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Britain's
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voice in
gardening
Carol Klein
'Try my favourite
shade-lovers!'
Ornamental
grasses can
be pot stars!
Cornflowers
for vibrant
spring colour
5
WHY WE NEED
MORE MOTHS!
Low growers
to tolerate
drought
Enjoy a brilliant
Bank
Holiday!
● Best garden centre buys right now
● How to do the Chelsea Chop
● Find the right plants for your soil
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what to doThis
Meet
the
team
If you do
Ian Hodgson
Kew-trained horticulturist and
garden designer. Previously
with the RHS, Ian is interested
in all aspects of gardening.
just one job...
Get those
perfect pots
Here’s how to plant up great
containers for a summer show
Karen Murphy
A keen container
gardener, Karen has
RHS qualifications
and also loves wildlife.
Week
Plus
● Inspirational gardener Nick Bailey
● Undercover gardener Martin Fish
● Growing for showing with Medwyn Williams
● Tales from the allotment with Terry Walton
Create bold
impact
with neon
colours!
Now’s the time to get our pots ready to give us a
big splash of colour on our patios. As you’ll have
read on page 14, there are some wonderful plant
combinations that can provide lots of different themes,
but you need to take time and care to get them just right!
There are endless plants to go for now, so opt for an
extra large container that’ll hold four or five. That way
you can get more height, permanence and impact.
If you’re planning to create a more permanent
feature of your pot with foliage plants into autumn and
winter, when the bedding goes over, use a plastic pot or
fibreglass. Next, consider your compost. Use a multipurpose
compost with added four-month fertiliser or
standard multi-purpose with some slow-release fertiliser.
Mix it with Perlite for an airy, well-draining mix. If you’ve
more permanent plants, use a John Innes No 2 or No
3 compost, which will be more nutritious for longer.
Pop it in a sunny spot, water well and deadhead
continually to make your display last the longest it can.
l Turn back to page 14 for brilliant pot combinations.
Garden News
RECOMMENDS
Four plants for our pot
Neil Hepworth
Senetti ‘Deep Blue’
Neon purple-blue daisy blooms
stand tall above pretty, heartshaped
leaves. Water well
and deadhead.
Shutterstock
Osteospermum
The variety used is ‘Margarita
Yellow’, but try an array of
these pretty African daisies.
Likes a sunny spot.
Shutterstock
Impatiens
Large, neon pink blooms above
dark or light green, waxy
foliage. Classic bedding that
can flower until mid-autumn.
Shutterstock
Greenery
Zingy lime cupressus
‘Goldcrest’ is a potted staple,
as well as easy-going foliage
favourite variegated ivy.
Shutterstock
Subscribe for just £1 an issue. Go to www.greatmagazines.co.uk/gn
June 3 2017 / Garden News 33

Alamy
Britain’s most trusted
voice in gardening
SUBSCRIBE TODAY
& GET EACH ISSUE FOR
JUST £1
P.14
Petunia ‘Night Sky’ is
in garden centres now
Work, rest
and play!
It’s incredible to think the final
Bank Holiday of spring is upon us
already – where is the year going? I
don’t know about you, but I’ve still
got plenty of things I’d like to get
stuck into this weekend and, like
thousands of gardeners around the
country, I’ll be heading to the garden
centre! Check out the feature on page
14 to see our advice on what’s best to
buy right now – I shall certainly be
heeding it! Thankfully our garden
had plenty of long-overdue rain last
week so I don’t feel too guilty hoping
for a sunny weekend that involves
work, rest and play outside.
After all, gardens should
be places of relaxation,
too! Here’s to a happy
few days gardening.
Garden News
Editor
P.36
It’s easy to
propagate your
succulents
Our cover star:
Carol Klein
P.20
Spectacular views
at our Garden of
the Week
P.35
Add an herbaceous
clematis to your border
Some gardeners find shade a problem,
but not Carol! Shady places can offer
marvellous opportunities to grow some
of the most beguiling plants. Find out
more on page 30.
Neil Hepworth
Neil Hepworth
Neil Hepworth
Jonathan Buckley
Go to p.34 for full details!
