Innholdsfortegnelse for 13 January 2026 i Garden News

There’s a small area at the side of our house that most people don’t see; even when we have friends round it’s just not somewhere that people tend to gravitate towards. Partly because it’s a bit shady and out of the way and partly (probably) because I’ve just let it run a little out of control with wildlife in mind. Somewhere in among the undergrowth there is a log pile but I tend to just chuck various bits of garden rubbish in there now and then; ivy is rampant too and the hedge overgrown. In a couple of months birds will be nesting there again. I do keep promising to tidy it up a bit but in winter it can be left to nature – not that I really know…

The main sowing season starts in March, but pelargoniums are great to sow now. These tender favourites – often mistakenly still called ‘geraniums’ – will brighten patio containers. Unlike hardy geraniums, which require cold conditions after sowing, pelargoniums need steady warmth, hence being sown early; they take a bit longer to reach flowering size than most bedding plants. They’ll thrive on a sunny windowsill indoors (ideally 21-24C) rather than in a cooler greenhouse. Sowing pelargoniums from seed means you won’t need to overwinter old plants or cuttings. While seed-grown options don’t offer the immense variety, especially variegated foliage, found in spring, you’ll still get plenty of dark-zoned leaves and a vibrant mix of flower colours. F1 hybrid seeds cost more but are top quality and produce vigorous, uniform plants that…

January is a great time to sow chilli seed. Chillies need a long growing season so crops have time to mature; starting them early will give you and your chillies a good head start. Depending on variety, germination can take between 10 days and five weeks! The hotter the variety often means the longer the germination time. Germination is also affected by the conditions where they’re grown. Chillies need heat at this time of year in order to kick-start the germination process; between 21-32C, with the optimal temperature being from 27-32C and so a heated greenhouse, windowsill, heat mat for consistent bottom heat or heated propagator is essential to provide enough warmth to get those seeds sprouting. There are hundreds of chilli varieties, all varying in strength, so grow a…

Clematis goes crazy This Clematis cirrhosa has always produced flowers at the start of winter, but this year it has gone mad and covered a 9m fence and is now heading into my neighbours’ garden! Alison Acred, Hampshire Too good to eat! This was my beautiful 70th birthday cake decorated to show my love of gardening and knitting. It seemed sacrilege to cut into such a work of art! Maggie Stephens, by email Star of the season These are my beautiful acers in all their glory. The tree was originally a foot-long twig bought from a supermarket, and the other I bought from an arboretum. As my back garden is north facing, when we moved into our bungalow I was warned they might not survive but, as you can see,…

The latest from Carol's beautiful cottage garden... plus her diary for the week! Life is too precious to wish time away, but I did count the days until January came round and it was time, once again, to greet the first flower of the year: the snowdrop. Suddenly the ground is decorated, splashed with patches of green, turning to pure white as the snowdrops’ bells thrust upwards. A few flowers everyone recognises, and with snowdrops, familiarity breeds reassurance, not contempt, as they brave the coldest, bleakest weather to announce that spring will arrive. The snowdrop is a bulb, and all bulbs have evolved with embryonic flowers and leaves within them, storing the energy for these to emerge when the time is right. Protected deep underground, their roots can grow through…

Houseplants are hugely popular these days, and the trend for terrariums and bottle gardens continues to grow. Once these are planted, they need little care and you can make them as simple or as elaborate as you wish. There are many glass containers available now and those with large, front or top openings are the easiest to plant. These, with good air circulation, are often planted with succulents, but they need a bright spot and they aren’t quite the same as the ‘old’ bottle gardens that I planted decades ago. These were planted, sealed and needed hardly any attention. I’m using a demijohn, which is in the cupboard after a disappointing foray into wine making! The basic principles will be the same for any bottle garden, but this is the…

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 can I rotate my veg crops? Greg Houghton, by email Stefan says: Your new garden is smaller than the one you’re used to and you know that rotating the crops is important, but you’re unsure how to do this with a reduced area. Let’s just remind ourselves why rotation is important in the kitchen garden. If you grow the same types of vegetable on the same area of soil for several years, the nutrient content of the soil will be depleted by a combination of the abnormally high demands of each plant and by the almost total lack of any…

