Amateur Gardening 18-May-2019

“All my gardening knowledge came from AG. The magazine has taught me such a lot, and I’ve always loved the people AG employs. They are so easy to write to — like gardening friends.” Pauline O’Keefe, Ormskirk, Lancashire “As a keen gardener and presenter of Gardening Guilt on my BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show, AGÕs practical advice and top tips are very much appreciated.” Vanessa Feltz, London “I love Amateur Gardening magazine. It was the first magazine I bought when I got married in 1963. It has taught me so much, and I feel I know you all. Thank you for a brilliant gardening magazine.” Mrs Rose Shaw, Leicester “I have been an avid reader of Amateur Gardening since getting married in 1956. Over the years AG has given us information, advice, news…

“Amateur Gardening will be allowed to speak for itself. If promises are like pie-crust, they must be served out in moderate quantities in case the intellectual digestion be taxed beyond reason. We shall therefore endeavour to make ourselves generally useful, our principal object being to smooth the path and delight the life of the lovers of the garden. Amateurs are glad of literary help when it is offered by practical men who have no special interest in view, and no special fancies or theories to promote. It is a world of work and the restfulness of the garden depends in great measure on the amount of work we bestow upon it.” Shirley Hibberd, 1st Editor , 1884 These are the first 111 words written by the founding editor Shirley Hibberd. Over the…

WE all have moments when we agree to something in haste and then think, “Why on earth did I say yes to that?” When we were discussing how to mark AG’s 135th anniversary, it was mooted that maybe I could dress up as a Victorian lady to celebrate the occasion. This was some time ago and I agreed to do it, foolishly thinking the plan would be forgotten. Of course, that didn’t happen, which is why you find me going about this week’s tasks dressed not unlike Mr Toad when he escaped from prison disguised as a washerwoman in the children’s classic The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. In this week’s pages, I am carrying out a range of late spring jobs that Victorian gardeners may well have been doing, too. Of…

1 The lawn: Filled with wildflowers and insects, our lawns aren’t up to the exacting standards of the Victorians. They liked a pin-neat sward where they could partake of games of croquet and afternoon tea. To create this, mow regularly, and feed and weed meticulously. Ban rowdy children and pets. Alternatively, simply generate a little order by edging your lawn and removing rampant perennial weeds. 2 Borders: There were two schools of thought: uniform ranks of bedding planted with military precision or Gertrude Jekyll’s more voluptuous herbaceous-led designs that celebrated each plant for itself. I’m in Gertrude’s camp and love to see different plants creating an explosion of colour, height and texture. Keep them in good health by regular feeding, deadheading and watering when necessary. 3 Structures: The Victorians loved making statements…

1 Plants need healthy, nutrient-rich soil, and adding well-rotted organic matter (manure or compost) is the best way to do this. 2 Robust plants are less susceptible to pests and diseases, so give them space to develop well and food for sustained growth. 3 Pests are an eternal problem. Deal with them before they become a major problem and before you need to use chemicals. 4 Plants prefer rainwater as it is naturally softer than tap water, doesn’t contain added chemicals and is at the right pH.…

WITH its luscious red winter berries and creamy spring flowers, Skimmia japonica is one of many shrubs introduced to Britain in the 19th century. They are still popular today due to their no-nonsense attitude, sitting happily in most soils, as well as containers, and tolerant of most weathers. The one thing they are not so keen on is alkaline soil, so because we garden on chalk our skimmia is growing in a pot of multipurpose compost mixed with ericaceous. Our skimmia hasn’t been looking happy of late even after several feeds, so I decided to repot it and move it to a more shaded area (they are not fond of too much sun). I discovered the reason for the plant’s disquiet as soon as I lifted it from its pot. The skimmia…