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Amateur

136 years of practical advice

1884 The World’s Oldest Gardening Magazine 2020

6 Jobs for this weekiosfnsoulryes
£6saum b–sa0.stce3eoeu3.upr0agkg3a/se3rud43be61sn1ai1nv3ge *4 Make the most of water
How to water the right way
5 Don’t neglect houseplants
6 How to freshen up beds
8

14 Bird Watch and Free Seeds

Great garden ideas

20 Go crazy for daisies: what to buy
and the best varieties to plant now

24 Late-summer sizzlers: fiery coloured
plants for a hot summer show

28 Eupatoriums: a perennial loved by
pollinators with long-lasting flowers

20“Few can resist the simple charms Gardening wisdom
of these flowers,” says Graham
10 Peter Seabrook: there are some
6 “How to look after great plants to try now, says Peter
houseplants this
summer,” says Ruth 12 Bob Flowerdew: this is how to get
better apples and pears, says Bob

15 Lucy Chamberlain’s Fruit and Veg

19 Val Bourne: I’ll explain how to help
insects find their paths, says Val

32 Ask John Negus: your questions

37 A Gardener’s Miscellany: this week
we are celebrating delphiniums

41 Anne Swithinbank’s Masterclass

42 All Our Yesterdays: Christopher
Lloyd on keeping colour in borders

44 Tried and Tested: budget oscillating
sprinklers are put to the test

47 Letters to Wendy: from AG readers

51 Toby Buckland: is milk an answer to
mildew problems? Toby investigates

TI Media 28 “Eupatoriums are Garden news
long-lasting and
great value,” says Graham 7 Why gardening is good for everyone

“I would like to take the opportunity this
week to thank AG’s John Negus, who has
been doing an amazing job of answering
the flood of gardening questions from our
readers since the lockdown. AG is still the
only magazine that is providing a service
where readers can get their questions

answered — usually same day.
I think John is a national treasure
and I know all those hundreds
of readers he helps feel the
same way. Thanks, John.”

Garry Coward-Williams,
Editor

All Alamy, unless otherwise credited Contact us:
Editorial: 07814 905439
Email: [email protected]
Advertising: 07817 629935

24 “Here are the best hot-colour plants
for a late summer show,” says Louise

Cover: Monarda ‘Cambridge Scarlet’ (pic: Alamy) 11 JULY 2020 AMATEUR GARDENING 3

Water harvested from the kitchen is trickled into Water wisely
the greenhouse gutter and its attached water butt

Saving water while the
hot tap warms up

1 Do water the soil all the way
round the plant. Giving the soil
a good soaking twice a week is
better than a gentle trickle every
other day. Don’t get the leaves
wet. It wastes water and if left sitting
will create perfect conditions for
fungal diseases. Water droplets
also magnify the sun’s rays and
may cause leaf scorch.

Baskets and
containers need
regular watering

Make the most of water 2 Stop water running off very
dry soil by building a ‘moat’
Ruth considers your options after the hot, dry spring around plants. Weeds are generally
more aggressive and prolific than
A FTER a winter that seemed Installing at least one water butt to cultivated plants and will steal water
to be constructed entirely of collect rainwater is a good start to a and nutrients, so give your plants a
endless grey, rain-soaked well-watered garden. It is easy to do, fighting chance by keeping on top
days we then found ourselves and if your water is on a meter it will of the weeding.

with the sunniest spring, and the driest save you a substantial sum. Why rainwater
is preferable…
May in England on record. Butts come in a variety of sizes,
Rain may spoil many a summer
While most of us welcomed the blue from slimline 100-litre ones to rotund party, but plants love it.

skies during lockdown, the continued 2,000-litre containers and even Its chemical content is lower than
tap water’s because it hasn’t been
rain-free zone over most of the reservoir tanks that can be through purification processes. It
contains less chlorine, fluoride and
UK has left gardens and Use ‘grey’ washing- buried in the ground. water softener (added to water
tanks in some hard-water areas).
allotments arid and up water around If you have the room,
parched. Watering has the garden attach them to drainpipes It also collects essential elements
as it falls through the atmosphere
become a daily task, on the house, garage, – rain becomes richer in nitrogen
when it falls during thunderstorms!
which can be a concern if shed and greenhouse
Rainwater is also best for acid-
you are on a water meter near where your plants loving plants like rhododendrons,
azaleas and blueberries, especially
and have been are growing. In this way if you happen to have chalky soil
and hard water that leaves
furloughed or jobless you will maximise your limescale deposits.

during the C19 crisis. collecting potential and

When making the most of won’t have to haul the full

your available water becomes cans too far around the garden

essential, you need to use it wisely, when doing the watering.

collecting as much as possible and We have been using a lot of ‘grey’

prioritising what gets the most or is first water left over from washing the dishes

on the list. and hand-washing. As long as it isn’t

Rainwater is the best liquid for your too contaminated with food scraps and

All photographs TI Media plants as it is natural and contains fewer grease, and doesn’t contain bleach, it is

chemicals than tap water (see panel, safe to use on plants. The same applies

right). However, you can disperse the for water used for cooking pasta,

chlorine in tap water by filling your cans vegetables and eggs.

and letting them stand for 24 hours Another top tip is saving the water

before use. that runs as the hot tap heats up.

4 AMATEUR GARDENING 11 JULY 2020

A few drops of Summer pruning: In next week’s AG I take a look at
detergent makes
watering easier what you should be pruning now, what you should
leave, and why we prune at different times of the year.

Pot feet help excess water escape
and reduce the risk of plant loss
through waterlogging

Remove hard How to prevent
mulch before feeding waterlogging

and watering Too much water is as much of a
problem as too little, though this is
If you have lots of more likely to affect houseplants
patio containers, and patio containers.
inserting a water bottle
in each can save a lot Waterlogging drives oxygen from
of time and effort the soil/compost so the roots
‘drown’. Symptoms are similar to
How to water the ‘right’ way those of under-watering – yellow,
wilting leaves, stunted growth and
Make sure you prioritise and give soil a thorough soaking outbreaks of powdery mould.

THERE is more to watering than chips – can form a hard, impermeable Keep houseplants happy by only
hosing down your borders crust that the water just flows off, so watering when the compost feels
every few days, especially remove or crack it before watering dry to the touch. In winter, when
after a prolonged dry spell. and replace it afterwards. most are resting, they need barely
The ideal times for watering are any liquid at all.
early mornings and evenings, when Very dry soil and compost repels
conditions are cooler and evaporation water, so fork it over and add washing-up Boost container drainage by
will be slower. Water borders thoroughly detergent to the can. Use just a couple placing a layer of crocks in the
twice a week in hot weather, and give of drops, which acts as a wetting agent base of the pot, and standing the
them enough so that the soil is soaked and makes rehydration easier. container on feet so excess water
right down to the roots. can drain away.
Slow-release and drip-irritation
Light watering may encourage roots systems are increasingly popular for more attractive, less utilitarian option.
to gravitate upwards, reducing the pots and next to large plants. They provide up to 10 days of steady
plants’ stability and making them more watering and make your bottle recycling
susceptible to drought as shallow roots Drip systems are becoming more bins less embarrassing! £14.99 for a set
can’t access deeper water reserves. commonplace and can be linked to of four, suttons.co.uk 0344 326
a timer on an outside tap to provide 2200; keengardener.co.uk 01789
We always advise you to mulch well regular watering. 763336, and Hillier garden centres.
after watering to help retain the moisture
in the soil and this is a good practice. Cheaper options are drip-feed
nozzles that you attach to plastic bottles
However, in dry conditions the mulch and plunge in the compost, while
– whether it’s compost, manure or bark terracotta spikes that slot onto wine
bottles available from Bio-Green are a

Plants and areas with the greatest watering needs

1 Containers, baskets and 2 Greenhouse plants 3 New bedding, 4 Fruit and veggies should
growbags dry out fast don’t have access to perennials, trees and be watered regularly
and may need watering rain, and high temperatures shrubs need lots of water for succulent crops. Peas,
more than once a day in hot, cause rapid dehydration. while they get established. salads, beans, celery,
dry spells. A bottle dripper Check compost daily and Remove weeds as they will tomatoes and squashes
makes life easier! water when dry. steal moisture and nutrients. are all thirsty plants.

11 JULY 2020 AMATEUR GARDENING 5

Move your sun-tolerant house Step Take leaf
plants outside for the summer by step
where they can benefit from cuttings
Gradually accustom warmth and rainwater
houseplants to summer
outside by keeping them in Making more Streptocarpus plants
the shade for a few days to
acclimatise to stronger

sunlight and varying
temperatures.

All photographs TI Media 1 Choose a healthy leaf and cut it
lengthways along its spine.

Feed, water and
check for pests while

plants are outside

Don’t neglect houseplants

Look after them whether indoors or outside, says Ruth

2 Remove the spine and insert
both halves into a tray filled
with a dampened mix of seed
compost and perlite or vermiculite.

1 Plants are growing and flowering 2 Pests are a threat so check plants 3 You can also cut the leaves
so keep them tidy and healthy, and remove colonies by hand or across their width and insert
and blooming for as long as possible, use a spray if infestations are bad. the cut ends into the compost mix.
by removing spent flowers and Standing a plant on a tray of damp Cover with a lid.
brown leaves. gravel helps keep pests at bay.

3 Spider plant offshoots are an easy 4 Wipe dust and debris from the 4 To propagate African violets,
way to propagate – and they’re a plant leaves and spray with tepid remove a healthy leaf and
great gift for university students in your water every few days. This helps to insert the stem in a pot of the
life! Pot them up in compost and either create a humid microclimate that will previous compost mix. New leaflets
keep them attached to the parent or cut deter pests such as glasshouse red will soon appear around the base.
them free, and they will soon root. spider mites that like hot, dry conditions.

6 AMATEUR GARDENING 11 JULY 2020

Got a story?
email: [email protected]

Graham is a keen gardener
and doesn’t let his disabilities

get in the way

His borders are Fledglings are tougher than they
look and should be left alone
packed with colour Graham is also a
Baby bird alert
keen photographer
THE RSPB is urging bird lovers to
Graham’s achievement resist the urge to ‘help’ fledgings
that appear to have left their nest
AG reader Elizabeth praises her disabled gardener son too early. The wildlife charity says
that fledglings should be left alone
WE have all heard the theory that how to use a camera and we have and it is normal for them to be
flightless at first.
gardening is good for our mental and used his photographs on this page.
RSPB wildlife advisor Mey Duek
physical wellbeing, but one long- As well as having problems with said: “Every year we are inundated
with calls from people worried about
standing AG reader knows it to be true. vision and hearing, Graham also has an abandoned chick in their garden,
desperately calling for its mum.
Elizabeth Brown contacted us about mobility issues.
“It’s extremely unlikely they have
her adult son Graham, who has not let Elizabeth added: “He gets down on been deserted and in many cases
there is a parent nearby keeping a
his mental and physical disabilities stop his hands and knees to trim the grass, beady eye on their chick’s progress
or collecting food.
him from becoming a keen gardener. which is painful for him, and his hands
Fledglings are pretty tough
Graham is registered blind and deaf can hardly hold the cutters, but he does it. “Although it’s natural to want to
protect fluffy and fragile creatures,
and also suffers from the developmental the most helpful thing you can do is
keep your distance.
disorder Dyspraxia, which affects “I love gardening
physical coordination, but this has not and watching “Fledglings may appear dainty
stopped him creating a beautiful garden plants grow” but they are tougher than they look
for his widowed mum. and typically spend a day or two on
the ground before they are ready
Elizabeth said: “I have always loved to spread their wings and take flight
gardening, and although I am not one for for the first time.”
making very perfect gardens, I always
Fledglings are young birds that
make sure soil and plants are healthy. have all or most of their feathers and
leave the nest just before they can
“Now I am teaching Graham, and he fly. In comparison, nestlings are
baby birds that have little or no
is doing very well. I am currently “I showed him how to make the lawns feathers, and will not survive long
outside the nest.
teaching him about looking after the look good, even in a heat wave, and to
If there is a fledgling in your
roses now, as I have always loved them. feed the grass and not cut it too short garden and you have a pet cat or
dog, try to keep them indoors until
“Graham only picks the plants that in case the sun gets to the roots and the bird has flown.

he likes. When we stand in the queue in damages it all.” The only time you should try to
help a fallen youngster is if it is in or
Sainsbury’s he looks at the plants for She said: “I am so proud of what he near a busy road or pavement, or if
it is injured, when you should call
sale and brings me one for to buy for has done. Of course, the future is the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999.
Sometimes local vets treat wild birds
the garden. He also grows plants a worry, but people need to for free, but check with them first.

from the free seeds we get understand that those with 11 JULY 2020 AMATEUR GARDENING 7

with Amateur Gardening.” disabilities are as valuable

Graham, who is 32, said: as everyone else.

“I just love gardening and “They should not be

watching plants grow. treated as nothing and

I enjoy cutting grass, but I as though they have no

never cut it too short because Graham has created purpose, as anyone in the
when the sun comes out and it a beautiful garden slightest bit disabled is born for

gets very hot, it makes it go all a purpose and has something to

brown and dry. offer to the world, too.”

