Amateur Gardening

Butterfly favourite PLUS SFEREEDES F+OGRREYAOTUGRRSOTWOCINKGSAEDEDVSICE Ekvneorwytthoinggroywoubnuededdletjoa £2.10 23 JULY 2022 Amateur FREE SEEDSFree seeds not available in ROI and NI £W2O.R1T5H EXPERT ADVICE! Bob Flowerdew’s top tips for lifting and storing spuds Best technique The smart way to propagate difficult breeds Step by step CLatoe sluommuerr ! How to plant nerines for an 16 amazing options to put autumn display zing into your garden Penstemons Learn to take cuttings in four simple stages Perfect plants for small gardens



138 years of practical advice 1884 The World’s Oldest Gardening Magazine 2022 6 Get Jobs for this weekiosfnsoulryes £6asm&u–bas0ste3e.ecu3opr0.gau3gak3re/Jd34ue18ln21i21n3g * 4 How to avoid colour gap 5 Keep plants healthy & productive 9 Take tender perennial cuttings 10 Think about autumn bulbs 12 T his week’s free seeds: Stock ‘Brompton Mixed’ Great garden ideas 24 Get the colour in: the best plants to add hot colour to your garden 28 Perfect potentillas: these tough shrubs are great for a small garden 32 How to grow buddleja: all you need to know about this butterfly favourite 24 “Try these plants to add late summer heat Gardening wisdom to borders and containers,” says Camilla 14 Bob Flowerdew 16 Val Bourne Wildlife 19 L ucy Chamberlain’s Fruit and Veg 37 Ask John Negus 42 AG’s Words of Wisdom 45 A Gardener’s Miscellany 50 A dvanced Gardening: air layering 52 A nne Swithinbank’s Masterclass 55 Letters to Wendy: from AG readers 58 Toby Buckland Garden news 7 Calls for less pesticide use Reader offers 22 See our latest special deals Future 4“Smart planning and 33 “Learn about “Despite the success of several AG planting will help keep the less invasive readers and our own Ruth Hayes in using the colour coming,” says Ruth buddleja,” says Graham polenta to combat black spot on their roses, this has not stopped the spread of this annoying fungus on mine. I had high hopes for the treatment and loved that it wasn’t chemically based, but my very susceptible ‘Pilgrim’ is just as yellow and spotty as last year. Oh well, everything’s worth a try and it’s still flowering prolifcally and has a divine fragrance. I’ll just have to keep getting rid of affected leaves, but it’s a constant and tiresome job. I do not use any chemicals, organic or otherwise, so I’ve decided to let nature take it course. Unless any reader knows of any other remedies?” Garry Coward-Williams, Editor Alamy unless credited 28“Long-flowering potentillas are great Contact us: for a small garden,” says Graham Subscriptions: 0330 333 1113 Editorial: 0330 3903732 Email: [email protected] Advertising: 0330 3906566 Cover (pic: Alamy): Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida) 23 JULY 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING 3

GYoAuRrDENING WEEK with AG’s gardening expert Ruth Hayes For late colour Four easy-going plants for autumn Knapweed growing back after a trim Alamy I’m helping the garden to 1 Asters, commonly known as stay colourful by adding Michaelmas daisy, will flower plants grown from seeds well into autumn if you deadhead and cuttings them regularly. Grow in moisture- retentive soil in partial shade and How to avoid the colour gap cut to the ground in autumn. OCare and planting helps keep colour coming, says Ruth 2 They can be invasive, but UR garden is currently selection of tender cuttings taken last Japanese anemones bring tall looking wonderful, the early autumn that are now ready to plant out. colour to late summer and autumn. summer foxgloves, alliums and delphiniums having given way This week I have been planting the 3 Sedum, or stonecrop, has fleshy Ageratum ‘Blue Mink’ and Aster ‘Milady leaves and broad flowerheads, usually in shades of pink. Interesting to later-flowering hollyhocks, salvias, Mixed’ that came free with AG and were to look at and easy to grow, they will attract late-season pollinators and sea hollies, globe thistles, bedding and sowed in spring. I am combining them their dead seedheads look pretty on frosty winter days. self-seeded larkspurs. with some mature cuttings of 4 Elegant hesperantha can But like all gardeners, I am after pelargonium, fuchsias and penstemon flower from late summer until the New Year. It likes a sheltered, more than just a bright summer that have started to flower and sunny spot and does best in milder areas of the UK. splurge and want to create a will hopefully continue well palette of colours that lasts into the autumn. Alamy right through into the still- I’ll also scatter some warm days of autumn. late flowering California We’ve got the poppy seeds and quick- framework in place for growing annual seeds, autumn – a striking which will hopefully purple-leaved Berberis produce some late colour thunbergii, a spindle tree Dahlias are a late- or, at least, be ready to flowering delight flower next year when spring that produces sweet pink berries and a dense hedge that is turns to summer. jewelled with scarlet hips and berries as Some of the maintenance work done the seasons turn. in late spring is also about to pay I need some long lasting, late colour dividends. I cut back and fed several lower down, to fill the gaps in the border knapweed plants after they flowered that will gradually and naturally appear because their stems had flopped out as the summer wears on. and they looked unattractive and were Alamy One option is to go to the garden sprawling over several other plants centre and buy more plants to fill gaps coming into growth. and flower for months, but like everyone They have now produced new Future unless credited else, our household is feeling the pinch rosettes of leaves and flower buds so and I’d rather try and maximise what hopefully they will have a second we’ve already got here. flourish of blooms – just like the Part of the answer to my dilemma lies delphiniums that I also cut back and fed with this year’s free seeds and a after their first flowering. 4 AMATEUR GARDENING 23 JULY 2022

Midsummer action: In next week’s AG I look at the top 10 jobs you should be thinking about doing at this time of year Hoverfly larvae prey on aphids I’m deadheading our climbing rose Feeding a rose to Deal with pests and checking it for disease encourage more before a small colony becomes flowers an infestation Keep plants healthy and productive Pest patrol TBasic but essential care will encourage later flowering What to be watchful for now HE most sensible option is to without an intensive watering regime. plan your garden as a whole The task now is to keep whatever Aphids are a common problem, rather than area-by-area so you and greenhouse plants can fall foul get a seamless run of colour colour you have going until the next lot of of whitefly and glasshouse red flowers are ready to take over. spider mites. and interest through all four seasons. Keep plants flowering strongly for as I use biological controls under glass – the tiny parasitic wasp Focus on the gaps and their position long as possible by feeding, watering, Encarsia formosa and a parasitic mite, both available from in the borders, see what is growing deadheading and staying on top of pests & nematodesdirect.co.uk. around them and plan your plants and disease. Control weeds every few Dampening the greenhouse floor every morning raises humidity and according to their flowering period and days by digging out perennial varieties helps keep spider mites at bay too. height (shortest at the front, tallest at the and running a hoe over weed seedlings. Outside, vine weevil grubs can devastate potted plants so deal with back/centre). At this time of year you can still just them using chemical or nematode drench, while scarlet lily beetles can Think about when plants should be about get away with the Chelsea chop be kept off your treasured lilies with Grazers 4 deterrent spray. planted or sown each year (annuals in – removing a third of stems on certain If you don’t want to use chemicals, spring, spring bulbs in autumn, perennials including catmint, sedum, there are many organic options available, and you should try perennials planted in spring and autumn helenium and echinacea to encourage a encouraging nature’s predators such as beetles, birds and hedgehogs. when the soil is warm and damp etc) so second flowering. The larvae of hoverflies, lacewings that you can start creating your seamless Also don’t be afraid to move things and ladybirds will also help keep aphid numbers down. palette straight away. around. If you have a handsome However, this isn’t much use halfway specimen plant in a pot, move it to a through summer when it is too hot and flower-free spot in a border to brighten dry to add new plants to the garden things up until the buds start to bloom. Planting asters grown from AG free seeds 1 After watering the 2 3 4Plant at the same depth plants, gently slip them as they were growing from their pots and carefully Water generously, and Protect from slugs. I like tease out their roots. don’t let them dry out or to use barrier pellets before, giving plenty of room get swamped by weeds while made from wool, which also for growth. they get established. help keep the soil moist. 23 JULY 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING 5



GYoAuRrDENING WEEK with AG’s gardening expert Ruth Hayes Expert calls for greener practices What’s On TV’s Terry aims to reduce chemical run-off into rivers ONE of TV’s most popular gardening Press Restricted Agapanthus show in Beaulieu experts, Terry Walton, is encouraging Future this weekend AG readers to reduce their reliance on Future weedkillers and other pesticides to Companion planting 23-24 July: Agapanthus Open Day & protect the environment. protects cultivation Plant Sale, Fairweathers Nursery, Beaulieu, Hampshire, SO42 7YR. The renowned horticulturist has from pests 23-24 July: Macmillan Coastal teamed up with Dŵr Cymru Welsh Garden Trail, 17 gardens open across Water’s PestSmart project to call on TV gardener Terry Walton asks us to Brighton and Seaford, to raise funds fellow gardeners to introduce simple reduce chemical use to help preserve for the cancer charity. 11am-5pm both changes to their gardening habits to our waterways days, visit 8 macmillangardentrail. reduce pesticide run-off into waterways. co.uk or call Geoff Stonebanks on garden centres, supermarkets and even 01323 899296 for details. Natural approaches to pest control online, without understanding the true 23 July: Banstead Horticultural include companion planting, where extent of the impact they could have on Society Summer Show, Community specific plants are grown to deter pests the environment. Hall, Park Road, Banstead, Surrey, and attract predators, creating wild SM7 3AJ. 2pm-5pm. corners of the garden to encourage “When applied incorrectly in our 23-24 July: Hardy & Tender Fern & natural predators and using homemade gardens, they have the potential to enter Carnivorous Plant Society Show, vinegar sprays which dry out weeds. watercourses and harm people, water RHS Garden Wisley, Woking, Surrey, and wildlife. GU23 6QB. 10am-4pm. They harm people, water and wildlife 23-24 July: Orchid Weekend, RHS Terry has shared his approach to organic “The reality is that there are many Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, gardening on the PestSmart website, equally as effective approaches to Beckwithshaw, Harrogate, North which Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water launched tackling weeds and other pests naturally. Yorkshire HG3 1QB. as a go-to hub of information and 23-24 July: 42 Astle Garden resources for the safe use, storage and For more information about Opening & Plant Sale, 42 Astle, disposal of pesticides. PestSmart, go to 8 PestSmart.wales Dornoch, Sutherland, Scotland, IV25 3NH. 11am-4pm. A regular on BBC Radio 2 and ITV’s 24 July: Pilgrims Garden Festival, This Morning, Terry said: “As consumers, Mount Ephraim Gardens, we have such easy access to pesticides Staplestreet Rd, Hernhill, Faversham, and herbicides with chemical Kent, ME13 9TX. 11am-4pm. ingredients which can be bought from 24 July: Houseplant Sale, Broomfield Conservatory, Broomfield Peter’s sweet pea is a show winner Park, Palmers Green, Enfield, London, N13 4PZ. 2.30pm-4pm. A NEW sweet pea variety named after Press Restricted 24 July: Rare Plant Fair, Highnam long-time AG columnist and horticultural Future Court, Highnam, Gloucester GL2 legend Peter Seabrook won the Best The ‘Peter Seabrook’ sweet pea was 8DP. 11am-4pm. New Plant 2022 award at BBC named as a tribute to AG’s contributor 28: Successful Container Growing, Gardeners’ World Live. RHS Rosemoor, Torrington, Devon 2022, the naming of the new variety was EX38 8PH. Mauve-flowered ‘Peter Seabrook’ the perfect tribute. HM The Queen was 31 July: Plant Hunters’ Fair, 1620’s won the accolade for its many attributes, presented with a posy of the new Sweet House and Garden, Donington Le which include high disease resistance, Peas at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. Heath, Coalville, Leics LE67 2FW. early and long flowering, a good scent, 10am-4pm. long stems so it’s perfect for cutting and Sweet pea ‘Peter Seabrook’ seeds n Please email details of your problem-free, vigorous growth. will be available in early autumn 2022 events, with photos if possible, to for September and October planting and [email protected] Sweet peas were the first seeds that £1 from every packet sold will be n Details of events correct at time of Peter Seabrook bought with his pocket donated to the Floral Fantasia garden at going to press. money when he was just six years old. RHS Hyde Hall, created and maintained by Peter Seabrook. Peter recognised the plant’s potential He would grow the plants in the family garden, then cut and sell the blooms to the local florist. Peter Seabrook spotted this new sweet pea at the Sow Successful trial ground in 2021 and recognised its potential, so when he died in January 23 JULY 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING 7



