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Non-stop sweet peas!

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Top perennial variet ies PRAC
TICAL
ADVIC
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1884

Amateur 24 APRIL 2021

How to best
harden off
young plants

Best advice
for sowing
annuals
direct

Pro tips:
smarter way
to stake
a tall plant

Growing great cabbages

Best-ever
Sunflowers
Varieties for borders,
pots and containers
Perfect plants for a better pond
 137 years of practical advice
1884 The World’s Oldest Gardening Magazine 2021
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Why ponds are good for gardens
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7 Sow annuals in a border
9 Toughen up your plants
12 Free Tagetes ‘Starfire’ Mix seeds/
Bird watch: the black redstart
Great garden ideas
24 Perfect plants for ponds: options
for different ponds and needs
28 Sunflowers: best varieties to bring
big sunshine into your garden
32 Perennial sweet peas: enjoy long
flowering seasons year after year
28 “Grow some sunflower sunshine and
here are the best varieties,” says Tamsin Gardening wisdom
Alamy

13 Peter Seabrook
14 Bob Flowerdew
16 Val Bourne’s Wildlife
19 Lucy Chamberlain’s Fruit and Veg
37 Ask John Negus
45 A Gardener’s Miscellany
50 Advanced Gardening
52 Anne Swithinbank’s Masterclass
55 Letters to Wendy: from AG readers
59 Toby Buckland
Reader offers
22 3 for 2 deal on garden-ready plugs!

“There is something special about making

the first cut of the lawn in spring. While a
lot of time was spent in the garden over

4 “A pond is a great
addition to any
garden,” says Ruth
24 “I’ll show you
the best plants
for ponds,” says Anne
winter, it was primarily to accomplish tasks of
preparation: building compost sites; clearing
old roots and plant debris; pruning roses;
Future

Alamy

and planting umpteen flowers, shrubs and a

tree. At times the garden seemed more like a
workplace than one of joy and wonder. But it
is that first cut of the lawn, preceded by some
vigorous edging work, that turns a workplace
into a garden. Now daffs, primroses,
hyacinths and just-opening tulips truly come
to life as though refining the lawn was the
final part of the puzzle, bringing
the garden into sharp focus.
The next step is scarifying and
seeding – the work is never
entirely finished!”
Garry Coward-Williams,
Editor

Contact us:
Subscriptions: 0330 333 1113
Editorial: 0330 3903732
Email: amateurgardening@futurenet.com
Plants of Distinction

32 “We all love sweet peas and here are

some perennial ones,” says Graham

Cover: Sunflower (Helianthus annuus ‘Stella Sun’). Pic: Alamy

24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 3
 Your
Gardening Week
with AG’s gardening expert Ruth Hayes
I am cutting back dead plant stems to tidy
our pond for this year’s new growth
The pleasures of a pond
A pond is a must-have for any garden, says Ruth
A
GARDEN pond is a brilliant
way to waste time! Since we
put ours in two years ago I
have spent countless hours
gazing into it, watching the snails and
water beetles, admiring the plants
and sadly searching in vain for frogs
or at least a newt or two (we need to
encourage our neighbours to put in
ponds as well, I think).
Ponds are a great addition to any
garden. They add a calming, soothing
element for us and are also a major
attraction for wildlife.
Flying aquatic insects soon find their
way in (exactly how they locate a new
pond is beyond me), followed if you are
lucky by frogs, toads and newts. Birds
will probe around the edges for food and
nesting materials and mammals will use
it as a drinking station.
They also offer a contrast, a way of
introducing new plants to a garden and
breaking up what might be an otherwise
dull area of lawn.
Ponds can be hard work to install so
plan well in advance and set a few days
aside. They should be around 90in (1m)
Future unless credited
deep in the centre to keep plants and
creatures cool on hot days and so the
water less likely to freeze in winter.
There also needs to be a shallow
4 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 APRIL 2021
Three tips
to remember
Alamy
Water crowfoot is a
pretty oxygenator
Alamy
1 Add a ramp so wildlife can easily
escape. We need to find a less
absorbent one as this wood took up
so much water in hot weather the
pond level dropped considerably!
Frogs and fish
don’t mix well
shelf running around the edge for
marginal plants and to give wildlife a way
out if they get into difficulty.
You need to decide what sort of lining
to use. Flexible butyl is pricey but lets
you choose the shape of your pond. It is
easy to manipulate but needs to be
covered once installed (by mud, stones
or plants) otherwise it can perish in
2 Add some horticultural sand
(not builders) and gravel to
the base of the pond to provide
sunlight. Rigid liners are easy to install somewhere for invertebrates to
and come in a range of shapes and burrow, hide and breed.
sizes. Larger ones can be hard to move
and fit and they need to be level and
supported underneath or the weight of
water can cause stress fractures.
Choose a mix of plants that combine
beauty and colour with practicality.
Plants such as lilies should cover around
a third of the surface to keep the
temperature cool in summer and help
prevent algal blooms, but you also need
oxygenating plants such as water
crowfoot, hornwort and water milfoil to
help keep the water clear.
Ideally use harvested rainwater from
a butt to fill the pond. If using tap water,
let it stand for a couple of days
beforehand to give chemicals and 3 Marginal plants such as
marigolds and irises add
additives time to disperse. colour to the pond and their roots
It know this all sound like a lot to help knit the banks together,
remember and do, but it is worth it for reducing subsidence.
the pleasure your pond will give.
 Holiday time: It’s the bank holiday next weekend and
I’ll be suggesting lots of gardening jobs including
getting your dahlia and cannas ready.

Barrel ponds

Where to position a pond are an easy

patio solution

There are several important factors to consider

W
HEN decided where to
place your pond there are
a few things to take into
consideration.
It needs a sunny spot out of the
prevailing wind, so that aquatic plants
will flourish and to attract wildlife. Ideally Barrels make attractive patio ponds
position it away from overhanging trees
and shrubs, which give too much shade
and may clog the water with fallen
leaves and twigs.
Barrel ponds
However, wildlife does like a quick If space is in tight, you can still
escape route for protection, so grow create a pond-like water feature on
ornamental grasses or build a habitat your patio using a half-barrel planter.
pile close by where amphibians can hide Line it with a butyl pond liner firmly
and hibernate. nailed into place (make sure the nails
If you want a wildlife pond think twice or tacks are above the waterline!).
about adding ornamental fish, as they Trim the liner so it looks neat, then
will eat aquatic insects as well as To invite wildlife, make sure there fill your barrel with water, ideally
amphibian eggs and spawn. They are are plenty of hiding places harvested rainwater or tap water

also likely to become a fish supper for
the neighbourhood herons!
Putting in a pond takes a fair amount
of effort so you want to put it where it can
be seen from the house and patio.
This is especially important if you
have young children and pets around;
never let toddlers play unattended by
the pond and, if necessary, cover the
Alamy
water with sturdy netting or construct a
fence around the perimeter.
You also need to decide whether your
pond requires access to electricity for
lights or water features, as this may take
extra excavation around the garden to
hide cables or motors.
that’s been left standing for a couple
of days.
Place sand and gravel on the base
then add whatever plants you wish.
Nature will soon come calling!
An alternative is to make a mini
pond by burying a bowl in a border
and adding stones and plants.

Step
by step The basics of putting in a new pond

1 Decide where you want

your pond and start
digging! Aim for around 3ft
(1m) deep in the centre with
a shallow shelf for plants.
2 Use a plank and spirit
level to make sure the
opposing sides are the
same height. If one is lower,
raise it with excavated soil.
3 When you’ve finished
digging, line the hole with 4
Position the liner and
add some water to weigh
newspaper and old carpet to it down. Use rainwater or tap
protect the liner from sharp water that’s been standing
roots and stones. for a day or so.

5 If you are using a flexible

liner, cut it to shape
leaving a flap that can be
6Now use some of the
removed turf to lay over
and hide the liner. It will
7 Place a few paving stones
around the edge; now 8
Make your pond even
more wildlife friendly by
you are ready to add plants adding a log pile and sowing
All Future

weighed down later on. soon knit together naturally. and fish once it has settled. wildflower seeds.

24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 5

 Your
Gardening Week
with AG’s gardening expert Ruth Hayes
Divide and re-pot plants that have
out-grown their pot or run out of steam
Give houseplants a boost
Don’t forget the plants growing indoors, says Ruth
O
UTDOOR gardening may be
taking up most of our time
now (so much to do!) but let us
not neglect houseplants. They
are growing again after winter just like
their outdoors counterparts and need
just as much care.
Restart feeding, and water them
whenever their compost feels just dry to
the touch. As the temperature rises,
stand them on trays of pebbles that are
kept damp to create healthy humidity
around their leaves.
Now they are growing again you can
Step
by step Dividing a cramped Calathea
1 Carefully tease the rootball apart so
you have two or more plants with
healthy roots and top growth.
mixed with John Innes 2 or 3.
3 I’m also popping a fertiliser cluster
in the compost to give the plants
All Future
an extra long-term boost.
6 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 APRIL 2021
Indoor duties
Nurture your growing plants
This Calathea
needs repotting
Deadhead hippeastrum
but keep feeding
and watering
1 Remove dust and debris from
leaves with a damp cloth.
re-pot or divide those that are cramped
in their current pots. The roots will make
the most of the fresh compost and they
will grow well.
If you have a hippeastrum (amaryllis)
2 Restart feeding and watering
now. Feed fortnightly and
water when the compost is just
that has finished flowering, cut back the dry to the touch.
stem and move it to a shaded part of the
greenhouse but keep feeding and
watering the bulb.
If it has flowered without growing
leaves (as mine did this year), they will
start to develop foliage now, which will
die back in late summer to replenish the
bulb for next year’s blooms.
3 Watch for overwintered pests
and either wipe them off
with a damp cloth or treat larger
infestations with chemicals. Take
care if pets and children are around.
2Pot up, either with houseplant
compost or peat-free multipurpose
4 Give plants a boost with a
strengthening spray (I use SB
4 Place the plants somewhere light
and water well. Keep them fed and
or Neudorff invigorators), which will
also help keep pests and disease
the compost damp through summer. at bay.

Nigella can be
sown now
Sow half hardy
annuals undercover
Sowing annuals in a border
Prep warming soil for germination success, says Ruth
F
EW things are more glorious
than a colour-packed garden
border, former gaps between
perennials filled with the joyful
colours of summer annuals.
Now the weather is warming up, the
soil is too, which means you can start
sowing hardy annuals directly where
you want them to go.
We must still be more cautious with
half-hardy varieties such as gazanias
and nicotiana though, as these can still
fall foul of our temperamental spring
climate so should be started off
undercover for a few more weeks.
Soil preparation is key when sowing
direct. If it is too heavy and holds onto
water, seeds can sit and rot, and if it is
poor and thin it will lose nutrients.
Checking seed viability
IF you have found some opened packs
of seeds in the shed or at the back of a
drawer, hang fire before chucking them.
Most seeds stay viable – able to
germinate – for several years and there
are a couple of easy ways of telling
whether yours are worth hanging on to.
One for larger seeds is to pop them
into a pot of tepid water. If they sink they
are sounds, but if they float they won’t
germinate, so discard them.
Future unless credited
Smaller seeds can be scattered onto room temperature for a few days.
damp kitchen paper, sealing in a plastic
bag and kept somewhere light and at
Your
Gardening Week
with AG’s gardening expert Ruth Hayes
Alamy
Step
Start sowing hardy annuals in the soil
now for a summer packed with colour by step Sowing
direct
Prepare the soil before seeding
1 Clear the soil of stones and
weeds,so new seedlings won’t
have competition for light, water
Nicotiana should be and nutrients.
sown undercover
Dig in lots of well-rotted compost or
manure to open up heavy, compacted
soil, improve drainage and add
goodness for the growing seedlings. A
scattering of chicken manure pellets will
also make it richer.
Break up the soil first and after
2 Then break up and rake the
soil until you have created a
fine tilth, the consistency of crumble
sowing, protect the seeds from cats and topping, then dampen it.
hungry birds. Lay a few twigs over the
top or spray with a harmless deterrent
widely available from garden centres.
If you are still worried about sowing
direct, start your hardy annuals in a
coldframe, unheated greenhouse or mini
greenhouse before gardening off and
planting out.
For a longer splash of colour, sow in
batches every few weeks for the next
couple of months.
3 Scatter the seeds thinly so
they have room to germinate
strongly. You thin out any growing
too close together later on.
Soaking seeds or
scattering them on damp
paper will show if they
can still germinate
4 Cover the seeds with a fine
layer of soil, gently firm it down
then protect the seedbed with a
If the majority start to shoot, the layer of twigs or a chemical pest
packet is worth keeping. deterrent or pepper spray.
24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 7

