Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2023 i Garden Answers

PETITE AND PERFECT Fit a perky peony into your garden this spring p26; create a stunning small garden with our tips, p16 After the mini-seasons I like to call ‘false spring’, ‘fools’ spring’ and ‘spring of deception’, I think now in April we can finally, truly believe that spring has arrived! My poor early blossom got blasted by the wintery snap in March, even though buds and flowers had been merrily making their way into the world in warm sunshine only a week before. It just goes to show that you never can tell what spring has in store. Whatever the weather, it’s the ideal time to get planning your garden, and we have plenty of inspiration packed into this issue. But if you have a small space – where…

Create kerb appeal with a plant-tastic way to guide the postie to your front door! These house number flowerpots are more interesting than a traditional number plate and add quirkiness without sacrificing style. Just make sure they don’t get moved about! 1 Use sandpaper or wire wool to rub over the surface of two terracotta pots to remove any flaky pieces or rough edges. Wipe down with a damp cloth and let it dry. 2 Place the pots on newspaper and paint them with grey-coloured paint. Don’t forget to paint the inside of the rim too. Leave them to dry then brush on another coat. They may even need a third coat to get even coverage. Make sure they are completely dry between coats and work in a well-ventilated place.…

CAREX TESTACEA A beautifully slender evergreen grass for border or container edges, starting green then turning bronze. H70cm (28in) S60cm (2ft) EUPHORBIA MARTINI Compact spring-flowering perennial that adds lush foliage to the garden in late winter and spring. H&S75cm (21/2ft) ROSE ‘VANESSA BELL’ Exquisite, shade-tolerant repeat-flowering shrub rose with lemon-yellow scented blooms. H1.2m (4ft) S90cm (3ft) FATSIA JAPONICA This flamboyant evergreen is fabulous for adding a tropical twist to a sheltered, semi-shaded corner at the base of a boundary wall. H&S3m (10ft) HOLLYHOCK ‘HALO WHITE’ Superb for adding flowers and height in a semi-shaded place without taking up too much space. H1.8m (6ft) S60cm (2ft) ACORUS GRAMINEUS ‘OGON’ Aquatic perennial deal for providing bright, lime-green arching foliage to a damp and shady spot all year round.…

Layering shrubs is a good way to make more of plants that are expensive to buy, such as magnolia, daphne, witch hazel and rhododendrons 1 Choose a low-growing, healthy shoot that hasn’t flowered and can easily be bent to ground level. Trim off some leaves to give 15–20cm (6–8in) of bare stem and peg it to the soil. Dig a hole about 8cm (3in) deep at the point where the stem touches the soil with a trowel. Mix soil-based compost and grit into the hole. 2 With a sharp knife, make a sloping cut in the underside of the trimmed stem at a leaf joint. Cut no more than halfway into the stem. Wedge it open with a cocktail or match stick. 3 Push the stem into the hole and…

Often described as ‘Scotland in miniature’ the Isle of Arran, off the west coast, packs high and low land characteristics into a land mass just 20 miles long and nine miles wide. It is the home of Brodick Castle, whose gardens are a horticultural gem, bursting into life in April with a rich patchwork of rhododendrons in bloom. The breath-taking view across the gardens and the bay, the 18th-century parkland as well as the castle itself, all make for a wonderful spring day out. With a climate similar to Cornwall, the gardens are home to a wide and exotic range of plants thriving on this sheltered island within the Firth of Clyde. Frost is a stranger here, so expect to be treated and surprised by plants from Tasmania to Chile…

1 Gather together tools and plants You’ll need a basket, sheet plastic, scissors, compost, trowel, and strawberry and nasturtium plants. 2 Line the basket Upturn the basket on to the centre of the plastic and draw around the edge. Fold the plastic into four and cut out the circle. Cut short indents into the liner at intervals around the edge. Tuck it neatly into the basket and trim off any excess plastic from around the top. 3 Fill with compost Pierce the plastic a couple of times for drainage and fill two-thirds full with fresh multi-purpose or hanging basket compost. 4 Plant the strawberries Compact ever-bearing ‘Loran’ or trailing ‘Elan’ suit containers. Remove the strawberry plants from their pots and plant in the compost. 5 Add the nasturtiums Place the…

The Grove: A Nature Odyssey in 19½ Front Gardens, by Ben Dark Mitchell Beazley, £9.99 Available in paperback this month, this wonderfully written book explores author Ben Dark’s journey to connect with everyday plants on a profound level. Every species was seen over 12 months from one pavement and there’s little here that might not be found on any road, but they reveal stories of such weirdness, drama, passion and humour. Once discovered, local neighbourhoods will be changed forever. EASTER-TIME QUIZ ANSWERS A Echinopsis oxygonal (Easter lily cactus) B Narcissus ‘Eastertide’ C Cercis siliquastrum (Judas tree) D Pulsatilla vulgaris (Pasque flower) E Passiflora (passion flower) F Lilium longiflorum (Easter lily)…

