Innholdsfortegnelse for Sep-15 i BBC Gardeners' World

You will receive: x10bulbs 30cm x30bulbs 15cm x30bulbs 15cm x20bulbs 30cm x30bulbs cm MORE OFFERS ON SPRING-FLOWERING BULBS Parrot Tulip Collection These have fabulous feathered petals and will flower from May. Includes ‘Rococo’ (red), ‘Silver Parrot’ (pink/white) and ‘Black Parrot’ (burgundy). Height 35-50cm 30 bulbs, 10 of each, £13.85 Lily Tulip Collection Elegant flame-like blooms, flowering from late April/May. Includes ‘Ballade’ (magenta/ white), ‘Burgundy’ and ‘Ballerina’ (yellow/orange). H 50-60cm 30 bulbs, 10 of each, £13.85 Classic Tulip Collection These classic-shaped types bloom from mid-April through to May. Includes ‘Stunning Apricot’, ‘Rem’s Favourite’ (purple/white), and ‘Recreado’ (deep purple). H 50-60cm 30 bulbs, 10 of each, £13.85 Scented Narcissus Collection Fragrant multi-flowerers including ‘Geranium’ (white/ orange), ‘Silver Chimes’ (white/ cream) and ‘Martinette’ (yellow/orange). H 30-35cm 45 bulbs,…

Write to Have your say, Gardeners’ World, Vineyard House, 44 Brook Green, London W6 7BT or email letters@gardenersworld.com and you could win National Garden Gift Vouchers Hedging your bets I’ve just read my Gardeners’ World (August issue) and would like to point out a contradiction. Page 66 says, ‘Blackbirds and thrushes often continue nesting surprisingly late, well into August, so check your hedges for nests before cutting, and wait until this season’s broods have definitely flown before you trim’. Good advice – but on page 77 Monty tells us, ‘All young birds have fledged… so it is hedge-cutting time’. It would have been so much better if Monty had mentioned to check your hedges first. As I write, I still have blackbirds fledging and have seen finches with dependents. I…

The inky blackness of a garden pond is soothing, but it needs the softening of green plants to complete the idyllic picture and keep it healthy. A pond with plants is also a magnet for wildlife. The three key types of pond plant are submerged plants (to oxygenate the water), floating plants (to give shade below and sun-basking opportunities above) and emergent plants (up which creatures can climb). Seeds spread down-water onto stream banks, or via animal- and bird-traipsed mud, to even the most isolated ponds. In nature, ponds are transient, as plants gradually clog the edges with roots, and silt accumulates, allowing invasion by terrestrial species. Occasional small-scale clearing is necessary to maintain areas of more open water and retain floral diversity. It is important to get your plants…

• Rhubarb is dead easy to grow. It prefers rich, deep soil, but in my childhood it was grown on almost pure chalk and still did its stuff. Enrich the soil with whatever goodness you have. • Plant crowns November to early March, but you can order them now. • Let young plants grow for a couple of seasons before harvest, so the roots have a chance to develop. Pull sparingly in the first few years and stop by midsummer so the leaves can feed the roots for next year’s crop. • For extra-sweet and tender stems, you can force rhubarb plants. Cover the crowns in December or January to exclude light. I use a traditional clay forcing jar, but an old dustbin or large pot with the drainage holes…

Joe's garden notebook Do you visit gardens when you’re on holiday? I certainly do, sometimes making ridiculous excuses to the family about why we simply ‘have to’ make a detour here or there. I love visiting gardens to get new ideas, and if I’m near one that I’ve heard good things about, there’s just no stopping me. Le Jardin Plume translates as The Feather Garden, and so many of my friends have been talking about it that while we were driving through France we changed route at the last minute. We were not disappointed. It’s simply a fabulous garden and although quite sophisticated, design-wise, it’s great to explore. We spent far longer enjoying it than we intended and by the time we left, my camera’s memory card was full. The…

