Innholdsfortegnelse for 7-Dec-24 i Amateur Gardening

I’m loving the garden birds even more than usual right now as my newly assembled conservatory office enables me to see them up-close even when I’m not outside. To watch them unobserved (aside from when the blue tits are tapping on the window because their bird feeders are not 100% full, or just for fun because they can, and are, more than a little cheeky), I’ve discovered some exciting garden visitors as a result. For starters the nuthatch: it’s hard to tell how many I have, but they certainly seem to have taken control of one of the peanut feeders. This delightful, if rather territorial and domineering, bird keeps the dunnocks, sparrows, finches and blue tits et al at bay with its swift agile movements and the rather sharp-looking long…

with AG’s gardening expert Ruth Hayes The last of the leaves have finally fallen after a vibrant autumnal show, and the garden’s deciduous trees are standing stark and bare against the skyline. Time, then, to give them their annual trim to keep them neat and healthy and remove any growth that looks diseased, spindly and otherwise not great. Most of the trees in the garden that need pruning now are fruit trees, and my main objective is to keep them healthy and productive by removing ingrowing branches that clutter the centre of the plant, cutting back weak growth that doesn’t look healthy and, of course, removing any wood that appears dead, diseased or damaged. I tackle our trees each autumn so the job stays manageable and the trees don’t get…

with Lucy Chamberlain, AG’s fruit and veg expert As much as I love my vegetables and herbs, I couldn’t be without fruit in my garden. Figs, grapes, apples, cherries, pears, peaches, gooseberries, currants, wineberries, raspberries, blueberries – the list of delicious edibles I grow is endless! But, come late autumn (which is ideal planting time) I always look to see if I could increase my empire further and a kiwi fruit is on this year’s wish list. So, what should you think about before buying a bush, tree or cane fruit? Firstly, it’s important to consider how your chosen fruit pollinates itself and therefore whether you need one, or two of any said tree or bush? Many fruits are ‘self-fertile’ and can set a crop on their own (e.g. peaches,…

Though wildlife may be less noticeable at this time of year, the world beneath our feet is teeming with life. Under piles of leaf litter and damp rotten logs and within the soil, tiny invertebrates are working hard to keep our soils healthy hy - and among them are the springtails. Springtail diversity Springtails (Collembola sp) are tiny invertebrates, often between 0.2mm and 6mm in size. About 250 species live in the UK, ranging in patterns, colours, and lifestyle. One distinct group of springtails, the Symphypleona, are referred to as ‘globular’ springtails, known for their rounded body shape. Other springtails may have much longer bodies and may be referred to as ‘slender’ or ‘linear’ springtails. One of these slender springtails, Pogonognathellus longicornis, is the UK’s largest, reaching 6mm (1/4in) in…

Roses have once again been voted the nation’s favourite flower and I can see why. They have beautiful, often fragrant, flowers that come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and the plants offer a range of height, spread and habit, from lofty ramblers and classic climbers to stand-alone stars like shrub and standard roses. However, I think roses are often not thought of as useful ground cover plants. In my garden, there are standard roses with long stems that hold the foliage and flowers high above the ground, and I have installed a long rose arch tunnel to support them. I chose climbers to scramble up and over the frame and shrub roses to fill the spaces between them. It was only as an afterthought that I looked…

Garden gnomes Gnomes, as garden ornaments, first came to Britain in 1867, when Sir Charles Isham inherited Lamport Hall in Northamptonshire. He built a large rockery that he wanted to populate, so he imported gnomes from Germany to adorn it. Gnomes occur in many cultures around the world, including our own Celtic history. The figures were particularly popular in Austrian and German gardens for generations, with some of them standing more than 1m (3ft) in height. ■ It was a 16th century eccentric, Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim (who called himself Paracelsus) who invented the word ‘gnomus’. It derives from the two Greek words ge-nomos, meaning ‘earth-dweller’, referring to sprites guarding the interior of the earth and its treasures. Female gnomes? Traditionally, gnomes are male, with white beards to represent old…

7 Dec: 50 Shades of Green: a talk by Razvan Chisu for the Hardy Plant Society Cambridge and Bedfordshire Group, The Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG188JH. 2pm. 8 Dec: Tobacco Factory Sunday Market, Tobacco Factory, Raleigh Road, Bristol, BS3 1TF. 10am-2.30pm. 8 Dec: Beauty and the Beast panto, RHS Garden Rosemoor: Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH. 9 Dec: Welly walk, RHS Garden Rosemoor: Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH. 10 Dec: Seasonal walk, RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane, Rettendon, Chelmsford CM3 8ET. 11 Dec: Seasonal pruning for soft fruits, RHS Garden Wisley, Wisley Lane, Wisley, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. 12 Dec: Success with houseplants: RHS Garden Wisley, Wisley Lane, Wisley, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. 13 Dec: Botanical relief festive decorations, RHS Garden Bridgewater, Occupation Road, Worsley,…