GYoAuRrDENING WEEK with AG’s gardening expert Ruth Hayes Use healthy, non- Keeping new cuttings hydrated flowering growth in a damp plastic bag How to keep cuttings healthy Take cuttings of tender perennials in summer GROWING successfully from so they have time to root before winter cuttings starts the moment you snip the shoot from the parent plant. Tender perennial cuttings IIt’s time to do some simple propagation, says Ruth Dehydration can damage the T is around this time of year that like to take a few cuttings of each as a cuttings’ ability to grow well, so I get a bit twitchy and start to form of insurance policy for future years. when you take them, pop them in a examine some of our plants for dampened plastic bag to keep them their cuttings potential. Softwood cuttings are taken from this cool and hydrated before you pot season’s growth and should root quickly. them up. Last year I took so many pelargonium Keep them in the greenhouse or a Once they are potted up, keep their compost damp but not sodden cuttings that this year I have no room for cool, well-lit room and they will be ready and maintain a humid atmosphere around them using a plastic bag. them all so they are languishing on the to move outdoors next year after they The exception is pelargonium side until I can find space. have been hardened of and the frosts cuttings that should be kept open, so their fleshy leaves are less likely Tender summer plants such as have finished. to contract rots and moulds in a damp, enclosed space. penstemons, pelargoniums and fuchsias If they grow well enough, you may Keep your cuttings in a light place are at their peak right now, but come the even need to pot them into larger but out of direct sunlight so they don’t scorch. New growth means autumn we will have to either mulch over containers in the meantime. they will have rooted successfully. their root areas or pot them up and Next summer you can use them to Keep them growing for a few weeks then carefully remove from overwinter them somewhere frost-free. plug gaps in borders and replace older the pot, separate them and pot them up individually into multipurpose Even then there is no guarantee they plants that have become straggly and compost with added grit or perlite. will survive the cold, so in midsummer I woody over time. Step How to take penstemon cuttings by step 1 Using clean scissors, 2 Strip away the lower 3 4Insert the cuttings into Seal the pot in a clear secateurs or a sharp, leaves, pinch out the a pot of damp compost bag, keeping the plastic clean knife, remove 5in (12cm) of healthy, non- fleshy tip and dip the cut end mixed with grit or perlite, off the plants with sticks. Set flowering shoot. All Future of the shoot into hormone spacing them out. Gently firm in a light, cool spot, keeping rooting powder or gel. the compost around them. their compost damp. 23 JULY 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING 9

GYoAuRrDENING WEEK with AG’s gardening expert Ruth Hayes Nerines for autumn colour Alamy Nerines are one of the easiest autumn-flowering 1 Dig your planting hole and add plants to grow and they improve with every year lots of well-rotted organic matter for drainage and to enrich the soil. Think about autumn bulbs TFill your garden with long-lasting late colour, says Ruth 2 These nerines are planted 4in HERE are bulbs for every My favourite autumn flowering bulb is (10cm) apart, but smaller bulbs situation and soil and now, the elegant Gladiolus murielae, which can be placed closer together. as summer reaches its peak, it’s time to turn our thoughts has white flowers with blotched 3 Infill with soil and compost. Most bulbs are covered, but nerines blackcurrant centres. It grows well in have their tops just peeping out. towards autumn. pots as well as borders, though 4 Firm the soil and water well. Keep it dampened but not Borders can easily be the corms do best if lifted after waterlogged. brightened by brilliant flowering and stored dahlias, tall nerines with somewhere frost-free and their clusters of trumpet- dry through winter. shapes blooms in shades Bulbs do best in free- of pink, bright yellow draining soil, so if you sternbergia and hardy garden on clay dig in Cyclamen coum that plenty of well rotted flower into the New Year. Gladiolus murielae or manure or compost to Many of these are Abyssinian gladiolus increase drainage, lightness available ready-to-plant, already and nutrients. in leaf, but you may still be lucky If you want to plant your bulbs in enough to find some bulbs. If you do, containers and expect them to be there plant them now and if they don’t flower for a year or more, use loam-based John this year they will have time to mature Innes No 3 and be prepared to lift and and put on a good show next autumn. divide the bulbs after a few years. Care of early summer bulbs Future unless credited 1 2Once summer bulb flowers have Feed the bulbs with liquid plant 5 Finally, mark the spot. There’s a faded, remove the stems but leave food to help it bulk up and lot of garden action going on at the moment and you don’t want to the foliage to die back naturally. produce even better flowers next year. accidentally disturb them. 10 AMATEUR GARDENING 23 JULY 2022



GYoAuRrDENING WEEK with AG’s gardening expert Ruth Hayes The robust, flower-heavy stems Free seeds of Brompton Stocks bring colour roundup and scent to the spring garden Both Press Restricted Aster “Milady Mixed’ ready to go out Self-seeded Nigella brightening up a border Take stock – and get sowing! WE are roughly halfway through this year’s free seeds, which seems a TExpect colour and perfume next spring, says Ruth good time to take stock and see HIS week’s free seeds are for undercover. I am doing the latter as the how the sowing is going. another favourite plant of mine, garden is so full that new seedlings will Brompton stocks. be swamped by other plants. As with all things in gardening, I have had some successes and Hardy biennials, they are I will pot up the seedlings when some major failures – not least when a tray of Lobelia ‘Cascade Mixed’ sown now so that next spring they will fill they are large enough to handle. Once seeds was catapulted off the windowsill and onto the dining room your garden with the sweetest of scents they have grown into decent-sized floor when I closed the curtains. and the most beautiful pastel colours. plants I’ll plant some out in the autumn, I also lost several Salvia ‘Blaze of Fire’ and Zinnia ‘Jazz’ to slugs in the Cottage garden stalwarts, they are keeping the rest undercover through greenhouse, though I have managed to salvage most of them happy in sun and light shade and grow winter as spares in case the others fail. and plant them out. well in containers as well as in the Gardeners in northern and exposed On the plus side, the ‘Gardener’s delight’ tomatoes and ‘St Valery’ ground. Their long-lasting flowers make areas may prefer to keep all the plants carrots are doing well, and the rockets I sowed a couple of weeks them a favourite with flower arrangers. undercover through winter, hardening ago are sprinting away. You have two options for sowing – them off and planting them out when In the flower garden, the Verbena bonariensis are now dotted around either straight into the soil or in trays temperatures rise next spring. the beds to bring late summer height and colour this year and hopefully Step Sowing stocks undercover for several more to come. by step The Antirrhinum ‘Snappy Tongue’, 1 2Flatten a tray of fresh seed compost Scatter the seeds thinly on the ‘Velvet Queen’ sunflowers and to make a firm seedbed then compost. Seedlings emerging Cosmos ‘Polidor’ have also filled the borders, as did the ‘Rustic Dwarf’ dampen with fresh tap water. close together can be thinned out later. Rudbeckias, planted en masse in a sunny corner. Future unless credited 3 4Cover the seeds with a light layer Put the seeds in an unheated of compost or vermiculite and add greenhouse or cold frame. When One of the greatest successes have been last year’s biennials, a label to the tray. they germinate, remove the lid. hardy annuals and wildlife seed mixes that self-seeded and are back bigger and better this year. The beds are dotted with aquilegia of all hues, scarlet poppies, pink corn cockles, larkspurs and Nigella and with any luck these too will self seed, bringing endless colour back to the garden next year. 12 AMATEUR GARDENING 23 JULY 2022



GYoAuRrDENING WEEK with Bob Flowerdew, AG’s organic gardening expert Maincrops like ‘Desiree’ Cease watering potatoes Bob’s top tips with tough skins will store a fortnight before lifting, for the week well if you can keep them as spuds bloated with late in the ground as long as watering don’t keep well possible before lifting TI Archive ‘Blue Danube’, 1 It’s best not pick and tidy up ‘Desiree’ and ‘Pink windfall fruits, but slice them Fir Apple’ potatoes open and leave them to fob off drying in the sun the wasps and birds. after being lifted 2 If water butts are empty, clean on a sunny day them by putting that lovely black ooze on your compost, and Best spuds for storing do your gutters as well. To get the most out of spuds for storage, take steps Nbefore, during and after lifting to get the best, says Bob 3 Heavy plum crops swell fast, EW potatoes are easy! You threatens, or slugs become too so ruthlessly thin out crops plant sets of early (fast-to-crop) voracious, it may be better to lift the crop and prop up the trees now before varieties and then, two to sooner rather than later and risk losing they break their branches. three months later, you dig up more than you might gain for extra time. 4 When you’re sure all fledglings new potatoes and eat them. Simple. Of course, a crop of perfect potatoes have gone, clean bird boxes and compost old material (carefully) However, if you want potatoes stores better than damaged ones, to destroy fleas and other parasites. throughout the rest of the year, but what also matters is their it’s worth taking care to moisture content and how harvest them in their best tough their skins are. condition for storage. Spuds bloated with heavy Now you could store rain or late watering earlies – it’s just that never keep as well as these have been bred for those light crops grown rapid (albeit smaller) in dry conditions. Indeed, harvests. Second-earlies Store spuds in sacks left cease watering a fortnight produce more crops, taking open to breathe in a or more before lifting; you a little longer; most keep quite cool, dark place can even protect them against well and are best dug as their showers with plastic sheets. leaves die down. Then lift your crop on a dry day that’s Maincrop varieties are bred for sunny and breezy. Do not pack them storage and the highest yields, but must away, but leave them lying in the sun All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited be kept growing well into September on a dry patch of earth or a path for a to achieve that. However, if blight couple of hours. This firms up their skins and dries off residual moisture. “Cease watering Now choose only the best to store a fortnight – ideally, in thick paper or hessian sacks stood in a cool, dark place and left open before lifting” to breathe for a fortnight-plus to dry some more. Meanwhile, all the rest (those small, odd and damaged spuds) are better used soonest – just don’t eat green ones, which are inedible. 14 AMATEUR GARDENING 23 JULY 2022