• Anglia Bulbs 01206 272728 angliabulbs.com • Ashwood 01384 401996 ashwoodnurseries.com • Avon Bulbs 01460 242177 avonbulbs.co.uk • Bloms Bulbs 01234 709099 blomsbulbs.com • Crocus 01344 578 000 crocus.co.uk • de Jager 01622 840229 dejager.co.uk • Desirable Plants 01803 864489 desirableplants.com • Direct Bulbs 01962 840038 directbulbs.co.uk • Edulis 01635 578113 edulis.co.uk • Gee Tee Bulb Co 01205 260412 gee-tee.co.uk • Harperley Hall 01207 233318 harperleyhallfarm nurseries.co.uk • Harveys Plants 01359 233363 harveysgardenplants.co.uk • J Parkers 0161 848 1100 jparkers.co.uk • Jacques Amand 020 8420 7110 jacquesamandintl.com • Long Acre Plants 01963 32802 plantsforshade.co.uk • Marshalls Seeds 0844 557 6700 marshalls-seeds.co.uk • Peter Nyssen 0161 747 4000 peternyssen.com • Pottertons Nursery 01472 851714 pottertons.co.uk • Primrose 01189035210 primrose.co.uk • Rose Cottage Plants 01992 573 775 rosecottageplants.co.uk • Sarah Raven 0345…

Galanthus ‘S. Arnott’ Why Has a lovely green-striped inner bell and honeyed perfume. When to plant Oct-Nov, providing you plant growing bulbs. When it flowers Jan-Mar Pot types and numbers Line up rows of 9cm pots, with five bulbs per pot. Others to try G. nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’ or ‘Blewbury Tart’. Scilla ‘Spring Beauty’ Why Produces concentrated vivid blue flowers when grown in pots. When to plant Sept-Oct When it flowers Mar-Apr Pot types and numbers Three to five bulbs in a litre pot. Others to try S. bifolia’s blue flowers look more intense with its crimson stems. S. peruviana has superb heads; needs a deep pot. Iris ‘Katharine Hodgkin’ Why Sometimes the first bulb to flower; loves growing in pots. When…

CUT YOUNG GROWTH • Use shears to trim the current season’s growth of topiary such as this box As summer slips into autumn, seize the final opportunity of the year to prune formally shaped evergreens. Any plants that are clipped into shape, from hedges to topiary specimens, need trimming through the growing season to maintain their smart, crisp outlines. This is the last chance to trim because the new shoots that are stimulated by pruning need time to ripen before temperatures plummet, or scorching could occur. And, because growth has now slowed right down, a last clip ensures plants keep a sharp, neat outline for months and look handsome until spring is well under way. Evergreens, however humble, come into their own in winter, when many other plants are dormant,…

Sow hardy annuals now BRIGHTEN UP the greenhouse with flowers in the spring by sowing hardy annuals now. These can also be planted outdoors in beds early next year so you have some flowers ahead of the spring-sown border plants. Calendula, cerinthe, cornflowers, eschscholzia, nigella, orlaya and Salvia horminum are ideal – they don’t get too leggy before they flower. Sow seed sparsely into a general-purpose compost. Once germinated, give them as much light and air as possible to avoid them rotting in the low light levels of winter. Water sparingly and thin or pot on to give them plenty of space to grow into good-sized flowering plants. Change over crops PROMPTLY REMOVE any summer greenhouse crops, such as aubergines and cucumbers, once they’ve stopped producing fruits to make space…

Cut back any messy perennials YOU MIGHT want to keep some plants uncut over winter so you can enjoy the look of architectural seedheads, give soil some protection from cold weather and benefit wildlife sheltering among the stems or eating seeds. These plants can be left until spring before cutting back. However, some plants turn soggy over autumn, spoiling the look of your borders and providing little benefit to wildlife inhabitants. Start cutting these back now, compost the clippings and mulch the now-revealed bare soil. Beechgrove CHECKLIST • After lifting, dry onions on a rack under cover before storing. Keep them in a dry, well-ventilated, frost-free place • Amaryllis require a ‘rest’ now, so allow the compost to dry out and the leaves to die down • Take heather cuttings…

