OUTDOOR DIARY
February checklist Text by Carol Bucknell. Illustrations by Pippa Fay.
FLOWER OF THE MONTH
Dahlia It’s been a couple of hundred years since plant hunters first brought dahlias from Mexico to Europe, and there are now hundreds of varieties of this late-summer perennial available. From cactus and orchid to waterlily and peony, double or single, giant or small, there’s a dahlia to suit the most finicky of horticultural palettes. If you have good, well-drained soil, you can grow them (from seed, seedlings or tubers) in a sunny spot out of the wind. In colder districts, grow from sprouted tubers to get them cracking during the shorter summers. Staking plants in windy areas is advised, as is regular watering, liquid feeding and deadheading.
Try these top tips for the month
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GROW THIS Want a plant that gives you plenty of gorgeous, colourful flowers without a lot of fuss? Then look no further than petunias. Easy to grow if planted in a sunny spot, petunias will cope with drought but do much better in moist, fertile soil. New varieties of these popular plants, both annual and perennial, keep arriving in garden centres, expanding the already extensive range of flower colours on offer. Perfect for pots, planters, hanging baskets and newbie gardeners.
SUMMER LOVE Keep your garden happy with regular watering and frequent deadheading (removing faded blooms encourages plants to keep producing new ones instead of making seed from the spent flowers). A liquid feed also helps to boost flower production.
SEED BANKS If you want to collect seed, leave a few blooms to set seed, then sprinkle the seeds around the garden where you’d like more plants next season. Or gather them on a dry day and store in a paper bag or envelope (not plastic) over winter in a cool, dry spot.
AIR FLOW To discourage pests such as passionfruit hoppers, aphids and white fly, thin the canopy or crown of shrubs and trees, taking out crossing, dead or diseased branches, and ensure there’s plenty of space between plants. Neem oil is a popular treatment, too.
WELL CUT Grow shrubs cheaply from cuttings of Chinese lantern (Abutilon), box, cistus, fuchsia, hebe, hydrangea, lavender and teucrium. Cut a 5cm piece, with no flower buds, just below a leaf node. Trim most of the leaves. Pot with coarse sand and compost.
