STEP BY STEP FORMATIVE PRUNING

STEP BY STEP
FORMATIVE PRUNING

Garden tips from Head Gardener Dave Bouch

Raising a tree's crown encourages top growth and creates an attractive shape. So, here are our garden tips on formative pruning which is good to do in early spring, starting from March.

1 Start by removing lower branches with a handsaw.

2 To ensure a clean cut, it helps to undercut each branch first.

3 For higher branches, use an extendable pole saw - it's much safer than a ladder.

Top traditional techniques

Always make sure you cut hazel branches while in their dormant
phase (December or January is best). If cut too late, they’ll start
growing when put in the soil.

SWEET PEA SUPPORTS

Create attractive structures using just a few hazel branches and twigs.

2 Push the hazel branches into the ground, then tie them together at the top to create a wigwam shape.

3 Thread small hazel branches through the structure to create a 'climbing frame'. Select four previously cut hazel branches and smaller hazel twigs.

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Garden tips for September

Fall Garden Tips

The fall garden tips for the month of September, the most beautiful of all. In the fall garden, a final fling of colour, saturated and intense, is in stark contrast to the mellow parchment shades of surrounding meadows.The hard light of summer is replaced by soft warm rays, and the low sun pulls and rakes shadows across the garden.

September also brings the first frosts, caught in the layers of flowers and foliage, so fall garden tips are based on this too. The effect can be magical on any English garden.Without doubt September’s floral stars are the asters, and the brightest star in the firmament is A. x frikartii ‘Mönch’, a hybrid of A. thomsonii and A. amellus. Its single large lavender blue flowers provide up to three months of display, and it associates effortlessly with many of the month’s other blooming beauties. Of these, I wouldn’t be without Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’, its silky white petals surround golden stamens, which in turn surround a green knob. Equally hard to resist are the sedums - the butterflies and hoverflies think so too - from fleshy stems and leaves, wide flat heads made up of a myriad of tiny stars persist until felled in spring.

FALL LAWNWORK IN THE GARDEN 

With up to 160,000 pairs of feet treading on the tiny grass plants, it is only with intensive fall maintenance that the lawns not only survive, but thrive here at Bodnant. Even in domestic gardens,
however, lawns will look better with some attention now. The first garden tip is to rake out the
build up of dead grass (thatch) that lies in the sward and collect it up. Next of our garden tips, we need to improve surface aeration and drainage using a mechanical spiker; however, on a domestic
scale, a border fork will be just as effective. Creating these slots will enable air to get in,
relieving compaction and improving drainage.

Here is another very useful garden tip. Every two to three years we use hollow spikes to remove cores of soil, and then the holes are filled by brushing in a top dressing of 60% sand and 40% loam.

PLANTING BULBS IN THE MEADOW

We start our bulb-planting campaign this month. Narcissus start forming roots earlier than most bulbs and so should be planted no later than September, but it can be physically difficult making planting holes, particularly if the summer was hot and dry. A solution that I find preferable is to pot up the bulbs into 9cm pots and place them into an open coldframe covered with 7cm of chipped bark.
Here they can remain until early spring, when with ease they can be lifted from the pots and planted into the short grass. If the ground is workable then plant them directly into the ground, making holes with a trowel.

Hope these fall garden tips will help you to maintain your garden at the best!

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Garden Tips from English garden expert

Garden Tips from English garden expert

The ornamental garden plants are growing just as fast as the crops in the kitchen garden. In the Japanese garden, I am now ready to cut back the tips of the pine branches, as I am happy with the size and form they are now - this allows the trees to mature and not lose form. Elsewhere in the garden. Clematis

montana also needs a little controlling. Although it does not require pruning for flowers, we thin the plants and

feed and water each one. Doing this can reduce the chance of a top heavy mess that we so often associate

with these plants. We cut back akebia (the chocolate vine) at this time as it responds so well, especially if it

has been left for a few years. Now is also the time to tie in the new growth of all climbers.

More garden tips: Another group of plants that needs a feed now in order to put on the best show arc the agapanthus in pots, and the best feed for them is tomato feed. In the herbaceous borders, delphinuims and lupins need tying in to supports; and while you are in the borders, remove suckers from roses and lilacs.

Our secateurs are constantly at the ready, with the laurel hedges needing to be cut back and forsylhia and

spiraea appreciating a prune after flowering. Our garden tips on it: we don't cut back all of the plant, but cut back hard one in four of the mature stems by a third. Choisya benefits from a light prune after flowering as this promotes good growth and in some cases another flush of flowers.