YOU WILL NEED A pile of fallen leaves Black bin liners A garden fork Leafmould is formed from decaying leaves and is a great soil conditioner, lacing the earth with fungi, which aids soil health. It also makes a good habitat for wildlife such as worms, beetles and other invertebrates, which birds and small mammals pick through when the leafmould is applied to the soil as a mulch. All fallen leaves and pine needles can be turned into leafmould, but oak, beech or hornbeam leaves break down more quickly. 1 Fill several black bin liners with fallen leaves. If the leaves are dry, water them thoroughly with a watering can with a rose attached. 2 Tie the bag at the top and use a garden fork to pierce several air…

By September, the tops of maincrop potatoes are starting to turn yellow and die back, and the tubers are almost ready to harvest. Maincrops are the best potatoes for storing, but to ensure they keep for as long as possible, cut the foliage back and leave the potatoes in the ground for a week or two before you lift them. This allows the skins to set while in the soil, making them less prone to damage and disease once harvested. Lift your crop on a sunny day, easing carefully around the plants with a fork and then lay the potatoes out on the ground. Brush off any excess soil, then leave them to dry in the sun for the rest of the day so that the skins harden. Before storing,…

Anne Swithinbank A keen fruit, vegetable and houseplant grower, Anne was formerly the Glasshouse Supervisor at RHS Garden Wisley. Bob Flowerdew Bob is an organic gardener and a regular panellist on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time. Christine Walkden Garden writer Christine appears on BBC1’s The One Show. She is also a lecturer and tour leader. Q What can we plant to quickly hide our neighbour’s large shed? Derek Mann, Eastbourne A CHRISTINE SAYS: A mixed hedge will grow fairly quickly if you buy reasonably sized plants. It will be expensive but the cover and speed of getting to the height you need would justify the cost. Crataegus ‘Prunifolia’ is a small spreading tree that has glossy, dark-green leaves and takes on orange-red tints in autumn. In early summer it…

It’s hard to know which way to look in September – forward with the shifting season to new beginnings in the garden, or over your shoulder to the carefree exuberance of summer. The old ways of gardening would tell you to start afresh now, clear away and dive headlong into autumn planting… and yet, don’t we all yearn to hold onto the spirit of summer? The warmth and light of September has lingered on in recent years, so why let it go too soon? The good news is, with a bit of clever planting, you really can keep summer coming – at least the look if not the weather! In his Garden Notebook (page 43), Joe shares his blueprint for putting on a late show, using some of the humblest…

An elegant shrub, with pretty maple-like leaves, that flowers and fruits freely, has fiery autumn colour and never gets too large – well, we could all do with one of those, couldn’t we? This exceptional Award of Garden Merit-winning deciduous shrub is appealing right from the start, when its three or five-pointed, fresh green, maple-like leaves unfurl in spring. In May and June, these are followed by pure-white lacecap heads of flowers up to 7.5cm across, which in this variety are produced far more generously than in other forms. The prolific flowering is followed by plentiful bright-red fruits, which usually persist until well into winter, although they eventually shrivel and by mid-winter may look a little like dried cranberries – edible, but very tart. Finally, in a colourful end-of-season flourish,…

When we sold our house in 2007 and bought the nursery, garden and cottage, I left behind the trappings of office life with enthusiasm. No more heels and suits, no traffic jams and crowded trains, no more lengthy meetings spent gazing wistfully out of the window at an enticing sky. Leaving the wilted office aspidistra behind for a life outdoors has made me stronger, fitter and leaner than I’ve ever been. But I also earn less than I did before and no longer have an occupational pension, holiday pay or sick pay. If I add up all the hours I work – including evenings, early mornings and weekends – I often earn less than the minimum wage per hour. So why do it? And how do we manage? The ‘why’…

Watch the birdie Giant birdhouses designed by 15 celebrities have begun a nationwide tour of shopping centres to encourage us to welcome birds into our gardens. The collaboration between the RSPB and the Intu shopping centre chain, sees the likes of The One Show presenter Alex Jones, DJ Jo Whiley and comedian Vic Reeves enlisted to design the birdhouses which aims to raise awareness and funds for the RSPB. The tour travels the UK until October 2016. Visit intu.co.uk/ birdhouse to find out when it’s in your area. Rose scent set for a comeback Every new rose could soon combine the intense fragrance of old-fashioned varieties with disease resistance and long-lasting blooms. Scientists from the University of Lyon, in France, have identified the enzyme that is responsible for producing ‘geraniol’, the…