Look inside!
About Now
4 News from the gardening world
5 Plant of the Week:
Centaurea montana
7 My Life in Plants
8 The best new plants
on show at Chelsea
10 Top 5... drought-loving
low growers
P.5
12 Wildlife
Features
14 Find out why now is the best
time to visit the garden centre
18 Give your plot the Chelsea Chop
20 Garden of the Week
26 The best plants to suit your soil
30 Carol Klein explains why shade
lovers are so entrancing
57 Home-grown: Parsley
66 Secrets of a Head Gardener
What To Do This Week
35 Plant an herbaceous clematis
36 Propagate succulents
39 Rob Smith gets creative
with corn
41 Pot up a fig for more fruit, says
Martin Fish
42 Damp down the greenhouse
43 Medwyn Williams grows the
best peas for showing
45 The allotment is greening up for
Terry Walton
The Experts
46 Give ornamental grasses
a good home!
47 It’s time to plant out dahlias
49 Tony Dickerson problem solves
You and Your Gardens
52 Readers’ gardens
55 Your letters and photos
Offers & Competitions
59 Prize-winning crossword
60 Six free tomato ‘Sweet Aperitif’
63 Free agapanthus and anemone
Get in touch!
Email gn.letters@bauermedia.co.uk
Facebook facebook.com/
GardenNewsOfficial
Twitter twitter.com/GardenNewsMag
Write to Simon Caney, Garden News,
Media House, Peterborough Business
Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA
May 27 2017 / Garden News 3

AboutNOW
New plants at
CHELSEA 2017
We showcase all the very best varieties being launched and
exhibited at this week’s premier show
Alpines
Edelweiss
‘Blossom of Snow’
Long-stems reach 40cm
(14in). Flowering spring
and autumn. Ideal cut
flower or border plant.
Well-drained soil in sun.
From: www.suttons.co.uk,
tel: 0844 326 2200.
Climbers
Thorncroft
Fruit and veg
Darcy & Everest
Lewisia ‘Little
Snowberry’
Evergreen rosettes
of succulent foliage.
Blossoms from late
spring. Any welldrained
soil in full sun
or pots. From: www.
darcyeverest.co.uk,
tel: 01480 497672.
Suttons
Mulberry
‘Charlotte Russe’
Breakthrough mulberry
to 1.5m (5ft). Selfpollinating,
producing
fruit on old and new
wood over long season.
From: www.suttons.
co.uk, tel: 0844 326 2200.
Clematis ‘Taiga’
Exotic flowers change shape
with age. Sheltered position
on a wall, fence or pots. From:
www.thorncroftclematis.
co.uk, tel: 01953 850407.
Clematis ‘Green Passion’
Unusual variety with double green,
white-tipped flowers over a long
season. Semi-shade in borders or
pots. From: Thorncroft Clematis
(see details, left).
Thorncroft
Cucumber ‘Merlin’
Productive, all-female
variety with 15cm (6in) fruit.
Mildew resistant. Best indoors.
From: www.pennardplants.com,
tel: 01749 860039.
Pennard Plants
Suttons
Sweet pepper ‘Popti’
Compact sweet bell pepper. Ideal
for pots indoors and out. Early
ripening and virus resistant.
From: www.pennardplants.com,
tel: 01749 860039.
Pennard Plants
8 Garden News / May 27 2017

Greenhouse
Fuchsia ‘Sarcoma UK’
New upright, long-flowering,
bush fuchsia. All proceeds from
sales to charity Sarcoma UK.
From: www.roualeynfuchsias.
co.uk, tel: 01492 640584.
Fibrex
Pelargonium
‘Rushmore Amazon’
Breakthrough ‘Zonartic’ pelargonium
with 5cm (2in) yellow blossoms. From:
www.fibrex.co.uk, tel: 01789 720788.
Ian Strawson
Perennials
Trees and Shrubs
Salvia ‘Crystal Blue’
Pastel blue sage forms a compact mound of summer blossom to
50cm (20in). From: www.hardys-plants.co.uk, tel: 01256 896533.
Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants
Rosa ‘James L. Austin’
Fruitily-fragrant blossoms possess
old rose elegance. Long flowering,
neat and disease resistant. From
www.davidaustinroses.co.uk,
tel: 01902 376300.
David Austin
Heuchera
‘Sweet Caroline’
Neat, evergreen, lemon and
lime foliage with pink flowers.
From: www.plantagogo.com,
tel: 01270 820335.
Plantagogo
Iris ‘Rachel
de Thame’
Distinctive colour combination
named after the TV presenter.
From: www.iris-cayeux.com,
tel: freephone 0800 096 4811.
Cayeux
Corydalis
‘Porcelain
Blue’
Spring and autumnflowering
perennial.
Moist, well-drained
soil. From: www.
hillier.co.uk, tel:
01794 368733.
Subscribe for just £1 an issue. Go to www.greatmagazines.co.uk/gn
Hillier
Malus ‘Crimson
Cascade’
Weeping crab apple suitable
for borders or lawn specimens.
Purple foliage in spring. Red
fruits in autumn. From: www.
hillier.co.uk, tel: 01794 368733.
Hillier
Betula pendula
‘Fastigiata Joes’
Pencil-like, upright form of
common birch. Ideal for narrow
spaces and deciduous hedges.
From: www.frankpmatthews.
com, tel: 01584 810214.
May 27 2017 / Garden News 9
Frank P Matthews

The best plants to
suit your soil
Don’t fight what’s on your plot! Instead
pick plants that’ll feel right at home there
Asters are just
one of the plants
that’ll appreciate
rich clay soil
Words Naomi Slade
This is the moment the garden gets
into its stride. The risk of frost
has passed and soil is warming
nicely, so it’s time for us to leap into
action! To get the best from your plants,
it helps to know what soil type you
have. While some are easy and biddable,
others love sharp drainage, hanker
for moisture or are picky about pH.
Most soils are a mix of various
elements such as sand, clay, chalk
and organic matter, often with one
type predominating; and sun and
shade, acidity and alkalinity also play
a role. But a great garden begins with
its soil, so before you hit the shops
or the internet for a glorious splurge
of colour, take a moment to put your
nose to the ground and make sure that
every plant you pick will be a winner!
COPING WITH CLAY
Clay soils are both a blessing and a curse.
They hold nutrients and water well but take a
long time to warm up in spring, can bake dry
in summer and can be back-breaking to work!
But there are lots of plants that are happy
on clay, taking the rough with the smooth and
enjoying the rich living when it comes. It’s a
long list – alchemilla, asters, and astrantia
should do well, and so on down the alphabet.
But for a real eye-catcher, plant sweet gum,
Liquidambar styraciflua. With palmate
leaves and unrivalled autumn colour, it’s
a joy to behold! And for a hardworking
shrub in a prominent spot, it’s hard to beat
Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’. In winter,
it throws out masses of pink, scented flowers
that add life to a border, following up with
summer berries and bright autumn foliage.
Clay soil is sticky and
moulds into a ball
Bauer
Bauer
CHOOSING FOR CHALK
Chalky soils are common
in the UK, ranging from
heavy alkaline clays to the
incredibly light and friable
soils in parts of Kent and the
Sussex Downs, the latter
of which are free-draining,
prone to drought and are
often short of nutrients.
Fortunately, clematis love
alkaline soils. If your local
hedges are covered with old
man’s beard, take the hint
and go crazy for climbers!
Just make sure the roots
are shaded and that you
incorporate lots of organic
matter when planting.
The spindle tree
(Euonymus europaeas)
likes lime and can be
underplanted with bulbs or
pretty campanulas. Grasses
like sunny, well-drained
conditions – try beefy Stipa
gigantea, or miscanthus
and Festuca glauca varieties.
