Innholdsfortegnelse for 18 October 2025 i Garden News

Storm Amy wreaked havoc across much of the country last weekend, particularly for those in Scotland and Northern Ireland. I do hope GN readers stayed safe and any damage was minimal; sadly such occurrences seem to be increasingly commonplace. In my garden the outcome was fairly minimal – a couple of containers went over but the good news was our temperamental fence stayed upright, held in place, I’m sure, by ivy. But we did get a couple of large branches drop into our garden from a neighbour’s tree – the sort you wouldn’t want landing on your head! Rather than chop them up and put them into the brown bin, they’ve been added to the small log pile in what is now a wonderfully overgrown corner that I hope is…

SPONSORED BY The online specialist gardening retailer, run by gardeners for gardeners We’re in fine flowering fettle! Finella Davenport A suburban garden in Cheshire with flower and shrub-filled borders, raised beds, a rockery and fruit grown in containers and the ground. The seasons are changing, but the garden is still abundant with flowers – largely thanks to the rudbeckia. I have three varieties: ‘Goldsturm’, ‘Little Goldstar’ and ‘Herbstsonne’. They bring swathes of intense yellow to the borders and island bed. Echinacea has flowered for weeks and sunflowers are pops of bright colour. While the roses are past their peak, they’re still producing a few blooms in pink, peach and white. I spotted two pots of gaura in the sale and couldn’t resist buying them for the raised borders. They pair…

Follow Naomi's progress as she gets to grips with her tiny urban garden on heavy Bristol clay This year has been phenomenal for fruit and berries, but among the garden’s bounty, a couple of apples are starting to show the signs of brown rot, and these must be removed and dealt with. Brown rot is a common and widespread fungal disease that appears on fruit such as apples, pears and plums, as well a range of other crops such as quince and peaches, if you’re lucky enough to grow them. It first shows up as a soft, light brown spot that spreads across the surface of the fruit and then goes on to develop concentric rings of buff-white pustules, which are geometrically quite pretty from an objective point of view,…

In last week’s Garden News, we shared a recipe for melon and ginger ice cream. This week we have a recipe for the ginger biscuits that were crushed and crumbled over the top. These biscuits also make a lovely base for cheesecake or as a topping for melon fruit salad with Greek yoghurt. Or they can simply be enjoyed on their own with a nice cup of tea or coffee. Grow ginger root in a pot in warm, frost-free spot. Ingredients Makes 24 115g self-raising flour ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 heaped tbsp finely ground oats 1 tsp ginger powder ½ tsp cinnamon 2 tsp caster sugar 60g unsalted butter 85g golden syrup 1 tbsp self-raising flour for rolling out Method • Prepare two baking trays with non-stick paper.…

HIP HIP HOORAY! When the days begin to shorten, the front of my cottage comes to life with a relic of an old rose on the south-facing wall. It’s been on the cottage wall for decades, but the named rose originally planted there has long gone because the oval, orange-red hips, or ‘heps’, are coming from its leftover root stock. I think it’s the dog rose, Rosa canina, that’s now spanning my wall. I do know the bees love the single, shell-pink flowers. They visit them in preference to the similar but semi-double ‘Warm Welcome’ planted close by. The colourful hips of the wild rose come to life in autumn and winter, cheering up those grey, rather cold days. Nearer Christmas, the branches will get strung with festive lights. A…

The even temperatures and indoor climate of spring and summer are great for houseplants. The environment they live in is consistent, so they remain unstressed and able to cope with life in your house. And then autumn and winter arrive – we whack up the central heating, there are cold windows and draughts blowing through, and our plants suddenly find themselves having to cope with unstable conditions. It’s really stressful for them! But there are a few things we can do to prepare them for this environmental onslaught. Firstly, check if any pests are present that either have come in from the plants’ time outside, or if any mealybugs, aphids or scale have colonised them indoors. Pests will only diminish their vigour when they’re trying to adapt to their new…

Garlic is a cooking staple – this versatile bulb forms the basis of many a recipe, so why not plant some now and grow your own? Buy your bulbs from a nursery or specialist online retailer to ensure the bulbs are disease-free and suitable for the UK climate, rather than using supermarket garlic. There are two main types of garlic, hardneck and softneck. Hardneck, like ‘Caulk Wight’, has a stronger flavour and produces fewer but larger cloves, whereas softneck, like ‘Cristo’, has smaller bulbs with tightly packed cloves. Garlic needs a period of cold to ensure the individual cloves develop properly, and if you plant them now, you will give them more time so that they can grow into larger bulbs. Remember, only break your garlic bulb apart once you’re…

