Garden Answers May 2024

Meet the Contributors “This month in the garden I’ll be...” “Building wigwams made from canes for my sweet peas to climb up.” Elise Sargent looks forward to RHS Chelsea, p14 “Sowing carrots, salad leaves and beetroot and hardening off seed-sown plants.” Ade Sellars plugs the June gap, p22 “I’m doing the never-ending greenhouse shuffle and hunting for a bargain arbour!” Olga Grieves, p74 “Planting up my newly expanded butterfly border.” Adrian Thomas hones in on helping out pollinators, p44 “Checking forecasts to see when to put out indoor-raised plants.” Geoff Hodge’s on self-watering containers, p94 “Leaving the lawn to come alive with wildflowers as part of No Mow May.” Dan Masoliver spots a glorious goldfinch, p114 Here at GA we can’t get enough of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show –…

Layer upon layer of statuesque plants make for a magnificent border in The Collector Earl’s Garden, at Arundel Castle, in West Sussex. The globes of the alliums, ‘Purple Sensation’ and ‘Gladiator’, provide the accents and loom over Alchemilla mollis, Stachys byzantina and nepeta ‘Bramdean’. The formally-shaped yew hedge allows the pom-pom heads of the alliums to burst forth with exciting pops of colour 1 Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ (Allium hollandicum) is the absolute rockstar of the garden. Its burst of purple flowers can reach 8cm across on stems of up to 1m. 2 Lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina) is a herbaceous perennial with silvery-green, fur-like coating. Planted next to colourful plants, the palette changes allow both to zing. H & S: 1m. 3 Nepeta grandiflora ‘Bramdean’ produces a profusion of lavender-blue flowers…

UNDERSTATED ELEGANCE  Abeautifully orchestrated, yet understated, container display. It’s a very carefully thought-out grouping of plants that would not necessarily usually be put together. The underpinning of the soft erysimums in purple and white with the vibrant greens of euphorbia and parsley is inspired. The dancing stems of Milium effusum ‘Aureum’ allow the purple hebe at the back and the lemony argyranthemum ‘Jamaica Primrose’ to make themselves known without shouting “look at me!”. There’s so much to look at, creating a wonderful tapestry of gentle texture and colour.…

The UK’s first pub and first prison have both been awarded National Plant Collection status by Plant Heritage. The White Hart, between Bristol and Bath, and HMP Eastwood Park, a prison and young offender institution for women located north of Bristol, hold prize collections of crocosmia and tulbaghia respectively. The organisations join the growing community of more than 700 National Plant Collections found in gardens, greenhouses, allotments, arboretums, plant nurseries, botanic gardens, historic houses, zoos, and public parks across the UK and Ireland. The collections ensure different plant groups remain in cultivation for future generations.…

Heritage apple trees at RHS Garden Rosemoor will be sampled as part of a research project to recover lost West Country apples and identify varieties that hold important genetic traits for breeding and climate resilience. Leaves from RHS Rosemoor’s Devon Collection of apples will be sampled as part of the project led by Sandford Orchards and the University of Bristol, to ‘DNA fingerprint’ apples from rare and important orchards across England. The research project will examine varieties that have survived but have not previously been recorded, along with individual trees that are likely the last of their kind.…

Lavender bath oil £8.99 for 100ml Soothe aches with lavender oil – beloved of pollinators. norfolk-lavender.co.uk Honey and herbal tea gift box £29.49 A healthy, natural gift to enjoy in the garden on a sunny afternoon. beebaltic.com Butterfly gardening gloves £7.99 Stretchable and breathable Briers gloves made for comfort and coolness. workgloves.co.uk Bee print fabric bunting £13.99 for 1.6m The perfect addition to May bank holiday picnics. theniftynook.co.uk Blue tit stud earrings £30 Delicate, hand-painted enamel on gold plate earrings for showing off your wildlife-loving credentials. fableengland.com Bee print garden trowel £5.99 Beautiful and practical, it’s ideal for replanting or getting rid of weeds. gardeninggifts.co.uk Organic cotton moth t-shirt £20 A sustainable, comfortable top that raises money to protect our wildlife, too. thewildlifetrustsshop.com…