choice for smaller gardens or containers. Take a great late-flowering idea from Thomson & Morgan who suggest using these small branching plants as a sunflower ‘hedge’ around beds and borders. Flowering until autumn, they’ll look as good in the border as they do surrounding the veg plot. Wherever you put them, bees enjoy their blooms and birds love their seed-heads. Height 90cm (24in). ESow seed indoors now into small pots ready to plant out after the frosts or outside from March to May. Protect from slugs. THOMPSON & MORGAN
Dahlias
A compact version of one of the best late-flowering perennials with golden-yellow flowers produced over a long period from June until the autumn. This one is perfect for containers or small gardens. Yellow isn’t the only choice of colour, try ‘American Dream’, a lovely pink coreopsis, that grows to twice the height at 60cm (2ft). Grow them together for a riot of late colour – they bloom from June to October. Both are available from Mr Fothergill’s. Height: 25cm (10in). ESow now at 20C(68F) keep in warmth and harden off before planting out for late flowers this season and strong plants every year.
SUTTONS
Coreopsis grandiflora ‘Presto’
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April 7 2009 Garden News 25
te colour
Six tips for success 1Make a mark Faced with an expanse of bare soil, it’s easy to panic and waste precious seed. Mark out areas first, using sand or with the point of a trowel. Even something simple such as a fish-scale pattern will give you manageable areas to plant into. Best of all, this pattern works on the tiniest plot up to really large areas. Sow or plant into each marked segment and mark the areas with what’s been sown – it’s easy to forget!
2Seeing double
Take advantage of the huge variety of plants that are available as seed. Seed companies often have dwarf, medium and tall varieties of a particular species. Try growing the same plant in two different heights to create a layered look in the border. Useg different colours of one kind of plant, too.
3Keep the show going
Sow your
free
seeds
Rudbeckia ‘Rustic Dwarf Mixed’ are weather resistant plants with long stems and large flowers in golden, bronze and rust shades. The flowers are good for cutting and impressive in borders. Flowers in late summer and autumn. Height: 90cm (24in). ESow in spring in a greenhouse or propagator in moist seed compost at 21C to 24C (70-75F). Barely cover the seed with soil. Prick out and grow on at 15C (60F). Harden off for 10 days before planting out after all risk of frost in welldrained soil in a sunny position.
Achillea filipendulina
Another old-fashioned perennial that can be counted on for a late summer to early autumn show. All achillea eventually make big clumps that can be divided and replanted around the garden. ‘Cloth of Gold’ and ‘Gold Plate’ are both tall plants with bright golden yellow, tightly-packed flower-heads that are held on strong stems. They are just as great in a vase as in the border! Height.1.5m (5ft). For a smaller yellow variety try ‘Moonshine’. Height: 60cm (24in). ESow now at 20C(68F), seal in a polythene bag until germination and do not exclude light. MR FOTHERGILL’S
China asters (Callistephus chinensis) are half hardy annuals making something of a comeback. Old-fashioned looking and in bright colours, they’ll flower until the frosts. Good for cutting. Try aster ‘Comet Summer Days’ (below) for striking pale blue and yellow flowers on short, bushy plants. Height: 20cm (8in). For a taller plant, aster ‘Duchess Blue Ice’ has white flowers tipped in blue. Height: 60cm (24in). ESow inside now at 18C (65F) or outside where they are to flower in early summer. Both are available from Mr Fothergill’s.
4 Start ‘staggering’
Plant out in a zigzag shape or ‘stagger’ for a more natural look and to give each plant room to grow. Staggering plants and interspersing them with seed is a good method of creating a full look. Plant with slightly wider spacing than you’d normally use and slip a few seeds in the gaps between each plant. This is a good way to sow the large seeds of annual lupins; as the lupins grow rapidly upwards, the plants underneath help hide their rather leggy stems.
5Plan before you plant
If you have a long edge to fill or a large area, plan a double row of ‘staggered’ plants but lay out the plants on the soil before you plant them, still in their pots if possible; it’s much easier to correct any shortfall before they are planted!
6 Get inspirational
Ignore the ‘traditional’ and grow anything that fires your imagination! There may be good reasons why lobelia and gold marigolds line paths and silver senecio partners scarlet pelargoniums, but why not try setting your own trends?
Wallflower ‘Dwarf Bedding Mixed’
Wallflowers are often thought of as springflowering plants but an early sowing now will give plants that flower this autumn. Keep them flowering by deadheading as the blooms go over. Hardy enough to over-winter, they are a cost effective choice for long-lasting bedding. This mix from Mr Fothergill’s stays small enough to use as a path edge or to pack into containers and they smell just as delicious as their tall cousins. Team them with lobelia for an unusual late-season mix. Height: 30cm (12in). ESow at 18C (65F) in April for autumn blooms or up until July to flower next spring. MR FOTHERGILL’S
Aster ‘Comet Summer Days’
Forget ‘location, location, location’, the gardener’s mantra should be ‘succession, succession, succession’! Sowing isn’t just a spring activity and it doesn’t have to be indoors in a greenhouse either. Every time you weed, see if there is an opportunity to sow a few seeds into the gaps! Nasturtiums and other large seeds are easy to tuck into containers, too. Even if they only send up leaves to start with, all this foliage looks fresh and it helps to deter weeds.