Mini greenhouses
are useful now
Top Tip
If you throw fleece over
plants on cold nights,
remove it next morning
as it will trap moisture
that sits and causes
rots and mould.
Toughen up your plants
Ruth explains the process of ‘hardening off’
T
S ELIOT had a point when he
wrote ‘April is the cruellest
month’. For while it is a month
of increasing warmth and
sunshine, it can also be beset by
snap frosts that play havoc with our
gardening plans.
Early fruit blossom such as pear can
fall foul of an unexpected cold snap, so
you lose your fruit, and more tender
plants can be trashed overnight.
Luckily we have an array of weapons
to help us protect our plants, from
greenhouses and cold frames to fleece,
bubblewrap and even old blankets.
The process of acclimatising plants to
outside conditions after months in a
protected environment is called
‘hardening off’.
Four of the most troublesome springtime pests
Alamy
1 Check bought plants for
snail eggs buried in their
Future unless credited
compost. Crush the creamy-
white globes or leave them
out for the birds.
Your
Gardening Week
with AG’s gardening expert Ruth Hayes
Warming tips
Preparing plants for the garden
Time to harden off
my growing plugs
Covering plants with layers of fleece in a sheltered
1 Gradually acclimatise plants
to life outside in a cold frame,
leaving the lid open during the day
area of the garden will help them harden off
and closing it at night for the first
couple of weeks.
Plants that overwintered in a heated
environment should first go to an
unheated greenhouse for a couple of
weeks, with fleece handy for the coldest
nights, and then into a cold frame.
Seedlings in heated propagators
should be taken out and relocated on
a dull day to reduce the risk of wilting
caused by hot direct sunlight.
Plants in an unheated greenhouse
can be moved to a coldframe, the lid
2 Hortcultural fleece is a good
insulator. Set plants in a
sheltered spot and fleece them
opened during the day and closed at overnight for the first fortnight.
night for the first fortnight, or a mini
greenhouse that is zipped up at night.
If severe frosts are forecast, insulate Plants moved to an unheated
the structures with bubble wrap or even greenhouse from indoors can follow a
throw an old blanket over them. After the similar regime. If you don’t have a
first week of hardening off you can leave coldframe, a sheltered spot and
them open to evening elements. horticultural fleece work just as well.
2 There is no chemical
against adult vine 3 Scarlet lily beetles will
decimate your lilies and 4 Squish aphids and
encourage birds and
weevils so pick them off and fritillaries so keep them away predatory insects (ladybird,
squish them. Treat the grubs with G4, a highly effective lacewing and hoverfly
in the soil with a chemical. deterrent made by Grazers. larvae) to feast on them.
24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 9
 Your
Gardening Week
with AG’s gardening expert Ruth Hayes
Mr Fothergill’s
Tagetes ‘Starfire’ bring a beautiful warmth and
charming scent to the summer garden
Fire power against pests
Colourful plants have a superpower, says Ruth
T
AGETES ‘Starfire’ may well
sound like something from the
Star Wars franchise, but these
perky plants will bring a host of
earthly benefits to your garden.
For starters, they produce a blaze of
Bird Watch: The black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
An unexpected visitor brightened up Ruth’s dull Wednesday
THIS week we wave goodbye to Bird
Watch, just as the first summer
migrants take their places in our skies,
as for the next few months we
will be shining a weekly
spotlight on some of the
butterflies and moths
Both Alamy
that visit our gardens
between spring
and autumn.
It seemed appropriate
to go out on a high, and I Black redstarts eat
insects and
am thrilled to be able to say invertebrates
that on the morning I was
writing this piece, our front garden
was visited by a black redstart.
These are uncommon and
absolutely stunning birds, roughly the
size of a robin. They get their unusual
name from the plumage of the male
12 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 APRIL 2021
Future
Dampen the compost
before sowing
Future
Scatter seeds thinly,
then cover
colour in low-growing mounds of yellow,
red and gold that create a vibrant edge
to borders or an eye-catching spill of
colour in a container.
They are also deliciously scented, to
us at least – and this is their other
birds, which have a grey-black body,
white wing flashes and vivid red tail.
(They are not to be confused with the
more common redstart, which
has a white eyestripe, orangy
rump and chest and more
fiery tail and, amazingly,
appeared in the garden
a few days after the
black redstart!)
There are less than 100
breeding pairs of black
redstarts in the UK, most of
them in the south-east. They
tend to colonise urban areas with a few
other birds scattered along the south
coast, close to where we are.
They are most usually seen during
their spring migration and in fact didn’t
breed in the UK until after the Second
Add a lid and set
in light warmth
Future
superpower. Research scientists have
discovered that the smell of tagetes
confuses and deters whitefly, making
them the perfect plants to dot around
your veg growing area and tomato
growbags!
Tagetes ‘Starfire’ are half hardy
annuals and while they can be sown
outdoors in May and June, it is still too
chilly for them now.
Start them off undercover in trays,
pots or modules of sieved seed compost
that is then tamped and dampened.
Scatter the torpedo-shaped seeds
thinly on the surface and add a light
covering of compost or vermiculite.
Label, add a lid or seal the pot on a
clear plastic bag) and place on a warm,
light windowsill.
The seeds should take 2-3 weeks to
germinate, at which point you remove
the lid or open their plastic bag and grow
them on, keeping the compost damp. In
a few more weeks they will be large
enough to pot on individually.
World War,
when they
took
advantage of
the shells of
bombed
buildings to
build their nests A tail flash in
and rear full flight
their broods.
Black redstarts have a fairly
‘flexitarian’ attitude towards their diet
and will eat worms, insects, berries and
seeds. They can raise up to three
broods a year, but despite this their
numbers remain in serious decline
thanks to our determination to
‘gentrify’ rundown urban areas and
demolish old buildings.
Ruth Hayes
 Listen to
Peter’s free
podcast every
Thursday. Search for
‘This Week In The
Garden with Peter
Seabrook’ on
iTunes
Arthur Edwards, The Sun
Picking your own soft fruit is a delight, but you need
to understand the different pruning requirements of
the new raspberry and blackberry cultivars
Raspberry ‘Ruby Beauty’
is ideal for containers
Change for soft fruits
Novelty cultivars have new pruning regimes, says Peter
T
HE deep freeze is very useful to
help cope with garden surpluses, need their top tips (roughly 1ft/30cm)
and currently we are eating our
way through the last of the stored
raspberries to make space for the new
season’s crops. Raspberries,
blackberries, loganberries and
indeed all the cane fruits freeze
well, and with newly planted
blueberries the normal light
crop in the first year or two
can be frozen in small
numbers as they ripen
until enough have
accumulated for a
full serving.
Surpluses of the Fruit from the compact
new novelty cultivars of raspberry ‘Ruby Beauty’
blackberries and raspberries
may be less likely until their pruning
regime is better understood by growers. well in the second. It is therefore well
These autumn-fruiting kinds are called
primocane types. They fruit on the
current year’s canes, rather than in
the second year on the one-year-old
All photographs Future unless otherwise credited
branches of traditional (floricane) kinds.
“The new cultivars
need their top tips
pruned in winter”
Your
Gardening Week
with Peter Seabrook, AG’s classic gardening expert
Peter’s top tips
Alamy
1 Cane fruits are not happy in winter
waterlogged soils, but they do
need watering in dry summer
weather, feeding for the largest fruits
and mulching to retain moisture.
Alamy
These new cultivars differ in that they
2 Blackberries, loganberries
and other long cane fruits are
suitable to train along fences – even
pruned in winter. those facing north.
There are also compact-growing
introductions suited to growing in
containers, including blackberry ‘Little
Black Prince’ and ‘Rubens’, and raspberry
‘Ruby Beauty’ and ‘Yummy’. You
can plant one cane in a 10-litre
pot or three in a 40-litre
container. Remember to
choose a wide-based
container, but not too tall
Alamy
a pot because they are
shallow rooting.
You may well find that
the compact cultivars will be
3 Where cane fruits are grown
along a fence, it provides a
useful support for netting to protect
short lived, cropping well the fruit from birds.
(1½kg/over 3lb from the
raspberries) in their first year and not so
worth teasing a few canes off after the
first summer to plant in a new container
with fresh compost for the next year.
Where you have space and fertile
soil, then the full-sized raspberries
‘Autumn Treasure’ and ‘Polka’ are well
worth growing. Both will crop on the
first summer’s growth from August to
October. Prune off the top 1ft (30cm) or
so, that carried fruit, in winter and the
remaining lower cane will fruit from
4 As strong-growing floricane
and primocane raspberries
can reach heights of 6ft (1.8m), they
June to July. New canes then continue
the cropping so you have ripe fruit from
will need to be tied to a horizontal
wire for support.
June to October from the one cultivar.
24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 13
 Your
Gardening Week
with Bob Flowerdew, AG’s organic gardening expert

Future
It makes a huge difference to how soon
you can plant successfully if you warm
up the ground with a cloche first
Bob’s top tips
for the week

Give soil a further boost

by laying down a black
plastic sheet or geotextile
to absorb heat from
the sun

Future
1 Soak thirsty plants in trays of
water for half an hour and then
drain, as this is more effective than
watering at the top.

Future
It may be wiser to
pot on certain plants
inside, ready to
plant out later into
warmer soil

Prep soil for tender veg 2 Buy seed spuds on sale (you
We may obsess about the weather, but is our soil warm still have time). Store earlies in
the fridge, then plant under cover in
enough? Bob explains how to warm sites for tender crops

S
O what connects the following:
tomatoes, marrows, courgettes,
squashes, pumpkins, ridge
cucumbers, runner beans,
French beans, soya beans and sweet
potatoes? Well, of course, these are
all tender crops. They cannot
take any frost – one touch,
and they’re lost. Even in
the warmest of gardens,
these should not be
planted out for another
fortnight or so, unless
given extra protection.
And then it also takes a
favourable summer to get A tunnel cloche is ideal
the best, as they really need if you need to cover
warmth. That’s warmth all over,
not just to their tops! You see, we’re too
keen to get them planted out but we’re
watching weather conditions, not soil
All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited
late summer for a Christmas treat.
Better to wait another week or two,
potting up as necessary, and plant out
into warmer soil when the plants will
then just romp away. It also makes a
huge difference to how soon you can
plant successfully if you add
protection with a cloche, clear
plastic sheet or even fleece.
But these only help once
put in place.
So the best practice is
for you to position your
cloches, plastic sheets or
whatever in place now.
3 It might sound mad, but it helps
if you shade the sunny side of
sweet and chilli pepper plant pots
Then they will be pre- to keep their roots cool.
warming the soil into which
you will be planting. You can
more ground also help by coating that soil
surface with a fine dusting of powdered
charcoal; the dark colour absorbs the
sunlight, heating the soil that is then kept

temperature. Planting out into too cold a warm by the cloche or whatever. (Soot
soil may stall or check the plants, which was traditional, but is now considered
do poorly for the rest of the season. potentially hazardous.)
Future