Chalky soils can be
shallow and stony
Spindle is a fan of
chalk and looks
beautiful in autumn
GAP
Alamy
Clematis grow really well
in chalky, alkaline soils
26 Garden News / May 27 2017

PLACING IN PEAT
Heathers naturally
do well in peat
Alamy
Lupins like
poor soil but
dislike chalk
GAP
Alamy
Ferns enjoy the
water retention
of peaty soil
Peaty soils are high
in organic matter
GAP
Peat is partially decomposed
moss, built up over a long
period of time. It’s fibrous,
high in organic matter and
retains water well, although
it tends to be acidic. Peat’s
naturally found in bogs,
often in upland areas and
in the north and west, and
it’s a relatively uncommon
garden soil type.
The best plants for peat are
those that thrive with lots of
juicy organic matter. Ferns
will throw out a symphony of
frolicsome fronds and other
woodlanders will also excel.
On a sunny site, heathers
like peaty uplands and thrive
in the garden. Meanwhile,
the low pH means other
ericaceous plants, such as
camellias and azaleas, will
thrive with spectacular style.
SITING IN SAND
Alamy
Sandy soils are superlight
and free draining,
but they’re usually poor.
The trick is to use plants
that have adapted to hot
or exposed areas and
thrive with a minimum
of watering or feeding.
These often have silvery
or fleshy leaves and
many Mediterranean
herbs and seaside-type
plants will do well.
Lavender is a classic,
with its elegant pink or
purple flowers borne
over ever-grey foliage.
Or try rosemary,
thyme, santolina or
sage. If it can survive
a sea-cliff, then thrift,
Armeria maritima,
will be a breeze in a
sandy garden! With
neat, evergreen
clumps topped with
perky, pink flowers
over a long season, it’s
undemanding and
perennially pretty.
Silvery-leaved santolina
has adapted to thrive with
minimum water
Seaside plant
thrift should
have no problem
coping with sand!
Sandy soils are
light, warm and dry
Bauer
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Continues over the page
May 27 2017 / Garden News 27
Alamy

CAROL KLEIN
This week
AT GLEBE
COTTAGE
‘Top of the list are
the epimediums.
It’s difficult to
understand why
this is such an
underused family’
Revel in
the shade
It offers a marvellous opportunity to grow some
of the most entrancing plants on the planet!
Epimedium
versicolor
‘Sulphureum’
Shade is often seen as
a major problem, and one
shared by most gardeners.
It may be cast by man-made
objects – buildings, walls or
fences, or by plants – hedges,
trees and shrubs. In urban
gardens it’s often a combination
of both – shade from house walls,
compounded by that cast by
trees. At ground level this may
result in large, shadowy areas
with dry, impoverished soil,
reason enough for most of us
to wring our hands and gnash
our teeth. But before anyone
throws in the horticultural
trowel, it’s worth looking at
how Mother Nature deals with
similar circumstances.
There are numerous plants
throughout the temperate world
that have evolved, along with the
trees, not only to cope with dry
shade but also to revel in it.
Top of the list are the
epimediums. It’s difficult to
understand why this should be
such an underused family, since
all are perfectly amenable to
shade and most are impervious
to dry conditions.
As winter progresses, the
leaves of hybrids, such as
Epimedium rubrum and
Epimedium versicolor, becomes
burnished and more and more
highly polished. In early spring
I have to steel myself to cut the
stems down to ground level.
30 Garden News / May 27 2017

Photos: Jonathan Buckley, unless stated
They’re still beautiful but if
they’re left alone, the new
flowers that are already formed
at their bases will have to fight
their way through and nail
scissors and large amounts of
patience will be needed to
extract the old leaves.
Flowers in April are swiftly
followed by new foliage and
the new leaves of epimediums
are a delight, so thin as to be
almost translucent with all
the tenderness and freshness
associated with the spring.
The flowers are exquisite,
many to a stem. Some, especially
the Asiatic species, have long
spurs, which gives them a sci-fi
look. They’re the grounddwelling
members of the
mahonia and berberis family.
Mahonia aquifolium is one of
the best taller ground-covering
plants for really dry shade,
pukka throughout the year with
lustrous, purple-tinted foliage in
the winter, spikes of cheery
yellow flowers, scented like
lily-of-the-valley and followed by
dark berries with a blue bloom
which taste like blackcurrants!
