Electric cordless lawn care Lightweight, quiet and manoeuvrable, GHBeaasrntddfeyonmratoinwyerlawns these are powered by rechargeable £259.98 lithium-ion batteries and produce zero emissions. Ideally a fully Light, compact and very easy charged battery will last long to manoeuvre, this little mower enough for you to mow your is ideal for the regular cutting lawn, so match the battery of small areas of grass. The run-time to the size of your battery’s power level is visible lawn. Otherwise, a fast as you mow and there’s no grass battery charger will bag to empty – the clippings are help you get shredded and simply dropped mowing again back onto the lawn as a mulch. more quickly. gardena.com EinBheesltlbGuEd-gCeMt f1o8r/e3a3sLei of use P£o1Bw8ee9srtbbausdeg4e0t Vfocroerxdtlreassfeatures £199.95 This simple-to-use mower folds away neatly, A simple, well-priced mower that’s easy offers five heights of cut and includes useful to put together, offers a choice of handle heights and a good range features such as a rear roller, and of cuts. It’s also quick front and side combs for to charge and cuts a neat, sharp cut. smoothly and neatly. homebase.co.uk einhell.co.uk Best for ease of use to Bmeesdt ifuomr slmawalnls £G1a0r9d.e9n9a PowerMax 1200/32 Y£a2r5d9f.o9r9ce LMG37A It’s easy to switch between heights on A sturdy mower with a host of this mower, and the grass box is also easy useful features: cutting to the to empty. gardena.com edge, a rear roller, mulching plug and a large, easy-empty grass bag. £R1y0Boeb4si.9tR9fLoMr c1a3bEle33sSafety Plus, it’s quick to charge, has seven cutting heights and is easy to fold away. This mower has five height yardforce.eu settings, and can mulch, too. But its best feature is the cable Corded electric relief clip: it keeps the lead out of the way and stops These mowers are light, quiet and the plug from being generally less expensive, but you will yanked out of the need an outdoor power source and electricity socket. possibly an extension lead. Look for uk.ryobitools.eu a model with a brightly coloured lead if you’re concerned about GardenersWorld.com 101 running over the cable. £W1eB1b9eb.s9tW9aelle-rro3u3nder This simple mower is well thought out, with excellent features. There’s a choice of five cutting heights and it cuts to the edge. The 33cm cutting width is ideal for smaller lawns. webbgarden power.co.uk May 2022
offer SAVE 10%* ON ESSENTIALS s1a0v%in*g across partner websites Enjoy savings on your shopping with our retail partners From stunning plants to the latest gardening tech, our online partners have everything you need to create a beautiful garden. This month BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine is offering readers the chance to save 10%* on items when shopping on our partner websites. And if you’re a subscriber you’ll save 15% – see your Subscriber Extras section for your unique codes. Postage costs apply. BEE GREEN WRAPS Created to reduce the FARMER GRACY Farmer Gracy is a Netherlands- GARDENING DIRECT Based on the philosophy use of plastic, Bee Green Wraps’ organic based supplier of top-quality bulbs and that ‘gardening is for everyone’, Gardening beeswax wraps – beautifully packaged bare-root perennials. With sustainability in Direct sells plants that are easy to grow on the borders of the Lake District – stand mind, the company works hard to make sure and maintain, and will produce successful out as a unique and lovely gift. They’re bulbs and plants are cultivated, processed results with a minimum of knowledge great in any lunchbox or kitchen! and packed in a responsible manner. and experience. Visit: beegreenwraps.co.uk Visit: farmergracy.co.uk Visit: gardeningdirect.co.uk QUOTE CODE: HAPPY10 QUOTE CODE: M22GW10P QUOTE CODE: GDGW1022 PERFECT PLANTINGS A family-run nursery SARAH RAVEN The brand was first established YOU GARDEN An 11-acre nursery based in PHOTOS: JASON INGRAM offering an ever-increasing range of potted in 1999 and now provides a comprehensive Lincolnshire supplying a large range of bulbs, hardy perennials, bulbs, ornamental range of seeds, seedlings and plants, along young plants, shrubs, trees, veg crops and grasses, exotic plants, ferns and shrubs with gardening and floristry kit. Sarah trials more – plus great gardening essentials and via mail-order. most of what is sold, in her garden at Perch Hill. outdoor furniture. Visit: perfectplantings.co.uk Visit: sarahraven.com Visit: yougarden.com QUOTE CODE: PP10 QUOTE CODE: GW22MAY10 QUOTE CODE: RGW1022 Discover more great offers at GardenersWorld.com/offers and sign up to receive our offers newsletter *Exclusions apply. Offers exclude delivery and some products. Not valid with any other offer. Closes 31 May. May 2022 102 GardenersWorld.com
lawn care Scarifers PeolewBceetrrstbicbassucedag1r4eif0tie0rW BDeasrtlamcaDnPu8a8l 8scarifier and aerators er£al9ek9cetrsiccalraiwfienr £la4w1n.9s9carifier If you want to keep your lawn looking Light and compact with interchangeable This wheeled manual scarifier has its very best, regular scarifying and drums, this machine has blades for shallow strong, sharp blades that comb through aerating will help keep it growing aeration and spring tines for the turf and it’s easy to move back and healthily, and a range of manual and scarifying. It’s easy to swap forth across the lawn. The adjustable powered tools are available for the between the two, and handle suits any user and it’s lightweight job, depending on the condition and a large bag collects yet durable and sturdy. It’s ideal for small size of your lawn. debris as you work. lawns or if you just need to tackle a few homebase.co.uk patches of congested grass and moss. A scarifier rakes out dead grass and darlac.com moss, known as thatch, while aerators spike the ground. Both of these actions scBaersitficeorrfdolresssafety help air and water to reach down into £lSa4wt7ih9nlsRcLaAri2fi4e0r cordless the soil more easily, and will also make your lawn better able to cope with With two drums to both scarify and periods of dry weather. Lightweight aerate, this cordless machine has enough hand-held tools similar to a rake or battery power to cover a 250m2 lawn. a fork are ideal for small lawns, but It includes great features such as for bigger areas look for combination a safety key, a dead-man switch machines with interchangeable drums and automatic shutdown, for scarifing and aerating. plus it’s easy to manoeuvre thanks to smooth wheels £G5rBe8ee.9sn9tkmeyanlauwanl aaeerraattoorr and a 34cm working width. Debris is collected in Lightweight with 30 sturdy spikes, this a 50-litre grass bag. simple tool can cover a small or stihl.co.uk medium-sized lawn quickly, giving deep, even aeration. The aluminium and plastic drum is 30cm wide, and thanks to an adjustable shaft and a T-bar grip it’s easy to push this aerator back and forth as it spikes the grass. greenkey-garden.co.uk lKawBenentsat&ehrSoatllotoowwret4inperdoanegrator £36.99 A hand-held aerator is ideal for loosening small areas of compacted ground to improve drainage and increase the rooting depth of the grass. With a smooth ash handle, this tool is lightweight and the wide steel treads are great for pushing into the soil. gardenhealth.com May 2022 GardenersWorld.com 103
lawn care Grass trimmers Best for features W£gr1o9ars9xs.9Wt9riGm18m4eEr Ideal for long grass, slopes and other tricky spots, a trimmer helps you keep This battery-powered trimmer on top of areas that a mower can’t has an adjustable handle and reach. Cutting with either a nylon line shaft, a choice of speeds so you or blades, most domestic models are can boost power or conserve the electric or cordless. Many trimmers battery when needed, and an have adjustable-length shafts and can automatic line feed. It converts flip between horizontal trimming and quickly for edging, with wheels vertical edging. Some come with bump to help you get a neater finish, guards to protect both the strimmer and has a wide cutting width from breaking, and your walls and to get the job done fast. fences from accidental damage. worx-uk.com PgorBawseessrttbrbaiumsdemg5ee5tr0t3rWi0mcemmlecetrric cSotiBrgdealseGtsTfso5rtr0pi0meermfoerrmance trGitmeBcmheesgrtrfGaoTsrs5e0ase of use £50 £301 £149.99 A great value, corded trimmer with a telescopic shaft, adjustable handle and storage on the shaft for the supplied spare spool. An automatic feed, double line and a wide cutting width mean that it cuts quickly, and the wheels supporting the head help make it easy to use for edging, too. homebase.co.uk This powerful cordless machine has a With an ergonomic harness, telescopic shaft that comes apart for this cordless trimmer is well easy storage and the double line is designed and easy to use. The automatically fed into a wide head. loop handle can be adjusted to suit There’s also an adjustable different heights, the swivel head handle, a rotating head swaps easily between trimming and and a wheel for easy edging, and the plastic blades are easy edging. stiga.com to fit. gtech.co.uk Edging DaBrelasct fDoPr8s1lo2peindggilnagwsnhsears larBgeesltawfonrs shears £37.99 eBBnadulolrgRrsoHenSda- nd £e4d8g.9in9g shears The perfect tool for giving Comfortable and lightweight with easy- your lawn the finishing touch, to-adjust handles, these edging shears will These lightweight but a pair of edging shears help ensure you have a straight back whatever sturdy edging shears to ensure a neat, sharp edge. your height and wherever you’re cutting. have high carbon steel Similar to lawn shears, which Strong, wavy-edged blades cut well to get blades, one of which has have a flat, horizontal blade, the job done quickly and efficiently. a non-stick coating to cut edging shears have long darlac.com down friction. They are handles with an angled blade very well-balanced and to trim the edges of lawns. the comfortable, ergonomic handles don’t rub your hands, £B4uBl1l.ed4so0tgfoerdtgriincgkysheedagress even after prolonged use. burgonandball.com These well-balanced shears have carbon steel blades that cut cleanly VISIT GardenersWorld. through grass every time. The full length of the blade is sharp and effective, com/lawn-care for more and they’re thin enough to fit neatly reviews of lawn care kit between the lawn and paving stones. bulldoghandtools.co.uk May 2022 104 GardenersWorld.com