If the soil in your English garden is moist, then I'd put great value in mulching beds and borders. Choosing the right time to apply a mulch is essential, as if the soil is dry and cold it will be of no benefit. The main reason for doing this is to control the weeds around perennials, fruit canes and brassicas. Over time, the mulch will break down thanks to help from the worms and micro-organisms. This will improve the soil, and a yearly application will show great improvement in plant growth. Here are another great garden tips: we also practice

another method of mulching by placing down black malting and planting pumpkins and squash through it.

The matting conserves moisture and prevent weeds, and also keeps the fruit clean. This is one way to

provide the best quality vegetables for the kitchen. The gardening tasks are quite varied this month,

but one of my most exciting tasks is to place new aquatic plants in the ponds. This is a good way to

add shade for the fish, and a great excuse for me to put on a pair of waders.

Anne Marie Owens from The English Garden

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Important Garden Tips

GARDEN TIPS FOR YOUR GARDEN AND LANDSCAPE

Here are some important garden tips to keep your garden beautiful and blooming. 

• Re-potting must be done once a year and the pot should not be bound by roots
• Keep the soil light and aerated and moist. To It, add manure, peal moss, bone meal, pieces of bricks.
• Pruning your plants keeps them in shape and encourages growth - another important garden tips. A few basic pruning cuts will help you rejuvenate and control the size of your shrubs and trees. For most plants, annual pruning should be done before monsoon to control the shape and size of the growth. Regular pruning throughout the growing season is done to harvest flowers, remove dead or diseased foliage or branches, and to create light penetration and airflow to the interior of the plant in order to increase bloom and overall plant health. Using these garden tips will keep your garden safe and healthy.
• Spray pesticides regularly
• If you don't have space outdoors, try indoor plants like Aglonema, Ferns, Diffenbachia.
• Always buy the right gardening tools - lawn mowers, good hoes, spades, rakes, pruners, and a sturdy wheelbarrow. Garden tools with steel blades are strong enough to last for years without bending. Stainless steel is even better, because it won't rust. Keep hand tools in a basket on the garage or pantry shelf so they are always easy to find. Nothing is more frustrating than seeing a branch in need of a quick trim but having to search all over the house and garage for a pair of pruning shears. If all your garden tools are kept together -- and returned to their proper basket after each use. Using these simple garden tips will keep you well organized in your garden.
•  Most plants thrive in some degree of bright sun exposure. While the intensity of light required by outdoor plants varies, with the exception of shade-loving plants like tropical or woodland plants, all other plants require light for photosynthesis and bloom.
• Soil condition is also a key factor that varies for different types of plants. All plants need moisture to grow, even if you are growing a succulent garden with plants adapted to the arid desert.

Following these garden tips will help you to create your dream English garden!

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Garden tips on HOW TO PLANT IN STOCK BEDS

HOW TO PLANT IN STOCK BEDS

Garden tips with pictures

BAREROOT PLANTING

Buying bareroot plants is the cheapest option. While final planting positions are being prepared or decided upon, plants are heeled into a stock bed.

Bareroot plants are only available from autumn through to spring and can be planted at any time when the

ground is not frozen. Having not been restricted by a pot, they tend to put on growth much faster than pot grown trees and shrubs.

Garden tips on HOW TO PLANT IN STOCK BEDS

IF PLANTING IN THEIR FINAL POSITION, make sure you place the plants at the correct distance apart. Mark out lines using sand.

WHEN PLANTING IN A STOCK BED it is quicker to dig out a trench rather than individual holes. Check it is deep enough to cover all the roots.

Garden tips on HOW TO PLANT IN STOCK BEDS. Bare-root plants

TREES AND SHRUBS can be planted in bundles if you intend to plant in their final positions in the same

season - any longer and you may damage roots.

BACKFILL WITH SOIL, ensuring that all roots are covered and the plant is no deeper than the soil

mark that is often on the trunk or stem.

AS PLANTS DON’T HAVE THE SUPPORT of a tree stake, at this point they need to be heeled in firmly

to prevent too much movement.

ONCE BAREROOT PLANTS HAVE BEEN PLANTED, either in bundles or in lines, water. You should not need to water much after this.

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Garden tips on coleus plants

Coleus plants and garden tips

Coleus plants are out to conquer the world... or so it seems, considering the groundswell of new varieties and their growing fan base. Check out our garden tips for coleus plants. Once limited to sun-averse varieties, this genus of tropical plants now offers coleus plants hybrids that flourish in both sun and shade. Talk about broadening your horizons.

