Amateur Gardening 19-Mar-2022

“Blue is a colour that doesn’t occur much in nature because only a few organisms can create a true blue pigment. The blue we see in plants is a trick of refracted light. Less than 10 percent of plants have blue flowers, which is possibly why those that do are so special. In this week’s issue, Hazel Sillver choses her favourite varieties of delphinium (pages 28-31) – and when I saw them, I was quite taken with their beauty. It’s not something I have thought a lot about, but I realised I also get a kick out of seeing forget-me-nots, many of which display a colour I would describe as St Patrick’s blue. And then there is the holy grail of the blue rose. Will we ever see one? I…

ONE of my favourite jobs at this time of year is tending to our perennials, making sure they are returning healthily after winter’s dormancy. Some, such as our echinaceas and heleniums, will have died right back in autumn so it is always a relief to see their new shoots poking bravely through the soil. The leaves of others, including sea hollies and globe thistles, remain in place through winter so a job for now is to remove the old, tattered foliage to pretty up the plants and make room for new shoots. We mustn’t forget late spring and summer-flowering bulbs either. Our garden is blessed with light, free-draining soil so bulbs are less likely to rot when the soil is soaked by winter rain. But having such open soil also means that available…

PERENNIALS being grown in containers also need some TLC now to help them perform to their full potential through the rest of the year. Lilies and agapanthus that have been left in their pots through winter will need topdressing, feeding and even repotting if they have been in the same pots of compost for several years. Repotting is more important for the lilies, as agapanthus do best if their roots are slightly constricted, so I am going to leave mine in situ for another summer. When topdressing a summer container of bulbs, carefully remove the top couple of inches of compost without damaging the bulbs or their roots. Then replenish it with fresh – either multipurpose with added fertiliser, John Innes No 3 or a combination of the two – and water well. Be alert…

LONG regarded as a trailblazer for the RHS flower show season, the Malvern Spring Festival returns in May after its Covid-enforced two-year absence. Held at the Three Counties Showground in Worcestershire, the 35th festival is themed to celebrate the physical and mental benefits of gardening, and will also mark the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen, which takes place in June. The four-day event will include a series of show gardens as well as giant eye-catching installations at each of the main entrances, school gardens to honour the reign of Elizabeth II and a new permanent feature garden – The Jubilee Garden – planted with the Sovereign’s favourite flowers and shrubs and the many cultivars named after her. The re-imagined Floral Green will showcase an array of beautiful blooms from British cut…

SAYING it with flowers is one of the oldest forms of showing you care about someone, and with Mother’s Day falling on March 27, there’s time yet to plant up a pot or basket for someone – even yourself! A patio container or hanging basket planted with seasonal flowers is a wonderful way of brightening someone’s day and with some thoughtful choosing, many of the plants you use may be added to the garden later on and the pot reused. Although garden centres stock a wide array of ready-planted pots and baskets to give as gifts, and houseplants are another perennials favourite, it can be more personal to create your own floral gift using what you know are someone’s favourite plants. This week I planted a small wicker basket with a blue hyacinth,…

DAHLIAS are one of our most popular summer and autumn plants and despite their brilliant glamour and exotic colours and shapes, they are relatively easy to grow, and pretty trouble-free. If you lifted your tubers in the autumn, or have bought some fresh ones this spring, now is the time to get them started undercover. Dahlias are not reliably hardy so it’s best to pot them up in compost and set them in a greenhouse or porch or on a windowsill indoors if you have space. If you are returning to tubers you salvaged last year, check they have remained firm and healthy through the winter and discard any that feel soft or smell bad. Make sure they still have some old stem still attached as they will promote new shoots when they are…