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22 OCTOBER 2022
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Sow a patchwork of colour with Phlox ‘Tapestry’!
JOBS FOR THE WEEK l Plant autumn garlic l Prepare roses for winter l Try worm composting
SAVING A FADING PHORMIUM
Ruth Hayes explains how in four steps
KNOW YOUR SOIL BETTER
How to test your soil to better know what you can grow
ANVIL SECATEURS
We put six quality models to the test and reveal the winner
Grow versatile
Crocuses Best varieties for all uses
16 CHOICE PLANTS FOR A PERFECT HEDGE
138 years of practical advice
1884 The World’s Oldest Gardening Magazine 2022 Jobs for this week Subsc r i b e 4 Give your soil autumn love tod & 0330 ay 5 How to test your soil 3
33 111 ama subs.cteurgardenin3 o.uk/x g – see p masxag age 48
9 Salvaging a lost phormium 10 How to stop winter moths 12 Free seeds: Phlox ‘Tapestry’/ What’s on: events near you
Great garden ideas
24 Why plant a hedge? For wildlife and boundaries, here are the best options 28 Enjoy spring crocus: Best varieties of this versatile early-season favourite 32 How to grow tulips: Understanding breeds and best cultivation tips
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“I’ll explain the secrets of how to grow these spring favourites,” says Graham
Gardening wisdom 14 16 19 37 42 45 50 52 55 59
ob Flowerdew B Val Bourne Wildlife Lucy Chamberlain’s Fruit and Veg Ask John Negus Words of Wisdom: AG archives A Gardener’s Miscellany Tried and Tested: Anvil secateurs Anne Swithinbank’s Masterclass Letters to Wendy: from AG readers Toby Buckland
Garden news 7
Gardeners lose voice in Parliament
Reader offers
22 Find out the latest deals! “This is a good time to feed your soil to give back nutrients” says Ruth
Future
4
“Here are the best options for planting a hedge,” says Camilla
24
“Are the interests of amateur gardeners being properly represented in Parliament? This is a question raised by Matthew Appleby in our News column (page 7). Matthew is the editor of Horticulture Week and he explains how the original All-Party [Parliamentary] Gardening and Horticulture Group was created to give gardening a voice in Parliament and accurately brief MPs, if and when issues arose. This was then usurped by a new group (Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable) with strong RHS involvement, which campaigned heavily on the peat ban. I think we need representation that more accurately reflects our needs rather than the needs of an ambitious charity.”
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Garry Coward-Williams, Editor
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“Crocuses bring colour to spring and they can be planted in many different ways,” says Camilla
Cover: Crocus tommasinianus (pic: Alamy)
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22 OCTOBER 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING
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Your
GARDENING WEEK with AG’s gardening expert Ruth Hayes Top Tip
If you have room, leave bean and pea roots in the soil after cutting back plants to fix nitrogen for future growing.
Prepare soil for planting
1
I’m layering home-made compost onto our borders after a couple of days of rain
Farmyard manure is an excellent way to enrich your soil, but let it rot for a few months before adding it to beds as its strong nitrogen content can damage young plants.
Give your soil autumn love
Feeding the soil will benefit your whole garden, says Ruth
All photographs Future unless otherwise credited
I
’M slowly clearing the garden of in the soil and helps suppress weeds, this year’s summer annuals, and also making it easier to remove any cutting back perennials that have that germinate on its surface. flowered and are past their best. Well-rotted organic matter such as Our plot is starting to look rather compost (preferably home-made if stark and naked after the summer’s possible), manure and leafmould are colour, but at least the extra space gives the best materials for returning me the chance to improve the soil for goodness to the soil. next year’s flowers. If you garden on sandy soil or heavy Just as we feel run down by periods clay, digging in plenty of organic matter of intense activity and stress, so our soil (augmented with grit on clay soils) will ends the summer depleted of many greatly improve your growing capacity. nutrients after months of growing It will make sandy soils richer and compacted by old roots. Growing green manure and more moisture Autumn is the time to put retentive, and open up will improve your soil things right. If you feed clay soils to reduce the your beds, raised beds likelihood of compaction and borders with a and waterlogging. generous layer of organic Unless you are very mulch now, you can either lucky, it is unlikely you dig it in or leave it on the will have enough organic surface as mulch to be matter to cover all your broken down and garden, so concentrate incorporated by worms now on the most hard-pressed and winter weather. areas: food-producing patches and You need to pick your time, though. borders that grow a number of plants. Never add a layer of mulch when the When adding mulch to your ground is frozen as it will simply trap the borders, remember to leave a collar cold in the soil, just as mulch applied to of bare soil around the trunks of trees dry soil will stop rain getting down to and shrubs. If damp mulch comes into where it’s really needed. contact with them it can soften their Mulching when conditions are warm bark, leaving it vulnerable to rotting and damp retains moisture and warmth and pest invasion. 4 AMATEUR GARDENING 22 OCTOBER 2022
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Laying cardboard or old compost bags on the soil in winter helps suppress weeds and is a useful tool for warming soil a few weeks before planting and sowing in early spring.
Green manures n Continual growing and cropping strips essential nutrients from soils. n An easy way to replace some of them is to sow and grow green manures, which are readily available from garden centres and online. n The most popular varieties are clovers, legumes and rye grasses. Mustard can also be used, but take care if sowing in soil used for growing brassicas as it might help spread clubroot to future crops. n Green manures help fix nitrogen back into the soil, while their roots open up the structure, which is helpful if you garden on heavy clay. n The top growth is allowed to flower and mature and is then dug back into the soil where it rots down releasing more goodness.
Neat and tidy: Next week I’ll be clearing borders and showing you how to keep on top of autumn’s pests and diseases
Testing soil for top results Check the pH and nutrient levels of your soil
No-dig for healthy soil Layering compost and manure onto beds without digging will help soil
n One of the easiest ways to improve your soil and grow well is the no-dig method, when manure and compost are piled onto a bed. n This is an especially useful technique for raised beds and narrow borders. n Worms, beneficial soil microbes and winter weather work their magic on the compost and manure, breaking it down into a rich and healthy mix. n Because nothing is dug, the structure of the soil isn’t damaged or compacted. n Weeds are controlled by gentle hoeing, hand weeding or mulching, and because fewer germinate as they are not raised to the surface, there is less cover for pests. n After each harvest the plants are lifted and more layers of organic matter are added, ready for the next crop.
Understanding crop rotation CROP rotation is a system as old as cultivation, and benefits the soil and plants in three main ways: 1. It helps maintain and balance soil fertility, as different crops require different nutrients from the soil. Growing crops in different areas each year can reduce the risk of soil becoming deficient in one nutrient. 2. Swapping crops also helps stop a build-up of pests and diseases specific to different varieties of crops, such as scab in potatoes and clubroot in brassicas. 3. Crop rotation can even control
weeds, as the spreading leaves of crops such as potatoes and squashes will shade out unwanted plants. It isn’t difficult to set up a three or fouryear cycle of rotation of the main crop groups: brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts, swedes, turnips); legumes (peas, beans); onions, shallots and garlic; the potato family (which includes tomatoes, peppers, aubergines); and root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, celery, celeriac, beetroot). Onions and roots can go in together and if you are sticking to a three-year system, plant legumes with them as well.
Clubroot is a common brassica problem
Rotation keeps soil rich, and crops healthy and problem-free
22 OCTOBER 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING
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T
ESTING your soil may sound Testing soil around your garden shows off-puttingly scientific, but it is where nutrients may be missing a cheap and effective process that helps you determine the acidity/alkalinity of your soils and what nutrients are in it so you get the best results from your plants. It can also stop you buying the wrong plants for your plot, saving you money, frustration and heartache in the process. Winter is a good time for testing as soil will probably have been lying fallow during the dormant weeks of winter, so the test results should be ‘pure’. Test kits are widely available online and from garden centres. There are extremely simple ones where you put a small scoop of soil into a tube of solution, shake it and wait for it to settle to reveal and camellias, I will need to do so in the acidity or otherwise of your beds. Others are slightly more complex and containers of ericaceous compost. What I am unsure of is the soil’s enable you to assess nutrient levels nutrient wealth, which is why I around the garden and attend to bought a kit that allows me areas where they are lacking. to test for nitrogen (N), I don’t need a test to phosphorus (P) and tell me the acidity or potassium (K). These otherwise of my garden. are the three most The soil is so alkaline that important elements large lumps of chalk often needed by plants for work their way to the healthy growth, foliage, surface of the borders. fruiting and flowering, Plants that thrive include Yellowing leaves signify and are listed as ‘NPK’ on foxgloves, lavender, cistus a nutrient deficiency bags of fertiliser. and potentilla, agapanthus, Once you have established echinacea and aquilegia. which nutrients are present or absent, Conversely, I know that if I want to and in what quantities, you can start grow acid-loving plants such as improving your soil. heathers, blueberries, rhododendrons
Stop digging
5
Your
GARDENING WEEK with Matthew Appleby
Gardeners lose their parliamentary voice Matthew Appleby asks whether lobby group is acting in gardeners’ interests
“There’s concern about the future of gardening”
the group and reposition it to campaign for what growers and garden centres want, rather than catering for RHS charity objectives that are increasingly about sustainability and equality. The APPGHG was led by the horticulture industry and sympathetic MPs, such as its founder Brian Donohoe, who wants to keep using peat. Donohoe is frustrated that the APPGHG, now chaired by Ian LiddellGrainger MP and Baroness Fookes, has lost influence. Without industry backing, it no longer organises meetings with ministers nor holds Parliamentary receptions, where the likes of the late Peter Seabrook and companies such as Scotts Miracle Gro would lobby MPs on important gardening issues such as peat. “They’re not thinking rationally” Seabrook started his own pro-peat campaign shortly before his death in January 2022, meeting Liddell-Grainger and Donohoe. Former Central Ayrshire MP Donohoe is lobbying for Scotland to carry on growing in peat, as the devolved nations go their own way on the issue. He says: “In the UK Parliament a new minister is coming in [replacing Rebecca Pow, who resigned with Boris Johnson in July 2022] and whether they see more sense than the previous incumbent is the big question. They haven’t understood what this is going to do to the gardening sector. The Germans and the Dutch are rubbing their hands and we will be importing all the
good produce that they are growing.” He adds: “The gardeners that have taken it on as a new hobby will go to B&Q and Homebase, where there is nothing but peat-free, and won’t be able to grow seeds anywhere near as well. “This is a real problem for gardening as a hobby. Ten pounds to a penny they [Defra ministers] don’t know anything about the amateur gardener. They’re not thinking rationally and they don’t care.” AG Editor Garry Coward-Williams Peat compost worked, but there is concern about the effectiveness of alternatives
says: “This is a wider, more important issue than the peat ban. This is about whether it is right for the RHS to control lobbying of the government on horticultural issues, when its aims may be different to the needs of the UK gardening public. This is a membership organisation and has no mandate to represent all UK gardeners.” But with Donohoe retired as an MP since 2015, there’s not really a voice in Parliament speaking out for the ordinary gardener any more. Who will take up the baton now? 22 OCTOBER 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING
All photographs Future unless otherwise credited
Concern and frustration Many in the horticulture industry also want to keep peat-based growing media, to produce affordable food and plants, and keep on a level playing field with Europe where there are no plans to ban peat. Furthermore, a growing number of AG readers are writing to the magazine expressing concern and frustration at their lack of success with peat-free compost, especially seed compost. Some have even said they are thinking of jacking in gardening altogether. But the Ornamental Horticulture Round Table is led by the RHS, which has been vociferously campaigning against peat use, much to the Horticultural Trades Association’s (HTA) chagrin. The HTA hopes to take over running
The Ornamental Horticulture Round Table is chaired by the RHS whose aims may not reflect gardeners’ needs
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TWO decades ago the All-Party [Parliamentary] Gardening and Horticulture Group (APPGHG) was set up to campaign for gardening to have a political voice within Parliament. Around the time of Alan Titchmarsh and Charlie Dimmock’s Ground Force TV series, gardening was booming and politicians were keen to back the sector. They visited shows, nurseries and gardens, and held receptions where they listened to horticulturists who spoke about life at the coalface. But this body has now been overtaken by the RHS-chaired Ornamental Horticulture Round Table, which meets in secret to discuss pressing issues on agendas and pressing issues set by former RHS boss Sue Biggs. Peat is the biggest current issue. The Government has pledged to ban it in England by the end of 2023 for environmental reasons, but many gardeners want to retain peat-based growing media because they believe that current peat-free alternatives are not fit for purpose.
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Your
GARDENING WEEK with AG’s gardening expert Ruth Hayes
I have salvaged what I could from our old Phormium tenax
Rose care
Preparing your roses for winter
This offset will hopefully survive transplanting
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Cut roses down by a third to reduce the risk of wind rock in stormy weather, and remove any dead, spindly and crossing stems.
Emergency with a phormium! Ruth tries to salvage shoots from an old fading plant
W
E have a well-established bronze phormium in a wooden half-barrel, and after years of excellent service I think the summer’s drought has finally done for it. Despite feeding and watering (with grey water) its fronds are brittle and bleached. I shall be sorry to see it go, and in an effort to save some of it I decided to pot up some of the offsets in the hope that they will bounce back.
All photographs Future
Step by step
This is a job that should normally be done in spring, but I fear that if I don’t act now I’ll lose the whole plant. The offsets each had robust roots that will hopefully stand them in good stead. Phormiums, or New Zealand flax, are long-lived evergreen plants with strappy leaves in green, purple, cream or bronze. They add definition to traditional English gardens and work well in gravel planting schemes, though they may not thrive in cold, wet exposed sites.