Coleus plants varieties

Who would have thought an annual with such little flower power could be so colorful? Green, orange, and red are just a few of the vibrant leaf hues on the coleus color wheel. Choose coleus plants among varieties in one dominant shade, such as purple 'Merlot' and bronze ColorBlaze 'Sedona'. There are multicolor types, too—for example, 'Kiwi Fern'and 'Inky Fingers'display contrasting edges; Electric Lime and 'Gays Delight' have boldly colored veins; and 'Mint Mocha' sports splotches. Leaves can be big or small, smooth or ruffled, and delicately serrated or deeply lobed. Some varieties, such as the 3- to 4-foot-tall Big Red Judy, belong in the back of a border; trailing types such as 'Chocolate Drop' are suited to hanging baskets.

Carry over your favorites coleus plants varieties from year to year, and add a few new varieties each spring, too. Before long, coleuses may just take over your world.

Coleus know-how

SHOPPING

Look for myriad coleus varieties at garden centers in spring—buy only stocky, well-branched plants. Check the plant tag for each cultivar's sun tolerance, height, and spacing requirements. For containers, purchase an all-purpose potting soil.

PLANTING

Coleus needs fertile, well-drained soil for optimal growth. Before planting, loosen garden soil with a spading fork and mix in a gene amount of compost. If planting in spring, wait until all danger of frost has passed.

GROWING

Water as necessary to keep soil moist but not soggy. Containers may need to be watered daily, in the garden, mulch plants to conserve soil moisture and shade out weeds. Feed every two weeks with a balanced fertilizer.

Garden tips for coleus plants

Coleus care

These garden workhorses reed little reining. With just a bit of encouragement, plants fill colorful roles in

and out of the garden.

A PINCH TO GROW ON

Many gardeners remove flowers to keep the focus on foliage and encourage bushier plant

growth.

GREAT COMPANIONS

Coleuses are versatile plant partners. The red- and yellow-flecked foliage of 'Mint Mocha' mirrors the

hues in Rudbeckia Denver Daisy and dwarf purple fountain grass (Penniseturn setaceum). 

INDOOR DECOR

Before first frost, bring potted coleuses, such as 'Black Dragon' indoors to grow as houseplants. Set plants

near a bright east- or west- facing window.

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4 Bright Spring Garden Plans

Bright Spring Garden Plan

Yellow daffodils, red tulips, purple grape hyacinths, and white hyacinths spring garden plan bring to this rock garden new life!

Bright Spring Garden Plan

PLANT LIST

A. 5 Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis): Zones 4–8
B. 50 Grape hyacinth (10 groups of 5 each) (Muscari armeniacum): Zones 3–8
C. 70 Daffodil (14 groups of 5 each) (Narcissus ‘King Alfred’): Zones 3–10
D. 40 Darwin hybrid tulip (8 groups of 5 each) (Tulipa ‘Red Apeldoorn’): Zones 4–8

Spring Garden Plan #2

1. Forsythia ovata.
2. Corydalis bracteata.
3. Narcissus х hybridus 'Goblet'.
4. Corydalis solida.

Spring Garden Plan #3

Spring Garden Plan

1. Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire'.
2. Pinus mugo 'Hesse1.
3. Narcissus x hybridus 'Goblet'.
4. Corydalis buschii.
5. Muscari armeniacum.

Spring Garden Plan #4

Spring Garden Plan #3

1.   Forsythia ovata.
2.   Picea abics 'Nidiformis'.
3.   Corydalis bracteata.
4.    Corydalis ambigua.
5.   Narcissus х hybridus 'Goblet'.
6.   Vaccinium vitis-idaea.

Read more:http://myenglishgarden.ucoz.ru/publ/vesennie_cvety_i_vesennij_cvetnik/7-1-0-44

Tips for Installing Your Garden

Before You Begin

Preparation is the key to creating a garden that will offer a lifetime of pleasure. Before you head to the

nursery, review all garden plan materials. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I have a suitable spot for this plan? The layout diagram shows the dimensions for

the plan. In general, you can enlarge or reduce the size of the garden by adding or eliminating plants,

although the character of the garden may change if you alter the size dramatically.

• Do I have the right growing conditions? Check the plant list to see if the plan will do

best in sun, part shade, or full shade. Be sure the plants are suited to your USDA Zone.