by Scorbione mobilism.org

YGoAuRr DENING WEEK with Val Bourne, AG’s organic wildlife expert ‘nest in houses and churches, squeezing through tiny gaps to nest inside roofs. However, as more old buildings are renovated and gaps in soffits are closed up, swift nest sites are fast disappearing’. When I lived in the centre of Hook Norton in the 1990s, swifts nested in the Church belfries are old Baptist Manse, until new tenants ideal nesting sites for swifts blocked the hole up! I really missed them in my old garden. There are thought to be roughly 60,000 breeding pairs in the UK, but they are in such critical decline that they were added to the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Red List of 2021. There are fewer nesting sites in houses and other buildings, and a diminished supply of insects partly caused by intensive farming. Greenfinch, house RSPB In one year, a swift can fly martin, ptarmigan, purple sandpiper, more than 7,000 miles Montagu’s harrier, Bewick’s swan, goldeneye, smew and dunlin also joined Swifts feed and drink the 2021 list. Swift populations have fallen by 58% since 1995. Help our high flyersonthewing On summer evenings I try to walk If you want to help swifts during their summer stop-over, around the village and one stroll was Iput up nest boxes and leave the insects alone, says Val enlivened by ten swifts flying over a field OFTEN use the word dynamic mature trees and established gardens. of sheep with their lambs. It doesn’t have when I’m writing about wildlife. The allotments are next to the church, to be the countryside, though. You get However, it doesn’t mean go- and there are always swifts there in early more swifts in towns and cities than in getting or over-achieving. The summer. They may be nesting in the villages because there are more nesting sites. The Best Beloved heard them in Gloucester just recently, for instance. other, lesser-used definition of dynamic church belfry. We often hear them before Our swifts aren’t here for long and means ‘a process or system we see them on the allotments, because they’ve normally left by the first or characterised by constant change, they make a high-pitched chirp as they second week of June, following three- activity or progress’. This describes how wheel overhead. They have long scythe- four weeks of egg incubation and things change from year to year, and it’s like wings and a short forked tail. another three to raise the fledglings. a bit like climate and weather. The These acrobatic flyers travel from They need our insect life, so no bug weather is what’s happening on the day, Africa, a distance of more than 3,500 guns, please! but climate describes the general miles each way. In one year, they will weather patterns. cover 7,000 miles, stopping off in For example, this year our swallows Portugal and France to refuel. I’m not and house martins are in short supply, sure ‘stopping off’ is the correct term for but we don’t know what will happen these sooty-brown high flyers, because next year or the year after that. We will they drink, feed, sleep and often mate only be able to draw conclusions after on the wing. Some individuals can go a length of time has elapsed. ten months without landing, apparently, In summer, my gardening day is and no other bird spends as much of its divided into working in the garden and life in flight. An adult swift emerging then the allotment, with writing as the Swifts feed on flying insects and from a swift brick nest All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited day job. I’m teetotal, but we are at the airborne spiders, according to the RSPB, TIP You can install swift nest pub end of our village, geographically and the use of pesticides has reduced boxes under your house speaking. However, wildlife is better at the number of insects in the air. Swifts the church end where there are lots of cover quite a distance once they’ve eaves and you can fit swift bricks. arrived in the UK, travelling up to ten The RSPB has been working with “Swifts are in miles in search of food. When migrating, Barratt Developments Plc on the it’s estimated they can cover 497 miles design. There’s also a website called Action for Swifts ( actionforswifts. critical decline” in one day. blogspot.com) with a section on Swifts come to the UK to breed and a pair of swifts mate for life, returning to the making nesting boxes. same site. The RSPB tells us that they 16 AMATEUR GARDENING 23 JULY 2022



by Scorbione mobilism.org

GYoAuRrDENING WEEK with Lucy Chamberlain, AG’s fruit and veg expert Pinkcurrant ‘Gloire de Sablons’ yields plenty of pretty fragrant fruits Blackcurrant ‘Titania’ is an ‘Rovada’ is a compact redcurrant that excellent mid-season variety is immune to mildew and leaf spot that is resistant to mildew and does well on light soils Focus on... Currant care Juicy reds, pastel pinks, tangy whites or traditional black – whatever kind of currant Iyou’re looking to grow, Lucy shows you how you can get the best from your crops T’S the ultimate no-brainer: pay ‘Foxendown’, extra-long strigs in currants and pink currants, too; Ribes £3 per punnet for currants, or buy redcurrants like ‘Redpoll’, and many is a diverse genus! a bush for less than a tenner to attributes in between – mildew give you 20 punnets per year resistance and frost-resistant flowers Cultivation methods for 15 years? Let’s think about that being two more to look for. Also, let’s Growing methods for each do have for a millisecond... not forget that you can buy white similarities (see my pointers on page 20). Why anyone buys currants by the White and pink currants are a sport of punnet is beyond me. Established ‘White Versailles’ is a vigorous currant that redcurrant (R. rubrum) so can be treated bushes yield roughly 4kg (9lb) of fruit per produces lots of sweet, creamy white fruit year, plus the plants are self-fertile, easy the same, whereas blackcurrant is another species (R. nigrum) so has to maintain and trouble-free. Modern differences linked to cropping, pruning All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited breeding gives us big bud mite and consequent nutrition. Reds and resistance in blackcurrants such as relatives crop on older wood so can be trained into cordons, fans and even “Growing them espaliers with lots of fruit buds. Consequently, the most important is the ultimate nutrient to supply them with is potash. no-brainer” Blackcurrants fruit predominantly on one-year-old stems so are pruned heavily each year to encourage lots more young wood, which requires ample nitrogen. 23 JULY 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING 19

GYoAuRrDENING WEEK with Lucy Chamberlain, AG’s fruit and veg expert Lucy’s corner Avoid frost pockets due to their early Sheltered spots are great for black flowering tendency. currants like ‘Ben Connan’ Try these easy currant-growing tips ■ Prune any established plants every winter to ensure a succession of ■ Buy certified virus-free blackcurrants vigorous growth. Summer-prune if you can – these are assessed healthy restricted types. (redcurrants frequently aren’t certified). ■ Watering regularly from May until ■ Currants like an organic-rich site, so September boosts shoot growth and add well-rotted compost or manure to berry size, plus flower initiation for next the planting hole, and mulch annually. year’s crop. ■ Position your bushes in a sheltered ■ Net bushes against birds as soon as spot (although some sun is beneficial). fruits begin colouring up. Harvest whole strigs to avoid squashing ripe berries. Pomona Fruits RVroger.co.uk TI Archive Lucy’s Three of the best currants to try picks 1 2‘Big Ben’: A recent introduction of ‘White Grape’: This whitecurrant 3 ‘Jonkheer van Tets’: I have grown the Ben Series, awarded an RHS was given its AGM in 1993. It this redcurrant for many years due to its cropping power and decent-sized AGM in 2012. Fruit size is around twice yields mid-season, and plants can strigs (whole clusters). An AGM winner in 1993 and of Dutch origin, it’s also as large as standard blackcurrants and grow to over 6½ft (2m) in height. A one of the earliest to ripen. sugar levels are good, so eating fresh novelty worth growing – imagine is pleasant. Plants grow 5ft (1½m) tall. owning a jar of whitecurrant jelly. 5 quick jobs Top I HAD a friend at college who called tip me ‘old bean’. I think it was a term of 1 Iswsfooyeiiollermuve’ivocl eoeisrnatottploytphetleoienrcdssouonrnieeltprmtohealessttoylsu’d,rgekesese,eftvfopienycyeotoivuuerr. endearment – though looking at my 2Pfymnaeloamallnycoiltuybwsr)ee(sve,chespaopinlrawersnycianitinsangglmdlsymtduiunoisnststtthboaeeeridctesdgvqdiirsruolupeawsoas.tshvhWee,disthof. Strip and irrigate beans to rejuvenate runner beans this week, it’s anything 3WaTvpaharpetieceshetayrfaioonrfregyvsaoigutuoctrhkrtoeereurbsesa–n–seenswoootfsctfhhuruoet itotnhttaesremmeesod.ff. and promote new crops but! My runner bean plants have 4Ecaaapnrplyleysxwpharaiutnesgrthapanlardvneatssb,tasinolagrnoecfgerudhlaulirbqlyauridb been battered by the heat and the crops are meagre – especially feed to boost them up. because I let a few pods become old. If you’re in the same boat with 5laaPuaupryyoteoiupnrumiannsgnpggar,itittnhneweeghiwmlayl nhb.sSdarhiivdomreeobpptreolliyanrornbittehteuseedrylb,ssstyeohowiteli.dphBti-iegpyrielota.fte your French or runner beans, take comfort because a decent crop is still salvageable. Both crops have the ability to yield in flushes right through until the first frosts, so don’t consign your plants to the compost heap just yet. Instead, rejuvenate them by stripping them of all their pods (old and new), then feed them regularly with a foliar feed; I use seaweed fertiliser. Combined with regular irrigation, you should be picking again daily in no time. mobilism.org 20bAyMASTEcUoR rGbARiDoEnNIeNG 23 JULY 2022 TI Archive ✃

Next week: Focus on allotments, harvesting perfect peaches, keeping courgettes coming, strawberry care post-cropping and growing pomegranates. Be sure to sow beetroot now HAVE you been merrily sowing beetroot roots all summer long, but what about Future Sow the likes of ‘Boldor’, on the plot, eagerly enjoying the results during the winter? ‘Marina di Chioggia’ and of your labours in the kitchen? I have: I adore this stalwart root crop, and have Well, this is just to give you the heads- ‘Pablo’ (inset) now been busy sowing my favourite purples up that if you desire decent-sized roots (presently ‘Pablo’ and ‘Wodan’, both F1 for those cooler months, now is the time emergence within a week (especially hybrids), yellow (‘F1 hybrid ‘Boldor’) and to sow – beetroot takes a good eight with F1 hybrids). Roots can then be lifted the fantastically pink-and-white-striped weeks to bulk up well. Choose a sunny in October and stored in boxes of sand, ‘Marina di Chioggia’. I sow one 3ft (1m) spot (work in a quick-release general in a shed or garage, until required. row of each, every six-eight weeks, fertiliser like Growmore if this area has outdoors in a sunny spot from May just been cropped) and sow as much as onwards. I also sow into modules under you think you need for winter. Sowing cover in mid February for an early slightly deep and keeping drills well transplanted crop that is harvested watered will ensure good emergence in during May/June. This gives me fresh this potentially hot, dry month. With a warm, moist soil, you should expect Step Know when to pick figs Why Japanese bitter orange by step not try..? (Poncirus trifoliata) These delectable fruits are brimming with sugar and flavour, and to enjoy them at their peak, it pays to pick them when perfectly ripe: TI Archive TI Archive Japanese bitter orange 1 The first thing a fig will 2 As the moisture and 3 Finally, with tissues do as it ripens is to sugar levels in each softening and HAVING just bought this plant from a switch from an upright individual fruit rises, the moisture levels rising, gardening show, I’m keen to let you position on the tree’s water pressure builds up. many figs ultimately split know about my purchase. If you’ve stem to a pendulous one. Subsequently, a small their skins in the final ever had difficulty growing citrus This initial sign is caused drop of clear, sugary sap throes of ripening. This is plants (and they can be quite fickle) by the stalk at the top of frequently appears at the your sign to cup each one then why not follow my lead and buy the fruit softening and base of the fruit around in your hand, check that a Japanese bitter orange (known consequently giving in the small circular scar the skin and flesh is soft, botanically as Poncirus trifoliata)? to gravity. known as the eye. then pick, eat and enjoy! They are a fully hardy member of the citrus family – what a bonus! Re-evaluating the role of wasps No wrapping with fleece, or moving under cover for winter, or leaf drop at I’D LIKE to think that my job to convince feed to their young. That’s fewer the slightest whiff of a growth check. you that wasps can actually be beneficial isn’t too hard these days. We are cabbage white caterpillars for me to deal I should quickly add that I am fully becoming much more open to the fact expecting complete leaf drop come that all insects have a role to play in the with. It’s only as the young grubs emerge autumn, as this particular species garden, so let’s take a deep breath and is deciduous rather than the apply this thinking to wasps. as adult wasps, and these wasps feed on standard evergreen that most citrus conform to. But I can expect fragrant Yes, I know their sting is painful, so fermenting fruit (fallen creamy-white flowers in spring, try not to antagonise them. Instead, then spherical acidic fruit come understand their life cycle in the name apples) in late autumn, so Poncirus does exhibit of acceptance. Wasp larvae need to eat many other citrusy characteristics. protein, and this can be found in the summer, that A well-drained soil and dappled form of caterpillars, grubs and other shade is the order of the day, so soft-bodied insects. So, in early and they become excuse me while I find my fork… midsummer adult wasps will actually hunt large numbers of these down to grumpy and 23 JULY 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING 21 aggressive, so at this stage try to remember their earlier Common wasp good points if eating aphids you can, too.

