AmateurGardening 21april2018

CUTTINGS: BES T TEC H N IQ U E S
● How to take them

● to care for them
How
t kit for the job ● Get plants for free!
● Righ
BEST PRACTICAL ADVICE SINCE 1884
Ways to be an eco-gardener
27
Take
dahlia
cuttings
On test:
sowing
seed tools
Dramatic
Dahlias!
Best dark-leaved
varieties for impact
How to grow garden pinks — Anne’s top tips

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21 APRIL 2018
Jobs for this week

4 SPRING CUTTINGS SPECIAL
Best techniques for taking softwood and basal cuttings
6 DAHLIAS – FROM SEED AND CUTTINGS

How Ruth makes more plants from spring shoots
7 CITRUS CARE IN SPRING

Get your fruit trees ready to move outside
8 DIVIDE ALPINE CUTTINGS

Pot-on last summer’s rockery cuttings says Ruth
6 “I am taking dahlia cuttings from

new shoots” says Ruth 13 FREE SEEDS: PANSY MR F’S EARLY MIXED F1
Plus how to sow indoors and outside
14 PRUNE EARLY-BLOOMING SHRUBS

Give them time to grow for next year’s blossom
Great garden ideas

20 PICK OF THE VERY BEST: FRENCH MARIGOLD
They are all gorgeous, but which are the top six?
24 THE SEED PEOPLE

New series about the companies that create our flowers
28 27 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR GARDEN ECO-FRIENDLY

How we can all do something to make a diference
32 DARK-LEAVED DAHLIAS
How these varieties really burst out of their background
20 “Vibrant blooms can outshine
the sun,” says Graham 55 GET THE LOOK
An ‘Arts and Crafts’ garden in Gwent
Gardening wisdom
10 PETER SEABROOK
Smart ways to more successful pots and containers
16 BOB FLOWERDEW
It’s time to ‘thin-out’ to get the best from your plants
17 VAL BOURNE’S GARDEN WILDLIFE

Are there orange-tip butterflies in your garden?
18 LUCY CHAMBERLAINS’S FRUIT AND VEG

Sow sweetcorn, leeks, peas and earth-up early spuds
32 “Dark-leaved dahlias have

huge impact” says Graham
37 ANNE’S MASTERCLASS
How to give your lupins the best chance of success
38
Alamy
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Moving wisteria, gooseberries in pots, care for hellebores
44 GARDENER’S MISCELLANY
Alamy
Why England’s rose isn’t real, plus puzzles and teasers
48 HOW TO GROW GARDEN PINKS

Anne shows you how to get colourful perennials all summer
51 YOUR LETTERS
The truth about cats, plastic in tea bags, top tip for tulips
59 TOBY BUCKLAND
Where there’s a willow there’s a way says Toby
Product tests
37 “This week’s masterclass is all
about lupins” says Anne 42 TRIED AND TESTED
6 seed-sowing tools to help senior gardeners
“It’s fiery breast was splattered with mud as it

emerged from the hole and then proceeded
GIVE A GIFT SUBSCRIPTION! to hop from side to side with a worm quickly
Call 0330 333 1113 disappearing into its beak. It looked comical
and lovely at the same time. Was the Robin’s
dance a celebration, or was it thanking me for
or: amateurgardeningsubs.co.uk digging the hole? Oh the joys of gardening!”
Garry Coward-Williams, Editor
Cover photograph: Dahlia Happy Single Wink (pic: GAP)
21 APRIL 2018 AMATEUR GARDENING 3

Gardening Week
with AG’s gardening expert Ruth Hayes
Step
by step Take rose
cuttings
New plants by summer’s end
One parent plant can create

several new ones
1 Cut a length of this year’s

healthy growth up to 12in (30cm)
long from just above a leaf node.
The tender growth of

softwood cuttings can be
prone to greenfly and other
pests, so keep an eye on
them and squish any
2 Cut it into sections above each
leaf node, so each piece is
topped with a leaflet. Pinch out and
Cuttings taken now should shoot away and
be ready to harden of by late summer before they infest discard the growing tip.
your plants
Taking spring cuttings

A simple way to get more plants for free, says Ruth
O
NE of the most exciting things Penstemon and verbena, as well as
about spring is that it’s the deciduous shrubs including buddleja,
prime time to get more plants fuchsia and hydrangea.
for free. As the garden surges Another technique is taking basal
back into growth, you can trim your
plants and use the off-cuts to create
new ones.
cuttings, when you remove a length of
new growth from the base of the plant.
n be used on plants that
3 Dip the cut end of each section
in hormone rooting gel or
powder to boost the development
Between now and early ate multiple stems from their of healthy roots. Tap off any excess.
summer, when plant shoots own, such as delphiniums
are fresh and tender, you nd lupins.
can take softwood and Take cuttings early in the
basal cuttings. Like small morning when the plants are
children, they will soon put ill turgid (full of liquid) using
on a growth spurt and Humidity stops the arp, clean tools, and buy
cuttings dehydrating
transform into mature plants h compost and rooting
that are ready to harden off und each year.
join their parents in the garden. Softwood and basal cuttings usually
Semi-ripe and hardwood cuttings are only take a couple of months to root and
taken in late summer and autumn when if taken by mid-summer, there may be
the plant material has matured and is
hard at the base, with soft tips.
Softwood cuttings are an easy way
time to harden them off and plant them
out this year. In colder areas, however,
you may need to overwinter them
4 Insert the cuttings into a mix
of compost and perlite. They
should root in 6-10 weeks and can
of propagating hardy and tender undercover and plant them next year then be potted on.
perennials such as roses, pelargoniums, when they have had time to mature.
4 AMATEUR GARDENING 21 APRIL 2018
Woody herbs: In next week’s AG (in the shops
April 24) I show you how and why you should
give your woody herbs their spring trim.
Cut out the spine

of long leaves
Right equipment
for the job
African violet leaves
are quick to root
Cuttings
compost
and perlite
being
mixed in a
4in (10cm)
clay pot
Set the streptocarpus leaves in a
gritty mix of compost and perlite
Make more houseplants Cuttings root best in fresh seed

and cuttings compost mixed with a
little perlite to make a lighter
Leaf cuttings are the way of creating more young plants growing medium and
allow air and water to Help strong roots
ANY indoor plants can be mixed with a little sharp sand or perlite. circulate around develop
M propagated using their

leaves. This is a simple
process, best done in late
spring or summer when the plants are
in full growing mode.
African violets can be propagated by
removing entire leaves and inserting
their stems into the compost mix.
Seal the cuttings tray in a plastic bag
and place it somewhere light and warm.
developing roots.
Use fresh compost
and new or well-
washed pots.
Clay pots can be
Select a healthy-looking, medium New leaflets should start to appear at better than plastic as t
sized leaf and cut it from the plant using the base of the parent cuttings within six are slightly porous, which reduces
sharp, clean scissors or a knife. to eight weeks. the risk of waterlogging and lets the
You can either slice away the central Once they are large enough to cuttings breathe.
spine of the leaf, or cut the leaf across handle, pot them up as individual plants Rooting powder or gel helps
into three or four broad sections. in houseplant compost. They should strong roots develop. It can soon
These are inserted into trays of flower once they have matured, around get sappy, so buy new each year.
dampened compost that has been a year later.
Step
by step Increase lupin stocks by taking basal cuttings
1 Clear away some soil from the

crown of the parent plant. Choose
a strong shoot around 4in (10cm) long
2 Prevent the cuttings from drying
out by temporarily storing them in a
plastic bag somewhere cool and shady
3 Cut away the side leaves leaving
just the main shoot. If left, the
extra leaves would take energy
and cut it off from the base. while you prepare their pots. needed for the rooting process.
4 Dip the cuttings in rooting

compound and inset them
around the edge of a clay pot of
5 Water them using a fine rose and
then place the pot in a heated
propagator or seal it in a plastic bag to
6 Place the cuttings somewhere
warm and light. They will soon
take root and start to put on growth,
gritty cuttings compost. keep humidity around the cuttings. becoming ready for potting on.

Gardening Week
Dahlias from seed

Dahlias grown from cuttings Healthy tubers will develop
will form tubers this year, so over the course of a summer
you can lift them in autumn
and store them for next Lifting border dahlia tubers
year – and create
another generation
of shoots!
Last summer I sowed some

Dahlia ‘Mignon’, which are favoured
by bees and other pollinators.
They put on a
Keep checking wonderful show Sow thinly for
stored tubers and into early autumn healthy seedlings
corms, and discard
any that don’t look and by the time
or feel healthy they finished
had developed
healthy tubers.
I lifted and
Taking dahlia cuttings overwintered
them and hope th
will flower again this year.
Ruth makes more plants using this spring’s new shoots The seeds should be sown thinly
HINGS are moving forward for and healthy, and haven’t been attacked onto damp compost, covered and
T certain plants in the world of

tender corms and tubers, while
others are still sitting tight and
waiting for the frosts to finish.
Gladioli corms that were lifted last
by rots or mould.
The dahlia tubers I potted up several
weeks ago have started to shoot, but I
will keep them undercover for a few
more weeks before I gradually harden
kept somewhere light and warm
until germination.
Prick out the seedlings when large
enough and grow them on.
Plant them out in borders or tubs
autumn are best kept in storage until them off and plant them in the borders. when the threat of frost has passed.
after the last frosts have passed. Again, I will wait for the frosts to clear,
Mine have overwintered under the but in the meantime I am going to get
greenhouse staging in stacked trays more plants for free by using some of then separate them and pot them up
of dry sandy compost. the shoots as softwood cuttings. individually. Harden them off and plant
I check them over every couple of After potting them up, they will start to them out where you want them to grow
weeks to make sure they are still firm grow and root in a few weeks. You can – with any luck, they will flower this year.
Step
by step Taking cuttings
1 Select strong, healthy

shoots that are around
3in (7cm) long. Cut them
2 Dip the cut ends into
fresh rooting compound
or powder to boost strong
3
Insert the cuttings
around the edge of a
4in (10cm) pot of dampened
4 Cover the pot with a
clear plastic bag and
place it somewhere warm
from the tuber using a root development. Tap off seed and cuttings compost and light. Cuttings should
sharp, clean knife. any excess. mixed with perlite. soon take root and grow.

Neat and tidy: Pinch out fast-growing
water shoots to keep your citrus in a
neat and manageable shape.
Step
Top-dress your citrus plant if you
aren’t re-potting it this spring by step Re-potting
a citrus
Plant up before moving outside
1 Citrus are hungry plants and like

free-draining compost, so I used
John Innes No3 with multi-purpose
compost and grit.
Feed with a summer

citrus fertiliser
Citrus plants don’t make

ideal houseplants (apart
from a light conservatory)
as a dry centrally heated
2 Water the tree well so it’s easy
to remove from its pot. If roots
are circling, tease them open and
atmosphere can stress lightly trim the ends.
the plant and scorch
its leaves.
Citrus care in spring

Get your hardy trees ready to move outside, says Ruth
C
ITRUSES rarely do well if based John Innes No2 or No3. If you
overwintered outside in this have to use hard tap water for irrigation,
country, so my lemon spent
the colder months in the
greenhouse. Although it is unheated, it
counter it by planting in loamy
ericaceous compost.
Between now and October you
3 Plant it so the top of the rootball
is 1in (2.5cm) below the rim of
the pot and in-fill with more of the
is light (which they like) and I wrapped should also change your citrus fertiliser compost and grit mix. Firm it down.
it in fleece on very cold nights. to a summer food that is rich in
Citrus trees grow little, if at all, in nitrogen. Specific citrus feeds are
winter, but now the temperature is rising available, but nitrogen-rich lawn food
they will start to shoot again. It will soon is another option.
be warm enough to move them back Your plant will also need frequent
outside and most will be happy in a watering, ideally with rainwater. Stand it
warm, sheltered spot between mid-June on a large saucer filled with gravel that is
and late September. kept damp to raise humidity around the
If your tree needs re-potting, do it leaves. In summer, you should also mist
now while it is still undercover. If it is the leaves with water in the morning.
staying in its current container, you can Citruses need minimal pruning, but
either lift it and lightly trim the roots or
leave it as it is, and simply remove the
top few layers of old compost and
you should pinch out the tops of fast-
growing branches in summer.
Take care when pruning and avoid
4 Water the plant well. Stand the
container on a tray of gravel so
water can collect underneath and
refresh with new. stabbing yourself with their sharp, keep the atmosphere humid.
The best compost to use is a loam- well-hidden thorns!
Gardening Week
Helianthemum is attractive and easy
to propagate via cuttings Rockery care
in springtime
Small cuttings will
soon take
Keep alpine plants free
of fast-growing weeds
If your cuttings surge

ahead and start to look
rather straggly, pinch out Alpine plants wouldn’t have
their growing tips to keep minded the snow that heralded the
them in a rounded shape start of spring, but they won’t like
and encourage more the wet weather that followed it.
robust, bushy Keep plants healthy by sitting them
growth on a mulch of gravel.
This raises the leaves off
Divide alpine cuttings wet earth and m
it harder for slug
and snails
Gravel keeps
Pot on last summer’s rockery cuttings, says Ruth to attack.
foliage healthy
T the end of last summer I took cuttings compost and perlite used to Weed around
A a number of Helianthemum
(rock rose) cuttings. It was part
of our ‘rockery rehabilitation’
programme and I was hoping to
plant them out this summer to fill any
start them off is similar to the thin, free-
draining soils they favour.
The next stage for the cuttings is to be
moved on into individual containers of
richer compost where they can continue
them regularly.
Many alpines
are low growing
and can easily be
swamped by fas
remaining gaps between the stones. to grow and develop strong roots and growing, invasive weeds.
The cuttings took well in a large pot healthy top growth. I used John Innes There is no need to water as
and spent the winter in a cold frame. No 2, but they would do equally well in alpines need little moisture unless
Alpines are relatively easy to grow multi-purpose with a little sharp sand or we experience prolonged drought.
from cuttings as the mix of seed and grit to help drainage.
Step Moving Helianthemum cuttings into pots

by step
1 The cuttings I took developed healthy

root systems and put on growth. They
are ready to pot up individually.
2
Stand their pot in water until the
rootball is saturated. This makes it
easier to slide out intact.
The cuttings will continue growing

and can be planted out in summer
Put each one on a 4in (10cm) pot and

infill with John Innes No 2 compost
with a little sharp sand. Water and
place in a cold frame.
3 Using your thumbs, carefully tease
each cutting apart, taking care to
separate the roots without tearing them.
4 They should each have grown
robust root systems and put on
good growth. Check them for pests.