Makes 6 x 360g jars About 2kg quinces 1kg golden granulated sugar • Using a sharp, heavy knife, chop up the quinces, cutting out any bad bits but leaving the skins and cores. Put them in a saucepan and pour over just enough water to cover the fruit. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 1 hour, until the quinces are soft and easily pierced with a knife. • Strain the pulp through a jelly bag or a piece of muslin tied in four corners suspended over a large bowl. Leave for several hours to drip slowly, and don’t force the pulp through by squeezing or the jelly will be cloudy. You should end up with 1.8 litres of juice. • Put two saucers in the fridge to chill…

HISTORY Created by husband and wife Patrick and Sylvie Quibel, the seven-acre garden is divided into various ’rooms’. The couple reconfigured the existing orchard, keeping all the fruit trees and outlining large square grassy areas planted with wildflowers, which tie in with their strong graphic design. HIGHLIGHTS There is a wide diversity of planting and themes, including the Flower Garden, the Autumn Garden and the eponymous Feather Garden. VISIT Le Jardin Plume, 790 rue de la Plaine, 76116 Auzouville-sur-Ry, France. Wednesday and Saturday 10am-12 noon and 2pm-6pm; Thursday, Friday and Sunday, 2pm-6pm. Admission: adult € 8.50; child (10-13) € 4.50; under-10s free. Call 00332 3523 0001 or visit lejardinplume.com There is an on-site nursery that stocks lots of plants grown in the garden. Opening times are different from the garden;…

As spring gathers pace, more and more bulbs are unfurling their petals and revelling in the newly-minted sunshine. Daffodils are only part of the story – there’s an array of flowers, from the glamour of the first tulips to the untamed beauty of fritillaries and delicate ground-hugging woodlanders to work into every corner of your garden. Mix of the month… Fritillaries & skimmia Delicate snakeshead fritillaries show up a treat in pots with skimmias and ivies. Good in shade. Fritillaria meleagris Flowers Apr-May H 30cm Supplier Thompson & Morgan Hyacinthus ‘Woodstock’ Sturdy, long-flowering heads saturated with colour and sweet perfume. Flowers Mar-Apr H 25cm Supplier J Parker’s Anemone De Caen Group Cheery flowers in rich colours over pretty ferny foliage. Flowers Apr-May H 25cm Supplier Anglia…

Carol’s top tip Plant spring bulbs in ‘inner pots’ that can be lifted out of the decorative container once the display is over and replaced with summer bedding Buy bulbs from a reputable source and make sure they are plump yet firm. Avoid anything that is shrivelled or desiccated. Although most bulbs are sold ‘dry’; in some cases it is better to buy them in growth. Snowdrops are a prime example – buy them ‘in the green’, if you can, as their flowers are finishing, though if you’ve got bulbs in the garden you can lift them now (they’re already producing new roots). Trilliums, cyclamen and erythroniums are also best bought in growth. Use loam-based compost, especially if you intend to plant out your bulbs later – it will feed…

Topiary is the term used to describe the pruning of plants to create bold shapes that have been popular since Roman times. These can be simple cones, cubes or pyramids, or complex ‘lollipops’ or animals – perfect additions to any garden. Smaller topiary looks great in containers – perfect as long-lived, easy-care features for patios, doorways and other soil-less spots. In borders, clipped evergreens make a sharp contrast to colourful informal planting, in pairs to flank paths or gates, and as focal points. Forget grand associations with stately homes: topiary is for everyone. Box and yew are classic topiary plants: small-leaved, they respond well to shaping and are neither too fast- nor too slow-growing. Box blight is increasingly prevalent: avoid to some extent by not crowding or overfeeding plants. Ilex…

Plant clematis WHILE THE ground’s still warm, it’s a good time to plant spring- and summer-flowering clematis so they have time to get their roots down before winter, ready for a good performance next year. Dig a large hole, fork through the base and soak with water. Add bonemeal to encourage root development and mix some garden compost into the soil to improve its structure. Plant deeply, up to the first set of leaves, and backfill the hole, firming well, and water again before mulching with more compost. Protect young shoots from slugs. Start moving non-hardy plants under glass TENDER PERENNIALS such as diascia, fuchsias, geraniums and salvias used for summer display should still be looking good this month, and with cooler temperatures the foliage and flower colour often gets…