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Fiery reds and brilliant yellow flowers vie for attention in borders in high summer, adding excitement to a scheme and a visual focus Get thceolour in! Experiment with colour and texture in your borders and containers by adding some Alate-summer heat in the form of warm summer colours, says Camilla Phelps S we hit those long hot days at range from citrus-yellow through fiery to create a strong visual rhythm. Use the peak of summer, now is single plants as bright colour accents – the perfect opportunity to oranges, pinks and reds. Some summer squeeze in annual calendulas or generate some heat in the nasturtiums to fill gaps; or let hot colours flowers even offer graded sunset colours on a single bloom, like the Helenium flower garden and feed our senses with autumnale series and Kniphofia uvaria. be the perfect foil to the cool purple and a rich palette of warm colours. You can choose to plant in large swathes blue tones of agapanthus, scabious, Nature knows what it’s doing with its of a single shade if you have room, or nigellas and salvias. seasonal tones – the intensity of the repeat colours in blocks through borders hottest of summer flower colours is Seasonal edit perfect for soaking up bright sunshine Textural contrasts are important, too, as and illuminating our borders and pots as this will make the colours sing even they absorb all the available light. louder. Choose companion grasses for a There’s a richness to summer yellows light and feathery backdrop, or bold that makes them seem opulent and foliage plants for a more exotic style. golden, compared to the first gentle Summer is a good time to give your yellows of spring. Meanwhile, warmer borders and pots a seasonal edit. It’s reds and oranges are seeping into also worth looking out for inspiration and garden colour schemes and many of the some bargains at the garden centre – taller, prairie-style perennials are aiming pots that have been discounted. Look for the sun and fighting for pole position Prairie-style perennials and grasses for plants in bloom now that can be to attract the myriad pollinators. provide movement and drifts of colour divided after flowering so you can increase your stock for next year. Colours of the moment It’s a great time to experiment with Where to buy colour and texture in borders and containers. Cut back flowers that have Clare Austin claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk Crocus crocus.co.uk gone over and freshen them up with Middleton Nurseries middletonnurseries.co.uk Hayloft hayloft.co.uk some colours of the moment. The hottest colours of high summer 24 AMATEUR GARDENING 23 JULY 2022

Six fiery reds Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ AGM Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ AGM Hemerocallis ‘Stafford’ AGM With brilliant-red, semi-double flowers This common monbretia cultivar features This daylily brings a dark-red tone to and dark foliage, this is a fantastic dahlia for containers and borders that brilliant fire-engine-red flowers in August borders, lightened with a splash of yellow will flower right through the summer and it doesn’t require fussy staking. HxS: 36x18in (90x45cm). All photographs Alamy unless otherwise creditedand September and the bold strappy at the centre of the flowers. They work Crocus.co.uk leaves make the perfect contrast. Plant in best planted in drifts, combining well with mixed borders with space and plenty of cannas and crocosmias. Deadhead when direct sunlight. HxS: 48x24in (120x60cm). flowers fade. HxS: 28x24in (70x60cm). Canna ‘President’ Achillea millefolium ‘Red Velvet’ AGM Alstroemeria ‘Spitfire’ AGM With bold dark foliage, which is a feature The flowerheads of this yarrow are a This Peruvian lily has distinctive red in its own right, the brilliant-red flowers deep ruby-red and keep their colour as petals with yellow and brown markings. of this variety will really light up your the flowers mature. A great plant for With variegated foliage as well, it offers summer borders. These are tender pollinators, it looks good towards the lots of colour interest. Alstroemerias are plants, and in cooler gardens grow them front of a mixed border, in full sun, good for adding colour to summer in large containers to plunge them into alongside grasses such as Stipa borders or growing in pots, and they summer borders and overwinter indoors. tenuissima for a meadowy style. make wonderful cut flowers. HxS: HxS:4-6x1½ft (120-180x46cm). HxS: 24x18in (60x45cm). 20x24in (50x60cm). 3yberlilloliwanst Helenium ‘Wesergold’ AGM Kniphofia ‘Bees’ Lemon’ Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii AGM Flowering from August to October, With a very long flowering season, this This yellow red-hot poker is zingy in this black-eyed Susan is good for sneezeweed will bring you shimmering colour and with its upright, rocket-like spicing up borders late season. golden daisy blooms right through to the flower form, it makes a great contrast Producing lots of blooms, it should be end of summer. The brown centres with the daisy flowers of the season. planted in a large swathe for full impact. mellow as they mature. Works well as a Buds start out lime-green, opening Great for prairie-style planting and loved medium-height plant in borders or larger out to brilliant-yellow flowers. Make by bees and butterflies. HxS: 36x24in containers and good for pollinators, too. sure it’s planted in well-drained soil. (90x60cm). HxS: 30x24in(80x60cm). HxS: 40x24in (100x60cm). 23 JULY 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING 25

3 zingy oranges Helenium ‘Waltraut’ AGM The rusty, orange-toned blooms are perfect for adding an end-of-summer glow. Best planted in groups of threes or more, to create a bold drift of colour in large sunny borders. A haven for pollinators, deadhead for more flowers and cut back to the ground in late winter. HxS: 48x24in (120x60cm). Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora ‘Emily McKenzie’ Kniphofia The flowers of this monbretia are open and star like, in Poco Orange a brilliant warm orange with darker, red markings and they will keep flowering from August to October. Grow The Poco Series is bred in well-drained fertile soil and divide in spring every for a more compact few years to increase your stock. HxS: 24x30in habit, so this red-hot (60x80cm). poker works well in containers and smaller 26 AMATEUR GARDENING 23 JULY 2022 planting areas. With a typically long flowering season, the warm- orange colouring of the upright, vertical blooms are really attention grabbing. HxS: 20x16in (50x40cm).

4 hot pinks Cosmos Lychnis coronaria bipinnatus Sonata AGM Carmine The cheery deep- pink blooms of This is perfect for rose campion are containers adding great value, being colour to late- easy to grow and summer and early generous with autumn displays. their self-seeding It’s too late to sow talents. The simple from seed for this single flowers year, so it’s worth repeat through looking out for the summer ready-grown pots into August. of cosmos in HxS: 36x18in garden centres. (90x45cm). H&S:20in (50cm). Dahlia ‘Ambition’ Hayloft.co.uk Salvia ‘Pink A cactus dahlia Amistad’ that produces huge deep- This was awarded magenta flowers third place at the right up until the RHS Chelsea first frosts. Blooms Flower show 2022. can be up to 6in It offers the long- (15cm) in diameter, flowering capacity so it needs to be of ‘Amistad’ in a well supported. It’s bright-pink shade. great for cutting, Great for pots and but needs weekly borders, it’s also feeding to keep more compact than up its flowering the purple variety momentum. and reportedly HxS: 40x24in more hardy. (100x60cm). HxS: 40x24in (100x60cm). Direct water to the roots where Frequently asked questions it’s needed How do I keep plants flowering through the summer? Plunge plants that are borderline tender THE secret to flowering success week for feeding and use a diluted liquid into borders while still in their pots through the summer is watering, fertiliser – I’d recommend seaweed- 23 JULY 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING 27 feeding and deadheading! Unless you based options. Deadheading spent have specifically chosen drought- flowers will stop plants from putting their tolerant plants, regular watering, energy into producing seeds. If you want particularly in dry periods is vital. Water to save seed, or to keep the seedheads sensibly, at night time or in the for winter silhouettes, wait until the end morning, directly to the roots of plants. of the season, and leave alternate After watering, choose one day a flowering stems to mature. Can I plant out in midsummer? hole, adding plenty of organic matter with a sprinkling of mycorrhizal fungi to IT’S accepted wisdom that most plants encourage good root growth and keep will benefit from planting in autumn or well watered. Alternatively, you could spring, when it’s cooler and wetter, leave the plant in its pot – particularly if allowing the roots to settle in to ensure it’s borderline tender like a canna or a strong growth. But you can plant in dahlia – and plunge the pot into your midsummer, and if you buy new plants border. Feed and water as usual, but you at the garden centre you’re going to have the option of either getting it in the want to get them into your borders ground in the autumn or bringing it into a and pots straight away. frost-free sheltered spot for winter. There are two options. One is to plant as usual, digging a generous

Indispensable for binding a border together, try the small group of herbaceous potentillas for their dazzling flowers, including ‘Gibson’s Scarlet’ Perfpecot tentillas Also known as shrubby cinquefoil, potentillas are undemanding and long-flowering Pplants that can bring much to a small garden, says Graham Rice OTENTILLAS are a very mixed flowering season. Although found in states: ‘The shrubby potentillas are rich bunch, and there are hundreds the wild in both damp and dry places, in good qualities; they are very hardy, of them, but many are in the garden they seem to prefer dwarf-medium sized shrubs, thriving in excellent garden plants. What well-drained soil in sun. any soil, in sun or partial shade. Their they have in common is a five-petal The Hillier Manual of Trees & Shrubs flowers, like small single roses, are flower structure, a little like the flowers of displayed over a long season…’ single roses but smaller, about 1in-3in The two remaining groups (2.5cm-7.5cm) across. Beyond that, they can be split into three main groups. There is also a smaller group of hardy The most widely grown are the perennial potentillas, most of which shrubby types, varieties of Potentilla make a tight crown from which fruticosa. These make very cold-hardy, strawberry-like leaves emerge together twiggy deciduous shrubs, usually of with clusters of summer flowers in small to medium height, that carry a yellow, pink or red. They are closely succession of flowers from late spring related to strawberries. to late autumn, depending on the variety. Finally, there are low-growing alpine Yellow is the most common colour for or rock garden types that insist on full the flowers, but orange, red, pink and Shrubby potentillas flower until autumn, sun and gravelly soil, and tend to spread white flowers are also available. ‘Abbotswood’ makes a spreading dome out far wider than their height and carry Five fingers spring flowers in a variety of shades. The foliage is split into five fingers, giving Where to buyrise to the common name of cinquefoil, and varies from dark green to a pretty silver. The many potentilla varieties differ Ashwood Nurseries ashwoodnurseries.com Crocus crocus.co.uk mainly in their flower colour, the size and Kevock Garden kevockgarden.co.uk Pottertons pottertons.co.uk shape of the mature plant, and the 28 AMATEUR GARDENING 23 JULY 2022