“Because I do this, my lawn is the Has gardening helped you or

only one green as everyone else cuts someone you know combat a disability?

it very short!” Tell us your story by emailing Ruth at

Elizabeth has also taught Graham [email protected].

Cutting back knapweed after it has
flowered and fallen outwards

Cutting back makes
room for new growth

Trimming hardy geraniums Red campion bridges the gap
keeps them shapely between spring and summer flowers

It’s time for a tidy-up Saving seeds

Ruth removes spring growth to freshen up her beds It’s a fun and satisfying thing to do

W E are through that ‘in- stems, as once they are gone new A red campion
between’ time where growth will emerge from the centre and I planted last
there can be a colour gap may even produce a second burst of spring somehow
while the spring flowers flowers, if the conditions are right. managed to
flower right
fade and the summer ones really get Cutting back straggly growth through last
summer, continue Campion seeds are
into their stride. removes hiding places for pests through winter and easy to harvest
only started to fade
This is a good time to look and opens up your borders, a few weeks ago.

around your borders and making more space for Admittedly, it is in a sheltered area
of the garden, but still, 12 months of
see what needs tidying adding summer annuals or flowering is pretty impressive!

up. A lot of early flowering even planting some later- I made sure I saved some of its
seeds before cutting it back. I will
perennials fall outwards flowering perennials to either sow them next spring or this
autumn, so they start to germinate
after blooming, leaving extend the season’s colour. and get established before winter,
or next spring.
a mass of flattened, bare Summer colour It is also a good idea to
stems that look unattractive. planted around Red campion is a hardy perennial
trimmed knapweed run your shears over any that looks wonderful in borders, at
Among the worst offenders hardy geraniums that have the base of hedges and in wildflower
in our garden are pulmonaria lawns. It flowers in a variety of
finished flowering. shades of pink – there is also a
white version – and appears as
and knapweed, which are only This keeps the plants in a neat the bluebells fade, usually lasting
through June and July.
too happy to flop outwards. clump and gives them the chance

Don’t be afraid to remove the old to flower again later in the year.

Looking after Siberian irises after flowering

LAST year I divided two overgrown moved in and are a stunning addition, Siberian irises do
clumps of Siberian irises that had with their tall, early summer glamour, best in damp soil
become congested so that the centre so I don’t want to lose them.
of the plants was bare and woody, and Remove flowerheads before the
flowering was greatly reduced. Once they finished flowering this plant wastes energy making seeds
summer I deadheaded and then fed
They didn’t flower brilliantly this them with a generous amount of
year, which didn’t come as much of a slow-release fertiliser, and forked
surprise as replants can take time to and watered it in.
get established.
If the summer continues as dry as
Irises do best in slightly damp soil it has been so far, I’ll make sure their
so our free-draining chalky garden soil is kept damp and come autumn
isn’t ideal for them, even when the soil will dig lots of well-rotted compost
is improved with lots of well-rotted or manure around them.
manure or compost.
Then, hopefully, next year they will be
But they were here when we back to their beautiful, blooming best.

8 AMATEUR GARDENING 11 JULY 2020

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Head Gardener

with Peter Seabrook, AG’s classic gardening expert Listen to
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Thursday. Search for
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Peter is delighted to see his creation, Peter’s top tips
Verbena ‘Seabrook’s Lavender’,
on disply at RHS Hyde Hall

MNP Suntory / Granvia.eu

1 Watch out for Xerochrysum
Granvia Pink Flame; it is proving
as good as the Gold and a preferred
colour according to public comment.

Ranunculus ‘Rococo Orange’ Florist Holland BV
and ‘Rococo Yellow’

The benefits of trialling 2 The breeder of the garden
gerbera Garvinea Sweet Series
There are some great new plants to try, says Peter advises growing it in free-draining
compost and always watering the
W E all have eyes for our own advisable to grow new plant introductions compost/soil. Try to avoid watering
children, it is said – and the to see if they measure up to the glowing overhead to reduce the incidence
same goes for authors and reports from their producers. of root rots.
plant breeders. Scribes
Lifting plants of Ranunculus Rococo 3 Modern cultivars of petunia
are proving very rain-resistant.
get a boost when seeing someone Series, which had grown vigorously Surfinia White Morn, with 3in/8cm
wide flowers, has just shrugged off
reading their words and, even and produced attractive flowers heavy rain. Older grandiflora types
would have been mush after storms.
better, witness the purchase on 18in/45cm stems after a
4 Allium ‘Quattro’ F1 is proving a
of their book. It is much the February planting direct good, hardy edible/ornamental.
Grown on each year, it is multi-
same with plant breeders, into the open soil, it was flowering and its leaves can be
picked and eaten in salads.
and I hope you will noted how quickly they

excuse my lack of multiply. One claw-

modesty by enjoying like tuber went in, and

a picture of Verbena four-six came out. This

‘Seabrook’s Lavender’ introduction promises

(above), flowering to be a good-value plant.

profusely at Hyde Hall. Trialling Pansy ‘Cool

Going to check out Granvia Gold still going Wave’, ‘Dynamite’ and

this group, growing along strong after 12 months ‘Premier’, it was found that

All photography Peter Seabrook / TI Media, unless otherwise credited the edge of a brick raised bed, regular deadheading and

the plants had overwintered well, feeding extended their flowering

obviously enjoying the warm, sunny, life tremendously. Indeed, at the time

free-draining conditions. Seeing is of writing in mid-June, they are still in full

believing, and wherever possible, it is bloom with good-sized flowers, in spite

of really hot weather through May. Suttons

Feeding is the key to getting the best

“This introduction out of recent plant novelties, Xerochrysum
Granvia Gold is a good example and an

promises to be a excellent introduction, flowering pretty
well non-stop from last June to this June.

good-value plant” It is a hungry beast and needs watering
in dry weather, plus regular feeding, to

develop its full potential.

10 AMATEUR GARDENING 11 JULY 2020

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with Bob Flowerdew, AG’s organic gardening expert

Removing congested Bob’s top tips
fruitlets (as well as any that for the week
are damaged or misshapen)
means you can cultivate
the healthiest, biggest
apples and pears

Inset: TI Media

Inset: TI Media The June drop is nature’s 1 Effective watering devices are
way of shedding surplus plastic bottles of water with a
fruitlets, but your help is tiny hole in the bottom of each
one, slowly dripping to soak in.
also needed to nudge
things along 2 If you have some dried out
compost or soil, spread ice
Your chances of growing bigger cubes which melt slowly and so
apples such as these red ‘Pixie’ soak in (not with tender plants).

fruits are greatly enhanced if 3 Leeks will want a lot of water
you follow my thinning tips over the coming months, so
make a trough on either side of
Better apples and pears them for easier watering. TI Media

Want to grow the best-quality, large-fruited apples and 4 Sow biennials now: foxgloves,
pears? The secret’s in thinning out now, as Bob explains stocks, hollyhocks, and also
kale and spring cabbages can be
R IGHT now, our apple and pear The bit we want is the sugary pulp, started now. Space thinly to get
trees are likely showing the which is simple for the tree to make, strong plants to overwinter.
June drop, which is when a so the number of fruits will drop but the
massive set of tiny fruitlets is total weight remains much the same.

naturally shed, and hundreds of ‘chats’ Seeds are actually the main draw on the

lie under each tree. tree’s resources, as these are packed

The trees ‘know’ roughly how many full of dense nutrients, especially fats,

fruits they have reserves to ripen, proteins and minerals. So when

so drop the surplus before we thin fruits, we ripen fewer,

these get any bigger. The bigger fruits and exhaust

important point is that this the tree less, ripening

is the tree’s estimate: fewer seeds.

it wants to ripen the But it gets even

maximum number of better. As we thin, we

seeds, and the number of remove the damaged,

fruits is almost irrelevant. misshapen, infected

However, we want to eat The fruits of this thinned and infested fruits. By
the fruits, not the seeds – we Pear ‘Concorde’ are destroying these, we are
ripening nicely reducing both this year’s and
don’t want lots of small seedy

fruits, which is the tree’s preference. next year’s problems. Then we

So what we do is thin the remainder remove the congested fruits, leaving

All photography Alamy, unless otherwise credited heavily – this leads to far fewer fruits, the rest further apart and more evenly

and equally fewer seeds. spaced, with fewer in the shade and

most in full sun. TI Media

“Thinning leads The greatest advantage of thinning is
to fewer but that it’s not really much extra work. You
bigger fruits” either pick the fruits to thin them now,
and pick the reminder later when they
are huge and at their peak – or don’t
thin, and leave them all on to then pick
them all as many poorer fruits later.

It’s really a no-brainer!

12 AMATEUR GARDENING 11 JULY 2020

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Sow indoors for the We have a large stand of glowing
best results white Shastas growing in the garden.
They have pretty fringed petals and
Joyful Shasta daisy ‘Alaska’ Shastas soon grow into provide a succession of flowers for the
is a quick-growing, clump- many-budded clumps garden and indoor arrangements
forming perennial throughout the summer months.

How we all love a daisy I’d love more plants, though, so I am
delighted with this week’s free seeds
Ruth sings the praises of this quick-growing, cheery plant from Mr Fothergill’s – Shasta daisy
‘Alaska’, one of the most easy-to-grow
W HO doesn’t like daisies, conditions? One of my favourite varieties available.
with their cheery, open varieties is the Shasta daisy – a hearty
faces and determination clump-forming perennial that resembles These are also the most popular
to thrive whatever the a large ox-eye daisy. variety of Shastas and were voted a ‘best
buy’ by gardening press and consumer
groups thanks to their longevity and
pristine white petals radiating out from
an egg-yolk yellow centre.

They like a sunny, well-drained site
and are relatively low maintenance,
though it is worth checking developing
clumps of plants for slugs and snails.

They make long-lasting cut flowers
and if left to grow outside will attract a
host of pollinators.

You can sow them direct into soil that
has been cleared, raked and dampened
but, for the best results, sow in pots,
grow on and plant out either in autumn
or after hardening them off next spring.

Make sure they have plenty of space
as they will soon develop into large,
joyful clumps and flower right through
to the first frosts, or even beyond in a
sheltered spot.

Bird Watch: The little owl Chunky little
owls look slightly
Then... AG in 1959 and Now... AG in 2020 outraged

Alamy
Alamy
A STUMPY, short-tailed bird about the in succession a pair (presumably the intelligence, even
though they are not as
size of a mistle thrush, the little owl is, same two birds) raised a family of five in bright as the Corvid (crow) family and
their heads are large not due to brain-
as its name implies, the smallest of its an unoccupied dovecote in my garden. size but because they need a sizeable
cavity to house their large eyes
family. It is not native to this country Insects, earthworms, small mammals, designed for night-vision.

and was introduced from the lizards and centipedes form their main These chunky little birds, which
always seem to wear a slightly
Continent in 1889 and found food supply, but because little owls outraged expression, are usually
spotted perched on dead trees or
conditions so congenial that it forage by day as well as by night they fence posts, scanning for prey. They
bob up and down when alarmed and
multiplied rapidly, spreading out not infrequently take small birds. their call is a shrill yelp, though the
young hiss when begging for food.
far and wide until it is now widely B Melville Nicholas
Numbers of breeding pairs are
distributed. Its greyish-brown plumage declining across Europe, possibly
caused by changes to farming and
is streaked and spotted with white, shrinking numbers of their prey due
to poisons and agricultural chemicals.
and it has rounded wings, glaring LITTLE owls may be small but that Ruth Hayes

yellow eyes and a peculiar flat head. didn’t impede their significance in the

The feet and legs are classical world where Athena,

feathered. the Greek goddess of wisdom,

Nesting sites range and Minerva, her Roman

from holes in hedges, equivalent, both chose

walls and trees to rabbit Athene noctua as their

warrens, quarries, caves animal companion.

and the disused nests of Since then, owls have

other bird. For two years Little owls often been regarded as birds of

nest in tree holes

14 AMATEUR GARDENING 11 JULY 2020

with Lucy Chamberlain, AG’s fruit and veg expert

It pays to sow a succession of tasty roots, Why not mix up your colours with a bright
with a large final sowing now, for glorious yellow beets like ‘Burpees Golden’?
beets like ‘Pablo’ up to October

Mr Fothergill’s

All you need is a box of damp sand and
a cool, rodent-free spot to keep beets in
perfect condition well into next spring

Alamy

Focus on... Beetroot

A little, and often, goes a very long way when you are growing this versatile vegetable.
Lucy reveals the best sowing, cultivation and storage tips for months of tender roots

All photography TI Media, unless otherwise credited WiTH eager spring sowings This harvest (made in late October) Ideal growing conditions
and the correct storage, will keep in storage for months; I’ve kept Root shape and colour vary hugely, and
it is possible for you to mine in perfect condition well into May. sweetness levels are now far improved.
supply your kitchen with All that’s needed is a box of damp sand As well as standard round reds, look
homegrown beets all year long. So how and a cool, rodent-free spot in your shed. for white-rooted (such as ‘Albino’) or
do you ensure supplies keep rolling in? red-leaved (‘Bull’s Blood’) varieties.
No edible garden is complete without Germination is inhibited below 7°C
Hopefully, your garden contains at a few rows of colourful beetroot (45°F), so make early sowings indoors
least one row of beetroot, but I’m here before sowing direct from April onwards;
to encourage you to swell that to three sowing outdoors too early can cause
or four rows. That’s the secret to great bolting. Acidic soils give poor results,
beetroot – sow small batches every so lime them first.
month outdoors from April until July for
a succession of roots. If you really love Once soil temperatures near 18°C
this nutrient-packed veg, make a final (64°F) in the height of summer, you can
larger sowing now. expect emergence within the week
and maturity in 12 weeks. Each corky
“Sow small seed is actually a cluster of three-four
batches outdoor ‘multigerm’ seeds; you can buy
from April to July” monogerm varieties, giving just one
seedling per seed. The cork also
contains a germination inhibitor, so
if emergence is poor then soak your
next batch for one hour in tepid water
before sowing, to leach it out.