Another bomb-proof subject
for dry shade is the periwinkle,
vinca. V. major is big and buxom,
while V. minor slightly more
sedate. Both will extend stems,
taking root as they go and
clothing the ground, and neither
The predominant colour in the
garden at the moment is green,
and nowhere is that more the
case than in the lower part of the
garden, where raised beds full
of perennials lead down to our
gipsy caravan. There have been
snowdrops and daffodils and
some early peonies – they’ve
all disappeared now and apart
from sweet rocket beginning to
flower, it’s a green scene.
There’s one exception that’s
needs help. In the early part of
the year through until April their
dense stems are spangled with
soft blue flowers. Close to Glebe
Cottage, a north-facing bank,
5m (16ft 6in) high and 10m
(33ft) across, is smothered in
its luxuriant growth. These
evergreen, ground-covering
plants can be relied on to put
on a good show all year – even
in the most inauspicious
circumstances. Almost totally
self-reliant, they’re a dream
come true for city gardeners
with little time on their hands.
At the other end of the
summer, leaves begin to thin
out and another range of
woodlanders exploit additional
daylight. Many of these plants
cope brilliantly with the sort of
shade cast by buildings. One of
the best examples are the group
of Asiatic anemones, usually
known as Japanese anemones.
Their elegant, chalice-shaped
blooms, in shades of pink and
white, are prolifically produced.
Another Asiatic plant, moist
shade-loving Kirengeshoma
palmata, has drooping, softyellow
bells on tall stems. It’s
a class act and proves that far
from shady places presenting
insurmountable problems, they
offer a marvellous opportunity
to grow some of the most
entrancing plants on the planet.
What’s looking good now
Libertia grandiflora
Libertia grandiflora
gives interest
with flowers and
evergreen foliage
impossible to miss. Close to the tap at one end of the middle bed
is a huge plant of Libertia grandiflora that has just burst into bloom.
Belonging to Iridaceae, the iris family, this delightful New Zealander
makes an impressive clump of slender, strap-like leaves, dark green
and healthy and the perfect foil for the tall stems of white, threepetalled
flowers that throng the plant.
Libertia is evergreen and even deep in the winter makes a fine
specimen with its clump of shiny leaves. It’s easy to grow in almost
any situation and though it appreciates sunshine it can cope with
dappled shade. It needs reasonably fertile soil and good drainage.
Having said that, it thrives with proper watering in the summer.
My gardening Diary
Alamy
Pic Credit
Cercis siliquastrum has
glorious mid-pink blooms
Carol Klein
I’ve been removing
Spanish bluebells
before they self
seed everywhere!
MONDAY Although we’ve managed to plant out lots
of the primulas we grew from Barnhaven seed, there’s
still tray upon tray to be incorporated in various beds
and borders. All of them are going in on the west side
of the garden and though it’s sunnier there, perennials
will provide shade during summer and autumn.
TUESDAY While I’m away at the Chelsea Flower Show,
Neil has finished constructing our new compost heaps.
They’re now officially open for business, or at least they
will be as soon as the residual bindweed’s removed from
the soil they sit on. I’m glad I’m still away!
WEDNESDAY Orlaya grandiflora, sown to use its
creamy-white, lace-cap flowers for Alice’s wedding,
has peaked prematurely and is putting on a show in her
garden here instead. The timing of flowers, estimating
when they’ll reach their peak, is proving to be more
difficult than I’d imagined.
THURSDAY The frost damage at Glebe Cottage was
unusually severe, with fern fronds and other emerging
foliage shrivelling and blackened, though at the Malvern
Show it was plain it had been even more severe there.
My friend Veronica’s magnolias were decimated.
They’ll recover, but what havoc late frosts wreak!
FRIDAY To my horror, we discovered a few Spanish
bluebells on the shady side of the garden. There are lots of
native ones close by and bees spread pollen. Orf with their
heads! We need to dig out the bulbs and dispose of them.
SATURDAY I’m back from Chelsea, so an opportunity
to look at the garden and catch up with what has been
happening. At this time of year, it’s at full throttle.
Astonishing how fast plants grow in just a week.