Potting up phormium offsets
1
I cut back the phormium’s old leaves to make it easier to see the salvageable offsets.
I worked each one loose in turn with a border fork, teasing the roots from the parent plant.
3
After watering I set the plants in a sheltered spot and will move them into the greenhouse for the winter.
Each offset is potted up in multipurpose compost in pots large enough to accommodate all the roots.
2
Deadhead spent blooms, but leave some buds as roses can flower well into autumn in sheltered spots. Also leave some hips for winter colour.
3
Trim unruly shoots from climbing and rambling roses, and tie in this season’s growth so it will extend in the direction you want it to.
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Remove all traces of blackspotinfected material, including leaves that have fallen onto the soil. Burn or bin them. 22 OCTOBER 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING
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Your
GARDENING WEEK with AG’s gardening expert Ruth Hayes
Box honeysuckle ‘Baggesen’s Gold’ makes attractive topiary
Boxing clever Attach grease bands in autumn to stop the wingless female winter moths
Moth grub surrounded by its droppings
Blocking winter moths
Protect your plum trees with grease bands, says Ruth
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QUESTION: What’s worse than biting into a ripe, juicy plum and finding a maggot? The answer, of course, is ‘half a maggot,’ and this week I’ve been working hard to ensure I don’t experience that horror next summer. Last year I delayed protecting our ‘Victoria’ plum tree with grease bands to block the upwards rise of flightless winter moths, but luckily only one or two fruits contained nasty pinkish moth grubs curled up in a mush of black ‘frass’, or droppings. I’d prefer not to find any next year, so this week I have been fixing sticky bands to the trunk and stake of the plum tree to protect next year’s crop. Painted-on grease or sticky bands are a good organic solution to codling, plum,
All photographs Future unless otherwise credited
Step by step
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mottled umber and winter moths – species that have wingless females that emerge from chrysalides in the soil, crawl up the trunks, and mate and lay their eggs. Applied between now and the end of November these measures should stop many of the autumn-hatching females and keep your plums frass-free! Although the bands are organic, they are non-selective so will trap other insects. They can also collect windblown debris that can reduce their efficiency, so re-application may be necessary after stormy weather. You can also use pesticide sprays and tree washes against the moths, but for chemical-free gardening rely on grease bands and natural predators, including garden birds, spiders and ground
Replacements for box hedges n If your buxus (box) topiary or hedge has been decimated by blight or box caterpillars, you may want to replace it with equally attractive but less problematic alternatives. n There are several evergreen shrubs that lend themselves to hedges and topiary shaping. n Low-growing box honeysuckle (Lonicera nitida) has small leaves and can be clipped into shape. The variety ‘Baggesen’s Gold’ has attractive green-yellow leaves. n Hebes have attractive flowers, are suitably low growing, low maintenance and readily available. n Lavender makes a beautiful scented low hedge and is easy to shape and maintain so long as you trim carefully and don’t cut into old woody stems. n Holly and berberis make good alternatives if you are looking for a protective boundary hedge. Opt for variegated or red-leaved varieties that provide added interest. beetles. Also remember never to use adhesive substances that are strong enough to trap birds, bats or mice.
Fixing a greaseband or using painted grease
Work out how much band you need to circle the trunk and add an extra bit to stick it down.
2
Unfold the band and attach to the tree so the tacky side faces outwards. Then stick it in place.
10 AMATEUR GARDENING 22 OCTOBER 2022
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Tie the band top and bottom to anchor the band securely and stop moths crawling underneath.
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Alternatively, paint protective grease around the trunk, making sure there are no gaps.
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A wingless female mottled umber moth
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Berberis offers autumn colour
Your
GARDENING WEEK with AG’s gardening expert Ruth Hayes
Both Mr-fothergills.co.uk
Flatten compost to make a firm seedbed
I have sown some now and will sow the rest next spring. Autumn-sown plants will flower before the others and I’ll pinch them out as they grow undercover to encourage lots of flowers. n More free seeds with AG’s lucky dip! Although this year’s official AG free seeds will end with the 29 October issue, we will be giving away a pack of bonus ‘lucky dip’ seeds on every issue from AG 5 November until next year’s free seeds start in AG 21 January 2023. And there will be a double pack of seeds in your bumper Christmas issue (AG 1724 December). So order your copy now!
Phlox ‘Tapestry’ creates a long-lasting carpet of summer and early autumn colour
Sew a patchwork of colour
What’s On
Autumn shades at the Nerine and Amaryllid Society Show
Phlox is a must for easy scent and colour, says Ruth
D
ESPITE originating in the US, Phlox drummondii are perfectly at home in an English garden. The variety ‘Tapestry’ is a half-hardy annual that flowers in myriad shades to create a multicoloured patch of brightness. Created by Mr Fothergill’s, its growers describe the scented flowers as ‘a superb blend of colours in a limitless combination of bicolour and picotee effects’. Phlox grow to around 18in (45cm) and
All photographs Future unless otherwise credited
Step by step
will flower from early summer through to October in the right conditions. Phlox do best in full sun in soil that is fertile and free-draining. They grow well in large containers as well as borders and make excellent cut flowers, with a good vase life. You can either sow them now or wait until late spring and sow directly into the soil. If you sow now they will need to be germinated and grown in a frost-free greenhouse or cool room indoors.
Sowing phlox undercover
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Fill a tray with seed compost, tamp it down and dampen it with fresh tap water.
Scatter the seeds thinly over the surface. Seedlings can be thinned if they are too close together.
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Cover the seeds with a thin layer of compost or vermiculite, then gently firm it down. 12 AMATEUR GARDENING 22 OCTOBER 2022
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Label the seeds, add a lid and set the tray somewhere light and cool. Remove the lid when seedlings appear.
22 Oct: Nerine and Amaryllid Society Show, RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey, GU23 6QB. 22 Oct: Hardy Plant Society (Southern Counties Group) Meeting, The Old Barn Hall, 55 Church Road, Great Bookham, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT23 3PQ. 22-23 Oct: Late fruit and veg competition, RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Beckwithshaw, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG3 1QB. 22-23 Oct: Festival of Flavours, RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Beckwithshaw, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG3 1QB. 23 Oct: East Midlands Orchid Society Annual Show, Bottesford VC Hall, Belvoir Road, Bottesford, Nottingham, NG13 0BG. 10am-4pm. 26 Oct: Conwy Farmers Market, RSPB Conwy, Llandudno Junction, LL31 9XZ. 9am-1pm 27 Oct: Hyde Hall past, present and future: RHS Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 8RA. 28 Oct: Living in a box (how to attract bees, birds, bats and owls to your garden), RHS Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Beckwithshaw, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG3 1QB. n Details of events correct at time of going to press.
Your
GARDENING WEEK with Bob Flowerdew, AG’s organic gardening expert Nasturtium, borage and daylily petals add colour to food
Bob’s top tips for the week
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Cauliflower cheese makes use of brassica flowers
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On bright days inspect woody plants for pink spotted stems, which is the disease coral spot. If found, cut out and burn those bits.
Courgette flowers can be stuffed or cooked in batter
A feast of flowers
Edible flowers will brighten up your mealtimes – and you may have been eating them without noticing, says Bob
All photographs TI Media unless otherwise credited
F
ASHIONS in gardening wax amount to an awful lot in practice. and wane. Edible flowers were On the other hand, we ought to be popular for a brief moment, then cautious because some plant products they were almost forgotten may be deleterious rather than healthy! again. As usual, not much actually Do not eat anything from any plant you changed, apart from expensive cannot positively identify, and do not restaurants adding petals to their believe that because we eat one part of impressionist salads. a plant, the rest will be fine to eat as well You’re not going to get a huge – potato foliage is poisonous! number of calories from munching However, do not be unduly worried petals, so including these has to be as not one accidental death has more for their colour than for been recorded in the UK from nutrition. Many edible flowers While many are tasty, eating poisonous plants some flower petals can are perfumed, so this can since the Victorian era. be tough and bitter also add flavour. Indeed, it’s probable that Conversely, petals may the majority of flowers in also be quite tough and your garden would not bitter, though this is often hurt you, but it’s best to reduced by removing the stick to those listed as base of the petal. Then there edible, such as daylilies, are the possible health benefits roses, violets and nasturtiums. from increasing the range of plants Surprisingly, you may have long and the parts that we eat. These plants been consuming flowers or parts of may be beneficial, but I doubt they flowers without noticing it. You can easily spot the flower buds of globe artichokes, the flowers of stuffed courgettes and pumpkins, and the floral parts of saffron and flowers in lavender shortbread. And of course sprouting broccoli, calabrese and cauliflowers are blooming brassicas, with cauliflower cheese, massive unopened flower buds in a cheesy sauce, being a favourite.
“It’s best to stick to those flowers listed as edible”
14 AMATEUR GARDENING 22 OCTOBER 2022
2
Be thorough when hunting for snails. Chuck them out of their winter dens for the birds, otherwise they will hibernate and then multiply.
3
Look out for end-of-season sales of barbecue charcoal as this keeps, and no doubt it will cost more next year.
4
Check tree ties and stakes in case we have any strong winds. Also, free off any ties that are getting too tight.
Your
GARDENING WEEK
with Val Bourne, AG’s organic wildlife expert
Lesley Upton
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Colchicum autumnale ‘Nancy Lindsay’ revived after the hot weather
The hot dry weather took its toll on many plants this year, such as weigela and crocosmia
Eryngiums kept their metallic-blue stems and flowers until the weather broke in mid-August
Earth, wind and fire
Gardens and wildlife have suffered this year, says Val
All photographs Val Bourne unless otherwise credited
G
ARDENERS are used to dealing with the elements, but this year my garden has suffered from drought, strong winds and extreme heat. I’m mulling over my strategy, as on the one hand I want to store more water more efficiently, but I also want to grow plants that can cope with climate change because I only want to water where really necessary. I haven’t got the time, or inclination, to spend hours watering everything, because water is a precious resource. Do I get rid of my border phloxes because they failed this year? Should I keep my tall sanguisorbas? They also browned early on. My crocosmias hated this summer. Their foliage turned golden brown and they failed to flower, for the first time in my living memory. Should they be replaced – and what with? The answers depend on subsequent summers, but there’s no way of knowing
“We have had six dry years on the trot” 16 AMATEUR GARDENING 22 OCTOBER 2022
for ordinary mortals like us. I do know that we have had six dry years on the trot, and raising plants and growing vegetables is harder than it used to be. My annuals mostly died in the heat of summer, but the plants weren’t strong enough when they were planted out. Recent drier springs have tended to produce hot days and cool nights, so it’s difficult to grow plants as well as you could ten years ago. It’s partly due to contrasting day and night-time temperatures, and peat-free composts that don’t produce strong root systems. Fortunately, there are ornamental plants that shrug off the heat. Most monocots (plants with linear foliage produced by one cotyledon) have not shown signs of distress. My hemerocallis, irises, dieramas and grasses flowered well, although the hemerocallis flowers went over quicker than usual. Tap-rooted plants, such as verbascums, also thrived. Grey-leafed achilleas, phlomis, perovskia and salvias all performed. Calamintha, nepetas and verbenas were happy, and the eryngiums kept their blue stems and flowers until the weather broke in mid-August and turned them brown. I’ve got plenty of repeat flowers on my roses, because they didn’t seem to mind the high temperatures. When we got
rain, they started back into growth and produced lots of buds. My colchicums also revived, although they flowered later. ‘Nancy Lindsay’ is the easiest to accommodate because its spring foliage isn’t as ugly as many autumn crocuses. It has a succession of pink goblets and, in normal years, these begin in August. It hasn’t been a good year for butterflies and the two previous years were also poor here. Climate change isn’t helping. Our small copper butterflies were absent for most of the year, but I’m glad to report they have been foraging for nectar this autumn. One butterfly enthusiast told me that small copper butterflies are producing four broods now that the climate has changed, rather than their usual three. The caterpillars of the last brood overwinter and it’s said you can find these pink-tinged green caterpillars throughout the year. The main food plants for small copper butterflies are sheep’s sorrel (Rumex acetosella) and common sorrel (R. acetosa). We have plenty of common sorrel in the fields nearby. Butterfly Conservation tells us that broad-leaved dock (R. obtusifolius) is occasionally used as well. Small coppers are fast fliers that like sunny positions, and their bright copperorange and brown-black wings are very distinctive. They (and lots of other butterflies) visit New England asters and these tall perennials survived this summer’s heat well, probably due to having downier greyer foliage than most other asters. They survive without being divided and don’t suffer from mildew.
A small copper butterfly on a New England aster
TIP
Plant New England asters (Symphyotrichum novaeangliae) in the middle of a border, as these 3ft (1m)-high perennials have shabby lower leaves that need to be hidden away. Varieties include the purple ‘Helen Picton’, ‘Barr’s Purple’ and the deep-pink ‘Rosa Seiger’.
Your
GARDENING WEEK
with Lucy Chamberlain, AG’s fruit and veg expert
Softneck garlic, like ‘Solent Wight’, has a milder flavour and produce smaller cloves
‘Chesnok Red’ is a hardneck variety with a full-bodied flavour
Remove any flower spikes in spring
Focus on... on... Autumn-planted garlic If you want plump, flavoursome cloves, look no further! Garlic is one of the easiest crops to grow. Lucy explains how satisfying it is to grow a bountiful bulb harvest
All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited
I
F you crave the plumpest, most sizeable cloves, autumn planting is a must. Here’s how to guarantee the most glorious of garlic gluts. Often first-time garlic growers can feel a bit disappointed with the size of homegrown cloves. Spring plantings don’t have as much time in the ground to bulk up, so if you can start crops off in autumn, you’ll have a better chance of decent bulbs. The extra growing time encourages a more extensive root system to form, which in turn gives more foliage to fuel large heads.