9 potentilla varieties All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited P. fruticosa ‘Abbotswood’ AGM P.f. ‘Hopleys Orange’ AGM P.f. ‘Limelight’ AGM Slightly spreading shrubs carry an This relatively dwarf spreading shrub Its exceptional fresh-green foliage makes impressive show of single, white variety has bright green foliage, with a fine background for the flowers that are flowers through a long season from unusually narrow leaflets and bright- yellow in the centre and almost white at late spring to autumn, nicely set off by orange flowers that fade a little as they the edge. Blooms over an unusually long dark-green foliage.Good for small mature and are often narrowly edged period from mid spring to mid-autumn. gardens, the front of sunny borders, in yellow. Good for small gardens, the Good for small gardens, the front of rock-garden specimens and front of sunny borders and low hedges. sunny borders, rock-garden specimens containers. H: 3ft (90cm). H: 18in (45cm). and containers. H: 3ft (90cm). P.f. Marian Red Robin (‘Marrob’) AGM P.f. ‘Medicine Wheel Mountain’ AGM P.f. ‘Pink Beauty’ AGM Bright-red summer flowers of this Uniquely low and spreading in growth, Another compact, long-flowering variety shrub cover low, spreading plants. the very large yellow summer flowers with silvery-pink single and semi-double Slightly deeper in colour than the old face upwards from a pretty mat of flowers set against bright-green foliage, red favourite ‘Red Ace’, but tends to slightly bluish foliage. Discovered the flowers tend to be paler in the centre fade towards orange in full sun. Best growing wild in Utah, USA. Useful for and silvery-white on their back. Best in for formal gardens, the front of sunny small gardens, the front of sunny small gardens, the front of sunny borders and a rock-garden specimen. borders, ground cover and spreading borders, a low hedge and a rock-garden H: 3ft (90cm). over low walls. H: 12in (30cm). specimen. H: 3ft (90cm). P.f. Princess (‘Blink’) P.f. ‘Primrose Beauty’ AGM P.f. ‘Red Ace’ Pretty, blushed-white, cup-shaped Pretty, two-tone yellow flowers in a Famous as the first red-flowered shrubby flowers are rosier as they open then fade genuine primrose yellow, shading darker potentilla, but the flowers are more as they mature, sometimes flowers have in the centre, smothering low spreading orange-red in colour and brightened by extra petals. Makes a spreading plant plants with arching growth and slightly golden eyes and creamy backs to the with rich-green foliage. Best for small greyish leaves.Good for small gardens, petals. Good for small gardens, the front gardens, the front of sunny borders and the front of sunny borders and a rock- of sunny borders, gravel gardens and low a rock-garden specimen. H: 24in (60cm). garden specimen. H: 4ft (1.2m). hedges. H: 3ft (90cm). 23 JULY 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING 29

3 alpine potentillas Potentilla neumanniana ‘Nana’ This low, creeping, exceptionally winter-hardy plant has neatly lobed, dark-green foliage that stays low and spreads widely. Its yellow, buttercup-like flowers with a deep-golden mark at the base of each petal open in spring and summer. Good for gravel gardens, raised beds, cracks in paving and ground cover. H: 3in (7.5cm). 3 hardy perennial varieties to try P. ‘Gibson’s Scarlet’ AGM P. ‘Monsieur Rouillard’ P. ‘William Rollisson’ AGM Intense scarlet, single or sometimes Semi-double flowers in mahogany-red, Leaves like strawberries make an semi-double, bowl-shaped flowers are fired over in orange and with irregular attractive background for the semi- darker towards the centre and beautifully golden flashes, open in clusters through double, orange flowers unpredictably set off by rich-green, lobed foliage that the summer and all set against attractive twisted and sparked in yellow and with develops into tight clumps. Good for neatly toothed foliage. Good for the yellow backs to the flowers. Best for the front of a perennial or mixed border. front of a perennial or mixed border. the front of a perennial or mixed border. H: 18in (45cm). H: 18in (45cm). H: 18in (45cm). 30 AMATEUR GARDENING 23 JULY 2022

Potentilla nitida Potentilla x tonguei AGM Makes tight mats of low, creeping This valuable, clump-forming plant develops low spreading stems from its tight silvery green foliage and, in spring, crown, each carrying bowl-shaped apricot-yellow flowers with dark red eyes all the five petalled flowers open, each through the summer. Evergreen in mild areas. Best in the front of a sunny border and is pink shading through rosy tones for ground cover. H: 6in (15cm). to cerise in the centre. Best for raised beds, troughs, gravel gardens and trailing over low walls. H: 2in (5cm). Frequently asked questions Is there a potentilla variety that will grow in the shade? THERE are no potentillas that prefer from the side for part of the day by a growing in the shade, but shrubby fence or wall or a taller evergreen. potentilla varieties with red, orange Potentilla varieties whose colour or pink flowers retain the richness of can be preserved by protection from their flower colour better when not the sun include: ‘Gibson’s Scarlet’, subject to a long day of direct sun. ‘Hopleys Orange’ (pictured), Marian Richly coloured potentillas benefit from some shade to preserve their colour In practice, this means siting them Red Robin (‘Marrob’), Princess (‘Blink’) where they are protected from the sun and ‘Red Ace’. Is there an evergreen potentilla? ALL the shrubby potentillas Have shrubby potentillas changed their name? (Potentilla fruticosa) are deciduous, and while some may YES, you are correct – shrubby retain their foliage until early winter, in all potentilla varieties the potentillas are not classed as leaves eventually drop leaving a potentillas any more. twiggy bush to see the plant through the winter. Perennial and The botanists have been re- alpine potentillas die back completely for the winter, although assessing potentillas and have a few including Potentilla x tonguei may remain green in mild areas. decided that the shrubby potentillas, Potentilla fruticosa, that we all know 23 JULY 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING 31 and love, should now be treated separately and called Dasiphora fruticosa. They have also recommended a number of other changes, but it will take some time Shrubby potentillas are now called for nurseries and publications to Dasiphora fruticosa catch up with this.



TBhuisdwdeelke...ja GHRowOWto WITH GRAHAM RICE The butterfly bush is a summer-flowering shrub that’s popular with pollinators All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited The intense colour of ‘Royal Red’ adds drama to late-summer borders – to get the best of out varieties can produce a heavy crop of How to choose a any buddleja, prune in spring seeds that help the plants become butterfly bush when green shoots appear invasive in mild areas, in recent years safe-to-plant modern varieties have been FIRST, decide if B UDDLEJA, commonly known developed that produce no seeds at all. in some parts as the butterfly you need a bush, is a strong-growing, Perfect low-maintenance plant deciduous, flowering shrub Experts at Wayside Gardens in the USA modern non- producing large colourful cones of point out: “Butterfly bushes are a great flowers in summer and autumn. Each addition to almost any garden, attracting invasive flowerhead is made up of a number of butterflies and other beneficial pollinators tiny individual flowers that produce large in droves. Also known as buddlejas, type in your quantities of nectar and so are popular these are large, dense bushes featuring with butterflies and other insects. big, majestic flower spikes that bloom in garden. intense hues of pink, orange, red and Buddlejas are tolerant shrubs, easy to purple throughout the summer. Several Then grow and easy to prune. And while old cultivars have great drought tolerance, making them the perfect low- consider maintenance plant for the back of a mixed-border planting.” the final Lo & Behold ‘Blue Provenwinners.com Chip’ is suitable size. The Lo for containers & Behold series is ideal for patio containers, while plants in the Miss Series are taller and more suitable for mixed borders, shrub borders and as specimens. Provenwinners.com There’s a good range of modern buddleja Where to buy varieties to choose from, including the Miss Series Crocus  crocus.co.uk ✆ 01344 578 000 The Lavender Garden  thelavenderg.co.uk ✆ 01453 860 356 Thompson & Morgan  thompson-morgan.com ✆ 0333 400 0033 23 JULY 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING 33

Two kinds of butterfly bush Buddleja ‘Flutterby Pink’ THERE are two kinds of buddleja and it’s important to know the difference. Modern buddlejas MODERN varieties of buddleja have mostly been developed in North America with the aim of producing neater, more compact growth that is suitable for smaller gardens. It is especially important that many modern varieties produce no seed and are not invasive. Modern, non-invasive varieties of buddleja include the dwarf Lo & Behold Series and the taller Miss Series, both in four different colours, and the Flutterby Series (pictured) of seven varieties in a range of heights and colours. Buddleja Buzz Series ‘Velvet’ Old-fashioned buddlejas THE old-fashioned varieties of Planting advice rootball in a bucket of water buddleja tend to be the tallest and the while you prepare the site. most vigorous. They are often prolific BUDDLEJA need at least six After planting, mulch with in flower and produce a great deal of hours of sun each day, with 2-3in (5-7.5cm) of bark chips nectar to feed pollinating insects. all-day sun being preferable, or other weed-free material to and they will grow thin and conserve soil moisture and Old-fashioned buddleja varieties spindly and flower very prevent weed growth. can also produce a huge number of poorly under trees. Any seeds and may become invasive. reasonable well-drained In containers, choose a Many were developed here in soil suits them, but they well-drained planting mix and England where, until recently, appreciate thorough stand the container on pot invasiveness was not a problem, but preparation before planting, feet to lift the pot just off the they may be listed as invasive in some so improve the soil with ground and allow surplus parts of the US. Varieties in this group garden compost or bagged moisture to drain away include the English Butterfly Series multipurpose. quickly, otherwise the roots and the shorter Buzz Series, both in a will rot. wide range of colours, as well as Plant in spring or early to individual varieties including ‘Black mid-summer, soaking the Knight’ and ‘Royal Red’. When growing in containers, allow excess water to drain by adding pot feet TI Archive 34 AMATEUR GARDENING 23 JULY 2022