There’ll be peonies, poppies and peas galore.
SUNDAY Our Cercis siliquastrum
is in full flower – smothered in
its vivid purple-pink flowers.
My mum grew it from a pod
she picked up from a pavement
in Portugal! Last year it was
looking rather poorly, but this
year it’s magnificent.
Subscribe for just £1 an issue. Go to www.greatmagazines.co.uk/gn

Gardening with the
EXPERTS
The world’s finest share their tips for success
Photos: Neil Lucas
Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’
suits container growing
Give ornamental
grasses a good home!
Pots and containers are a great way to grow
grasses and there are so many to choose from
Grasses work so well for busy
gardeners, simply because they’re
such an adaptable group of plants.
Growing plants in pots and containers has
always been popular, and luckily there are
a huge number of grasses that will grow
happily in pots for many years, with only
a few basic rules to ensure success.
Firstly, always choose the right grass for
the position the containers are in. For
example, if you’ve a shady balcony, choose
grasses such as luzula or hakonechloa,
that will cope easily with these conditions.
Secondly, and just as critical, use a pot that
can hold as much soil as is practical for its
position. The larger the volume of soil in
the container, then the better the grasses
will grow. It’s that simple.
Thirdly, use a properly balanced
growing media for best results. On the
nursery at Knoll, all our grasses are
grown in compost with long-term
fertiliser added so that we never have
to feed the plants.
Neil Lucas
Neil Lucas is the UK’s leading
ornamental grass specialist,
owner of Knoll Gardens,
author, RHS Council member
and judge, and holder of 10
consecutive Chelsea Gold
Medals. Known for his naturalistic style,
from his Dorset-based garden he spearheads
a charity dedicated to promoting his ‘more
wow, less work’ style.
The foliage of this Carex
testacea growing in a pot
nearly reaches the ground
Hakonechloa macra
‘Aureola’ is slow growing
– perfect for a pot
Possibly one of my favourites to grow in
a pot in sun or shade is Hakonechloa macra
‘Aureola’. The elongated and very refined
leaves make a most lovely mound of bright
foliage that lasts all season. While slow
growing initially, it lasts for many years
and becomes a firm friend.
Not all the larger grasses, such as
miscanthus, panicum and calamagrostis,
make ideal container plants, simply as they
can get too large for all but the biggest of
planters. However, Miscanthus
‘Morning Light’ has a rather distinctive,
vase-like shape that lends itself neatly
to being used in containers.
Some of my most successful
containers are of the ‘long tom’ style.
This is just a general term for a pot that’s
rather taller than it is wide. They’re great
for showing off foliage grasses such as
the evergreen Carex testacea.
This is a really lovely grass-like plant
(a sedge, in fact), that has evergreen
leaves in many shades of orangey-
46 Garden News / May 27 2017

The distinctive red
foliage of Imperata
cylindrica ‘Rubra’
Time to plant
out dahlias
Once you’re sure there’s no more chance
of frost, get your dahlias onto the plot
Put in cane
supports now
before the
plants go in
Make sure you choose
a large enough pot
brown, with a gently-drooping
habit, and is frequently used in
borders to great effect. When
planted in a long tom pot, however,
it takes the opportunity to display
an endearing trait that’s not
evident when planted at ground
level. The foliage gradually extends
downwards so that even in the tallest
of long toms (mine are around 1m/39in
tall), the drooping foliage will eventually
reach the ground.
Slow-growing grasses, such as
Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’, make
good pot subjects as they’ll live happily
in the same pots for several seasons.
Another good example of this is the
striking black mondo grass that has the
equally impressive botanical name of
Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’.
This will thrive happily for any number
of years in a pot, in sun or a fair amount
of shade, and has the blackest foliage
of just about any kind of plant.
Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubra’, the
Japanese blood grass, is another slow
growing but very effective grass that
does well in a pot for a good number
of years. In fact, in many gardens it
does rather better in a pot than it does
in the ground!
Lastly, but most definitely not least,
don’t forget to water grassy containers
in dry weather. While many grasses
have a deserved reputation for being
drought tolerant in the ground, the soil
in a pot can dry out completely and this
will harm the plants.