Ipomoea
The brilliant blue trumpets of Ipomoea tricolor ‘Heavenly Blue’ live up to their name. Ipomoea lobata ‘Spanish Flag’ is another favourite; it’s so called because its red and yellow flowers are in the national colours of Spain! These climbing plants take their time to get going and they sulk until the weather gets warm but if you sow them now and plant them somewhere warm and sheltered from wind, they’ll make a wonderful late show. ESoak seeds overnight before sowing individually into pots at 20C to 30C (68-86F). Seal in a polythene bag until after germination, plant out in summer to flower until the frosts.
26 Garden News April 7 2009
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PART 8 PART 5
Follow our expert tips and grow tastier veg. You’ll save money too
Courgettes and squash Great for getting kids gardening! By Jackie Whittaker garden Writer
I
f you’re a complete beginner at the veg growing game or want to get the kids interested, then squash and courgettes are for you. These fast-growing vegetables are easy to grow and come in some amazing shapes, sizes and colours. What’s more, the seeds are large enough for even the smallest of hands to manage. Courgettes, squash and pumpkins are collectively known as cucurbits and are members of the melon family. All produce plants with large leaves, bristly stems with climbing tendrils and fleshy fruits. They are all easy to grow as long as they get lots of food, water and sunshine. When shopping for seed, names and descriptions can seem a bit confusing, but all you need to know is that
Easy to grow and great fun squash, pumpkins and courgettes are all essentially either summer squash or winter squash.
Summer squash
Summer squash are fastgrowing and quick to mature, meaning that they can be harvested and eaten early in the growing season when the
skins are young and soft. In fact, some varieties can be picked as early as 50 days after planting. The most common summer squash is the courgette (which if left to grow becomes a marrow). Courgettes are either green or yellow and can be elongated, curved or round as well as the more typical cigar-shape. Other summer squash are available in a huge range of exoticlooking shapes and colours, many with brightly striped or mottled skins. All are best harvested young when the skin is soft, the flavour is at its best and the flesh is not too watery. Most courgettes and summer squash grow into robust, spreading plants that can take up quite a lot of space but they can be relied upon to produce a large harvest so you’ll only need two or three plants to provide you with a crop right through the summer.
Winter squash
Unlike summer squash, winter squash need a long growing season (the larger the fruit, the longer the time to harvest). Although the fruit can be picked when small, it is usually left on the plant to ripen. Once the skins have hardened, often called curing, they can be harvested and stored for use throughout the winter. Winter squash come in many different guises including acorn, butternut, spaghetti squash (with stringy flesh that can be served like pasta) and ‘cheese’ squash (which look like flat wheels of cheese) as well as the very recognisable pumpkin, the round, orange winter squash used at Hallowe’en. In fact, pumpkins vary in size from the very large to very small, so choose your variety carefully as some are more suitable for Hallowe’en lanterns rather than for cooking.
Grow them in the Courgettes and squash are all warm-weather plants and need to be grown in the sunniest spot you can give them. As the seeds need a temperature of 21C (70F) to germinate, sow in mid-spring in individual pots and place in a heated propagator or greenhouse. Gradually harden off the seedlings before planting them out into rich, fertile soil in early to mid June when all danger of
frost has passed. Cover the young plants with a cloche to protect from winds until they become sturdier. It is possible to direct-sow courgette and squash seed from late May onwards, but the seeds need rich, moist soil and germination can be hampered by fluctuating temperatures. If you do want to experiment with direct-sowing, dig a deep planting hole and fill it with a mix of soil and well-rotted
Squash seeds are easy to handle – sow in mid spring
Grow your plants on in individual pots
April 7 2009 Garden News 27
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Favourite varietieS for you to try COURGETTES
E‘Midnight’ is a compact variety that does well in containers as well as in open ground. The relatively bristle-free stems make picking easier and the plants produce lots of glossy dark green fruit. E‘Soleil’ is an old favourite that develops into a bushy plant with lots of smooth, straight, bright yellow fruit that mature quickly and crop for a long time.
summer squash
Courgette ‘Midnight’
Courgette ‘Soleil’
E‘Early Yellow Crookneck’ is a popular and vigorous variety that produces lots of curved, club shaped fruit with golden skin. A buttery flavour and firm texture make this a good choice for cooking and freezing. E‘Sunburst’ is a distinctive patty pan-type squash with small, bright yellow, pie-shaped fruit with crimped edges. Pick the fruit when small and serve whole as baby veg.