“You can plant both varieties in autumn”
There are two types of garlic: softneck and hardneck. Even though hardnecks are generally hardier, you can plant both varieties in autumn (see my tips panel on page 20), depending on your preference. Autumn varieties have a greater winter chill period than spring
Potted ‘Lautrec Wight’ plants started in autumn
types. Generally, softnecks have a milder flavour and, not producing a flower spike, they store for longer. For maximum individual clove size, though, hardnecks are your best bet (softnecks produce more numerous, smaller cloves). Remember to remove the flower spike in spring when growing hardneck garlics – if this is left on to develop fully, it can reduce your yields by 20%. How to get started As well as following my tips on page 20, always ensure you plant garlic in full sun and on free-draining soils. Plants don’t develop a huge root system, so if your plot allows it then plant them at wider spacings (6-7in/15-18cm apart, each way). With these growing tips under your belt, the resulting homegrown cloves should be absolutely top-notch size. 22 OCTOBER 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING
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Your
GARDENING WEEK
with Lucy Chamberlain, AG’s fruit and veg expert produce the biggest yields, so plant these first, using up the smaller ones as needed. ■ Use a trowel to plant the cloves rather than pressing them into the earth. Place each 2in/5cm deep (more on light soils). ■ Add a standard topdressing of dried poultry pellets in mid-February or early March, to further boost bulb size. ■ Autumn plantings will mature earlier than spring counterparts – so look to lift the individual heads during late May/early June.
Try these easy garlic-growing tips ■ It’s especially important to plant autumn garlic on free-draining soils to avoid winter waterlogging. Use raised beds on heavy plots. ■ Only break whole heads into individual cloves just before planting, taking care not to damage the basal plate. ■ The largest cloves are likely to
Plant garlic in free-draining soil
Try these top garlic varieties Thegarlicfarm.co.uk
Lucy’s picks
The largest garlic cloves produce the biggest yields
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Lucy’s corner
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I f your autumn raspberries are still producing fruits, throw some horticultural fleece over the row(s) to prolong the harvest period. Medlars, quinces and late-maturing apples and pears are best left on the tree for as long as possible, but harvest them before the first frost. Instead of leaving celeriac in the ground for winter, lift, defoliate and store in boxes of damp sand in a shed. Mend broken panes of glass to conserve greenhouse heat, and put wire mesh caps over downpipes to stop leaves causing blockages. If your potted fruit trees are congested and struggling in their containers, relinquish their roots by planting them in the garden. The free root run will let them thrive.
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‘Extra Early Wight’: This hardneck variety will bulk up quickly to produce a harvest of white-skinned bulbs in May or early June. It produces flower spikes (scapes) for gourmet foodies. Being a hardneck variety, its storage potential is reduced.
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‘Germidour’ AGM: This wellknown softneck variety was given an RHS AGM back in 2004. The storage life is impressive, with plants producing bulbs that are mainly white with attractive purple streaks. It has a pleasant mild flavour.
Top tip
Prune potted chilli plants (inset) before overwintering in a greenhouse
PROVIDED they’re healthy and pestfree, compact chilli plants can be easily overwintered. You just need a well-lit, frost-free spot, secateurs and a careful watering regime. First, choose your variety wisely, as some are more suited to overwintering than others. Very hot varieties from true perennial species (e.g. Solanum pubescens, S. chinense, S. frutescens etc) are frequently most successful.
Only overwinter potted fruits, not those in beds. Prune back slightly to fit your greenhouse, reduce watering so compost is barely moist and stop feeding plants during winter. Leaf fall is normal so don’t be alarmed. In early spring, dislodge from the pot, remove some of the old compost and repot into new. Gradually increase watering and feeding. Prune back dead stems to where new growth is seen.
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‘Elephant’: This garlic is actually a type of bulbing leek. The cloves are mild tasting and impressively sized. Plant them in autumn to give yourself the best chance of growing absolutely monster cloves – well over a kilo in weight isn’t unheard of!
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Next week: Focus on herbs, change greenhouse soil, harvest early purple sprouting broccoli, wrap up half-hardy plants for winter, grow black crowberries.
Try worm composting
Worm composters come in various shapes, including ‘beehives’
gradually and continually removed as the worms migrate upwards, and this material is added to the garden. The worm compost generated is nutrient-rich and great for improving soil structure.
Why not try..?
Protect carrots in soil If you haven’t got space in the freezer, you can easily insulate these essential roots in your garden for pullings all winter long. Here’s how:
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Step by step
(usually coir) and wormery worms, known as ‘tiger worms’. These aren’t the same as garden worms, so don’t try making a wormery with them (tiger worms like living in compost, whereas garden worms prefer soil). As the weather cools, I’ll move my wormery into the greenhouse to prevent it freezing, and in summer heat it’s best to position your wormery bin in shade. Worms live initially in the lower bedding, then you add garden waste to the upper layers and encourage them to move up into it. The old bedding and developing ‘vermicompost’ (worm casts) are
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If your carrot roots have reached full size, then the foliage has completed its job and can be removed (leave it in place if the yield is still small). Cut off most of the top growth and compost it – just leave a ¾-1in (2-3cm) stalk so you can locate individual roots.
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Speaking from experience, digging carrots out of a frozen soil is not fun! Lay down an insulating material to prevent the soil from freezing. Straw is traditionally used but if you don’t have any you can use layers of newspaper or cardboard sheets.
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Your insulation material will need holding in place to stop it blowing away. Straw can be pinned down using a sheet of fine mesh netting. Cardboard and newspaper can be weighted with bricks. Then access the roots as and when needed.
to ensure that it’s still accurate. Paraffin and gas heaters can produce water vapour and other emissions when the fuel is burnt, so you must offer some ventilation when using them. Ensuring the fuel is fresh, and that any wick is intact and working, are the key tasks. After these checks, you can have the reassurance that your more delicate plants are safe in their hands. Provide ventilation if using a paraffin heater
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Prepare your greenhouse heater IF you plan to overwinter frost-tender edibles in your greenhouse, such as ginger, lemongrass, citrus and chillies, then a heater is essential. Make it a priority to check it’s in good working order now, before we get severe chills. Electric heaters are increasingly popular due to their relative safety and lack of by-products. They can be more costly, but will last many years. Mine isn’t driven by a thermostat, so it’s just a case of turning it on and ensuring the various heat settings work. Those of you with a thermostat will also need to calibrate it against a thermometer
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AT this time of year, grow-your-owners have a lot of garden waste. Some might go into your green waste bags, and, if you haven’t got room for a compost heap to house the rest, this is the ideal time to consider a worm composter. The receptacles, often termed unfavourably, ‘bins’, are the size of a traditional galvanised dustbin, so they can fit neatly onto the most compact of plots. I’ve owned one for years (mine is in the shape of a beehive) but if you’re new to wormeries, many companies offer starter kit. Essentially this will be a wormery bin, plus the starter bedding
Chenopodium giganteum or tree spinach
Chenopodiums MANY gardeners are familiar with fat hen (Chenopodium album) as a weed in their garden, but did you know it was edible? Wilted down while young and tender, it makes a delicious and vitamin-rich green side dish. There are others in the tribe, too, that could certainly adorn your dinner plate. C. nuttalliae, otherwise known as huauzontle or Aztec broccoli, is equally vigorous and tasty, as is C. giganteum or tree spinach. This latter species has the added advantage of the shoot tips being cerise in colour, which makes it a great ornamental plant, as well as a veg in its own right. All these annuals enjoy a position in full sun, and a fertile soil will yield bigger harvests. The key is to keep pinching them out – this encourages generous quantities of soft, palatable sideshoots (plants otherwise become woody with age). Come late summer abundant seed is produced – collect this for next year, rather than letting it fall, to prevent the ‘weed’ characteristics from establishing. 22 OCTOBER 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING
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Yew hedges make the perfect backdrop to borders, highlighting summer flowers well. And pleached trained hornbeams are a classic choice for a formal layout
Why plant a hedge?
Hedges make great boundaries, they’re ornamental and are good for wildlife, so what’s not to like? Camilla Phelps looks at which shrubs and trees make good hedging plants
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HEN it comes to garden boundaries, hedges are worth the time and effort. They are a long-term plan that will reward you with green garden walls that give you privacy, are wildlife friendly and, if you plant wisely, they will become a stunning feature in their own right. Hedges are also the most practical solution if you want to create a windbreak – you can say goodbye to blown-down fences as hedges are very effective at filtering wind. They can be good for added security, particularly if you choose thorny specimens such as Prunus spinosa that have a dense network of thorny stems. And if you’re looking for a strong design feature, hedges offer plenty of options. Dividing gardens into ‘rooms’ Plant a classic evergreen like yew as a formal backdrop for a colourful perennial border. Use traditional hornbeam hedging to divide a garden space into ‘rooms’. And don’t just think of hedges as growing from the ground up – a tall hedge of pleached or standard trees is a great way to screen unsightly buildings or views. 24 AMATEUR GARDENING 22 OCTOBER 2022
But it’s not all about the foliage – there are evergreen hedges that also have summer flower interest, like elaeagnus with tiny, scented blooms, or cherry laurel. Many flowering shrubs and trees can be grown as hedges, such as camellias, Prunus cerasifera ‘Nigra’ or lavender for a lower-growing option. If you want to create a wildlife haven, a
Escallonia ‘Apple Blossom’ makes a bushy flowering hedge
mixed hedge of native trees and shrubs, such as hawthorn and dog rose, will give you flowers and fruit, too. This has the added benefit of providing food and shelter for birds and insects – and you might even be able to harvest some of the edible fruits for your kitchen. Fast-growing hedges If you’re considering planting a hedge, don’t be put off by the fact that it takes a few years to establish. There are fastgrowing shrubs, but do avoid Leyland cypress that can put on 3ft (1m) of growth a year. It doesn’t offer any benefits to wildlife, takes nutrients from the rest of the garden and there are many mismanaged leylandii hedges that have grown out of all proportion and are hard to restore or remove. Far better to look at an alternative evergreen like escallonia, which is easier to maintain and will establish quite quickly.
Where to buy Hopes Grove Nurseries hopesgrovenurseries.co.uk ✆ 01580 765600 Hedges Direct Hedgesdirect.co.uk ✆ 01257 494 085 Burncoose burncoose.co.uk ✆ 01209 860316
All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited
6 evergreen hedges
Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’ This compact, dense yew has a natural, upright, narrow habit, and it has become a popular choice for a smaller yew hedge. Slow-growing, young plants will grow 6-12in (15-30cm) a year and can be pruned to create a medium-sized hedge that is good for creative topiary. HxS: 12-20x8-12ft (3-6x2.5-3m).
Ligustrum ovalifolium Privet is a mainstay of urban front gardens, a provider of privacy and definer of boundaries. These are tough plants, and although they are semi-evergreen, they retain their leaves in sheltered areas. The small, fragrant, white flowers in summer are good for pollinators. Pictured is L.o. ‘Aurem’. H&S: 10ft (3m).
Prunus lusitanica AGM The Portugal laurel is a great choice for tall, evergreen hedging, with glossy leaves and stems tinged with red. It’s a tough, hardy hedging plant, with a mix of wildlife benefits – the white early summer flowers are followed by berries much loved by birds, but the leaves will keep the deer away. HxS: 50x33ft (15x10m).
Griselinia littoralis AGM Also known as New Zealand privet, this has larger, glossier leaves than traditional privet. It has an RHS Award of Garden Merit for its reliability and attractive qualities as a good hedging plant. Mulch around the roots to retain moisture while the hedge is establishing. Good for coastal gardens. HxS: 16x20ft (5x6m).
Elaeagnus x submacrophylla ‘Gilt Edge’ AGM Oleasters make attractive hedging plants, and this variegated version adds light and movement with the golden trim to its dark, evergreen leaves. Good for sunny or part shady areas and coastal gardens, its tiny summer flowers smell wonderful. H&S: 5-6ft (150-180cm).
Quercus ilex The evergreen oak, also known as holm oak, is a huge tree unpruned, but can make a good evergreen hedge. It’s good for coastal areas. With dense glossy foliage it can be used as a formal feature and it works well for topiary pruning, too. Best for full sun and most soils except heavy clay. H&S: 40ft (12m).
Rosa ‘Blanche Double de Coubert’ AGM Plant dog roses as an informal and ornamental flowering hedge or include in a mixed wildlife hedgerow. This will give you a tough, thorny boundary, with scented white flowers through the summer and rosehips in winter. Attractive to birds nesting and pollinators. HxS: 4-7x3-5ft (120-210x90-150cm).
Crataegus monogyna The common hawthorn is sometimes referred to as quickthorn. It has beautiful flowers in early summer, followed by edible berries or haws that can be made into jams or wine. It supports birds, insects and mammals and its thorny habit makes it a good choice for a secure boundary. HxS: 30x25ft (9x7m).
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Forsythia x intermedia ‘Spectabilis’ Often grown as a solo shrub, but when planted as a hedge forsythia makes a stunning spring display. A good choice for an urban boundary, as it is easy to grow in tough locations and suits most soils and aspects. Once established it needs just an annual trim after flowering. HxS: 8-10x10-12ft (240-300x300-360cm).