11 JULY 2020 AMATEUR GARDENING 15

with Lucy Chamberlain, AG’s fruit and veg expert

Lucy’s top tips spacing the rows 12in (30cm) apart and Bolt-resistant ‘Boltardy’
seedlings 4in (10cm) apart; overcrowding growing under a cloche
Ensure year-round beetroot supplies gives tiny roots.
■ Keep sowing outdoors every month, Sow successionally through summer to
■ Position beetroot in an open (not making your last sowing in mid-July. Water pull beets while they’re small and tender
shady) site, and lime the soil to neutral the base of drills thoroughly in dry weather.
if it’s at all acidic. Work in a chicken pellet ■ Irrigate rows every fortnight. Frequent,
base dressing. light watering may encourage generous
■ Sow bolt-resistant varieties (such as top-growth but small roots.
‘Boltardy’) under cloches in mid-March, ■ Lift and store beets in late October.
or sow into modules under cover and Twist off the foliage and then gently
then transplant out. bury roots in boxes of damp sand in a
■ Start sowing outside in April/May, shed or garage.

Lucy’s Three great beetroot varieties to try
picks

KingsSeeds.com
T&M
Mr Fothergill’s
Both: Alamy
1 ‘Boldor’: This F1 hybrid beet is 2 ‘Chioggia’: This is such an eye- 3 ‘Monorubra’: This monogerm
quick to germinate and bulk up catching variety that it’s always variety saves the faff of thinning,
due to its hybrid vigour, so it’s great worth growing for looks alone! Luckily, and provides you with cylindrical roots
for gap-filling. The golden roots have it performs well, too, yielding spherical that are excellent for slicing. It’s a great
an exceptionally sweet flavour, far roots which, when cut open, will reveal maincrop variety to follow on from
tastier than many other yellow types. striking red and white rings. early sowings of bolt-resistant types.

5 quick jobs Strawberries in baskets can crop well into September You can plant just
lettuces or use them to
1 If flea beetles are ravaging your Think you missed out on planting up an
brassica seedlings, keep them edible container? Loads of compact fruit, fill the gaps
wqueilcl kwlyattehrreodugtohgtheitstvhuelnpelarnabtsle veg and herbs crop in the latter part of the
young stage. growing season: plus, you can buy plants in
full growth. Compact chillies (‘Cheyenne’,
2Erseauqrcluyhi-rareisppe‘Dincuiknkingeg’baelunvedebr‘Syeprfreaywrvtaadnrai’eywtsiiells ‘Redskin’), tomatoes (‘Totem’, ‘Losetto’) and
as fruits ripen in succession. sweet peppers (‘Mohawk’) will grow well –
just set one plant per standard-sized basket
3Yhtooauvderdypoblnee’ntftonyre,eleifedt abttouinlwbgsataihtsefoamrn.odInfwyioohneusn and fill in gaps with smaller crops. Perpetual
needed for the kitchen. strawbs like ‘Flamenco’ or ‘Finesse’ crop

4Atsnhoroeeiwlscetomaomralbytpou-osorpsestrtaiintnnegtdmoshpsoaoawrrnvaidneryygssstoetirrnduc?cplatDouytirgse. well into September – use a big
5wIntfhohyewoilme,uy’tivooneubthnmueolaktgyyuroeopnt,uslpnyoldagi!nfePyttelo‘abdunaltdbesoyetn’akl’kest e,esgtkaaesr!tt basket, add water-retaining granules

16 AMATEUR GARDENING 11 JULY 2020 and irrigate well in heat.

Next week: Sowing for autumn harvests, key

stages to watering veg well, treating pea moth,
harvesting spuds, trying Indian shot.

It’s time to harvest your garlic! Allium sativum ‘Purple Wight’ is a robust Main: Alamy
softneck garlic variety and stores well
PUNGENT, juicy, fresh homegrown garlic who don’t, gently slide a fork alongside
is heavenly in comparison to generic, dry each plant and ease the bulb out of the Gently slide a fork
shop-bought cloves, so I hope you’re earth. Trim off the roots, lay in slatted trays alongside each plant
growing your own this summer. While in a dry, airy spot and check for rots. to ease the bulb out
onions die back completely before lifting Come autumn, those destined for storage
in autumn, garlic is harvested while top can be plaited. Softnecks store far better
growth is still relatively green; lift once than hardnecks, so eat up the latter first.
it’s died back by a half to two thirds.
“Hardnecks and
Harvest it too late and the cloves softnecks give
re-grow, denting storage life. The two different yields”
types – hardnecks and softnecks – give
different yields; hardnecks give fewer,
bigger cloves, whereas softneck cloves
are smaller and more numerous. Those
of you in milder locations may have
already lifted your garlic, but for those

Lucy’s Summer strawberry spruce-up Why
not try..?
top tips How do you ensure post-harvest that strawberries recover sufficiently

to fruit again next year? Follow this plan for strawberry yields forever:

1 2Strawberries need to Often the current 3 How old are your The fluffy orange fruitsAlamy
build up strong crowns year’s foliage looks plants? To maintain of Solanum quitoense Both Alamy
vigour and good berry
and leaf rosettes in order tatty and tired post-harvest, size, plants older than four
years should ultimately be
to support next year’s so kick-start plants into ditched. Before they are, Naranjilla
peg down any runners
flower initiation and fruit producing more. Sever all that they produce (from
healthy plants only) for
development. Keep plants leaves that aren’t green autumn propagation. IF you’ve got space in

well fed (use a balanced and healthy. With Step 1 in a cool greenhouse

liquid feed to bulk them progress, your plants will or conservatory

up) and irrigated, well soon produce a flush of over winter, and

into early autumn. verdant new foliage. you fancy your

chances of growing

Control woolly aphid on apples an Andean shrub The bristly lobed
then Solanum
leaves of Naranjilla

quitoense is for you.

ARE you spotting white fluffy patches It’s quite a striking plant to look at:
on your apple trees that look like cotton
wool? What you’re actually gazing at deeply lobed leaves flushed heavily
are colonies of woolly aphid, and they
become more conspicuous in summer with purple, and bristly as you like
due to their rapid rate of reproduction in
warmer spells, coupled with their rather – it will make a talking point before
unusual trait of covering themselves with
a white, waxy secretion. it’s even fruited! Usually grown from

Luckily, this pest only attacks apples in seed in the UK, don’t expect flowers
the edible garden (if you spot it on other
fruit crops, it’s likely to be a scale insect for a year or more (give it the same
infestation). It’s a nuisance, as heavy
colonies cause gnarly swellings which growing conditions as a tomato).
can lead to weak points – these can
snap off in windy weather, or encourage Once flowers do appear, clusters
canker infection. Prune out infected
parts if you can; young aphids will be Check for woolly aphid (Eriosoma lanigerum) of small orange-yellow fruits packed
and wood scarring on apple wood
with juice eventually follow. Rub off
locating and initiating new feeding
‘gnarls’ now. If colonies are on major the bristly hairs, then consume them
limbs, disrupt them with a wire brush,
then spray at repeated intervals with raw or cooked. Keep well fed with
organic plant oil or fatty acid sprays.
tomato fertiliser, and well watered

throughout summer. Move under

cover for winter, then keep irrigation

to a minimum.

11 JULY 2020 AMATEUR GARDENING 17

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A Buglife B-Lines meadow in Gardening Week
Stonegrave, North Yorkshire
with Val Bourne, AG’s organic wildlife expert

Try growing insect-friendly flowers on
your roadside verge rather than
mowing it regularly

Yellow rattle reduces Val Bourne
the growth of grasses
and provides nectar verges in my village are still mowed
once a week, so my patch doesn’t join
and pollen for up with other areas. Mown grass may
bumblebees please tidy-minded gardeners, but
these desert strips won’t allow your
Leanna Dixon/Buglife The idea behind Buglife grandchildren to admire wildflowers,
B-Lines is to link beautiful butterflies or birdsong. The idea
existing wildlife areas, behind B-Lines is to create pathways,
creating a network minus any barriers, because it’s vital.

Making a B-Line However, the biggest barriers are
inside people’s heads. They’re still
Val explains how we can help provide ‘insect pathways’ behaving as if wildlife is in a good place.
Perhaps some people haven’t realised
All photography Alamy, unless otherwise credited A FEW years ago I had to stopping people crossing the road. that the natural world is changing for the
interview an Oxford professor As a lady of advanced years, I had worse, having plummeted into decline.
about the origin of apple trees. In the mid-1990s I would have to chip
DNA evidence had confirmed to shin over the barriers and then walk insects off my windscreen in summer on
that apple trees were not British natives, several hundred yards up a narrow a weekly basis. That doesn’t happen now,
as was first thought. He and others had strip of grass while three lanes of traffic so it’s time to step up to the task in hand
proved conclusively that they were roared past and splashed me! By the and restore wildlife. We should all do our
descended from fruit trees found in the time I got back to my car my mood was bit for, as my granddaughter’s T-shirt says,
Tian Shan forests of Central Asia. as dark as the weather! ‘There is no Planet B’. This is it!

The interview took place on one of That sort of difficulty, getting from Now that 97% of wildflower meadows
those summer days pregnant with the A to B, is encountered by wildlife all the have disappeared under the plough
possibility of rain so, after we’d finished, time. Isolated patches are surrounded since the 1930s, there’s little nectar and
the aforesaid professor said he would by impenetrable boundaries that wildlife pollen and few nesting sites for wild bees
run me to my bus station on the outskirts can’t cross. We know that pinning wildlife and other invertebrates. These days the
of Oxford. It was already sheeting down into one area reduces the numbers. The wildflowers near me cling to areas that
as we began zigzagging through the food either runs out, or it isn’t available the plough couldn’t reach, often steep
streets that were still largely inhabited because the natural world is dynamic valley sides. It’s time for some joined-up
by university academics and straight and affected by constant change. thinking as well as joined-up B-lines.
out of an Inspector Morse set. Visit Buglife to see projects in your area.
Buglife ( buglife.org.uk), the charity
Suddenly my unlikely chauffeur for invertebrates, states that 40-70% of Encourage pollinators, such as this
remembered that he had a meeting species could become extinct if action is common blue butterfly, by planting
and evicted me from the car there and not taken to enable these animals to bird’s-foot trefoil
then. I was left to navigate the roads move through the landscape. So it has
and finally emerged, like a drowned rat, come up with a way of helping by opening TIP Insects are vital for
at the correct roundabout. I could see up B-lines, or insect pathways, and this is gardeners, particularly
the car park, but I couldn’t reach it something gardeners can help with. pollinators, and it may be time
because there were waist-high barriers to change the way you garden.
Most gardeners have a verge and, Hopefully others will join in, too.
“There is no these days, it’s far better to try to grow
Planet B: insect-friendly flowers rather than mow it
this is it!” every week. My own verges sustain lots
of insects from March onwards, when
the wild daffodils flower. After they finish
there are cowslips, meadow cranesbill,
crosswort, bird’s-foot trefoil and lady’s
bedstraw. The flowers encourage
butterflies, bees and lots of tiny insects.