‘Early Yellow Crookneck’ summer squash
Squash ‘Sunburst’
Winter squash
E‘Turks Turban’ is an amazing looking fruit with a distinctive striped cap. It has an excellent flavour when roasted, baked or used in soup and also stores well. E‘Harrier’ is a butternut squash with typical pear-shaped fruit that ripen well and have a superb nutty flavour when roasted. It’s also a good keeper. E‘Aladdin’ is the perfect pumpkin for Hallowe’en with its bright orange skin. Fruit weigh up to 7kg (15lb). It’s ideal for carving, has a good flavour and will keep well.
‘Harrier’ butternut squash
‘Turk’s Turban’ winter squash
sunniest spot manure or compost to create a planting mound. Plant two seeds per mound and thin to one strong one, keeping everything well fed and watered. To make watering easier, put a small pot into the ground (open end up) near the plant or seeds. This will allow you to pour water into the pot, directing it straight to the roots. Courgette plants remain relatively compact and bushy as they develop, but summer and winter squash have a rangy, trailing habit so will need support. They look eye-catching trained up a sturdy wigwam or trellis where the ripening fruit can be kept out of the way of slugs and rot. Spread a mulch around the plants to retain moisture and feed and water very regularly. Frost is fatal to all squash so don’t plant out too early. Any
fruit that is ripening on the ground should be raised off the soil with a piece of slate or brick to stop the fruit rotting before it has chance to ripen. As harvest time approaches you’ll need to be vigilant as summer squash and courgettes in particular can go from perfect to overgrown and watery seemingly overnight. Harvest regularly as soon as the fruit are big enough to use, and always cut off with a knife rather than pulling, to prevent damaging the plant. Conversely winter squash and pumpkin should be left on the plant as long as possible for the fruit to mature and skin to begin curing (this process can be finished off in a dry shed or greenhouse). Aim to have all the fruit harvested by the end of October before cold damp weather and possible rot sets in.
‘Aladdin’ is perfect for Hallowe’en
Tackling Problems
In common with other members of the cucurbit family, courgettes, squash and pumpkins can all succumb to mildew and cucumber mosaic virus. Try to avoid mildew by maintaining good air circulation around the plants and by regular and consistent watering and feeding at the roots rather than on the foliage. Remove any infected
Sow seed in the greenhouse for best results
leaves that appear. Cucumber mosaic virus is spread by aphids. Leaves first display yellow flecks before becoming increasingly covered and distorted. In both instances, badlyinfected plants should be removed and destroyed, but you should still be able to get a crop from the fast-maturing courgettes and summer squash.
Mildew can quickly spread
f o n e d r ga
36 Garden News April 7 2009
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k e e w e th
S Yorkshire d, el fi ef Sh of d oo ew tl it Chris and Keith L
Risen from the rhubarb! T
wenty years ago Chris and Keith Littlewood took on the overgrown garden behind their house in Sheffield and turned it into a plot full of year-round interest. “A builder built the house for himself in the 1920s and we think the garden had been a ‘dig for victory’ garden, because it was all fruit – rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb!” Chris said. “We’ve planted everything you see in it apart from the old apple trees,” she added. Now the garden is home to a wide variety of wellestablished trees, shrubs, climbers and perennials, as well as masses of bulbs. “We never have to water the garden because we’ve got an underground spring at the top,” Chris explained. Because of the moist soil, lawns proved difficult to keep in good nick (more moss than grass grew), so over time, Chris has converted much of the lawn into borders, although a few grass paths remain. Different parts of the garden feature different styles of planting. In one part, where a lawn refused to thrive thanks to the damp, hostas, astilbes and Siberian irises now revel. “Once spring gets going it’s off; the plants have shot up this week,” Chris said.
Keith and Chris Littlewood Raised beds and lots of containers, many of which stand on gravel, also play a big part in helping the couple overcome the garden’s drainage issues, and give Chris space to grow some of her favourite alpines. But at the same time, the consistently moist soil and the fact that the whole garden is south-facing so gets the sun all day, give the couple the perfect site for lush summer borders, packed full of herbaceous perennials. “In spring, all the growth is low down, but when we open in May and June you can’t see the ground at all and by summer, everything is up to here!” Chris said. In early summer, cottage garden favourites such as peonies, foxgloves and astrantias mix effortlessly with penstemons and poppy ‘Patty’s Plum’. “I’ve got quite a few astrantias,” Chris said.