Likewise, you can raise your soil

temperature by laying a black plastic
“Soil temperature sheet or geotextile to absorb the heat
from the sun, which is then trapped by 4 When picking spring and
summer cabbages, cut a cross
is key to success!” the cloches or clear plastic. So all will
then be snug and warm, ready for
in the stem, as often you get a
bonus of small heads later.
your plants!
14 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 APRIL 2021
 Your
Gardening Week
with Val Bourne, AG’s organic wildlife expert
Female cuckoos use the nests of
meadow pipits, dunnocks and
reed warblers; see this larger
cuckoo’s egg in a reed warbler nest
Cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) in England are declining
in numbers at a significant rate due to the challenges
posed by certain migratory routes
Cuckoo land
Val considers why English cuckoo numbers are in decline remained
I
N the third week of April, I find
myself straining to hear the cuckoo national newspapers and made it on
every time I go into the garden, but
so far no luck at all. Others hear it
further up the village, very occasionally,
although it never stays for long. I usually
drive a few miles east to a nature reserve cables in my Northamptonshire village.
managed by the Berks, Bucks and Oxon They used to look like dippy ducks; these grow thick and bushy. They don’t feed
Wildlife Trust (BBOWT). If I can time my
visit with the bluebells, often out in the
last week of April these days, then so
much the better, as I’m very likely to hear
a male cuckoo calling. It’s one of the
sounds of spring.
I used to travel a lot further for my
annual cuckoo fix – all the way to the
mountains of Nagano in Japan, in fact.
There you can hear more than one,
early in the morning, so I signed up to a
mid-June lecture tour for several years
running just to hear the cuckoo chorus.
Hearing a cuckoo used to be a
formality in Britain. The first cuckoo of
“The cuckoo is
now a rarity for
All photographs Alamy
most of us”
16 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 APRIL 2021
Migrating via Spain
and Morocco, cuckoos
are more likely to die
before they complete
the Sahara crossing
In Scotland, cuckoos take quarters. Their success is reflected in
a different route through their UK breeding populations. Welsh
Italy; most tracked birds
returned safely
spring hogged the letters pages of
to new bulletins, and it was a topic of
conversation for families across England. to intensive methods of agriculture and
In the 1980s, I watched two cuckoos in
May, both males, on the overhead power nests of meadow pipits, reed warblers
rather ungainly birds find it very difficult
to balance. The females are far harder
to spot, and often more rufous.
It’s hard to believe that the cuckoo,
once ubiquitous, is now a rarity for most
of us. It was added to the Red List in
2009, although numbers had dropped
before then, and it wasn’t clear why
they’d declined so dramatically. The
British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) tells us
that we’ve lost 50% of our cuckoos in the
past 20 years; others say it’s 75% in 25
years. The BTO has been investigating
their decline and their migration habits,
because nobody knew how cuckoos got
back to Africa. They tagged 42 male
cuckoos, from nine different breeding
locations in England, Scotland and
Wales, and tracked more than 56 autumn
migrations between 2011 and 2014.
They found that cuckoos used two
distinct routes. The west route saw them
travel south-west via Spain and Morocco.
The east route followed a south-easterly
direction over Italy or the Balkans. All the
birds ended up in wooded areas of the
Congo Basin in Africa, having travelled
an average of 4,000 miles, mostly flying
during the night at high altitude. They
stop over at certain sites on the way.
Cuckoos taking the west route left
eight days later on average than those
taking the east route. However, birds
using the west route were more likely
to die before completing the Sahara
crossing, even though this route was
12% shorter. Most mortality took place in
Europe, suggesting that the conditions
there were responsible. The Spanish
climate has changed, and Spain suffers
from more droughts and wildfires. Both
will affect their main food source, the
caterpillars of larger moths found in
grassland. Cuckoos even tackle the
hairy woolly bears of garden tiger moths.
Scottish and Welsh cuckoos are faring
better than their English cousins, as they
take a south-easterly course through
Italy. More than 95% of tracked cuckoos
using that route made it back to winter
cuckoos have declined far less than in
England, and in Scotland numbers have
stable.
Intensive farming has not helped. In
Devon and Cornwall, you’re more likely
to find cuckoos on upland moorland
these days rather than on farmland, due
pesticides. Female cuckoos use the
and dunnocks, so leave your hedges to
their offspring themselves; females will
lay up to 25 eggs in summer, and then
males and females leave in June.
Help the BTO with cuckoo tracking
TIP If you hear a cuckoo, then
go to the BTO website at
 bto.org and report it on BirdTrack.
The site is even taking cuckoo
sponsorships, and you can make a
contribution towards supporting
further tracking devices, plus
possible fieldwork and analysis.
 Your
Gardening Week
with Lucy Chamberlain, AG’s fruit and veg expert
Did
you know?
Prevent annoying gluts by
growing a few plants of
multiple varieties. This
prolongs the harvest window
as each variety has its own
chilling requirements,
growth rates and critical
leaf areas.
All photographs Alamy
The Savoy is considered the hardiest of all
winter cabbages and it’s happy even on poor
soils; all it requires is a long growing season
on... Winter brassicas
Focus on...
We know winter seems far away, but now is the time to start off sprouts, kale, cabbages
and cauliflowers! Lucy Chamberlain outlines your options for the best brassicas
P
EOPLE are always amazed at
how long brassicas take to
grow, so I’m here to gently
remind you that the time to get
your Brussels sprouts, kale, sprouting
broccoli, winter cauliflower and Savoy
cabbage seeds sown is now. It’s tricky
to cast your mind forward so far when
there’s so many exotic crops that need
sowing in April, but you’ll be glad you
were so organised in the frosty months.
These hardy veg are the backbone of
a cool-season harvest, delivering picking
after picking of flavour – and nutrient-
packed goodness. They’re all part of the
same plant species, Brassica oleracea,
and all have distinct juvenile and mature
phases – but there the similarity ends.
A cauliflower curd is made up of
thousands of immature buds on a short
All photography Future, unless otherwise credited
stem, whereas Brussels sprouts and
“They make the
backbone of a cool
season harvest”
purple sprouting broccoli have
elongated stems (the individual sprout
buttons are squat, enlarged leaf buds,
while those of purple sprouting broccoli
develop into long flowering sideshoots).
Cabbages, like cauliflowers, have a short
stem. The ‘head’ is formed by leaves
broadening and curving inwards to
form a tight heart.
Sowing and early stages
Though you can sow into outdoor
seedbeds for transplanting later, I start
my winter greens in modules, sowing
These sprouting broccoli plants have
benefited from a mulch of seaweed
These ‘Triomphant F1’ cauliflowers
can be planted out in July
Kalettes (right) flourishing with cabbages
one or two seeds per cell of well-
watered seed compost. Protected under
cover, you get far better emergence and
the seedlings can be transplanted out in
June-July with no root disturbance. It
also allows easier protection from slugs
and flea beetles, both of which love to
destroy brassica seedlings.
High germination temperatures are
not essential; 15-180C (59-640F) is fine.
Popped in a propagator, they should
germinate in seven to ten days. Thin out
to leave the strongest and then move
them somewhere slightly cooler, until
they are large enough to plant out.
An extensive root system and
moisture supply are keys to bigger
yields, so dig over your plot well and add
garden compost or well-rotted manure
– this helps ease compaction on heavy
clay soils and boost water retention on
sandy types. Winter brassicas love
nitrogen, so dig a high-nitrogen fertiliser
into the top 8in (20cm) of soil before
planting to feed those gargantuan
leaves (also fork some in during early
September to top levels up). Leaf surface
area relates to yield, so water and feed
steadily to avoid a growth check; wider
spacings help on lighter soils.
24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 19
 Your
Gardening Week
with Lucy Chamberlain, AG’s fruit and veg expert
Lucy’s corner deter clubroot (a destructive fungal
disease of brassicas), as does
preventing waterlogging and growing
Place fine netting over
plants to deter pests, and
add collars to prevent
resistant varieties such as Brussels root fly
Top tips for top brassicas
sprout ‘Crispus’, cauliflower ‘Clapton’

Main: Future
■ Thwart root fly: Cabbage root fly can and cabbage ‘Kilaton’.
attack all brassicas, including winter ■ Netting: Large and small cabbage
ones. Female flies lay eggs around the white caterpillars can ruin the quality of a
base of plants in late spring and summer harvest and strip plants bare of foliage.
– but this can easily be prevented by Prevent egg laying by placing a cage of
placing root fly collars (available from fine butterfly netting over plants (take
garden centres) around transplants. care that leaves don’t touch the nets).
■ Liming: Liming your soil to pH 7.5 helps This handily stops pigeons, too!

Lucy’s
choice Three must-try brassicas to grow this year
DT Brown
T&M

T&M

1 Cauliflower ‘Veronica’ One of the

Romanesco types of cauliflower,
this F1 hybrid bears beautifully
spiralled lime-green curds. With a
nuttier taste and firmer texture than
conventional white types, it matures
earlier in the year, giving valuable
autumn and early winter harvests.
2 Kale ‘Buttonhole Starmaker’ Liven
up your dinner plate with this new
generation of colourful kales. It’s been
bred specifically for a mild, sweet
flavour, so you’ll find none of the bitter
taste that other kales can carry. It’s
winter-hardy and early to mature, and
steaming helps to retain the colour.
3 Kalette ‘Mixed’ A cross between
Brussels sprout and kale, this
is the result of a British breeding
programme. Also called the ‘flower
sprout’, the loose, frilly buds have a
mild, nutty flavour. Very good winter
hardiness and F1 hybrid vigour give
impressive yields.

Top
k j obs tip
GLUTS and dearths can fall from the

5 quic
If you sowed annual herbs last
1 month (such as basil, coriander and
dill) then pot them up now. Place a
clump of four seedlings in the
centre of a 3½in (9cm)-diameter pot.
It’s not too late to sow parsnips –
2 just don’t expect giant roots! Sow in
clusters every 12in (30cm), then thin
to the strongest seedling.
Buy plug plants if you miss a key
3 sowing date or if you don’t fancy
windowsills full of seed trays.
Spring is advancing but winter can
4 bite down again in a flash. Keep
fleece handy in case a late cold
snap is forecast, to cover those
vulnerable sowings.
It’s still a little too early to plant
5 courgettes and other squashes
outside, so keep pots well watered
and fed to satisfy these plants.
Future
I’ve positioned two galvanised troughs
behind my greenhouse to capture
rainwater from the roof
skies as often as they can happen
during harvests, and the key is to
smooth out the peaks and troughs so
all on the plot remains harmonious. If
you’re concerned about drought or
waterlogging in your fruit and veg
garden, add bulky organic matter
(composted bark or garden compost)
to soil before planting. It opens up
heavy soils, yet makes free-draining
plots more moisture-retentive.
Digging a good 3in (8cm) layer into
the top spade’s depth works wonders.
Raised beds alleviate waterlogging,
and a drainage gulley can be
excavated to wick moisture away from
vulnerable areas. Lengths of seep
hose buried under mulch are perfect
during dry spells, and water butts or
tanks can hold a sizeable capacity of
water to help you through dry periods.
During April showers, it’s amazing
just what volume of rainfall can be
collected from one small roof, so

don’t waste a precious drop!

20 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 APRIL 2021

 Next week: Focus on runner beans, experiment with
intercropping, protect potted edibles from droughts,
sow parsnips, choose plug plants, try quinoa.

Time to start off your melons!

WHETHER you’ve a soft spot for slices of
Galia melon draped in Parma ham or
wedges of watermelon to accompany a
summer picnic, it’s perfectly possible to
grow these evocative fruits in your own
garden. Yes, you need a sunny, sheltered
spot and it’s true that greenhouses do
guarantee the best results, but outdoor
crops are possible, too. Many varieties
such as ‘Outdoor Wonder’ and ‘Emir’ are
more tolerant of cooler temperatures,
and plastic cloches boost temperatures
when conditions are warm.
So by choosing these varieties and
growing them under domes of clear
polythene in the sunniest spot that you
have, you’ll be in with a good chance of
homegrown success.
Seeds can be expensive, so sow
indoors in individual pots, placing them
in a propagator set at 20˚C (68˚F) until
seedlings are well emerged. Chills and
overwatering can cause seedling
collapse, so keep your young melons
protected from draughts, watering ‘Outdoor Wonder’ is a great option as it is
little and often. more tolerant of cooler temperatures
Plant out in June into beds improved
with lots of compost, positioning each
plant at least 2ft (60cm) apart. Outdoors,
melons can be allowed to ramble over
the ground. Indoor watermelons can do
“Chills and
the same, but smaller-fruit varieties are
best if they are trained up strong twine or
overwatering
canes. Either position two melons per
growbag indoors or plant them into the
cause collapse”
greenhouse border.

Step Harden off earliest crops

by step Why
While sweetcorn and courgettes should stay under cover, robust leafy
plants like beetroot and lettuces can be hardened off now. Here’s how: All Future not try..?

Midsummer fruits of the snowy

1 Under glass, a leaf’s
2 Move seedlings
3 After a week of this, mespilus (Amelanchier lamarckii)

Alamy
protective layer outside during the your veg seedlings
(cuticle) is thin, and it day for a week, but place can be planted outside
needs toughening up –
otherwise, leaves scorch
them back under cover
at night. This begins the
permanently, with no risk
of weather damage to
Juneberry
when placed outside. hardening process. the leaves. THERE are only a few garden shrubs
that tick all the boxes: grows slowly
Inset: Future

to a manageable size; bears

Grow some Asian herbs
I’M a big fan of Thai cuisine, and while
I can’t yet claim to create a homegrown
green curry paste in my kitchen, I’m
taking a step closer this summer by
adding lemongrass and Thai basil to
my edible plant collection.
It excites me that gardeners are
increasingly keen to start growing more
international foods. This expansion from
temperate to more tropical crops may
take up some room on the warmer sides
of the plot and demand overwintering
under cover, but our tastebuds are in for
beautiful spring blossom; gives
gorgeous autumn colour; is
beneficial to wildlife; and yields tasty
Grow Thai basil or
plant lemongrass
fruit. The Juneberry or snowy
in a pot (inset) mespilus (Amelanchier lamarckii)
is a must-grow plant.
It’s fully hardy, and will bear its
½in (1cm)-diameter, apple-flavoured
fruits best in a sunny, sheltered spot;
this also provides the best autumn
leaf colour, though it can also be
sited in shade.
A moist, slightly acidic soil is
preferred for this plant (this is its only
requirement, as it doesn’t mind sand
Alamy

a treat. Ginger is also on my wish list,
along with its citrussy rhizome relative,
galangal, and the kaffir lime.
If you also purr at the idea of growing
these curry-paste exotics, be prepared
to water. All enjoy warmth, yet none will
appreciate drought, so use large pots for
the rhizomes and lemongrass. Kaffir
should be treated as a houseplant, as
overwatering will not be appreciated.
With coriander, chillies and garlic already
on the go, I’m in for a delicious summer.
or clay). Being self-fertile, just one
bush is needed to obtain a crop.
The white, starry flowers are
borne profusely and will appear this
month, and the pretty little fruits will
ripen in midsummer.
24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 21
22 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 APRIL 2021
24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 23
Ponds will remain healthy if
they have the right balance of
floating and marginal plants.
Good companions are the
yellow-flowering fringe lily
(Nymphoides peltata) and
water forget-me-not
(Myosotis scorpioides)

Perfect plants for

Ponds
Ponds bring so much to a garden and create an important haven for all sorts of wildlife,
says Anne Swithinbank, as she reveals some of the best plants for your garden pond