Planting ornamental bulbs in a border THERE’S SOMETHING exciting about planting spring-flowering bulbs – it’s like drawing in the garden with invisible ink, with the picture revealed in spring. Now’s the perfect time to plant because the bulbs will be in tip-top condition, the ground is still soft and workable, and the bulbs will put on some strong root growth before winter sets in. Tulips should be left to plant until November but there are loads you can put in now, including alliums, crocus, daffodils, fritillaries and hyacinths. If you plant into flower beds, many varieties will multiply into drifts and come back year on year. Most bulbs need free-draining soil and plenty of sun – but not all. They can all be grown among the foliage of emerging perennials…

It may feel like the vegetable-growing year is winding down but, in fact, it’s just the beginning. To have crops to pick through winter and the first half of next year, you need to act this month. From now until October, when the soil is still warm and moist, is a great time to plant and sow – the earlier the better, particularly if you’re gardening at altitude or live in northern Britain. If you normally only grow summer crops, sowing in September is a great way to make your veg plot work twice as hard – most vegetables sown now will be harvested before your tender summer veg is ready to be planted out next year. You can also gain time now by buying plug plants, especially in cold…

David says Sow lawn seed thinly to reduce the risk of fungal problems and get strong grass growth. Follow the instructions on the seed pack or aim at 20g per sq m if you are using a general-purpose lawn seed mix. Q What's the best grass seed for my lawn? David answers A Years of turf selection and breeding have resulted in specialised lawn seed mixes appropriate for different situations. Choose the one that suits your use of the lawn and light conditions. Four main grass genera are used in modern lawn seed mixes: ryegrass (Lolium spp.), meadowgrass (Poa spp), fescue (festuca spp) and bent or browntop (Agrostis spp). Rye grasses have the broadest leaves and produce the coarsest looking lawn. Dwarf varieties create a hardwearing turf that will withstand…

It’s all Greek to me We got a surprise when we picked this cucumber ‘Socrates’ in July and found a leaf growing from the middle of it – is this unusual? Guy Fortescue, by email We say: This cucumber is unusual but plant parts do sometimes change, and that’s how cuttings grow roots. Freaky flower I wondered if anyone has seen a delphinium as enormous as this monster? It has had no special treatment except an annual mulch. Helen Smith, by email We say: Polyploidy (a genetic condition) may have boosted it. Mystery bug I noticed this beautiful bug on my mock orange blossom bush – any ideas what it is? Carole Cann, by email Bugman Jones says: It is one of my favourites: Rutpela maculata, or Strangalia maculata, commonly…

How to enter Identify the plants and any wildlife, including the variety if possible. Put your full name into the image file name. Set camera to highest resolution. Send image as a jpg at the highest resolution – max. 20MB per email. In the subject line of your email, tell us what’s in the photo and give your name. In the main message, give your name, address, phone number, and a sentence or two about why and how you took it. State the category you’re entering: If you’re entering the Under-17s category, you must state your age. Email: We cannot accept prints. Photos published here receive a £10 National Garden Gift Voucher. Under-17s “My grandad loved growing chrysanthemums, so after he passed away I started growing them, and I…

Plants 1 Purple heather x 1 2 Asplenium scolopendrium x 1 3 Purple pansies x 2 4 Ajuga reptans ‘Braunherz’ x 1 This potted display of rich purples marks a change in the seasons as the heat of summer begins to fade away. The velvety pansies steal the show, while the other plants create an interesting mix of colour and texture – a plain terracotta pot provides a simple counterpoint. The container is perfect for a semi-shaded spot, and the ajuga and fern can be planted out in the garden when the display is past its best. 1 Half fill your container with multi-purpose compost and mix in a measure of slow-release fertiliser. 2 Add the plants one at a time, packing them in quite tightly. Fill any gaps with…