See the garden in 2009 Visit Chris and Keith’s garden at Fernleigh, 9 Meadowhead Avenue, Sheffield, S Yorkshire S8 7RT. EOpen for PACT on April 18 and 19, 1pm-5pm, £2 admission. EOpen for Bluebell Wood Hospice on May 30 and 31, 1pm-5pm, £2 admission. EOpen for the National Gardens Scheme on June 27 and 28, 1pm-5pm, £2.50 admission. EPlants sales, teas and cakes available on all the open days. ETel: 0114 2747 234, see The Yellow Book or visit www.ngs.org.uk for more details.
“There’s A. major rosea, ‘Shaggy’, ‘Hadspen Blood’ and ‘Jill Richardson’, which is a very dark purple.” Camassia and white phlox complete the picture. “I love the phlox when it’s dusk – it’s luminous,” Chris said. “It’s really just a big cottage garden.” Chris is the plantswoman of the partnership. Husband Keith ‘does the lawns and the hedges’. “Keith’s not allowed to touch the plants! “If I see a weed, I always pull them out and Keith comes round and sweeps them up!” she added. He isn’t just a dab hand with the broom. Before he retired, Keith was a master pattern maker and has made all the garden’s wooden features. As the garden’s matured and developed, he’s also become an expert at removing unwanted over-large trees, including 12 conifers. Where trees have been kept, Chris prunes the bottom branches off so she can plant underneath them. In spring, shade lovers such as hacquetia, aconites and pulmonaria provide colourful ground cover beneath the trees and shrubs, against which bulbs including hyacinths and tulips stand out. “I lift the tulips out to die back as I don’t like them dying back when we’ve got visitors,” Chris said. “When you’re opening the garden they don’t look nice, so I plant something different where the tulips have been.” This year the couple celebrate 10 years of opening their garden to the public to raise money for charity, including for Sheffield Children’s Hospital and the local charity PACT (Parent’s Association of Children with Tumours and Leukaemia). “We’ve raised over £10,000 for charity over the last eight years,” Chris said, “I’ve even shown people round in my dressing gown!”
Clever landscaping Gravel paths, paved areas and raised beds are a solution to often wet conditions.
Beautiful blossom White star-shaped flowers of Magnolia stellata provide interest early in the year and this is followed by other trees and shrubs.
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April 7 2009 Garden News 37
PICTURES: PIP WARTERS
Pretty protection
GREAT ideas to steal EBASKET TRICK
Any spare wire hanging baskets are put to good use in Chris’s garden. She uses them upturned as a support to stop geraniums flopping over. “If it rains a lot, they can flop, but if they grow through the baskets they can’t,” she said. Their mounds of fresh green leaves soon hide the basket beneath.
A decorative greenhouse with a practical purpose. Ventilation comes from the top and access is through one of the panes. The whole greenhouse revolves on its base. Chris uses it to display her collection of succulents.
ESUCCULENTS BALL
Spring succession Early muscari, hyacinths and daffodils are followed by early and late tulips for limitless colour until the perennials get started.
What we think By Clare Foggett gardening editor
EChris proves that a tricky site needn’t be troublesome, just work with the conditions. An underground spring and damp soil might be more of a challenge, but by choosing the right plants to suit the changing conditions throughout her garden and landscaping it well, Chris has made her garden work for her. EThe more spring bulbs you can pack in, the better! As they die down over summer, spring bulbs don’t get in the way of summer flowering perennials, and at this time of year, they’re invaluable. Get in the habit of planting a few more every autumn, and before long you’ll have an impressive display that improves each year.
Another innovative way of displaying small plants is this sempervivum and saxifrage ball. Take cuttings from your sempervivums this summer and you’ll soon have enough ‘babies’ to create your own hanging display like this. But plant it up and let it establish under cover as Chris has had trouble with birds pinching the liner of hers for their nests!
ESPOTLIGHT SMALL PLANTS
Tiny starry-flowered chionodoxa tend to get lost in borders, so how about this neat idea for raising them up to ground level? To make them more of a feature, Chris has packed her chionodoxa bulbs into a hanging basket. A stout post with several brackets lets her display lots of baskets; changing them with the seasons keeps it looking fresh.
ECELEBRATE HYACINTHS
Hyacinths are for life, not just for Christmas! It’s easy to forget about hyacinths as garden bulbs and only think of them for forcing at Christmas, but Chris makes them work hard in her garden. Mixtures of creamy yellow, white and peach ones look great in terracotta pots, while pink ones team well with purple aubrieta.
ESTEPS TO SUCCESS
An ingenious way of display seasonal pots: This smartly painted set of stepladders makes perfect shelves for these matching pots of purple pansies. In summer, Chris changes the display. If you’ve got some old steps languishing in the shed or garage, get your paint brushes out!
E’Hotel’ for wildlife
Attracting wildlife to your garden doesn’t mean you have to make it messy! This orderly insect habitat, made up of cavity bricks and hollow stems, fits neatly into the bottom of one of Chris and Keith’s archways, and forms a feature in its own right.
Next week Spring colour in Norfolk