offer STANDARD FUCHSIAS – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE Add height and vibrant SAVE colour with these tall, long-flowering fuchsias £24.99 Standard fuchsias add height and instant impact to your garden, flowering non-stop until the first frosts. Perfect for patio pots, they like a sunny spot and look great framing a door. Keep under glass over winter. Supplied as 80-100cm tall plants, in a variety of bright colours. Height x Spread 1.2m x 50cm Flowers May-Oct 1 x standard fuchsia £24.99 BUY ONE GET ONE FREE SAVE £24.99 (450008) MORE OFFERS Save £5 Elegant standard form on pots With its 0844 502 0050* quote code RGW208 gold-washed, yougarden.com/RGW208 Please add P&P £6.99 weave-effect, the 30cm Isabella planter is made from UV- and weather-resistant plastic. 1 x Isabella planter £7.99 £6.99 SAVE £1 (130342) 2 x Isabella planters £15.98 £10.98 SAVE £5 (130342) Pre-delivery treatment High-potency plant feed, sprayed on your entire order. Blooming Fast plant treatment £1 (100107) offer To order, please complete this coupon and send with your Code: RGW208 payment to: YouGarden, PO Box 1468, Peterborough, PE1 9XL QTY TOTAL Title Initial Surname Address CODE DESCRIPTION PRICE ✁ 450008 1 x standard fuchsia £24.99 Postcode Buy one get one free SAVE £24.99 Tel Email I enclose a cheque (no cash, please) for £ made payable to 130342 1 x Isabella 30cm planter £6.99 130342 £7.99 SAVE £1 £10.98 You Garden with my name and address on the back 2 x Isabella 30cm planter P&P £6.99 1 £6.99 Or charge my Visa Mastercard Maestro Maestro issue no £15.98 SAVE £5 GRAND TOTAL £ Card number Start date / Expiry date / Signature Date BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine (published by Immediate Media Co Ltd) would like to send you special offers and promotions. You can unsubscribe at any time – for details of how to do this, please see our of privacy policy, which can be viewed at immediate.co.uk/privacy-policy. Please tick here if you would like to receive these . BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine is published by Immediate Media Co Ltd on behalf BBC Studios (the commercial arm of the BBC). We would like to send you BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine-related promotions, content and offers from BBC Studios. Your information will be used in accordance with the BBC Studios privacy policy, which can be viewed at bbcstudios.com/privacy. Please tick here if you would like to hear from us by email . Terms & conditions: Offer closes 31 May 2022. In-stock items dispatched within 7 working days. P&P charges vary dependent on items ordered & surcharges may apply. Your contract for supply is with You Garden, Eventus House, Sunderland Road, Market Deeping PE6 8FD. Offer subject to availability and in the event that it is oversubscribed, we reserve the right to send suitable substitutes. Images show mature plants. Full product details, photos of plants as supplied and full T&Cs at YouGarden.com. UK mainland delivery only – we regret that we are unable to deliver to NI due to additional costs that have been imposed due to Brexit. *Calls cost 5p/min plus your network’s access charge. May 2022 GardenersWorld.com 105
Your A cuckoo’s unmistakeable call wildlife heralds the arrival month of summer By May nearly all garden wildlife is May 2022 making the most of the mild weather and availability of food. Birds are sitting on eggs, bees are collecting nectar and pollen to take back to their nests, hedgehogs are mating and tadpoles are feasting on algae, fattening up ahead of developing legs and leaving the pond. The first swifts, house martins and swallows are also arriving. If it’s dry, keep plants hydrated and soil moist using water from your water butt. Most flowers stop making nectar during drought and caterpillars perish on dried-up leaves. Mason bees and house martins rely on mud to build their nests so need moisture. We can help wildlife adjust to climate change, and some water here and there can be a lifeline. WORDS KATE BRADBURY PHOTOS: PAUL DEBOIS; GETTY/DR T J MARTIN; ALAMY/DREW BUCKLEY You may spot… Spot fieldmice enjoying bird seed Cuckoo, Cuculus canorus Also be on the lookout for… While not strictly a garden bird, cuckoos may be heard from your Common blue butterfly, which garden as they perch and call for a is the only blue butterfly to fly at mate. Their unmistakable “cu-koo” head height, around holly and ivy call heralds the arrival of summer. Fieldmouse, which is probably The size of a small pigeon, but living in and around your compost similar in flight to a sparrowhawk, area and log pile, hoovering up cuckoos have a grey body, with bird seed while providing food for darker grey-and-white barred those further up the food chain underparts. In May they come to Cockchafer, a large beetle with the UK from Gabon, Cameroon feathery antennae, which flies at and the Democratic Republic of night and makes a wonderful Congo. Here, they mate and lay clicking sound. eggs before heading south again. They eat insects,and are particularly And don’t miss... fond of hairy caterpillars. National Gardening Week, Cuckoos lay eggs in the nests of 2-8 May. For more details, visit other species, mostly meadow bit.ly/gardening-week pipits, dunnocks and reed warblers. The chicks quickly outgrow others in the nest, and will even push them out to ensure their own survival. It’s important to not judge cuckoos by human standards – cuckoos are just cuckoos. They have declined by 65 per cent since the 1980s, and are now red-listed. 106 GardenersWorld.com
wildlife May 2022 GardenersWorld.com 107
Fresh from the plot It’s all change in the greenhouse this month, as Rekha sows basil and puts her young aubergine plants into their final homes, ready for a tasty, bountiful summer crop I’m calling this month Mauve their delicate leaves have only May, as allium pom-pom heads known artificial grow lamps, and the light in the greenhouse is too steal the show. It’s not just strong for them as they adjust. vegetable views here on the Rather than painting white shading on the glass panes, allotment. With cottage garden I much prefer draping the roof with reusable scaffold character running through my netting to provide that much- needed filtered light. I know, gardening, flowers play a huge it looks ugly, but needs must. Outdoors, the wigwams that part in bringing harmony lend much-needed structure to to this plot. As much as the plot will have French beans added to the bases, when the risk I like to see straight rows of frosts has passed. I must get on with planting maincrop potatoes of vegetables and mounds and sweetcorn too. On that note, off I go, trowel-in-hand. Chat soon. of potatoes, flowers not only bring Shield young aubergine plants from strong light a pleasurable outlook, but they while they get used to their new surroundings invite pollinators and predators – all culminating in a harmonious side and get to work. First the clash of colourful sights, sounds greenhouse. It’s ‘moving in day’ and, of course, promised harvests. for the aubergine plants around But there are jobs to be done, now and before they arrive, I need so I’ll park this wistfulness to one to address the lighting. So far, How I grow basil PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; PAUL DEBOIS; GETTY/BARCIN Basil is not just for summer, it’s but the plants are giving my ABOVE Large pots with several plants dry out slower than small ones for spring too. Well, that’s what aubergines some company too. RIGHT Growing several basil types gives Rekha lots of culinary options I like to say, probably because In July, I’ll sow more seeds, just I cannot get enough of this as the first batch goes to flower vibrant annual herb. In March, and begins luring bees into the it’s the first herb seed I sow. greenhouse. They’re perfect for attracting pollinators to Unlike other Mediterranean the aubergine flowers. Plus, herbs that prefer less fertile, basil’s aroma seems to keep gritty, free-draining soil, basil is greenhouse whiteflies at bay. the opposite. When potting on, I’ll use moisture-retentive, peat-free ALSO TRY compost and even add a little blood, fish and bonemeal to the I can never have too many potting mix to provide a slow- varieties of basil, but ‘Sweet release fertiliser as the basil grows. Genovese’ is my all-time favourite. It’s ideal for windowsill Even though the plants are being boxes too. For those orient- cared for on benches in the safer inspired stir-fries, Thai basil confines of the greenhouse, there produces purple-tinged stems are slugs and snails about. Every with small, narrow leaves. Even morning I’ll check for tell-tale signs when cooked at high temperatures of bitten leaves, slime trails and it holds its notes of liquorice. This poo-piles around the base of my year, I’d like to grow ‘Lettuce seedling pots. To create bushier Leaf’. As the name suggests, each plants, I’ll pinch off the tip as soon of its crinkly leaves is huge (about as they hit 15cm tall, to trigger the size of my hand). They can be sideshoot growth. By May, basil stuffed with rice, dolma-style. leaves not only grace my plate, 108 GardenersWorld.com May 2022