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Listen to
Peter’s free
podcast every
Thursday. Search for
‘This Week In The
Garden with Peter
with Peter Seabrook, AG’s classic gardening expert Seabrook’ on
iTunes
Peter’s top tips
New terracotta pots and wooden

half barrels are best soaked in
water before use. Put a cork in the
drainage holes and fill with water
overnight
Pots and
hanging baskets
with water
reservoirs built
into the base
do not need
watering quite
so often and
Will simple terracotta give way make irrigating
to colour-coordinated pots? easier. Wilko
has a good
one for tomatoes
Everyone’s going potty! Stand plants in

saucers through
Here are my tips for pots and containers, says Peter the summer, so
if the compost
HE steady increase in sales, year gain height. The wider, more squat gets very dry
T on year, of potting composts is

clear evidence that more of us
are growing in containers than
out of the soil. There is also a move to
colour and style of pot coordination, if
shapes will be much more stable in
exposed positions.
Remember that the sunny sides of
black and dark containers get very hot in
summer weather, so roots against this
and water runs
straight through
it is caught in
the saucer and
drawn up again
displays in garden centres are a guide. surface can get burnt. The answer here, by capillarity
When buying pots there are a number and when growing plants in Alibaba-
of things to remember. First and shaped pots, is to have a slightly smaller
foremost is the weight, because when, pot inside to hold the plant. A small air
for example, terracotta and reconstituted
stone are full of wet compost, they
become heavy – especially in the larger
sizes. Check too that the opening at the
top is straight and wider than the
“A small gap will be
shoulders and side, so the rootball can
be easily removed when you need to
a good insulator”
pot on to a larger container.
If you plant up woody perennials in
what I call Alibaba-shaped pots, when it gap will serve as a good insulator, akin to
comes to repotting you either have to double-glazed windows.
Alamy/Time Inc/Peter Seabrook
smash the original pot, or wash out the When buying terracotta look for frost
compost with a pressure hose – which resistance, and even here it may well be Where you have a number of
is a messy business. worth having a pot within the pot to plants in containers, an automatic
Tall containers that are narrow at prevent compost freezing, expanding watering system will save work and
the base and wide at the top are very and cracking the terracotta if we have give better growth
prone to blowing over when leafy plants another very hard frost.
Ç Ǽƃɨǁǉӗ ƹƃƺʰӗ ɥɨƹǉә
ÇKŚ ծ KŤ:¸ĩČřK

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°ʍɰɽ ǉɽǉɨ ƃ ˃ǉɨ
ɥɨȈƺǉ
ɨ ɽȃǉ ɽȃȈɨǁ ɥƃɽ Čʥǉǉɽ Āǉɥɥǉɨ yі ĀȈƃɨ ťǉʥ їљ ўљ њљ Գћӝўў
ӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤӤ
ʥȃǉ ʰ
ʍ ƺ
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ɨǁǉɨ
ɨ Գћӝўў
:ȃȈȈ Āǉɥɥǉɨ yȈǉɨʰ yƃǉɰ їљ ўљ љ#
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ǒǵ Ɵƃƭ ɛƭ ǵƭƭƦ Ȁ ƟȀǵƃƟ ɡȀ
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Gardening Week
Sow thinly and plant out later Step
by step Sow out
in summer
Preparation for germination
Plants stop flowering in

severe winters and enter a
period of dormancy. They
1 Prepare the soil for sowing by
creating a fine tilth. Remove
stones, weeds and debris, dig
will start to bloom again over the soil, break up any
when the temperature remaining clods then rake well
Cheerful colour for
rises in spring. the colder months to create light, grainy soil.
Sow some early cheer

Look to the future and sow for next spring, says Ruth
UCH of this season’s spring These pansies are large and showy,
M bedding is still flowering

well, so it seems ridiculously
premature to start thinking
about next year’s plants.
blooming in a riot of bold colours, some
solid and some with ‘blotched’ centres.
They grow to a height of 6in (15cm)
and will look delightful clustered around
But if you want to save money and
have the satisfaction of raising some of
yours from scratch, get sowing this
trees and in containers.
They should also flower well as part of
indoor arrangements.
2 Sow seeds thinly where you
want them to grow. Gently
rake soil over the top, water and
week’s free seeds. They are easy to sow and if started off protect from cats and birds. When
Mr Fothergill’s ‘Early Mixed F1’ pansies now should be pricked out once the seedlings are large enough, thin
can either be sown indoors now, or seedlings are large enough to handle, them out to 2in (5cm) apart. Keep
outside between May and July where hardened off and planted out when the weed-free.
you want them to flower. threat of late spring frosts has passed.
Caring for this Deadhead to prolong blooming and Sow your seeds
year’s flowers watch out for the disease black spot
indoors now
Q Spring bedding planted up in Q Sow your seeds thinly in a tray or
autumn should still be flowering well. pot of seed and cuttings compost.
Q Keep it at its best by deadheading, Q Cover with a thin layer of
so the plants put energy into new compost or vermiculite and water
buds rather than ripening seeds. the seeds well.
Q Keep an eye out for pests. Q Label, cover the seeds and place
Q Pansies and violas are prone to the them on a light, warm windowsill.
fungal disease leaf spot. Remove and Q Remove the cover after
destroy infected plants – don’t germination, grow the seeds on
compost them. and pot on individually when large
Q You can reduce the risk of fungal enough to handle.
problems by weeding around plants Q Harden them off and plant
and keeping them well ventilated. outside in late summer or autumn.

Gardening Week
Prune your early blooming shrubs

Give them plenty of time to grow for next year’s blossom, says Ruth Cut out unhealthy-
looking growth
S
HRUBS that flower in winter
and early spring need pruning
as soon as they have finished
blooming. They produce buds
on the previous year’s growth, so the
longer they have to grow, the better
their blossom will be.
Cutting back evergreen and
deciduous varieties such as Viburnum
tinus, flowering currant, witch hazel and
forsythia doesn’t just remove the spent
flowers, it also lets you re-shape the
shrub and deal with pests and disease.
My Viburnum tinus has fallen prey to Prune well for
fantastic blossom
viburnum beetles, which have eaten
its leaves leaving them holed and
discoloured. I cut away as many as I
could and treated the rest of the plant
with an organic pesticide, which will Give early flowering shrubs plenty
hopefully keep the larvae (active of time to put on new growth
between late April and June) at bay.
Always use sharp, clean tools and
start by removing dead, diseased and If you have an old, overgrown plant, remove the flowered branches back to a
damaged material. Cut out weak and rejuvenate it by cutting one-third of its healthy, outward-facing shoot.
spindly branches and any that are branches right back to the base this year, Evergreen shrubs should only need a
congested or rubbing together. another third the next and so on. This shaping trim, plus the removal of dead or
Create an open, attractive shape with may look drastic, but it will encourage spindly branches.
plenty of room for growth and good new shoots that will soon mature. Follow the pruning of all shrubs with a
ventilation, as this reduces the risk of Shrubs that already have a good generous mulch of well-rotted compost
fungal problems. shape should need little attention – just or manure.
What’s Things to do near you Kingswinford, West Midlands 01384

on 21-22: Wild Food Wander, Kedleston
401996 ashwoodnurseries.com
25: Plants for Shade: Stillingfleet Lodge
National Trust hall, near Quarndon, Gardens, Stewart Lane, Stillingfleet,
Derby, DE22 5JH. 01332 842191 York YO19 6HP. 01904 728506,
21-22: RHS National Rhododendron stillingfleetlodgenurseries.co.uk
Competition: RHS Garden Rosemoor, 25: Auriculas Are Not Difficult: Hillview
Great Torrington, Rosemoor, Torrington, Hardy Plants, Worfield, Nr Bridgnorth,
Devon EX38 8PH. 0203 176 5830; Shropshire WV15 5NT. 01746
rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor 716454, hillviewhardyplants.com
Learn about pruning fruit trees 21-22: Tregothnan Annual Charity 25: Pruning and Training Fruit Trees/
at Pennards Plants on 25 April Opening, Tregothnan, Tresillian, Truro, Bushes: Pennard Plants, The Walled
Cornwall TR2 4AN 01872 520000 Gardens, East Pennard, Somerset
April 21: Alpine Garden Society tregothnan.co.uk BA4 6TP. 01749 860039,
Midlands Show, Arden School, Station 21-22: Spring Plant Fair: RHS Garden pennardplants.com
Road, Knowle, West Midlands B93 Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane,
0PT. 01386 554790, Rettendon, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 8ET. Q Please send details and images
alpinegardensociety.net 0203 176 5830, rhs.org.uk/gardens/ of your events to ruth.hayes@
21: Auriculas Are Not Difficult: Hillview hyde-hall timeinc.com or What’s On, Amateur
Hardy Plants, Worfield, Nr Bridgnorth, 21: Plant Hunters’ Fair: Battlefield 1403, Gardening, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst
Shropshire WV15 5NT 01746 Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 3DB. Road, Farnborough Industrial Park,
716454, hillviewhardyplants.com planthuntersfairs.co.uk. Farnborough, Hants GU14 7BF.
21: The Annual Garden: Godinton 22: Plant Hunters’ Fair: Bramall Hall, Q Listings need to be with us at
House, Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent Stockport, Cheshire SK7 3NX. least six weeks in advance.
TN23 3BP. 01233 643854, planthuntersfairs.co.uk. Q All details are subject to change without our knowledge,
so please always check that the event is still going ahead before
godintonhouse.co.uk 22: John’s Garden: Ashwood Nurseries, leaving home.

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JDUGHQKHDOWKFRP
with Bob Flowerdew, AG’s organic gardening expert
Thin early and thin
well if you want your
plants to thrive
Bob’s top tips
for the week
1 Lever or dig out plantains

(above) and thistles from your
lawn and paths, and then brush
some grass seed into each hole.
Use your space wisely

and don’t grow more
plants than you need
2 Leave one asparagus plant
uncut to attract beetles to lay
on it, then cut and burn it when
Room for improvement you stop cropping the others.
Overcrowding leads to competition between plants, so

make sure you thin them out at the right time, says Bob
O you have enough space right seedlings appear, the sooner we thin the
D now for all your plants? Most of

us have limited space under
cover and limited space in the
ground – and we are simply not ruthless
enough. You know what I mean – we
better – otherwise they just crowd each
other. Then, when we do get round to
thinning, it is probably too late and the
chosen have already suffered a check.
Years ago John Innes trials showed
sow far more seeds of each variety than
is necessary, pot up more seedlings than
we need and then spend time and effort
much better results from thinning a few
days after emergence rather than 3 Plant teasels, lupins and
Alchemilla mollis (above),
as these all have special hollows
looking after far more wee plants than to catch rain and dew for birds
we can ever find space for.
Each and every seedling has to be “Once the and insects.
kept and have a chance of survival. Our

hearts rule our heads and we cannot find seedlings appear,
it in ourselves to throw out those surplus
ones, or rather surplus dozens. Thus, we the sooner we thin
end up filling our limited spaces with
more plants than can ever comfortably fit the better”
in. Too often we squeeze six in where
four would fit and then all do more poorly
as a result. This overcrowding leads to leaving it any longer. The answer is to
shortages of air, light, water and steel yourself and be a bit more ruthless,
nutrients as all compete with each other. thin early and thin well. By all means pot
4 Almost everything is now in bud
Time Inc/Alamy
The same goes when we sow direct. up the extra, but then give that surplus to or leaf, so spray diluted seaweed
Yes, I know we have to sow too many to a friend, sell them by the gate or just find solution everywhere on everything.
allow for the no-shows, but once those a charity that can use them.
Gardening Week
Peter Eeles/Butterfly Conservation
with Val Bourne, AG’s organic wildlife expert
Orange-tip feeding on lady’s smock. The

undersides of this butterfly’s wings
are beautifully marbled
While most butterflies are

afected by pesticides, the
orange-tip is bucking the trend
Two orange-tip butterflies mating
a triangular chrysalis forms, anchored