The problem is that the rest of the

11 JULY 2020 AMATEUR GARDENING 19

With flowers in a range of bold
colours and bi-colours, Gazanias
are one of the showiest of daisies,

and like many of their cousins
they prefer full sun

Thistles such as Cirsium
vulgare are more unlikely

members of the family

DaisiesGo crazyfor
With so many colours and shapes, and options to suit most garden situations, it’s little
wonder few can resist the simple charms of these fabulous flowers, says Graham Rice

MAYBE it’s because the shape disk. Double blooms arise when to buy in flower to fill border gaps,
sort of resembles a face. Or the flowers in the disk turn into rays. wildflowers to cherish and some exciting
because it’s the one flower new varieties to put on the wish list for
we can all draw. Whatever While many daisies appear very next year. Indeed, daisies offer so many
the reason, there’s something about that similar, the family to which they belong is, possibilities that we could easily look
classic daisy shape that connects with in fact, huge, with approaching 26,000 at them again in spring and autumn!
us, stays with us, and has eternal appeal. species, including lots that look nothing
like we imagine a daisy to look. Trees, With such a vast variety to consider,
I can still remember making daisy climbers and succulents all feature, as making sweeping recommendations
chains as a child – all those years ago well as annuals and perennials. They
– and I’m sure I’m not alone. I also grow everywhere, from mountains and Where to buy*
remember the clump of Shasta daisies deserts to woodland and swamps –
my mum grew in the border, which was which means there are daisies suitable Chiltern Seeds
always threatening to collapse onto for most garden situations. chilternseeds.co.uk
the lavender in front. 01491 824675
Unlikely relatives
There are few people who can resist Some of our most familiar wildflowers Mr Fothergill’s
the innocent appeal of a daisy. The are in the daisy family – including mr-fothergills.co.uk
problem is that the differences between thistles, which are unlikely members 0333 777 3936
the various types are often too tiny to of the clan. Relatives also include some
discern with the naked eye, so sorting of our most popular garden annuals, Thompson & Morgan
out which is which can be difficult. biennials and perennials – among thompson-morgan.com
them dahlias, tagetes and zinnias. 0333 4000 0033
In fact, with many daisies, what we
call a ‘flower’ is actually a multitude of tiny In mid-summer, daisies offer an *Many nurseries are currently unable
individual flowers. The colourful parts invaluable range of seeds to sow for to send out plants – or despatch may
around the edge are called rays, and the flowers next spring, as well as plants be delayed.
mass of flowers in the centre make up the

20 AMATEUR GARDENING 11 JULY 2020

5 to buy and plant now

about how to grow them is impossible.
However, it’s fair to say that, in general,
daisies prefer to grow in sun.

Also, remember that many of these
plants are hungry feeders that will
appreciate a fortnightly liquid feed .
Whatever is on the shelf in the shed is
better than nothing – tomato feed will
do, if that’s all you have, although the
likes of Flower Power Container Magic
and Incredibloom are far more effective.
Plants bought now are getting a late
start, so they deserve a nutrient boost.

All photos Alamy, unless otherwise credited Late summer display Rudbeckia producing a succession of dark-eyed,
As you stroll around the garden centre Shorter, self-supporting perennial orange-tinted yellow daisies. The plants
or scroll through the options online, rudbeckias such as ‘Goldsturm’ and are long-lived, too. H: 1-21⁄2ft (30-75cm).
you’re likely to come across no end ‘Little Goldstar’ (above) offer great value,
of great daisies for borders and pots.
But which to choose? Well, whatever
catches your eye, at this time of year
what you really want is plants with plenty
of buds that will open to continue the
display into late summer and autumn.
Beyond that, it really depends on the
effect you’re after and the particular
conditions in your garden. One thing
is certain, however: opt for daisies and
they will not disappoint.

How
to

Daisies work well in baskets Cosmos Dahlia
and containers Chocolate-coloured and scented – Both the Mystic Series (including Mystic
C. atrosanguineus flowers from mid Haze, above) and the Happy Single
Create a dazzling summer until the first frosts. With sultry Series team dark foliage with single
daisy display blooms topping long stems, who could flowers in many colours and bi-coloured
resist? H: 16in-2ft (40-60cm). combos. H: 11⁄2-2ft (45-60cm).
NOW is a great time to add some
oomph with a new hanging basket Osteospermum Argyranthemum
or container, and daisies fit the bill Amazingly prolific; the foliage of these Modern marguerites are bushy,
perfectly. Combine the purple-pink rounded and bushy plants is hidden by compact, prolific and long-flowering.
of a classic osteospermum with masses of cheery daisy blooms in either They come in an increasing range of
a paler pink annual begonia, then hot or pastel shades, many changing colours, and there are options with
add in some variegated trailing ivy colour as they mature. Likes sun and double flowers as well as the classic
for foliage interest. well-drained soil. H: 16in-2ft (40-60cm). singles. H: 14in (35cm).

At the garden centre you can test 11 JULY 2020 AMATEUR GARDENING 21
out different colour combinations
before buying by arranging them
in your trolley – just don’t forget the
container compost and liquid feed!

4 biennial daisies for next year

Bellis Erigeron
Double daisies in reds, pink shades and white will sail An invaluable perennial that flowers as a biennial. Expect
through the coldest of winters to bloom prolifically in spring, lots of cheerful, sun-loving, pink-flushed white daisies,
alongside crocuses and dwarf tulips. Likes sun or partial opening from deep pink buds on naturally bushy plants
shade. H: 6-8in (15-20cm). from May to October. H: 1ft (30cm).

Leucanthemum Tanacetum
Traditional Shasta daisies are easy to raise from seed. They Previously known as Anthemis and Pyrethrum, these
vary in height from short, front-of-the-border types to taller cheerful, prolific, large-flowered daisies are always at their
varieties that are better suited to the middle ground and are best in their first year. They will appreciate any fertile but
ideal for cutting. Grow in a sunny spot. H: 1-3ft (30-90cm). well-drained soil in sun. H: 3ft (90cm).

22 AMATEUR GARDENING 11 JULY 2020

4 newcomers to grow from seed

Kernock.co.uk Calendula Coreopsis Big
PowerDaisy Bang Series
Sunny This prolific
A container- hardy perennial
friendly calendula, coreopsis is ideal
this showstopper for sunny borders,
flowers from March and comes in bi-
to November on colours including
plants that are both the bold red and
bushy and mildew- cream/yellow of
free. A runner-up Red Shift (left).
in the Chelsea Flowers appear
Plant of the Year non-stop from July
competition when to October, some
it was introduced changing colour
four years ago. as they mature.
H: 1ft (30in). H: 2ft (60cm).

Gerbera Garvinia Leucanthemum
Series Real series
Offers a winning Shasta daisies,
blend of lovely transformed into
colours, masses self-supporting,
of flowers that long-flowering
open together from perennials, with
April to October, yellow as well as
and hardiness that white blooms –
you don’t expect and some highly
from a gerbera. exciting shapes
Especially good Perfect for sunny
for containers. borders, the
Try the pretty flowers make
rose pink Sweet good candidates
Memories (left). for cutting.
H: 14in (35cm). H: 16in (40cm).

3 daisies for a wildflower garden

Centaurea cyanus Leucanthemum vulgare Chicorium intybus
Cornflowers are essential in the early A perennial star of the roadside (it’s Good on chalky soil, chicory is very
stages of creating mini meadows, and in often sown on verges after road repairs), forgiving – it tolerates the worst of
annual wildflower displays. Blooms – in the ox-eye daisy thrives in most soils. treatment to come back year after year,
vivid blue, white, pink or deep aubergine Instantly cheering, the flowers are white with soft blue summer flowers lining
– are good for cutting, too. H: 2ft (60cm). with yellow eyes. H: 16-28in (40-70cm). stiff, upright stems. H: 2-3ft (60-90cm).

11 JULY 2020 AMATEUR GARDENING 23

Use hot colours in the
border to dial up the
drama for August –
kniphofia, crocosmia,

cannas and heleniums
are key candidates,

while bronze fennel and
the large leaves of

paulownia provide an
ideal backdrop

Feel the heat with

Summer sizzlers
Hot colours are a late-summer garden essential, but how do you use them to best
effect? Louise Curley reveals fiery favourites, plus techniques to avoid burnout

W HATEVER the weather in particular, are known to stimulate the them in amongst a predominantly
this summer, it’s possible senses, making a space feel energetic and pale-hued border to add pockets
to raise the temperature dynamic, especially when used en masse. of electrifying colour.
in your borders and Add some cooler tones
containers by combining flowers and Hot colours aren’t for the faint-hearted, All that heat needs a calming
foliage in fiery hot tones, which will be but it’s easy to dial down the vibrancy a backdrop, and including plenty of mid-
enhanced by the intensity of the light at notch by adding in plants in cooler tones and dark green foliage will do the job
this time of year. Attention-seeking reds of the same colour. For example, you perfectly – as will the buff and silvery
and yellows, primary colours on the can temper a hot orange with an apricot tones of bleached grasses like Stipa
colour wheel, are not the easiest of hues shade, or try lemon yellow alongside tenuissima (now called Nasella
to work with, as they tend to clash with sunshine yellows. Alternatively, use tenuissima thanks to a recent name
each other. Add in a splash of orange, these fiery colours sparingly, dotting change) and Pennisetum villosum.
however, and they’re transformed, the Silver foliage, such as that of Stachys
latter having a harmonising effect. Use grasses like Pennisetum villosum byzantina or artemisia, combines well
to temper the heat with yellows and oranges, making them
These strong tones are known as appear less intense. Meanwhile dark
‘advancing’ colours because they give foliage with purple and bronze tones
the impression that they are closer than (cotinus, Sambucus nigra, dark-leaved
they actually are. This can be useful dahlias like ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ and
if you want to create a cosy, intimate Actaea ‘Queen of Sheba’) will create a
space; if, on the other hand, you are sultry, smouldering feel – like burning
worried that they’ll make your plot feel embers rather than a flickering flame.
too small, it’s a good idea to intersperse
any hot colours with paler tones, Whether or not we get our share of
planting them at the far end of the warm sunshine this year, planting up
garden to draw the eye. some perky perennials in spicy reds,
oranges and yellows over the coming
While pastels help create an air weeks is one surefire way to generate
of tranquillity, bold oranges and reds, some summer heat.

24 AMATEUR GARDENING 11 JULY 2020

9 flowers in scorching shades

ySeullnonwys

All photos Alamy, unless otherwise credited Achillea ‘Moonshine’ AGM Kniphofia ‘Bees’ Lemon’ Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii
Brighten up a border with these golden The torch-like flowers of red hot pokers ‘Goldsturm’ AGM
flowers, which stand above attractive are perfect for adding punctuation points Popular with pollinators, this cheery plant
feathery, grey-green foliage. The flat to a planting scheme. This cultivar has makes mounds of dark green leaves and
umbel blooms contrast well when mixed tubular blooms in bright yellow with hints daisy blooms, their slender golden petals
with different flower forms like spikes of orange, opening from lime green buds. encircling dark brown cones. Plant in bold
and spheres. HxS: 28x20in (70x50cm). HxS: 39inx2ft (1mx60cm). drifts. HxS: 32x20in (80x50cm).

Roraesdtisng

Monarda ‘Cambridge Scarlet’ Lobelia cardinalis ‘Queen Victoria’ AGM Salvia ‘Royal Bumble’ AGM
This vibrant red bergamot features ‘top Magnificent upright spikes of scarlet This tender salvia forms a bushy, compact
knots’ of petals that give each bloom a blooms that make a striking contrast to plant with fragrant, purple foliage and
shaggy look. Good for attracting bees the beetroot-coloured foliage and stems. slender flowers in vermillion red – they are
and butterflies, but plants can be prone Likes moist soil; a good choice for loved by bees. Lift and keep under cover
to powdery mildew if the soil is allowed planting by the edge of a pond or in in winter, or take cuttings in late summer
to dry out. HxS: 32x20in (80x50cm). a boggy area. HxS: 3x2ft (90x60cm). for new plants. HxS: 2ftx16in (60x40cm).

oOrann-fgirees

Dahlia ‘David Howard’ AGM Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ AGM
One of the best dahlias, this decorative ‘Emily McKenzie’ One of the longest-flowering heleniums,
type combines sumptuous dark purple- Native to South Africa, with their arching producing discs of burnt orange petals,
bronze foliage and stems, with bright stems and strappy foliage, crocosmia often splashed with gold and
orange flowers made up of tightly add a touch of the exotic. ‘Emily surrounding chocolate-brown centres.
packed petals. Particularly floriferous, McKenzie’ makes a compact plant, They add warmth to a planting scheme
ensuring plenty of blooms to spare for and has deep orange blooms splashed and are a firm favourite with butterflies.
cutting. HxS:39inx1ft (1mx75cm). with fiery red. HxS: 2ftx20in (60x50cm). HxS: 32x20in (80x50cm).

11 JULY 2020 AMATEUR GARDENING 25

3 ways to turn up the heat

Create a blazing basket Calibrachoa Can-
Get dazzling colour at eye level with a hanging display made up of tender plants can Terracotta
like begonias, pelargoniums and bidens, in tones of red, orange and golden yellow. A trailing half-hardy
Include trailing options such as calibrachoa to create a molten cascade of colour. annual, the burnt
umber mini petunia-
Plants for ‘hot’ pots esque flowers of
which gently cascade
Coreopsis grandiflora over the side of a pot
‘Early Sunrise’ AGM or hanging basket.
Forms a compact Trail & S: 15in (35cm).
mound covered in Team with: Rudbeckia
flowers made up of ‘Prairie Glow’, scarlet
tightly packed golden pelargoniums.
petals with jagged
edges. Will bloom from Begonia ‘Glowing
July up until the first Embers’ AGM
frosts. H&S: 11⁄2ft (45cm). Delicate, single, bright
Team with: French orange flowers nestle
marigolds (tagetes), daintily among dark
calendula, gaillardia. purple-bronze leaves,
which will tumble over
Pelargonium the side of a container.
‘Mystery’ AGM H&S: 1ft (30cm).
Conjure up a flavour Team with: Dahlia
of the Med with this ‘Art Deco’, Pennisetum
deep red pelargonium. ‘Rubrum’, Agastache
Keep deadheading ‘Firebird.
and you can expect
summer-long blooms.
H&S: 16in (40cm).
Team with: dark-leaved
Ipomoea ‘Black Tone’,
Penstemon ‘Red
Riding Hood’.