• Do I need to amend my soil? Most plants thrive in moist but well-drained soil. If you have soil

with lots of sand or clay, amend it liberally with lots of organic matter, such as compost.

• Is my soil’s pH and fertility okay? If you’re unsure, inquire about testing at your county’s

extension service office. Follow the recommendations that come with your test results if you need to

correct the soil’s pH (how acid or alkaline the soil is) or fertility.

Edging

Beds and borders are easier to maintain if they’re edged to keep surrounding grass or weeds from

growing in. Choose plastic, metal, stone, or brick—whatever you prefer. If you have lawn around your bed,

consider adding a 6- to 12 inch-wide swath of masonry or stone set even with the surrounding soil to act as a mowing strip.

Mulching

Mulch your garden after planting. Mulch conserves moisture, cools the soil, and protects against water runoff

and erosion. Organic mulches such as shredded bark need to be topped off every couple of years as the mulch decays. Mulches such as crushed stone are more permanent, but they do not improve your soil over time.

Aftercare

The first season of growth is the most critical. Water thoroughly every other day for the first two weeks, then give your garden about an inch of water a week for the rest of the season. The following year, you can let nature take its course, supplementing dry periods with deep watering.

You also should be diligent about weeding your bed during the first year. As the plants mature and fill in, there will be fewer opportunities for weeds to grow. A thick layer of mulch will also help keep weeds in check.

Ongoing Maintenance

Most plants will thrive with minimal care. If you need to prune trees or shrubs to maintain their shape or

size, do it in late winter before growth has started. The exception to this general rule is spring-flowering shrubs like lilacs that should be pruned immediately after flowering.

Spring Garden Plan. Create the Bed

To lay out your bed, use a garden hose to mark the outline. (Sprinkle flour along the hose for a temporary

mark.). Using a sharp spade, dig along the marked line to set the edge of your bed.

If the spot is currently covered by lawn, remove the sod using a straight-edged shovel or sod cutter. To make this easier, wet the area thoroughly, then use the shovel to cut the lawn into strips that are the width of the shovel and about 3 feet long. (Sharpen the edge of your shovel frequently with a file.) Use the shovel to pry up and roll back the strips of sod. Once the sod is removed, loosen the underlying soil with a shovel or a

power tiller.

Regardless of how you prepare your bed, use this opportunity to mix in organic matter (such as compost,

peat moss, or rotted manure) and loosen the soil at least 6 inches deep. Don’t mix in fertilizer unless your

soil test shows a need; in general, excessive amounts of fertilizer will do more harm than good.

After your bed is prepared, water it thoroughly and wait a week. This will allow weed seeds to germinate. Pull these seedlings or dig them back into the soil. Or spray them with an herbicide. Follow the instructions on the packaging, including the time to wait after application before planting.

Spring Garden Plan & Planting

If you have all of your plants on hand, keep them in their pots and set them out on the planting bed. This will

give you a preview of how the bed will look, and allow you to make adjustments before digging any holes.

When you are satisfied with the placement, plant your garden from largest to smallest container (usually

trees first, then shrubs, perennials, and annuals).

• Tree-Planting Gardening Tips: Dig a hole that’s twice as wide as the pot or root ball but no deeper. If the

tree is potted, loosen the soil slightly around the roots, then place the tree into the planting hole. For

balled-and-burlapped trees, loosen the burlap after the tree is in the hole. Cut away as much of the

burlap as possible. When the tree is in place and straight, fill the hole one-third with soil, tap firmly to

make good contact between roots and soil, then water. Repeat twice more until the hole is filled. Water

the tree thoroughly by letting a hose run slowly for 30 minutes.

• Shrub-Planting Gardenin Tips. Plant shrubs in a hole that’s about twice the diameter of the root ball. The

top of the root ball should be slightly above the surrounding soil level. Backfill with garden soil, taping

firmly to ensure contact between soil and roots. Water immediately by slowly running a hose at the

shrub’s base for about 20 minutes.

• Perennial- and Annual-Planting Gardeing Tips. Set these plants in soil at the same level they were

growing in the pot. Firm the soil around each plant with your hands, then water thoroughly.