by a fine loop of silk. The butterfly
expert Matthew Oates pointed some
out on sweet rocket (Hesperis
matronalis) when visiting our garden. It
was possible to see a glint of orange
through the translucent skin of some
of the chrysalises.
Sweet rocket is another food plant for
The joys of spring this butterfly, although it’s thought to be

a poor one, but there are 16 other
brassicas these caterpillars also eat.
They include large bittercress, aubretia,
Val eagerly awaits the first sighting of an orange-tip rocket, horseradish and turnip. The
larvae, or caterpillars, prefer to eat seed
butterfly as a sure sign that spring has arrived pods, although they will eat buds,
HIS is one of my favourite weeks sunny ditches, and the Latin species flowers and leaves at times.
T of the year, because any day

now I hope to see swallows and
martins swooping and wheeling
in the sky above. Spring is well
underway and I’m having regular cups of
name of the butterfly, cardamines,
acknowledges the link between the
two. Many butterfly names reflect a
food plant and the purple hairstreak
(Quercusia quercus), which feeds almost
These fast-flying butterflies are found
in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland,
and Butterfly Conservation (butterfly-
conservation.org) tell us that numbers
have gone up by 7 per cent since 1970.
tea on the sun-soaked garden bench exclusively on oak, contains the Latin Dave Goulson’s lecture to Butterfly
right up against the house wall. I’m name Quercus for oak. Conservation explained that while most
butterfly watching every day and one As with many butterflies, the colourful butterflies are affected by pesticides,
of my favourites is the orange-tip males emerge first so they can establish orange-tips buck the trend, although it’s
(Anthocharis cardamines). This is a a territory, and I have seen pairs of unclear why.
member of the white family and, as squabbling orange-tips in our garden
gardeners know, some members doing just that. The males have bright-
decimate our brassica crops. orange wing tips, but the females have
Thankfully, the orange-tip feeds drabber grey-black markings and this
on daintier members of the brassica helps to camouflage them when they’re
family and its favoured food plant is laying eggs. When they mate, they
lady’s smock (Cardamine pratensis). display the beautifully marbled
This April-flowering, silver-mauve undersides of their wings.
wildflower is often found in damp, The pale-green eggs are laid singly
on the stems of plants, but soon turn
pale-orange. They should be easy to
spot, although I keep searching without
success. Sometimes the butterfly will lay The white-
one egg on a flower head. If several TOP TIP flowered
Wikimedia Tony Atkin/Alamy
eggs are laid near to each other the biennial garlic mustard (Alliaria
largest caterpillars turn cannibal and petiolata, above), a popular food
eat the other eggs or smaller larvae to plant for the orange-tip larvae, can
Sweet rocket is a source of protect themselves. be grown on garden edges and in
food for orange-tip butterflies The caterpillars are usually seen in hedge bottoms.
June and July, and then they pupate and
with Lucy Chamberlain, AG’s fruit and veg expert
Step How
by step to sow
Ideally, supersweet,
tendersweet, sugar-enhanced
and open-pollinated
sweetcorn
sweetcorn shouldn’t be mixed
up, but many of us don’t have
the room for such luxury
All photographs Time Inc unless otherwise credited
1 Sweetcorn plants develop

an extensive root system
and resent root congestion, so
– provided you’ve got room in
your propagator – bide yourself
a little time by using larger, 3.5in
Two to try: early ‘Swift’ and mid-season (9cm)-diameter pots. Fill these
‘Sparrow’ sweetcorn with good-quality multi-purpose
compost and water well.
Start off sweetcorn

It’s time to sow the deliciously sweet taste of summer
S
ITTING round the kitchen table, look for variations such as ‘White Lady’
butter all over our fingers – that’s and ‘Double Red’. Most modern varieties
what home-grown sweetcorn are F1 hybrids, bringing uniformity and
reminds me of. Sow early, mid and guaranteed yields in less-than-perfect
late varieties now (such as ‘Swift’,
‘Incredible’ and ‘Conqueror’ respectively)
and you too can be devouring sweet,
summers. Older ‘open-pollinated’ types
are still worth growing, though. Just start
them off early to ensure they mature well
2 Sow one seed per pot, 1.5in
(4cm) deep. Water in lightly
and place in a heated propagator
crunchy cobs from August until October. – they’ll give a staggered harvest rather set at 18-20˚C. Depending on the
While yellow is the standard colour, than a glut. Here’s what to do (see right). variety you’ve sown, seedlings
should appear in 5-10 days. Don’t
overwater at this stage – keep
Sow leeks ‘Autumn Giant’
the compost just moist.
YES, I know nobody wants to think

about winter yet, but if you love leeks
then sow some now to see you
through from autumn until spring. I
sow mine in a wide, shallow pot and
then, once they’re the thickness of a
DT Brown
drinking straw, separate them out and

plant them in their final bed. That’s a
Alamy
long time off, though, so let’s just

focus on the sowing for now! ‘Northern Lights’
Sprinkle the seeds on the surface
of some well-watered seed compost,
cover with a 3mm layer of vermiculite
3 Once germinated, remove
from the propagator and
grow your seedlings on at 15-
and pop in a propagator at 16˚C or so. 18˚C. They should be ready for
Early (such as ‘Sprintan’) and late planting out in mid to late May.
(‘Northern Lights’) varieties help Choose a warm, sunny spot and
Mr Fothergill’s
prolong the season, as does choosing plant in blocks rather than rows
a type that stands well through the to ensure good pollination and
winter, like ‘Autumn Giant 3 Albana’. well-filled cobs.

Next Week: Pick forced strawberries,
sow French beans, pull unforced
rhubarb, prune figs, sow melons
Success with peas growth. Sowing outdoors in March

under cloches will also provide ample
YOU walk down to your veg plot, time for good rooting.
morning dew still on the grass. You So what about now? A mid-April
pluck a pea pod fresh from the plant, sowing is certainly worthwhile – just
enjoy the satisfying ‘pop’ as you press choose powdery mildew-resistant
the end down with your thumb, then run varieties like ‘Ambassador’ (pictured
your finger along its entirety to reveal below), ‘Lusaka’ and ‘Shiraz’ because this
perfect little green peas inside. All that fungal disease is more troublesome as
remains now is to throw th ogresses. Also, work
contents into your mout of compost into the soil
chew – and enjoy! ck onto any moisture
Freshly shelled peas at falls, plus irrigate
are an utter delight. egularly (an organic
Plump sugar snaps and mulch will help keep
the more slender oots cool and moist,
mangetouts also cry oo). Using this method,
out to be home-grown, you can keep sowing
so how do you achieve well into May (and even
such utopia? Let me ne on heavier soils).
share my secrets. One word of warning
First, encourage a stro h – later sowings are
root system. Do you reca e to pea-moth attack
telling you to sow some early peas in a so get remaining seeds in quickly You can get a row of peas in now – just be
warm greenhouse in February? This unless you’re happy to grow plants sure to choose a powdery mildew-resistant
gives the peas a head start before under insect-proof mesh, or stick to variety and keep plants well watered
summer heat and drought limit root mangetout types.
Bee careful with blossom

NO, that’s not a typo – it’s a gentle reminder that bees and other
pollinating insects will be visiting your fruit flowers as soon as
they’re open to feed on nectar and collect pollen.
Simultaneously, many not-so-welcome insects will be raiding
plant shoots for nutrient-rich sap, or laying their eggs alongside
developing flowers and fruitlets so that their larvae can
ultimately feast on your harvest.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could have a guest list at our garden
entrance? You may well want to use insecticides to control the
unwanted pests, but please don’t do so while your crops are in I’m uncovering this peach on
sunny dry days so bees can access
flower. Both organic and non-organic sprays will harm the the flowers – so there’s no
pollinators as well as the pests. A carefully directed jet of water pesticide spraying allowed!
will knock off hundreds of aphids without harming a single bee.
Use a hoe or a rake Earth up first-early potatoes

to earth up your
first earlies
IF you’ve got a bit of bed space, I process of drawing soil up around the
severely hope you devoted some of it to developing tubers (I use a rake to do
potatoes. And if room is limited I’m this). It’s an important task because as
crossing my fingers that you at least the tubers swell they can inadvertently
managed to squeeze in a few first early push themselves to the surface. When
varieties for delicious ‘new’ tatties. exposed to light, the tubers turn green
Unlike jackets, chippers and roasts, and inedible, but covering them in more
which are easy to buy in the shops, new soil prevents this.
potatoes are best eaten minutes after Complete this job a couple of times
harvest to maximise their sweet flavour. as the foliage grows through (you can
Consequently, back in March I planted a then leave them alone).
large bed of my favourite first early, Are you growing your spuds in pots?
‘Lady Christl’. The foliage is just starting That’s good news, because provided
to push through the ground, which tells you planted them 8in (20cm) deep in the
me it’s time to ‘earth them up’. first place, you don’t need to earth them
Alamy
The literal phrase describes the up at all.

Pick of the very best
Graham Rice chooses his six top RHS Award of Garden Merit winners
®
They may not actually be French, but the bold blooms of

French Marigolds still have a certain je ne sais quoi
This week it’s
French marigolds
With vibrant blooms that threaten to outshine the sun, which varieties of this
long-flowering half-hardy annual make it onto Graham’s list?
I
F it’s colour you’re after, pure and summer and continues until it is cut short quickly, regular deadheading is key to
simple, then look no further than by the first frosts, the flowers maturing extending their flowering season.
marigolds – French marigolds, in to seeds unusually quickly. In gardens, Over the years, thousands of varieties
particular. The intensity of their these plants are half-hardy annuals, have been developed, and reducing the
brilliance is unbeatable, and with the best sown now indoors – although more height of the plants from the 2ft (60cm)
flowers packed so tightly on neat little vigorous types can also be sown where or more of those original introductions
plants, the effect can be dazzling. they are to flower in June. The seed is has been a continuous theme. However,
Despite its name, this is not actually large and easy to handle. varieties shorter than about 8in (20cm)
a French plant (any more than the When growing well, French marigolds can start to look unnatural.
African marigold is African). Originally can be in flower from June to October. The flower form has also developed,
All photos Alamy, unless otherwise credited
from the mountains of Guatemala and But because they develop seeds so from broad-petalled single flowers to
Mexico, seed was brought back to
France in the 16th century. From there,
the plant spread through Europe, where Stockists
it was widely grown for its colourful Dobies dobies.co.uk 0844 967 0303
yellow or orange flowers and its Kings Seeds kingsseeds.com 01376 570000
essential oils, which are still used Mr Fothergill’s mr-fothergills.co.uk 0333 777 3936
by perfume houses today. Suttons suttons.co.uk 0844 326 2200
In the wild, flowering starts in late
The Award of Garden Merit is a mark of quality
awarded since 1922 to garden plants (including trees, vegetables and
decorative plants) by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
Mr Fothergill’s
Suttons
‘Queen Sophia’ ‘Dainty Marietta’ ‘Safari Tangerine’

Fully double, 3in (8cm) flowers open Small, single flowers are vivid yellow, Early into bloom, large-flowered and
in dark, coppery red with a very fine with a small contrasting blotch of deep definitely a standout for its vivid deep
orange edge to each petal, developing mahogany red on each petal. Plants are orange colour. The anemone-centred
redder, more fiery tints as they mature. neat and bushy. Unusually good value 2in (5cm) flowers are weather resistant
Will stand up exceptionally well to as the seed of this variety is inexpensive and, unlike many double varieties, even
summer rain. H: 10-12in (25-30cm). to buy. H: 8in (20cm). the first is fully double. H: 10in (25cm).
Mr Fothergill’s
Mr Fothergill’s
Dobies
‘Yellow Jacket’ ‘Tiger Eyes’ ‘Zenith Yellow’