For a flash of colour in mid spring, nothing beats a tulip. But if you have a very small space with minimal free ground, or grow using mostly containers, it can be tricky to find space for the large, lolling and long-persisting leaves that ordinary tulips produce. One solution is to choose diminutive dwarf forms. Often grown from small species such as Tulipa bakeri or T. humilis, they tend to be far more long-lasting in the garden too, returning year after year to pay back your investment. ‘PERSIAN PEARL’ These diminuitive tulips have dusky lilac-silver flower buds that open to reveal a sumptous, silky, deep pink interior. Initially chalice-shaped, the blooms open wider as they age, their starry shapes eventually revealing a golden centre. Ideal for pots, alpine gardens and…

‘CLAIRE DE LUNE’ One of the earliest to flower and sweetly scented. Single pale lemon flowers with a boss of yellow stamens. H90cm (3ft) S60cm (2ft) ‘FESTIVA MAXIMA’ Showy fully double white flowers with some red markings, borne mid-season. Strongly scented. H&S90cm (3ft) ‘RED CHARM’ Huge, ruffled double blooms are circled by larger petals. Flowers open pillar-box red and mature to purple. Mid season. H80cm (32in) S60cm (2ft) ‘SARAH BERNHARDT’ Fragrant, fully double rich pink blooms are edged with silver on the petal edges. Late season flowering. H&S90cm (3ft) ‘SOULANGE’ Unusually coloured pink-flushed cream double flowers appear apricot from a distance. Late season. H90cm (3ft) S60cm (2ft)…

The April garden has a breezy freshness to it that on a warm sunny day is full of promise and sparkle. Of course it might equally be a day of neck-stinging rain, requiring an armoury of woollen underwear, but that unpredictability is part of the month’s charm. When everything does shine, both plants and humans tend to bask in their good fortune. In this birch grove at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex, white pheasant’s eye narcissi and acid-green alexanders light up the understorey, while forget-me-not-like brunnera brings a scattering of intense blue across the shadows. Colour palette Snowy white, bright blue and fresh lime green 3 easy steps STEP 1 DESIGN YOUR BORDER STEP 2 CHOOSE THE RIGHT PLANTS SMYRNIUM PERFOLIATUM Biennial alexanders has lime green flowers in April–May…

IN THE GARDEN WITH… Alison Heron AT her home in Cambridge SIZE 18 x 3.5m narrowing to 2.4m SITE Victorian terrace garden aligned East/West SOIL Alkaline chalk-derived clay, with peat-free compost and grit added to improve drainage and conditions for tropical and exotic species FEATURES Professionally designed garden with tiled terrace for al fresco dining; exotic planting; smart split fences; gravel path; summerhouse VISIT: Private garden not open to public Alison Heron’s terraced home and garden had been beckoning to her for years before she finally moved in, in 2013. “I used to walk down this street all the time and I loved it,” she says. “We felt really lucky when this house came up for sale. It’s basically right in town with only a ten-minute walk to the mainline…

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Buy 18 for £18 just £1 per plant! Much loved by gardeners and pollinators alike, this collection of single and double flowering cosmos will flower their hearts out all summer long. Masses of bright, large, daisy-like blooms with golden-yellow centres appear above feathery, fern-like foliage from July all the way through to October, creating drifts of colour in borders and containers for months on end. Great for cutting, the flowers will last 7–10 days in a vase. Hayloft is offering readers this collection of six different cosmos, supplied as young plants, with delivery from May. ● Cosmos collection of 6 young plants (1 of each cultivar) £12 ● Cosmos collection of 12 young plants (2 of each cultivar) £15 – save £9 ● Cosmos collection of 18 young plants (3…

What sort of gardener are you?” I have, in the past, used many adjectives in answer to this question – keen; organic; wildlife-friendly; passionate; plant-centric – and I have worn all of these terms with pride. But I’ve recently come to realise that there’s another word that can be used to describe my approach to gardening. One far less flattering: selfish. It was the possessive pronouns that gave it away. You see, in both a personal and professional capacity, I talk about my garden a great deal. And there it is again: my garden. I share my home with three other people (one spouse, two sprogs), and yet I’m not sure I’ve ever described the modest outdoor space beyond the back door as “our” garden, let alone “theirs”. When we…

WATER WINNERS Patio project Even the smallest pond can increase biodiversity in your garden and this attractive zinc container would look perfect on a sunny patio. Caltha palustris (H25cm/ 10in S45cm/18in), also known as marsh marigold or kingcup, is an aquatic herbaceous perennial with clumps of green, kidney-shaped leaves peppered with golden yellow, buttercup-like flowers in March and April. These are a magnet for early pollinators. Contrasting tall, slender Typha minima (H75cm/2½ft S45cm/18in) is a miniature bulrush that’s ideal for aquatic containers. Its bright green stems emerge in spring and furry brown flowers appear July–August. The dainty flowers of water forget-me-not Myosotis palustris (H30cm/12in S40cm/16in) provide a splash of blue on the surface June–July. All suit planting in aquatic baskets (see p19). The cute frog statue also provides a useful…