rekha’s kitchen garden TOP TIP Make nitrogen-rich nettle fertiliser tea to help produce further leafy growth. If you’re making it with older nettles, be sure to break or crush the stems first. May 2022 GardenersWorld.com 109
rekha’s kitchen garden Bruised basil cocktail This cooling, zingy drink is the perfect prelude to high summer SERVES 1 K 3 sprigs of basil K 50ml lemon-flavoured gin K 20ml lime juice K 10ml cane syrup K Ice cubes and crushed ice METHOD 1 Place basil leaves in a cocktail shaker and use a muddler or the end of a rolling pin to bruise the leaves. 2 Add the gin, lime juice, syrup and ice cubes. Secure the lid and shake vigorously. 3 Fill a glass with crushed ice and strain carefully over the contents. 4 Serve immediately with a sprig of basil and a biodegradable straw. Cheers! May’s allotment plan PHOTOS: PAUL DEBOIS; GETTY/DIANA TALIUN SOW HARVEST JOBS n Turnip seeds Lightly water a 1cm shallow n Snip leafy shoots off woody herbs like n Work well-rotted garden compost into drill and sow along it. Gently knock back the oregano and thyme before plants start to your soil before planting out celeriac. soil. Cover the drill with insect-proof mesh produce flower stalks. Chop them up This will help make the soil more to deter flea beetle from feasting on finely and mix with soft but not moisture-retentive. Provide a generous the young leaves. melted butter. Also freeze spacing of 30cm between plants. n Seed potatoes Plant out maincrop in an ice tray to preserve n Use greenhouse shading paint, blinds potatoes at a wider 45cm spacing, to easy-to-use portions. or netting to protect newly moved-in help achieve larger crops. n Pick ripe and ready plants from scorching. n Savoy cabbage seeds Sow in rhubarb with chunky red n Complete thinning out of carrot seedbeds or a cold frame now and stems and enormous broad seedlings earlier in the month. they should be ready to plant out next leaves (they’re easy to remove, Carrot root fly will start to appear month. just grab and twist). Rhubarb by mid-May, so keep plants n Beetroot seeds Direct sow. Place two cake, anyone? protected using netting. or three seeds every 10cm. This spacing n Gather the last of the winter n Continue to make comfrey helps to minimise thinning later on – one sown broad beans. Pod, lightly plant food, before plants less task at this busy time of the year. steam and whizz into a hummus. produce flower stalks. NEXT MONTH Rekha grows strawberries and shares how to whip up some fruity strawberry squares 110 GardenersWorld.com
1 32 4 May 2022 Watered and fed regularly, this combination will spice up salads for week after week 112 GardenersWorld.com
veg in pots eyeEdcibalnedy You can have the best of both worlds with these easy containers that both look great and are filled with tasty goodies WORDS BOB PURNELL PHOTOS JASON INGRAM Even the tightest of spots the visual appeal, and grouping can yield a tasty bounty of fresh them in decorative pots and veggies and herbs, and every containers allows you to grow morsel of home-grown food is your own almost anywhere. not only a treat but helps reduce We’ve created three beautiful your carbon footprint, even and productive combinations if only a little. Where space using plants and seeds that you is precious, plants that look can buy and sow throughout as great as they taste leap to April and May, and on into June. the front of the queue and, They are easy to get going and happily, many cropping plants therapeutic to tend, and with are very handsome. There’s no the sunnier days to come they’ll reason, either, not to add in one romp away and be ready to pick or two non-edibles to increase before you know it. 5 Bustling salad box crates are usually deep enough Vintage wooden fruit crates are for more traditional kinds. We perfect for growing veg due to their size and depth, and as they sowed lettuce and carrots direct can be placed tightly together or neatly into corners, they are and thinned them as they grew. handy where space is limited. Happy in sun or very light shade, We used this lively green, red and orange 1 Curled parsley gathering of salad and garnish plants will crop and provide (1x plant in 9cm pot) visual appeal for a long while, allowing you to pick and snip 2 Calendula officinalis as required. A single off-centre parsley forms a decorative (3x plug plants) mound of green against which the edible-petalled orange 3 Carrot ‘Baby Round’ marigolds (Calendula officinalis) pop and the red lettuce shines. (seed sown direct) We used a round-rooted carrot suited to containers, although 4 Lettuce ‘Lollo Rosso’ (seed sown direct) 5 Vintage wooden apple box available from secondhand or vintage stores, around £25, or £31.95 plus £8.45 postage and packaging from vintagecratesuk.co.uk May 2022 GardenersWorld.com 113
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veg in pots 1 23 Flickering fames when the chillies are ready to 4 harvest. Remember to water A neat one-pot-inside-another both pots and give the chilli GardenersWorld.com 115 trick that can be used for many plant a regular liquid feed. veg, including aubergines and dwarf tomatoes, ensures this We used vibrant assembly of chilli 1 Chilli ‘Basket of Fire’ peppers, herbs and terracotta is both practical and long-lasting. (1x plant in 9cm pot) Chillies dislike root competition so this compact, bushy and free- 2 Your choice of thymes fruiting variety was given its own pot a few sizes smaller than the (3x plants in 9cm pots) main container, then sat inside the other, leaving just enough 3 Golden oregano of a gap to squeeze the herbs around the sides. A warm, (3x plants in 9cm pots, or one sun-kissed spot will help ripen larger plant split into three) the fruits quickly and the whole display will last well into autumn, 4 Small (23cm) terracotta pot inserted into large (36cm) plain terracotta pot. Available from garden centres, around £25 in total. May 2022
veg in pots 3 4 Beans ’n’ greens 2 5 Apart from the non-edible 1 nemesias we’ve included for their delicious vanilla scent, everything 6 here is sown straight into the trough and couldn’t be easier or more inexpensive to achieve. Peas and beans are among the most nutritious of vegetables, and spinach is a top superfood rich in iron and antioxidants. All enjoy slightly cool conditions so are perfect in a little shade. Pea ‘Half Pint’ bears full-size pods on dwarf plants that are best picked young to encourage more flowers, while purple-podded dwarf beans are as delicious as green ones, but much more decorative. Twiggy sticks are ideal for supporting the back row of compact mangetout peas. We used 1 Spinach ‘Amazon’ (seed sown direct) 2 Nemesia ‘Wisley Vanilla’ (2 x plug plants) 3 Pea ‘Half Pint’ (seed sown direct) 4 Mangetout pea ‘Norli’ (seed sown direct) 5 Dwarf French bean ‘Amethyst’ (seed sown direct) 6 Basket weave-effect trough from woodlodge.co.uk, £24.99 How to plant your pot 1Choose a container with good 2Put plants in first, then fill 3Large seed such as peas and 4Peas and beans may need drainage. To help preserve in with moist compost to just beans should be sown 2-3cm supports such as twigs. Water wooden containers, line them with below the rim, before levelling deep. Sprinkle small seeds such thoroughly and keep well watered, an old compost bag with holes. Fill and gently firming. Use a pencil as lettuce and carrot on the and apply liquid feed regularly. your container three-quarters full or finger to make holes for larger surface and press in gently, before Harvest frequently to keep more with quality peat-free compost. seeds, popping a couple into each. lightly covering with compost. flowers, leaves and fruits coming. NEXT MONTH Create four scent-focused containers to fill your garden with fragrance 116 GardenersWorld.com May 2022
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sustainable veg Bounty on a budget PHOTO: JASON INGRAM PART 1 In the first of Seed trays at the ready! Now is gardening means upcycling and recycling a new six-part series, the perfect time to start sowing your to make the most of the things that you expert grower Sally Nex greenest season ever, and I’ll be by already have around you. It costs almost shows you how to grow your side showing you how – and for nothing – and it has a rock-bottom delicious veg that’s good a fraction of the outlay too. carbon footprint. for you, your pocket and the environment Throughout this new series I’ll be You’re already ahead: just by growing tackling practical issues like reducing your own food, you’re opting out the plastic you use in your garden, of carbon-emitting, pollution-heavy growing great veg without artificial intensive agriculture, imports and fertilisers and pesticides, and saving plastic packaging. Grow with a lighter your own seeds. Best of all, given the touch too and you’ll eat great food, for way bills are going these days, you’ll almost free and with a clear conscience. save a shedload of money. Eco-friendly It doesn’t get much better than that. May 2022 GardenersWorld.com 119