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3 for an edible hedgerow
Corylus avellana Plant a classic hazel hedge and you can grow your own supply of hazelnuts. Good as part of a mixed native hedgerow, or as a single species, hazel is a great choice to encourage and support wildlife. The attractive foliage also makes it a good feature for a garden. HxS: 12-20x12-15ft (3-6x3-5m).
Malus sylvestris The wild British crab apple can be used as a hedging plant in a native hedgerow-style mixed planting. It has a long flowering season with wonderfully fragrant pink blooms followed by autumn fruits that have been traditionally used for jelly and jam making. Suitable for most locations and is very low maintenance. HxS: 13x26ft (4-8m).
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Prunus spinosa Blackthorn is the source of sloe berries that look like small damsons and are good for adding to gin. It will tolerate most soil types, and is also fast growing. It needs minimal pruning, just to keep its shape and is best pruned after the fruits have been picked in winter or early spring. HxS: 8-13ft (2.5-4m).
Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea’ If you’re looking for a highly ornamental pleached hedge, the rich-purple foliage of purple beech is a winner, both in spring as the new leaves unfurl and through summer and autumn as they mature. Although deciduous, the spent foliage stays on the trees so you can maintain your privacy through the winter. HxS: 60x40ft (18x12m).
Photinia x fraseri ‘Red Robin’ AGM A popular hedging plant, sometimes overused in public spaces, this is a great choice as a pleached specimen. The glossy evergreen foliage with bright-red spring growth gives yearround interest and by using it in pleached form this provides a striking high hedge. It suits most soils and is fast to establish. H&S: 13ft (4m).
Tilia x europaea ‘Pallida’ With leaves unfurling earlier in the season, this variety of lime offers longer interest as a hedging plant. It’s popular for pleaching as it does not produce suckers, and is quick to establish in most settings. Pleached hedging is a great solution for screening and creates a strong visual focal point. H&S: 50ft (15m).
Carpinus betulus AGM The European hornbeam is a slowgrowing tree that makes a classic hedge. When pleached, it offers elevated screening with foliage providing seasonal interest right through the year as the young, textured leaves mature from bright green in spring through shades of autumn to winter brown. H&S: 40ft (12m).
Frequently asked questions When should I prune my hedge? HEDGES need pruning just after planting and then annually to develop and maintain the structure and shape you want. The timing depends on whether you are maintaining evergreen, deciduous or wildlife hedging. With any new hedge formative pruning should be done in the winter months that follow planting, or for evergreens, in early spring. Once established, you can introduce a summer maintenance prune, to refine the shape and structure. For mature wildlife hedges, it’s better to prune over winter, leaving any fruits for birds, and to avoid disturbing potential nesting sites. Formal evergreen hedges should be pruned so they are narrower at the top, in an ‘A’ shape, to allow light and moisture to reach the bottom of the hedge. To get a dense, vigorous hedge, prune just above the previous year’s growth.
Prune wildlife hedges over winter, once hips or berries have disappeared
How do I plant a hedge? YOU can order whips (young hedge saplings) ready to plant. Dig a trench 3ft (1m) wide for a double row or 2-2½ft (60-75cm) for a single row. Add well-rotted compost and mycorrhizal fungi. Position the whips 1ft (30cm) apart along the trench, fill and firm in. Trim whips by half to encourage new growth at the base. For the first few years water and weed young hedges. For a more ‘instant’ option, buy mature hedging plants, usually in pots, that will take less time to establish. Tall or pleached specimens are usually supplied with a framework to train them. Pleaching is a method of training trees to produce a narrow screen or hedge by tying in young shoots along a Whips are supplied as framework. bare-root plants in the dormant season
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TI Archive
4 shrubs for pleached hedges
Crocuses signal the arrival of spring. Goblet-shaped, striped crocuses look particularly cheery when planted in grass and allowed to spread freely
Crocuses are one of the best bulbs to plant in the lawn
Enjoy spring
crocuses
Crocuses bring colour to spring and can be planted in lawns, borders, under trees or in containers. Camilla Phelps offers her selection of the best for all options
Many species and cultivars Crocuses grow from corms, rather than bulbs – the main difference being that they don’t have scaly layers and fleshy leaves. The grass-like foliage of crocuses has an attractive signature silver stripe up the centre and these leaves remain after the flowers have 28 AMATEUR GARDENING 22 OCTOBER 2022
faded to capture energy for the next growing season. There are many species and cultivars to choose from that originate from a wide geographical area, but most crocuses require well-drained soil and sunlight – Avon bulbs recommends at least half a day in full sun. A few, such as the Tuscan varieties, are better for damp soil and can cope with some shade. Crocus colours The most common crocuses are the larger Dutch hybrids that tend to flower later, while Crocus tommasinianus varieties are among the best for naturalising in grass. But if you get the crocus bug, there are many species to collect – some of which might require a bit more cossetting in a greenhouse. Typical crocus colours range from white through to yellow, purple and orange, and these look pretty and
jewel-like all mixed up together. But for a spring wow factor, they need to be planted densely and in quantity – whether it’s a bowlful of a striking singlecoloured crocuses for a table display, or a carpet of crocuses in the lawn. Planting depth Crocuses are best planted in late autumn before the first frosts. Whether planting in the ground or in pots, the depth for the corms is about 4-6in (1015cm) deep. If you want crocuses to naturalise in grass, the most effective way is to lift the turf, plant the corms and replace the turf. The deeper you plant the corms, the harder it is for hungry squirrels and mice to pilfer them – or you can cover the bulbs with wire mesh. Yet aside from the corms themselves, crocus flowers will provide plenty of food for wildlife as early pollinators will flock to their vibrant blooms.
Where to buy Avon bulbs avonbulbs.co.uk Farmer Gracy farmergracy.co.uk
Peter Nyssen peternyssen.com Rare Plants rareplants.co.uk
All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited
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HEN the first crocuses appear you know that spring is just around the corner, so why not plant some now, as winter looms, to give yourself something to look forward to? We can always make room for crocuses – they are great for planting in lawns, borders, under trees and shrubs or in containers, and they are guaranteed to bring a burst of welcome colour at the end of winter. The earliest flowering crocuses come into bloom from February onwards, making both the perfect accompaniment and successor for other early flowers such as snowdrops, daffodils and anemones. They will also naturalise once planted in the ground and you can watch your crocus collection multiply and spread with each year.
9 gorgeous crocuses 3 yellow
Crocus x luteus ‘Golden Yellow’ AGM This vigorous hybrid has dark, almost orangey-yellow flowers, with a darkmaroon strip. It looks great planted in borders, as long as the soil is well drained – add grit to prepare the planting area and it will naturalise over time. H: 4-6in (10-15cm).
Crocus chrysanthus ‘Dorothy’ A more petite and subtle yellow crocus than the vernus, this is bred from Crocus chrysanthus, which is also known as the snow crocus. The light-yellow blooms of this cultivar first appear in late February, and it will naturalise in borders and under shrubs. H: 4-6in (10-15cm).
Crocus etruscus ‘Zwanenburg’ The flowers of this crocus are pale lilacblue purple, with the outsides washed silver or biscuit-brown with faint purple veining. This is another northern Italian crocus that will happily naturalise and looks good at the front of a border. With larger open blooms, these look good at the foot of trees or shrubs. H: 4in (10cm).
Crocus tommasinianus ‘Ruby Giant’ This is an odd name for a diminutive flower. The tommasinianus species, also known as ‘tommies’, originate in the woodlands of eastern Europe, so tolerate some shade. Good for naturalising in the right conditions, they spread by seed. Flowers early in spring and is good for pollinators. H: 4in (10cm).
Crocus vernus ‘Pickwick’ This Dutch hybrid is a classic spring crocus. The slightly larger corms produce a few flowers each and can be planted deeper, which helps protect them against squirrels. Good planted en masse, or among other varieties of crocus. It has a slightly later and longer flowering season, blooming well into March. H: 5in (12cm).
Crocus tommasinianus ‘Barrs Purple’ This crocus is a bright shade of purple that really comes into its own when the flowers open in the spring sunshine. The light mauve petals have a satiny sheen that gives elegance to these classic goblet-shaped flowers. Being a ‘tommie’, this is a reliable returner and good for naturalising in grass. H: 4in (10cm).
Crocus tommasinianus ‘Lilac Beauty’ Another early flowering ‘tommie’ with very pale-purple petals and brilliantorange stamens at the centre of the fluted blooms that appear from February. It looks great when planted with a mix of snowdrops and winter aconites in pots or borders, for example. H: 4in (10cm).
Crocus vernus ‘Flower Record’ With brilliant and very rich deep-purple fluted blooms, this is great for planting in among lighter shades of yellow and white – try combining with some of the smaller daffodil varieties such Narcissus ‘Tête-à-tête’. Best planted in smaller groups of three or five, but equally good forced for indoor displays. H: 5in (12cm).
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Crocus vernus ‘Yellow mammoth’ This Dutch crocus is great for the front of a border, grouped under shrubs or small trees, or spreading through meadowy lawn edges. Larger than many of the species crocus, the large golden-yellow flowers appear from March-April. H: 4-6in (10-15cm).
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Peternyssen.com
3 white crocuses
Crocus chrysanthus ‘Snow Bunting’ AGM A brilliant-white crocus, this heirloom bulb is a classic choice for naturalising in grass. Plant en masse for a vivid and elegant display in early spring. To plant into a lawn, peel back an area of turf and scatter the corms, letting them fall naturally. Then roll the turf back over. H: 4in (10cm).
Crocus vernus ‘Jeanne d’arc’ One of the so-called Dutch hybrids, this is the largest white-flowering crocus, with blooms appearing from late February onwards. It makes a stunning display on its own, or among the emerging leaves of later flowering bulbs. It’s good for naturalising. H: 4-6in (10-15cm).
Cotswoldgardenflowers.co.uk
Crocus chrysanthus var. fuscotinctus This heirloom species appears in February with blooms of goldenyellow, goblet-shaped flowers, tinged with dark-bronze and purple. Try planting these in window boxes to enjoy these subtle markings up close and enjoy the sweet fragrance. H: 4in (10cm).
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Crocus tommasinianus ‘Yalta’ A striking but subtle twotone crocus, with pale outer petals and a deeppurple centre, this hybrid ‘tommie’ is one of the larger crocus flowers for early spring. Easy to grow, it looks fantastic naturalised in grass or at the front of borders planted under shrubs. H: 4-6in/5-10cm.
Hayloft.co.uk
4 bicoloured/multicoloured crocus
Crocus ‘Herald’ Thought to be one of the earliest crocus to flower, it appears from late January. The elegant pale-yellow centres are offset by the deep-plum outer colouring making a real impact growing en masse, or as a single planting in a container or windowbox. H: 4-6in (5-10cm). Crocus ‘Orange Monarch’ With tiger-bright orange petals veined in purpleblack, this combination reflects the colouring of the butterfly it’s named after and is the first true orange crocus to be bred. Blooming very early in spring, this is good as a solo planting for container displays. H: 4-6in (5-10cm).
Crocus chrysanthus ‘Ard Schenk’ A white bulb with a splash of brilliant-yellow at the heart of the flower that adds to the glow when the blooms appear in early March. These look fantastic planted in full spring sun. Plant bulbs in groups of two or three, about 3-4in (8-10cm) deep in gritty, well-drained soil. H: 3in (7.5cm).
Frequently asked questions
The filaments that grow inside Crocus sativus produce the spice saffron Crocus tommasinianus naturalises well in grass
Will my crocuses return next year? CROCUSES are perennial and can be relied upon to return year after year. They will also multiply successfully, either by setting seed or spreading underground. Once established, crocuses tend to come into flower a little earlier each year, so you can factor this into your seasonal planning. If leaving crocuses in the ground to naturalise, don’t cut the lawns too short or too early in the season. Leave the foliage to die back naturally, as it will generate energy from the spring sunshine to feed and store in the corms below ground. In autumn, water, feed and mulch your crocus patch, to boost their blooming potential the following spring. Larger, established clumps can be divided when dormant – you can store the corms in a dry place and replant the next autumn.
Is saffron crocus the same as autumn crocus? WHILE the saffron crocus, Crocus sativus, does flower in the autumn, there are other autumn-flowering crocuses. Crocus speciosus produces bright blue-purple flowers with a yellow base in the autumn, and Crocus kotschyanus AGM also flowers in autumn and both should be planted in midsummer. While colchicums look very much like crocuses, and are often referred to as autumn crocuses, they are a different botanical genus altogether – they don’t have the distinctive striped, grassy leaves of true crocuses and the flower has a different number of stigmas at the centre. The saffron crocus is highly prized for the three red stigmas inside the flower, which are hugely valuable. Saffron corms should be planted in late summer and early September. Harvest the stigmas early in the morning to dry and store for use in many recipes. 22 OCTOBER 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING
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Tulips like ‘Sanne’, a pretty Triumph type, provide great impact
How to
This week... Tulips
GROW WITH GRAHAM RICE
For a wide range of colours and a variety of shapes, choose tulips as your spring flower It’s almost time to plant tulips, and for a vibrant splash of colour you can’t go wrong with a grouping of the lily-flowered ‘Ballerina’
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All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited
ULIPS are distinctive, easily recognised spring flowers that develop from bulbs about the size of a small onion. Each bulb produces a vertical stem from 6-26in (15-65cm) tall carrying oval leaves, mainly towards the base of the stem and becoming smaller higher up. A few varieties have prettily marked foliage. Each stem is topped by a goblet or cup-shaped flower usually made up of six petals that can be rounded, pointed, fringed or reflexed. The three outer petals may be marked, splashed or coloured differently from the inner three. Some tulips have multi-petalled double flowers while a few varieties produce more than one flower at the top of the stem. Reliable spring colour Tulip flowers come in all colours except true blue, including almost black, and in some especially colourful varieties the petals may be streaked, splashed or striped in contrasting shades. Some are scented, and most make long-lasting cut flowers. Tulips provide reliable spring colour in any sunny place in the garden, although they may not always be long-lived, and are especially attractive grown in containers with other spring flowers.