Source: http://www.bhg.com

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3 Of the best easy annuals. Garden tips

Garden Tips

3 Of the best easy annuals

SWEET PEAS

garden tips

Create a gorgeous fragrance with pretty sweet peas in a variety of colours. You can plant them directly into the soil during March or April for blooms in July. They'll need support as they grow but they will reward you with cut flowers all summer.

garden tips

GIANT SUNFLOWERS

Tall and showy, sunflowers are easy to grow from seed. Get your children to have a go, perhaps even have a
competition to see whose is the tallest. Once the flowers have died, the seedhead will attract birds to your garden.

garden tips

ANTIRRHINUMS

These are better known as snapdragons and loved by children who like to squeeze the sides to open the dragon's mouth. Rich in nectar, they're so are popular with bees and butterflies, too. They also make excellent cut and come again flowers.

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Sweet Peas Expert Garden Tips

Garden Tips To Grow Sweet Peas

Continuing our series profiling horticultural devotees whose gardens and lives are shaped by their love of one species of plants or planting stylc, we meet Caroline Ball, who cultivates an array of stunning sweet peas in her fragrant Oxfordshire garden

Sweet Peas Expert Garden Tips

PICK OF THE SWEET PEAS

Sweet Peas 'Black Knight'

Spencers that grow well together:

• 'Gwendoline' Scented pink variety with an Award of Garden Merit (AGM)
• 'Anniversary' Highly scented white with a pink picotee edge
• 'Windsor" Lightly scented maroon Old-fashioned varieties:
• 'Cupani' A highly scented maroon and violet bicolour that is the closest to the 'original' sweet pea
• 'Dorothy Eckford' Pure white and highly scented, with an AGM
• 'Unique' A blue flake on white that smells and looks wonderful

Species/other varieties:
• 'Pink Cupid' Highly scented compact pink and white bicolour with an AGM
• Lathyrus belinensis Annual climber with small yellow and orange flowers
• Lathyrus vernus Spring-flowering, low-growing hardy perennial. Common form has tiny purple flowers; pink and white form 'Alboroseus' is equally lovely

Sweet Peas expert

Caroline sits on the committee of the National Sweet Pea Society (NSPS) and has been editing its Annual since 2003. A self-taught gardener and keen exhibitor of sweet peas, she is fascinated by this delicate plant's history and possesses a growing collection of books on the subject as well as memorabilia.

Sweet Peas Expert Garden Tips

Have you always gardened?

Yes, since I was a girl, although I had no idea what 1 was doing. It was my mother who introduced me to gardening - she loved flowers and sweet peas, in particular, although she mainly grew the everlasting type. My sister and I each had our own patches to look after. I just dug flowers up from elsewhere in the garden and replanted them in my plot, especially if they were pretty. My sister was more adventurous and grew her plants from seed, but I had lots of success propagating primroses, which I still enjoy doing. The first plants
I grew from seed were small purple violas.

How do you grow sweet peas in your garden?

We recently bought a new garden with a house attached! This means I am currently experimenting with what to grow where: the space already has well -established structure that we really like, but it needs some TLC as it hasn't been tended properly for a while - so it is very much a work in progress. I have a separate area for my cordons and my rows of old-fashioneds, making a colourful path along the drive and between apple trees. I grow as many, if not more, elsewhere in the garden. We inherited established everlasting sweet

peas, growing as hedging and over two archways. I'm planning to turn one of the these into a walkway combining the sweet peas with clematis for earlier in the season.

That archway also has honeysuckle, which works well with the sweet peas; I prune it to keep it in check and maximise the flowers. We have a long mixed bed next to an old wall where I grow old-fashioned sweet peas up obelisks as focal points and to add colour pockets for at least three months of the year. We also inherited a huge formal pond that features white lilies and has lots of wildlife. To continue the formal look, I added four obelisks at the corners with more old-fashioned sweet peas climbing up them for height and to echo themes elsewhere in the English garden.

Which are the qualities of sweet peas that particularly appeal to you?

The scent of the flowers is the main draw for me, although I love the fact that many of them are useful climbers in the garden. I'm also ittracted by their very large range of colours and forms.

There seem to be several types of sweet pea - can you explain the differences?

Lathyrus odoratus is the botanical name of the annual sweet pea. There are many small-flowered old-fashioned sweet peas varieties, the oldest of which is the intensely perfumed 'Cupani' from 1699. In the early 20th century, larger, frillier and equally fragrant flowers were found growing at Althorp, home of the Spencer family, so were named 'Spencers'. There are also species Lathyrus, many of which are garden-worthy,
including the perennial Lathyrus latifolius, the so-called everlasting sweet pea.

Sweet Peas 'High Scent'

Do you recommend growing everlasting sweet peas and, if so, which varieties?

