Amateur Gardening 9-Jun-2018

AFTER the early flush of spring, borders sometimes go through a fallow period until their summer blooms flower. So if your borders are looking rather bare, don’t worry, it’s a natural occurrence and one that is easy to remedy. Installing new plants is the first obvious solution. You can hardly walk through a garden centre at this time of year without sending a palette of bedding plants flying, so make the most of any offers and stock up. The usual advice is to go for plants with plenty of buds rather than flowers, but if you want an instant splash of colour buy them in bloom and deadhead them regularly for a continual show. The same applies to perennials. As you are buying plants that may be in your garden for years to come…

1 The stem from the Polemonium caeruleum had started to develop roots and it seemed a shame to waste it! 2 Dip the rooted end in hormone rooting powder or gel, which will speed up the development of robust and healthy roots. Tap off the excess. 3 Insert the rooting end in a pot of fresh seed and cuttings compost and water well. It may wilt at first, but should soon recover. Grow it somewhere warm and light, pot on when it is large enough, then harden it off and plant it out in late summer. Alternatively, overwinter it indoors and plant it out next year.…

THERE was a time when the words ‘garden ornament’ was automatically associated with gnomes, nymphs and birdbaths. Times have changed and now naffness isn’t obligatory when breaking up your garden greenery with something ornamental (although my local garden centre does an astounding range of Easter Island heads, zebras, elephants and even dinosaurs). Lanterns, glass dragonflies, metallic wind spinners, mirrors to double and magnify smaller gardens or a particular area – the world is your oyster when it comes to attractive accessories. Lanterns can be used to great effect if hung on stakes and dotted around the borders. They create an ethereal feeling when positioned near pale blooms as dusk falls, or add drama when lit next to deep colours or unusual foliage. Ornamental grasses are also worth considering. One Chelsea Flower Show designer had…

Finally, water well and make sure the plant isn’t allowed to dry out as it gets established. 1 Stand plants in water. This frees any roots sticking to the pot so you can remove the plant without tearing them. 2 The ideal planting hole is roughly the same depth as the rootball and twice as wide. 3 The roots of potted plants sometimes circle the rootball. Carefully tease them out before planting. 4 Infill around the plant, then firm down the soil to remove air pockets and give more support.…

IT isn’t always the big garden jobs that give the most satisfaction. Sometimes – often – it’s the accumulation of lots of little jobs, done well, that keep the garden looking good and being productive. Last week I spent a catch-up day doing several tasks that need doing now. I started by giving a final trim to our large winter-flowering heather. This is one if my favourite plants as it provides a burst of colour when there’s not much else around, gives sanctuary to hibernating invertebrates and provides essential nectar for early flying bumblebees and butterflies. A gentle trim is all it needs as heathers don’t like being cut back hard because the older, brown wood is unlikely to regenerate. Using shears (or secateurs on smaller plants) simply trim away the dead flowers and…

1 If sowing in a container of used compost, spread it on the border first. Its nutritional value is slight, but it will improve the soil’s structure. 2 Refill with fresh multipurpose compost and sow the beetroot seeds thinly on top. Cover with a thin layer of compost. 3 Water well and label clearly. I’m using wooden labels in a bid to reduce the amount of plastic used in the garden. 4 Thin the seedlings when they are large enough. This gives each plant more room and helps the development of larger, healthier roots.…