With tightly packed, fully double The best crested variety. A row of Larger-than-usual plants smothered in
flowers in a wonderfully bright and mahogany scarlet petals surrounds a vivid yellow double flowers that keep on
brilliant shade of yellow, plants will tight dome of orange filaments, creating coming until October. New blooms open
spread more than most varieties, and 2½in (3-4cm) flowers that, although not just above the old, fading ones. ‘Zenith
so can be planted at a wider spacing the largest, are as dramatic as they are Golden Yellow’ and ‘Zenith Lemon
than usual. H: 1ft (30cm). prolific. H: 8in (20cm). Yellow’ are also superb. H: 18in (45cm).
fully double blooms, plus crested and African and French marigolds. This flower for months with no deadheading.
anemone-centred types. Zenith Series features a trio of options The plants are larger than most, so you
In terms of colour, the range is fairly that have AGMs and, without hesitation, need fewer of them, and although they
limited, but you can get just about every I would choose these three as the best come into bloom a little later, they more
warm shade from primrose through of the whole group. than make up for their tardiness during
yellow to orange and copper, and into They are impressively prolific and, the rest of the summer. Definitely ones
mahogany and not-quite scarlet. because they so rarely set seed, will worth looking out for.
Recently, the trend has been for taller
varieties– more the size of their wild
ancestors – rather than the smaller,
bushier ones. Meanwhile, the revival of
What makes a good French marigold?
tall, striped Victorian forms has brought ■ Long flowering season ■ Prolific flowering
us plants that are useful for the back of ■ Attractive flower form that is ■ Early flowering
the border – even for cutting. reliably consistent ■ Even height
There is also a small but highly ■ Clean colours ■ Tough, resilient and rain resistant
impressive group of hybrids between
Sowing and planting marigolds
■ Sow now on the windowsill, in the
conservatory or in a propagator in
a cold greenhouse.
■ Or sow in a cold greenhouse
(minus the propagator) in May.
■ Sow two seeds in each 1in (2 or
3cm) cell of fresh seed compost,
and cover lightly.
■ Germination is quickest at about
20ºC; slower at lower temperatures.
■ After germination, thin seedlings
down to one per cell.
■ Grow in even light, frost-free,
until mid May.
■ Harden off before planting outside
after the last frost in your area.
■ Plant in any reasonable soil, in full Use a propagator for early sowings Harden of before planting out
sun, and in containers.
Marigold aftercare New heights
Look out taller types
Kings Seeds
like ‘Jolly Jester’
Deadhead to extend flower season Nip out buds on young plants In the late 19th century a tall, single-
flowered variety of French marigold
with bicoloured chestnut and
■ Plants of some varieties can flower forward and shade the marigolds at yellow blooms was so popular that
while still young; nip off the first bud the front of the border. different seed companies sold it by
to encourage bushiness. ■ The root secretions of French different names: ‘Harlequin’,
■ Continue deadheading regularly, marigolds are thought to kill eelworms, ‘Legion of Honour’ and ‘Old Scotch
every day or two, to ensure that as little while the oils in their foliage are Prize’. Eventually, the variety almost
energy as possible goes into seed believed to deter other pests. As completely disappeared
production. A snip with the kitchen a result, they are usually free of all pests as more and more dwarf types
scissors does the trick. and diseases, so sprays and treatments were developed and introduced.
■ Ensure that taller plants do not fall are unlikely to be necessary. Then, some 30 years ago,
these tall, bicoloured types started
to reappear in seed catalogues,
In my garden often with new names such as ‘Jolly
Jester’ and ‘Striped Marvel’. And
A new type of French marigold has now there are new varieties
arrived in the past couple of years, in the same style, including the
with fully double flowers that change yellow and orange ‘La Bamba’,
colour as they mature. The flowers of and a mixture called ‘Jesters’.
‘Fireball’ open in deep red, becoming None have been given AGMs,
fiery bronze and finally rusty orange. they often need support and do not
‘Strawberry Blonde’ opens rustic have the colourful punch of dwarf
Gardenphotos.com
yellow with pink tints, matures to types. However, they will fit more
bronze, then to straw yellow. Both are naturally into mixed borders and
too new to have received AGMs, but ‘Fireball’ is a colour chameleon make effective – and long-lasting
I’m tempted to try ‘Fireball’. – cut flowers.

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This
Week
THOMPSON
& MORGAN
THE SEED PEOPLE
William Thompson published

his first seed catalogue in 1855
John Morgan was brought in Over 900 flowers and vegetables are trialled each year at their 30 acre site
to help develop the business in Ipswich with the aim of improving current varieties and creating new ones
Tamsin Westhorpe uncovers the story of Thompson and Morgan
W
ILLIAM Thompson was
the son of a baker with
an insatiable passion for
plants. His enthusiasm
for growing, quickly resulted in him
moving to a nursery and later publishing
a magazine called The English Flower
Garden. He was highly regarded for
growing rare plants from all over the
world, and thanks to their shared interest
he counted both Charles Darwin and Sir
ALL PICTURES COURTESY OF THOMPSON & MORGAN
Joseph Hooker as his friends. He is one

of the elite horticulturists to have been
awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour
by the Royal Horticultural Society.
Thompson’s first seed catalogue
was published in 1855. His business
expanded quickly, and William realised
he needed an astute business partner.
He found this in John Morgan who One of the vast glasshouses
helped him grow the business from used for growing plants
strength to strength.
An occasional series in which we meet the people who create and
develop the gorgeous flowers, shrubs and trees we love to grow
Gardener’s favourites
NEW Begonia x tuberhybrida
SERIES ‘Apricot Shades Improved’
F1 Hybrid – this trailing
plant has been a best
seller for over 20 years.
Large double blooms from
July to October. Height
30cm, spread 45cm. Sold
as tubers.
Petunia ‘Orchid Picotee

Mixed’ F1 Hybrid –
produces a constant
supply of lavish double
blooms from mid-May until
October. The blooms have
an attractive white edge.
Compact plants with
height and spread of
30cm. Sold as plug or
garden ready plants.
Tomato ‘Sungold’ – voted

the sweetest tomato for
the past 20 years. The
cordon cherry tomato
ofers plentiful bite-sized
orange fruits. Good
resistance to tobacco
mosaic virus and fusarium
wilt. Height 2m. Available
as seed or plants.
Tomato ‘Sweet Aperitif’

– expect up to 500
Ten years after William’s death in 1903 tomatoes per plant. A rival
talented horticulturist Joseph Sangster to ‘Sungold’ when it comes
became a partner. Joseph added to sweetness. This cordon
thousands of plants to the catalogue. is ideal for a greenhouse
After John Morgan’s death in 1921, or hot spot in the garden.
Joseph was joined by his son Murray. Produces red cherry
After Murray retired in 1974 his two sons tomatoes. Height 2m.
took up the reins. Available as seed or
In 1990 the then managing director, plants.
Paul Hansord, introduced the idea of
selling young plants via mail order. This Beetroot ‘Boltardy’
was ground-breaking and a time when one of the most popular
many new gardeners joined the ever- beetroots thanks to its
growing list of customers. Today the good yield and bolt
company is a one-stop shop for seeds, resistance. Ideal for
young plants, shrubs, and perennials. successional sowing
Seed may be the first thing that springs between March and July.
to mind when you think of T&M, but it The roots are sweet, and
is the young plants that now make up its foliage can be
nearly 80% of their business. harvested when young
for salads. Height
Breeding programmes 30cm, spread 15cm.
Just like the company’s founder, its Sold as seed.
inheritors are constantly developing
This
Week
THOMPSON
& MORGAN
THE SEED PEOPLE
their ofering to gardeners. They have
a large breeding programme at the 30-
acre trial grounds in Harkstead, Ipswich
as their new product manager Peter
New plants for 2018
Freeman explains: “It is here that we Sunflower ‘Sunbelievable Brown
put plants to the test and monitor their Eyed Girl’ – a new and exclusive
flowering or cropping times, flowering plant bred by T&M that’s taken eight
length and resistance to pests and years to come to market. Flowers
diseases. There are a huge number of from June to November with
varieties and my job is to choose the approximately 1000 flowers
best ones.” produced in the season. Height and
T&M are particularly known for their spread 60cm. Sold as potted plants.
hellebores and buddlejas. They have
introduced some world firsts such Begonia ‘Funky Pink’ – a new
as Buddleja ‘Buzz’, the world’s first introduction set to give Begonia x
patio buddleja and the new Anemone tuberhybrida ‘Apricot Shades
Flowered Hellebores. These are unique Improved’ a run for its money. A
as they have an attractive central ruf of trailing habit with double flowers from
small petals. June to September. Ideal for sun or
As well as breeding their own new semi shade. Height and spread
plants, they buy in plants to sell from 50cm. Sold as plug plants.
other European breeders and sell
their plants wholesale to nurseries Poppy ‘Supreme’ - bred by T&M and
and garden centres. As for the seed, it launched in January this year.
comes from all over the world as well as Spotted by the head of the plant
being produced at the UK nursery. breeding team Charles Valin 6 years
ago. Fully double flower much larger
In constant development than other similar Papaver rhoeas
“We have a huge range of plants under varieties. Sow direct into flower
development all the time. About 50 borders. Height 75cm. Sold as seed.
plants waiting to come to market is
not unusual and we currently have 60 Tomato ‘Primabella’ – a new
genera and 100 projects on the go,” introduction for 2018. It is registered
says Peter. “We are one of the few seed under Dr. Bernd Horneburg from
companies that do their own breeding.” Germany. This is the first late blight
Alongside their breeding projects resistant cherry tomato for UK
the team stay in touch with other gardeners to grow outside. Large
breeders. T&M will approach breeders cherry tomatoes. Height 2m. Sold as
about marketing their new varieties plug plants or seed.
Carrot ‘Sweet Imperator Mix’ F1

Future trends Hybrid – a mix of pencil-thin carrots.
Includes ‘Honeysnax’ (orange),
“There is a trend and demand for ‘Creampax’ (cream), ‘Snowman’
scented plants and plants suitable (white), ‘Yellowbunch’ (yellow), ‘Purple
for patio gardens. With gardens Elite’ (purple), ‘Atomic Red (red).
getting ever smaller people are Expect roots to be 25cm long. A very
keen to grow compact plants in healthy raw snack. Sold as seed.
pots,” explains Peter Freeman.
When it comes to veg, Colin
Randel is full of enthusiasm for the for them and some new varieties are They try and choose names that
future. “We have been working sold as exclusives through T&M. “We describe the uniqueness of the plants,
on combatting blight in tomatoes liaise with breeders all over the world such as Sunflower ‘Sunbelievable
and potatoes and are having and keep up to date with their trials,” Brown Eyed Girl’. This sunflower, bred
exciting results. Our breeding says vegetable product manager Colin by T&M and new for 2018, is set to be
for the future will certainly focus Randel. “It would be far too costly one of the most important introductions
on plants that are resistant to to breed all our own plants. Every in the company’s long history.
common pests and diseases. This vegetable crop has a specialist breeder One wonders if the young William
will allow gardeners to greatly and by working with them we can ofer Thompson ever imagined a sunflower
reduce their reliance on chemical a wide range,” explains Colin. ofering over 1,000 blooms?
controls,” he explains. When a plant is launched it is often Q The next in the series will feature
the staf who get to choose the name. Suttons in the May 5 issue.

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Relax: having a lovely garden does not
need to cost the earth. Growing some
produce and installing an insect hotel
(below) are just two ways to do your bit
ways to make your

27 garden eco-friendly
Reduce the environmental impact of your horticultural habit says Louise Curley
W
HILE gardening might garden project could use them. Or and then passed on to schools and
seem like a ‘green’ check whether your nearest garden community gardens (find out more at
hobby, it’s diicult centre will take them for recycling. conservationfoundation.co.uk).
to ignore the ecological The Horticultural Trades Association Rather than buying bamboo canes
footprint that tending our outdoor is launching a plastic pot recycling that have been transported here from
spaces has on the wider environment. scheme this spring. Any garden centre the other side of the world, try using
As gardeners, we have come to rely can sign up, so encourage yours. locally grown hazel bean poles and
on plastic: whether in the form of Do you have any worn-out garden twiggy pea sticks as plant supports. If
containers, horticultural fleece, netting or tools you no longer need? Instead of you have the space, you could grow
the packaging that contains compost and sending them to the tip, donate them your own; if not, seek out someone
chemicals. But the BBC’s Blue Planet to the Conservation Foundation’s who coppices woodland in your area
documentary series recently highlighted Tools Shed recycling project. The tools (visit coppice-products.co.uk).
the devastating impact plastic waste is are reconditioned by prison inmates When buying wooden garden
having on our planet: how it’s polluting furniture, check that it has FSC or PEFC
our seas and killing wildlife. labels. These indicate that it has come
So how can we make our gardens from sustainably managed forests.
greener places? Composting green Alternatively, consider furniture made
waste, making leaf mould and collecting from British-grown hardwoods such as
rainwater in a butt are all great starting oak and sweet chestnut, rather than
points. Another positive step is avoiding tropical wood from rainforests, like teak.
the use of chemicals where possible, as It may feel as though environmental
these can be harmful to all creatures – Insect hotels can issues are just too big to tackle, but there
not just the ones we think of as pests. be made from are plenty of small changes we can all
If you have a pile of unwanted plastic waste materials make. Start today and, collectively, we
pots, see if a local school or community will have a massive impact.
9 great bee-friendly plants
Verbena bonariensis Buddleja Oregano ‘Herrenhausen’

Held on top of tall, wafty stems, the tiny A shrubby plant with sweetly fragrant Lovely ornamental herb with dark
purple flowers of this borderline hardy flowers, also known as the ‘butterfly green, purple-tinged stems and leaves,
perennial are a magnet for butterflies bush’. Choose from compact cultivars and clusters of bright mauve/pink,
and, if you’re lucky, hummingbird hawk suitable for patio pots (like the Buzz® nectar-rich blooms. A perennial, it
moths. Plants will self-seed where series; above) or taller ones that are thrives in sunny, well-drained spots.
happy. H: 7ft (2m). perfect for borders. H: 2-10ft (60cm-3m). H: 2ft (60cm).
Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’ Scabious Phacelia tanacetifolia

Bees love the lavender blue flowers of Choose from hardy annuals or An incredibly easy annual – simply
catmint, a cottage garden classic that perennials – both are appreciated by direct sow where you want it. Often
is especially useful because of its long bees and butterflies. Appearing from used as a fast-growing green manure,
flowering period. It’s undemanding, too May to first frosts, the pincushion-like but if left to develop the pale lilac
– plant in a sunny location and let it flowers come in a range of pastels, as blooms will provide a rich source of
get on with it. H: 3ft (90cm). well as richer, darker tones. H: 39in (1m). food for bees. H: 39in (1m).
Main photo: GAP. All others Alamy
Echium ‘Blue Bedder’ Hedera helix Erysimum ‘Bowles’ Mauve’