Above: Snip salads Ready to pick and oriental leaves throughout spring, Although you may be frantically busy sowing from indoor sowings this year’s crops, now is peak ‘hungry gap’, made in autumn when winter is over but summer hasn’t quite and winter started so there’s not much ready to pick. Left: Harvest plump asparagus spears That said, the few crops that are at their best up to 20cm tall now are absolutely superb, so you should still by cutting them get to feast like a queen if you were proactive 2-3cm below the soil with your growing last year. Asparagus, purple- surface with a knife sprouting broccoli and spring cabbages – all hungry gap crops – major on sumptuous, mouthwatering flavour. They’re expensive PHOTOS: JASON INGRAM luxuries in the shops (and often imported and wrapped in plastic), but grow your own and you can pile your plate high every day for weeks. Additionally, you can pick autumn-sown Swiss chard and baby-leaf salads, annual herbs like chervil, parsley and coriander sown in February in a cool greenhouse... so taking a few of these steps this year will mean no hungry gap for you! 120 GardenersWorld.com May 2022
sustainable veg Sow it now Sow hardy crops such as parsnips If your spring pickings have been on the lean and radishes now, side, put that right for future years by planting a but keep tender new asparagus bed with one-year-old bare-root courgettes and crowns. Sow slow-maturing purple-sprouting beans under cover broccoli now too, alongside Brussels sprouts, kale and cabbages. Spread a thick Plan ahead layer of garden With frosts receding, the brakes are also Rainy days are ideal for renewing your stash off for sowing absolutely everything else. You compost over of biodegradable pots. Roll newspaper can sow carrots, parsnips, leeks, onions and soil to deter modules to pack into seed trays, ready for beetroot direct, but raise slug-caviar crops pricking out all those seedlings, and re-purpose like lettuces, courgettes and beans in pots annual weeds cardboard drink cartons into 10cm square and keep them safely under cover. containers for potting on. Seedlings grow so fast from sowings made Mulch your beds with home-made garden in April and May that they often overtake those compost ready for planting, spreading a layer sown earlier anyway. So if you’re quick, it’s still 5-8cm thick over the surface (there’s no need worth starting tomatoes, cucumbers and to dig it in). You’ll also bury annual weed seeds chillies. Even with a late start, sowing from seed so they can’t germinate. But mulch on its own is cheaper and greener than buying ready-grown won’t hold back perennial weeds like couch plug plants, which are often treated with grass, bindweed and ground elder. So if you pesticides and raised in peat-based compost have an infested bed, remove all top growth, (although you can side-step this by buying lay thick cardboard on the soil, wet it thoroughly from organic, peat-free mail-order suppliers). and tread it flat. Cover this with a 10cm-thick layer of mulch, then you can sow and plant May 2022 directly into that. This gives you one blissful season of weed-free growing before the thugs punch back through. But then simply repeat the process next year to keep them at bay. GardenersWorld.com 121
sustainable veg Make it yourself: eco seed tray Wooden seed trays look great, but can be expensive. So instead of forking out, use our quick and easy guide to turn scrap wood into smart and eco-friendly trays Using your eco seed tray 1USE the wood from an old Wooden seed trays look environment for baby pallet to make handsome and seedlings roots. But there’s no need two long sides, seem to like them better to buy fancy wooden trays 38cm x 5cm, and than plastic: wood is – they’re easy to make. You two short sides, porous and lets air and can sow shallow-rooted 24cm x 5cm. Nail water flow through freely, crops like lettuces and these together creating a more natural leeks straight into them. securely to form a box. 2 CUT two pieces of second-hand fenceboard, 38cm x 12cm and nail them to the box to make the base, leaving a slight gap for drainage. 3LINE the base of the tray with several layers of newspaper, then fill with compost and start sowing! Sow seeds of salads and shallow-rooted crops into your wooden tray More thrifty eco projects Use a simple box COMING UP… template to make Make cardboard Mix your own seed June How to make an pots – draw an open box compost – blend biodegradable easy raised bed and template on paper, then two-year-old leafmould cardboard pots use it to cut out templates with equal parts of loam start planting from thin cardboard. Stick (garden soil) and sharp July Discover the perfect PHOTOS: JASON INGRAM these together with sand, then sieve to make paper masking tape to your own peat-free method for home make biodegradable pots sowing compost. Recycle loo roll Turn packaging into composting inners – save the tubes pots – wash margarine August Save your from loo rolls to use as tubs, yoghurt pots and tin deep modules, ideal for cans thoroughly, punch own seeds – and sowing runner beans holes for drainage, then and other large seeds. fill with compost and sow. save money! September Handy advice on how to use water wisely October Protect your crops with our array of simple tricks NEXT MONTH Sally Nex continues her series with a thrifty raised bed project for easy veg growing 122 GardenersWorld.com May 2022
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✁ GrMaoy wing guide Make the most of warm soil this month by successional sowing for continuous crops Sow indoors Plant/sow outdoors Harvest Key crops for May Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Basil Tips Basil grows well in pots, in the sunniest, most sheltered spot in the garden. Sow every two weeks for harvests all summer. Sow on surface Final spacing 10cm apart 15cm between rows This tender summer herb offers anti-inflammatory nutrients. Pick the top leaves to encourage new sideshoots and add the flowers to salads. Carrots Tips Surround the crop with a fleece barrier at least 60cm high, to prevent carrot flies getting in and laying their eggs on the roots. Sow 1cm deep Final spacing 10cm apart 30cm between rows These roots are rich in vitamins and minerals but low in calories. Their high fibre and water content makes them ideal if you’re watching your weight. Courgettes Tips Choose a site in full sun, dig plenty of organic matter into the soil, then plant out after the last frost. Keep plants well watered. Sow 2.5cm deep Final spacing 90cm apart 90cm between rows Providing fibre, potassium and folate, these heart-friendly vegetables are low in calories and incredibly adaptable – grill, roast, stir-fry or bake. Endives Tips To reduce bitterness, blanch each full-grown plant for 10 days by covering it with a forcing jar or bucket. Sow 1cm deep Final spacing 23cm apart 30-35cm between rows A good source of folate – don’t discard the outer leaves, as more sun exposure increases nutrient levels. Lightly cook for a mellower flavour. Leeks Tips Draw up soil around the stems to aid blanching. Plant a late crop into ground vacated by early potatoes. Sow 1cm deep Final spacing 15cm apart 30-38cm between rows Richer in carotenoids, folate and vitamin C than their onion cousins, these mild-tasting members of the allium family are a versatile ingredient. Okra Tips Soak the hard seeds in warm water for a couple of hours before sowing. Grow in a humid greenhouse. Sow 0.5cm deep Final spacing 40-60cm apart 60-75cm between rows Containing a type of carbohydrate that fuels friendly gut bacteria and supports digestion, okra may slow absorption and balance blood sugar. Parsley Tips Make successional sowings throughout spring and early summer for a continuous crop. Any surplus leaves can be frozen. Sow 1cm deep Final spacing 10cm apart 15cm between rows Not just for garnish, parsley is rich in heart-friendly folate, vitamin C and potassium as well as eye- protective carotenoids. Use the stalks for stock. Runner beans Tips Grow nasturtiums nearby to lure away blackfly, and harvest the pods regularly, when young, tender and stringless. Sow 5cm deep Final spacing 15cm apart 60cm between rows Providing bone-building nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and vitamin K, these low-calorie beans can be steamed, stir-fried or lightly boiled. Spinach Tips Prepare the ground by adding plenty of organic matter, and sow successionally for harvests over a long period. Sow 2cm deep Final spacing 15cm apart 30cm between rows These leaves are rich in natural nitrates, which improve blood flow by relaxing blood vessels and lowering blood pressure. Add to stir-fries or salads. Winter cabbages Tips Sow in small batches to avoid gluts. Cover with fine-mesh netting to protect from cabbage white butterflies. Sow 2cm deep Final spacing 45cm apart 60cm between rows A source of calcium, vitamin C, protein and fibre, cabbage has many benefits including being cardio-protective. Stir-fry, steam or braise. VISIT GardenersWorld.com/what-to-do-now for more advice on the best crops to sow and plant this month, and how to do it. offer 20% OFF COURGETTE COLLECTION Courgette Collection GardenersWorld.com 125 Our Courgette Collection contains three colourful varieties: pale ‘Bianca di Trieste’, striped ‘Romanesco’ and yellow ‘Soleil’, supplied as seeds, seedlings or young plants. Save 20% on these prices: 3 x packs of seeds £4.75; 5 x seedlings £5.95; 3 x 9cm pots £9.95. sarahraven.com/courgette-collection Call 0345 092 0283 quote GWCCN22 P&P: £2.50 for seeds, £4.95 all other products Terms & conditions: Offer ends 31 May 2022. 20% discount applies to Courgette Collection only. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount. Other products may be added to the same order at full price. Standard P&P charges apply. Excludes delivery to NI. Not redeemable against previous orders, sale items or items purchased from the shop at Perch Hill or other retail outlets. May 2022
PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; PAUL DEBOIS; JASON INGRAMYOUR LOCATION: WEST DEAN GARDENS, W SUSSEXPRUNING MONTH May 2022 Frances Tophill shows you how to get banana plants into good shape for the growing season ahead People often talk about the ‘May gap’, when spring plants begin to fade and the burgeoning summer growth is yet to appear. Though if, like me, you allow a little room for some wildness, May is one of the most abundant months, with cow parsley, bluebells, hawthorn blossom, foxgloves and columbine meeting cultivated Solomon’s seal and the first hardy geraniums and delphiniums in your borders. For me, the impact of this is breathtaking: soft, green and zinging. When the days are consistently warm, and the nights are warmer too, you can safely start to unwrap tender plants like tree ferns and bananas. Any damaged, rotting or slightly frost-damaged limbs and segments should be removed, clearing the way for a flush of new growth. This is also classic ‘Chelsea chop’ season, which involves removing roughly a third of this year’s green growth from clumps of late-summer border perennials, to delay or extend their flowering period. The shaggy growth of evergreen hedging like box, privet and euonymous can be trimmed safely, while frost-tender shrubs can be pruned with less risk of dieback. Remove the banana’s dead leaves and the tatty layers from its stem Frances on TV Catch up with Frances, Monty and the rest of the Gardeners’ World team this month for lots of inspiration and practical advice – at 8pm on Friday 6, 13 and 20 May. 126 GardenersWorld.com
your pruning month Other plants to prune now This is a month to prune back plants that flowered earlier in spring and keep things neat, so that summer growth doesn’t get out of hand or feel overwhelming. JAPANESE QUINCE Prune Chaenomeles LAUREL Cut back Prunus laurocerasus with hand x superba now, to encourage flowers next shears or secateurs to avoid slicing through leaves – worth the effort, as damaged foliage will go brown. spring and avoid a sprawling specimen. EARLY FLOWERING CLEMATIS Neaten up PENSTEMONS Trimming back encourages these climbers once they’ve finished flowering bushier growth that will stand up to wind, and to stop them overwhelming their location. smaller, more abundant but slightly later flowers. Don’t prune these now Start to tidy Avoid pruning grapevines when they’re in leaf, ✗ GRAPEVINES To avoid excessive sap-loss bananas as they’ll bleed a lot of sap from the wounds or ‘bleeding’, you should only prune these in BANANAS stop producing new leaves in autumn, but as the depths of winter. soon as the weather warms up they’ll sprout freely again. ✗ BIRCH TREES These are similarly prone to So it’s fine to cut off all the old ragged foliage and make bleeding if pruned now – although tapping the a fresh start for this summer. rising sap (to drink) can be fun earlier in the year. May 2022 ✗ WISTERIA This should be pruned in January and again in July. If you cut it back at this time of year, you will interrupt its flowering. ✗ HAZEL AND OTHER COPPICED TREES Pruning these now that they are in leaf will result in weaker growth as you reduce the capacity for photosynthesis. Coppicing should be done in winter to promote strong stems. GardenersWorld.com 127
your pruning month Pruning banana plants The banana Musa basjoo is essentially The main objective of pruning is to remove Banana plants grow a a large herbaceous perennial that is slightly all the browned, unattractive growth and any new set of spectacular tender and slightly oversized – but don’t feel rotting or frost-damaged parts now that the leaves every summer intimidated. Also remember that bananas readily weather is warming up, so new growth can regenerate from the ground, forming new form from the healthy growing tip. suckers or offshoots. So if you do mess up, it will probably sprout new plants that can take over. You’ll need a pruning saw and gardening gloves, as this can get a little messy. Step by step 1 UNWRAP your banana from its 2 SQUEEZE the stem to find a 3 DECIDE next whether you dare 4 BY July, your banana will be winter protection once all risk of point some way down where it to be a little more drastic and lush, green and leafy, just like frost has passed. Then remove some feels firm and healthy. Cut the stem remove even more of the stem. any other herbaceous perennial. of the plant’s own protective layers just below that point, at a gentle Doing this will bring the growing tip What can seem drastic is often the – the brown, dead sheathing. slant, using a pruning saw. lower down, creating a shorter plant. best way to ensure healthy growth. Top tip Also prune this way… Keeping the blades of your pruning tools Clean and oil L Tree ferns such as Dicksonia antarctica PHOTOS: SRAH CUTTLE; GETTY/PORNSAWAN BAIPAKDEE; clean and sharp is really important for the health your pruning tools should also be unwrapped and pruned this LOCATION: WEST DEAN GARDENS, W SUSSEX of your plants, as it helps to avoid spreading regularly to keep month, after the last hard frost. However, rather pathogens. It’s vital for your own safety too, them working well than cutting part-way down the main stem, as blunt or clogged-up tools can cause injuries. just snip off all of last year’s tatty old fronds individually 10-15cm from the point where they Plant resins and juices can be very sticky, arise. Doing this means your tree fern’s trunk will especially in spring when sap is rising. So clean grow taller – cutting the old fronds shorter than the blades of secateurs, loppers, saws and 10cm will cause the trunk to narrow as it grows. shears regularly using disinfectant, then apply Your fern will then unfurl a whole new set of lubricant to the blades and mechanisms with beautiful fronds from the crown of the trunk. a cloth. But do take care not to cut yourself. Banana (Musa basjoo) Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec VISIT GardenersWorld. Foliage com/pruning-training for more Pruning tips and videos on pruning NEXT MONTH Prune spring-flowering shrubs to promote next year’s blooms 128 GardenersWorld.com May 2022
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DWOHANTOTWOYour 12-page monthly planner WHAT TO DO NOW | MAY 50 things to do this month from the Gardeners’ World team 138 134 Stake your Harvest spring peony lettuce plants PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE/WREST PARK; PAUL DEBOIS; JASON INGRAM 152 149 Add ferns Plant to shady maincrop locations potatoes 142 Plant up hanging baskets PLUS Sow parsley K Tie in sweet peas K Plant out chillies K Pinch out broad bean tips K Remove suckers on roses K Deadhead bulbs May 2022 GardenerswWorld.com 131
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MONTY’S MONTH WHAT TO DO NOW | MAY Hoe your veg beds regularly on warm, dry days, so weeds never get large enough to hinder the growth of your crops Monty’s month There is one job in May that is more than a thick mulch every spring. But PHOTOS: JASON INGRAM important than all others combined – in the vegetable plot the best weapon WATCH GardenersWorld. and that is to soak up the burgeoning, for controlling weeds is a sharp hoe. blossomy beauty with every cell and com/hand-weeding for pore of your being. This done – and it The secret is to use the hoe little more advice from Monty sometimes takes all the lovely day and often, preferably in the morning on weeding by hand long – there are a few more mundane when the soil is dry. Slide the blade horticultural matters to attend to. just under the surface to cut the weeds GardenersWorld.com 133 Perhaps the most pressing of these at the root while they are still young is getting on top of weeds. Perennial and hopefully not too rampant. Then weeds need systematic digging out and leave them to wither in the sun before in the flower borders nothing is more taking them to the compost heap and effective at limiting annual weeds in due course they will return goodness to your plot. May 2022
Harvest lettuces WHAT TO DO NOW | MAY For many years I have eaten a and I plant them out in mid-April, so as ‘Tom Thumb’ and ‘Little Gem’. PHOTOS: JASON INGRAM; TIM SANDALLgenerous salad of leaves harvestedthat they are ready to harvest in MayThe latter is one of our favourites, from my garden every single day of – just as the greenhouse salads are both in its green and red form the year. In winter these come from cleared to make way for tomatoes. and a whole lettuce per person the greenhouse, but one of the joys makes a perfect serving. of spring is that we have a new crop The best early spring lettuces are of good lettuces grown outdoors and either hardy varieties like ‘Rouge WATCH Montyharvesting these taste better than any leaves D’Hiver’, ‘Marveille de Quatre grown across the year. The seeds are Saisons’ and ‘Winter Density’ that early summer veg at Gardeners sown in February and early March do not mind the often chilly April World.com/Monty-harvest weather, or smaller varieties such Eat lettuces such as ‘Little Gem’ (left) and ‘Red Cos’ (above) as soon as possible after harvesting, for maximum flavour and freshness 134 GardenersWorld.com May 2022