26 AMATEUR GARDENING 11 JULY 2020

Embrace the exotic Try blocks and spires
Use hot colours to create a jungle For a dramatic effect, plant in bold blocks of colour; experiment with different
border, planting large-leaved, flower forms to add interest and break up a large area of planting. The flat umbels
flamboyant cannas and bananas of achilleas and the tall spires of red hot pokers provide excellent contrast.
alongside the zingy tones of some
heleniums, rudbeckias and crocosmia.
Grouping the latter in large clumps is
the best way to maximise their impact.

Cool customers The colour wheel There are then six further colours,
for contrast formed by combining a primary and
THIS circle, used by artists and a secondary colour.
Linaria designers, is made up of three primary
colours – red, yellow and blue. These Opposing colours on the wheel
‘Peachy’ are mixed to create three secondary make striking contrasts, whereas
colours – orange, green and purple. colours that sit next to each other
Slender make harmonious combinations.

spires of

small

apricot

blooms.

Coreopsis Pale blue Jacob’s Jonathan Buckley/Sarahraven.com
‘Moonbeam’ ladder works well with
Pale lemon oranges and yellows
flowers.

Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’

AGM Pairs lavender-coloured

flowers and silver-grey leaves.

Agapanthus ‘Midnight Madness’

Clusters of mid-blue flowers.

Salvia uliginosa A tall plant with A duo for fiery foliage

pale blue blooms.

Geranium ‘Rozanne’ Purple-blue Canna ‘Phaison’ AGM Hibiscus ‘Mahogany Splendor’
The broad leaves of this tender plant A tender perennial that’s best treated
flowers from May to October. are striped green, purple, orange and as a half-hardy annual, with chocolate
pink – they look really spectacular red, acer-like foliage that provides the
Salvia x jamensis ‘La Luna’ when backlit by the sun. Lift tubers perfect foil for hot summer blooms. Very
after the first frosts, for overwintering versatile: use in borders and containers,
A primrose yellow, compact salvia. as you would dahlias. HxS: 5ftx32in and add to flower arrangements.
(1½mx80cm). HxS: 39inx2ft (1mx60cm).
Dahlia ‘Honka’ AGM Eye-catching

star-like blooms in pale yellow.

Polemonium ‘Northern Lights’ AGM

Sparkling light blue flowers.

11 JULY 2020 AMATEUR GARDENING 27

Tall and imposing, North American
species such as E. maculatum are
great for the back of the border,
where they will attract pollinators

It’s time you discovered

Eupatoriums

This often overlooked perennial has long-lasting flowers that attract pollinators,
and they now come in more colours and forms than ever, says Graham Clarke

I T’S only in the past decade or so prefer not to use chemicals to tackle develop shorter cultivars that will work
that I have come to value – and aphids. When it’s in flower Eupatorium well in smaller gardens.
actually adore – the eupatorium. cannabinum ‘Album’ seems to have
It’s not a plant that gets much more butterflies on it than anything Then there’s the British native hemp
coverage in the press, and you tend else in the garden. agrimony (E. cannabinum). The ‘hemp’
not to see it in many gardens – but it is part comes from the resemblance of its
growing in popularity. And thanks to the Tall and imposing leaves to those of marijuana, rather than
breeding work that has been carried out Arguably the most impressive forms are any narcotic content. The flowers are
in recent years, eupatoriums now offer the North American species. Commonly a dusky purple, and despite being a
greater variety in colour, height and known as Joe Pye weeds – after, it’s smaller species, it makes itself noticed by
form than ever before. believed, an Algonquin Indian (one of self-sowing readily! If you want to avoid
Canada’s First Nation peoples) who this, grow ‘Flore Pleno’, which has long-
Perennial plants with an architectural used eupatorium to treat patients with lasting, bright pink bracts; it does not
presence, they feature long-lasting, typhus – they can grow taller than 6ft produce true flowers and therefore will
broad, purple-to-white flower heads. (1.8m) in a season, and make imposing not set seed. However, it won’t be visited
Although these can emerge from late perennials for the back of a border. by pollinators either, a fact that might
spring, the main show starts later – lessen its appeal for many.
around now, in fact. The wispy blooms The tallest one I’ve seen has to be
are held on tall stems, and act as a white-flowered E. fistulosum ‘Massive The name game
beacon to butterflies, bees, hoverflies White’, which was nearer to 10ft (3m). In recent decades, botanists have
and even ladybirds – important if you However, breeders have worked hard to intervened (as they so often do) to

28 AMATEUR GARDENING 11 JULY 2020

6 eupatoriums for colour and structure

All photos Alamy, unless otherwise credited Eupatorium maculatum Ageratina ligustrina E. maculatum (Atropurpureum Group)
Atropurpureum Group Sometimes called ‘snakeroot’, ‘Riesenschirm’ AGM
Tall, purple-flushed leafy stems are privet-leaved ageratina is a smaller Known by some as ‘rise-and-shine’
topped with large, dome-shaped form of eupatorium that features (take a look at the cultivar name and
clusters of small maroon-pink flowers bronze-green foliage and heads of you’ll see why). Produces lovely deep
from July to September. Plants rarely slightly fragrant fluffy grey-white green leaves and, between August and
need support, and are wonderful for flowers from August to November. October, large umbrella-shaped heads
adding height at the back of the It may grow slightly larger in a really of fluffy wine red flowers, carried on
border. H&S: 7ft (2.2m). sheltered position. H&S: 39in (1m). dark stems. H&S: 8ft (2½m).

Mr-fothergills.co.uk

Ageratina altissima ‘Chocolate’ E. capillifolium AGM E. cannabinum
Held above bronze-chocolate foliage, Good for coastal gardens and milder Hemp-like leaves – on tall, reddish
the long-lasting, pure white flower heads parts of the country; sneeze weed’s stems – provide the perfect foil for the
appear from July, then keep popping up upright stems are clothed in soft, bright flat heads of tiny pink flowers, which
– often as late as November. A fabulous green, needle-like leaves. It’s grown as appear from July to September. This
clump-former that is particularly a foliage plant – the flowers are tiny, and British native perennial is another
appreciated by butterflies and bees. appear just as autumn frosts cut back butterfly magnet, and suits growing
H&S: 4ft (1.2m). the stems. H&S: 61⁄2ft (2m). near a pond edge. H&S: 5ft (1½m).

reclassify eupatoriums into several Where to buy*
separate genera. For instance, the
popular incense bush (formerly Beeches Nursery beechesnursery.co.uk 01799 584362
Eupatorium ligustrinum) is now called Beth Chatto bethchatto.co.uk 01206 822007
Ageratina ligustrina. There are many Burncoose burncoose.co.uk 01209 860316
other examples – which means you may Claire Austin claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk 01686 670342
find the same thing listed by different Great Dixter greatdixter.co.uk 01797 254044
nurseries under different names. It’s
confusing, but to my mind these are *Many nurseries are currently unable to send out plants – or despatch may be delayed.
great plants, whatever you call them.
11 JULY 2020 AMATEUR GARDENING 29

5 planting partners for eupatoriums

Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ AGM Crocosmia masoniorum ‘Rowallane Yellow’
Tall stems carry daisy flowers – in a rich, orange-red with With their arching spires of long-lasting bold flowers, any of
brown centres – from August. Blooms fade to dark ochre with the yellow or orange ‘montbretia’ look great in front of or next
age; the petal reverses are dark red. Pair with eupatoriums to tall purple eupatoriums. One of the brightest, this has sunny
to create a luxuriant hot autumn border. H&S: 4ft (1.2m). yellow flowers from mid summer onwards. H: 39in (1m).

Sanguisorba tenuifolia var. alba Salvia x sylvestris ‘Rose Queen’ Miscanthus sinensis ‘China’ AGM
A tall, elegant perennial with slender For complementary reds, pinks and Easy to grow on most soils, this large
leaves. From July to September the purples, plant this salvia in front of any deciduous grass will form a clump
slim, catkin-like spikes of white flowers, of the taller eupatoriums. Its pink-tinged of slim, arching olive-green leaves.
quivering at the top of willowy stems, stems carry well-spaced clusters of In early autumn you get silky grass
look great against the darker foliage pink flowers (whose upper lips arch flowers – brownish-red when young,
and pink blooms of eupatoriums. downwards) from June to September. then ageing beautifully to pink and
H&S: 5-6ft (1½-1.8m). H&S: 2ft (60cm). silver. H&S: 5ft (1½m).

Growing guidelines Try these newer forms

Eupatoriums are easy to grow, IN recent years, new eupatoriums have

requiring little more than fertile soil emerged, particularly from the US and

– preferably not too clayey – and the Netherlands. Look out for:

a sunny or part-shaded position. E. dubium ‘Little Joe’ A truly compact

They tend to do well in moist form at 3-4ft (90-120cm); features

soils; our native hemp agrimony rose-purple flowers.

thrives in ditches! Plant in a sunny spot E. maculatum ‘Gateway’ This has some Newcomer ‘Little

They are deciduous; cut back stems – or in partial shade of the fullest heads of any eupatorium. Joe’ grows to

close to ground level in late winter. E. maculatum ‘Phantom’ A short, compact just 4ft (1.2m)

Plants can look unsightly when the flowers go over; variety with flowers in a paler pink than most.

grow them at the back of a border (where they won’t E. maculatum ‘Little Red’ One of the best, with

be so visible once past their best), or in a wild garden. deep red flowers.

30 AMATEUR GARDENING 11 JULY 2020

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Ask John Negus John has been answering
reader queries for 50 years

Bulbs will flower when they have
bulked up enough

One out of four

Alamy Californian allspice can be propagated Q I planted four Ismene bulbs but
by taking semi-ripe cuttings in summer only one flowered. Why is this?
Jean Wilson, via email
How do I propagate my mystery shrub?
A The remaining three bulbs were
Q Please could you tell me what this shrub is and how we can propagate it? probably smaller than the one that
Sandra Jones, via email performed and did not contain embryo
blooms. If you liquid-feed them with a
A This shrub is California allspice 3in (8cm). Additionally, reduce the heel high-potash fertiliser, such as Tomorite,
(Calycanthus occidentalis). A native of bark to 1⁄4in (6mm) from the base of bulbs will increase in size and bloom for
of California, it grows to around 10ft (3m) the cutting. you next year.
and pleases us with its aromatic dark or
red flowers. Remove lower leaves that might be Provided you position the plants in a
buried and insert cuttings to half their brightly lit spot away from hot summer
I am pleased that yours is flourishing. depth and 3in (8cm) apart around the sunshine, in a minimum temperature of
It is not commonly seen and it makes a edge of a 4in (10cm) pot filled with 55ºF (13ºC), they will prosper and grow.
garden special. proprietary cutting compost.
A strong weedkiller
Most plant centres stock it. The best Water them in and cover the pot with should work well
way is to take half-ripe cuttings in early an inflated clear plastic bag. Position the on brambles
August. Start by tugging side shoots cuttings on a warm but not too sunny
from the main stem, complete with a windowsill. Roots and new growth
heel of bark. Then shorten cuttings to should form within six weeks.

What’s going on with my alstroemeria?

Q I have had an alstroemeria Alstroemerias live for
plant for many years, which has years unless they are
flowered non-stop all summer each
year. This year, however, after the first bothered by pests
initial flush of flowers, no more stems
have appeared. Do they have a limited A thorny problem
life span? If not, is there something I
can do to encourage new growth? Q What is the most efficient way to
Sandra Partlett, Halstead, Essex remove a load of tangled brambles
at this time of year?
All photographs TI Media unless otherwise credited A I am sorry that your alstroemeria and damaging growing tips. Have you Jocelyn Sackler, via email
has failed and is no longer noticed any silvery trails indicating
producing flowering stems. their presence? Then again, some A I suggest that you eradicate the
other pest may be responsible for brambles by painting them with
Provided the soil drains freely and your plant’s demise. Vitax SBK Tough Weedkiller. Apply it
your plant is well established in a now. Based on triclopyr, it is channelled
sunny patch, it should bloom and into roots and shoots, which it kills.
make robust growth for many years.
If the brambles are well established
Slugs are menace, chewing stems with an extensive root system, you will
have to reapply the herbicide if further
shoots appear.