Fringed tulip ‘Cummins’ brings a stylish addition to pots in late spring
Where to buy De Jager dejager.co.uk & 01622 840229 Peter Nyssen peternyssen.com & 0161 747 4000 Pheasant Acre pheasantacreplants.co.uk & 01656 664 086 22 OCTOBER 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING
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Three kinds of tulips
Tulips can helpfully be divided into three groups, according to how they are used in the garden. Kaufmanniana tulips suit a rock garden situation
Rock garden tulips Rock garden tulips are dwarf varieties, usually not more than 12in (30cm) tall, and are ideal in rock gardens, raised beds, window boxes and troughs. Some have leaves that are attractively striped in dark, smoky purple. Rock garden tulips can be left in place for a number of years and will usually flower well.
Tulip ‘Grand Perfection’ is a stylish Rembrandt type ideal for bedding
Tulipa sylvestris naturalises well and carries scented golden flowers
Bedding tulips Most tulips come under the heading of bedding tulips and will thrive in any good soil in full sun. They are planted in late autumn, flower in the spring and then may, or may not, bloom again the following year.
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Most spring-flowering bulbs are best planted in early to mid-autumn, but tulips are an exception in most climates. The main problem with growing tulips is a fungal disease called tulip fire. It gets its name from the fiery reddish colouring that develops in the leaves as it infects and kills the plants. Delayed planting reduces the chances of infection. Tulips prefer a sunny situation and almost all prefer soil that is
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34 AMATEUR GARDENING 22 OCTOBER 2022
well-drained, although a few wild tulips prefer soil with more organic matter and this will be noted on the pack. When planting tulips in containers, use fresh, moist potting mix and raise the containers on pot feet to ensure that drainage is good. Wet potting soil will kill your tulips.
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Ensure to plant tulips in free-draining soil in full sunshine
TI Archive
When to plant tulips
Wild tulips These are tulips that you can leave in the ground permanently and will spread steadily and bring colour year after year. Some enjoy sun and well-drained soil, others prefer more humus-rich conditions.
How to
GROW WITH GRAHAM RICE
fringed edges often in a different shade. Late spring. 14-26in (35-65cm). Viridiflora tulips: Flowers green, or green striped with a brighter shade. Late spring. 14-26in (38-55cm). Rembrandt tulips: White, yellow or red flowers striped or feathered. Late spring. 18-26in (45-65cm). Parrot tulips: Flowers unevenly striped in contrasting colours. Late spring. 14-24in (35-60cm). Late double (Peony) tulips: Fully double flowers, in white to purple colours, some bicolours. Late spring. 14-24in (35-60cm). Kaufmanniana tulips: Dwarf varieties, often with multicoloured flowers and maroon leaf markings. Early-mid spring. 6-12in (15-30cm). Fosteriana tulips: Mid-height varieties in red, yellow or white. Mid spring. 14-18in (38-45cm).
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Why are there no flowers on my tulips? IF planted in the right situation, newly bought tulips are pretty much guaranteed to flower – the embryonic flower bud is already formed inside the bulb when you plant it. However, plant in wet soil or in the shade and your tulips may flower feebly – or not at all. Tulips that have flowered well in the past and have been left in the ground may fail to flower because the bulbs
Lift and dry tulip bulbs, then replant the largest for next year’s display
TI Archive
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Greigii tulips: Dwarf varieties in reds and yellow, often with maroon leaf markings. Early-mid spring. 6-12in (15-30cm). Wild tulips: Relatively dwarf varieties to naturalise in the rock garden or in grass. Late winter to late spring. 4-14in (10-35cm).
Solving problems with tulips
How to propagate tulips
After digging up and drying off your tulips in early summer, the smaller bulbs can be grown on for a season to fatten up and develop flowersoil buds. Ensure to plant in free-draining in Choose a sunny, fertile but well full sunshine drained site and plant the bulbs 4-5in (10-12cm) deep and 6-8in (15-20cm) apart in rows in late autumn. From early spring onwards, irrigate in dry spells and fertilise with an all-purpose plant food every two or three weeks until the foliage starts to show signs of dying off. When the foliage has turned brown, dig up the bulbs and dry them off. In late autumn, plant the fattest bulbs for flowering the following spring. Tulip experts sometimes grow wild tulips from seeds, but the young bulbs take years to develop to flowering size so this approach is not recommended for most gardeners.
Late double tulip ‘Lilac Perfection’ has long-lasting flowers on shorter stems
did not build up the necessary reserves the previous year. Feeding will help, and remember never to cut back the stems and leaves until they have turned brown. If you dug up your tulips, dried them off for summer storage and then replanted them, the smaller bulbs may well not bloom and will need an extra growing season to build up reserves and form a flower bud.
Plants infected with tulip fire become distorted and die
THERE are two main problems that can spoil your display of tulips. Badly drained soil will encourage the roots and bulbs to rot, and if the soil becomes waterlogged at any time of year your display will be ruined. The only solutions are to improve the drainage before planting again, or to plant your tulips in another site. The other problem is the disease tulip fire. This fungus disease creates red colouring in distorted leaves as it kills both bulbs and foliage. Tulip fire infects the foliage as it emerges in the autumn and this is the key to its prevention: plant late to reduce the chances of infection.
Apply a water-soluble fertiliser, such as Miracle-Gro All Purpose
22 OCTOBER 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING
TI Archive
Early single tulips Dwarf to mid-height varieties in many colours, often flecked or streaked. Early-mid spring. 14-18in (35-40cm). Early double tulips Fully double, often streaked in another colour. Mid-spring. 12-16in (30-40cm). Triumph tulips: All colours, often edged or streaked in other shades. Mid-late spring. 14-24in (35-60cm). Darwin hybrid tulips: Often very bright flowers tinted or edged in a different shade. Mid-late spring. 20-28in (50-70cm). Single late-flowering tulips: Most colours, often with contrasting edges. Late spring. 18-30in (45-75cm). Lily-flowered tulips: Elegant flowers with elegant reflexed petals. Late spring. 18-26in (45-65cm). Fringed tulips: Most colours, but with
TI Archive
How to choose tulips
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Ask
JOHN NEGUS
John will reply personally to all your gardening questions Autumn is a good time to move most shrubs and trees, including witch hazel
Phycomyces nitens often colonises bird droppings
Unusual fungus
Q When should I move a witch hazel?
Q
I planted a witch hazel in February this year. I now believe that I planted it too close to the fence and I need to move it forward by 3ft (90cm) or so. Can I move it now or should I leave it until spring, after it has flowered? Steve smith (via email)
A
Now, or in November, is the best time to relocate your Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Arnold Promise’. The soil is still ‘summer warm’ and your charge will re-establish before temperatures plummet in winter. Start by digging a trench around the tree, about 18in (45cm) from the trunk, to expose the roots. Cut through large roots, but leave fibrous roots intact. Ultimately, unearth the entire root system. Then, pivoting the rootball to
one side, then the other, enclose it in heavy-gage plastic to stop it from drying out. Next, dig a hole the same depth as the rootball and twice as wide. ‘Implant’ the rootball so that it’s at the same depth as before. Incidentally, you may need another person to help you move the tree. If you do, secure a pole to the trunk so that both of you can lift it. Finish by watering liberally to ensure that roots are in close contact with the soil.
This strange plant is growing under the bird feeders where seed has fallen. What is it? Maureen Watson (via email)
A
The curious fungus in question is a primitive species called Phycomyces nitens. The name alludes to its hair-like structure. Usually seen colonising dog and other animal faeces, it is probably growing on bird excrement. It is not harmful and doesn’t infect plants. I suggest that you remove it and compost it. Groundbugs are plentiful in the UK and don’t harm plants
Why have my potted hollies died?
Q
Future
Can you please tell me why my two holly bushes growing in ceramic pots have suddenly died? Jean Breen (via email)
What are the bugs?
All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited
A
I am sorry that your hollies, which were planted in ceramic pots last year, have died. There are many reasons for a plant expiring: drought, waterlogging, vine weevil attack and disease being among them. I am wondering about the size of pots chosen and whether there are adequate drainage holes. If there are, did you cover them with crocks or pea shingle to ensure that they have not become clogged? Vine weevil larvae chew and kill roots. I suggest that you ease your
Q
My garden has been invaded by these small insects. Do you know what they are and if they do any harm? Sandra Baxter, Lincolnshire
Waterlogging and pests can kill potted holly trees
plants from their containers and carefully examine their root systems. If you see small creamy grubs with brown heads, they are vine weevil larvae and may be the culprits.
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The creatures appear to be a kind of groundbug. There are 91 species in Britain and Ireland, and they are seldom harmful to plants. Yours could be a colony of European chinch bug (Ischnodemus sabuleti). As it’s rarely seen, I urge you to refrain from controlling it with a pesticide as it will feed other creatures. 22 OCTOBER 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING
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Ask
JOHN NEGUS
John will reply personally to all your gardening questions
Wildlife-friendly ways to beat the slugs Beer traps and wool pellets are safe ways of preventing slug and snail damage
Quick questions & answers
Q
Future
I have planted a persicaria under my magnolia where it is now in flower, but someone told me it’s a weed. Should I keep it? Margaret Pagett (via email)
Q
Our garden is on the west coast of Scotland and we have a problem with slugs and snails. We don’t want to use chemicals, so what are the best wildlife-friendly deterrents? Audrey Maceachen (via email)
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There are several substances to deal with slugs and snails that won’t harm garden wildlife, but will help keep plants safe. I urge you to control them using beer traps, nematodes, garlic, sheep’s wool, prickly leaves and growing plants that slugs abhor: Nematodes: Also called eelworms, they are microscopic creatures inoculated with a toxin that kills slugs. Nemaslug is the trade name for this remedy. Ideally, apply it every six weeks with a watering can fitted with a coarse rose. Slug tape: Made from copper, it encircles pots and other containers.
Slugs hate crossing it. Serrated copper snail tape, flexible tape, copper rings and copper bands also halt their progress. Slug Gone wool pellets and wool matting are also effective in keeping the slimy brigade at bay. All three products are available from Green Gardener: & 01493 750061, 8 greengardener.co.uk. Also try: Garlic spray: Choose from several internet recipes. Prickly leaves: Mature and hard holly leaves keep molluscs from softstemmed plants, as do slate chippings. Woolly leaved plants: Plants such as nepeta are normally shunned by slugs. Beer traps: Fill a plastic carton with beer and place it in the soil with the lip just above ground level. Slugs and snails fall in and drown but beneficial beasties such as ground beetles are kept safe by the raised lip.
When will our pears finally ripen?
Q
I have a great crop of large pears, although I don’t know the name. They are rock hard, but unless I pick them the blackbirds will have them all. How do I ripen them? Perpetua McArdle (via email)
Some pears stay hard and unripe for several months
A
I am sorry that birds are devouring your ‘rock-hard’ pears before they have ripened. The best way to protect them from birds and help them mature and develop full flavour is to enclose each fruit in a greaseproof bag. It’s a tedious job, but worth it. Check fruits periodically to check how soft they are becoming. When they yield to light pressure, harvest them and fully ripen 38 AMATEUR GARDENING 22 OCTOBER 2022
them off indoors in a cool place. Unfortunately, some pear varieties are not ready for eating until late in the season or even into the New Year.
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There are many species and varieties of persicaria that are ideal for colonising and enriching sunny and shady, wet and dry parts of the garden. Most quest freely and have to be kept in check.
Q
I wondered what this was on a leaf so took a photo. Any idea? Maggie Stephens (via email)
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This is a harlequin ladybird pupa. Though adults prey upon our native species of ladybird, they also consume aphids and other tiny pests so they are not ‘enemies’ in the truest sense of the word.
Q
Our roses were eaten by what looked like caterpillars. Will they survive? Bob Seymour (via email)
A
They could be rose sawfly caterpillars but your roses won’t be irreversibly damaged and will produce new foliage in spring.
Contact John Negus by email address below Email: amateurgardening@futurenet.com Bulbs are hardy and early shoots will survive
Future
Rowan trees can be cut back and pollarded, and it won’t ruin their shape
Fears for shoots
Q Q
We have a ‘Joseph Rock’ mountain ash tree that needs pruning, but I’m concerned that if we cut too much off it will lose its elegant shape. What would you advise? Roz Bareham, Salisbury, Wiltshire
A
Mountain ash, also known as rowan, can be cut back every few years. We have one, too, and I effectively pollard it, cutting each of the branches back to 1-2in (2.5-5cm) of its point of origin. The new growth retains the tendency to grow upwards as straight stems, which can only be induced to branch by cutting their tips out – and even then the branching is very insignificant and just grows upright! So if you did feel you needed to
prune it I don’t think you would need to worry about losing the shape. If you simply wanted to bring the height down a bit you could cut the tips out of each branch. An alternative would be to remove one or two branches down to within 1-2in (2.5-5cm) of their point of origin, and if you were to do this to different branches every year you could probably keep the tree at a smaller height. You may also need to remove suckers appearing from the base of the trunk.