By the end of May, in most parts of the
country you should be safe to plant
your dahlias out into their flowering
positions. I always plant out after the last full
moon. Very often this is the last time Jack
Frost is likely to pay us a visit.
Here’s a small list of things you should
do before planting out:
● Make sure the ground has been dug over
and add any soil improver if needed.
● Remember, the best plants are those that
are soft in the stem and growing steadily. If
your cuttings have been in a 7.5cm (3in) pot
for the past two or three weeks then they’ll
need to be potted up into a 12cm (5in) pot for
their last few weeks before planting out. Use
compost with reasonable soil content.
● Move your plants outside a week before
planting to acclimatise them.
● Add a good base fertiliser to the planting
areas two or three weeks prior to planting. I’ll
Acclimatise
plants before
planting out
Dave Gillam
A grower for 25 years, in 2012
Dave won National Individual
Champion awards at each of
the English (Shepton Mallet),
Welsh and Scottish National
Dahlia Society competitions,
the first time this has ever been accomplished.
He’s very busy on YouTube, where you’ll find
dozens of videos on how to grow dahlias.
be using Fast Grow chicken manure and
seaweed plant pellets this year. I feel it’s a
great combination of all that plants love.
● Mark out the plant spacings with a 1.2m
(4ft) bamboo cane, which becomes the first
support when planted. This’ll give you a
chance to make sure you’ve enough plants
or if you need to source more.
● Apply slug pellets sparingly to and
around the planting areas to get rid of those
munchers, before your plants are planted.
Good, strong growth means this
dahlia is ready to be planted out
Photos David Gillam
Subscribe for just £1 an issue. Go to www.greatmagazines.co.uk/gn
May 27 2017 / Garden News 47

Readers’
gardens
now!
Over the
FENCE
Bright yellow marsh
marigolds in front,
with a healthy tree
peony at the back
The greenhouse in its
new home – it took a
bit of moving though!
Warmth is the reviver!
Joanna
Daniels
A family garden
in Astley Burf,
Worcestershire,
with recently
developed beds and borders.
We’ve been assessing
the damage in the
garden following
a week of biting northerly winds,
compounded by three successive
frosty nights – the last of which
saw plummeting temperatures.
It was interesting to see the
path the cold air took through
the garden, but disappointing to
find some of the new foliage on
acers, cercidiphyllum, cotinus,
buddleia, hydrangeas and even
hostas ruined by the frost.
Wisteria and
alliums shine
out in purple
I’d remembered to fleece
plants in the greenhouse
and dahlias in the garden,
which were just starting
into growth, but I’m cross
that I forgot all about the
new hydrangeas and
acers. It’s not all gloom,
though. We’ve now had
some gentle rain and
warmer temperatures,
and the garden’s coming
back to life – there’s still plenty to
enjoy and even more to do!
One of my favourite plants is
geranium ‘Mary Mottram’ It has
lovely white flowers and is
slowly spreading around the
garden. Viburnum plicatum also
has white flowers and, luckily,
only the tips of a few were
touched by frost.
Thankfully the Viburnum
plicatum was largely
untouched by frost
A major job I was dreading was
moving our small greenhouse.
We had planned to shift it (and
put it off) months ago. However,
I popped out briefly one morning
and returned to find the plants
on the drive and everything set
for the move! It had to be
shuffled about 90cm (3ft) to one
side, luckily across concrete! It
was lifted at each corner with a
crowbar, pieces of wood put
underneath and then gently
edged across, inch by inch.
It stayed in one piece, no glass
was broken and I’m pleased with
its new position.
To find out more about our
garden, visit www.talesfrom
acountrygarden.wordpress.com.
Photos: Joanna Daniels
Photos: Doreen and Billy Driscoll
Peach crop
is looking
promising
Tom
Pattinson
A garden full
of unusual
plants and a
big collection
of fruit and vegetables in
Alnwick, Northumberland.