W
ITH their sparkles and
reflections, darting of
pond skaters, lily pads
and the lazy flick of a
newt’s tail, who doesn’t love a pond?
These watery worlds come to life in
spring, and now is a good time to assess
the balance of aquatic plants working
to keep the water clear and fresh.
I prefer to keep disturbance to a
minimum, especially as plants such as
frogbit and carnivorous, yellow-flowered
bladderwort (Utricularia vulgaris) sink to
the bottom for winter and are only just
returning to growth. An occasional
dredge of leaves and silt one section at a
time, or the removal of a large marginal
plant for division and replacement,
means there will always be safe havens
for resting plants and wriggling tadpoles.
Pond life relies on sunshine to warm
the water, yet too much light encourages
algae, so the best plan is to site ponds in
the sun but shade half the surface with
plants. Submerged oxygenators or
‘pond weeds’ absorb excess nutrients
that would otherwise feed the algae and
24 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 APRIL 2021
provide cover and breeding grounds and metamorphose into adults.
for pond creatures. Plants with floating There are plenty of lovely pond plants
leaves, including waterlilies and native to the UK, but also many exotics
fragrant water hawthorn (Aponogeton of equal value, and I tend to mix them up
distachyos), are perfect shade-providers, a bit. Some previously popular plants,
while marginals such as fluffy cotton including parrot’s feather (Myriophyllum
grass and brooklime (Veronica aquaticum) and curly pondweed
beccabunga) grow with their roots in (Lagarosiphon major), are now banned
shallow water and their tops in the air. from sale because their invasive nature
is a threat to our natural waterways.
Wildlife entry and exit points If you are still waiting for your dream
For ponds with steep sides, these plants pond, dig a tiny one or fill a watertight
make an important entry and exit points container as home for an iris, some
for wildlife. Tall-growers like iris and water mint and a miniature waterlily,
rushes are favoured by dragonfly larvae but always bear in mind that ponds
when they climb out to split their skins are dangerous to small children.
Where to buy*
Lilies Water Gardens 01306 631064  lilieswatergardens.co.uk
Merebrook Pond Plants 01684 310950  pondplants.co.uk
Puddleplants 01558 615056  puddleplants.co.uk
Waterside Nursery 07931 557 082  watersidenursery.co.uk
Devonpondplants.co.uk
*Many nurseries are currently unable to send out plants – or despatch may be delayed.
 9 plants for ponds
ith floating leaves
W
Hydrocharis morsus-ranae
The floating leaves of the dainty native
frogbit resemble tiny lily pads,
decorated in summer by white, three-
petalled flowers. Plants enjoy light
shade, dormant buds sink for winter and
All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited
rise to grow again in spring. S: 3ft (1m).
with
Marginalsrowth
upright g
Iris ensata ‘Rose Queen’ AGM
Although Japanese water iris are said to
prefer drier winter conditions, mine
flower well with pot surfaces just
covered by water year-round. Unlike
other water irises, they are narrow and
well behaved. HxS: 3ftx9in (1m x23cm).
with
Marginalsgrowth
spreading
Caltha palustris
Marsh marigolds are easy-going native
marginals happy to produce their spring
show of yellow flowers in a water depth
of some 6in (15cm). Cut back after
flowering and divide larger clumps.
HxS: 18x24in (45x60cm).
Nymphoides peltata
During summer, fringed yellow flowers
are held above leaves like small lily
pads. Plant this native in ponds
up to 2ft (60cm) deep, where it will
spread by runners and grow vigorously.
S: Indefinite.
Butomus umbellatus
This native flowering rush thrives best
planted into the silty bottom of a pond in
water 2-10in ( 5-25cm) deep. Narrow,
twisting, rush-like leaves are joined in
summer by umbels of pink flowers.
HxS: 2-4ftx18in (60-120x45cm).
Mentha aquatica
The pretty native water mint decorates
pond sides with aromatic leaves and
whorls of purple summer flowers, and
makes a good mint sorbet. Plants are
easy to propagate by division or cuttings
and suit pot ponds. H: 1-3ft (30-90cm).
Stratiotes aloides
Water soldier is an eye-catching native
aquatic whose growth rosettes hang in
the water, sinking deeper for winter and
rising for summer. Plants like depths of
19in (50cm), spread by stolons and
produce small white flowers. S: Indefinite.
Iris versicolor ‘Kermesina’
The North American blue flag makes
its well-behaved clumps of growth in
shallow, neutral to acidic water and
flowers in early summer, in this case
opening to a rich reddish-purple.
HxS: 2ftx10in (60x25cm).
Myosotis scorpioides
The water forget-me-not bears the
familiar yellow-eyed blue flowers, but
will branch out over a pond to soften
the sides and bloom in early summer.
A British native happy to grow in shallow
water. HxS: 10x12in (25x30cm).
24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 25
 3 waterlilies for smaller ponds

Nymphaea tetragona
Devonpondsplants.co.uk © David Kerr

Also known as N.
‘Pygmaea Alba’, this is a
beautiful miniature or
pygmy waterlily suitable
for a pot pond. Grows
well at a depth of 10in
(25cm) and produces
LiliesWaterGardens.co.uk 2in (5cm)-wide, lightly
Nymphaea ‘Aurora’ scented white flowers.
A richly coloured dwarf waterlily whose structural blooms change from apricot and S: 16in (40cm).
red to rich burgundy. Enjoys full sun and blooms from June to September. Place so
the top of the plant sits 12in(30cm) deep. S: 3ft (90cm).

4 marginal plants for larger ponds

Iris pseudacorus ‘Alba’ Menyanthes trifoliata
It may be somewhat The wide mats of native
thuggish, but I love the bogbean hold their
native yellow flag and leaves just above
long to try the more water, with fringed,
refined and apparently pale-pink flowers
less vigorous white- opening in late spring.
flowered form, whose Plants like room to
BennettsWaterGardens.com

early summer flowers spread and a 10in

are yellow and grey. (25cm) depth of
HxS: 3ft (1m) x indefinite. water. HxS: 8-12in
(20-30cm) x indefinite.

Pontederia cordata Sagittaria sagittifolia

AGM The native arrowhead
From eastern North enjoys shallow water
America, pickerel weed and full sun or semi-
is loved for spikes of shade. Plants spread
blue flowers joining by stolons and produce
submerged, floating and underwater, floating
upright leaves in and upright arrow-
summer. A dramatic headed leaves plus
plant fond of shallow spikes of white flowers
water 4-8in (10-20cm) in July and August.
deep. HxS: 4ftx30in HxS: 3ft (1m) x indefinite.
(1.2mx75cm).

26 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 APRIL 2021

 LiliesWaterGardens.co.uk

Nymphaea ‘Laydekeri Fulgens’

The pointed petals of this handsome, free-flowering waterlily are purplish-red on
flowers up to 6in (15cm) across. Submerge by 8-16in (20-40cm) and when plants are
established, treat them to waterlily fertiliser in spring. S: 32in (80cm).

Water starwort Pretty pond weeds

(Callitriche palustris)
Hottonia palustris
THE water violet is a native plant enjoying depths of 1-3ft
(30-90cm) in ponds and lakes. Growth surges from resting
buds in spring and produces pale mauve flowers above
water in summer. HxS: 8x12in (20x30cm).

Ranunculus aquatilis
GREAT for a larger pond with room to spread
out at depths of 4-24in (10-60cm), the water crowfoot
bears fine submerged and lobed floating leaves.
Small white buttercup-like flowers open in April
and May. S: indefinite.
Oxygenating
Place marginals at
plants for ponds Spring pond care the correct depth

SOME submerged oxygenators are

slow to get going in spring, but keep Where ponds are becoming Check that
an eye on vigorous types and thin overshadowed, consider pruning the growing
out if necessary, so they occupy one nearby trees and shrubs. baskets of
third of the water space. When Net off any duckweed that is marginals are at
ordering new bunches, aim for two covering the surface. the right depth, on
per square metre of surface area. Remove skeins of unwanted growth shelves or bricks.
Good examples include hornwort from runaway plants like greater Note overgrown irises
(Ceratophyllum demersum), spearwort (Ranunculus lingua), and other marginals to divide
whorled milfoil (Myriophyllum and any dead leaves and stems. and replant now, or after flowering.
verticillatum) and water starwort Where leaves and silt are clogging Order new plants for a perfect
(Callitriche palustris). depth, dredge a small area at a time. balance.

24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 27

From the typical lofty stems reaching over 6ft (1.8m) in
height to the dwarf types perfect for pots, for the best
choice of colours, grow your own sunflowers from seed

Focus on
sunflowers
Bring a splash of sunshine to your garden with sunflowers, from those that reach heady
heights to dwarf plants that can grow in a container, says Tamsin Hope Thomson

T
HERE’S something about
holding a packet of sunflower
seeds that makes you feel
competitive. My children each
sowed seed in small pots a couple of
weeks ago, and as soon as the seedlings
got growing it was all about whose was
the tallest.
The name sunflower is translated
literally from Helianthus annuus – heli
means sun and anthus means flower.
Their bright colour brings cheer into the
garden and they’re exciting to grow.
Sunflowers are also easy to grow and
inexpensive. They add architectural
stature to planting displays and they’re
good for pollinators. Then later, once the
flowerheads have dried, they provide
food for birds.
There is also a lot of choice: although
the traditional yellow sunflowers are
striking, there are also red, orange, pale
primrose, white, deep crimson and
bicoloured varieties. There are
sunflowers with a single flowerhead and
bushy, multi-headed plants. There are
giants, towering above the rest at 14½ft
(4.5m) and dwarf plants that reach only
1½ft (45cm), as well as many mid-range
28 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 APRIL 2021
types, growing 3-6½ft (1-2m) tall. Plant 2,000 seeds; young sunflowers will
them at the back of your border to add follow the sun, facing east in the morning
height, perk up the front with a dwarf and west in the afternoon; the tallest
sunflower or sow them in containers. sunflower on record was grown in
Germany in 2014 and reached 30ft
Low maintenance and big rewards (9.17m) metres tall, according to the
Tall sunflowers need support, and if you book Guinness World Records.
want to grow a giant they’ll benefit from Sowing now will give you summer
feeding, but otherwise these are low- colour from July through to September. If
maintenance annuals with big rewards. you have the space to grow a few plants,
If you are growing them with children, sunflowers also make easy cut flowers
it’s a great plant to teach them about that last well. Of course, you don’t need
gardening as the seeds are easy to to be competitive or have a gaggle of
handle, the results are dramatic and children to want to grow these cheering
they can help you with the watering. flowers – their value as late-summer
There are also interesting facts to share: showstoppers is more than enough and
each sunflower can have as many as their vibrancy is appealing to everyone.
Where to buy*
Crocus 01344 578000  crocus.co.uk
Mr Fothergill’s 0333 777 3936  mr-fothergills.co.uk
Nicky’s Nursery 01843 600 972  nickys-nursery.co.uk
Suttons 0844 736 4208  suttons.co.uk
Sarah Raven 0345 092 0283  sarahraven.com
Thompson & Morgan 0333 400 0033  thompson-morgan.com
*Many nurseries are currently unable to send out plants – or despatch may be delayed.
 6 top sunflower choices
‘Ms Mars’ ‘Copper
Try a change Queen’
from the usual A traditional-
yellow looking
sunflower with sunflower, but
‘Ms Mars’, a with deep-
cheery red orange flowers,
variety that has ‘Copper
white tips on Queen’ is a
the ends of its tall and eye-
petals. It’s a catching plant,
short sunflower, perfect for
so makes a adding late
good choice for summer colour
© Jonathan Buckley/Sarah Raven.com

the front of a to the back of

border. Flowers borders.
All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited

July to Flowers July

mr-fothergills.co.uk
September. to September.
HxS: 2x1½ft HxS: 6x1½ft
(60x45cm). (1.8mx45cm).
.

‘Tall Single’ ‘Italian White’

This is a Why not
good choice add a ‘white’
for children sunflower into
as it’s tall, with the border this
big cheery year? ‘Italian
flowerheads White’ will
that have a brighten the
large black back of borders
centre. Once with its large
it’s finished creamy-white
flowering, flowers that
leave the have a
flowerheads to chocolate-
dry so the birds brown centre.
can feed on Flowers July
the seeds. to September.
Flowers July to HxS: 6½ftx1ft 8in
September. (1.2mx50cm).
HxS: 6½x1½ft
(2mx50cm).

‘Claret’ AGM ‘Valentine’ AGM

This is popular ‘Valentine’ has
for its deep-red an AGM for its
to chocolate- reliability,
brown flowers. producing pale
If you want to yet interesting
try something flowerheads on
different from bushy plants.
the traditional The petals are
yellow, this is a a light yellow
reliable AGM around a dark-
variety that will brown centre,
stand out in the and it makes a
border. Flowers good cut flower
© Jonathan Buckley/Sarah Raven.com

June to as the blooms

October. don’t drop
HxS: 5x1ft 8in pollen. Flowers
(1.5mx50cm). June to
October.
HxS: 5x1½ft
(1.5mx45cm).
24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 29
4 unusual sunflowers
‘Sunshot Golds ‘Moulin Rouge’
Mixed’ The flowers of
The double flowers ‘Moulin Rouge’
are held on short are a deep red
stems up to 1½ft with dark centres
(50cm) and have and good for
many layers of cutting. The stems
vibrant orange have multiple
petals. This dwarf flowerheads,
variety can have up which are pollen
to 20 blooms on free and appear
each plant. Flowers over a long period.
July to September. Flowers June to
HxS: 1½ftx1ft 2in October. HxS:
(50x35cm). 6½x1ft (2mx 30cm).