MONTY’S MONTH WHAT TO DO NOW | MAY Use free-draining compost and leave just the tip of the bulb showing Plant eucomis bulbs in containers Choose a large container and space these big bulbs about 20cm apart Eucomis are among the most Eucomis bulbs are large and should exotic-looking plants that I grow at be planted in a rich but free-draining Longmeadow, with their pineapple- compost, positioned so that their like topknots sitting on spikes of snouts are visible above the surface. flower rising from lush foliage. I then dress them with a layer of grit, both for appearance and to improve The leaves range from the soft drainage. Regular watering stimulates green of some of the white-flowered spring growth and the strap-like lush forms, to a rich plum of some of the leaves will soon be followed by comosa hybrids. Their natural home is flower spikes. the Drakensberg mountains of South Africa, often high up, and I have seen They will need a good soak once them growing wild there. But our a week and I also give them a weekly Longmeadow climate is very different, liquid seaweed feed throughout their and they like wet summers and dry flowering season. In early October winters without frost, so I grow them I stop watering, let the leaves die in pots that can be kept dry and frost- back, put them under cover and free under glass all winter. do not water again until April. HERBS Easy to grow from Don’t forget seed, parsley makes Parsley can be sown direct an attractive edible n Lift and divide pond into the soil now. A sunny, edging for veg beds plants and add south-facing spot is suitable, new ones but parsley will also tolerate or even flower quite a lot of shade, as long borders n Trim fresh growth on as the soil is good and rich. topiary to keep plants Sow sparsely and thin out in good shape the young plants to 15cm apart later, so that each one n Cut back flowering has ample space to develop quince (Chaenomeles) fully. Grow parsley with root when all the blooms crops and their relatives, have faded such as carrots, parsnips and celery, if you practise n Sow radishes regularly crop rotation. into any sunny gaps in the vegetable patch May 2022 VISIT GardenersWorld. com/may-jobs for more seasonal tasks and advice GardenersWorld.com 135
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FNLAOMWEEXRXS STEP BY STEP How to plant out dahlias WHAT TO DO NOW | MAY Plant dahlias out now that the soil has been warmed by spring sunshine and tubers will be protected from late frosts. Choose a site that gets plenty of sun and is protected from wind. Improve the soil with plenty of organic matter – they are hungry feeders. Get some supports ready, too. You can expect flowering to start by midsummer. Protect the soft new shoots from slugs and snails and add a general purpose granular fertiliser to give new growth a boost. 1 SPACE the plants out into position 1 2 for planting. Plan the border so 3 4 that each plant has enough room. The most vigorous types need 60cm, while smaller varieties can be given 30cm between plants. 2 DIG a hole the same depth but a little wider than the pot the dahlia is in. Spread your fingers out across the pot to protect the stems as you gently remove it from the pot. 3 PUT plants into the holes and back-fill with the soil you took out. Firm the plants in as you go and do a final gentle tread around the plants to lower the soil around them slightly. 4 WATER into the depressions you’ve made around the plant so that it soaks down to the root system. Continue watering in periods of dry weather and mulch around the plants with garden compost. PHOTOS: TORIE CHUGG; PAUL DEBOIS Pot up tender 10 marguerites MINUTES It’s time to get tender marguerites TO SPARE potted up, ready to flower outside all summer. They’ll root out fast, Lift and divide primroses so choose a pot at least 15cm larger once flowering is finished in diameter than the rootball. but leaves are still looking healthy and strong. Water the plants first and let them drain. Part fill your chosen pot with Lift the entire clump multi-purpose peat-free compost with a fork or hand trowel, and place the marguerite in the then pull the clump apart centre, gathering stems and leaves into several sections before in one hand while you back-fill with planting somewhere new compost. Firm it in, water and put in semi-shade. somewhere sheltered until you are sure that there’ll be no more frosts. GardenersWorld.com 137 WATCH videos and get handy container plant tips at GardenersWorld.com/pots Fresh compost and a bigger pot will give marguerites a flowering boost May 2022
WHAT TO DO NOW | MAYFNLAOMWEEXRXS Tie in sweet peas PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; PAUL DEBOIS; TIM SANDALLTOP TIPUse soft garden twine to tie in the LOCATION: WREST PARK, BEDFORDSHIRE young sweet pea shoots that are Use secateurs or shears to beginning to reach out from their trim back any stray shoots supports. Sweet pea stems will sprawl on Clematis montana once away and drop if left to their own it has stopped fowering, devices and, later, the weight of the to stop it from growing into flowers will weaken the stems more other plants. if they are not well supported. Tie young shoots in close to the supports Deadhead bulbs and they’ll create a good structure for flowers to grow and newer shoots Cut the flower stems of spring bulbs will grip with their tendrils. off at the base once the flowers have gone over, to stop them setting seed. Soft garden twine lasts the whole season and biodegrades easily This gives the plant more energy to support the leaves so that when the foliage dies back in a few weeks, it all gets stored in the bulb for next year. Sprinkle some general fertiliser around them for an extra boost before the top-growth dies back. Pull the old leaves away once they have died back and the bulb is dormant. The strong growth that peonies put on from May hides supports fast Don’t forget Support peonies n Sow hardy annuals such as nasturtiums direct in Snip back whole flower stems at Press support stakes firmly in around Keep it close to the foliage, which the soil in sunny spots the base, then compost them your peonies before they burst into will soon hide the supports. Peony flower. Use purpose-made metal flower stems are not all that tall but n Plant out bedding plants rings or, if the plant is still small their blooms are very heavy and the that have been hardened enough, create a mesh of strong stems tend to drop to the ground, off, ready for life outside twigs over the current top-growth particularly when it rains. Staking using hazel prunings. keeps them looking pristine. n Remove spring bedding and spent wallflowers Water and feed Watering container plants deeply will help roots to fill the whole pot to make more space agapanthus n Divide clumps of spring- Drench pots of agapanthus with flowering perennials a liquid feed for flowering plants. Starting to feed in spring helps to n Define bed edges to improve the health of the bulb and better show off low- ensure a good display of flowers. growing plants Feed fortnightly until they flower. It’s also a good idea to raise the pots n Plant out gladioli corms onto pot feet to allow water to drain, in sunny, free-draining as agapanthus don’t grow well in locations waterlogged conditions. Equally, they shouldn’t be allowed to dry out, n Set out slug traps among so it’s important that they are vulnerable plants watered regularly all summer. VISIT GardenersWorld. 138 GardenersWorld.com com/may-planting for ideas on what to plant now May 2022