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER & INSTAGRAM @gardenanswersQuick A Showy flowers are a sign of hope among the spines pointing to the crucifixion nails and Jesus’ crown of thorns. H20cm (8in) S10cm (4in) B As well as its Lent lily common name, this cheery double flower celebrates the season. H45cm (18in) S10cm (4in) C Deciduous tree with pink, pea-shaped flowers in early spring that are said to blush for the act of Jesus’ betrayer, for whom it’s named. H&S8m (26ft) D Perennial with silky leaves, purple flowers with yellow centres that track the sun and fluffy, silvery seedheads. H&S20cm (8in) E Climber with intricate flowers representing the crosses (3 stigmas), Jesus’ wounds (5 anthers) and crown of thorns. H10m (33ft) S3.5m (10ft) F Large pure white flowers symbolise trumpets that…

" Being limited for space helps you prioritise what you really want" Focusing the mind is key when designing a bijou space and Greg Loades has plenty of tips to try Believe it or not, small gardens present big opportunities. For the impatient, there’s the chance to make a massive impact in a short space of time. For the escapists, the chance to create a lush and secluded hideaway. For the entertainers, a chance to conjure up a cosy flower and foliage-packed dining space fast. Being limited for space in which to make a garden tends to focus the mind and helps you prioritise what you really want from the area. Let’s take a look at some tricks and techniques that help make a small garden – or a small…

LIFT AND DIVIDE HOSTAS Hostas add a touch of class to shady areas of the garden and their rise from small, rolled up shoots to majestic arching leaves is a rapid one. To create fresh plants, early in the month is a good time to split well-established clumps into smaller pieces. These can then be immediately planted in new places. Use a digging fork to lift the plant from the soil, then cut through the clump with a spade or old kitchen knife. Make sure each new section that you cut from the plant has at least one strong growing bud, ideally two. Replant immediately with the buds just above soil level. Water well then mulch with gravel or grit, to help deter slugs. Deadhead daffodils and start feeding them…

We have all seen – and many of us own – ‘bee hotels’, those nesting boxes packed with hollow tubes. In recent years they’ve become a ‘must-have’ feature of wildlife-friendly gardens as a way of trying to help pollinators. But how much do you know about the solitary bees that they’re designed to attract? And, indeed, do they even work? Let’s start with the basics about the solitary bee, which isn’t just a bee that likes its own company! In the UK, we have one species of the familiar honeybee that lives in huge colonies in hives and is effectively a domesticated creature; then there are about 25 bumblebee species, the large fluffy bees that live in small colonies where a couple of dozen workers look after the queen; and…

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 APRIL is a gorgeous month on the veg patch. It makes me feel like I’m nestled in a warm embrace between my hard work prepping beds, planning and propagating,…

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. CONTACT US By post: Garden Answers, Bauer Media, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA Email: gardenanswers@bauermedia.co.uk Web: gardenanswersmagazine.co.uk  Social media: Find us on Facebook as Garden Answers Twitter @GardenAnswers Instagram as gardenanswers Send us your queries!…

Over the past few years, we’ve all become more aware of the amounts of plastics reaching the oceans and causing damage to aquatic environments and their associated wildlife; or sitting in landfill taking centuries to break down, if at all. Plastics in all forms have now become pariahs. It is believed that around half a billion plastic plant pots end up in incineration plants or landfill each year. Local councils are meant to recycle them, but only 12% have a recycling scheme suitable for plastic garden waste. Black plastic pots are the chief offenders because they contain pigments that can’t be detected by the recycling plants’ sorting machinery. As a result, some garden centres have set up their own plastic pot recycling schemes. (If yours isn’t running one, why not…

24 FREE* perennial plug plants worth £29.91! Fill your beds and borders with this bumper collection of herbaceous perennials that will bloom year after year. They can also be cut and brought into the house for beautiful flower arrangements. The collection comprises six plug plants of each of the following: echinacea ‘Nectar Pink’, coreopsis ‘Golden Joy’, doronicum ‘Little Leo’, salvia ‘Salvatore Deep Blue’. Plus you’ll receive five free packets of flower seeds. 5 free packets of flower seeds TRY THESE MONEY-SAVING OFFERS TOO! GERANIUM ‘BEST RED’ PLUG PLANTS This exceptional F1 cultivar outperformed all other red geraniums in our trials. The uniform, well-branched plants become smothered in large, shapely scarlet flowers that retain their form, without shattering as they fade. These vigorous pelargonium plants are guaranteed to create a top…