‘ProCut Plum’ ‘Magic

Most sunflowers Roundabout’
come in bright A multi-headed
colours, but ‘ProCut variety that has
Plum’ has a softer bicoloured flowers
look, with a mix of of a deep crimson
pinky-crimson and and pale yellow,
cream petals. It may this sunflower is a

Sarahraven.com ©Jonathan Buckley

©Jonathan Buckley/Sarahraven.com

not be as bright as striking pick for

some, but it will borders and as a
make an impact at cut flower for
the back of a border. vases. Flowers
Flowers July to July to September.
September. HxS: HxS: 6x1½ft
5x1½ft (1.5mx45cm). (1.8mx45cm).

3 dwarf sunflowers perfect for pots

mr-fothergills.co.uk
Suttons.co.uk

‘Teddy Bear’ ‘Big Smile’ ‘Solar Flare Flash’

It may be smaller than other varieties at This is perfect for a pot at only 15in Make an impact in containers with this
1½ft (45cm) tall, but there’s no missing it (38cm) tall and it’s fast to flower from bright, bicoloured sunflower. The
because of its prolific display of dramatic seed – around 50-55 days from flowerheads on this bushy plant are
pom-pom-style flowerheads. These are sowing. Its cheery flowers have a golden-yellow with a red to bronze rim
golden yellow and fully double. Flowers black centre. Flowers July to around the black centres. Flowers July to
July to September. HxS: 1½x1ft (45x30cm). September. HxS:1ft 3inx1ft (38x30cm). September. HxS: 1½ftx1ft 2in (50x35cm).
30 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 APRIL 2021
3 of the tallest sunflowers

Suttons.co.uk
‘Pike’s Peak’
This giant reaches 14½ft (4.5m), with an incredibly strong stem and yellow flowers
with golden centres that can grow to 1ft 2in (35cm) across. Even the seeds are big
– around 1.5in (4cm) long. Flowers July to September. HxS: 14½ftx1ft 2in (4.5mx35cm).

‘Russian Giant’ ‘Giraffe’

The name says it Young children will
all – this one can love this one. If
grow to over 8ft you’re looking for a
(2.5m) tall, with record breaker, this
bright-yellow is for you. It’s a
flowerheads that strong vigorous
can be 1ft (30cm) grower that can
across. Hide an reach 14½ft (4.5m)
ugly shed or fence tall with bright-
with a few of these yellow flowers and
towering beauties. brown centres.
Flowers July to Flowers July to
Dobies.co.uk

September. HxS: September. HxS:

8x1ft (2.5mx30cm). 14½x1ft (4.5mx30cm).

Planting tips Top tips for

Q As their name suggests,
sunflowers need a sunny spot.
growing a giant
Q Sow in well-drained soil or Q Choose one
in a container. of the tallest
Q Space 4in (10cm) apart if sowing in varieties.
the ground and thin to about 18in Q Sow in the
(45cm) if several germinate to give ground rather
plants plenty of space. than in a
Q Water regularly as they are container.
thirsty plants. Q When thinning Sow direct and
Q Support tall varieties with a cane out seedlings, thin seedlings
to prevent them flopping over. leave the strongest
Q Once the flowers appear, feed Insert support canes early and give it space to grow.
weekly with tomato feed. Q Choose a spot in full sun.

24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 31


Perennial
sweet peas
Many of us love sweet peas, sowing them year after year, but why not try
growing the perennial species with their long flowering season, says Graham Rice
I
F only sweet peas were perennials
and came back year after year!
Wouldn’t that be a joy? Well, there
are perennial sweet peas and they
are some of the loveliest hardy perennials.
Most are climbers and most are tough
hardy perennials. Most are also easy and
reliable. Some flower in spring, some
flower in summer, while many flower
continuously for months. And it’s this
long season that makes up for the fact
that although we call them perennial
sweet peas, they have no scent.
However, they are beautiful.
Lathyrus latifolius is the star. Tough
and resilient, this hardy perennial
spreads slowly but steadily at the
root, reaches 7-8ft (2.1-2.4m) in height,
clings well using its many tendrils and
produces up to 15 flowers on each
spike. So the spikes last far longer
when cut than do annual sweet peas.
They first open in June, and they
continue into autumn if you deadhead
them. Then the plant dies back down to
almost nothing.
32 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 APRIL 2021
Vigorous, long-flowering and surviving
from one year to the next, perennial
sweet peas, such as the Persian
everlasting pea (L. rotundifolius),
deserve to be more widely grown
Tie in L. latifolius ‘White Pearl’
to a stout support
At this point, opinions differ. The wild every day for months while still looking
species, the one we sometimes see on good at the back of the border.
motorway and railway embankments, The other climbing sorts come in
has purplish-pink flowers that are not to some interesting shades, including blue,
everyone’s taste, while the same can be but are less vigorous and long flowering
said for ‘Red Pearl’, with flowers in a yet still beautiful.
stronger, almost magenta shade. The There’s also a small group of neater,
pure white ‘White Pearl’, however, is bushier species and one of these,
simply gorgeous, as is the rose-pink Lathyrus vernus, is a very pretty spring
‘Rosa Perle’. They are simply lovely, bloomer making neat upright plants that
with long stems to cut. fit well into the spring shade tapestry with
primroses, epimediums and dwarf
Needing support daffodils. There’s even a species with
These sweet peas need the stoutest of yellow flowers!
shrubs for support as they make a great So, it’s true, sadly there’s no scent.
deal of growth. In fact, I tie mine back to But these perennial peas for spring and
a fence and they yield flowers for cutting summer should still be in your garden.
Where to buy*
Chiltern Seeds  chilternseeds.co.uk 01491 824675
Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants  hardysplants.co.uk 01256 896533
Roger Parsons  rpsweetpeas.com 01243 673770
*Many nurseries are currently unable to send out plants – or despatch may be delayed.
 5 perennial climbers
All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited

Lathyrus nervosus
A shorter climber, with rather sparse and slightly woody
top growth, for a warm, sunny wall in well-drained soil

Plants of Distinction
and carrying up to seven pale bluish-mauve blooms.
Flowers May-September. H: 4-6ft (1.2-1.8m).

Lathyrus Lathyrus
grandiflorus latifolius AGM
AGM Invaluable for
Up to four its long
large, violet flowering
and purple season, ‘White
flowers open Pearl’ and the
on plants of a rosy pink
manageable ‘Rosa Perle’
size with one (pictured) are
tendril on each superb. Slow
leaf to cling to but relentless
supporting at the root, tie
shrubs. to a fence or a
Dramatic in full stout wigwam.
bloom. Flowers Flowers June-
June-Sept. October.
T&M

H: 5ft (1.5m). H: 6ft (1.8m).

Lathyrus Lathyrus
‘Tillyperone’ rotundifolius
AGM AGM
Similar to L. A tough but
rotundifolius, delicate-looking
clinging with plant that will
three tendrils scramble
on each leaf, through
but with low shrubs
flowers in a and short
soft shade of perennials,
pinkish-red, the red flowers,
paler on the up to eight in
backs in bud, each spike,
and opening come in dusky
over a longer shades.
period. Flowers Flowers
June-August. June-July.
H: 5ft (1.5m). H: 5ft (1.5m).
24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 33
2 lathyrus for shade

Lathyrus aureus
Bushy upright
shoots carry long
spikes of up to 25
flowers in bright
yellow, sometimes
with gold or ochre
tints. Has no Lathyrus vernus AGM
tendrils, so may A lovely neat spring woodlander with short, upright
sometimes need stems carrying spikes of up a dozen small flowers
support. Flowers in purplish, pink and blue shades. ‘Alboroseus’
May-June. H: 32in (pictured) is pink and white, while ‘Cyaneus’ is vivid
(80cm). blue. Flowers March-April. H: 14in (35cm).

Best hosts for climbing lathyrus

Buddleja Roses Sambucus

The stout growth of buddleias,
especially when pruned lightly, is
strong enough to support most
climbing lathyrus.
34 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 APRIL 2021
Robust roses, such as the scented white Dark-leaved elders such as Black Lace
‘Blanc Double de Coubert’, and other (‘Eva’, pictured) and Black Beauty
rugosa roses, are stout enough even to (‘Gerda’), make the ideal background
host L. latifolius. for most of the climbing varieties.
Planting partners

Clematis
Summer and autumn-flowering clematis, especially the lovely
super-scented pale bluish-lilac ‘Betty Corning’ (pictured),
mingle well with the climbing species and all can be cut back
hard in winter. H: 6-8ft (1.8-2.4m).
Daffodils
Clumps of dwarf daffodils are ideal interplanted with shade
lovers such as L. vernus, with smaller flowered varieties such
as ‘Hawera’ (pictured), (dainty pale yellow) and ‘Pipit’ (lemon
and white) in the right proportion. H: 10-12in (25-30cm).

Delphinium
A mature plant of L. latifolius, in its many weeks of billowing
beauty, makes a fine background for the contrasting upright
stems of blue or white delphiniums. Just don’t allow the pea
to get its tendrils round the delphinium. H: 4-6ft (1.2-1.8m).
Primroses
Hardy perennial primroses in pastels shades, including our
wild native primrose, are very pretty around and among
L. vernus, starting to open before the dainty little pea and
often continuing afterwards. H: 6in (15cm).

Making more Care and

Q All perennial lathyrus can be raised attention
from seed sown in the spring, in pots
outside or in a cool greenhouse. Move Plant out seedlings Q All perennial lathyrus are
the seedlings into individual pots while before they become happy in any reasonable
they’re still small, to avoid too much root pot-bound soil that’s neither parched
disturbance, and plant out before they become pot bound. nor waterlogged. Just be
Q It can be difficult to divide climbing types as some have sure that sun-lovers and
very deep roots and others have a woody crown. Non- shade-lovers get the
climbing types can be divided and replanted in later winter. conditions they need.
Q Guide climbing types Guide young plants
towards their supports to their support
or host plants in the
Did you know? early weeks to get
them clinging early. nuisance seedlings, which
THE RHS is publishing the comprehensive book Q Deadheading always can be very vigorous.
Lathyrus: The Complete Guide in June. Visit rhs.org.uk helps prolong the flowering Q Usually free of diseases
(Publications>Monographs) for more details. display and eliminates and pests.

24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 35

 Ask John Negus John has been answering
reader queries for 50 years
John will reply personally to all your gardening questions every week

Sternbergia are a
cheery yellow

Tamarisk tetrandra is a stunning

eastern European shrub
Both photographs Alamy

Unknown tree
Kaffir lilies can be planted for easy autumn colour Q Please can you identify this tree for
me? It is in a neighbour’s garden
and we would love to know what it is.
Helen Armstrong, Dorchester, Dorset
What can I plant for easy late colour?
Q Now that my spring bulbs have finished, what can I plant for late colour?
Helen Friockheim (via email)
A The shrub is tamarisk, probably
Tamarix tetrandra. A native of
Bulgaria, Turkey and the Crimea, it has
great charm.

A I suggest that you plant the

following summer-flowering
bulbs now to follow your spring
display of daffodils, crocuses and
other early performers:
Gladiolus murielae (G. callianthus)
Flowering from August to September,
the gladiolus-like blooms are pure
white with a starry, purple throat.
Colchicum autumnale (autumn crocus)
Colouring August to October, flared
pink flowers are followed in spring by
wavy-edged glossy leaves.
Galtonia candicans (summer hyacinth)
Spikes of flared trumpet-shaped flowers
appear on sturdy spikes in August.
Roscoea cautleyoides Flare, lipped
and hooded yellow blooms cheer
Prune it when the flowers fade, cutting
back the previous season’s shoots,
which are bearing blooms, by a half to
late summer. two thirds.
Schizostylis coccinea (Kaffir lily) Starry
gladiolus-like flowers enrich October
and November.
Sternbergia lutea (autumn daffodil) Cup-
shaped yellow blooms illuminate
September and October.
Once the flowers have died back,
always remember to leave stems and
foliage to die back naturally to ensure
that the bulbs swell to a good flowering
size for the following year.

How can we mend a pond liner?

Good ventilation can help
Q We have a small but pretty garden pond that is a
haven for wildlife, with tadpoles hatching every
year, newts and all kinds of aquatic life. We think we
keep fungal problems at bay

have a puncture, so is there any way we could

repair the butyl liner in situ?
Fungal worries
Mark Holt (via email)
Q How can I prevent fungal problems
on my rosemary bushes?