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GRNEEANMHEOXUXSE 20 WHAT TO DO NOW | MAY MINUTES TO SPARE Grow a few young basil plants close to your tomatoes. Both like the same conditions, as well as complementing each other in salads. The scent of basil may also help repel pests such as whitefly. LOOK OUT FOR Dig a hole a little larger than the current pot for better root growth Red spider mite Plant out chillies Watch for the tell-tale Chillies do best in free-draining, fertile When growing in pots, choose Planting tomatoes deeply signs of this pest: fne soil, so prepare the site by digging in a loam-based John Innes potting encourages extra rooting mottling and pale webbing organic matter, plus extra grit if the compost, which already has sand on the leaves. On the soil is heavy. Pop the plant into a hole in the mix to improve drainage. Pot up tomatoes undersides of the leaves larger than the current pot, back-fill you can spot the tiny and firm in. Add a 1m cane close to Chillies do well in terracotta pots. Use large, deep pots or buckets with mites feeding on the sap. the plant for support – it will grow Soak plants before potting and press drainage holes filled with peat-free They don’t like moisture, heavy with fruit – then water in deeply. a bamboo cane down to the bottom potting compost. Mix in some well- so spray or wash leaves of the pot, then water. rotted manure and granular fertiliser; with water. Benefcial tomatoes are hungry plants and will predators can also help quickly take up those extra nutrients reduce the population. as they grow. See Growing Greener on p86. Soak the roots well and snip off the VISIT GardenersWorld. lowest set of leaves before potting them deep into the compost, right com/greenhouse-kit for up to the next set of leaves. The extra advice on key accessories length of stem buried under the surface will produce more roots PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; PAUL DEBOIS Thin out spring- Thin out the weakest seedlings, allowing the stronger ones to thrive and help to anchor the plant better. sown seedlings Add a long cane for support and The extra warmth of the greenhouse place in the final cropping position. will be pushing spring-sown seedlings into strong growth, potentially VISIT GardenersWorld. crowding each other out. Thinning out gives them the room they need com/better-tomatoes for and increases air flow, vital to avoid more tomato-growing advice damping off disease. Remove the weakest seedlings where possible, GardenersWorld.com 141 but have an eye on getting the best possible spacing. Hold the seedling by the stem and pull very gently. If the seedling resists, place your fingers on the soil around neighbouring seedlings so they don’t get disturbed as you pull its roots out. May 2022
GFNRLAOEMEWNEEHXROXSUSE STEP BY STEP Plant a hanging basket WHAT TO DO NOW | MAY Fill a hanging basket with fresh 1 2 PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE/WREST PARK, BEDFORDSHIRE; PAUL DEBOISyoung bedding plants now and34 keep it in the greenhouse for a couple of weeks. This allows the plants to fll out and root in before the display is hung outside in its fnal position. Pinch out the tips of weak stems, particularly on taller plants, to encourage bushier growth. Snip out developed flowers too, to focus energy on roots and leaves for now. Stand the basket on a pot if there is nowhere to hang it inside, so that the trailing plants are free to cascade down. 1 PUT a layer of peat-free potting compost into the basket and add some water-retaining granules to help supply moisture to the roots without making the compost too heavy. 2 CHOOSE a mixture of plants. Some main uprights, several trailing plants and some good for gap-filling. Put taller ones in the middle and trailers on the edge, then in-fill with the rest. 3 ADD more compost around the plants, making sure that the roots are firmed in and well covered. There should be no hollows between them. 4 WATER the compost between the plants and don’t let it dry out as the plants begin to grow. The need for water will increase as the roots develop in the basket. Don’t forget Monitor and water plants n Space plants so they aren’t touching each Check to see if plants need watering other – this will prevent every morning before the greenhouse pests and diseases gets too hot. Lift a few of the pots up to feel the weight and if the pots are n Pot up plug plants light, they need water. Peat-free and keep them in the composts can look dry on the surface greenhouse until the but may feel heavy and be quite wet end of the month at the base. Plants with bottom heat dry out very quickly, whereas newly n Tie in new growth on potted plants and those on cold greenhouse climbers benches may only need water every such as grapevines few days. As temperatures rise, most and bougainvillea plants will need watering regularly. n Order biological controls VISIT GardenersWorld. for greenhouse pests such as whitefly com/auto-water for advice on installing automatic watering 142 GardenersWorld.com Gravel under pots helps avoid waterlogging and increases humidity May 2022
offer SWEETLY SCENTED CORONILLA DOUBLE UP FOR Coronilla valentina glauca ONLY 1p ‘Citrina’ provides an abundance of sweetly scented, lemon-yellow, pea-like blooms in a sheltered spot for months. Its delicate blue-green foliage is evergreen, providing a fine backdrop for its fragrant display. Height x Spread 100cm x 100cm Flowers Dec-Apr K 1 plant in 9cm pot £19.99 £11.99 SAVE £8 K 2 plants in 9cm pots £39.98 ONLY £12 SAVE £27.98 K 3 plants in 9cm pots £59.97 £19.99 SAVE £39.98 YOU MAY ALSO LIKE... K Buddleja Butterfly Coronilla valentina glauca ‘Citrina’ Towers Forms a column of purple 0844 573 6054* (quote code TM_GW83) blooms bees and butterflies thompson-morgan.com/TM_GW83 will love. Easy to grow. H x S 2m x 1m F Jun-Sep 1 plant in 9cm pot £17.49 £12.99 SAVE £4.50 3 plants in 9cm pots £52.47 £22.99 SAVE £29.48 Please add P&P £5.99 Complete this coupon and send with your payment to: Gardeners’ World Thompson & Morgan Code: TM_GW83 offer Coronilla, Dept TM_GW83, PO Box 162, Ipswich, IP8 3BX Experts in the garden since 1855 Title Initial Surname CODE DESCRIPTION PRICE QTY TOTAL Address Postcode 74420 Coronilla ‘Citrina’ x 1 plant in 9cm pot £19.99 £11.99 £10.79 Tel KB6227 Coronilla ‘Citrina’ x 2 plants in 9cm pots £39.98 £12 £10.80 KA6765 Coronilla ‘Citrina’ x 3 plants in 9cm pots £59.97 £17.99 £19.99 Email Buddleia Butterfly Towers x 1 plant in 9cm pot £17.49 I enclose a cheque (no cash, please) for £ made payable to KA8837 £12.99 £11.69 ✁ KA8944 Buddleia Butterfly Towers x 3 plants £22.99 £20.69 Thompson & Morgan with my name and address on the back in 9cm pots £52.47 Or charge my Visa Mastercard Maestro Maestro issue no KA2524 Maxicrop Plant Treatment £1 £1 Card number Start date / Expiry date / Card security code P&P 1 £5.99 SUBSCRIBERS: insert your discount code here (see Extras after p130) (Last 3 digits printed on signature strip) GRAND TOTAL £ Signature Date BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine (published by Immediate Media Co Ltd) would like to send you special offers and promotions. You can unsubscribe at any time – for details of how to do this, please see our privacy policy, which can be viewed at policies.immediate.co.uk/privacy. Please tick here if you would like to receive these [ ]. BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine is published by Immediate Media Co Ltd on behalf of BBC Studios (the commercial arm of the BBC). We would like to send you BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine-related promotions, content and offers from BBC Studios. Your information will be used in accordance with the BBC Studios privacy policy, which can be viewed at bbcstudios.com/privacy. Please tick here if you would like to hear from us by email [ ]. Terms & Conditions: Items despatched from April 2022 onward. Offer closes 14 June 2022. Please note your contract for supply of goods is with Thompson & Morgan, Poplar Lane, Ipswich IP8 3BU. Terms and conditions available on request. All offers subject to availability. Full growing instructions included. All height and spread sizes indicate full grown sizes and not size supplied. We reserve the right to substitute varieties if necessary. *Calls cost 7p/minute plus your network access charge. Images for illustrations purposes only. Savings are based on multiples of the cheapest pack size. Regretfully we are unable to ship live plants to the following areas: HS, IV41-IV49, IV51, IV55-56, KW15-KW17, PA34, PA41-48, PA60-PA78, PA80, PH40-PH44, TR21-TR25, ZE1-ZE3. We are also unable to ship seeds or plants to EU countries and Northern Ireland. May 2022 GardenersWorld.com 143
AGAPANTHUS BLACK MAGIC rare | unusual | exciting BUY 5 £3FOR ONLY PER PLANT RARE AND HARD TO FIND GLOBE-LIKE CLUSTERS of drooping indigo-black buds open in summer revealing dark blue trumpets. Held on strong stems above strap-shaped foliage, they are great ascut flowers, lasting up to two weeksin a vase. Attractive seedheadsmake a wonderful winter feature if left on or used in arrangements. Prefersmoist, well-drained soil in full sun. Height 80cm. Spread 50cm. Hardy Perennial. Your order will be confirmed along with a copy of our latest catalogue and your young plantswill be delivered in 14 days. ORDER ONLINE PLEASE COMPLETE IN BLOCK CAPITALS Please Send Item Code Price Qty Total AGAPANTHUS × 3 YPABM03-GW0522 £12 hayloft.co.uk/GWHY Name AGAPANTHUS × 5 YPABM05-GW0522 £15 £5.95 AGAPANTHUS × 10 YPABM10-GW0522 £22 Total P&P (UK only) Address PHONE Please debit my Visa/Mastercard 0333 358 2006 Postcode Card no Tel Valid Expiry CV2 from QUOTE GWHY Email I enclose cheque/PO for ____________ made payable to Hayloft Plants Ltd Send to: Hayloft Plants Please write your name and address on the reverse of the cheque FREEPOST RTGR-JAGJ-JETG, WR10 3HB THANK YOU, WE WILL CONFIRM YOUR ORDER GWHY Your details are kept securely and not shared with third parties. You will receive a catalogue, welcome email and special offers, if you prefer not to receive them please call 01386 562999. For T&Cs – see hayloft.co.uk