Viper’s bugloss is a quick-growing hardy Ivy may seem an unlikely bee attractor This perennial wallflower is good news
annual with bluey-pink tubular flowers but in late summer and autumn the for pollinating insects as it can bloom
that cover the stems. Likes full sun yellow-green flowers are a valuable from late winter through to autumn.
and well-drained soil. Take care when source of nectar. Blooms appear after Ideal for the edge of borders, with grey-
handling as the tiny hairs that cover the several years, once the plant reaches green, narrow leaves and vibrant pink
plant are a skin irritant. H: 18in (45cm). maturity. H: 40ft (12m). flowers. H: 30in (75cm).
3 solutions for pest and disease-prone plants
HOSTAS ROSES
THE THE PROBLEM:
PROBLEM: Blackspot,
Hostas are mildew, rust,
great foliage aphids… Roses do
plants for seem to suffer
shade, but Thick-leaved ‘Sun and Substance’ hostas from more than Blackspot
slugs find them their fair share of
particularly pests and
tasty and love diseases.
to tuck in. THE SOLUTION:
THE Choose cultivars
SOLUTION: If that are disease-
you really can’t resistant, such
resist hostas, as pretty pink
grow thick- Copper rings are more environmentally friendly ‘Olivia Rose Olivia Rose Austin
leaved varieties Austin’ (above).
like ‘Sum and Also consider
Substance’, wild/species roses
and use copper – these tend to
rings around be more robust
the plant rather plants and are
than slug less likely to
pellets. succumb.
nematodesdirect.co.uk
PEST-FREE PEST-FREE
ALTERNATIVE: Ferns are more slug-resistant ALTERNATIVE: Hydrangeas
Ferns Hydrangeas
3 strategies for plastic pots
Wash pots after use to make them last longer. It also helps to keep disease at bay Store pots carefully for next time
Buyer beeware!
Evidence suggests that pesticides
containing neonicotinoids are harmful to
bees. And while you might not use these
pesticides yourself, many flowering plants
available from garden centres and online
– even those sold as bee-friendly – have
been treated with the chemicals.
Where possible, grow from seed or swap
cuttings with friends and neighbours. Or buy
from independent nurseries like Caves Folly
Organic Nursery ( peatfreeplants.org.uk)
and garden centres (including B&Q) that Ensure ‘bee-friendly’ plants
have pledged not to sell flowering plants are free of chemicals
treated with neonicotinoids.

7 ideas to
LILIES
green up
THE
PROBLEM:
your garden
Members of ■ Collect
the lily family rainwater in a
make beautiful Lilys are beautiful, but prone to pests butt.
additions to ■ Make your
borders and own organic
containers, compost
but the red lily and leaf mould.
beetle can ■ If buying
reduce them compost, look
to shreds. for peat-free.
THE ■ Make your
SOLUTION: own liquid
Rather Pick red lily beetle of with your fingers plant food
than spraying, from nettles
simply and comfrey –
pick these it’s easy.
beetles off ■ Choose
with your wooden plant
fingers and labels instead
dispose of of plastic ones.
them. ■ Use jute
PEST-FREE netting. Unlike
ALTERNATIVE: Astrantias are the alternative that made from
Astrantias plastic, it is
biodegradable.
■ Grow plants
that attract
REUSE Wash and store when not in use beneficial
so that they last as long as possible. insects such
RECYCLE Ask your local garden centre as ladybirds.
to collect plastic pots for recycling – That way, the
award-winning company ashortwalk hungry little
( ashortwalk.com) uses old unwanted critters will
plastic pots to create stylish new do your pest
planters and other products. control for you.
REDUCE Seek out alternatives to
plastic. It’s increasingly easy to find pots
made from biodegradable materials
such as coir, compressed wood fibre
and miscanthus. Or what about making
Coir is a great alternative to plastic your own small containers out of
newspaper or toilet rolls?
Greener growing tips Grow your own salad
■ Add a green roof to a shed,

recycling store – even your
bird table.
■ Grow your own salad leaves
and herbs, rather than buying
supermarket versions that
come swathed in plastic.
■ Sow green manure on bare
soil – it will act as a weed
suppressant, prevent erosion
and feed the soil when it’s dug
in. Crimson clover and bitter
blue lupin are two choices that Add a green roof to your shed Sow green manure
look good.

Understandably popular, dark-leaved dahlias come in all (flower)
shapes, colours and sizes, including single types like ‘Dragon’s Ball’,
a compact cultivar with salmon pink and red petals
Dark-leaved
dahlias
Love dahlias but craving
something with a bit more
drama than your average
cheery tuber? It’s time to
come over to the dark
side, says Graham Rice
I
T all started with ‘Bishop of of bronze colouring brings about
Llandaf’. Raised on a Cardif a transformation, and the contrast but the plants are poor in comparison
nursery in 1924, this dramatic between that richly coloured foliage to tuber-raised ones. I wouldn’t bother.
dahlia was picked out by the and summer-long fiery scarlet, pink, Group them with cannas, ornamental
Bishop, a friend of its grower, and named orange or yellow flowers, in a range of bananas or ricinus to create a tropical
for him. It went down a storm, and in flower forms, is undeniably dramatic. look. Or, on a smaller scale, plant
1936 The Spectator magazine reported: ‘Bishop of Llandaf’ has since been alongside the new generation of super-
“The most popular flower of the moment joined by a whole series of other sized fibrous ‘Whopper’ or ‘Dragon
in many parts of England in any test is Bishops, in other colours. Based in Wing’ begonias, slender blue salvias, the
the dahlia known as ‘Bishop of Llandaf’.” Cornwall, the National Dahlia Collection colourful foliage of ‘Kong’ coleus, or with
The combination of elegantly has developed some impressive dark silver-leaved Helichrysum petiolare.
dissected bronze foliage and vivid dahlias, among them one, ‘Twyning’s You can now buy dark-leaved dahlias
scarlet semi-double flowers fired the After Eight’, that features that most – individually and in collections – from
imagination of gardeners UK-wide, and elusive of combinations: dark leaves garden centres, online and by mail
spawned a number of imitations. Other and white flowers. order. They are available as tubers,
dark-leaved varieties with diferent In more recent years, shorter rooted cuttings, young plants or garden
flower colours and forms also became varieties, the Happy Single Series and ready plants, and the type you chose
popular, particularly among those the Mystic Series in particular, have should be dictated by the frost-free
responsible for town and seaside parks. brought dark-leaved dahlias down in facilities you have. My advice is: snap
And it’s not hard to see why. After scale and provided plants that fit easily them up. With foliage that is attractive
all, there’s no getting away from it: into today’s smaller spaces, including for weeks before the first flower even
the foliage of many dahlias is dull and containers, with some stunning flower opens, these indispensable varieties
unremarkable. However, the addition colours. You can grow these from seed, are a great investment.
Dark-leaved favourites
‘Bishop of Llandaf’ ‘David Howard’ ‘Ellen Huston’

(AGM) The classic, with its winning (AGM) Perhaps the most popular of (AGM) Fully double, 4in (10cm) burnt
combo of jaggedly toothed, almost- older dark-leaved varieties after the orange flowers shine against their
black foliage topped by yellow-eyed, Bishop, with lovely soft orange, fully backdrop of bronze foliage, often with
scarlet, 2in (5-6cm) semi-double flowers. double flowers featuring a touch of a little green showing through for a
Good with crocosmias and lime green peach, set against bold purple-bronze slightly softer efect. May occasionally
Helichrysum ‘Limelight’. H: 4ft (1.2m). foliage. H: 32in (80cm). throw a single flower. H: 2ft (60cm).
‘Fascination’ ‘Moonfire’ ‘Happy Single Wink’

(AGM) Dark bronze foliage makes an (AGM) Softly coloured creamy gold (AGM) My pick from the Happy Single
efective contrast for the 4in (10cm), single flowers with a few reddish Series of single-flowered varieties. Lilac-
semi-double flowers in cerise pink – streaks feature a contrasting red pink petals with slightly darker streaks
paler at the edges of the petals. These feathered flare at the base. These are are set of by plum-red marks at the
appear on long stems, and are held well perfectly partnered by deep purple- base – all against neat bronze-purple
above the foliage. H: 2ft (60cm). bronze leaves. H: 32in (80cm). leaves. H: 2ft (60cm).
All photos Alamy, unless otherwise credited
‘Mystic Dreamer’ ‘Roxy’ ‘Twyning’s After Eight’

My choice from the superb Mystic Vivid magenta single flowers, shading Clean white, 5in (12cm) flowers, with a
Series, with their exceptionally dark, to bright scarlet at the base and few pale pink tints and yellow sparks
daintily divided, almost black leaves. sometimes featuring slightly paler at the base, open on black stems from
‘Dreamer’ teams these with pale pink tips, combine spectacularly with red buds and stand out brightly against
single flowers, the petals boldly striped bronze-coloured foliage. Plants are leaves that are so dark they appear
in magenta. H: 30in (75cm). medium-sized. H: 28in (70cm). almost black. H: 3ft (90cm).
What to team with your tubers
GAP
Canna Cosmos Eucalyptus
Bold tropicals growing from stout The bright green, feathery foliage of With small, silvery leaves on slender
rhizomes, the green, brightly striped cosmos contrasts well with dahlias, stems, this fast-growing tree contrasts
or purple foliage showcases fiery as do the daisy-like flowers of white well with the form and colour of dark-
flowers until the first heavy frosts. varieties (‘Apollo White’, ‘Hummingbird leaved dahlias. Cut back plants hard
Try ‘Phasion’ (gold-striped leaves) and White’). Meanwhile, red-flowered types each spring. Eucalyptus globulus
‘Roi Humbert’ (scarlet flowers, purple (‘Rubenza’, ‘Versailles Tetra’) are more (above) has the best colour; E. gunnii
leaves). H: 5-8ft (1.5-2.5m). harmonious. H: 2-4ft (60cm-1.2m). is hardier. H: 6½ft (2m).
Salvia Verbena
Many sages come in blue, the one colour you don’t find in V. bonariensis features stif upright stems topped with flat
dahlias, and those slender spires of flowers create a lovely heads of purple flowers. This see-through perennial can be
contrast. ‘Indigo Spires’ is deep blue; S. uliginosa (above) allowed to self seed and, thanks to its diaphanous nature,
is pale blue. H: 4-6½ft (1.2-2m). will never block the view. 5-61/2ft (1.5-2m).
Dahlia planting and care

■ Keep an eye on the forecast and wait until after the last
frost in your area before planting out.
■ On receipt, start tubers in 2 litre pots; pot on rooted
cuttings into, first, 9cm and then 1 litre pots. Pot on young
plants and grow on frost-free.
■ Plant in a sunny site in rich, fertile but well-drained soil;
poor soil should be improved with added humus.
■ Your plants will need support. Before planting, position
a stout stake in the ground.
■ Tie in shoots as they develop. Pot on young plants, for planting out after frosts
■ Deadhead or pick regularly to keep the flowers coming.
Where to buy dark-leaved dahlias

Halls of Heddon hallsofheddon.com 01661 852445
National Dahlia Collection nationaldahliacollection.co.uk 01736 339276
Sarah Raven sarahraven.com 0345 092 0283

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Anne Swithinbank’s masterclass on: Growing and caring for lupins
Dividing the
Lupins can thrive
in poor soils, but crown and
suffer during
droughts. taking cuttings
1 Remove
loose soil,
assess the
The ‘Russell lupin’
young plant
and decide
where to
cut in order
to separate
growths and
cuttings.
Young lupins need space

to thrive and this one has
2 While some
shoots are
removed with
been smothered by nearby roots attached,
plants. Instead of others are
replanting, I’ve opted to
separate the growths to made into
make more cuttings, each
containing
a portion of
Creating a better home for lupins woody base.
Q Several times I’ve introduced lupins

to our cottage-style garden, but
they struggle, sometimes wilt and are
Lupins need an open, sunny position
in moisture-retentive yet well-drained
neutral-to-slightly-acidic soil. Mulching
3 Pot the
rooted
growths
often attacked by masses of giant while the soil is well moistened helps separately
greenfly. The last survivor is down to prevent drying out, but never pile soil into good
one small side shoot. What can I do? conditioner over the crowns. well-draining
John Beckwith, Cardiff Despite providing the best conditions I compost.
can for good hybrids bought as young
A Spires of colourful lupins make a

strong show in early summer, but
these seemingly easy-going cottage-
plants or seed from Westcountry
Nurseries in Devon, my lupins have a life
expectancy of about six years in our clay
4 Insert
cuttings into
50:50 soilless
garden plants are often short-lived. soil. They perform brilliantly, but I must compost and
Growth dies back for winter, but unlike remember to take basal cuttings in mid to grit or perlite.
other herbaceous perennials, mature late spring before plants dwindle. These Cover with
plants are difficult to divide and are normally 4-6in (10-15cm) long and ventilated
rejuvenate. They eventually form a should contain a portion of woody base. polythene and
chunky, solid base prone to rotting in wet If growth is soft, nip out the growing tip. shade from
winters. As you’ve described, they Spring-sown seed germinates readily in harsh sun.
dwindle to a cluster of shoots but the pots or trays under glass.
good news is, these make great cuttings.
Back in the 1800s, blue or pink North
American Lupinus polyphyllus was the
popular garden lupin, but in 1911, on his
Lupin aphids
allotments near York, George Russell The grey-white lupin aphids (see
began a selective breeding programme. right) are monsters, reaching almost
By allowing a number of different lupins a 1⁄4in (5mm) long. They are capable
to pollinate each other and sowing the of decimating flower spikes and
seed, he created many hybrids. From distorting foliage. This North
rigorous selection, by grubbing out plants American pest seems immune to
with unwanted characteristics and our natural garden parasites and
leaving the best to pollinate and set seed, predators, and early detection is
he created the familiar ‘Russell lupin’. paramount. Gentle removal by hand
Time Inc/Alamy
These have rounded ‘bells’ in strong can work, or use a spray based on
colours, quality spikes with no gaps and plant oils or fatty acids.
fresh blooms from top to bottom.
Anna Toeman, Dr Jane Bingham, John Negus
Transplant young wisteria in autumn
Can I cut this