32 AMATEUR GARDENING 11 JULY 2020

Contact John Negus by email address below
Email: [email protected]

Persistent lawn weeds should Quick questions
be treated while they are in growth & answers

Weed is growing like nobody’s business! Q What is
this plant,
Q I have a plant whose common name, I think, is ‘mind-your-own-business’, please?
which has spread from my neighbour’s lawn via postmen and so on walking Kathy Greaves,
over the lawn. How can I eradicate it from the lawn? via email
Doreen Sheridan, via email
A The
A Mind-your-own-business is a However, this is a good time of year to try pelargonium in
nuisance in the lawn and in borders. to deal with while it is actively growing. question appears to be
I have it in both at home and have learnt P. multibracteatum. A native of
to tolerate it in the lawn, as I haven’t the Use a specialised lawn weed killer Africa, it was discovered in 1882.
time to tackle it. Hopefully, the following as these will only act on broad-leaved
will help you. weeds and leave the grass untouched. Easy to grow provided you site it
Don’t expect it all to disappear overnight in full sun and grow it in gritty, free-
This plant thrives in moist and shady as it is quite a tenacious little plant and draining soil and water carefully
conditions and roots from every node may require several applications to kill – roots must not be soaked – it
that touches the soil. Anything that you it off altogether. commands attention.
can do to improve the light and moisture
levels on your lawn will help discourage If it has not reached too far across Q What has
its growth but won’t eradicate it. the lawn it might be simpler to dig up happen to
affected turf and replace with fresh, or my king of
For this, I’m afraid you will have to use a non-selective weed killer such as Peru plant?
resort to chemical control, as even if you Roundup that will take out the grass as S McCusker,
try to weed it out by hand it will be very well, but should leave you with a nice East Antrim
difficult to achieve 100% success. clear patch for overseeding in autumn.
A Your marvel of
What should I do about burrowing pests? Peru or king of Peru (Mirabilis
jalapa) is suffering from sun scorch.
Q Could you please tell me what Pleasingly, if you shade it lightly with
these burrowing insects are that fibre fleece and water regularly,
I have in my lawn? They are turning the strong new shoots will replace
grass into a sandy desert full of holes. those that are damaged.
Are they harmful to the garden and
how can I eradicate them? Mirabilis has great charm.
Guy Watson, Bognor Regis, W. Sussex Opening its flowers in the late
afternoon, few pests trouble it and it
A The bees in question, spoiling Mining bees are not a problem Alamy blooms for many weeks in summer.
your lawn, are a mining species and should be left alone
(Andrena). There are 20 or more kinds. Q What is this plant, please?
Yours could be A. dorsata. Widespread well and feed us. So even though your Anne Randall, via email
in Britain, there are two generations: lawn is suffering, I urge you to tolerate
March to May and July to October. this problem and allow them the freedom A This interloper is the greater
of your grass. burdock (Arctium lappa).
Whichever species it is, it is a good A robust British wildflower, its
pollinator and should not be harmed. We hooked seeds cling to passing
are losing huge numbers of bees, which animals, which ensures the
are vital for ensuring that apples and plant’s distribution.
other fruits, and many other crops, grow
A biennial, it flowers, seeds and
dies in its second year – it grows
to around 5ft (1½m).
Beloved by bees
and other
insects, it has
sculptural
appeal and
looks fine in a
wild garden.

11 JULY 2020 AMATEUR GARDENING 33



Ask John Negus John has been answering
reader queries for 50 years

In a bind with this
invasive weed

Q Do you have a solution to get rid
of bindweed from my garden?
I usually pull out these weeds as they
appear in the soil.
Joan Herbert, Cardiff

A The simplest method of dealing Removing leaves or treating with The eyed hawkmoth can
with bindweed is the one you are systemic weedkiller will weaken be seen from April to July
already using – simply pulling off the
stems. They will often snap off at ground and kill weeds The eyes have it!
level giving you only temporary respite,
but removing the top growth, if done as not suitable for use where the bindweed Q What is this moth in our garden?
soon as leaves are seen, will eventually is growing in among other plants. Is it a hawkmoth?
weaken the roots. Gill Creaser, Wiltshire
It is possible to use it by painting it
The leaves feed the roots and if there onto the leaves so that other plants don’t A The species in question is the eyed
are no leaves then the plant will have to come into contact with it, but this is time hawkmoth (Smerinthus ocellata).
use its food reserves, stored in the roots, consuming, especially over a large area. Favouring woodland, scrub, gardens
to grow. Once the food reserves are and parks, its hind-wing eyespots and
used up, as long as they can’t be I have taken to using the new black ‘club’ marking on the head confirm
replenished the plant will eventually die. Roundup Gel, which is just dabbed on that it is, indeed, the eyed hawkmoth.
to the leaves and left to do its stuff.
If the bindweed is appearing in bare Its dramatic, greenish-horned larva
soil then regularly hoeing it off will have It is still time consuming, but less risky feeds on poplar, aspen and willow.
the same effect. to other plants than applying a liquid
paint – and it works. Widespread in Britain, apart from
However, the quickest and most Scotland, and parts of Ireland, it’s on
effective method is to spray it with a I’ve found it works on tough weeds the wing from late April to July.
chemical herbicide. like brambles, as well as bindweed. You
might need more than one application, A second brood often occurs in the
The best one to use is Roundup, but this is a good time of year to have a south, from August to September.
which has the active ingredient go at doing this as the bindweed is still
glyphosate and is systemic in that it is actively growing. The chemical will What is this, please?
carried from the leaves to the roots, therefore be transported through the
therefore killing the whole plant. plant more quickly, and can act and
kill it off more quickly.
However, it is non-selective, which
means that it will kill any plant that it
comes into contact with, and is therefore

How can I help my newly planted cornus? Q My neighbour has just bought me
this lovely plant. Can you tell me
Q Our new cornus now looks terrible. the name please and if it’s winter hardy?
It was planted in good soil with Barbara Stacey, via email
John lnnes No3 and watered well, but it
never looked happy. After three weeks A This is a
I carefully lifted it and found it had made gentian,
some new root growth so replanted it. probably G.
Any ideas what’s wrong?
David Shead, Hastings, East Sussex ‘Inverleith’.

Happiest in

loam-based

ericaceous

A I am sorry that your Cornus capitata compost
is looking unhappy. You have done
all the right things – planted it properly Root problems are the usual augmented Gentians thrive in
and cared well for it. cause for poorly shrubs with quarter part a sunny spot

There is, almost certainly, something is the problem. Sadly, there is no cure coarse grit, by
wrong with its roots. They may have for either disease.
contracted honey fungus. Check by volume, it loves a sunny position.
peeling a little bark from a root to see if Ideally, but it may be impracticable,
there is white mould beneath it. return the tree to the supplier, who will For the moment, feed it weekly with
replace it.
If no mould is visible, root death may an ericaceous liquid fertiliser, ensuring
be to blame. Check by exposing a root Nevertheless, contact the company
and cutting it in half. If the centre of the and explain what has happened. They the compost is damp. Then, when the
root is black and dead, then this fungus may send you another by carrier.
plant becomes pot-bound and roots

push the drainage hole, move it into a

container 6in (15cm) larger in diameter,

placing crocks or pea shingle over the

base before filling in with compost.

11 JULY 2020 AMATEUR GARDENING 35

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Gardening’s king of trivia and brain-teasers, Graham Clarke

This Delphiniums to delight
week
it’s: Cottage-garden plants with lots of frilly blooms

IF you want to add height to a perennial flower group provides us with such a The tall spires of delphiniums are All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited
or mixed border, then look no further diversity of this one primary colour. typical cottage-garden plants
than the delphinium. It soars above other Today, though, there are pinks, purples,
flowers, each of its 6ft (2m)-tall spires whites, creams and shades of red, too.
coated in up to 100 frilly blooms. For Delphiniums are doing their thing right
structure and old-world English charm, now, so let’s look at some facts.
you can do no better. And I haven’t
even mentioned the colour blue! Delphiniums are in the large
buttercup family. Their cousins
From gentian and indigo-blue, to include clematis, aconites, hellebores,
royal, sky, ultramarine and navy, no other anemones and thalictrum.

What variety! Elatum elation!

THERE are around 300 delphinium MANY of the traditional blue, tall, spire

species, and many more cultivars. delphiniums come under the name

Most are perennials, but there are Elatum Group, and have the species

also biennials and annuals. They D. elatum in the parentage. Upright, D. ‘Lord Butler’ has
hollow stems grow form a woody crown light-blue flowers
range dramatically in height from The gentian-blue just under the soil, while its long-stalked with white ‘eyes’ Blackmore-langdon.com

the familiar spires – up to 8ft (2½m) in of Delphinium

some cases – down to small alpine types, ‘Volkerfrieden’ leaves are divided into three or more lobes with toothed

such as D. tatsienense, at just 4in (10cm). Mostly we think margins. Look for: ‘Lord Butler’ (light blue and white), ‘Faust’

of delphiniums as a tightly packed spire of bloom, but many (deep blue-purple) and ‘Fenella’ (violet-tinged deep blue).

species have elegant, widely spaced blooms. Among these Elatum Group delphiniums are ‘tetraploids’, meaning

are the Belladonna Group, which produce shorter spires: they have twice as many chromosomes as most delphinium

they flower at 3ft (90cm) in the first year, and a little higher species, giving larger flowers with more petals. Some have

after that. Look for ‘Atlantis’ (deep blue with a purple flush), almost semi-double flowers (with 13 petals, and extra petals

‘Oriental Sky’ (pale blue) or ‘Volkerfrieden’ (gentian-blue, in the ‘eye’), or double flowers (with no distinction between

and very good as a cut flower). the eye and petals).

Red delphiniums 5fabulous non-blue
(or red) delphiniums
OVER the years, many breeders have

strived to grow a red delphinium. One

of the first to be introduced, back in the Cream: Delphinium ‘Sungleam’ White, cream and lilac: Delphinium
‘Highlander Dream Sensation’
1930s (and the only

survivor from those

days to still be

available), is

the lovely

D. x ruysii ‘Pink

Sensation’. A

second-wave

T&M Delphinium of breeding in Hayloft.co.uk
nudicaule ‘Laurin’ the 1950s, jointly

conducted by T&M

Wageningen University

in the Netherlands, and the RHS Garden

at Wisley in Surrey, resulted in plants

known today as the University Hybrids. White: Delphinium elatum
New Millennium Series
Many more generations have been ‘Double Innocence’

developed since, resulting in pink, red

and orange-red shades. They all tend to

be less vigorous than blue delphiniums,

and possibly more prone to mildew.

Look for ‘Princess Caroline’, ‘Red Purple: Delphinium New Millennium
Series ‘Pagan Purples’
Caroline’ and the short-growing Pink/crimson: Delphinium ‘Flamenco’

D. nudicaule ‘Laurin’.

11 JULY 2020 AMATEUR GARDENING 37

Gardening’s king of trivia and brain-teasers, Graham Clarke

Prize draw Powdery mildew is a
fungal disease that
Evergreen Garden Care is giving AG affects delphiniums
readers the chance to win one of two
bundles to keep their plants clear this Delph disasters
summer with products including Bug
Clear, Rose Clear, Fungus Clear and SADLY, delphiniums have a rather
Slug Clear worth £36.95! alarming list of problems. Pests include
slugs and snails, leaf miner, spider mite
From the BugClear range, winners will receive the 1-litre BugClear Ultra Gun! to and leaf-eating caterpillars. Diseases
protect for up to three weeks, killing all major pests. Also from the range is BugClear include black leaf spot, root/crown rots,
Fruit & Veg (250ml), which can be diluted and sprayed to protect crops against powdery mildew (particularly on wild
pests. Winners will also receive FungusClear Ultra (225ml), a systematic protection species and types with purple/violet
and control of black spot, powdery mildew and rust for ornamental plants. For flowers) and viruses. Fortunately, most
perfect roses, the 1-litre RoseClear Ultra Gun! is included in the bundle protecting up of these are rare or not a major problem,
to 21 days to prevent further attacks. Finally, winners will receive SlugClear Ultra 3 and it’s just slugs, snails and powdery
(685g) to prevent harm from slugs and snails for up to two weeks on all crops. mildew that we have to control.

How to enter All parts of a delphinium, but
particularly the seeds, are poisonous
Send your name and address on the back of a postcard to Evergreen Garden Care Draw in large doses.
(11 July), Amateur Gardening, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough, Hampshire
GU14 7BF. Or you can email your details to [email protected], heading the Historical gardening event
email Evergreen Garden Care Draw (11 July). The closing date is 17 July 2020. of the week: 8 July 1877
Note: prizes will not be sent out until the crisis is over and people are back at work.
WILLIAM Keble Martin
W£3IN0 Word search No: was born to an
526 illustrious family on
this day in Radley,
This word search comprises AS T L I ANS RM Oxfordshire. He
words associated with ENPURP L EUE was schooled at
delphiniums. They are listed Marlborough and then
Oxford (where he read
below; in the grid they may be J UNEUUR I P Y Greek philosophy and
read across, backwards, up, botany), and trained for
the church. As the Rev
down or diagonally. Letters NA L OG E NMS E Keble Martin he held many parish
posts over his life. He’s included
may be shared between here because his passion, outside of
words. Erroneous or duplicate I K R B D I L U K E the Church, was wildflowers; he was
also a highly skilled artist.
words may appear in the grid, HG I RHAE T R T
but there is only one correct As a young gardening student I
had to buy a copy of Keble Martin’s
solution. After the listed PNOP T R L AA I book The Concise British Flora in Graham Clarke
words are found, there are LBLE I TAL LH Colour (pictured). The culmination
seven letters remaining; of 60 years’ meticulous fieldwork,
it was full of his exquisite paintings.
arrange these to make this OE P P I NK E EW
week’s KEYWORD. Launched in 1965 – when Keble
Martin was 88 years old – as an aid
DELPHINIUM DGSOG I DN I B to the identification of wildflowers
across Britain, it was an immediate
ELATUM HOW TO ENTER: Enter this week’s keyword on the entry form, best-seller. It also came to the notice
of Royal Mail and, two years later, a
GROUP and send it to AG Word Search No 526, Amateur Gardening, set of stamps was issued depicting
four of his designs. Keble Martin
BELLADONNA Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 died in 1969.