A Bad luck! It appears that a heron has pierced Elna Forsythe (via email)
All photographs Future unless otherwise credited

the liner in its search for fish. Sometimes it is best to

ask for expert help
The best way to repair the damage is to drop the
water level by about 9in (23cm) and search for damage.
There may be more than one hole, and it can be difficult to find perforations in
A Most fungal diseases thrive in
moist, humid conditions. Help your
plant withstand fungal infections by
a butyl rubber liner. maintaining good air circulation around
I suggest that you contact your local water garden specialist who will be able and through the bush.
to recommend a specialist that will repair a faulty liner. It’s a fiddly job and can Remove any weeds or leaves and
take some time, but it is far better to engage an expert who knows what to look branches of other plants that are
for than run the risk of trying it yourself and completely ruining your pond. touching it, and prune out any straggly
old branches within the bush.
24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 37
 While John sometimes advocates using chemicals against pests and
diseases as the most effective means of control, organic options are
sometimes available and we advise readers to go with their preferences Contact John Negus by email address below
Email: amateurgardening@futurenet.com

Why are my
Quick questions
shrubs growing & answers
differently?
Q Can you tell me why my buddleja
started growing from the bottom
last year and why my forsythia had such
Q I have this
plant in a
pot in my
bare parts this year? garden, but
Brenda McQuillan (via email) I’ve no idea
what it is.

A Buddlejas will grow from old wood

as well as young, which means it is
possible to prune them annually and be
certain of strong growth in response.
Some plants, when pruned, grow just
from the next buds down the stem,
but buddleia will grow from
buds right the way down
the remaining stems,
meaning an annual
prune will create a nice
bushy plant full of leaf
Alamy
Forsythia and buddleja (inset) both
benefit from regular pruning
Prune when
Could you
identify it,
please?
Angela Ives (via email)
A The plant is lady’s smock or
cuckoo flower (Cardamine
pratensis). A British native,
flourishing in damp meadows and
on roadside verges, it has great
charm. Pollinated by long-tongued
hoverflies and bee flies, it colonises

and subsequently flowering has finished, to form a beautiful carpet.

flowers. An unpruned
plant will also produce
new growth, but
generally by extending the
existing growth making for a
tall and spindly plant.
Forsythia tends to flower best on
wood that is four-five years old. After this
time, flowers are rarely produced and
this can lead to bare patches in a shrub.
The solution is to instigate a pruning
regime that will replace older wood with
new growth and thus ensure a constant
supply of flowering wood.
What are these mystery plants?
cutting one or more of
the oldest branches
down to ground level.
These will produce new
growth that will form part of
Q Could
you
tell me
the structure of the plant for four- what these
five years, flowering each year. Aim to plants are?
remove about one fifth to one third of Patricia Voyle,
the oldest stems each year. In this way Kent
you can be sure of renewing the whole
plant every three-five years.
Feed shrubs with general-purpose
fertiliser after pruning to encourage
A I suspect that you have
Camassia quamash, a
bulbous perennial delighting
strong growth. us for three weeks or so with its
bright-blue flowers. A North
American gem, the bulbs of this
species were an important food
source for Native Americans.

Q I found both these small trees

growing at the bottom of the
garden, so I planted them in pots.
What are they?
Tara French (via email)
Q Some of my pelargoniums
are rather tall, but flowering.
Should I cut them back?
Cathy Rose (via email)

A The large palmate-leaved plant is

Fatsia japonica, commonly called
Japanese aralia or Japanese fatsia. A Cutting them back will help to
produce bushy plants with lots
A native of Japan, Korea and Taiwan, of new flower buds. If you leave
it romps in light shade where its them tall they will soon become
impressively large deep-green leaves straggly and give a
command attention. disappointing
The upright plant is a caper display. Pinch
Fatsia likes light shade and
spurge (Euphorbia lathyris). A native euphorbia (inset) needs out any early
of Central and Southern Europe and careful handling straggling
widely naturalised in Britain, it has flower buds
sculptural charm. too, again to
A biennial, it produces a single stem year, then dies. Its milky sap is toxic and encourage
in its first year, then enchants us with a can damage one’s eyes, so always wear bushy growth.
spray of green blossom in its second safety glasses when handling it.
24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 39
 Ask John Negus
John will reply personally to all your gardening questions every week
Can we move our
potted acer?
Q We have a beautiful acer growing
in a large pot that needs to be
moved out. However, the taproot has
grown through the pot into the ground.
What should we do?
Gemma Murphy, Borehamwood, Herts
A Most acers have a fibrous root
system rather than a deep taproot.
However, growth of pot-grown plants is
sometimes different from those in the
ground, as they have to search harder
for water.
As long as the bulk of the roots are
unaffected by the move, it should be fine
to cut them where they have come out of
the base of the pot and into the ground.
Once the tree is relocated, it would be
wise to give it plenty of water and feed
with a balanced fertiliser to help it
recover from the shock.
It is possible that the top growth may
be affected for this year – all trees have
What are these orange horrors?
Q Recently, after a heavy shower of rain, I discovered these orange jelly-like
globules on the juniper in my garden. The juniper is 30-40 years old but
healthy. Other trees are not affected. What can we do?
Jennifer Spann (via email)
A The invader in question
is a fungus called cedar-apple
rust (Gymnosporangium juniperi-
virginianae). In its first year it cripples
junipers, causing remarkable fanged
orange growths to appear. In its
second season it migrates to apples
and crab apples whose leaves
develop red spots and blotches.
reader queries for 50 years
Acers should be kept well watered
once they are in the ground
this characteristic that their top growth
and root growth are kept in balance. If
one is reduced by pruning, the other
may reduce to regain the balance. It will
be very important to make sure the tree
does not dry out and its growth is not
checked by a lack of nutrients.
Cedar apple rust is a crippling fungus
Sadly, there is no control apart from
removing the host plant – one or more
junipers – from your garden.
Admittedly, if you are not growing
apples, the fungus is unlikely to find its
second, essential host, and will die out.
For the moment, I urge you to cut
back affected juniper shoots to healthy
tissue, and bin or burn them.
John has been answering
Rubus ‘Benenden’ is an
ornamental bramble
Bramble beauty
Q Could you identify this plant?
It is in flower now and is a bush
that’s about 7ft (2.1m) high. The flowers
are slightly perfumed
Maurice Greenaway (via email)
A The mystery shrub is an
ornamental bramble botanically
called Rubus ‘Benenden’, a hybrid
resulting from crossing R. deliciosus
with R. trilobus.
Cheering spring with its large white
blooms, it was raised by a Captain
Collingwood Ingram in 1950.
A fetching feature when in full
bloom, it so impressed RHS judges
that they honoured it with an Award
of Merit in 1958 and a First Class
Certificate in 1963.
Taming berries
Q My young goji plants are growing
well. How should I
Alamy
train and prune
them?
Terri Jones,
Monmouth
A Growing to
around 12ft
(3.6m) high, the Goji bushes can be
plant will produce whippy and unruly
long, whippy shoots that
are usually sleeved with fruit. Keep them
manageable by pruning in March when
the hard frosts have finished. Shorten
long, whippy stems to within 2ft (60cm)
or so of the base. New shoots that
emerge from shortened stems should
fruit well.
After pruning, feed with Vitax Q4, or
blood, fish and bone meal. Sprinkle it
over the root area and hoe in lightly.
24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 41
 While John sometimes advocates using chemicals against pests and
diseases as the most effective means of control, organic options are
sometimes available and we advise readers to go with their preferences
Alamy
Frost will kill off camellia buds
Frosted camellia buds turning brown
Q I have two established camellias and both sets of buds turn brown before
they open. What is the cause of this?
Tim Sutherland (via email)
A I fear that low night temperatures
are the cause. Remove damaged
buds and feed plants with 1oz (28g) per
sq m of sulphate of potash monthly, from
now until September. Water it in if the
soil is dry. Drape the bushes with several
How can I restore my tree to health?
Q I am hoping that you can help
with my poorly pear tree. The
leaves are not opening properly and
there is very little blossom, but I cannot
see any evidence of bugs or anything.
Caroline McGuigan (via email)
A I think your ‘Concorde’ pear is
hungry. Its leaves are not
developing as they should and its
flowers are sparse.
Start now by sprinkling 1oz (28g) per
sq m of sulphate of potash over the
feeding-root area – a circle around the
tree that aligns with outermost branch
tips – and watering it in. Repeat
monthly until September.
Additionally, dose it with 4oz (112g)
per sq m of fish blood and bone meal,
also watering it in.
A healthy pear has a wealth of
bright-green leaves and normally
flowers well. Though ‘Concorde’ is
Contact John Negus by email address below
Email: amateurgardening@futurenet.com
layers of fleece on clear nights, removing
it the next morning when it’s warmer.
Ideally, camellias should not be
planted facing east, where early morning
sunshine on frosted flower buds may
cause cells to rupture and die.
Feeding can
help bring
struggling trees
back to health
self-fertile, and probably the finest pear
ever bred, it crops better if pollinated
by ‘Conference’ or ‘Comice’.
Remove all-green growth from
variegated shrubs
Green problem
Q My variegated shrub is starting to
develop all-green leaves on a few
stems. What should I do?
Marcus Porter, Southampton, Hants
A The plain- green leaves are a
reversion to the parentage of the
plant. Variegated leaves are not ‘normal’
and the variegation has been maintained
by vegetative propagation (cuttings or
grafting rather than seed).
Remove the reverted stem back to its
origin because it will be more vigorous
than the rest of the tree, due to having
larger leaves and more chlorophyll. If it is
a young stem (this year’s growth) you
may be able to remove it by pulling it
away from the branch from which it has
grown – this would be ideal as it is most
likely to get rid of all the cells associated
with the mutation.
Pink purslane likes sandy,
acid soil and light shade
Alamy
Shade lover
Q Please can you identify this plant
that has appeared in my garden?
Alex Larkin (via email)
A This is pink purslane (Montia
sibirica). Introduced from North
America and North-East Asia, it has
become naturalised in Britain.
A very pretty plant and a questing
carpetter, it favours sandy, acid soil and
romps in light shade.
24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 43
 A Gardener’s Miscellany
Gardening’s king of trivia and brain-teasers, Graham Clarke

This
week HRH Queen Elizabeth II
it’s: What connects the Queen with the botanical world
ON Wednesday of this week (21 April), brilliantly demonstrates the superior drill
HRH Queen
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II turns 95. and horsemanship of the serving soldiers Elizabeth II
Having come to the throne in 1952, on of her Household Division. It is British pictured
the death of her father, she is the longest pageantry at its best. through a gap
reigning monarch Britain has ever had. As the great lady has reached such a in an exhibit
Although her real birthday is in April, she milestone, we thought it only right and at the 2016
Chelsea
also has an ‘official birthday’ on a proper that we celebrate by looking at Flower Show
Saturday in June. This is marked by a some of the links between queens and
Trooping of the Colour ceremony, which plants. And there are many!

Roses by any other name

HERE’S a scandal if ever there was one:
the popular ‘Queen Elizabeth’ rose,
raised and named within months of our
Queen coming to the throne, is not even
British. It’s American! Bred by Dr Walter
Lammerts of California, it was released
in 1954 and, actually, broke new rose
territory. It has hybrid tea-like flowers,
but they are borne in clusters, more like
a floribunda. This inspired the rose world
to recognise a brand-new class of roses,
which we now call the Grandiflora roses.
Today, ‘Queen Elizabeth’ is widely
grown throughout the world, but it is
particularly suited to the British climate:
its tough petals seem to be unaffected
by rain! The fairly open flowers are warm,
pale pink, with darker backs to the petals.
There are several other popular
‘queenly’ roses:
‘Queen Mother’ was released in 1991
to honour the 90 birthday of our Queen’s
late mother. It’s a beautiful patio rose that
flowers fairly continuously from June to
October. The blooms are pale soft pink,
with deeper pink towards the centre; the
colours are richer in cooler weather. It Rosa ‘Queen Mother’, and (inset)
grows to just about 2ft (60cm) and has R. grandiflora ’Queen Elizabeth’
a light scent. For many years it was the
most widely sold rose in England.
Other pink roses linked to ‘queens’ ‘Queen of Bourbons’ (syn. ‘Bourbon
include: ‘The Queen’s London Child’, Queen’) and ‘Queen of Sweden’.

Queen of climbers
THE clematis is known as the ‘Queen
of Climbers’. Why? Well, its blooms are
flamboyant (some might say pompous),
5 garden plants named after
five actual queens
Agapanthus ‘Queen Mum’ Canna ‘Königin Charlotte’
often with rich ‘royal’ colours, while the
plants can be a little temperamental. But
because of their growing power and
luxuriant wealth when in full glory,
clematis can give your garden a right
royal ‘classy’ look! A number of cultivars
have ‘queen’ in their name, too. Look for:
Clematis ‘Gypsy Queen’: single,
velvety violet-purple flowers 5in (12.5cm)
across, from midsummer-early autumn.
Clematis ‘Dancing Queen’: semi-
double or double flowers of pale
lavender pink, from late spring to early
All photographs Alamy, unless otherwise credited

summer and again in early autumn.