Water young FRUIT AND VEG WHAT TO DO NOW | MAY fruit in pots Earth up potatoes Keep a full watering can near young fruit trees and Keep earthing up potatoes where bushes in pots. This helps needed. Loosen the soil along the row to ensure that the water beside the ridge with a fork, then use is the same temperature a spade or rake to cover the shoots as the roots, avoiding a shock to the plant. Soak The potato crop forms on the the compost by watering stems that grow up from the seed slowly onto the surface potato, so the greater the depth of soil until it runs out of the above the original tuber and the wider base rather than over the the base of the ridge, the more tubers sides. It’s usually time will form. Keep watering to improve to water when the top the size of the crop even more. few centimetres of the compost dries out, which in warm periods could be every two days. Add a liquid feed to this weekly. Get to know Some foliage will be buried when your plants in earthing up, but more will grow pots by checking their moisture VISITGardenersWorld.com/ levels regularly – it helps you to earth-potatoes for lots more get watering advice on earthing up spot-on PHOTOS: PAUL DEBOIS; JASON INGRAM; TIM SANDALL QUICK Pinch out broad beans SOLUTIONS Check low down on broad beans Thin out direct-sown rows and if you see the first sets of pods of beetroot, spinach and developing close to the bottom it is turnip. The best distance to time to pinch out the tips of the plant. thin to will depend on the Grip the tip just above a leaf joint variety you’re growing and between your thumb and finger, then the size at which you like press through the soft stem with your to harvest them. Pull the fingernail. The soft growth at the top seedlings out, firming down is where the dreaded blackfly infest any disturbed soil with your and feed on the plant, so by removing hands. Alternatively, save these tips you both control the time by snipping them off blackfly and strengthen the plant at the base with scissors. by encouraging it to bush out and support the crop. May 2022 VISIT GardenersWorld. com/broad-beans for more sowing and growing tips When pinching out broad beans, keep the tender tips for salads GardenersWorld.com 145
FRUIT AND VEG STEP BY STEP Sow crops direct with seed tapes Seed tapes are long rolls of tape impregnated with seeds. Carrots, beetroot, spinach and lettuce are typically available in this form. The seed is pressed between layers of absorbent tissue paper. It is already spaced, so won’t need thinning out later. It’s a more expensive option than loose seed but much less wasteful and very low-maintenance. It’s important to make sure the tape is completely covered and is evenly moist along the row for consistent germination. WHAT TO DO NOW | MAY 1 USE the full width of the blade of 1 2 PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; JASON INGRAMa hoe to draw out a flat-bottomed34 drill. Water consistently along the length of the drill. 2 UNROLL the seed tape and pull it out along the row, pressing down gently along it so that the tape sticks to the moist soil in the drill. 3PUSH the soil back over the tape, covering it completely to the depth given on the seed tape packet. Tamp it down, leaving the drill a little lower than the surrounding soil. 4PUT a fine rose on your watering can and water along the row slowly, taking care to ensure the soil is wet along the entire row. VISITGardenersWorld.com/ seeds-direct for more advice on sowing seed outdoors Don’t forget Push a hand fork in at a shallow angle to gently loosen weeds 20 n Harvest asparagus when Weed between onions MINUTES the shoots are 15cm tall TO SPARE Pull weeds out along onion rows by develop to full size, so avoid hoeing n Place layers of fleece hand. Loosen the weed roots gently among onions and shallots. Mulching Sow crops that are best over rows of carrots to with a hand tool if necessary. The the rows with a layer of organic done little and often, such protect from carrot fly shallow surface roots of onions are matter helps to prevent weed seeds as Cos lettuce, radish and easily damaged, particularly when from germinating, and makes it rocket, direct into the soil n Use pea sticks, or string hoeing. Onion roots don’t grow back much easier to pull out any weeds every few weeks. netting tied to canes, to once damaged and the bulb won’t that do later emerge. support young pea plants VISITGardenersWorld.com/ n Place straw underneath may-jobs for more fruit and strawberry plants to veg jobs this month keep fruits off the ground May 2022 n Pull thick young stems of rhubarb at the base to harvest your crop 146 GardenersWorld.com
offer SUPER-SWEET CHERRY TOMATO £S1A2V.9E9 Get six ‘Sungold’ tomato plants + FREE P&P and get another six free! This cherry variety is easy to grow, and the intensely sweet fruits will remain ripe and ready for picking over long periods, and are perfect for salads and barbecues. Supplied as plug plants 8-12cm high, and delivered nursery-fresh in April for growing on and planting outdoors after the risk of frost has passed. Height x Spread 1.5m x 50cm L 6 x plug plants £12.99 BUY SIX PLANTS GET SIX FREE – SAVE £12.99 plus FREE P&P (370043) YOU MAY ALSO LIKE L Tomato trough 03333 702702* and quote code GDGW102 Contains a built-in reservoir gardeningdirect.co.uk/GDGW102 to store enough water to last up to two weeks. Has a unique support system to keep garden canes in place and upright. L x W x H 63.5cm x 34cm x 33cm 41L trough £39.99 £19.99 SAVE £20 plus FREE P&P (130445) L Twin-pack peat-free multi-purpose compost A peat-free option for multi-purpose use. 2 x 40L bags £24.98 £19.98 SAVE £5 plus FREE P&P (100102) Cut out order form and Post to Offer GDGW102, Code: GDGW102 Gardening Direct, PO Box 1468, Peterborough, PE1 9XL offer Title Initial Surname CODE DESCRIPTION PRICE QTY TOTAL Address Email ‘Sungold’ tomatoes x 6 plug plants – get x 6 £12.99 Postcode £19.99 ✁ Tel 370043 extra plants free SAVE £12.99 130445 Tomato trough £39.99 SAVE £20 100102 Peat-free compost x 2 £24.98 SAVE £5 £19.98 I enclose a cheque (no cash, please) for £ made payable to P&P FREE Gardening Direct with my name and address on the back TOTAL £ Or charge my Visa L Mastercard L Maestro L Maestro issue no LL BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine (published by Immediate Media Co Ltd) would like to send you special Card number LLLL LLLL LLLL LLLL offers and promotions. You can unsubscribe at any time – for details of how to do this, please see our Start date LL/LL Expiry date LL/LL privacy policy, which can be viewed at immediate.co.uk/privacy-policy. Please tick here if you would like to receive these . BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine is published by Immediate Media Co Ltd on behalf Signature Date of BBC Studios (the commercial arm of the BBC). We would like to send you BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine-related promotions, content and offers from BBC Studios. Your information will be used in accordance with the BBC Studios privacy policy, which can be viewed at bbcstudios.com/privacy. Please tick here if you would like to hear from us by email . Terms & conditions: Orders despatched from April and delivery will be within one week of ordering. Gardening Direct, Eventus House, Sunderland Road, Market Deeping, PE6 8FD. Calls cost 5p per minute plus your network provider’s access charge. Offer subject to availability and in the event that this offer is oversubscribed, we reserve the right to send suitable substitute varieties of the same or a higher value. Offer closes on 31 May 2022 or while stocks last. Delivery to UK only and a £6 surcharge may apply to the following postcode areas: AB, DD8-11, GY, HS, IM, IV, JE, KA27-28, KW, PA20-80, PH19-50, TR21-25 and ZE. Images show mature plants. Full product details and T&Cs at www.gardeningdirect.co.uk. Following Brexit there are a number of changes that prevent us from trading in N. Ireland. For further details please visit www.gardeningdirect.co.uk. *Calls cost 5p/min plus your network’s access charge. May 2022 GardenersWorld.com 147
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ADAM’S ESSENTIALS Plant maincrop WHAT TO DO NOW | MAY potato tubers Plant your potatoes with plenty of space between tubers for the biggest, healthiest crop Get some maincrop potatoes in the ground, if you haven’t done so already. STEP BY STEP Trench-planting for potatoes In colder regions of the UK, May is a good time to start planting, now that the ground is warmer. But, wherever you are in the country, provided you have about 20 weeks of the growing season left, you’ll get a good crop. Maincrop potatoes always need plenty of room, so allow about 75cm between your rows. This gives you the space you need for earthing up and widens the base of the ridge where the potatoes form. Add a little granular fertiliser to the soil as you back-fill over the tubers, even if you’ve already prepared the ground with plenty of rotted manure. The extra nutrients will improve your yield. Once planted, loosen the soil along either side of the row with a fork so that earthing up is easily done with a rake. Keep earthing up over the next few weeks and water during periods of dry weather. Look forward to digging up this bumper crop in late September. PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; NEIL HEPWORTH 1 DIG out a flat-bottomed trench 2 SPACE the tubers every 40cm 3 PUSH the soil back into the 4 LABEL the row, particularly about 12cm deep and the along the trench. Stand them trench so that it covers the if you are growing several width of a spade. Leave the soil with the chits, or small shoots, facing potatoes by about 7-8cm. Firm it varieties. It can help to tie the label along the edge of the trench, ready up, so that the new growth can easily down gently along the row with to a taller cane so that it is easily to back-fill after planting. push up through the soil. the back of a rake. read once the foliage is up. May 2022 Gardeners World.com 149
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