Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2023 i Garden Answers

The plant conservation charity Plant Heritage has awarded Melanie Domb’s collection of aconitum, also known as monkshood or wolf’s bane, National Plant Collection status.Melanie’s passion for these herbaceous perennials started when one appeared in her Hertfordshire garden. This first plant has yet to be identified but she now also grows 19 different species and 17 cultivars. “They are beautiful, but you rarely see them at flower shows, in show gardens or for sale at plant fairs. This is likely because they’re poisonous, and while of course they should be grown with care, many other garden favourites, such as foxgloves, daffodils and tulip bulbs are also toxic, and yet remain popular garden plants. I really hope my collection shows that monkshood deserves to be in our gardens, and I hope to inspire…

ROSEMOOR SCULPTURE EXHIBITION until 31 January RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH Discover more than 120 captivating sculptures set among the beautiful backdrop of Rosemoor’s beautiful winter gardens and woodland. £14.25 garden entry including Gift Aid (RHS free) ✿ 01805 624067; rhs.org.uk HARVEYS’ GARDEN PLANTS CELEBRATION OF SNOWDROPS 21 January 11am–2.30pm Norton Village Hall, Norton, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP31 3ND Enjoy the chance to admire and buy rare snowdrops from specialist growers. £4 entry (£3 RHS) ✿ harveysgardenplants.co.uk SIMPLIFYING THE RULES 28 January 10am–3pm West Dean, Nr Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0QZ Organic gardener Charles Dowding explains how to grow healthy fruit and vegetable crops using his no-dig style of gardening. £89 ✿ 01243 818300; westdean.org.uk TERRARIUM WORKSHOP 29 January and 12 February…

A researcher specialising in slugs has been recognised with a national award for shedding light on the diversity and ecology of these slimy but underappreciated garden critters. Based at RHS Garden Wisley, Imogen Cavadino was a runner up in National Biodiversity Network Trust’s Award for Wildlife Recording. She ran two projects and encouraged gardeners to report sightings of target species, which generated hundreds of records. “Slugs and snails are not always popular, so I enjoy educating others about their diversity, roles in the ecosystem and the challenges these species face,” said Imogen. “Records submitted by the public are a vital resource, especially in increasing understanding of changes happening in our native biodiversity due to human actions, climate change and increased international trade.” Imogen is an RHS Research Assistant and is…

The Seed Detective by Adam Alexander, Chelsea Green Publishing, £18.99 A fascinating book by a seed guardian for the Heritage Seed Library whose passion was sparked 30 years ago when he tried a Ukrainian pepper he’d found in a market as the Soviet Union was collapsing. Follow his seed-hunting journeys and discover the history behind the plants on our plates. ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ RHS Garden Bridgewater The Making of a Garden by Phil McCann, Frances Lincoln £32 Delve into the creation of one of Europe’s largest and most ambitious garden projects, the RHS’ newest garden. Including details of the site’s history and the story behind the design and construction process. ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ Grasping the Nettle: Tales from a Modern Country Gardener by Tamsin Westhorpe, Orphans Publishing £14.99…

Polypodium vulgare (polypody) Common polypody is a UK native wintergreen fern of great ornamental use, thanks to the diversity of its many selections, most of which are at their verdant best in autumn and early winter. These compact ferns grow from a creeping rhizome, which usually spreads across the soil surface, but helps anchor this species to tree branches or stone walls in wetter areas. Triangular, leathery fronds arise to around 20cm (8in) long or more. It is slow growing, forming low rafts of growth, perfect at the front of shaded borders or rockeries, under bamboo or you could try attaching it to a tree. Plants turn shabby as fresh growth replaces old fronds in early summer, but these detach freely and can be combed out. H20cm (8in) S60cm (2ft)…

Dig up lilac and sumach suckers Winter is the best time to spot suckers. After rain has softened the ground, dig them out from below the soil with a sharp spade. Protect bark from hungry rabbits and deer Use a ring or wire mesh or a plastic guard to protect bark from mammals on the lookout for food. Check tree stakes and ties Make sure ties haven’t become too tight or slipped – you can nail them into place on the stake for security. Move trees if needed Winter is an ideal time to move small or young trees. Dig a trench around the roots and lift out as much of the root ball as you can. Replant immediately in its new spot. Knock off snow Heavy snowfall might bend…