erysimum back?
Ungainly erysimum
Q How can I cut back my Erysimum
‘Super Bowles’ so it doesn’t get too
When can I move my wisteria? big and unattractive?
Stephen Wilkes, Northampton
Q I have a small wisteria in my front
A
garden that has grown as a runner
off a larger one. I would like to try to
You did not say how large your plant
is. If it is more than 6ft (1.2m) and has
been established for some years, you
These super plants put on a lovely
display of fragrant flowers for a long
transplant it into my back garden – how will need to prepare it for transplanting. period, but do tend to become large,
and when should I do this? All you do, in autumn, is to dig a woody and straggly with age.
Sue Langridge, via email trench about 12in (30cm) deep around The best plan is to have a succession
the root system and fill it with gritty soil. of new plants growing on by taking
A The best time to transplant your

small wisteria is in autumn when
the leaves are turning yellow. Lift it
Fresh feeding roots will fill the trench the
following year, when in autumn, the
climber can be lifted and transplanted.
cuttings of leafy stems. Once you have
taken some ‘insurance’ cuttings, reduce
the size of your plant by cutting it back in
with as much soil as possible around Ideally, set it in a generous planting midsummer. You will sacrifice the flowers
the root system. hole enriched with organic soil for the rest of the season, but hopefully
If the ground is dry, water liberally conditioner, such as old crumbly manure the plant will recover well and regrow.
to ensure that soil sticks to the roots. or well-rotted garden compost.
Unusual bee Ashy mining bees and bumble bees

(inset) clean themselves of dust and mites
activity
Q I watched a bee scrape itse
into a hollow in the grass an
then use its legs to rub over its
body. Why would it do this?
Mrs I Chisholm, Lichfield, Staffs ‘Goldcot’ apricots like a
nd nectar), so the warm, sheltered spot
A Most bumblebees do have

many tiny mites clinging to
est is tiny.
However, some do
their bodies. Most are fairly harm
to them and are simply clinging to
communally, either
close together or using a
No flowers or fruit
the bumblebee so they can be
transported to new nests. When
in the nest, the mites usually feed
common entrance hole, making it
look a little like they are social bees.
Mining bees generally nest in the
Q How can I get my ‘Goldcot’ apricot
to produce more than a few
flowers? It hasn’t fruited yet.
upon the wax, pollen, nest debris ground, often in paths or lawns. The Martin Hadlington, via email
and other small insects, so do not entrance to their burrow is often
feed on the bees.
However, there are such things as
mining bees. These look similar to
marked by a small mound of
excavated soil. These bees are good
pollinators of economically important
A A good way to encourage your
‘Goldcot’ to flower and then to
fruit is to liquid-feed it weekly with a
bumblebees, but are generally less plants such as fruit trees and, in high-potash tomato fertiliser from April
hairy and often, though not always, reasonable numbers, they won’t until September. The potassium content
smaller. Almost all of them are harm your lawn. will help shoots ripen, and flowers and
classed as solitary bees, which So it might be that your bee was fruits to form.
means the female doesn’t stick having a dust bath to clean off a few I also urge you to position it in a warm
around after laying the first batch of mites, or was beginning the process sunny spot outdoors, sitting the pot on
eggs to provide a food supply (pollen of mining a nest in which to lay eggs. feet so that any surplus moisture is able
to escape freely.
Write to us: Ask The AG Experts, Amateur Gardening magazine,
Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough Business Park,
Farnborough, Hants, GU14 7BF.
Email us: amateurgardening@timeinc.com
How to care for hellebores Quick Questions

& Answers
Q I have been given a wonderful
Helleborus. How should I look
after it for the best results?
George Melrose, Galashiels, Scotland
Q I saw this while in Scotland –
is it a type of fern coming up?
A Being fully frost-hardy, these

gorgeous plants can be planted
Neil Petts, via em
outdoors – and now is a good time.

Choose a sunny, or lightly shaded spot,
that doesn’t dry out in summer.
A It is wood
horsetail
(Equisetum
Enrich the soil with well-rotted garden sylvaticum). The
compost or farmyard manure and water genus grew to
freely to settle the soil around the roots around 30ft (9m)
after planting. Helleborus niger are hardy plants high 250 million
Encourage robust flowering shoots years ago in the
by feeding with blood, fish and bone Cretaceous Period when giant
monthly from April until September. Lift the plant in August and divide it dragonflies abounded.
After a year or so, when the clump has into chunky portions, each with a good Not common, the wood
increased in size, you can propagate it. root system. Re-plant and water well. horsetail’s finely divided, almost
lacy, leaves make it the most
attractive of the nine species
indigenous to Britain.
Q What is this plant, please?

Robert Wood, Ryde, IoW
A It is honesty
(Lunaria
annua), a
cottage-garden
biennial with
seeds growing
and germinating
the first year and
flowering the nex
The pink or white blooms are
followed by flat, papery seed
heads that are often used in
flower arrangements.
It likes most conditions and is
Gooseberries need nectar-rich for insects.
a large pot to grow in
Will gooseberries grow in pots? Q Is this a weed or can I keep it?

Sandra Baxter, via email
Q Is it possible to grow gooseberry

bushes in pots? If so, what diameter
and depth of pot would be best, and
Assuming that you are planting a
containerised bush, water it the night
before, then ease it from its container.
A The intruder is
wild arum,
also called
do gooseberries need any special type Tease out encircling roots and nestle the cuckoo pint or
of compost? rootball into the compost. lords and ladies
Nicky Shinn, via email Fill in with more compost, to within 2in (Arum
Time Inc/Wikimedia Andrew Butko/Alamy
(5cm) of the pot rim, ensuring that the maculatum). A
A Gooseberries can be grown in large

pots or half barrels, ideally around
15-18in (38-45cm) in diameter.
bush is planted at the same depth at
which it was growing in the container.
Firm the compost around it and set
rampageous
weed, it is best hoed
off the moment it appears.
Start by covering the drainage hole the pot on pot feet so that any surplus It has a deep root system so you
with 2in (5cm) of crocks or pebbles. water freely escapes. Finish the job by may need to tackle it several times
Then fill in with 4in (10cm) of John Innes watering copiously to settle compost to exhaust its energy reserves.
loam-based potting compost No3. around the roots.
Tried&tested
We try before you buy
Seed-sowing tools
If you’ve got lots of seeds to sow and your fingers aren’t as nimble as they used to
be, a seed-sowing tool could be just what you’re looking for says Tim Rumball
S
OWING seeds can be a fiddly their fingers will know what I mean. rows of peas, brassicas are required.
business. You’re either Accurate seed sowing with correct Small hand-held types are ideal for
grovelling in the soil on your spacing saves money on seeds, and sowing in trays and modules. They can
knees or tiny seeds are slipping using special tools can help. Some are be used for sowing in open soil, but
from your fingers into compost-filled designed for sowing long rows of veg in you’ll be on your knees and they’re
modules – too many, too few, never open soil – best suited to allotment slow-going. We tried six very diferent
quite right! Those losing dexterity in gardening or smallholdings where long designs to see what worked best.
Handy Seeder SeedSava Multi-Change Small

£3.99 £19.50 delivery free Seed Sower £16.99
01476 564230 No phone number available 0208 8298850
creativeproducts.ltd.uk seedsava.co.uk worldofwolf.co.uk
Score Score Score
8/15
10 /15
11/15
Features Features Features

Syringe-style plastic tool. Screw-of lid Base unit, four colour-coded hoppers Single wheel plastic sowing mechanism
for filling and sprung plunger for with evenly spaced holes for diferent on stainless steel handle designed to fit
dispensing small seeds up to 2mm sized seeds, and cover. Made from Wolf Garten Multi-Change long handle
diameter into trays, modules or the soil. plastic. With step-by-step instructions. (not supplied) for sowing veg in rows.
Simple instructions. No assembly. Six dial-in adjustments for seed size. No
Performance assembly required.
Performance Select a hopper, clip it to the base unit, Performance
Easy to fill with seeds. Only works with fill with seeds then rock it to distribute, Easy to fill with seed. Good eyesight
small seeds, and tricky with irregular place it over the drill in the soil, slide needed to align arrows for right hole
shaped seeds – lettuce tended to jam. hopper on the base unit to release size. Some trial and error to get right
Small carrot and rocket seeds were seeds. Tried it with carrots, rocket, settings for diferent seeds (practice
diicult to control. One light press of the cauliflower and parsnip. Delivery was over paper). Slightly erratic dispensing
plunger might deliver one, five or six reasonable but random, each hole of lettuce and brassica seeds, but
seeds, or none. Bigger seeds like delivering between none and four reasonable overall distribution in the
brassicas were better but inconsistent. seeds. Not for big seeds like peas. row. Big peas, sweetcorn and French
bean seeds didn’t work.
Value Value
A cheap tool for rough sowing of some Not bad at sowing light scatters of small Value
evenly shaped small seeds. Useful for seeds like carrot in the soil in rows or Simple to use, and efective for sowing
sowing into trays or cells if you have into standard seed trays, but there’ll still small veg seeds in rows in the soil. Can
limited dexterity in your fingers. be seedlings to thin out. be used without clip-on handle.
BEST BUY...
Bio Green Super
Seeder £32.49
with free delivery
0049 6444 93120

biogreen.world
D-SOWI
EE 2018 N
G
S
Amateur
BEST BUY
Sow EZ Precision Weeding and Seeding TOOLS
Handheld Seeder $25 Trowel £9.99
No phone number available 01753 547790
sowez.com darlac.com
Score Score
11 /15
11 /15 Amateur
Best buy
Features 13 /15
German-made two-
wheeled dispenser with long
handle (included) for sowing all
seeds up to pea-size in long rows.
Separate disc attachments for
diferent seeds. Adjustable furrow
depth and seed spacing. Plastic
Features Features body, steel handle. Assembly
Plastic tool with trigger for pelleted Stainless steel curved blade narrowing required. Instructions included.
seeds of veg and flowers. Four seed to channel at tip to funnel flower or veg
settings. Works with some unpelleted. seeds into trays, modules or the soil. Performance
Bamboo handle. No instructions. Assembly took 20 minutes from
Performance scant instructions. Fiddly disc set-
Pelleted seeds limited in the UK (try Performance up for diferent seed types.
simplyseeds.co.uk or seekay.co.uk). Sprinkle seeds onto curve blade, then Sowing depth adjustment trial and
Simple dial to adjust for seed size. Small gently tap the edge while guiding the error. Worked consistently well for
hopper easy to fill. Hold over soil and tip along the sowing row. Round seeds small seeded peas (big ones
click trigger. Pelleted seeds delivered like radish and sweet peas were diicult jammed), brassicas and French
one at a time. Unpelleted artichoke to control as they rolled out. Unevenly beans. Getting settings right for
seeds worked OK. Unpelleted sweet shaped seeds like lettuce, calendula carrots was tricky (practice on a
pea seeds and brassicas worked well, and carrot were easier to control and sheet of paper first). Easy to push
delivering one to two seeds each click. worked quite well, giving a thin, even through light, crumbly, well-
scatter along the row. prepared soil.
Value.
Limited uses, but if you sow a lot of Value Value
brassicas, sweet peas or similar evenly- A handy tool for sowing unevenly A surprisingly eicient seed-
sized seeds in modules, then this tool is shaped flower or veg seeds in trays or sower for the allotment gardener
well worth a look. Price displayed in US in the soil – and not a bad little weeding or smallholder.
Dollars as exchange value fluctuates. tool, either.
A Gardener’s Miscellany
Gardening’s king of trivia and brain-teasers, Graham Clarke
THIS Gardening St George’s Day

Next Monday (23 April) is St George’s
WEEK history Day. As with the feast days of Saints
IN 18-22 April Patrick, David and Andrew, it will
be a day of national pride and
ommemoration. These three saints
18 April 1802 ave the shamrock, the daffodil and the
Erasmus Darwin, istle as symbols, respectively. For St
scientist, poet, George’s Day it was customary to wear
naturalist and red rose in one’s lapel, but this is no
grandfather of nger widely practised. of the world, from the Iberian Peninsula
Charles Darwin Although St George is very much to Hungary, the Czech Republic and
(below), died. garded as England’s saint, we do have other Eastern Bloc countries, as well as
share him with many other countries the Middle East.
19 April
1882 Q In Catalonia, Spain, St George is the
Charles patron saint of the former Crown of
Robert Aragon, and here, on 23 April, they
Darwin, celebrate El Dia de la Rosa (The Day of
naturalist the Rose). Similar to St Valentine’s Day,
and this is when boys give girls a flower
biologist, (usually a rose), while the girls tend
died. to give the boys… a book!
A rose for England