I recall going to the Liss Ard Estate near Skibbereen in southern Ireland some 25 years ago to visit what was enticingly described as a ‘Sky Garden’. In fact it turned out to be a piece of land art by the American artist James Turrell. It was an early version of what has since become his series of installations called Skyspaces, in which he creates a ‘frame’ for viewing the sky, using earthworks and structures, so the light becomes an endlessly fascinating, meditative pool of illumination. Back then, the Liss Ard ‘garden’ was very much a work in progress. However, a central crater had been created and that in itself, although still just bare soil, was a thing of great beauty. I have since visited other Skyspaces in Northumberland and…

• Leaves can curl for all sorts of reasons, most of them harmless. It could be temperature fluctuations, and brown and yellow marks could be fungal problems – just nip off the affected leaves. Air circulation is the best natural aid against fungal disease; it reduces the humidity that fungi need, so give your plants space. Early blight looks like little brown ‘bulls eyes’ with a pale halo. Italophile • Not blight. Sounds like they don’t like the cold nights. Try draping fleece over them. Hostafan1 • Try watering with a foliar feed and maybe a systemic fungicide, then wait four days before picking. It could be a trace element shortage, which feeding would rectify. BLT • I’ve noticed if I miss a day of watering the leaves curl in,…

Celebrate the 300th anniversary of Capability Brown’s birth, next year, by planting a new collection of spring-flowering bulbs in your garden. It includes some of the varieties which Brown used in his 18th century landscapes, and is available from bulb suppliers de Jager, to plant this autumn. The 100 bulb collection costs £30. Call 01622 840229 or visit dejager.co.uk A 2m-wide cabbage has been grown by a champion veg grower using coffee grounds to boost his crop. Kevin Fortey from Cwmbran in Wales says: “I’ve been using Costa’s coffee grounds on my cabbage patch for months and I’ve seen a huge improvement.” Gardeners can collect used coffee grounds from Costa Coffee shops for free. Love taking photos of your garden? Why not take part in a Garden Photography Masterclass with…

If you think you can’t grow fruit, think again. Whatever the conditions in your garden, there will be a fruit to suit it – it’s simply a matter of choosing the right one. Many people believe that fruit needs full sun, but there are plenty of fruits that will thrive in even a partially shaded spot. Here are five that will happily crop with only minimal sun. But if you’re lucky enough to have a sun-baked plot, choose a fruit that will really relish it, giving you bigger crops and better flavour as a result of all that sunshine. For a shady garden 1 Gooseberry ‘Invicta’ AGM: heavy cropping, mildew-resistant. 2 Cherry ‘Morello’ AGM: sour cherry, perfect for cooking, self-fertile. 3 Raspberry ‘Glen Ample’ AGM: heavy cropping summer variety with…

Long-season strawberry collection Three favourites for both flavour and good, heavy crops, from May throught to the end July. ‘Malling Centenary’ (Mid-season) ‘Elegance’ (Mid-season) ‘Malwina’ (Late-season) 18 runners, 6 of each variety, for £12.95 Raspberry ‘Ruby Beauty’ An easy-to-grow dwarf raspberry that’s great for containers. The fruits set on newly grown canes, so expect early summer crops next year. Reaches 1m height, 50cm spread. 1 plant (2 litre pot) £15.95 or buy 2 plants for £26.90 (£13.45 each) – SAVING £5! Blueberry ‘Pink Lemonade’ This self-pollinating variety turns a deep pink on ripening. It also has showy pink-white flowers in spring and bright orange leaves in autumn. Will reach a height of 1.5cm and a spread of 75cm. 1 plant (2 litre pot) £15.95 or buy 2 for £26.90 (£13.45…

September is always a time of mixed feelings for gardeners. To some it’s the start of a whole new season, whose signature fiery foliage tints and colourful late flowers, fruit and berries bring the gardening year to a grand finale. To others it signals a welcome end to the routine summer chores of hedge-clipping, weekly mowing and weeding as the garden slides gently into off-season mode. This is the opportunity to start work on the sort of big projects you can only do conveniently during the dormant season, such as planting trees, shrubs or fruit, doing a redesign, construction work or making a pond. But for a third group – and they’ll often overlap with the earlier two – late summer and early autumn are the times to get stuck…