How to propagate begonias from seed
Q
How do I propagate begonia seeds? I have a heated propagator. Judith Haigh (via email)
A
I suggest that you sow your begonia seeds in February, germinating them in a heated propagator at a temperature of around 19ºC/66ºF. Mix seeds with fine sand and sprinkle them onto the surface of a pot or seed tray filled with seed compost, to which you have added, by volume, Begonia seeds should a quarter part perlite for extra drainage. Carefully be sown in February water them in. When seedlings are about 1/2in (13mm) high, prick them out 2in (5cm) apart and grow them on in good light and warmth. Set them outdoors in a border, bed, patio pot or hanging basket when frosts finish in early June.
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It’s good to hear that you’ve planted irises, muscari, crocuses, daffodils and alliums to cheer spring. They’ve appeared earlier than usual because it has been unseasonably mild. If it turns very cold and frosty, and new leaves are well developed, protect them with fleece. Pleasingly, most spring-flowering bulbs are resilient to dramatic changes in the weather and are rarely harmed by a sudden drop in temperature.
Winter calla care
Q
How do I overwinter my calla lilies? I have grown them successfully for the first time and I have no idea what to do with them now. Andrea Hook (via email)
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Future
Should we prune our mountain ash?
I planted lots of spring bulbs recently (iris, muscari, crocus, daffodils and alliums) and some of them have started sprouting. What should I do? Katie French (via email)
Assuming that your calla lily is growing in a container and is still Overwinter calla lilies in relatively young, a frost-free greenhouse overwinter it in an unheated greenhouse, transferring it to a warm, sunny spot outdoors when the risk of frosts has passed. If you don’t have a greenhouse, cover the crown – basal buds and lower parts of leaves – with a 4in (10cm) layer of chipped bark to insulate roots from frost. Also, wrap the pot in bubble plastic to stop compost from freezing. 22 OCTOBER 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING
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Ask
JOHN NEGUS
John will reply personally to all your gardening questions
Looking after aloes
When can I plant perennials?
Q A
Is this a type of aloe vera and, if so, how do we care for it? Andrew Coxhead, Warminster, Wiltshire
A
Future
The best time to plant shrubs and perennials depends on the weather conditions and soil structure of your garden. If early frosts and prolonged spells of freezing weather are likely, or if your soil is heavy and prone to waterlogging, then you are probably wise to leave planting until spring. However, although we are coming to the time when top growth is slowing towards winter dormancy, root growth often continues well into December. The advantage of planting now is that plants still have six or eight weeks of root growth available when they can start to make themselves at home in their new surroundings, and this will be really beneficial when they come back into growth in the spring. Lilies are best planted in autumn. Ideal conditions are a south-facing, slightly sloping site in sun or partial shade. Any ordinary garden soil should be fine, but some lilies prefer alkaline soil and others struggle where there is lime in the soil.
Q Future
We have moved to a new house and want to add some perennials and lilies to the garden. Is autumn a good time to do so? Bob and Marie Hill, Faversham, Kent
Perennials can be planted in autumn, and lilies can be grown in pots if your soil is heavy clay
Lilies benefit if their soil is enriched with leafmould or well-rotted compost. Heavy clay soils should have coarse grit worked into the planting area. If the soil is particularly wet or prone to sitting wet, then it might be worth mixing grit into the soil for back-filling as well as into the base of the hole to aid drainage. Alternatively, you could back-fill the hole with a lighter mix of multi-purpose compost and soil to improve the conditions immediately around the bulb.
Aloe veras are not fully hardy and need winter shelter
The mystery plant appears to be an aloe and, in common with other aloes, it is not frost hardy. I suggest, therefore, that unless you have a very sheltered, sunny garden, virtually free from frost, you overwinter it in, ideally, a heated greenhouse. If it’s unheated, erect a framework of canes over it and drape them with several layers of fibre fleece when temperatures plummet. Insulate potted bananas with fleece before winter
What is this unusual plant?
Q
Future
Please could you identify this plant that grew from a wild seed mixture? Marian Kloet (via email)
Banana advice
Q
How do I look after my potted Musa basjoo banana plant in winter? Sarah Howe (via email)
A
The mystery plant appears to be Amaranthus cruentus. A native of South and North America, where it has existed for at least 4,000 years, it’s an annual whose nutritious seeds are feasted upon by a wide range of birds and other animals. Unfortunately, it is not hardy in the UK and, if you wished to grow it again, you would have to sow it in a heated greenhouse in March and transplant it to a bed or border when frosts finish. Alternatively, consign seeds to a prepared sunny patch in mid-May, or as soon as night temperatures are well above zero. 40 AMATEUR GARDENING 22 OCTOBER 2022
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Amaranthus cruentus is an annual that produces edible seeds
Cut away the leaves of your banana plant so you’re left with the trunk, then wrap the pot in bubble insulation and/or horticultural fleece. Mulch the surface of the pot with well-rotted manure or an insulating layer of straw. However, make sure you can still water your plant during very dry spells because bananas have fleshy roots and it may take time for the plant to get going again in spring if they dry out. Then stand the plant on feet and set it somewhere sheltered outside or in a greenhouse.
WORDS OF WISDOM From Amateur Gardening’s historic 138-year-old archive
This extract from AG 2 August 1975 looks at wild plants that are ancestors of many vegetables
The sand leek (Allium scorodoprasum) is found mostly in sandy places and on wasteland in northern England and southern Scotland
Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) with yellow flowers and Wild carrot (Daucus carota) with white flowers flowering on cliff top grassland in Dorset
Vegetables with a pinch of salt Tony Venison looks at the seashore weeds from which many of our cultivated vegetables are derived, including cabbages, carrots, parsnips and leeks
T
HERE’S more for the gardener on holiday at the seaside than the band on the prom playing ‘tiddly-om-pom-pom’. If you are planning to visit a seaside resort, why not take the opportunity to become acquainted with some of the ancestors of our better-known vegetables? Not the droopy lettuce leaves (do they never have hearts?) dished up by boarding-house landladies (do they never have hearts?), nor the frozen peas that perpetually appear at meal times. What I am referring to are the wild plants that grow on sand dunes and cliffs around our shores. Scruffy seashore weeds Vegetables such as beetroot, seakale and cabbage had their origins in scruffy seashore weeds. Centuries ago man discovered that they were edible, and cooked or stewed them with his meat. Later he took to cultivating them, selecting the finest and improving their quality until these vegetables attained the forms we know today. Asparagus is another native of coastal
42 AMATEUR GARDENING 22 OCTOBER 2022
Wild asparagus can be found growing in coastal habitats such as cliffs, sand dunes and shingle beaches
regions and for that reason we dress its beds in gardens every winter with agricultural salt. Whether this practice is really beneficial now seems doubtful. Certainly, wherever I have found asparagus growing in its wild haunts on the Dorset coast and in parts of Cornwall, it appears to relish its regular drenchings with salt sea spray. Shoots of wild asparagus are not really fat enough to cut for cooking, but watch for them on rocky cliff slopes in the south-west. A much more plentiful plant, found on
From the wild cabbage Brassica oleracea our garden forms of greens were developed
mudflats and foreshores, is the common beetroot (Beta maritima), the leaves of which were gathered and eaten by fishermen until the present century. It is from this plant that our modern varieties of garden beetroot have been bred. Two wild forms exist – one with purplish-red roots and leaves, and the other with yellowish-green colouring, not unlike the herb good King Henry (Chenopodium bonus-henricus) to which it is related. Anyone who has let their beetroot run to seed will recognise the 2ft (60cm)
All Future
But pride of place must be given to the cabbage tribe, for almost wherever you go within the sound of the waves Pungent fennel you should find one or two of their wild Another wild vegetable similar to the ancestors, especially the commonest, carrot, but unmistakable because of its Brassica oleracea. This is the parent of pungent, spicy smell, is fennel. In herb gardens it grows 3-6ft (1-2m) tall, though all our cultivated brassicas, including the only half this height in its wild state. Look cauliflowers, Brussels sprouts, kales and broccoli. Not that you will be able to for it on the south coast, particularly on recognise the wild plant as any of these, chalk slopes along the edge of the though its flowers should give you a clue Downs. Its flat-topped heads of for they are yellow yellowish-green and typically like flowers appear in those of a cabbage. August, but its The leaves have a leaves can be seen familiar blue-grey before this. A sprig hue about them, of fennel boiled too. The cabbage with fish turns an has been cultivated ordinary cod cutlet for a long time. In into a dish fit for fact, the brassica a king. family must include Wild parsnip one of our oldest (Pastinaca sativa) Illustration from John Gerard’s The Herball known vegetables lives along inland or Generall Historie of Plantes 1597 for the Saxons hedgerows as well depicting the legend that geese named the month of as among scrub by were born from barnacles February after one the shore. Its flat of them, calling it ‘Sprout-kale’. heads of small yellow flowers are not Closely related to the wild cabbage is unlike garden parsnips run up to seed. the seakale (Crambe maritima) and this I The Romans are said to have cultivated am sure you will recognise for it is not parsnips, the word parsnip coming from very different from cultivated forms. the Latin pasco, meaning ‘I feed’. Those visiting the shingle and rocky Wild leeks are easily recognised shores in the south-west will have the by their smell when bruised and are most chance of seeing it. At one time distinguished from wild onions by their young seakale shoots used to be flatter leaves. Those in the Channel blanched under the sand and then Islands stand the best chance of finding cooked and eaten by villagers. them, Allium ampeloprasum, while the We owe the modern popularity of sand leek, Allium scorodoprasum, is seakale largely to the Lambeth gardener found on more northern shores.
Sea beet (Beta maritima) is a quite common seashore ancestor of our presentday beetroot and spinach
and botanist William Curtis, who wrote an enthusiastic pamphlet about its cultivation around 1790. Before that time, seakale was very seldom grown. ‘Vegetable goose’ A more mysterious seaside plant that was recorded many years earlier by the English herbalist John Gerard in 1597 was the ‘vegetable goose or barnacle tree’. Though a plant of the imagination rather than of reality, its existence was believed in by Scottish fishermen well into the 17th century. The legend arose because certain migratory geese appeared in winter and had no known breeding grounds, but on the shores of the Western Isles of Scotland, where these birds congregated, were found pieces of timber and tree trunks encrusted with a type of shellfish called barnacles. When the tide was up, these barnacles extended their feathery feelers of cirri in the water. Superstitious fishermen thought that these feelers were the plumage of young sea birds that lived inside the seashells. This solved the problem of where the geese came from and so the legend of the ‘vegetable geese’ grew. n AG accepts no responsibility for the consequences of any plants foraged and subsequently eaten after reading this article. The photographs on these pages are not intended as a guide to identification.
All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited
flower spikes of these plants. Another vegetable whose ancestors inhabit our sandy seashores is the carrot (Daucus carota). Again, two forms exist, one having fleshier leaves than the other, but neither has roots thick or tender enough for cooking. Why bother about these weeds when we now have much better garden strains of vegetables? The answer is that scientists and plant breeders are now turning to the wild species to reinvigorate our weaker cultivated varieties. Ask yourself which plants survive in an uncultivated garden: the weeds, every time! It is also hoped that certain desirable disease-resistant features can be transmitted from the wild species to garden varieties.
The views, information and opinions expressed during this series of extracts from past issues of AG are solely those of the individuals involved, at the time they were written, and are not necessarily relevant or even legal today. Please treat these pages as a look back at how things were done in the past and not necessarily how they are done today. AG accepts no responsibility if readers follow advice given in these articles from past issues. 22 OCTOBER 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING
43
A gardener’s
MISCELLANY
Gardening’s king of trivia and brain-teasers, Graham Clarke
Apple lore and customs We look at traditions behind the humble apple
WE are, of course, well into the applepicking season. AG regularly covers the best apple varieties to grow for this purpose or that taste, as well as the best way to plant, grow and prune apples. But rarely do we devote much space to the folklore surrounding apples, or their customs, rituals and, yes, even
superstitions. So, I thought I would now! There are dozens, nay hundreds of localised customs and rituals concerning apples, going back many hundreds, nay thousands, of years. This is, in part, because the apple has played a hugely important role in the economy of those areas where it was, and still is, grown.
Summer christening!
Halloween apples
TRADITIONALLY, apple orchards were, and still are, ‘christened’ or ‘blessed’ between the end of June and the end of July. Often, such services take place on St Peter’s Day (29 June) or St James’s Day (25 July). If it rains on St Swithin’s However, the most common day is St Day we can expect Swithin’s Day (15 July). For most of us, if 40 days of rain it rains on this day, we should expect 40 days of rain. But for the apple grower, rain on that day is said to ensure that the apples will keep well through the winter. In some parts, St Swithin’s Day is even known as Apple Christening Day. It is said that if you eat an apple before it is blessed, you will become ill. Many who have suffered from eating unripe apples will, no doubt, agree with that!
HALLOWEEN is just a week away, and there are lots of apple associations: Celtic offerings: as far back as 400BC, the Celts offered apples (and Apple bobbing other fruits), to the gods at the change of the season, around the end of October. This was also believed to temporarily open the barrier between the living and the dead, which is how Halloween ghosts and ghouls originated. Canadian prairies: until just a few decades ago, kids here didn’t say “trick or treat” on Halloween: they yelled “Halloween Apples!” Apple bobbing: this entails placing apples in a water-filled bowl, or hanging them on a string. The object of the game is to bite or retrieve an apple without using your hands. And then, of course, there are toffee apples!