Clematis ‘Snow Rosa ‘Queen Anne’
Queen’: single,
white tinged with
mauve at first,
then pure white,
with red anthers,
in early summer
and late summer/ The regal Clematis Hosta ‘Queen Josephine’ Lobelia cardinalis ‘Queen Victoria’
early autumn. ‘Snow Queen’

24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 45

 A Gardener’s Miscellany
Gardening’s king of trivia and brain-teasers, Graham Clarke
JUST
FOR
FUN AG’s Garden Wall Historical gardening event of
the week: 21 April, 1926
CLIMBERS Beet Joe Swift Hearts THIS week’s piece of history
commemorates the birth of our
MOULD Blower Spades Robinia sovereign, on 21 April 1926. I’ve
been fortunate

No: 008
GOOSEBERRY The South Larkspur Cutter bee enough to speak
Welcome to a new, just-for-fun puzzle: AG’s to look for, one for each course. You may with the Queen The Queen
Garden Wall. This wall comprises a total of 12 find that some words have more than one a number of planting a
bricks in three courses. Each brick has a connection to other courses, but there is just times. In the silver birch to
different word or phrase on it. The first brick in the one correct answer. You’ll either find this 1970s commemorate
each course (with words in BLOCK capitals) puzzle fiendishly difficult, or incredibly easy! her Silver
I spent a year Jubilee
has been cemented in place and cannot be Answers below.
moved. Just rearrange all the other bricks so as a gardener
that all four words in each course of bricks are Hint: In one of the courses, the words can all at Buckingham
linked. There are three different connections be preceded by ‘QUEEN OF …’! Palace, so our
paths crossed,
CLIMBERS literally. In those days, when Her
MOULD Majesty was around 50, she would
often escape from the affairs of state
GOOSEBERRY by strolling around the Palace
cutter bee (words may be preceded by ‘Leaf’). GOOSEBERRY = Joe Swift, Robinia, Larkspur (words containing types of bird)
CLIMBERS = Queen of Climbers, Queen of Spades/Hearts, Queen of the South. MOULD = Leafmould, Leaf beet, Leaf blower, Leaf
garden, usually with her corgis.
Answer: She had a keen interest in plants
and flowers which, no doubt, she
picked up from her mother, Queen
WIN Elizabeth the Queen Mother. She

£30 Word search No:

566
had been very knowledgeable about
gardening, and had a hand in
creating a number of gardens at
This word search comprises S T H E Q U E E N N different homes.
words associated with The When I worked at the Palace, the
Queen. They are listed below, E E N N A K M X C G Queen would often do a spot of
and in the grid they may be C F L V N A O H M I gardening. Her favourite activities
read across, backwards, up, were sweeping up leaves in the
down or diagonally. Letters can A R I I J C A O R E autumn (that were carted away by
be shared between words. gardeners), and deadheading the
Erroneous or duplicate words L U P E Z R N E N R rhododendrons in late spring. During
may appear in the grid, but A I S C L A H T I E these times we had to stay clear of
there is only one correct her! That ‘social distancing’ gave us
solution. After the listed words P T O O R T B R G V the opportunity to joke about the
are found, there are nine letters idea that she would utter “Off with
remaining; arrange these to Y S T C O I A E H O their heads” as she deadheaded
make this week’s KEY WORD. N T H M P I L U T S the rhododendrons!
THE
E S I T A M E L C H
QUEEN
ELIZABETH HOW TO ENTER: Enter this week’s keyword on the entry form, and World’s worst ‘royal’
send it to AG Word Search No 566, Amateur Gardening, Unit 2,
ANNE Eelmore Road, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 7QN, to arrive by gardening joke
CHARLOTTE Wednesday 5 May 2021. The first correct entry chosen at random
CLEMATIS will win our £30 cash prize. ONCE upon
a time,
COX This week’s keyword is .......................................................................................... football
FRUITS broadcaster
Name ........................................................................................................................
MAJESTY John
MONARCH Address .................................................................................................................... Motson
MOTHER ................................................................................................................................... thought he King Edwards: one
NIGHT would marry into is not amused
Postcode .................................................................................................................. potato royalty, so he
PALACES
Email ......................................................................................................................... proposed to the ‘Princess’ salad potato
PINK variety. However, her father, a ‘King
SOVEREIGN Tel no ........................................................................................................................
Edward’ potato, told her the marriage
Future plc, publisher of Amateur Gardening, will collect your personal information
TULIP solely to process your competition entry. could not go ahead. “Motson,” the King
told her, “is a mere common-tater!”
46 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 APRIL 2021
 Crossword
Queen of many subjects
IN 2009, The Times declared
...just for fun!
the cauliflower the ‘Queen of
Vegetables’. However, a leading 1 2 3 4 5
website for the chemical
industry ( lookchem.com)
reckons that the onion 6
should take this crown.
Meanwhile, a grower’s ‘Queen of Fruits’: the
collective in California says the mangosteen (Garcinia
title should go to broccoli because mangostana) 7 8
of its health-giving properties,
9
whereas a health and lifestyle website ( onejive.com)
says that kale should have the title, for the same reasons. 10 11 12
You choose! What other ‘Queen of’ plants are there?
Fruits: Mangosteens (Garcinia mangostana) are from
south-east Asia (they are the national fruit of Thailand).
Known as the ‘Queen of Fruits’, the purple, white-fleshed 13
fruits are sweet and tangy. Legend has it that Queen
Victoria offered a reward of £100 to anyone who could
bring her a fresh purple mangosteen.  14
Herbs: Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is something you may
not have come across, but in India and Africa it is known
as the ‘Queen of the Herbs’. A cousin of basil, it is grown ACROSS
just for its restorative and spiritual properties, in relieving 1 Period at the end of the 14 A sage is the African spear!
stress and aiding natural detoxification. Georgian era, when King (7) (anag)
Night: One of the most popular tulip cultivars is ‘Queen George III was deemed unfit
of Night’; it is pretty close to the fabled truly black tulip to rule, as in the daylily DOWN
(though, in fact, it’s dark maroon-purple). It is used with cultivars ‘______ Heights’ 1 Type of gun found in
and ‘______ Dandy’ (7) muscari flesh! (5)
many other tulip colours to add contrast.
6 Having a pleasant, 2 Steep-sided cleft between
distinct taste; something we escarpments carved by the
all want our home-grown Colorado River in Arizona –
produce to be (11) and a cultivar of hosta! (5,6)
7 Current of air running back, 3 Patches of land adjoining
or in a direction contrary to or surrounding places of
the main current – can cause worship, often planted with
damage in the garden (4) yew trees (in theory to keep
8 Melissa is lemon ____; out cattle, as the yew is
trillium is Indian ____; and poisonous) (11)
abies is the ____ of Gilead (4) 4 This is sowing seeds
9 and 1 0 down The subject or taking cuttings (11)
(almost literally) of this week’s 5 The rhubarb genus (5)
Miscellany! (3,5) 10 See 9 across
10 Boggy or marshy place (4) 12 This Disney cartoon feature
11 Valerianella locusta is of 1942 is also a cultivar of a
Self-fertile and aromatic: ____’s lettuce! (4) delphinium and a Japanese
‘Queen Cox’
13 The dog’s tooth violet cypress tree (5)
genus (11)
Wow! I didn’t know that... 10 Queen 12 Bambi
‘Queen Cox’ is a late-season version of apple ‘Cox’s DOWN 1 Rifle 2 Grand Canyon 3 Churchyards 4 Propagating 5 Rheum
Orange Pippin’. It has the same complex aromatic 11 Lamb 13 Erythronium 14 Assegai
flavours, but has a richer colour. Self-fertile, it does ACROSS 1 Regency 6 Flavoursome 7 Eddy 8 Balm 9 The 10 Quag
need favourable conditions to crop well. ANSWERS TO ABOVE CROSSWORD
Contradiction of the week: ‘Ice Queen’ is a beautiful
lemon-cream cultivar of… red hot poker (kniphofia)!
Queen of the South may be a top-rated football club, but
KEYWORD TO WORD SEARCH 561 (20 March):
‘Queen of the North’ is a stunning small-cupped daffodil, FLOWERBED
flowering now (mid to late spring). The star-shaped AND THE WINNER IS: ALI BRAITHWAITE,
blooms have white petals, with a lemon-yellow cup. COTGRAVE, NOTTS

24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 47

48 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 APRIL 2021
Advanced gardening You can listen to
Steve on alternate
Sundays 10am-2pm
on BBC Radio Kent’s
Sunday Gardening
New series on advanced gardening techniques with Steve and Val Bradley (BBC Local)

Horizontal staking
When placing a tall plant in a pot, the usual advice is to use a vertical stake to
support it. However, Steve and Val Bradley have a much better, neater answer

S
OIL in a garden border offers
plants the maximum stability as You can use the
they grow, because the plants horizontal staking system
can send down strong roots to concealed inside the
act as anchors against winds that blow container for tall plants,
such as bays and olives
against them. But what if you choose, or (pictured), that you want
need, to grow plants – and especially tall to grow in pots
ones – in pots? The amount of compost
varies according to the shape and size of
the container, but it is seldom enough to
offer meaningful support, especially
during the early stages.

Depth of compost problem

One of the major problems with trying
to support a tall plant in a pot is that the
depth of compost is not sufficient to offer
a firm grip to a single vertical support,
such as a cane or stake. Unless they are
hidden by the leaves, these supports
can also detract from the attraction of
the plant they are supporting.

Takes longer to root

The ornamental appearance of a plant,
such as standard bay tree, would be
spoiled by the use of a vertical stake,
and trained conifers, which often offer a
fair bit of wind resistance throughout the

Both photographs Alamy

year, do not lend themselves to being
staked due to their growth habit. The
trouble with this is that a lack of firm
support means the plant can take
much longer to root into the new,
fresh compost because both plant and
support can rock in the wind, severing
new roots as they grow and causing it
to work loose inside the container.

If you can’t go up, go sideways

So, rather than trying to persevere with
a vertical stake, one alternative is to use
a horizontal staking system that can be
concealed inside the container so it
appears that the plant has no support
at all. You simply use the sides of the
container to keep the plant upright and
secured in position without the risk of
any damage.
With this method, two sections of
wooden baton or cane are wedged
inside the container and fastened
together to form a cross. Using
horizontal staking to support the plant,
the compost and container become a
single unit that is locked together to
provide an invisible support.
50 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 APRIL 2021
Good for the rootball
Horizontal staking holds the rootball
firmly, reducing wind rock and helping
the plant establish more quickly,
because the roots remain undisturbed
after planting and can start to penetrate
into the new layers of compost. This
process can be repeated each time the
plant is moved to a larger container.
Beneficial to development
Tie the plant stem to the canes with
soft string to avoid damaging the bark,
Traditional vertical supports
can spoil the appearance
of a plant
making sure your plant is held in place
until it can support itself. Use soft string
or twine that will rot away within a
season when covered with compost
as, by then, it will have done its job of
holding the plant secure – but you do
not want the tie to become too tight and
strangle the stem. In many respects, this
type of support can be more beneficial
to the plant’s development, as the
absence of a vertical stake allows the
stem of the plant to flex slightly as it
grows, helping it to thicken naturally.
 Steve Bradley MA MHort (RHS) has written (or co-written) over 40 gardening books, including Propagation Basics,
The Pruner’s Bible, The Ground Force Workbook, and What’s Wrong With My Plant? He is resident expert on BBC Radio
Kent, Sussex and Surrey, and he has built medal-winning gardens at both Chelsea and Hampton Court Palace.

Step-by-step guide to horizontal staking

1 Measure and cut
supports to fit inside the
rim of the container. These 2 After the plant has been planted in the new, larger
container, wedge these supports inside the container,
can be made from either arranging them so that they form a cross. The aim is to get
thin wooden batons or the two supports to pass one another at the base of the plant
sturdy bamboo canes. stem. It is import that these supports are a tight fit to provide
stability and reduce rocking.

3 Use a short
length of wire
to fasten the two
4 Using soft string, tie the base of the plant
to the supports at the point where they
cross one another, to get the full benefit of
supports together the supports from every direction.
where they cross.
This will prevent
them being
dislodged when
the plant’s stem
rocks and moves
in the wind.