England’s national flower is the rose. Officially it
is the Tudor rose, but unofficially we can make
do with any red rose as the Tudor rose doesn’t
actually exist horticulturally. It is a depiction of
a rose that is a combination of the red rose of
Lancaster and the white rose of York.
The Royal House of Tudor united the warring
Houses of York and Lancaster and, along with lasting
21 April 1637 The three-year tulip peace, the Tudor Rose was the main outcome.
mania in Holland ends, with the Q The English oak (Quercus robur) is also an official na
collapse of the tulip market. At its emblem for England – but it is not so attractive in the lapel!
height, a single tulip bulb was sold
for more than the price of a house
in Amsterdam. 5 decorative plants with
21 April 1752 Humphry
Repton, the last
‘English’ in the name
great English Q Rose ‘English Miss’ Rose ‘English Miss’
landscape Q Narcissus ‘English Caye’
designer of the Q Iris ‘English Cottage’
18th century Q Hosta ‘English Sunrise’
and the Q Hemerocallis ‘English Skies’
successor to
kimedia/Time Inc
Capability Brow
was born. He die
on 24 March, 1818.
2 April 1662
ohn Tradescant
he Younger,
otanist and
ardener, died. Iris ‘English Cottage’

Award-winning
English roses Prize draw
Britain’s leading rose breeder and Westland Gro-Sure Smart Ground Cover is a
grower David Austin has spent the past protective and decorative natural mulch ideal for us
60 years developing his award-winning in beds, borders, planters, containers and pots – its
English roses. These rose varieties have natural wood fibres lock together to stay in place
been bred and selected to combine the ofering better coverage than standard bark. To use
charm and fragrances of the ‘old roses’ spread a 11⁄4in (3cm) layer, break up lumps and fluf
with the wider colour range and repeat- the mulch before watering to lock fibres together.
Westland
flowering nature of modern roses. They We have one 10-litre pack to give away, worth
are also loved for their vigour and £9.99. See below for details of how to enter the
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English roses look good in mixed How to enter
borders, planted in large containers Send your name and address on the back of a postcard to Westland Water
or in their own dedicated rose border. Indicator and Plant Feed Draw (21 April), Amateur Gardening, Pinehurst 2,
Some can also be used to create Pinehurst Road, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 7BF. Or you can email
fragrant, flowering hedges or even your details to ag_giveaway@timeinc.com, heading the email Westland Water
trained as climbers. Indicator and Plant Feed Draw (21 April). The closing date is 26 April 2018.
5 of the best WIN

English roses £30 Word search No:
412
Q Orange
– ‘Lady of This word search contains H A L O N D O N H Y
words associated with
David Austin Roses
Shalott’ M S O A K P E A E G
England and St George – and
‘English’ plants. They are
listed below; in the grid they A E I W V G R W N B
may be read across, R S S T R E E I L H
backwards, up, down or
Q White diagonally. Letters may be O O L O B N N U D V
– ‘Kew shared between words.
David Austin Roses
Gardens’ Erroneous or duplicate words J R E E G E E D I E

may appear in the grid, but
there is only one correct R G L L D B I O E O
solution. After the listed words
are found there are eight A L I R E R L R N R
Q Yellow – letters remaining; arrange M S A L I E S S E X
‘Charles these to make this week’s
KEYWORD. H G L S T T N I A S
David Austin Roses
Darwin’
SAINT HOW TO ENTER: Enter this week’s keyword on the entry form,
GEORGE and send it to AG Word Search No 412, Amateur Gardening, 2
BLUEBELL Pinehurst, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7BF,
ENGLISH to arrive by Wednesday 2 May 2018. The first correct entry
Q Pink – chosen at random will win our £30 cash prize.
ESSEX
‘Princess
GARDENING This week’s keyword is ....................................................................................
Anne’ HAREBELL
IRIS Name ..................................................................................................................
Time Inc.
ISLE Address ..............................................................................................................

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LONDON .............................................................................................................................
Q Crimson MARJORAM
– ‘Falstaff’ Postcode ............................................................................................................
OAK
David Austin Roses
PRIDE Email...................................................................................................................
ROSES
Tel no ..................................................................................................................
VIOLET
Time Inc (UK) Ltd, publisher of Amateur Gardening will collect your personal information solely to
YEW process your competition entry.

A Gardener’s Crossword
Miscellany
8 ‘English’ ( ) * + ,
plants
Q English elm - .
(Ulmus procera) /
Q English harebell
(Campanula rotundifolia) English bluebell
(Hyacinthoides non-scripta) 0 ('
Q English hawthorn
(Crataegus laevigata) ((
Q English marjoram
(Origanum vulgare) () (*
Q English oak English (+
(Quercus robur) iris (Iris
Q English yew latifolia) (, (-
(Taxus baccata)
(.
Latin Names and English

Geography Ilex x altaclerensis
ACROSS
1 Summer bedding plant
14 Member of the deer
family in North America
There are some species names of distantly related to the and Eastern Asia, as in
potato (7) the North American crab
plants that can tell you where in apple Malus coronaria
6 Pack down by frequent
England they came from. ‘___ River’ (3)
gentle strokes, as to flatten
Q altaclarensis (as in holly: Ilex x compost in a pot or tray 15 See 7 across
altaclerensis) comes from Highclere prior to sowing seed (4) 16 Pinus contorta is known
Castle, Hampshire. 7 and 15 across Soothing as the lodgepole ____ (4)
Q beesianum (as in jasmine: Jasminu succulent! (4,4) 17 ‘Palace’, ‘Gladiator’ and
beesianum) comes from the old Bees Nursery, Chester. 8 North Yorkshire river ‘Tender and True’ are all
Q darleyensis (as in heather: Erica x darleyensis) comes that empties into the varieties of this vegetable (7)
from Darley Dale Nursery (James Smith & Sons), Derbys. North Sea at Whitby, as
Q kewensis (as in primula: Primula x kewensis) comes in the sycamore tree variety DOWN
from Kew Gardens, London. Acer pseudoplatanus 2 Hybrid berry (form of
Q stevenagensis (as in gentian: Gentiana x f. variegatum ‘____ rubus) similar to the tayberry,
stevenagensis) comes from Stevenage, Hertfordshire. Sunset’ (3) but with fruits that are
9 Used in snooker, but brighter red (11)
sounds like the Royal 3 Botanical name for
Botanical Gardens (3) orris root (4,7)
2
4 Fertilisation by the
famous gardening 10 Small supernatural
creature, as in Agapanthus transfer of pollen from an
anther to a stigma, as
Georges ‘Blue ___’ and Fuchsia
‘Red ___’ (3) effected by insects, birds,
Q George Russell (1857-1951) 11 Cedrus libani is the bats and the wind (11)
In 1937, the RHS awarded the Veitch cedar of _______ (7) 5 Any plant (such as ivy
Memorial Medal to George Russell 12 Receding movement of or periwinkle) that grows
from Yorkshire. Over 23 years, the tide, as in web bark! (3) by ‘crawling’ along the
George had crossed, recrossed and 13 Tillandsia argentea is ground (7)
commonly known as the 9 The herb Anthriscus
selected lupins until he got a better
___ plant (3) cerefolium (7)
range of colours and more flowers
per stem. Russell lupins (right) and
their offspring are still available today. DOWN 2 Tummelberry 3 Iris pallida 4 Pollination 5 Creeper 9 Chervil
Elk 15 Vera 16 Pine 17 Parsnip
Q George Forrest (1873-1932)
ACROSS 1 Petunia 6 Tamp 7 Aloe 8 Esk 9 Cue 10 Imp 11 Lebanon 12 Ebb 13 Air 14
ANSWERS
Born in Falkirk, Scotland, George
Forrest (right) became one of the first
explorers of China’s then remote KEYWORD TO WORDSEARCH 407 (AG 17 MARCH):
Yunnan province. He eventually GALWAY
became the foremost collector of AND THE WINNER IS:
Yunnan flora, introducing them to the U MRS CHRISTINE OSBOURNE OF RUSHDEN

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Dianthus ‘Musgrave’s Pink’
has single white flowers
with a fresh green eye
If you don’t have a lot of
space, rock or alpine
pinks make a colourful
collection to fill a windowbox
of well-drained compost.
Most are scented and
range from 3-10in
(8-25cm).
My new Devon Pink

will be added in
between lavenders,
sage and thymes
edging the kitchen
garden pathways
How to grow
Garden pinks
With their evocative clove-like scent, garden pinks are available in
a range of colours and last all summer long, says Anne Swithinbank
G
ARDENERS often ask for short, reminds us that the flowers were once and typically for florist’s flowers, there
colourful, fragrant, evergreen used to flavour wine in Medieval and are descriptive words for their markings.
perennials capable of flowering Tudor times, when mulling with Until the late 1800s, a florist was
all summer long, and the expensive cloves was beyond many a someone who collected, bred and
modern pink certainly delivers. Unlike pocket – although whether the cultivar exhibited plants like ranunculus and
the once-blooming old-fashioned currently enjoying this name is the same auricula for their beautiful blooms. Self
pinks (probably derived from Dianthus plant (it may have been an ‘old clove (one colour), bicolor (with contrasting
plumarius), modern varieties produce carnation’) we may never know. eye), laced (with eye colour extending
their flower stems over several weeks The double white flowers with frilled around rim), fancy (flecks, streaks or
while retaining that clove-like scent. petals have a deep-maroon centre and stripes against a background) and
I use them to edge pathways in our strong clove scent. ‘Musgrave’s Pink’, picotee (petals with contrasting rims) are
kitchen garden, as the petals (minus possibly dating from 1730, bears single still used to describe the flowers.
the bitter green base) are edible. We white flowers each with a fresh green While pinks grow best on chalky, well-
add them to herbal teas, use them to eye and clear sweet perfume. It is drained soils, they can be persuaded to
decorate salads, and when crystallised, certainly old enough to have gathered bloom in heavier, wetter ground like
they look pretty on cakes. Long- a clutch of pseudonyms (‘Charles mine. They look rather sad during winter,
stemmed pinks are great for the cutting Musgrave’, ‘Old Green Eye’, ‘Washfield’). and may need replacing more regularly,
garden too, their blooms interwoven Modern pinks have been bred by but they do perk up in spring and
with annuals like nigella (love-in-a-mist) crossing old varieties with tender produce plenty of flowers.
and orlaya. carnations capable of flowering for long Plant them in a sunny position and
Time Inc/Alamy
Yet romantic, old-fashioned pinks are periods, but mainly under glass. remove dead heads to keep plants clean
full of charm and I’m drawn to their The colour range is white, every and encourage those that repeat to
stories. Their old name ‘sops in wine’ shade of pink, red, purple and yellow, produce more buds.
Taking
cuttings
of pinks
I’ll take cuttings of
pinks any time when
tempted by strong,
non-flowering
shoots. However,
the ‘correct’ time
is in summer when
rooting is quicker.
Trim under a node to
make a cutting 3in
(8cm) long, or pull
the growing tip so
it comes away as
a ‘piping’. Insert
several in 3.5in (9cm
pots of gritty cutting
compost.
Four pretty pinks

Allwoods.net
‘Bright Eyes’ ‘Eileen’

This is a modern pink Dating from 1927, a large-
whose double white flowered single whose
blooms are lit by a crimson-eyed, white blooms
burgundy eye. There’s have daintily ‘pinked’ petals
delicious perfume and a and delicious clove scent.
flower height of 11in (28cm). Reaches 12-14in (30-35cm).
Hardysplants.co.uk
‘Old Square Eyes’ ‘Widecombe Fair’

Dating from 1980, large A modern cultivar with
single white flowers are double champagne-pink
bathed with a warm peachy flowers and rich sweet
pink centre and faint peach perfume over long periods
edging. Highly scented and at a flower height of 14in
reaching 12-15in (30-38cm). (35cm). Great for cutting.