Apple-y ever after! The apples taste as good as they look! I’m not sure of the variety so I will see if the expert at my local garden centre can help at its forthcoming Apple Day. Nancy Bond, Silverdale, Lancashire Pink wings pending… I hope the elephant hawk-moth caterpillar I found in the garden will pupate and hatch into a beautiful pink moth like the one I had three years ago. Children, don't be afraid – the large markings are not its eyes, simply eye-like markings, to ward off predators, I believe! Jill Rhodes, Handforth, Cheshire Skimmia surprise It was a big surprise to lift the top off my compost bin to find that lying on top were trimmed stems of Skimmia japonica, which had rooted without being in any…

Blooms and foliage for late displays Arbutus unedo ‘Mercurius’ Compact and slow-growing, with pink-hued, white heather-like blooms in autumn. Ideal for a smaller border, rock garden or container. Plant in moist, well-drained soil, even chalky, in sun. Hardy to -15C. Heat and drought tolerant. H&S: 2.5m. Price: £44.99. From: urbanjungle.uk.com Camellia sasanqua ‘Strawberry Swirl’ Baby-pink, yellow-centred flowers from October to January. Plant in a moist, well-drained, acid soil in a sheltered position or a container using ericaceous compost. H&S: 4m. Price: £54.99/3L pot. From: dobies.co.uk Viburnum tinus ‘Rock N Rolla’ In winter, pink buds open to white flowers. New foliage is flushed coppery red in spring, then glossy green. Plant in full sun or partial shade in any moist, well-drained soil. H: 1.2m, S: 70cm. Price: £33/3L pot. From: hayloft.co.uk TRIED…

Too many greenhouses lie empty in winter, or are just used to store garden furniture and the barbecue. This is a shame and a waste, and although it’s not always practical to provide heat to exclude frost, and it can now be prohibitively expensive, there’s no reason why a greenhouse can’t provide lots of interest in winter and spring. Many hardy plants, and especially bulbs, will thrive in a cold greenhouse and flower to perfection. Before you start, remove any old, dead plants and have a tidy-up. Any lurking snails or slugs will attack the shoots of your new plants, while dead plants and old leaves will produce fungal spores that will also attack them. You’ll need to keep plants watered, and it’s beneficial to open vents on dry, sunny…

Helping you get your best-ever fruit and veg At this time of year, I always take a moment to look back over the season and make notes on the vegetable varieties that have done particularly well. These are the ones I know I’ll be keen to grow again next year. I also make a note of anything that disappointed, either because it failed to perform or because I simply didn’t enjoy it. That way I avoid repeating the same mistakes next year. In the greenhouse I’ve been reviewing the tomatoes. ‘Black Moon’ has been one of the real highlights this summer, with its rich flavour and bite-sized fruits that are perfect for salads and snacking. A longstanding favourite, ‘Rosella’, has once again proved reliable, while ‘Rebel Starfighter Prime’ has become…

Professor Buczacki is a horticultural expert, writer and former chair of Gardeners' Question Time Got a problem? Our Problem Solver can help! See our contact details on page 3 #GNASKTHEEXPERTS How do I use clay breaker? Chris Fitzpatrick, by email Stefan says: You write to say you wish to apply clay breaker to what is, at present, a truly heavy clay soil and completely unworkable. You ask if you should apply the clay breaker before or after any topsoil is added. I confess I’m a little puzzled by what you’re trying to do, but I would have thought the topsoil should be layered over the treated clay, although it’s a situation I’ve never come across before. I can only assume you have a really small garden, since adding clay breaker…

These stunning winter-flowering bulbs are great for adding a dramatic feature indoors. Their large, showy blooms are a firm favourite for the windowsill or conservatory, bringing a splash of colour on dull winter days. From picotees to stripes, the hippeastrum varieties included in this Amaryllis Collection are sure to brighten up your home. You might also like... Hyacinth ‘Berries & Cream’ • Make your spring bulb display stand out from the crowd with hyacinth ‘Berries & Cream Mixture’. This spectacular mix creates a harmonious blend of rose, violet, pink and pale lavender, instead of the usual shades of blue and purple. THREE EASY WAYS TO ORDER TM_GN497/TM_GN498 ONLINE www.thompson-morgan.com/TM_GN497. Garden News subscribers go to www.thompson-morgan.com/TM_GN498 to claim your 10% discount. BY PHONE 0844 573 1686 quoting TM_GN497 (quote TM_GN498 if…