5 Finish repotting the plant by covering over the

supports with a layer of compost and hiding the
evidence. You can also add a layer of decorative
6 Firm the
compost to
make sure it is
gravel or bark after topping up the compost. covering and
surrounding the
roots. If the plant
was in a container
previously, it is
important to firm the
compost between
the rootball and the
sides of the new pot.
Step-by-step photography by

24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 51

 Ask Anne!
Anne Swithinbank’s masterclass on: growing a prehistoric plot
If you grow one fern, make it the
incredible evergreen Woodwardia
unigemmata, known as the walking
fern. Fronds reach 4ft (1.2m) long and
root at their tips, forming new plants
Deciduous
maidenhair trees
(Ginkgo biloba) are
perfect for a
prehistoric theme,
as they have barely
altered in 200
million years
Alamy
Make a prehistoric paradise!
Q My six-year-old son is fascinated
by dinosaurs, and I’m thinking of
clearing the shady side of the garden
to make it a jungly, prehistoric park for
some of his toys. Any plant suggestions?
Leona Pritchard, Birmingham
A Start by studying some pictures of
dinosaur-strewn landscapes. Ignore
the Tyrannosaurus rex, stegosaurus and
wheeling pterodactyls, and study the
depictions of plants instead.
Some will look familiar, because their
descendants are still around today.
During the Jurassic period, there was
a lot of movement in the earth’s plates.
The Atlantic Ocean began to open up
around 150 million years ago, Africa and
South America separated from each
other, and volcanoes erupted. Mountain
ranges formed, and shallow seas flowed
out over the land.
Whereas the climate had been hot
and dry, it gradually changed to a humid
warmth just right for plant growth. To
begin with, these were non-flowering
All photographs John Swithinbank/Future unless otherwise credited
kinds (flowering plants probably evolved
around 130 million years ago) and
What about flowers?
THE first flowering plants were similar to those of
magnolias, tulip trees and waterlilies. They evolved
before bees, and relied on beetles and ants for their
pollination. The Tradescantia tribe of spider lilies are
pretty old, too, so you could add clumps of hardy
Tradescantia (Andersoniana Group) ‘Isis’.
52 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 APRIL 2021
Top Tip Anne’s Try these
Fast-growing trees and top tips plants…
conifers will bring quick
results, but might outgrow
the garden. Be prepared to
remove them before they
get too large, or grow
in containers.
1 The Chilean monkey puzzle is
too large and spreading for
small gardens, but a small potted
specimen would certainly set the
scene. The Norfolk Island pine
(Araucaria heterophylla) is softer,
but needs winter frost protection.
consisted of spore-bearing mosses,
ferns and then cone-bearing conifers,
palm-like cycads and giant horsetails.
Everything grew to massive proportions,
providing food for all the herbivorous
dinosaurs, which in turn fed the
carnivorous beasts. 2 While mature Australian and
Tasmanian tree ferns are costly,
To get the look, start collecting large
flinty stones and logs, so you can build
a raised edge to your border, perhaps
youngsters are affordable. Protect
growing points from winter cold.
curving it out to increase the planting
space. Add good-quality topsoil and soil
conditioner to the bed, and perhaps a
rocky outcrop or two. Mark the positions
where taller plants might grow, and seek
out ancient-looking specimens.
Deciduous maidenhair trees (Ginkgo
biloba) are living fossils, little changed
for 200 million years. Their fan-shaped
leaves turn a buttery-yellow in autumn.
Coniferous Podocarpus and Wollemi
3 The scouring rush or ‘Lego plant’
is so-called because you can pull
stem sections apart and push them
pines are full of ancient character, but together. Though not as rampant as
if you want to cut costs, cheap and horsetail, they are best grown in pots
cheerful baby Scots pines will look the or carefully monitored.
part, though you might have to remove
them before they grow too large. Fill in
with an undergrowth of various ferns,
and add a triceratops or two!
4 The Chilean willow-leaf
podocarp is little changed from
those that formed forests millions of
Alamy
years ago. They have a columnar
Tradescantia ‘Isis’
brings a splash of colour
shape and grow tall, slowly.
to your prehistoric plot!
 Letters to Wendy
Write to us: Letters, Amateur Gardening magazine, Future Publishng Ltd, Unit 2, Eelmore Road, Farnborough,
Hampshire GU14 7QN (please include your address). Email us: amateurgardening@futurenet.com

The ‘bulb’ engines Glenys’ daffodils and crocuses

attracted lots of attention

T
HANK you for Ruth Hayes
article (AG, 3 April), regarding
Star
container bulbs, very helpful as
we have some requiring help.
letter
The article reminded me of a story
told to me years ago when I was an
apprentice. In the 1950s the Reverend
W. Awdry, author of the Thomas the
Tank Engine books, was vicar at Emneth
in the Black Fen, and he had been
granted a ride with the driver and
fireman on the Wisbech Tram whose
locomotives were the origin of Toby the
Power of flowers
Tram Engine. I’VE spent a lot of time in my front garden
During the return trip from Upwell during lockdown. I live on an estate with
to Wisbech the tram clattered to a stop about 80 houses and have noticed more
in the middle of seemingly nowhere people out walking than in previous
and the crew rushed off the loco. years. The most astonishing thing,
Fearing a boiler explosion, or worse, though, is that people stop and admire
Awdry followed. my front garden. They are very
But, he found the crew gathering The Rev W. Awdry was in for a surprise complimentary about the flowers.
bulbs from a huge pile in a field! The Comments range from ‘It’s a joy to
farmers who forced daffodils and tulips walk past your garden,’ to ‘Thank you for
had lifted the bulbs and left them to Wendy says My boys were obsessed cheering me up.’ I haven’t done anything
‘rest’ before replanting, this is what the with Reverend Awdry’s Thomas stories different as the bulbs have been in the
crew were gathering – rested bulbs! as little ones, how funny that the author ground for years. But I think people have
Simon James, Wymondham, Norfolk experienced is own trouble on the tracks really appreciated nature over the past
year and noticed things they previously
took for granted.
‘Dig’ versus ‘no dig’ gardening I’m glad my passion for gardening has
had such an effect on people – just as it
I ALWAYS look forward to reading Bob has had a really positive effect on me.
Flowerdew’s articles, having been a Glenys Reynolds, Bracknell, Berks
keen organic gardener myself for
many years.
However, contrary to Bob’s advice
(AG, 13 March), my own experience of
no dig suggests that it is an excellent
way to grow spuds.
I have had much heavier yields
using no dig, rather than the
conventional method I had used for
many seasons past. There has also
been a marked reduction in slug
damage with no dig. But my mulch is
home- produced compost. Bram places his chitted seed spuds on
If you use straw, cardboard or top of the soil and covers with home-
polythene as your mulch, then you are made compost The amaryllis
providing a great home for slugs and reached a
damage will follow. Living as I do in the metre tall
(damp) West Country, this would surprised when I mention that I was
certainly be the case. inspired to change to no dig after
It’s not just spuds that were so
successful with no dig. I have also had
watching several YouTube films by
Charles Dowding.
Amazing amaryllis
my best results with leeks, spinach, Bram White, Plymouth THIS amaryllis has done so well this year.
spring onions and beetroot and I It is three years old and I keep bringing
would certainly encourage any Wendy says You will be interested to the bulb out every autumn. It measures
gardener to have a go using this hear Charles Dowding and Stephanie a metre high and has four beautiful
method. Hafferty are creating a no dig garden flowers which have given so much
I don’t suppose you will be at RHS Hampton Court Festival in July pleasure in lockdown.
Future

B Finlow, Stockport
24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 55
Letters to Wendy
Write to us: Letters, Amateur Gardening magazine, Future Publishng Ltd, Unit 2, Eelmore Road, Farnborough,
Hampshire GU14 7QN (please include your address). Email us: amateurgardening@futurenet.com

Kay’s allotment garden in acrylic paint

The beauty of Kay’s garden captured in summer

A picture paints a thousand words...

I REALLY liked the pastel paintings by
John Patchett (AG, 3 April). I am an
amateur painter and prefer to paint
in acrylics.
The painting with the shed is our
allotment and the other is our front
garden a few years ago. A few people
who have allotments on our site are also
amateur painters.
I wonder how many more gardeners
also love to paint?
Kay Fuller, Corringham, Essex
Wendy says Thank you for sharing, Kay.
What a super skill to be able to paint

Rhubarb syllabub
These rather naughty syllabubs are delicious and creamy and so easy to make
Preparation time: 15 minutes plus cooling
Serves: 4 Per serving: 400cals 14g saturated fat Rhubarb and ginger make
a good combination
Ingredients
1lb (450g) rhubarb sliced cut into sticks
plus eight thin slices for decoration
3 balls stem ginger in syrup, finely diced
2tbsp vodka (optional)
3oz (75g) golden caster sugar
5oz (150g) mascarpone
11oz (300g) double cream
4tbsp icing sugar
You will need: four short serving glasses

Method
1 Put the rhubarb sticks, half the balls of stem ginger, vodka (if
using), sugar and 2tbsp water into a pan and bring to a simmer.
Cook for 5 minutes or until the rhubarb has softened, but not
lost too much of its shape. Leave to cool.
2 Whip the mascarpone, double cream and icing sugar
together until soft, pillowy peaks have formed.
3 Spoon a layer of rhubarb into the bottom of each glass,
followed by a layer of mascarpone mixture. Repeat until you
have another layer of each. Top with the reserved rhubarb.
Dice a ball of stem ginger and scatter across the top.
TIP: For a lighter version, substitute the double cream with
natural yogurt
56 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 APRIL 2021
 SHARE YOUR STORIES TIPS AND PHOTOS and you will receive
a fantastic pair of Town & Country’s Master Gardener gloves — the
UK’s best-selling gardening glove and a perfect companion to help
you in the garden. State small, medium or large with your letter.

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chorus as the males try to impress the females. These two certainly seem happy!
Christine Eyes, Southport
Hot Lips is the best
I WAS so interested to read in Ask John Negus, a
reader asking when they should trim their Salvia
‘Hot Lips’.
They are the most lovely of hardy salvias in my
mind and make the most amazing hedges but do
they like to grow! Ours seems to need to be cut
back several times a year because in a small garden
it becomes very rampant but it certainly puts up with “The most lovely of
this treatment and comes back eager for more growing hardy salvias”
and showing those fabulous ‘Hot Lips’ flowers nearly
throughout the year. But how interesting a tip from John to rub
petroleum jelly on the cuts to preserve moisture we just live and learn thanks to
Amateur Gardening.
Sylvia Monk, Hayling Island, Hants
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If you submit material to us, you warrant that you own the material

Sarah’s free and easy propagator lid
Readers Tip and/or have the necessary rights/permissions to supply the material
and you automatically grant Future and its licensees a licence to
publish your submission in whole or in part in any/all issues and/or
THOUGHT I’d share my idea for re- editions of publications, in any format published worldwide and on
associated websites, social media channels and associated products.
purposing the clear plastic tubs that Any material you submit is sent at your own risk and, although every
care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents, subcontractors
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Turning the whole thing upside
down, the lid becomes a good ‘tray’
and the tub itself makes a great
‘propagator lid’ (might need a few air
holes). My sunflower seedlings have
certainly benefited anyway
Sarah Stevenson,
Leamington Spa,
Warks

24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 57

 Toby Buckland
Plantsman and BBC gardening presenter

Toby’s top tips

Future

The best compost for big

pots is a 50/50 mix of
peat-free multi-purpose
with screened topsoil

1 Let large pots dry out before

manhandling, as it makes them
much easier to lift.

This Mediterranean fan palm

(Chamaerops humilis) is too This bay tree is flourishing
big for its confines and it in its new home of a well-
needs a larger container prepared half-oak barrel

It’s all going to pot 2 Tip large pots over on the lawn
so as not to damage the side, or
Toby ponders space and time as he sets to giving his put an old blanket on the patio first.
evergreens more room. The solution? Roll out the barrel

D
ID you hear about the new
science book – How to be 50%
as Smart as Albert Einstein?
I bought two. Ba-dum-cha!
And just like Einstein, I’m grappling
with space-time theory. Not the
mathematical model combining three
dimensions of space with the fourth
dimension of time, but the equally
perplexing imponderable: what to do
with pot plants that have run out of
space over time in their containers.
The flags at Buckland Castle are
home to a cluster of large potted
evergreens, including topiary bays, box
trees and a 6ft (1.8m) blue European
palm. All have that ‘yellow around the
gills’ appearance, suggesting they need
potting on, but they’re so big that lifting
the rootballs from the containers could
seriously strain a chap’s Higgs Boson.
Where gravitational mass exceeds
available shifting force, Newton’s first
law of motion and the old trick of tipping
All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited
Once on the horizontal plane, push a
stick up through the drainage holes in
the bottom, and as in Sir Isaac’s third law,
apply a force of equal magnitude in the
opposite direction by tapping with a
mallet. When loose, the lot slides out
from the top with little resistance.
The choice then is between potting
up into a larger container or root pruning,
before putting back in the original
pot (see below). My box and bay will
happily take the quantum leap up
into half-oak barrels bought from a
salvage yard. Good value at around
£40 a pop, their width makes them
Make room by root pruning
ROOT pruning allows large pot plants
to be repotted into their original
containers. To create space, score the
sides and the base of the exposed
rootball with a sharp knife and use a
ideal for permanent evergreens and
potted fruit trees.
They do need drainage holes drilled
in the base, but this is quite pleasurable
as the shavings smell of the whiskey and
oaked white wine that the barrels held in
their previous life.
After years of experimentation, I’ve
concluded the best compost for big pots
is a 50/50 mix of peat-free multi-purpose
with John Innes No3 or screened topsoil,
especially if controlled-release pellets
are also mixed in. Always read and stick
to rates on the label; with slow-release
feeds, it pays to be scientific.
Trim the sides and
base of the roots

the pot onto its side come into play.
“My box and bay
hand trowel to tickle away the outer
2in (5cm) of compost to create a hand’s
width of room between the roots and
the inside of the pot. If this isn’t enough,
Both photographs Future

slice the bottom 4in (10cm) from the

will happily take rootball with a wood saw. Repot, water
well and prune some of the older
Root pruning should create a hand’s
a quantum leap” leaves to bring the top of the plant into
balance with the reduced roots.
width of room around the rootball

24 APRIL 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 59