Top care tips GHRowOWto Future THE most important care Future Deadhead as the flowers begin to turn brown WITH GRAHAM RICE that a butterfly bush needs is deadheading. As soon as Conservative spring pruning to 2-3ft the flowers have turned (60-90cm) encourages bushy growth brown, snip them off. Immediately behind the How to prune dead flowerhead you will usually find a short shoot 1 Buddleja produces its summer flower with a cluster of flower buds spikes on growth that develops earlier at the tip. Cut just above that the same season. So, to encourage the shoot to spur it into opening most growth and the most flowers, pruning its flowers. is done in spring, just as the buds on the Deadheading is 2old branches are starting into growth. important because it Some gardeners prune very hard, dramatically improves the cutting off all growth to about 6-12in look of the plant. The display (15-30cm) above the base. The result is from white-flowered relatively few, very vigorous, fast-growing varieties, in particular, is often ruined by the 3shoots carrying long fat spikes of flowers. presence of the brown Pruning less severely, to about 2-3ft seedheads from the earlier (60-90cm) will encourage far more flowers. Deadheading also shoots to develop, creating a bushier prevents the plant wasting look, with many smaller flower spikes. energy in producing seeds when it is the flowers that are important. Frequently asked questions How do I propagate buddleja? Plantipp.eu BUDDLEJA can be grown from seeds, but the results are very rarely a match for named varieties bought as plants. Once you have a named variety in your garden, you can make more by taking cuttings in spring or summer. Make cuttings by snipping off the tips of the growing shoots to give you a cutting about 4-6in (10-15cm) long. Water during dry spells to avoid problems Recut just below the lowest leaf joint, potting soil and set the plant in place snip off the leaves on the lowest half so that its compost is about 1in (2.5cm) below the rim of the container. of the cutting and insert into pots of n Add more potting soil and firm well around the roots leaving a level finish. fresh, moist potting soil so that the Mulch with gravel or bark chips and then water in well with a liquid feed. lowest leaves are just above the soil. Choose a modern n Keep moist all summer, deadhead Cover with a clear plastic bag and variety bred to be regularly, then, in colder areas, move keep in a light, but not sunny place. compact, such as the pot to a sheltered pace for the Move the cuttings into individual pots Flutterby ‘Petite winter. Prune in spring, then move when the roots start to emerge from Blue Heaven’ back to a sunny site. the drainage holes. How do I grow buddleja in pots? TI Archive n Butterfly bushes do well in containers, but it is important to choose the right variety and look after it correctly. n Choose only modern varieties that remain small and will not drop seeds that will sprout between the cracks in your paving. Varieties in the Lo & Behold Series are ideal. n Choose a large container, 18-24in (45- Future Cuttings root quickly – when large 60cm) across, and place it in a sunny enough, transplant into individual pots position on three pot feet to ensure good drainage. Part fill with fresh, damp, 23 JULY 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING 35



JAOsHk N NEGUS John will reply personally to all your gardening questions Merendera montana is a native of the Central Pyrenees Wikimedia Fuchsia gall mites cause plant distortion Unknown beauty and are spreading from the south Q Can you name this plant for us? How do I deal with fuchsia gall mite? Gill Smithers (via email) Q In my mum’s garden she has a large number of fuchsias. They are beautiful A The interloper appears to be when in flower but seem to have all got this gall mite. Is there any way of saving Merendera montana, a native of them, maybe by cutting out the infection? Some are 20 years old. the Central Pyrenees and Iberian Sue Read, Brighton Peninsular. Relatively hardy in sheltered gardens, its ribbon-petalled flowers have A The fuchsia gall mite is a serious All you can do is cut off and dispose of great appeal. Indeed, it makes a fetching pest of fuchsias. It is rare, but has the infested shoot tips – never add them contender for a sunny rock garden. It become more widespread since they to the compost. Predatory mites can be normally flowers in autumn, but first arrived in 2007, particularly in the bought as a biological control, but prolonged spells of hot weather will south of the UK. suppliers say you need to reduce the trigger an earlier blooming. affected shoots to 4in (10cm) below The mites are microscopic and suck affected growth before introducing the It develops from a corm which, if the sap at the fuchsia’s shoot tip, predator. nourished monthly with fish, blood and secreting chemicals that cause the plant bone meal, will probably multiply to give material it to become distorted. The This biological control can be bought you more flowers next year. greater the infestation, the greater the online from 8 nematodesdirect.co.uk, distortion, until the plant is incapable of & 0808 901 2055. Blossom end producing normal-looking leaves. rot is caused Some fuchsia cultivars are said to be by irregular Unfortunately there are no chemical more resistant to the mites, including watering treatments that work on the gall mites - ‘Baby Chang’, ‘Cinnabarina’, ‘Miniature they are immune to all known products. Jewels’ and ‘Space Shuttle’. What is the name of this Tomato disaster cheerful yellow plant? Q Please can you identify this plant? Is it some Q Can you please advise me as to sort of goldenrod? what is wrong with my ‘Money Suzanne Shaw (via email) Maker’ tomato plants?. Lynda Grace (via email) A The plant in question is hardy It must be Yellow loosestrife brings a yellow loosestrife (Lysimachia blaze of yellow to the A Your tomato fruits have succumbed vulgaris). Splendid for cheering overwintered summer garden to a disorder called blossom-end rot, triggered by an erratic uptake of summer, but it can be invasive. in a warm water. If you water regularly to keep the compost or soil nicely damp, further Another, equally appealing form greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill. fruits will develop normally. called L. congestiflora ‘Outback Alamy unless credited If you wish to propagate L. vulgaris, Additionally, feed twice-weekly with a Sunset’, is a splendid summer-bedding high-potash liquid feed, but never liquid- divide the clump in autumn and fertilise dry soil. contender, magnificent when replant chunky well-rooted divisions. 23 JULY 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING 37 cascading from a hanging basket. Dead-head regularly to encourage more blooms.

JAOsHk N NEGUS John will reply personally to all your gardening questions Fairy ring fungi can Qu&ickanqsuwesetrisons be tricky to remove Future Q What is this plant? Future Helen Field (via email) I’m not at all enchanted by these fairies! A It is commonly Q I have a brown semi-circle on my lawn which has some fungi in it and there is known as also a patch of fungi in the border. Do you have any idea what it is or how I can Angel’s Fishing get rid of it? Rod (Dierama Agnes Nash (via email) pulcherrima). A These half circles of toadstools are However, there are some things that This is a known as fairy rings or pixie rings, you can do to reduce the impact of the member of caused by a fungus which feeds on the fairy rings. Firstly, remove toadstools as the iris family, roots of grass causing browning. soon as they appear to reduce the native to spread of spores. Secondly, reduce the South Africa but There may be lush green growth amount of organic matter available to the quite at home adjacent to the brown arcs or circles. fungus by always collecting up the grass in Britain. The fungi is hidden below ground for mowings and by raking or scarifying in most of the year, with the fungi early September. It is easy to grow in any ordinary appearing in late summer/autumn. garden soil, ideally in sun but it will Thirdly, spiking helps to break through tolerate partial shade. Unfortunately it is very difficult to the water repellent fungal mycelium in eradicate fairy rings and there are no the soil, which helps to prevent the grass Q What chemical methods available. A from drying out. Finally, keep lawns is this permanent solution involves removing watered in dry weather and well fed to plant? infected soil and replacing it with new even out the colour of the grass. Rake Margaret topsoil and then reseeding or returfing, out dead areas, spike and reseed. Balfour but this has no guarantee of eradication. (via email) A The shrub is Deutzia scabra ‘Candidissima’, a double white form of the parent, D. scabra. Prune after flowering and feed monthly, April to September, with a general fertiliser and with bone meal in October. How do I care for indoor cyclamen? Q I have little white Q I managed to salvage my cyclamen that had dried out flies on the in the conservatory. How do I care for it now? plants in my Barbara Trevitt, Newcastle upon Tyne hanging baskets. A Thank you for the attached image and What should of your lovely cyclamen. We are I do? delighted that you rescued it and it is continue Jan Schut now fully recovered and about to flower. (via email) watering Encourage it to excel by liquid- A The white creatures are sap- feeding it twice weekly with a high- and feeding Indoor cyclamen feeding whiteflies. potash tomato feed. naturally die back I suggest that you spray your it until its after flowering plants with Bug Clear Ultra, a Hopefully, it will continue blooming leaves shrivel systemic preparation that protects throughout winter and into next spring. plants from attack for around and die and can be three weeks. When blooms fade, gently twist flowered stems from the tuber. removed. Ideally, in late May when frosts finish, Then do nothing until little pink buds, move it outdoors to a lightly shaded spot the leaf initials, ­appear on the tuber. That’s your cue to re-pot it in a slightly larger container using ericaceous compost. Bring it indoors in late August. 38 AMATEUR GARDENING 23 JULY 2022

Contact John Negus by email address below Email: [email protected] Tradescantia fluminensis likes a warm, well-lit room Wandering joy Black spot on many plants can be tackled Q Please could you identify this pretty with good husbandry and carefully climbing plant that I got a cutting of administered fungicide spray when on holidays in Salou? Pauline Gaffney (via email) Can rose black spot affect other plants? A The cascading/climbing plant is wandering Jew (Tradescantia Q I’ve always had to spray an old rose carefully for black spot. I’ve noticed that a fluminensis). A native of Brazil and nearby honeysuckle and also a hydrangea are affected. Is this the same variety Argentina, it sports small white flowers in of black spot? leaf axils. Alison Ireland, Kirn, Argyll Ideal for growing in a well-lit, warm A I am sorry that your roses have room where it has space to cascade and succumbed to black spot disease. Additionally, feed your bushes with 1oz please you with its foliage, it needs very (28g) per sq m of sulphate of potash. little attention, apart from regular The best way to control it is to spray with Sprinkle it over the root area, monthly, watering and occasional liquid feeding. RoseClear Ultra Gun, which also very from April to September, and water it in. It is easy to propagate from cuttings effectively tackles powdery mildew, rust Your hydrangea and honeysuckle are rooted in water or gritty soil. and aphids, or FungusClear Ultra Gun affected by another fungus, not black that protects plants for over four months. spot which is specific to roses. Mystery appearance Alternatively, use Bayer Garden Treat plants with FungusClear Ultra Fungus Fighter Plus that guards roses Gun and feed them with sulphate of Q This has popped up in my garden. from attack for up to three weeks. potash, which will strengthen them. What is it? What do I do about ground elder? Mayo Marriott (via email) Q Please can you tell me if this is ground elder.? I A It is a plume have it all over my garden and nothing gets poppy (Macleaya rid of it. The more I dig all my beds over, the cordata also more it pops up! called Mrs M Hawker (via email) Bocconia A Regrettably, the invader in question is cordata). A indeed ground elder. native of mountain Best tackled by painting or very carefully woodland in spraying its leaves with a glyphosate-based eastern China Plume poppies are a tall weedkiller, it will eventually die. Ground elder is and Japan, its and beautiful addition Weedkiller treatment is better than hoeing it a common menace impressive heads of out, which breaks roots which then regrow. feathery, creamy-white blooms are best Another option, if the situation is appropriate, is to in June and July. cover the interloper with weed-proof membrane: no light means no growth. Normally growing from 5-8ft (1.5- Camouflage the membrane by sprinkling it with proprietary composted 2.4m), it thrives in most enriched soils. It manure or similar crumbly organic material. enjoys full sun and is easily propagated from rooted suckers. 23 JULY 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING 39