Cold, soil-drying winds
have delayed some of the
early planting out, but this
is normal in the north! We’ve
managed to replant two raised
beds that run either side of the
Photos: Tom Pattinson
52 Garden News / May 27 2017

Busy getting
back on track
The well-tidied
Japanese
garden, with
bamboo kept
in check
Doreen &
Billy Driscoll
A large garden
in Newcastle
Emlyn, Wales,
with themed
areas and a vegetable patch.
All our veg
is starting
to grow now
It has been a long haul to get
back to good health! Six
months takes its toll on the
garden, so we’ve had to work
extra hard, especially on the
lawns. The grass was so tall you
could’ve made hay with it! The
blackberry brambles had taken
over one of the greenhouses. It
took me a day to cut my way in,
with Billy clearing behind!
Thankfully, the lawns are now
back to the right level
after three cuttings,
and a drop of rain has
greened them up
again. I’ve not got
around to weeding the
main garden yet as
I’ve concentrated on
the veg plot.
Carrots are sown
and coming up.
Garlic and onions are
in, as are potatoes,
peas, sugar snaps, broad beans,
French beans, red cabbage and
broccoli. Runner beans are ready
to plant out, as well as cell-raised
beetroot and parsnips. Leeks
are getting bigger and will soon
be big enough to plant out.
Rhubarb has been cropping
well and I’ve given lots away.
Fruit trees and bushes are
beginning to bloom, and even
the strawberries are in flower.
Thankfully, the cold, wintry
snap we had after a long warm
spell, hasn’t knocked them back.
I’ve been pricking out flower
seedlings and they’ll be ready to
plant out as I weed each border.
The Japanese garden has been
cleared and tidied and the fence
mended and repainted. The
bamboo has been dealt with as it
seems to have taken a long walk
from where it should be! It’s now
been put back in its place.
Delicate yellow
Welsh poppies
look a treat!
The pond and stream
have been cleaned and a new
electric cable had to be laid as
there seemed to be a fault
somewhere underground.
I’ve cleared the ‘music garden’,
and the pond border, so next I’ll
be working my way down the
garden, border by border.
We’ve a few weeks before the
first garden opening, which is
on June 10 and 11.
‘Redlove’ apple
blossom is
spectacular
driveway, after removing several
older shrubs that have outstayed
their welcome. The mixture of
herbaceous perennials and
dwarf shrubby plants are now in
place and are presently being
monitored for water until they’re
truly established.
We’re experiencing the usual
build-up of young, potted plants
(vegetable and ornamental) in
the greenhouse, as the
propagator continues to
turn out yet more. Some of
the large onions and a batch of
chrysanths have gone
into a sheltered spot outside
to create space, but it’s still
too cold and windy for
the majority.
We look set for a decent
‘Peregrine’ peach crop – they’re
golf ball-size already, and the
trees are looking full of fruit.
Despite the ‘rough winds of May’,
the apple blossom is stunning,
not least that of ‘Redlove’ in
deepest pink. The pear, plum
and assorted top fruits have all
flowered and the harvest
potential looks good.
The asparagus bed is cropping
beautifully, five years on from
planting three varieties as
one-year-old crowns. We’ve been
picking spears since mid-April,
and they’re tasty, but ‘Stewart’s
Purple’ is the most vigorous.
There’s lots of ornamental
colour outdoors. Groups of
tulips light up the borders, in
competition with bluebells,
some in white! Dwarf lilac, bridal
wreath, rosemary, viola,
saxifrage and doronicum add
to the show.
Seeds of our native wallflower,
mixed with mud and thrown
Left, blue and
white bells and,
right, a little
mouse plant
has popped up
into the joints of a drystone wall
a few years ago, formed plants
that keep flowering. And in quiet
corners lie little treats. A patch
recently created by Judy has
pink campion, cowslips and
sweet violets. Nearby, in a
mound of saxifrage, the flower of
a mouse plant (Arisarum
proboscideum) has popped up as
if to see what’s happening, and a
wren nesting in the wall ivy
offers entertainment from afar.
Subscribe for just £1 an issue. Go to www.greatmagazines.co.uk/gn
May 27 2017 / Garden News 53

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