LARKSPUR 7BF, to arrive by Wednesday 22 July, 2020. The first correct

WHITE entry chosen at random will win our £30 cash prize.

EYE

BLUE This week’s keyword is ..........................................................................................
BORDER Name ........................................................................................................................
DOLPHIN

INDIGO Address ....................................................................................................................
JUNE ...................................................................................................................................
PETAL

PINK Postcode ..................................................................................................................
PURPLE

SLUG Email .........................................................................................................................

SNAIL Tel no ........................................................................................................................
SPIRE
TALL TI Media Ltd, publisher of Amateur Gardening, will collect your personal information
solely to process your competition entry.

38 AMATEUR GARDENING 11 JULY 2020

Crossword
...just for fun!
Delphiniums put me on TV!
() *+,

MY first appearance on TV -

was thanks to delphiniums.

In 1994 I was at the Chelsea ./

Flower Show, happily

minding my own 0 ('

business, when an RHS

press officer I knew

accosted me and asked ((
()
if I would be interviewed
(-
by an ITN film crew about Graham was asked about (*

the new red delphinium the new ‘Princess Caroline’ (+ (,
‘Princess Caroline’, being delphinium at Chelsea

introduced at the event. I uttered (.

“Ah, well, I’m not…” before I was whisked off to none

other than Michael Brunson (ITN’s political editor at the

time; it must have been a slow news day)!

I was thrust in front of a camera, and a microphone was (/ (0

thrust in front me. Mr Brunson quizzed me on why, when

delphiniums were usually blue, we were now seeing red

ones. Fortunately, I had read the RHS press notes about ACROSS and varnishes (5)
19 Leafy perennial, known as
the new variety before I got to Chelsea, so I had the most 1 Common name for a tree of the plantain lily (5)
the alnus genus (similar to, but
basic of knowledge to get away with it: the perils of being different from, 5 down)! (5) DOWN
3 Common name for a plant
a gardening ‘expert’! of the ajuga genus (5) 1 An ‘AGM’, when referring
7 Sounding like the angle to plants, is ____ of Garden
I never saw that news report but, a few months later, one between the upper side of a Merit (5)
leaf and the stem from which 2 The subjects of this
of AG’s company directors came up to me and said: “Last it comes (in botany), it’s week’s Miscellany! (11)
actually a rod through the 4 Highly colourful garden
time I saw you was on the TV in my hotel room in Japan. centre of a wheel! (4) birds (Cardeulis cardeulis),
8 Being happy about with bright-red faces and
You were talking about delphiniums, I think!” a shortened form of yellow wing patches (11)
gladiolus! (4) 5 Common name for a tree
The word 9 Colloquial name for an of the sambucus genus
delphinium insect (3) (similar to, but different
comes from 11 Genus of the gloxinia from, 1 across)! (5)
the Ancient pot plant (9) 6 Wildebeest… and a cultivar
Greek word 14 I’m a ‘Dutch’ one for of tall bearded iris! (3)
for dolphin, as weeding, and a ‘draw’ one 9 Greenhouse staging, marked
the flowers of for taking out a seed drill. as a sign of excellence! (5)
D. peregrinum What am I? (3) 10 This magnolia cultivar is a
were thought 16 Main colour associated spirit of Arabian folklore! (5)
to be shaped with plants of this week’s 12 Hard, translucent fossilised
like a dolphin Miscellany! (4) 18 across, originating from
17 One has to do this to extinct coniferous trees (5)
The larkspur connection seedlings in a row, to 13 The periwinkle genus (5)
space them well (4) 15 Short poem, as in
IN Tudor times delphiniums were known as ‘larkspurs’ – 18 Yellowish viscous liquid of the African violet variety
today this is more or less confined to annual forms. The plant origin, used in lacquers ‘___ to Beauty’ (3)
Tudors thought the nectary (the delphinium’s nectar-
secreting organ) looked like the claw of a lark – not a ANSWERS TO ABOVE CROSSWORD
crow, mind, or a pigeon, or any other bird species, but a
lark! Thank goodness, otherwise we might have been ACROSS 1 Alder 3 Bugle 7 Axle 8 Glad 9 Bug 11 Sinningia 14 Hoe 16 Blue
calling these plants Dartford warbler-spurs! 17 Thin 18 Resin 19 Hosta
DOWN 1 Award 2 Delphiniums 4 Goldfinches 5 Elder 6 Gnu 9 Bench
The genus name Delphinium comes from the Ancient 10 Genie 12 Amber 13 Vinca 15 Ode
Greek word for dolphin, mainly because the flowers of
D. peregrinum, one of the wild forms, were thought to KEYWORD TO WORD SEARCH 521 (6 JUNE):
be dolphin-shaped.
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Anne Swithinbank’s masterclass on: non-flowering alliums

I remember buying three Inset: Alamy Step Caring
bulbs of ‘Pinball Wizard’ from by step for your
a garden show several years
ago. One was dug out and alliums
eaten, probably by a badger.
My digging has revealed 22
medium-sized bulbs

Spectacular ‘Pinball Wizard’
in full bloom, reaching to
8in (20cm) across and
24in (60cm) tall

Novelty ‘Green Drops’, with Inset: Alamy 1 This was the original show
flowerheads that sprout mini put on by two bulbs of ‘Pinball
florets, will grow happily in pots Wizard’ (the third was consumed
by a badger).

Why are alliums not flowering?

Q A few years ago, I planted a few nutrients to fuel bulbs for the following 2 Digging carefully with a trowel
bulbs of a tall, purple-flowered year’s blooms. A general-purpose liquid meant there was less chance
allium. At first they did well, but now fertiliser is going to help things along. By of puncturing or slicing bulbs. I was
all I’m getting is leaves but no flowers. flowering time, leaves have often turned surprised they had multiplied to 22.
Everything has yellowed and died back yellow and died back.
now. How can I get them to bloom again? 3 Next, replant these bulbs into
Margaret Childs, Kettering, Northants. A failure to bloom is usually caused by well-conditioned (but still
bulbs rotting in waterlogged soil, or poor well-drained) soil, taking care to
A There are 700 species of allium, growth in dry springs. Bulbs propagate set them 4in (10cm) deep.
mainly from dry, hilly regions of the naturally by offsets and might form a
All photography John Swithinbank / TI Media, unless otherwise credited northern hemisphere. The lovely durable congested mass of small bulbs, unable
Allium christophii, for instance, comes to reach flowering size. I suggest some
from Turkey and central Asia. detective work by excavating carefully
under the dead foliage.
A number of species and many
cultivars make popular garden plants, We’ve had no flowers on our ‘Pinball
especially those with spherical heads of Wizard’ for a couple of years, so I took a
purple or white flowers sitting atop tall, trowel to the spot where the last vestiges
sturdy stems. Now is a great time to of leaves were withering. The soil of this
order bulbs for planting in autumn and slightly raised bed was dust-dry and it
flowering next May and June. They are does have a hard, stony base. I found
especially effective threaded through the bulbs had also been invaded by the
borders in waves. roots of a nearby dwarf pine.

Although described as easy to grow Moved to a better position, the leaves
as long as they have sun and well-drained that appear next spring should boost the
soil, alliums do need some good earth bulbs ready for a show of 4in (10cm)-wide
beneath their roots if they are to thrive. flowerheads on stems 2ft (60cm) high in
Foliage grows in spring and has only a 2022. Site alliums in areas of the garden
short window for taking up water and where the bulbs can settle undisturbed
by regular forking or digging.

Beautiful alliums to try Alamy 4 If there is nowhere to plant the
bulbs immediately, buy time
FOR 5ft (1½m) height, pick A. giganteum or A. ‘Gladiator’ by potting them temporarily into
with heads 6in (15cm) or 8in (20cm) across respectively. a well-draining compost.
For pinkish white heads 3in (8cm) across, try A. ‘Graceful’,
reaching 12in (30cm) tall. White globes of ‘Mount Everest’
are 5-6in (13-15cm) across at 4ft (1.2m) tall. With 3in (8cm) Get maximum height
heads on 36in (90cm) stems, ‘Purple Sensation’ is good value. with A. ‘Gladiator’

11 JULY 2020 AMATEUR GARDENING 41

All our yesterdays In this extract from AG 10 July 1971,
Christopher Lloyd, of Great Dixter
from the AG archives fame, looks at providing long-lasting
colour in a border

Gladiolus communis
subsp. byzantinus
produces slender,
graceful magenta
spikes to 3ft (90cm)

in June

TI MediaChristopher Lloyd at
All photographs Alamy unless otherwise creditedGreat Dixter

Perovskia atriplicifolia should be Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch’ will bloom for months
hard-pruned in spring so it is ready
to take over, with its blue-flowered
spires, from July onwards

How to keep colour in a border

Christopher Lloyd explains how he groups plants in his border for long-lasting colour

O NE of the greatest arts in June. I also grow the pure-white Gladioli and phlox
gardening is the management A. neapolitanum, which has a similar The hardy Gladiolus communis subsp.
of an important border so season, among the purple-leaved byzantinus, with slenderly graceful
that it looks colourful, procumbent Sedum [Hylotelephium] magenta spikes to 3ft (90cm) in June, is
interesting and presentable over as ‘Ruby Glow’. good among lower-growing phloxes,
long a season as possible. It is not such as the white Phlox paniculata ‘Mia
easy and you will never be wholly About the end of June, when it has Ruys’. Again, you can pull out the dying
successful, but it is a fascinating finished flowering, the allium’s leaves stalks of the gladiolus as the phlox takes
exercise and an absorbing challenge. and stems can all be grabbed in a large over. My Perovskia atriplicifolia, too, is
fistful and pulled out, leaving the field underplanted with this gladiolus. The
Often you can combine two different clear for the sedum’s late-summer shrub is hard-pruned in spring, but is
plants in the same grouping. For season. The allium returns to life in ready to take over, with its blue-flowered
instance, bulbs among herbaceous autumn and is green all winter, when spires, from July onwards.
perennials, such as tulips with Aster x the sedum is dormant.
frikartii. This aster is a boon. Unlike the Clematis are excellent combiners.
general run of Michaelmas daisies, Use lower-growing phloxes, such as the Every mature shrub in your garden
which flower for a mere fortnight in white Phlox paniculata ‘Mia Ruys’, with should be given a clematis to grow
September, Aster x frikartii gets going taller plants such as gladioli through it and double up on the season
with its large lavender daisies in early of interest and colour. Thus I have the
August and keeps it up for two months. purple C. ‘Jackmanii’ growing through
the yellow July-flowering Mount Etna
Alluring alliums broom (Genista aetnensis). Their
Alliums or ornamental onions do seasons overlap, making a sumptuous
well among certain low shrubs and purple and gold tapestry, but the
perennials, too. The grey-leaved clematis continues in flower for
Senecio cineraria ‘White Diamond’ more than a month afterwards.
has to be cut hard back each April.
You can take advantage of its ensuing Second crop
nakedness by interplanting it with Some perennials, like the red monardas,
Allium ostrowskianum [A. oreophilum], just give you one splash of colour for
with bright-pink umbels in May and a limited season, and that’s it. You

42 AMATEUR GARDENING 11 JULY 2020

Amateur

136 years of practical advice

1884 The World’s Oldest Gardening Magazine 2020

This extract from AG 13 December 1969 looks at growing your own pineapples

Pleasure from pineapples

We explain how, with a lot of patience and the right
conditions, you could grow your own pineapple