Why we go a-wassailing!
All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited
An apple orchard in Somerset
ON a cold January night three years ago, I was invited to take part in an ancient pagan ritual. I’m talking about wassailing – the annual custom to wish good health on fruit trees, to encourage good cropping. It’s usually celebrated on 17 January (Twelfth Night in the old Julian Calendar). In old British cider orchards, a lot of noise would be made to frighten off evil, and the largest apple tree would have cider thrown over its trunk. Part of the festivity I went to included singing to the trees – before we were given the cider! We recited the incantation: “Here’s to thee, old apple tree, That blooms well, bears well. Hats full, caps full. Three bushel bags full, An’ all under one tree. Throwing cider over Hurrah! Hurrah!” an apple tree
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great apple varieties containing the names of counties
‘Flower of Kent’ (cooking apple)
‘Devonshire Quarrenden’ (dessert apple)
‘Herefordshire Russet’ (dessert apple)
‘Norfolk Royal’ (dessert apple)
‘Sussex Mother’ (dessert/cooking apple) 22 OCTOBER 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING
rvroger.co.uk
This week it’s:
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A gardener’s
MISCELLANY JUST FOR FUN
An apple a day…
AG’s Garden Wall Juice
Segment
Turnover
ORCHARD
Zest
Joe-Pye
Marmalade
GROVE
Keith
Bobbing
Knap
It’s time for our just-for-fun puzzle – AG’s Garden Wall. This wall comprises 12 bricks in three courses. Each brick has a different word, or phrase on it. The first brick in each course, with BLOCK capitals, is cemented in place and cannot be moved. Just rearrange all the other bricks, so that the four words in each course of bricks are linked. There are three different
PICKEREL ORCHARD GROVE
No: 085
PICKEREL
connections to look for, one for each course. You may find that some words have more than one connection to other courses, but there is just one correct answer. You’ll either find this puzzle fiendishly difficult, or incredibly easy! Answers below. Hint: In one of the courses, the bricks are all connected with apples.
Answers: PICKEREL (pontederia) = Joe-Pye (eupatorium), Keith (RHS President), Knap (centaurea) (all may be followed by ‘weed’); ORCHARD = Juice, Turnover, Bobbing (all may be preceded by ‘Apple’); GROVE = Segment, Zest, Marmalade (all may be preceded by ‘Orange’).
WIN £30
Word search
No: 643
This word search comprises N A P P L E E I P D words associated with apples. E F O L K L O R E E They are listed below; in the grid they may be read across, E L C U S T O M S N backwards, up, down or diagonally. Letters may be W I S G T O E A R E shared between words. O A R A N C N L E T Erroneous or duplicate words may appear in the grid, but L S G E U I I U D S there is only one correct solution. After the listed words L S T A R T K S I I are found there are seven A A S R U O S O C R letters remaining; arrange these to make this week’s KEY H W E E F F O T O H WORD. G N I P M U R C S C APPLE FOLKLORE HOW TO ENTER: Enter this week’s keyword on the entry form, and send it to AG Word Search No 643, Amateur Gardening, Future CUSTOMS CHRISTENED Publishing Limited, Unit 415, Winnersh Triangle, Eskdale Road, Winnersh, RG41 5TP, to arrive by Wednesday 2 November 2022. CIDER The first correct entry chosen at random will win our £30 cash prize. COOKING HALLOWEEN This week’s keyword is........................................................................................... MALUS Name......................................................................................................................... PIE Address..................................................................................................................... SAUCE SCRUMPING ................................................................................................................................... SKIN Postcode................................................................................................................... SOUR Email.......................................................................................................................... TART TOFFEE Tel no......................................................................................................................... Future plc, publisher of Amateur Gardening, will collect your personal information WASSAIL solely to process your competition entry. 46 AMATEUR GARDENING 22 OCTOBER 2022
…keeps the doctor away! Doctors would encourage us to eat more fruit, and one apple every day is hardly excessive. Apples are a good Eating an apple – good or bad? source of roughage. They’re full of vitamins, too, and are good for digestion. However, eating an apple a day to keep your teeth healthy is only partially recommended. Eating a crisp apple will clean teeth, but the acid in the juice has a detrimental effect on tooth enamel. Ideally, clean your teeth after every apple. The above item has not been sponsored by the toothpaste industry!
Historical gardening event of the week: 23 October, every year THIS is International Mole Day! It Mole Day matches occurs every the equation 23 October, from 6:02am to 6:02pm – precisely! Now, are moles actually bad for a garden? They eat all kinds of grubs and insects, both good and bad ones, so their eating habits cancel each other out. The most significant reason for thinking of them as a pest is their tunnelling, and the resultant ‘hills’ that can really mess up a garden. But these tunnels can also assist drainage, so in some situations they can be beneficial. Whether moles are good to have around or not, really depends on what you want from your garden! But why is there such a thing as International Mole Day? Well, it has nothing to do with the little black furry mammal. It’s all about science. Chemists measure the amount of a substance in a unit called a ‘mole’. It’s a convenient way of counting atoms. It allows chemists to make predictions about the masses of different substances that are involved in reactions. One mole is the ‘Avogadro’ number of particles (atoms, molecules, ions or electrons) in a substance, defined as the equation 6.02 x 1023. Er… Whimsically, physicists think of Mole Day as being from 6.02am to 6.02pm, 10th month, 23rd day! Those guys!
Crossword
Love apples… THIS was, of course, the old name for tomatoes (because they were thought to have aphrodisiacal qualities). However, Peel an apple to find out who you’ll marry real apples have also been associated with love: In the West Country, girls would throw an apple pip in the air, and the wind would deposit it in the direction of their future love’s house. To make it come true(!) they also had to chant the words “North, south, east and west, tell me where my love doth rest!” In Scotland, a girl would peel an apple in one long strip, and then toss the peel over her shoulder. The way it landed would reveal the initial of the one she would marry. To find out if their sweethearts were true, girls would place a pip on the fire and say the words: “If you love me, pop and fly. If you do not, lay and die!” Girls would sometimes place a large apple under their pillow, to encourage dreams of their sweethearts.
...just for fun!
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Wow! I didn’t know that... Apple trees, as with many other trees and shrubs, can flower out of season. Sometimes a tree will have blossom in September, while fruits are still hanging from it. Be warned – this was said to foretell of a death in the family! In olden times, rotting apples were used to cure styes, chilblains and even smallpox. It is not documented as to how effective they were! In days past, adults invented ‘spirits’ to discourage children from stealing apples off the trees – in other words, scrumping. In Somerset, the spirit was known as Lazy Lawrence, while in Yorkshire it was called Awd Goggie. When I was a kid, being told of spirits like this would make the act of scrumping even more exciting!
ACROSS 1 Fruity subject of this week’s Miscellany! (5) 3 Injury, such as is sustained by a plant when it has been pruned, resulting in some people applying a _____ paint or sealant to the cut surface (5) 7 Some types of mountain, or a particularly tricky rock garden, could be said to be this as they can’t be scaled! (11) 8 Strain of soft, cane fruits (Rubus fruticosus x idaeus), named after a Scottish river (10) 9 Ceremony, usually in January, conducted to bless the forthcoming year’s 1 across crop (10) 13 Small genus of bushy, succulent shrubs, closely allied to euphorbia, which includes the Japanese poinsettia and bird plant (11) 14 Wheat ear sorted by crying them! (5) 15 Gardeners’ Question Time is on this medium! (5)
DOWN 1 In general, insect stages include egg, larvae, pupae and ____ (5) 2 Genus of evergreen ground-covering perennials, related to box, and grown for their leaves and greenish white flowers in late spring (11) 4 Fruits, such as 1 across, should be put into storage only if they are this! (11) 5 A cultivar of both (decorative) dahlia and variegated phormium – according to two singers! (4) 6 This head of state in some Islamic countries is also a variety of cantaloupe melon! (4) 10 TV’s Mr Titchmarsh! (4) 11 Cultivar of Iris ensata, with much enthusiasm and vigour! (5) 12 Diplocarpon rosae is the fungal disease that causes black ____ on roses (4)
ANSWERS TO ABOVE CROSSWORD
Rotting apples as a cure?
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ACROSS 1 Apple 3 Wound 7 Unclimbable 8 Tayberries 9 Wassailing 13 Pedilanthus 14 Tears 15 Radio
Apple blossom blooming in March
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1: “If apples bloom in March, For fruit you may search.” 2. “Till St Swithin’s Day [15 July] is past, The apples be not fit to taste.”
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KEYWORD TO WORD SEARCH 638 (17 September):
NOVEMBER AND THE WINNER IS: JOHN AVES, CHORLEYWOOD, HERTS
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22 OCTOBER 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING
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Steve & Val’s
TRIED & TESTED Anvil secateurs
Steve and Val Bradley put six models to the test
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ECATEURS are basic gardening tools, usually taken along whatever the intended job may be. They serve every purpose, from deadheading to pruning, and a good pair will last for years if they are well maintained. Two types of secateurs Bypass: the cutting blade moves past a lower, curved blade that is fixed in
position. Sometimes referred to as a ‘half-anvil’, the method of cut is a scissor action where the two surfaces pass closely and anything trapped in between is cut. These have been around for more than 200 years Anvil: a single cutting blade is pressed down onto a flat surface (or ‘anvil’) and anything trapped between is cut. These types originated in Germany around 100 years ago. One thing that is immediately
Kent & Stowe Anvil Secateurs £29.99*
Corona ComfortGEL Pruner £21.99*
Score
Performance
Darlac Expert Anvil Pruners £16.00* Score
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/15
These Eversharp angled secateurs are mainly metal with ash inserts in the handles. Inside the handle are rubber inserts acting as shock absorbers and a conical (volute) spring for tension. A locking catch slides to open or close the secateurs, making them suitable for both right and left-handed users. There are settings for fully open or part open, for pruning different-sized stems. The upper blade is made from high-quality carbon steel with a protective ‘Eversharp’ coating. At the base of this blade is a notch to lock material in place. The lower blade has serrated margins with the cutting blade fitting between them. Comes with a 10-year guarantee.
Get a ‘feel’ first Whenever you buy secateurs, hold them for weight and test the opening, closing and locking mechanism for ease of use. Some secateurs may open too wide for your grip or snag your hand as they close. Others may be too light for your needs. Secateurs are designed for regular and sometimes extended use, so they need to be right for you otherwise
Score
12 Features
noticeable is that many of these secateurs have a locking catch suitable for both left and right-handed gardeners, while bypass types tend to have separate models for each.
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Features
Described as dry and deadwood pruners and available through Burgon & Ball, these straight secateurs have steel handles with a non-slip gel layer. Shock absorbers are integrated into the handles behind the conical (volute) spring mechanism and the locking catch is on the shoulder of the anvil blade. The high carbon steel cutting blade has a non-stick coating and is offset from the centre of the anvil, so it’s easier to see where cuts are made. The metal anvil is riveted onto the lower blade and has a sap groove as well as serrated margins with the cutting blade fitting in between them. Comes with a 10-year guarantee.
Performance
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Features
Part of Darlac’s Expert range, these straight anvil pruners are made from drop-forged aluminium with plasticcoated handles. A black metal central pivot bolt has a screw and key mechanism for adjustment and maintenance. Tension is via a conical (volute) spring between the handles. A black metal locking catch on the lower handle has two settings, fully open or part open, for pruning different-sized stems. The high carbon steel upper blade is coated for rust resistance and smooth cutting. The anvil blade has a recessed ‘sap grove’ to reduce the amount of sap getting into the moving parts.
These secateurs can be set to fully or part-open, which is useful for thin stems. Felt bulky and heavy to use, unsuited to smaller hands. Locking and unlocking was a two-handed job with small hands.
The shock absorbers tend to pinch small hands, so wearing gloves is advisable. The blade soon needed sharpening after cutting through dead wood. Locking and unlocking was fiddly, needing two hands. Handles felt sticky.
Performance
Specifications
Specifications
Specifications
Overall length 22.5cm, blade length 4cm, handle length 12cm,cut capacity 2cm, weight 0.35g. 50 AMATEUR GARDENING 22 OCTOBER 2022
Overall length 22cm, blade length 5cm, handle length 12cm, cut capacity 2cm, weight 0.20kg.
Good balance and a two-position catch for large or small hands. Clean cuts on both live and dead stems, but the locking catch needed adjusting before it would work every time. Overall length 22cm, cutting blade length 5cm, handle length 12cm, cut capacity 2cm, weight 0.257kg.
working will be awkward and your hand will ache afterwards.
cutting starts to reduce strain on the blades, and on the wrist and fingers.
Cut from the base Anvil secateurs have a single cutting blade, so it is essential that it is kept clean and sharp. This helps to avoid crushing and bruising plant stems as they are trapped between the blade and the anvil during the cutting operation, as damaged tissue is open to attack by fungal spores. One mistake often made when using secateurs is to cut with the tip of the blades. The stem being cut should be positioned at the base of the blades as
Easy to see As well as the size, weight and cutting action, it is also worth noting the colour of the secateur handles, as the brighter the colour the better, particularly for busy or absent-minded gardeners. White, red and orange are all much easier to find if they are dropped or put down while gardening. Green or black may not be found again until winter. We tested six different models of anvil action secateurs, from six different suppliers to see how they compared.