JAOsHk N NEGUS John will reply personally to all your gardening questions Will I be able to save my hydrangea? Feed and water gerberas to keep them flowering Q I have a hydrangea in a tall pot wide at top and narrow at the bottom, but My ailing gerberas it looks as if it is dying off. I have re-potted Q I planted three hardy gerberas in April. All started to wilt, then two it in new soil, will it come back again? came back well but the third remains Irene Collins (via email) very sad. What can I do? Lesley Gibbard (via email) A I am sorry that your hydrangea is Hydrangeas thrive in pots unless they wilting. Are you watering regularly? are too dry or attacked by pests A At this time of year, gerberas should This shrub is a moisture lover and it’s vital be flourishing and flowering to keep the compost damp. soil could be too dry and your profusely. I suggest that you encourage hydrangea is short of water. It should them to perform better and grow well by If you are watering frequently and the respond quickly if you water it well. liquid-feeding them weekly with a high- plant is still flagging, then something potash tomato fertiliser. could be damaging the roots and Alternatively, the compost may be preventing them from absorbing water. too wet and air is being driven out, Water the soil copiously before which would cause the plant to suffer. feeding. Then, in late autumn, mulch It’s probable that vine weevil grubs them thickly with composted manure to – tiny dirty white curved creatures – are Ideally, if you are not already doing insulate roots from frost. feeding on the roots, which I urge you to so, sit the pot on ‘feet’ so that surplus examine. If it’s a large pot, it may be a moisture freely drains away. two-person exercise removing the root ball carefully, trying not to damage it. If you spot grubs, replace the root ball and water it with Bug Clear Ultra Vine Weevil Killer, which destroys grubs and protects plants from further attacks for two months. If no grubs are found, then your pot Prickly lettuce is an uncommon wild flower Clematis viticella ‘Alba Luxurians’ can flower in different colours Is my Clematis viticella an anomaly? A wild discovery Q I bought a clematis viticella ‘Alba tips and flecks can occasionally be Q Could you tell me please what this Luxurians’ from an RHS garden tinged with mauve or violet. plant is called? and it’s been wonderful – white Helen Symonds, Little Melton, Norwich. flowers tipped with green. I ordered If it’s cold when flowers are opening, another one from a nursery and the they tend to be more green than white. A It is prickly lettuce (Lactuca flowers came up light mauve one year serriola). A tall and statuesque and white the next. Is this normal or is The fact that in its first year blooms annual British wild flower, it blooms from mine behaving strangely? were pale mauve, then, in its second July to September and often appears in Joan Barton (via email) season were white, indicates that it is large groups – ‘reaching for the sky’. not your soil that triggered a change A Clematis viticella ‘Alba Luxurians’ of colour but the plant’s unstable and I haven’t seen it for some years. If it’s is not a stable variety and blooms variable genetic constitution. in your garden, I urge you to gather ripe which are normally white with green seeds and sow them in a sunny spot I have this variety cascading from a where plants can naturalise and attract a wall and illuminating wonderfully a wide range of insects. Without doubt, it gloomy part of the garden. has character. 40 AMATEUR GARDENING 23 JULY 2022



WORDS OF WISDOM In this extract from AG 25 July 1970, Christopher Lloyd, of Great Dixter From Amateur Gardening’s historic 138-year-old archive fame, looks at plants that keep flowering Never without a flower SChristopher Lloyd looks at plants with a long flowering season OMETIMES we think how The shrimp plant, Beloperone gratifying it would be if our plants guttata, has colourful bracts would just keep on flowering. Some plants do, in fact, bloom continuously; they mostly come from the tropics and need a heated All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited Christopher Lloyd at TI Archivegreenhouse. Others that are hardyhis Great Dixter garden flower for sufficient months on end to earn the Latin epithet semperflorens, which means always in flower. When continuous-flowering roses were first introduced from China in the late 18th century, it was not surprising that one of them should have been named Rosa chinensis ‘Semperflorens’. This was Slater’s crimson China, a monthly rose with a truly year-round season if given high enough temperatures to keep it flowering. It was an important parent of Noisette and Bourbon roses and from them came our modern roses, including those grown under glass for year-round flowers. Perpetual cherries Viola odorata is a scented violet that is The showy white flowers of the seldom found without a flower Japanese snowball Viburnum None of the cherries is truly perpetual, plicatum f. tomentosum ‘Lanarth’ but two of them have made a brave enough stab at it to have earned the title. until I learned that its name was intense carmine colouring by February Prunus serrulata ‘Fudanzakura’ (the last word means continuous cherry) has also V. tomentosum semperflorens. and is then, weather permitting, at its been known as Prunus serrulata f. semperflorens. In Japan it probably Exceptionally persistent most remarkable. deserves its reputation; in the UK it can, in a mild winter and if the birds, who Of the humbler hardy plants, there is adore its buds, leave it alone, flower from November to April, much like the A number of the hebes are Prunus serrulata never a month when I cannot find far better known P. x subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’. And in the same way its exceptionally persistent. ‘Fudanzakura’ can flower a wild primrose in flower in buds open from pale pink to white. It is from November to April the surrounding woods, useful for cutting to bring on indoors. ‘Autumn Glory’, for Of greater value as a garden plant is instance, gets going particularly where the P. cerasus ‘Semperflorens’, a variety of the sour morello cherry. It makes a very in early July, with a weeds have recently pretty small round-topped tree and flowers from April to September. Flowers terrific burst of purple been coppiced. However, and ripe fruits may be seen together. blossoms opening from I come from East Sussex Viburnum tomentosum [V. plicatum f. tomentosum] has given rise to the silvery buds, and you and it is a fact that there finest snowball bushes, and also to varieties like ‘Lanarth’ that are nearer to can nearly always find are a great many strains the wild plant, with fertile and sterile florets in the style of a lacecap something to pick from it of primroses with different hydrangea. I met another of this ilk for the first time last summer, but a smaller thereafter in every month flowering habits in different growing plant more suitable where space was restricted and flowering up to and including the localities. Those from the north quite out of season, it seemed to me, following April. ‘Midsummer will seldom venture into bloom, Beauty’, with long lavender spikes that however you treat them, until April or are sweetly scented, is much the same, even May. Wild scented violets also have while ‘Cranleighensis’, which is pale pink a pretty well non-stop season. Even in in summer and autumn, develops an August, when your mind is furthest from 42 AMATEUR GARDENING 23 JULY 2022

In this extract from AG 4 July 1970, we look at one of the greatest gardeners of all time Gardeners with a story We look at the life of Joseph Paxton (1803-1865), who started his horticultural career at Chatsworth House ARCHITECT, landscape gardener, was smooth and leaf-free by morning. town planner, writer, editor and one of Years later when Queen Victoria the founders of the Daily News and of again visited Chatsworth Paxton once Kohleria hirsuta has rich-scarlet several gardening magazines, more excelled himself. The Duke of tubular flowers organiser of a civilian construction Wellington was one of the party and, this flower, you may, if you happen to think of looking, find a few blooms hiding corps in the Crimean War, fascinated by a stupendous among its luxuriant foliage. forester, land agent and firework display, arose early There is a great range of long- flowering tender plants, of which steward, designer of giant to find out how the Begonia Semperflorens is the most obvious. Chiefly used for summer glasshouses and entertainment had been bedding, it is also a good greenhouse pot plant. The shrimp plant, Beloperone waterworks, railway organised. But the guttata, whose colourful bracts are its main attraction, can flower non-stop, but promoter and director, grounds kept their secret it easily becomes a straggler if not cut back in spring and given a rest. Member of Parliament – it – all was in apple-pie Delicious honey scent makes one breathless to order and nothing bore The biennial Exacum affine, with mauve flowers and a delicious honey scent, will, recount the diverse witness to the activity of from a spring sowing, start flowering in late summer and carry on to the activities of Joseph Paxton, Joseph Paxton the previous night. following spring. Its one drawback is that one-time gardener’s boy. in 1851 ‘I would have liked that man the dead flowers hang on in an unsightly manner and need constant picking off. At the age of 20 Paxton of yours for one of my generals,’ The shrubby tender perennial secured employment in the Royal remarked one duke to the other. Dimorphotheca ecklonis Horticultural Society’s garden at At Chatsworth, Paxton built giant (Osteospermum ecklonis) can be bedded out in summer, but should be Chiswick in London. The landlord was glasshouses, one 300ft long and 60ft lifted and repotted in autumn to flower throughout the winter in a cool the Duke of Devonshire, who had a high (91x18m), constructed great greenhouse. Its blue-centred white daisies shut up in adverse weather and private door connecting his own roadworks, lakes and the highest at night in summer, but remain open the whole time in winter for some adjoining garden – and thus did found in the world at 267ft (81m). unexplained reason. young Paxton come to the Duke’s Chatsworth became a famous A particular favourite with me among ever-flowering tender perennials is notice. In 1826 he became head showplace visited by 60,000 people Isoloma erianthum [Kohleria hirsuta]. A gesneriad with rich-scarlet tubular gardener at Chatsworth in Derbyshire. in a year and that was before motor flowers in loose racemes, it has the most fascinating rhizomes, like fat scaly red Remarkable talent cars, before local railway even. centipedes, that crawl around the inner surface of its pot. I am always turning it His greatest horticultural success out to have a look at them. Typical was Paxton’s first morning. He was the first flowering in England of arrived at 4.30am, climbed a gate and Victoria amazonica, the giant tropical explored the neglected pleasure waterlily, one floating leaf of which grounds. Then he scaled the wall of was so strong that it could support his the kitchen garden and inspected seven-year-old daughter. that. When the under-gardeners His best-known public arrived at 6am, he set them to work achievement, for which he was and had a water-work display turned knighted, was the Crystal Palace that on. At 9am he called on Mrs Gregory, housed the Great Exhibition of 1851. the housekeeper, for breakfast, met her niece Sarah, fell in love and married her the next year. Combined with energy was a remarkable talent for organising the work of others. When the future Queen of England visited Chatsworth in October 1832, Paxton had a squad The lily pads of Victoria amazonica of 100 men working through each can grow up to 8ft (2.4m) across night to ensure that every gravel path The views, information and opinions expressed during this series of extracts from past issues of AG are solely those of the individuals involved, at the time they were written, and are not necessarily relevant or even legal today. Please treat these pages as a look back at how things were done in the past and not necessarily how they are done today. AG accepts no responsibility if readers follow advice given in these articles from past issues. 23 JULY 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING 43



A gardener’s MISCELLANY Gardening’s king of trivia and brain-teasers, Graham Clarke This Love Parks Week! week it’s: Get out and about by visiting a park this week Glen Einich and Loch Einich, WE love our parks. They’re spaces for and improve mental wellbeing. Cairngorms National Park people to meet up and relax, take a Love Parks Week takes place every stroll, sunbathe, exercise, play sports or have a picnic. They’re also great spaces year, around now – different local for events. And some of the best parks authorities choose slightly different (for me) also have stunning gardens. If dates. The aim of Love Parks Week is to you’re not lucky enough to have your encourage everyone to get out to a park. own garden or bit of outdoor space, a Sadly, it’s a fact also that if a park is not park is a great way to embrace nature used, there is a good chance that it will be considered suitable for development. National Parks Kinder Scout in The world’s smallest park! There are 15 National Parks across the Peak District OFFICIALLY, the world’s smallest park is Mill Ends Park in Britain: Cairngorms, and Loch Lomond National Park Portland, Oregon, USA. It is just 2ft (61cm) across! In 1948, & The Trossachs (Scotland); Dick Fagan, a writer for the Oregon Journal, looked out of Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire Coast his office window and saw workmen doing Mill Ends Park and Brecon Beacons (Wales); and some groundwork for a new street light Northumberland, the Lake District, the on a traffic island. But the light never Yorkshire Dales, the North York Moors, arrived! The island became unkempt, the Peak District, the Norfolk Broads, so Dick weeded it and planted Exmoor, Dartmoor, the New Forest and the flowers, just to make it look nice. South Downs (England). He wrote about it in his Yellowstone National Park, mostly in Wyoming, USA, was newspaper. When he died in 1969, the first area anywhere in the world to be designated a others took over the maintenance. National Park. It was given its status in 1872 by US president Applications were made to the state Ulysses S. Grant, and covers 3,470 sq miles. legislature and, on St Patrick’s Day in 1976, the The Northeast Greenland National Park is the largest in the ‘park’ was formally recognised. world. Much of its 375,000 sq miles is covered by ice, but it’s Four years ago, an official Portland Parks and Recreation still home to protected flora and fauna (including polar bears). sign was put up at its entrance! London’s ‘world 5 Royal Parks of London first’ ON 22 July 2019, Graham Clarke London became The Regent’s Park Richmond Park Bushy Park the world’s first Greenwich Park Green Park ‘National Park City’. The idea is to make cities greener and London National Graham Clarke healthier, and to Park City map improve urban relationships with nature. Despite London being home to some nine million people, there are almost as Graham Clarke many trees in it. And it’s estimated that All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited London’s varied habitats host around 15,000 species of animals and plants, including eight species of bat. Among the goals of the National Park Cities charter is to support improvements in people’s health and wellbeing through the restoration of wildlife habitats and Graham Clarke vegetation within the cities, and to provide more outdoor areas for walking, cycling and eating locally grown food. 23 JULY 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING 45