HAVE you ever thought of growing encourage rooting – equal parts John Pineapples can be
your own pineapple? They can be Innes potting compost and sand is grown indoors or in
grown in pots on sunny windowsills suitable. Plant the top so that its fleshy heated greenhouses
in warm rooms, especially centrally part is covered with compost and
heated ones, or in a heated press down firmly. around the parent plant and, when
greenhouse. Even without fruit, large enough, can be cut off and
the plants make very handsome The right temperature rooted. If a plant’s leaves look
houseplants, with their rosettes of If you have a propagating case, place yellowish, give it a dose of iron
spiky, yucca-like leaves. Moreover, the pot in this to keep it at about 65°F chelate. Established plants need
a plant need not cost you anything as (18°C), which is essential for fast rooting. plenty of water.
it can be grown from the green top of If not, put the pot into a polythene bag,
the next pineapple that you buy. held open by wires or split canes, and
seal it with an elastic band.
Instead of shopping for a really ripe
fruit, look instead for one with the Do not worry if some outer leaves
freshest and greenest undamaged die off. When the young plant has
leafy tuft at the top. Take it home and rooted, after 6-8 weeks, move it into
slice off the top with one row of pip- a 4½in (11cm) pot, using John Innes
like protrusions and flesh attached. potting compost No2. Given warmth
and light, growth should be rapid
Prepare a pot to plant the top into; during the summer.
generally clay pots are preferable
to plastic, as plastic may be too The fruit is carried on a stem rising
moisture-retentive. out of the top of the plant. Fruiting plants
are generally at least four years old.
A pot of 3-31⁄2in (8-9cm) diameter While in growth they should be fed
is usually large enough. Cover the fortnightly with liquid fertiliser and
drainage hole with a crock. Fill the pot repotted when necessary.
one-half to two-thirds full of compost,
which should be sandy enough to Side rosettes sometimes shoot out

deadhead them for the sake of from the gardener. Good examples are The yellow July-flowering Mount Etna
neatness, but nothing more happens. the cranesbills, or hardy geraniums, like broom (Genista aetnensis) can be
Others, if deadheaded, will produce a the magenta G. sanguineum or the used as a frame to grow clematis
second crop, especially freely if the bright pink-mauve G. endressii. They
autumn is warm and sunny. start in May and continue until October.
Verbena bonariensis gets going in July,
Border phloxes often oblige in this but thereafter improves steadily until
way. Not all of them, but most, if they are late autumn. It is a stiff six-footer [1.8m]
well fed and growing strongly – not if they requiring no staking, covered with
are short of water and overcrowded. Just purple blossom and with late butterflies.
remove the flowered panicle as it is
fading, and side growths near the top of A rotation of annuals with biennials is
the stem will take over. A July-flowering another good idea. Make a bolder patch
helenium like ‘Moerheim Beauty’ will in your border of sweet Williams,
carry an excellent autumn crop if Canterbury bells or – if your soil is light
deadheaded and its bronze-colour looks – Brompton stocks in the autumn and
well with the purple spikes of Salvia x interplant them with tulips.
superba, which behaves and should be
treated in the same way. Late in July lift the whole lot, harvesting
your bulbs and discarding the biennials,
Continuous season and replace with an annual like
Certain perennials do, by nature, have Heliotropium arborescens ‘Marine’ or
an extraordinarily long and continuous dwarf bedding dahlias treated as annuals,
season with practically no assistance sown in May and brought on in individual
5in [13cm] pots for July planting.

The views, information and opinions expressed during this series of extracts from past issues of AG are solely those of the individuals involved, at the time they were
written, and are not necessarily relevant or even legal today. Please treat these pages as a look back at how things were done in the past and not necessarily how they
are done today. AG accepts no responsibility if readers follow advice given in these articles from past issues.

11 JULY 2020 AMATEUR GARDENING 43

Tried & tested by Tim Rumball

Tim tests six products this week to determine the best for you

Budget oscillating sprinklers

Tim Rumball looks at six sprinkler models to compare performance against price

S PRINKLERS stand accused of rock from side to side) give precise adjustment between the extremities.
being wasteful when used for pattern control so you can direct water Full is great for lawns, left and right for
watering gardens, but I still exactly where you want it. Some have directing water onto flower beds, and
prefer them over drip watering a dial with fixed settings of centre, right, centre is handy for watering rows of veg.
systems – and I know I’m not alone. left and full for controlling the spray.
Good oscillating sprinklers (those that Others have two slides offering infinite Area coverage of sprinklers depends
on water pressure, which varies around

Homebase oscillating MyGarden Oscillating FloPro Turbo
sprinkler Sprinkler Oscillating Sprinkler
£12 plus £6 delivery online £5.99 in store at The Range £9.99 online from The Range

0345 077 8888 0345 026 7598 01480 443753
homebase.co.uk therange.co.uk therange.co.uk

Score Score Score

10 10 13
/15 /15 /15

Features Features Features

Water-powered, gear-driven motor that Green and black plastic construction. Water-powered, gear-driven motor with
operates at all water pressures. Curved Water-powered, gear-driven motor. annotated dial spray-range adjustment.
spray bar has 17 jets for even coverage. Straight spray bar with 16 angled jets for Straight spray bar with 15 angled jets
Adjustable spraying range. Built-in consistent coverage over a large area. for smooth water regulation. Built-in
cleaning needle for clearing jets. Max Annotated dial spray range adjustment. cleaning needle for jets. Max coverage
coverage info not provided. Dimensions: Built-in cleaning needle for clearing jets. 13½x15m (203sq m). Dimensions: 16x6x3in
18x6x5in (46x14½x12cm). Two-year Max coverage info not provided. (40x15½x9½cm). Guarantee not specified.
guarantee. Dimensions: 17x6x4in (42½x15x11cm).
Guarantee not specified. Performance
Performance
Performance Simple instructions on packaging. Snaps
No instructions provided. Snaps onto hose onto hose easily. Dial-pattern selection
easily. Two slide-pattern selectors give No instructions provided. Snaps onto a bit clunky but positive. Water on, jets
infinite choice and both slides move easily. hose easily. The dial adjustment is not give an even spray to a good height,
Water on, the jets are coarser than the easy to read (especially when wet), and but short of the Karcher and Hozelock
FloPro, not as even. Pressure is a bit notchy and stiff to twist. Water on, full models. Side-to-side oscillation is
weaker than FloPro so water doesn’t carry spray pattern is even but lacks pressure steady. On full setting the spray covered
as far. Full right and left give good cut-off so doesn’t reach very far. Side-to-side my small lawn and one side of the flower
for directing water onto flower beds, but oscillation is slow. For flower-bed bed. Left setting gives good pattern cut-
due to low pressure struggles to reach watering, the right setting has a slight off for watering flower beds, but right
back of bed. Centre gives nice narrow overspill to the left, but the left setting sweeps back to the left a little. Centre
pattern for watering rows of veg. Nozzle has a clean cut-off. Centre setting is well gives a nice, tight arc for veg beds. Jet-
cleaning needle easy to get out and refit. defined for watering rows of veg. cleaning needle is a bit fiddly to reach.
Jet-cleaning pin is easy to access.
Value Value
Value
An adequate sprinkler, but it looks An excellent balance of performance
identical to and performs same as the A very good price, and adequate and price – certainly the best-value
Wilko model that is a fair bit cheaper. performance to water a small garden. sprinkler on test.

44 AMATEUR GARDENING 11 JULY 2020

I prefer oscillating sprinklers over
drip-watering systems, but are the
budget models up to the task?

the country. However, I was surprised at BEST BUY...
the difference in delivery between the
best and worst of the six sprinklers under Hozelock Rectangular
scrutiny here, all tested on my garden Sprinkler Plus
tap. You can pay £40 for top-end models, £20.99
but I’ve looked at budget options, three
cheap-as-chips, and three base models 0121 313 1122
from high-end manufacturers Hozelock, hozelock.com
Karcher and FloPro.

You must check with your water
company that you are allowed to use a
sprinkler – you may have to pay extra.

Wilko Oscillating Karcher OS 3.220
Garden Sprinkler Oscillating sprinkler
£7.50 £20.99

08000 329 329 01295 234020 BEST BUY NKLERS
wilko.com kaercher.com
AmateurBUDGET
Score Score
15/15
11 12
/15 /15 OSCILLATING SPRI

Features Features Features All prices correct at time of going to press and may vary at garden centres

Water-powered, gear-driven motor. Water-powered, gear-driven motor. Water powered motor with area
Curved spray bar has 17 jets for even Straight spray bar with 16 angled brass control adjustable spray designed
distribution. Adjustable spray range. jets for precise water output and to operate at all water pressures.
Built-in cleaning needle for jets. Max 56-point sliding-lever adjustable spray Spray bar has 15 jets for even
coverage info not provided. Dimensions: range. Built-in cleaning needle for coverage. Built-in jet cleaning
18x6x5in (46x15x12cm). Guarantee not clearing jets. Maximum coverage needle and removable water filter.
specified. 220sq m. Dimensions: 18x5x3in Max coverage 180sq m. Dimensions:
(45x13½x8½cm). Guarantee not 17x5x4in (43½x12½x10cm). Comes
Performance specified. with a two-year guarantee.

Looks identical to Homebase sprinkler Performance Performance
except for colour. No instructions. Snaps
easily onto hose. Slide water pattern Simple picture instructions. Sprinkler Good instructions inside packaging.
controls are easy, but need a bit of snaps onto hose cleanly. With water on Two slide-pattern adjusters offering
fiddling to get the spray pattern where and sliding levers set fully open provides infinite range are easy to move and
you want it. Fully open, the spray covered a good spray distance with a nice even give precise control. Water on, spray
my small lawn but like the Homebase pattern of jets, but not as powerful as the pressure is impressive – most
model, suffered from lack of water Hozelock – the spray didn’t get over the powerful of all on test. Even pattern
pressure and jets struggled to reach over top of tall shrubs. Oscillation is steady. and steady side-to-side oscillation.
flower-bed shrubs set on left and right. The sliding levers give good regulation On full, the spray covered the full
Good control of pattern on centre setting of the spray when set left and right, with width of my garden (30ft/9m) with
for veg beds. Slow side-to-side oscillation. a good tight pattern on the centre jets powerful enough to reach over
Jet-cleaning pin easy to access. setting. I couldn’t work out the ‘splash shrubs right to the back of flower
guard protection’ – I got wet. beds. Excellent control of pattern
Value on right and left for flower beds, and
Value on centre for rows of veg. The jet-
Like the Homebase and MyGarden cleaning pin is easy to access…
models, it’s an adequate sprinkler at A well-made, good-looking sprinkler with but doesn’t fit the jets!
a good price. precise controls and fair area coverage.
Value

Cheapest in the Hozelock range,
it may be over three times the price
of the cheapest we’ve tried, but it
offers significantly superior
performance over the others.

11 JULY 2020 AMATEUR GARDENING 45

Write to us: Letters, Amateur Gardening magazine, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough Business Park,
Farnborough, Hants GU14 7BF (please include your address). Email us: [email protected]

Golden glow Star Aquarium
awards letter propagation

I AM writing to sing the praises of “Euonymus is climbing nicely The fish tank makes a great propagator
Euonymus as a tough shrub. It through a trellis”
grows happily in dry soil, doesn’t I THOUGHT you might like to see my
grow too fast, and will take the Wendy says: I agree, Euonymus are new propagator – a vacant fish tank!
worst winter weather, even the ‘Beast such useful plants, and they are easy It is working very well to create
from the East’.  to multiply by taking summer cuttings. extra propagating space, and it has
ventilation and shading. The cuttings
The small cultivars, ‘Emerald Gaiety’ inside are doing well so far.
and ‘Emerald ’n’ Gold’, creep happily up Ellie Smith, via email
a fence; a light clip in late spring or early
summer keeps them tidy. The japonicas
make taller shrubs just as easily shaped.
I have several in flower beds and pots.

I love them all. They thrive in my
enclosed garden, which is baking in
summer and very cold in winter.
Maggie Marshall, East Northants

AG seeds bring A basket of Petunia ‘Confetti Mixed’ Fruits of my
our gardens to life neighbours

A HUGE thank you for keeping me I’M SURE we all
sane during our lockdown. You
have given me lots to do and create. have times when

These are some of the seeds you plants from our
sent me – they have created a
beautiful hanging display to neighbours’ gardens My free strawbs
brighten every glance through my from a ‘good
window, and all for the price of your become intrusive. But neighbour’
magazine: priceless! sometimes it works to
Dawn Holden,
Lime Tree Cottage B&B, Kent the good. Strawberry plants

have encroached and established well

from next door – with a happy result!

Barbara Trevitt,

Newcastle upon Tyne

Marilyn’s viola theatre EVEN in lockdown, there is always
filled with potted plants something lovely to smile about in
my garden. My husband made this
wonderful viola theatre from scraps
of wood he had found in the garage. 

The Viola ‘Comedy Mixed’ F2
flowers, which are just the right
height for the theatre, were grown
from AG free seeds, and the pots
were given to me as a present.
Marilyn Pitcher, Caerphilly

I WAS pleased to receive another Bees love Echium ‘Blue Bedder’ The begonia has ‘trailing’ stems
packet of Echium ‘Blue Bedder’
given away free with AG. Lockdown hair

It was so easy to grow from seed, I GREW Begonia ‘Tiger Paws’ from a leaf
and makes a good filler in the middle cutting. I was amused the other day to
of the border alongside petunias and notice that, like me, it has ‘lockdown hair’!
nasturtiums. The bees seem to love
them, too. I learn so much and get so much
Roger Gallop, Dorset pleasure from AG.
Gwen Owen, Bramley, Hants

11 JULY 2020 AMATEUR GARDENING 47

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