Your lovely letters, emails and social media posts continue to flow in beautifully. Every message, poem, idea and comment matters. Please keep them coming. We will send out a thank you gift for every item published in the magazine so do please send your address and contact details when you get in touch. ‘Nuts’ about the nuthatch Dear Kim I thought readers might like to see a picture of a very welcome visitor to my town garden. The nuthatch is among a number of birds that love the sunflower hearts I provide for them. As such, to avoid the spread of disease once the feeder is empty, I take it down and pour boiling water all over. Then refill and repeat. Kind regards Richard Belding Kim says; Richard, thank you…

Which products, or projects would you like Adam to cover and trial in his column? Please contact editor@amateurgardening.com with suggestions. There are a few resources that we as gardeners rather revere as being sacred. Compost is certainly one of them, I think you’ll agree, a good water source is a must, but one of the best-kept secrets (though many of you will already be in the know) is the many uses of cardboard within our gardens, allotments and growing spaces. It’s long been known by many gardeners, particularly those who opt into the nodig method, that cardboard can be used as an effective weed suppressant when creating new beds and borders. Simply spread it on the ground, either on grass or on a particularly weedy section of earth, add your…

Your plant recommendations from expert plantsman, Michael. Sunflowers cannot fail to make you smile, and I bet many of you will have memories attached to these cheerful blooms too. Of course, growing the tallest is a popular contest - the loftiest ever grown was raised in Germany, reaching more than 9m (29.5ft) in height! This summer, European trialling panel Fleuroselect Trials joined forces with the RHS to show the widest range of sunflowers possible, which were planted at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex. I was very fortunate to be on the judging panel, so I got a little extra insight. Sunflowers are not only yellow these days; modern breeding gives us all sorts of wonderful combinations - from orange to pastel pink, and some with more than 100 petals…

With Chris Collins, Garden Organic’s Head of Horticulture The sleepy winter season offers up some of the best plant party pieces. A silhouetted tree in low sun is a sight to behold – and even a small space can be breathtaking with the right plant choices. Think bark, catkins, structure, and don’t disregard spent foliage and flower heads. All plants will grow and provide beauty in a small space with the right husbandry. A decent peat-free compost, good organic fertiliser given throughout the growing season and decent drainage are all key factors that will help plants through their winter rest. Then it’s just a case of choosing your stars of the show. The multi-stemmed snake bark maple (Acer capillipes) is a showstopper with its stunning green bark and creamy venation…

The very wise words of poet William Blake, quoted below, sum up perfectly what I’m about to share with you. From February onwards, we’re itching to start sowing seeds for the season ahead, and this is a great time to observe and learn first-hand how plants grow. It’s one of the fundamentals of gardening. Then, towards the end of a (hopefully) bountiful and enjoyable season, as we stock fridges and freezers with the fruits and vegetables of our labours, and cram paper envelopes with seeds harvested from our borders and containers, we can teach, sharing with others what we’ve learned during the growing season. And then, smiling, happy and content, albeit a little weary maybe, we can sit back and enjoy our winter gardens. Yes, there’s still work to be…

Gardening has long been a beloved pastime in the UK, with a thriving network of garden centres serving enthusiasts and novices alike. According to the Horticultural Trades Association, there are more than 1,400 garden centres and retail nurseries* across the country, and while these e establishments have traditionally been havens for green-fingered individuals, they’ve recently transformed, becoming more deeply integrated into local communities with over two-thirds of British adults visiting a garden centre every year**. How have garden centres evolved to play such a vital role in their communities? Diversifying into events A quick way to foster a sense of community is to host events that bring residents together. These can vary from ‘classic’ garden centre activities like plant sales and gardening workshops to more familyfriendly gatherings that transform the…

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with Bob Flowerdew, long-standing AG contributor, broadcaster and all-round expert. If you’ve not done so already then hurry to send your seed orders in. Of course you might buy from a local garden centre, and it is nice to do so, but bear in mind they may not carry the huge range you can find by mail order. Also, when shopping in person be careful to choose packets not kept in full sunlight, which risks the seeds slowly losing viability - and know that those bought via mail order will probably come straight from a cool dark store. On the other hand, some ‘seeds’ such as potato and onion sets are expensive to post because of their weight and you’ll probably find that garden centres can offer these at a…