A gardener’s MISCELLANY JUST AG’s Garden Wall Olympic Park FOR FUN IF you live outside LIME Postman’s Chile llama Artichoke London, you may ELEPHANT MEANIES wonder what Mint Chelsea Ricottas happened to the park and village that Ahoy Fern The Quarry No: 072 hosted the London It’s time for our just-for-fun puzzle – AG’s connections to look for, one for each course. 2012 Olympic and The ArcelorMittal Garden Wall. This wall comprises 12 bricks in You may find that some words have more Paralympic Games. east Orbit three courses. Each brick has a different word, than one connection to other courses, but Situated in Stratford, or phrase on it. The first brick in each course, there is just one correct answer. You’ll either with BLOCK capitals, is cemented in place and find this puzzle fiendishly difficult, or London and now known as the Queen cannot be moved. Just rearrange all the other incredibly easy! Answers below. bricks, so that the four words in each course of Hint: In one of the courses, the bricks are all Elizabeth Olympic Park, it remains a bricks are linked. There are three different the (unlikely) names of parks. sporting complex, but is also a public park. The main stadium, now called the London Stadium, is home to West Ham United FC. The Park also contains the LIME ArcelorMittal Orbit, an observation tower ELEPHANT MEANIES and Britain’s largest piece of public art. With wildlife in mind, the Park contains 525 bird boxes, 150 bat boxes, plus a number of artificial otter holts. Answers: LIME = Artichoke, Mint, Fern (all official shades of the colour green); ELEPHANT Park (Elephant & Castle, Historical gardening event of London) = Postman’s Park (London EC1), Chelsea Park (Sheffield), The Quarry Park (Shrewsbury) (all names of parks); the week: 20 July 1982 MEANIES (nemesia) = Chile llama (alchemilla), Ricottas (arctotis), Ahoy (hoya) (all anagrams of plant genera). W£3IN0 Word search A TRAGIC day for the nation, for the No: military, for families and for parks. 630 Hyde Park, London: At 10:43am a This word search comprises C L O V E X A L E R nail bomb exploded in the boot of a car left in the park. It went off as words associated with parks. I RPARKSCEY soldiers of the Household Cavalry, They are listed below; in the the Queen’s official bodyguard grid they may be read across, PA I WE E K L T T regiment, were passing backwards, up, down or MEGCDE I I R S diagonally. Letters may be by, during the Changing of the shared between words. YNA I HZCE TC Guard procession. Erroneous or duplicate words Three soldiers of may appear in the grid, but L I R Y AME RO I the Blues and there is only one correct Royals died solution. After the listed words O L D B N S O P T L immediately, The Regent’s Park bandstand are found there are seven NE EUQP ENAB followed by another, letters remaining; arrange three days later. Others were badly these to make this week’s R TNASN LNDU injured, as well as several civilians. KEYWORD. HES I CREXEP LOVE Seven of the regiment’s horses died. PARKS The Regent’s Park, London: The WEEK QUEEN HOW TO ENTER: Enter this week’s keyword on the entry form, and house where I spent the first seven ELIZABETH send it to AG Word Search No 630, Amateur Gardening, Future OLYMPIC Publishing Limited, Unit 415, Winnersh Triangle, Eskdale Road, years of my life, in the middle of this CITY Winnersh, RG41 5TP, to arrive by Wednesday 3 August, 2022. The first correct entry chosen at random will win our £30 cash prize. park, was just 200 yards from a bandstand. Most Sundays, and on selected other days through the year, EXERCISE This week’s keyword is........................................................................................... military bands would play there, for GARDENS park visitors. At 12.55pm, two hours HYDE Name......................................................................................................................... and 12 minutes after the Hyde Park LANE Address..................................................................................................................... bomb, and during a performance of LINEAR ................................................................................................................................... OPEN music to a crowd of 120 people, the bandstand exploded. A bomb had PUBLIC Postcode................................................................................................................... been placed under it. Six of the 30 RELAX Email.......................................................................................................................... RICHMOND bandsmen of the Royal Green Jackets were killed. All the rest, plus RIDES Tel no......................................................................................................................... several park visitors, were injured. SPORTS TREES Future plc, publisher of Amateur Gardening, will collect your personal information The IRA claimed responsibility for solely to process your competition entry. both bombs. 46 AMATEUR GARDENING 23 JULY 2022

High Line, Crossword New York City ...just for fun! Linear parks EVER heard of a linear park? It’s a Graham Clarke 12 3 45 park that is much longer than it is 7 6 wide. A typical example would be the High Line in New York City, 8 USA, a 1½-mile (2.3km)-long walkway along what was a spur of the city’s Central Railroad. With careful planting (in this instance by Dutch designer and plant guru Piet Oudolf), it is a space of serenity in a madly hectic city. Parks are often created out of oddly shaped tracts of land. 10 parks in 10 titles… 9 10 11 12 ■ Books (and later films): 13 Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (1814) Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith (1981) Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton 14 15 (1990) ■ F ilms: Barefoot in the Park (1967) ACROSS 1 Centifolias, moss and China Gosford Park (2001) MacArthur Park in Los – are these! (5) 2 Roll elms? Had better ask ■ Songs: Angeles, USA 3 Green and black – are the person operating a little these! (5) farm! (11) (anag) Itchycoo Park (The Small Faces, 1967) 7 The flowering quince 4 Sauce consisting of melted genus (11) butter, egg yolks and vinegar, MacArthur Park (Richard Harris, 1968) 8 A plant (or a human, for that served especially with fish – matter) originating from one of as in Anthemis tinctoria Saturday in the Park (Chicago, 1972) the thousand or so islands in ‘_________ Sauce’ (11) the central and southern 5 In botany, the flat Another Park, Another Sunday (The Doobie Brothers, 1974) Pacific, is said to be this! (10) receptacle of composite 9 Genus of temperate and flowers, such as the daisy; Parklife (Blur, 1994) sub-tropical ferns, known as also, the middle part of the the chain ferns (10) lip of an orchid (4) An exhibit at the theme 13 A plant that is easy to 6 and 14 across ____ _____ park dedicated to the grow, with little in the way Week is the subject of this toilet in South Korea of requirements, is said to week’s Miscellany! (4,5) be this (11) 10 Flowering plant (Isatis Wow! I didn’t know that... 14 See 6 down tinctoria) of the cabbage 15 Alloy of iron and carbon, as family, and the blue dye There are estimated to be more than 27,000 parks and in Hydrangea macrophylla produced from its leaves (4) green spaces across the UK. Black _____ Series (5) 11 Divine messenger, as in the hyacinth variety ‘Pink _____’ Work on constructing Central Park in New York City DOWN and the hosta variety ‘Blue started in 1856. It is said that five million trees were planted 1 Put the top back on a bottle _____’ (5) prior to the official opening. of fertiliser, for example (5) 12 Similar to a lump or a hump, this may be found in the lawn In Suwon, South Korea, there is a theme park dedicated and can be rectified! (4) to the toilet. The Restroom Cultural Park surrounds a toilet-shaped building. ANSWERS TO ABOVE CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Roses 3 Aphid 7 Chaenomeles 8 Polynesian 9 Woodwardia Schiphol’s Airport Park in the Netherlands is the world’s 13 Undemanding 14 Parks 15 Steel largest (and currently only) park within an airport. It DOWN 1 Recap 2 Smallholder 4 Hollandaise 5 Disc 6 Love 10 Woad measures 2,000 sq metres, and has a rescued 130-year- 11 Angel 12 Bump old tree at its centre. The park contains mixed-reality technology, featuring the sounds of bicycle bells and KEYWORD TO WORD SEARCH 625 (18 June): children playing, as well as projected butterflies. MYRRH The world’s largest car park is at West Edmonton Mall, in AND THE WINNER IS: ROBERT HOGGINS, MILFORD HAVEN, Canada. It can hold 20,000 vehicles, and there is even an WALES overflow facility for another 10,000! 23 JULY 2022 AMATEUR GARDENING 47

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AStDevVeA&NVaClE’sD SKILLS Alamy Camellia japonica ‘Contessa Lavinia Maggi’ Acer japonicum Alamy Rhododendron yakushimanum Magnolia stellata ‘Waterlily’ Propagation by air layering TSteve and Val Bradley explain a technique for difficult-to-propagate plants HERE are some plants that Careful timing and patience Identical progeny are really difficult to grow from Like other forms of layering, air layering seeds or cuttings. These tend Air layering is a technique that is most has the great advantage that the new to be the most expensive ones often associated with the houseplant plant will be identical to the parent. You Ficus elastica (the rubber plant), which you see at shows, in catalogues or in is propagated by air layering when the can also have several attempts using the garden centres. Professional growers plant becomes too tall. The top section same shoot and the same technique, and very keen gardeners can overcome is propagated and, when the process is because you only separate the new some of the difficulties using specialised complete, the lower section can be plant from its parent after roots have All photographs by Chris Bradley, copyright Future PLC, unless otherwise credited techniques and equipment, such as either discarded or reduced and allowed formed and the technique is successful. grafting and mist propagation, or high- to regrow. It is a means of propagation The main disadvantage is one of time, as tech methods like micro-propagation that requires timing and a fair degree of it can often take quite a long time for a under sterile laboratory conditions. patience, as it can take up to 18 months shoot to form roots. Ancient Chinese technique for some plants to produce roots. Selecting the stem Most gardeners do not have access to Hardy plants The best stems to use are from the these facilities, or the training and skills Difficult-to-root hardy plants, like citrus, current season’s growth, about 10-12in involved, but this does not mean you camellia, hamamelis, Japanese maples, (25-30cm) long and of pencil thickness if have to give up propagating those magnolia, rhododendron and syringa possible (this will depend on the plant plants. Instead, it is worth looking back (lilac) can be air layered (see photos you are working with). If the stem is much in time to a technique that has been above). It is the method to use when longer, it is better to shorten it back from practised for over 4,000 years. Records there are no shoots close enough to the the tip rather than try to work with very show that air layering has been used as ground to bend down and layer in the soft young tissue. Make a slanting cut in a propagation method for many years soil using simple layering, or the shoots the stem about 4in (10cm) up from the in China and it is often referred to in old are not flexible enough to be bent and base, angled so you cut no more than gardening books as ‘Chinese layering’. twisted for other forms of layering. halfway through the stem. The idea of 50 AMATEUR GARDENING 23 JULY 2022