Fact file Name: Jenny Thompson Location: South Devon Patch type: Small village allotment surrounded by rolling Devon hills Size: 10x10m (33x33ft) Soil: Red Devon clay mulched with spent mushroom compost Aspect: Open and sunny, but with a north-facing hedge on one border casting some shade Top 5 crops: Salad leaves, kale, sweetcorn, blueberries, parsnips Failures: Strangely, radish – flea beetles ravish them! Organic tip: When clearing beds of annuals, don’t rip out the whole plant. Cut it close to the base and leave the roots to rot down over winter, feeding the soil microbes Find out more: Instagram @organic_allotment_girl Facebook @organic.allotment.girl JANUARY is the month for resolutions and anything I can do to distract myself from red wine and the fact this is not the best month for vegetable growers…

Buy 6 for £24 just £4 per plant! These lovely winter-blooming plants are the perfect tonic to dreary weather and dark nights, and now that the shortest day has passed, we can look forward to the arrival of spring, heralded by their colour and fragrance. Heavenly Hellebores Loved for their unsurpassed winter beauty, hellebores survive the coldest weather, poking their heads up above the snow. Cup-shaped flowers appear above glossy, evergreen foliage throughout winter and into spring, providing your garden with colours when not much else is flowering. Perfect for planting in shady borders and containers or underneath trees and shrubs. Hayloft is offering readers a selection of hellebores in three different colourways – Double White Spotted, Single Pink and Single Red Spotted. H&S35cm (14in) Supplied as 9cm pots, delivery…

● Dan Masoliver is a trained horticulturist and freelance writer from London. He is author of The Earthworm, a newsletter that takes a sideways look at the world of gardens, gardening and horticulture Sometimes I think I’m simply not built to be a gardener. And at this time of year, those dark feelings are at their worst. Naturally, I prefer not to blame myself, so I’ll blame the culture instead. Let me explain. If I squint my neurons, I can just recall a point in my life where I might have had to wait up to a few dozen seconds for a webpage to materialise. Likewise, there was a time where I could not order a cordless drill, or vegetable chow mein, or hessian sack of allium ‘Globemaster’ bulbs on…

The kitchen garden at Kew has been revamped to reduce its environmental impact and promote more sustainable ways of gardening. The new garden has a drip irrigation system for efficient watering, a green-roof shelter to increase biodiversity and reduce rainwater run-off plus solitary bee houses. With a focus on resilient crops that cope with the changing climate, the kitchen garden team is growing more than 400 fruit and vegetable cultivars. These include perennial vegetables with longer roots so they can access water and nutrients deep in the soil; oca as an alternative to maincrop potatoes, which are susceptible to blight; and a ‘mushroom garden’, which is Kew’s first dedicated space to growing fungi. kew.org…

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER & INSTAGRAM @gardenanswers A Dainty perennial with heart-shaped leaves, often with silver marbling, and pink or white upswept petals. B Beloved plant with a wide array of cultivars and rare ones sell for thousands of pounds. C Ground-hugging plant with glowing golden blooms each surrounded by a distinctive green ruff. D Native tree that produces dangling yellow catkins on bare branches in January and tasty nuts in autumn. E Fabulous pale blue to deep violet blooms with yellow splashes emerge among slender leaves. F Creeping native plant with tiny fragrant purple flowers that are used to make perfume.…

Evergreens remind us that the garden still lives, even if the sun fails to make its way through the January grey. Skimmias are glossy-leaved shrubs that deserve a spot in every garden and ‘Kew Green’ with its months of conical buds followed by pale cream flowers is a winter leading light. Here it has been given an equally handsome supporting cast with vertical rosemary, arching carex and lance-like iris. Imagine this as a welcoming cluster of plants by your front door; it’s a combination that would look good whatever the season. Colour palette Dark and zingy lime greens, whites and a splash of coral STEP 1 DESIGN YOUR BORDER STEP 2 CHOOSE THE RIGHT PLANTS CAREX COMANS ‘FROSTED CURLS’ Slender arching bright silvery-green evergreen leaves are particularly beautiful touched…

Easy PROJECT 1 Prepare the ground Thoroughly weed the area you plan to plant and fork the soil down to the depth of the roots around the whole planting area to help drainage. 2 Position the hole Dig a hole the same depth as the roots but twice as wide. If you are planting into the centre of a raised bed, measure to find the exact spot. 3 Keep the roots healthy Soak the roots in a bucket of tepid water for up to two hours before planting. 4 Find the right level Position the tree so the roots are covered and the natural soil level ‘tide mark’ on the trunk is level with the surrounding soil surface. 5 Don’t plant too deep Backfill soil into the hole, but keep…

Prize photo WIN SECATEURS WORTH £44! Send us a high-res photo of your favourite plants with a short description and you could win this pair of Wilkinson Sword Razorcut Comfort secateurs, which feature lightweight yet strong cast aluminium handles and carry a 10-year-guarantee. ●Bypass Pruners: large bypass cutting head. ●Anvil Pruners: nylon anvil and sap groove; quality SK5 Japanese steel blades. ●Sap groove, wire cutter and safety lock. Bee-utiful photo bomber We visited Stourhead National Trust in October half term and I was mesmerised by these dahlias. As I went to take a picture, an obliging bee landed right in the middle! Laura Costanza, by email…