Pot up prepared bulbs in bulb fibre somewhere cool and dark. Once they show shoots, bring into a cool room to green up, then move to a warm windowsill for flowers on Christmas Day. Turn to p112 for more tips. Hyacinthus ‘Fondant’ Lush, flower-packed sugar-pink blooms that can fill a whole house with their heady fragrance. Flowers Dec-Jan H 25cm Supplier J Parker’s Narcissus ‘Paperwhite’ Pure white daffodils in miniature with a fragile beauty and delicate scent lingering in the air. Flowers Dec-Jan H 30-35cm Supplier Crocus Tulipa ‘Christmas Dream’ A symphony of pinks, from magenta to palest silver, singing of spring in the depths of winter. Flowers Dec-Jan H 35cm Supplier Bloms Bulbs…

1 Crocus chrysanthus ‘Blue Pearl’ A great crocus for pots and beds, too. Each bulb produces dainty, yellow-eyed, soft blue flowers. Height 10cm 15 corms £3.99 2 Iris reticulata ‘Katharine Hodgkin’ Beautiful blooms in striking shades of blue, yellow and green. Flowers in January and February. H 12cm 10 bulbs £5.99 3 Muscari ‘Valerie Finnis’ The sweetly scented, powder blue flowers are a lovely contrast for brighter blooms. H 18cm £4.99 for 15 bulbs 4 Scilla siberica ‘Spring Beauty’ Bell-shaped, true blue blooms to brighten up spring containers and they will naturalise, too. H 15cm 15 bulbs £5.99 5 Anemone coronaria ‘Sylphide’ The iridescent pink blooms of this gorgeous anemone appear in March and April. H 30cm 15 bulbs £3.99 6 Hyacinthus ‘Carnegie’ This hyacinth is suitable for outdoors or…

Long grass and weeds at the base of hedges, fences, around posts or on uneven ground can’t be reached by most mowers so are best tackled with a trimmer. If you have more grass than you can manage with a pair of shears, you may need to buy a powered trimmer. We tested 12 models to help you choose. Our Sparsholt College test site has plenty of grass, so we took a range of trimmers to the staff and students of the Horticulture Department and asked them for their feedback. They set off with the trimmers, safety equipment and a clipboard with a scoring pro forma that covered: • Handling: weight, operating comfort and storage • Power provision: noise, vibration and engine performance • Cutting action: effectiveness for the task…

I HAVE GROWN to love September. The garden has taught me the wisdom of treasuring the fading light with the same pleasure as the thrill of spring. In September the garden gives with greatest elegance – it is a time of refinement and generosity, of largesse dispensed in the knowledge that the days of wine and roses are coming to an end, so they should be savoured all the more enthusiastically. Some of September’s harvest hails from distant, much warmer lands, such as the melons, peppers, tomatoes, pumpkins and fennel that we have ‘borrowed’, which can all now be gathered and brought in. As can our own native apples, plums, pears and hardy vegetables that are still growing so well. But perhaps the richest harvest of September is the light.…

Plant up an autumn container SUMMER MAY BE NEARLY OVER, but you can keep the colour and interest going in your garden by planting up a container that will look great throughout autumn and winter. Choose plants that have interesting and contrasting evergreen foliage, and maybe autumn or winter flowers. Use a frost-proof container and fill it with a good-quality multi-purpose compost. Add a slow-release fertiliser to keep the plants nourished long term, and stand the pot on feet to aid drainage as pots can become waterlogged in winter. Plants grow more slowly in autumn and winter, so you can plant them close together, and they need less watering, too – just ensure they don’t dry out. If you’re planting up a large pot, move it into position beforehand as…

Force bulbs for Christmas ENJOY COLOUR AND SCENT in the house at Christmas – or create gifts – by planting spring bulbs, such as hyacinths, this month. Be sure to buy ‘prepared’ bulbs, and stagger the planting over a few weeks to ensure some will bloom on the day. Check instructions for your variety, but hyacinths need about eight to ten weeks in a cool, dark place (such as a garage) at about 9°C, then around three weeks indoors before flowering. The plant will look pale when first brought indoors, so put it somewhere cool, out of direct sun, to green up for a few days. Then place in a bright spot, away from artificial heat such as a radiator, and keep the compost moist. If the leaves develop faster…