Stihl PG 25 Anvil Secateurs £29.99*
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Amateur
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Wolf-Garten Anvil Secateurs £17.80*
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ST BU BE
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Spear & Jackson Anvil Secateurs £11.66*
The six anvil secateurs on test
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Features
These ‘Medium’ slightly angled secateurs consist of moulded plastic handles with a layer of dark soft-grip material added for extra comfort. There are shock absorbers inserted into the insides of the handles, with the spring mechanism housed just behind them. A blue plastic locking catch slides backwards and forwards to open or close the secateurs, making them suitable for both right and left-handed gardeners. The blades are made from carbon steel alloy and the upper cutting blade has a PTFE coating for rust resistance and smooth cutting. The anvil blade is riveted into a steel housing and has a recessed ‘sap grove’ and serrated margins to allow for better grip. Comes with a 10-year guarantee.
These angled secateurs have moulded plastic handles with the upper handle having a layer of soft grip material for comfort. A locking catch slides backwards and forwards to open or close the secateurs, making them suitable for both right and left-handed gardeners. The blades are made from steel alloy and the upper cutting blade has a non-stick coating, as does the housing for the lower blade and the sections of blade that fit into the handles. The metal anvil on the lower blade is screwed into a blade housing and is offset to give a better view when making cuts. Comes with a 10-year guarantee.
The body of these straight secateurs is made from highly polished pressed steel with the handles coated in orange plastic with protrusions at the top of the handles. The upper (cutting) blade has a non-stick coating and is fitted into the lower handle, held in place with a pivotal screw. The lower (anvil) blade is made from forged steel and held in place with a double headed screw. Just behind this is an ‘L’-shaped locking catch fitted to the lower handle for opening and closing the handles and blades. When the secateurs are in use, the lower blade travels forward as it cuts, so the upper blade cuts with a sliding action rather than a pressing one. Replacement parts are available for these secateurs, which carry a twoyear domestic warranty.
Performance
Performance
Features
Struggled with hard, dead, woody stems, cutting blade tends to ‘gum up’ on sappy stems. Small blade.
Worked well on dry stems, soon gummed up on soft, sappy ones. Better size for small hands and catch can be worked single-handed, but no finger stop so it was easy to slip towards the blade while working.
Specifications
Specifications
Performance
Overall length 20cm, cutting blade length 4cm, handle length 10cm, cut capacity 1.5cm, weight 0.21kg.
Overall length 19cm, cutting blade length 4cm, handle length 10cm, cut capacity 2cm, weight 0.25kg.
These are no frills, good-quality, sturdy, hard-working secateurs. Produced good clean cuts. The shaped finger notch on the handle gives good grip.
Specifications
Overall length 20cm, cutting blade length 4cm, handle length 10cm, cut capacity 1.5cm, weight 0.26kg. *Available from numerous gardening outlets and online
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All prices correct at time of going to press and may vary at garden centres
Features
Ask
ANNE SWITHINBANK
Alamy
Masterclass on: Creating a white winter moon garden
Multi-headed Narcissus ‘Tresamble’ flowers in spring
We are gradually tidying our moon garden by deadheading and cutting back the cosmos and sweet peas. This roughly circular bed resembling a full moon can then be edged and set up for winter and spring
Anne’s top tips
Evergreen Daphne odora f. alba has fragrant white flowers
White options
Alamy
Annuals like this Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Psyche White’ last until the first frosts if propped up, deadheaded and trimmed. They attract bees and hoverflies to a white garden.
By the light of the moon Q
We planted a white border in spring to look good by day and by the light of the moon. We planted summer-flowering bulbs, such as dahlias, anemones, ranunculus and gladioli, plus seeds for summerflowering annuals and perennials. How can we keep the look for winter? Francesca Howell, Ipswich, Suffolk
I’m glad you are moving your white border into the winter. There’s a balance to be had between a few permanent anchor plants (perhaps trees, shrubs and a sprinkling of perennials), with gaps for bulbs and annuals. A moon garden can mean a space enjoyed by the light of the moon, and/or planting according to the phases of the moon. This topic is based on a belief that when the moon is increasing or waxing, plant sap rises to benefit leafy growth, the sowing of annuals and crops above ground. After a full moon as it decreases or wanes, sap is drawn down, energises root growth and is good for starting root crops and long-lived plants. My daughter made a moon garden last spring and
Senecio cineraria ‘Silver Dust’ is a white-garden winner. Next year sow into containers in May, transplant seedlings to pots, plant out and they’ll grow quietly in the background waiting for an autumn reveal.
If you have existing clumps of snowdrops and know where they are, lift some, divide the bulbs, set them 4in (10cm) apart and replant. Or wait until February to plant from pots or in the green.
Plants for a white winter garden PLANT a white-stemmed birch (Betula utilis var. jacquemontii) if you have space. Track down white-flowered Lenten hellebores (Helleborus x hybridus) even if you have to buy them in bloom. Marble-leaved arums (A. italicum ‘Pictum’) put up shiny, white-patterned arrow-headed leaves all winter. A lime-tolerant white winter heather such as Erica x darleyensis f. albiflora ‘White Perfection’ would do well. White-stemmed Betula utilis var. jacquemontii
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Alamy
All photographs John Swithinbank/Future unless otherwise credited
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we’ve been enjoying the fragrance of white tobacco (Nicotiana alata) and night phlox (Zaluzianskya capensis ‘Midnight Candy’) on summer evenings. First, edge and tidy the area by removing spent annuals, and when frost has killed their foliage decide whether to lift and store dahlias or, in milder areas, mark their positions and leave them in. In our white garden plants of Senecio cineraria ‘Silver Dust’ are making clumps of silvery foliage. These are available in the winter bedding sections of garden centres. Choose clippable silvery-leaved evergreens such as Santolina chamaecyparissus or Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Silver Ball’ to plant out or pot up, with containers raised for drainage. Evergreen Daphne odora f. alba has fragrant white flowers instead of the usual pink. You can add white-flowered bulbs such as dainty multi-headed Narcissus ‘Tresamble’ to flower in spring. Winter bedding is an obvious choice and you might find punnets of whiteflowered bellis, violas or pansies to plant. They do well in autumn, but take a break in cold or wet winter weather.
Your hard surfaces will shine in winter moonlight, so top up white-coloured shingle and sweep or scrub silvery paviors so they shine.
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Your
LETTERS TO WENDY At the end of the drought…
Then came the rain: as the torrent gushed through the water butt taps, Robert had another technique to maximise his water collecting
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WIN £20
A takeaway
Star letter could get rid of it. I was going to have to refit the downpipe. I can say with some conviction that attempting this job with water gushing out of the pipe is not recommended if you want to stay dry (and I was already soaked to the skin). I did think though, after the downpipe was refitted, that I had gone above and beyond the call of duty in my efforts to save water and I decided to call it a day! Robert Hinchcliffe, North Lincolnshire
Moth traps are lethal to blue tits
Reader Material unless credited
Thank you for all your gardening-themed poems. Marilyn Wellman from Taunton, Somerset, writes about the antics of visiting birds and the joy that they bring...
My outside space is a wonderful place, Wild birds visit each day. They argue and fight all with their might, To pick up a takeaway. I leave out a treat for them to eat, And though this may sound absurd, I have sparrows and tits who eat the most bits – And even a grape-eating blackbird. .
FTER what seemed like a never ending heatwave and drought this summer, I was determined that when the rain did finally come, I would save every drop I possibly could. So when the weather forecast promised thundery downpours I rushed to the garage and gathered up every receptacle I could find to maximise the water collection. The next day, steady rain soon turned into a deluge! I was soon outside, filling various small containers via the water butt taps, emptying some onto the garden before going back for refills; I was getting a bit wet but it was worth it. Then I had an even better idea. If I removed a section of downpipe from the gutter (one that did not feed into the water butts) I could put my three large tub trugs underneath and they would soon fill up. Once done, there was a steady stream coming out into the trug and I was quite pleased with myself. When I next looked, however, the steady flow had turned into a torrent – this was maybe working too well! Sure enough, in no time at all the last trug was overflowing. I tried to bail it out using a smaller trug but it was no use, the water was flooding in faster than I
DEAR John and Ruth, you suggested a pheromone moth trap from Agralan for capturing the male moth and preventing the plums being eaten. However, the one suggested is absolutely lethal to the blue tits who try to get the male moth from the trap and end up smothered in the glue. An alternative one is a cup and cap sold by 8 Dragonfli.co.uk and it’s both pleasing to the eye and safe for our feathered friends. Having bird feeders in the garden and a good water supply to encourage our little feathered friends into our gardens, is good as a deterrent, they will pick off those pests in no time. Andrea Farrell Wendy says Thanks Andrea. The pheromone trap you mention has entry holes that are only big enough for moths. The pheromone lures for the trap are available for plum fruit moth, codling moth as well as other moth caterpillar pests
The Castellastion Pheromone Trap, 8 Dragonfli.co.uk
Wagtails abound, they vacuum the ground They will only eat from the floor. Starlings eat fast as if each peck was their last, They drop more than they eat I am sure. If a wash is their wish there’s always a dish, Or a bird’s bath to do as they please. To drink or to clean and then away to preen, Nor far just up in the trees. It’s just my bit to keep them healthy and fit, As they live their life every day. The joy they bring with the songs that they sing, Saying thank you in their own special way. Mrs Marilyn Wellman
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Hats off to Diana, for her amazing red, white and blue baskets this summer
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Baskets of fun
Busy Lizzies are still going strong. All my plants are grown on the patio in pots, it’s much easier for me as I’m disabled. I have a long patio so I’m very lucky. It was a struggle to keep them watered in the drought this summer with the hot winds as well. We love our plants and us gardeners don’t like to see our plants suffer and wilt! Diana Eastwood
IT WAS so sad about the passing of the Queen. I am sending a few pictures of my red, white and blue display for the Jubilee year. That’s me, sitting under the hanging basket! I sowed a packet of cosmos seeds and now in September, they have only just started to flower, it’s so late. My
A catalogue of catastrophes
Jane’s hydrangea has been through the mill and still looks beautiful
I WANTED to share with you a picture of this hydrangea, not just because it looks spectacular but because I tried very hard to destroy it! I’ve had an epic struggle growing things this year. First it was the weather, then it was a variety of rodents, then it was snails, then it was escaping goats and sheep and the pony. Not to mention the grandchildren marauding with the toy chainsaw! The hydrangea has been hacked to SAVE using too much compost when filling your window boxes, baskets, and containers with winter bedding. Put in a good layer of broken up pieces of polystyrene into the base of the pots first then fill with the compost. You can reuse the polystyrene the following year by just giving it a good wash. Ann West, Eye, Suffolk
the ground, partially dug up and poisoned – wish everything was as resilient. Jane Pridham, Deancombe, Devon
Future
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Add broken pieces into the base
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TOBY BUCKLAND Plantsman and BBC gardening presenter
Toby’s trivia manomano.co.uk
Now’s the time to harvest all the good compost at the bottom of your heap
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A draw fork, a tool that’s a cross between a rake and fork with tines bent at a right angle, takes the effort out of pulling a compost heap apart. Add it to your Christmas list! Fast-moving orange centipedes are a favourite food of robins
Robin reliance
Robins are highly territorial and will fight to retain control of a garden
When it comes to turning the compost heap, you can rely on the fact that you’ll make friends with a robin, says Toby
All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited
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HE compost heaps at Buckland Castle have been crying out for attention for months. In fact, they’re so tall with the straw-like remains of drought-battered plants that they resemble the thatched home of a Hobbit. But it’s not Bilbo and his nefarious Middle Earth mates I’m worried will move in. As temperatures drop, compost heaps become a magnet for hedgehogs, slowworms, mice – you name it, all looking for a cosy place to spend winter. That means now is the last chance to harvest the good stuff at the bottom without disturbing their winter slumber. Then there’s the practical point that it will also free up space needed when the big autumn-leaf clear-up begins and the real possibility of making a new feathered friend. Whenever you dig over soil, move pot plants, or do anything that exposes worms and insects to the sunlight, it isn’t long before you’re saying ‘hello’ to a robin.
“My robin has a penchant for centipedes”
Pull apart a compost heap, and you and the robin will go from nodding acquaintances to best mates in minutes, all thanks to the rich pickings of proteinrich insects forked to the surface. My robin (Geoff, since you’re asking) has a penchant for fast-moving orange centipedes. They’re not easy to catch, but if I can grab them before he gets his beak in, they’re the one food that Geoff will eat straight from my hand. Robins are brave birds and will fight to the death to protect gardens over which they’ve laid claim. They are fiercely territorial and I’ve even heard of robins latching onto gardeners. A friend of mine
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Robins thrive on high protein foods. If you can’t catch centipedes, buy mealworms – robins love ’em. called Pam has one that flies in and out of her house. After checking every room, both upstairs and down, he settles on Pam’s dinner plate and helps himself to food that takes his fancy. Centipedes, you’ll be astonished to hear, aren’t on the menu, but what Burt does enjoy is sweet potato! I’ll get the recipe and run it by Geoff. Honestly, who knew?
Emptying the compost heap WHEN breaking apart a compost heap, the idea is to switch the stuff from the top to the bottom and empty the rotted ‘good stuff’ from the bottom for use on the garden later. Build back with a 1ft (30cm) layer of dry remains in the base – they keep the lower layer airy – then a layer of lawn clippings or green leafy shreddings (they add nitrogen). I bung in cardboard boxes in layers, too, watering them with a hose until they’re soft, repeating until the last layer of nearly rotted remains goes on the top.
Recycle your cardboard boxes by shredding them and adding to your compost heap
22 OCTOBER 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING
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