Patio project MAGNETIC MONOCHROME Celebrate the frosty days of midwinter with this stylish monochromatic display. The Christmas rose, Helleborus niger, (H30cm/12in S45cm/18in) sits at the centre of the metal planter, where stems topped with pure white blooms rise above bottle green, leathery foliage. Clumps of the common snowdrop Galanthus nivalis (H&S10cm/4in) are positioned around the edge alongside the slender, arching, black leaves of Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ (H20cm/8in S30cm/12in).…

1 PLACE A PIECE OF CANDLE ADHESIVE such as Stick-Um or similar on the inside base of a tall glass vase or kilner jar. 2 FIX THE CANDLE IN PLACE,then around the base add a layer of moss and fern leaves. You could also use larch cones and lichen-covered twigs. 3 IN A GOBLET-SHAPED BOWLor vase place a small potted ivy. Disguise the plastic pot using moss around the sides and to cover the top of the soil. 4 FOR ADDED DECORATION,push some attractive twiggy branches into the soil in the pot. Contorted hazel has been used here but you could use the colourful stems of dogwood or willow.…

GROW TASTY EARLY RHUBARB If you have an established clump of rhubarb, you might notice thick knuckles of the growing crown starting to poke out of the ground this month. You can prompt these to grow into early crops of deliciously tender, bright pink stems if you cover them to exclude light – aprocess known as ‘forcing’. Specially designed terracotta forcing pots are an attractive addition to the winter garden but if you don’t have one of those, simply place a bucket over the crown, weighing it down with a brick. You can use a large pot too, so long as you block the drainage holes to exclude light. Make sure that no light can peek in by heaping up a little soil around the base. In six weeks or…

Adrian Thomas is the RSPB’s wildlife-friendly gardening expert and author of RSPB Gardening for Wildlife. He is also a Trustee of the Wildlife Gardening Forum, and a passionate gardener and plantsman. Everyone understands that Planet Earth is headlong into a nature and climate crisis, and human activities are making things really difficult for wildlife. But, before we get too down on ourselves, it is encouraging to know that we can all play a vital role in our own gardens to help stem nature’s decline. So, whether you have a blank canvas or are enhancing an established garden, what is the best way to help nature at the same time as making your outdoor space work for you? Perhaps the first and most important thing to realise is that there’s no…

GARDEN TO VISIT After a busy festive period, it’s tempting to huddle up indoors in January, but the Winter Walk at RHS Garden Harlow Carr is calling. Along with lungfuls of fresh North Yorkshire air, the Winter Walk’s vibrant colours, scents and hints of emerging new life will revive your spirits in no time. With their leaves now gone, the cornus and willow stems get their moments of glory, proudly displaying bare stems in colours from red to yellow and through to lime green. This allows you to see through their sculptural shapes to the contrasting, solid yew hedges behind, which act as a perfect foil, and the rustling disc-like seed heads of silver, almost translucent, annual honesty (Lunaria annua ‘Chedglow’). White-stemmed birch turn up the colour volume with their…

Your questions answered Inside 80 Trees & woody plants 81 Flowering shrubs 81 Herbaceous 82 Plant IDs 83 Fruit & veg 84 Pests & disorders 86 Design solutions Our experts GEOFF STEBBINGS gives expert answers to all your gardening problems. Geoff is an author and gardening writer, and was head gardener at Myddelton House, north London. GEOFF HODGE will be answering subscriber questions in our new Live Zoom Q&A events. Geoff is a horticultural author, radio broadcaster and speaker, and former online editor for the RHS IAN HODGSON casts an expert eye over unruly borders, providing advice on how to revamp them. Ian is author of Great Gardens, in association with the Society of Garden Designers. Send us your queries! CONTACT US By post: Garden Answers, your Bauer Media, Media…

There’s something invigorating about braving the elements and taking some time out in the garden in the depths of winter. You don’t have to be working out there, but taking in the fresh air, enjoying the sights, sounds and scents and appreciating the season. The bravest among us might even endeavour to carry on with our al fresco dining experiences or, at the very least, sit and enjoy a warming brew. Adding some heat and light makes these bracing, winter outdoor excursions even more enjoyable. Firepits, fire bowls and fire baskets are some of the simplest forms of heating; open sources of cheery and mesmerising, flickering, warming flames. They’re the perfect way to cultivate that comforting, almost primeval campfire feel, creating a lovely ambience and warming the space immediately around…