Write to us: Letters, Amateur Gardening magazine,
Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough Business Park,
Farnborough, Hants, GU14 7BF.
Email us: amateurgardening@timeinc.com
with Wendy Humphries
star The rose

IN 1952 when I started gardening
letter everyone grew roses – it was the only
plant everyone knew!
Then came the garden centres and
people saw a vast collection of plants,
many that they had never heard of, all
ready to be planted straight away.
I am, or was, a member of the RNRS
Patricia is emptying the bags to (Royal National Rose Society) and am
compost the leaves: “It’s worth the very sorry it had to close. The Gardens
efort to help the environment,” she says of The Rose are, or were, not far from
where I live and the first plants I bought
were roses because I didn’t know about
Quite a stir!
much else!
Mrs Joyce Hall,
Potters Bar, Herts
A
TV show recently reported that this do to the tiny ones in our compost
a small amount of plastic was bins? I still want the tea leaves in my
used when making teabags. I compost so to overcome this I collect
use decaf teabags so I emailed the bags by the sink, then split them so
the company to see if I could purchase only the tea leaves go into the bin.
loose decaf instead. Their reply was no, We as gardeners are doing our best
but as there was only a small amount of to protect our environment and by not
plastic used, it was safe to put them in putting teabags in our bins this would
the compost bin. I am not comfortable be another small step towards that.
with this as when I sieve my compost, Patricia Lush via email
the teabag casings are still in there.
Given the damage that plastic is Wendy says Good news, the Co-op and
doing to larger creatures, what does Typhoo are trialling a heat-sealed bag
Dear Bob, how do you know cats

kill more rodents than birds?
COULD you tell me where Bob Flowerdew gets his information that cats Mrs Hall remembers the RNRS
kill more rodents than birds and that the birds they kill by the hundreds of Gardens, when massed planting
thousands if not millions are old or ill (AG, 31 March). was the usual style for roses
Paul Chandler, Droitwich, Worcs
Reply from Bob: What I said was: this as most probable. Rodents are
“Cats actually kill far more rodents
than birds, and as with wolves they
far easier prey, available in greater
numbers and give the mousers a
Reader’s Quick Tip
most often kill the sick, old and infirm meal whereas birds are harder to HERE’S an
thus keeping bird populations catch and then seldom eaten. It florists’ tip.
healthier.” seems that whenever a bird Always cut
I drew my opinion from has flown into a window, the stems
exactly the same source been hit by a car or of tulips
as yourself when you dropped dead from old a little
claim cats kill hundreds age it is invariably a shorter
of thousands if not cat that is blamed for because
millions of birds. No-one the death. My point re they
has any real statistics, predators is pertinent, if carry on
Rodents are easy
how could they, all reports prey for cats I were a sick bird unable growing in
can only be estimates ope to get away a quick death the vase. A
to huge variation. As to killing might well be a mercy. I’m sorry some wallfl
more rodents than birds, a lifetime of you have been upset by my article, to the vase for a winning combination.
studying natural history and having perhaps you might consider getting a Gemma Knight, King’s Lynn,
owned many cats has demonstrated cat to observe its actual habits. Norfollk

Share your stories, tips and photos with us and if your
letter is published you will receive a new book.
When you write, please indicate your area of interest!
Photo Poison warning

A cheery camellia to put a
of the ‘spring’ in our steps
I WAS interested to see the letter
week regarding the cuckoo pint plants (AG,
Q&A 31 March) but a bit surprised that
the reply did not mention how VERY
poisonous they are, especially when the
attractive looking berries appear.
Ed Davis via email
Wendy says Good point. The leaves

and berries are an irritant so handling is
not a good idea. Dab the leaves with a
systemic weedkiller as suggested
Capturing the vibrancy of spring

I WOULD like to share a photo of my camellia, which I’m pleased to say
is flowering well. I am a particular fan of camellias as my late gran had
one in her garden. I hope you are able to share it with your readers. Arum maculatum berries appear in
Grant Rivers, South Ockendon, Essex autumn, once leaves have died back
Traditions are a matter of history

WHAT ridiculous interpretation of there to apologise for?
political correctness makes Graham Michael Stephens,
Clarke feel a need to apologise for Liskeard, Cornwall
describing the association between
some plants and Easter? (AG, A Garry Coward-Williams, Editor says
Gardener’s Miscellany, 31 March). “I would not describe Graham’s
It is simply a matter of history that introduction as ‘politically correct’,
these traditions have developed. but rather sensitively aware. More
Irrespective of personal beliefs importantly, like many readers, I enjoy
one may (or may not) find such ‘Miscellany’ for the fun and diversity of The passion flower is used to
background information about plants extraordinary facts Graham manages to recount the Easter story
adds interest to gardening. What is corral into each week’s theme.”
Content director: Mark Hedges Subscription rates (51 issues, all prices
Editorial contacts: shown include postage) UK: £107.53;
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Editor: Garry Coward-Williams of sale: this periodical shall not, without the consent of the publishers
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Get the look
Ideas for gorgeous gardens
Mix together strong geometric shapes, such as these zigzag-clipped box fences, and
surround them with a profusion of colourful grasses, perennials, climbers and shrubs
Arts and Crafts Garden

A garden for all seasons has been created around a areas also have practical uses, such
former private estate house in Gwent, writes Sue Bradley as a cosy octagonal summerhouse
and a gravelled sitting area with a
HE impressive crest dominating version of the prairie planting technique small water feature covering the base
T the front gable of Ralph and

Helen Fergusson-Kelly’s home
in Monmouth, Gwent, sets the
tone for the garden in front of it.
This visible reminder that the Arts
pioneered by designers such as Piet
Oudolf, mixing together grasses and
perennials, along with climbers and
shrubs, to ensure year-round interest.
A pathway runs across the summit of
of an old building that’s perfectly
positioned to make the most of the
south-facing slope.
Helen, a management consultant-
turned-gardener, and Ralph, an
and Crafts-style property was built as the slope, while rustic-looking steps engineer, have lived at The Hendre
part of the Rolls estate has inspired lead to a lawn below. for 26 years.
Ralph and Helen to create a formal front Geometric evergreens are the link “The house was built in 1903 for
area dominated by evergreens clipped between the two distinct sections of a farm manager on the Rolls Estate,”
into strong geometric shapes. the garden, with Helen using them at explains Helen.
However, it’s another story on strategic points behind the house to “When we moved in, the back area
Photographs by Peter Chatterton
the other side of the house, with a lend a sense of structure. was overgrown and there was hardly
flamboyant collection of colourful plants “I use shears to keep them looking anything here, apart from the old apple
dominating the sloping site, which good,” explains Helen. trees and things like asters, which we
enjoys views over the countryside “They look super when there’s snow often see in other gardens around here;
towards Raglan. on them.” being an estate village, people used to
Helen and Ralph have built a series While both gardens have been share plants.
of terraces and used an adapted designed to look attractive, some “The biggest problem in the garden
Get the look
Ideas for gorgeous gardens
Create layers of hue, bringing shorter Pinpoint a flight of steps by planting the
specimens to the front and placing taller base with a pair of pear-shaped evergreens.
ones at the back Dark-leaved yew works well
Bees are still active as summer moves

into autumn. They love the pretty pink Bamboo Fargesia nitida Jiuzhaigou 1, stripped to reveal its attractive stems, with late-summer
flowers of Sedum spectabile flowering aster and striking Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ for blocks of colour
is drainage: we have had to think about

Front of house with box balls and
where the watering is going to be contrasting textures of grasses
draining from. The slope immediately
behind the house is dominated by
a large perry pear and planted with
shrubs and perennials that will help
retain the bank but don’t need too much
maintenance because it’s so steep.
“On the plus side, the position of the
house close to a hill means we’re quite
sheltered.”
A further issue for Ralph and Helen
has been the garden’s thick clay soil, to
which they add two loads of composted Welsh black cows love fallen apples
garden waste from the local council and Helen says they’re pretty docile
every year.
Plant hunting has become something
of a passion for Helen since she
decided to put her stamp on the
garden, and over the years she’s visited
specialist nurseries to find specimens
that look good over several seasons,
including a paper-barked maple Acer
griseum with its stunning red trunk, a
‘Golden Hornet’ crab apple, with its
beautiful blossom and yellow fruit, and
the late-flowering Clematis tangutica
‘Golden Tiara’.
“There’s always something in the Choose plants for year-round colour. Apples, sedums, asters, dahlias and the golden flowers
garden to enjoy, whatever the time of of Clematis tangutica ‘Golden Tiara’ keep the hue coming into September and beyond
year,” says Ralph.
Choose ‘prairie planting’ to make the
most of a sunny sloping site
Fill a dry, shady area in bold style by

planting Liriope muscari ‘Royal Purple’
Use contrasting textures and materials,

such as clipped hedging and lofty Sunnyside’s crest, which dates back to the
Miscanthus sinensis ‘Abundance’ to time it belonged to a large estate, is Gladiolus callianthus blooms stand out
draw the eye along the garden reflected by the formal feel of the front plot against the dark-green foliage of a yew
Meet the gardeners

OWNERS:
Helen and
Ralph
Fergusson-
Kelly
ADDRESS:
Sunnyside,
The
Hendre,
Monmouth, Gwent, NP25 5HQ
Build hedgehog houses to welcome this threatened slug-munching species GARDEN SIZE: 1/3 acre
into the garden, as well as add interest to a bare area under a tree ASPECT: South-facing back
garden
SOIL: Clay
Mexican fleabane Erigeron Yellow foliage: Choisya VISITED: September
karvinskianus, fits into ternata ‘Sundance’ and SPECIAL FEATURES: Year-round
nooks and soften steps Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ garden surrounding former
private estate house. Formal
geometric evergreens at the
front, while the back features a
profusion of colour from trees,
shrubs, grasses and perennials on
a sloping site with rural views.
OPEN FOR THE NGS IN 2018:
A box ball brings order Sunday 23 September, from noon
to a mixture of grasses, to 6pm and by appointment, from
roses and dahlias May to November.

BULBS PLANTS & SEEDS GARDENING EQUIPMENT
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Toby Buckland
Nurseryman and former Gardeners’ World host
Facts about
willow
Willow Man creator
Serena de la Hey
and Toby Buckland
The sketch of the

1 Willow can be ‘green’ (living)
or ‘brown’ (dried). Dried willow,
when soaked for a few days (one
new sculpture day per foot), regains pliability
planned for the but won’t grow when in contact
festival at with the ground.
Powderham
Willow Man was unveiled in September
2000 to celebrate the millennium
Save our
2 For a living willow structure,
sculpture push the ends of the willow

6in (15cm) into the soil and, if the
ground is kept moist, leaves and
shoots will grow from the stems.
Toby plans to help save the iconic Willow Man sculpture
HEN I read that the M5 I plan to raise awareness of his plight I’ve long been a keen weaver of
W Willow Man was in danger

of disappearing, I got
straight on the phone to
his artist creator Serena de la Hey to
hatch a plan to help.
and money for a crowdfund that ensures
his ongoing repair. To that end, Serena,
fellow willow artist Stefan Jennings and I
are building another sculpture for my
Festival at Powderham Castle, Devon,
garden wigwams and tunnels. I’ve always
loved handing the rods that the druids
thought to be magical. Some say this is
because they root even when upside
down. But I think there’s something more,
If you’re not familiar with this on 27 April. Designed by Serena, the as willow is a shape-shifter that takes on
sculpture, Willow Man’s 40ft (12-metre) giant head watches over the parkland any form, and in the case of the Willow
frame strides beside the motorway at and illustrates how the man is built and Man represents a past that’s disappearing
Bridgwater in Somerset and in his short what’s needed to extend his life. – and one that is down to us to preserve.
18 years he’s come to represent far more
than the sum of his steel frame and
woven body.
For visitors to the West Country he
Where to find willow
says the holidays have begun, while for Willow is available via mail order from woodlands when not fixing roofs. This
commuters along the M5 he’s a sign that specialist suppliers, but you can also wood is also bendy and strong,
home is just around the corner. use cornus (aka dogwood) such as the especially when freshly cut.
Serena tells me the years haven’t bright C. alba varieties (below left) and When making seats, bowers or an
been kind to him, as the surrounding the acid-yellow C. flaviramea (below arch, hammer uprights into the soil and
landscape is now home to an industrial right), which add a vibrant splash of then plait pairs of wands around them,
distribution hub and huge new housing colour. Hazel may be available from rather than just weaving individually in
estate. The weather has also taken its local woodland trusts or thatchers, and out, as this makes for a tightly
toll, birds steal sticks from his body and as they often manage/coppice bound and strong structure.
Alamy/Chris Chapman/Serena de lay Hey
then there are the inherent flaws in

his construction.
Back when he was built he was
conceived as a temporary structure for
the millennium, and unless he’s re-
imagined with strategically placed new
steel his life expectancy could be less
than two years.
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CUTTINGS: BES T TEC H N IQ U E S

● How to take them

BEST PRACTICAL ADVICE SINCE 1884

How to grow garden pinks — Anne’s top tips

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Jobs for this week

6 DAHLIAS – FROM SEED AND CUTTINGS

7 CITRUS CARE IN SPRING

8 DIVIDE ALPINE CUTTINGS

6 “I am taking dahlia cuttings from

14 PRUNE EARLY-BLOOMING SHRUBS

Great garden ideas

24 THE SEED PEOPLE

28 27 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR GARDEN ECO-FRIENDLY

17 VAL BOURNE’S GARDEN WILDLIFE

18 LUCY CHAMBERLAINS’S FRUIT AND VEG

32 “Dark-leaved dahlias have

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Why England’s rose isn’t real, plus puzzles and teasers

48 HOW TO GROW GARDEN PINKS

“It’s ﬁery breast was splattered with mud as it

21 APRIL 2018 AMATEUR GARDENING 3

One parent plant can create

1 Cut a length of this year’s

The tender growth of

Taking spring cuttings

Cut out the spine

Make more houseplants Cuttings root best in fresh seed

M propagated using their

1 Clear away some soil from the

4 Dip the cuttings in rooting

21 APRIL 2018 AMATEUR GARDENING 5

Dahlias from seed

Last summer I sowed some

T certain plants in the world of

1 Select strong, healthy

6 AMATEUR GARDENING 21 APRIL 2018

1 Citrus are hungry plants and like

Feed with a summer

Citrus plants don’t make

Citrus care in spring

If your cuttings surge

Step Moving Helianthemum cuttings into pots

1 The cuttings I took developed healthy

The cuttings will continue growing

Put each one on a 4in (10cm) pot and

8 AMATEUR GARDENING 21 APRIL 2018

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Peter’s top tips

New terracotta pots and wooden

Everyone’s going potty! Stand plants in

T on year, of potting composts is

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