Sweet Pea ‘Sweet Dreams’ are cottage garden favourites that are superb for cutting, and the more blooms you cut, the more profusely they flower! Pop a few stems in a vase and enjoy the way their evocative fragrance fills a whole room. Supplied as deep-rooted plugs, with an average of 5 sweet pea plants per plug. Plants are pinched out and ready for planting straight out. H: 1.8m, S: 30cm. You might also like... Petunia ‘Triumph Mix’ These striking petunia ‘Superbissima Triumph Mix’ showcase huge blooms, each 10-15cm wide, with deeply crimpled petals in vivid magenta, white and pink. Dark centres are adorned with delicate filigree veining, creating a bold, exotic effect. This showy mix is perfect for containers, baskets and windowboxes for a long-lasting, colourful display. H: 30-35cm. THREE…

Helleborus ‘Hello Amber’ This Lenten rose flowers from December to March with large, maroon-spotted pink blooms over leathery, evergreen foliage. Good in pots or in a semi-shaded position in any moist, well-drained soil, but will also tolerate sun too. H&S: 35cm. Price: £24.99/14cm pot. From: suttons.co.uk Pulmonaria ‘Pierre’s Pure Pink’ Salmon-pink bell-shaped blooms and silver-speckled foliage make a mid-spring charmer. Ideal with other early bulbs and perennials in moist, well-drained soil in partial to full shade. H&S: 20cm Price: £4.95/bareroot. From: dutchgrown.co.uk Bergenia cordifolia ‘Snowtime’ Evergreen leaves on red-tinted stems form a tidy clump that turns bronze in autumn and winter after the white blooms fade. Any moist, well-drained soil in light to full shade. H&S: 45cm. Price: £6.80/9cm pot. From: claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk TRIED AND TESTED TRY THIS FAVOURITE! Doronicum ‘Little…

At the iconic Ritz Hotel in Paris in 1925, a barman by the name of Frank Meir was looking for a suitable name for a cocktail he’d just invented. Containing four parts champagne to one part fresh orange juice, he decided to dub it a mimosa as its hue reminded him of the sunny blooms of the mimosa tree. Known botanically as Acacia dealbata, mimosa trees are actually native to Australia but found a second home in France back in the early 19th century, where their shoots laden with scented, tiny yellow pom-pom-like flowers were harvested for the cut flower and perfume industries. Boasting tactile, fern-like foliage and flowering from January (sometimes December) until April, this stunning evergreen that’s hardy down to -7C is becoming a more familiar sight on…

Clear and store to reap rewards! Caroline & David Broome A plant-packed suburban garden in London that is accessible all year. It’s been a busy spell in the garden, keeping it presentable while tackling winter cutbacks. With some thuggish perennials taking over, I’ve focused on lifting and dividing – sanguisorba ‘Lilac Squirrel’ and veronicastrum ‘Fascination’ took both me and David several tries to extract. We’ve ended up with loads of new plants, though space is now tight! The large libertia clump is next, lurking behind a fierce climbing rose that also needs pruning. Leaf clearance has kept me busy, but the compost bin is filling up and heating nicely. The bird feeders have been cleaned and restocked, attracting lots of small birds. The cats are enjoying the pigeons’ return –…

TV and radio broadcaster Martin is an RHS judge and former head gardener Sweet peas are popular, very easy to grow from seed and can be sown from September through until March. Sow in autumn and you’ll get flowers a few weeks earlier than those sown in spring, but they tend to stop blooming sooner than spring-sown plants. To extend the flowering period and enjoy the blooms over several months, you can sow in autumn and then again in late winter or early spring. The flowers look delicate but sweet pea plants are hardy. Seedlings can be overwintered outside in a cold frame or cold greenhouse. I tend to grow mine in the latter. The seedlings from my late October sowing can now be potted individually for strong, sturdy plants.…

One of my favourite New Year tasks is ordering seeds and analysing which vegetables were successful last year. One vegetable that excelled was broccoli, and I have two drawers full of frozen produce to dip into. ‘Blue Finn’ is a compact variety for close sowing in raised beds. I grew mine in the polytunnel. Once the main head had been harvested, numerous sideshoots continued to grow right through summer. This is a delicious dish that uses either fresh or frozen broccoli. It feeds a crowd, if the family turns up unexpectedly for dinner! Ingredients Serves 6 500g new potatoes, thickly sliced 1 head of broccoli about 430g 1 red onion, sliced 2 tbsp olive oil 50g breadcrumbs 1 tbsp fresh sage, rosemary, thyme 50g butter 50g plain flour 500ml milk…