Strawberries are one of our favourite summer fruits, and the great news is they are also one of the easiest to grow. Traditionally grown in rows in the ground, they are a versatile crop, and do really well in pots and containers of all types and sizes, meaning anyone can grow them – on a balcony, windowsill or even in a hanging basket. Now, at the end of the summer when the soil is still warm, is the best time to plant them to ensure you’ll be harvesting lots of sweet, lush fruit next year. By growing strawberries in pots you can provide the perfect conditions – rich, fertile soil and a sunny position, and when the flowering season approaches you can move your pots to the sunniest spot. Don’t…

For a true celebration of spring, try these unusual double-flowered lilac varieties, with panicles of jewel-like florets, for more of that gorgeous colour and fragrance. They’re ideal to grow as a large statement shrub or small multi-stemmed tree to add height to borders. Plants can be restricted to a height of 1.2m-1.5m if grown as a shrub in the border, or can be grown in pots for smaller gardens. 1 ‘Katherine Havemeyer’ A quick-growing, trouble-free variety with nectar-rich, fragrant flowers that are loved by butterflies. A popular specimen shrub for cottage garden borders that requires little maintenance. H x S7m x 7m (unpruned) One 9cm potted plant £11.99 2 ‘Madame Lemoine’ Creamy buds unfurl to reveal compact panicles of double white flowers. The richly fragrant blooms are set against heart-shaped…

Vine weevils Beware the female of the species… There is no opposite sex in the world of vine weevils, and they breed as voraciously as their offspring devour plants and roots – so arm yourself against the enemy. Damage caused/ symptoms The adult vine weevils are about 9mm long, darkest matt grey to black with gingery yellow flecks on their back. They feed, mainly after dusk, on leaf margins, leaving them notched with the lower leaves most heavily damaged. The eggs are less than 1mm in diameter, so are almost impossible to spot on soil or compost – they are often mistaken for the brownish, moisture-filled spheres, several millimetres in diameter, that are controlled-release fertiliser granules. Vine weevil grubs hatch from the eggs to feed below ground, eating roots and…

TV highlight Gardeners’ World Monty has plenty of advice to keep your garden looking good this month. Joe continues his tour of remarkable allotments, while Carol will be visiting a garden famed for its prairie-style borders. Fridays, 8.30pm, BBC2 TV highlights… The Beechgrove Garden Carole and George help a community garden in Inverbervie. Carole and Jim visit the Rothesay Pavilion Flower Show. Plus, Jim tends tomatoes and visits the Heathryfold allotments. Thursdays, 7.30pm, BBC2 Scotland, and Sundays, 9am, BBC2 On radio… Gardeners’ Question Time The team start the month at the National Oceanography Centre, in Liverpool, where they learn about some of the 10,000 plant species in our oceans. On 11 September, they travel to Ayr to find out how the therapeutic benefits of gardening are used to help people…

AUTUMN GUIDE TO PLANTING • Plants to grow in problem places • Easy to follow step-by-steps • Expert tips and advice to get the best results • Value-for-money plant choices PLUS How to prune newly planted shrubs ADVICE YOU CAN TRUST NEW SERIES Alan shares secrets from his own plot to help you make a better garden Carol picks her favourite plants for autumn colour Monty on how to design and plant for wildlife SAVE £££ Don’t miss your Robert Dyas discount card VALID TILL CHRISTMAS! CARD GIVES YOU 10% off online and in store Subscribers get a 15% off card 40 FREE* TULIPBULBS for every reader * send just £5.95 postage mixed colours • great for cutting • perfect in pots 10 ways to help your wildlife survive the…

There is much to be said in this life for keeping your powder dry; for not making a fuss until you really have to, in the hope that when you do someone will sit up and take notice. Such a moment happened recently when I was contacted by several people from Bradford, West Yorkshire. Back in the 1960s, I served my apprenticeship in the council nursery in Ilkley, the town in Wharfedale where I was born and brought up, and which had once been famous for its restorative waters. In the 1800s, it was a spa town, where the Victorians came to escape the city smog, to breathe the pure air and drink the tangy waters from the moorland springs. By the time I left Ilkley to go to college,…