I’d like to let you into a little secret.. I always write my pages last of all and just before the magazine goes to print. I do this because it means I can use my allocated space in the most up-to-date way, framing what I write around what others have contributed, alongside the weather, news and world at large. I can write what I feel is most useful at the time. This chimes with the way that I garden; instinctively, creatively and thoughtfully working around what I see is needed in the here and now. I don’t follow exacting to-do lists because sometimes by looking and thinking it is clear that other gardening tasks make more sense. I am essentially a permaculture gardener through and through and probably always have…

With expert broadcaster, author and long-standing AG columnist, Anne Swithinbank The days may be short and the weather chilly but the texture and succulent sweetness of parsnips is bringing a smile to our faces. These clever plants create their own antifreeze by turning starch into sugar, so the sugar molecules can stop water in the cells from freezing and bursting cell walls. Lifting and washing the roots is revealing; hopefully they will be creamy and beautiful with no forking or rust-coloured blemishes. Parsnips have the most beautiful seeds, shaped like old-fashioned flying saucer sweets. These seeds present a challenge because they don’t last well and, faced with an unopened packet from last year, do you take a gamble and sow it, or buy a new one? Parsnips are slow to…

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There was a time when my wife Carol and I didn’t have central heating. Each winter, for three years, we huddled around an open fire, burning wood that we had chopped. We left that room with hot water bottles in hand, and our toddler slept in the same bed with us. This is not a romantic remembrance, in which I write that we were so happy, I only recall how when I went to work, I ran my hands under the hot tap willing life back into my bones and muscles. For many, winter brings hardship, and it brings expectations and a lot of pressure that we spend money which can cause worry and stress in turn. During those cold years, and ever since, I have appreciated and enjoyed giving…

with Ruth Hayes, AG’s gardening expert While intensive agriculture is deemed necessary to feed the growing population, it has had a disastrous effect on the countryside and our native flora and fauna. Many cornfield flowers that used to grace our field margins are sadly now relics of the past, often kept alive in gardens rather than their natural setting. One of the most attractive traditional, and almost lost, cornfield flowers is pheasant’s eye (Adonis aestivalis), a delicate annual with feathery foliage and blood-red flowers reminiscent of a poppy. In the wild they are scarcely seen, usually only in the south of the country, so by growing them in our gardens we can save this beautiful variety for future generations. Pheasant’s eye can be sown undercover in trays and pots of…

Can grey water damage soil and its inhabitants? QI have a question about using grey water in the garden. If water contains impurities such as soap residue, does it damage the earthworms, a multitude of other small critters or the range of microorganisms found in healthy soil? I know that garlic kills spiders so I wondered about other household substances. Susan Krueger (via email) A I admire your resourcefulness. Grey water – that from washing machines, baths, basins and showers – can be used to help some plants thrive if carefully used in balance. Dishwasher water is best avoided because of the salt and it is isn’t recommended to use such grey water on edibles because of the risk of contamination. On other plants it can be used, but it’s…

With Julia Boulton, Beth Chatto’s granddaughter and chief custodian of the world-famous gardens, and her team December is upon us and the team is getting in the festive spirit by making wreaths and other arrangements. It’s a welcome break from the day-to-day gardening jobs and an opportunity for everyone to explore the garden to collect plant material. We love to see the finished wreaths, each one unique and showcasing everyone’s individual styles. Evergreens, such as holly, box and ivy, are the first to be collected and used as the base colour, then the hunt begins for those unusual seedheads and other dried material to make each one truly unique. Top wreath adornments Abelia x grandiflora An evergreen shrub reaching a height and spread of 5m (16ft) if in the right…

Gardening is a broad church with room enough for everyone. There are pews at the front for the passionate; benches at the back so that the fair-weather can come and go and a high altar where experts preach to a garden-loving congregation that often knows better. But shin up into my pulpit (yes! I chose the cushions) and you’ll see that, away from the nave, there are gardeners with unconventional beliefs and alternative ways of doing things. In these far-flung parts of the building the lighting is dim and the direction signs are contradictory. And it’s often hard to hear yourself think above the woo-woo and windchimes but some of the ideas here could have a future, in the…, er, future. What might be mainstream gardening a few years from…