Yes I would, although sadly they do lack the fragrance of the annual sweet pea. They are very easy to grow and need little attention once established. The most beautiful is a white variety called 'White Pearl' and also
'Apple Blossom', which is a pretty pale pink. They are both less vigorous than the dark magenta form, which I also love and grow.

How do you prepare the ground for annual sweet peas?

I don't create a trench, but I do double dig, incorporating plenty of well-rotted manure. I maintain that you get out what you put in.

Do you grow them as cordons or tepees?

I grow Spencers as cordons, supported on wires along rows of bamboo canes. I only ever grow the old-fashioned varieties 'on the bush'. Aesthetically, I prefer metal obelisks to bamboo tepees but, when well
grown, sweet peas will cover any support.

Would you advise removing the tendrils and side shoots?

For quality and straight stems I remove both on cordons. For bush-grown sweet peas, I would take off most of the tendrils if I want straight stems, but this does mean that plants must be tied to their supports. When I am flower arranging rather than exhibiting, I like to leave some tendrils on because they add interest to the display. I also remove side shoots if bush-grown plants arc getting too big for their supports.

Can you grow sweet peas in pots?

Low-growing varieties, including the 'Cupid' range, are perfect for pots and old-fashioned varieties work well in large containers. I find they do best if I use a good multi-purpose compost and add slow-release fertiliser and water-retaining granules for reliable results.

When do you recommend sowing sweet pea seeds?

It depends where you live - autumn in the north of the UK, and January or February in the south. If you don't have the right conditions to overwinter the plants you can still grow them well from an April sowing - they will just flower a bit later.

Do you pinch out the growing tips on young plants?

Yes, always - it gives you a choice of leaders with cordons, and it will make bush-grown plants become fuller.

What is the best way to ensure that sweet peas keep flowering?

Pick, pick and pick again - give them away if necessary, but don't allow them to set seed - and keep watering them regularly for the best results.

Do you give plants a liquid feed?

Yes, in order to maintain flower quality, but well-prepared fertile soil is the main source of nutrients. I also liquid feed cordons as they start to take off.

Which pests and diseases affect them?

Watch out for greenfly - strong plants will have some resistance but 1 would advise using a regular soapy solution spray to keep them at bay. Pollen beetle can be a serious problem if you are breeding sweet peas, but not otherwise.

What, in your view, is the secret to growing sweet peas successfully?

I would always recommend getting named varieties from a specialist supplier, even if you only want a mixed bunch. If you are buying Spencers, make sure they are modern, named varieties. The RHS website rhs.org.uk lists varieties which have an Award of Gardening Merit (AGM) or exhibition awards and the NSPS website swcetpcas.org.uk lists suppliers.

WORDS BY STEPHANIE DONALDSON I PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICHARD BLOOM

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Snowdrops in the English garden

Snowdrops in the English garden

You may not be a dedicated galanthophile, but you can still join them in appreciation of snowdrops stunning and very hardy little beauties in the English garden

Snowdrops pierce the frozen earth religiously each winter bringing us the promise of spring. This small bulbous plant is determinedly hardy long-lived and resistant to disease. Refusing to be spoiled by Britain's frequently bad winter weather it is both prolific and deservedly popular in the English gardens.

Snowdrops appearance is anticipated but not its diversity. There are around 20 species snowdrops native to Europe, Asia Minor and the Near East, which thrive in deciduous woodland in mountainous situations. Here, in the English gardens, they are able to withstand the cold in winter and are protected from higher
temperatures in summer.

The late 19th and early 20th centuries witnessed the introduction of many of these species into Britain which has resulted in numerous cultivars and clones.

Snowdrop species Galanthus ekvesiiy G, reginae-olgaey G. pUcatusi, G. gracilis and G. woronowii, among
other joined our widespread resident snowdrop Galanthus nivalis, or common snowdrop, which dates back to the 16th century.

G. nivalis is almost single-handedly responsible for the drifts of single or double snowdrops (G. nivalis f. pleniflorus cHore Pleno') that have naturalised England's deciduous woodland glades and gardens.

G. nivalis is characterised by a small green inverted 'u' or 'v' marking on the tip of the inner petal. It is best in numbers and can be relied upon to naturalise,  increasing by off-setting bulbils or by slowly setting seed. The finest example of a G. nivalis woodland is at Welford Park in Gloucestershire where drifts of dazzling snowdrops blooms stretch out beneath a canopy of brassy beech.

Today, there are more than 500 named snowdrop cultivars, many of British provenance, that have been discovered in the English gardens of galanthophile snowdrop collectors, where this promiscuous plant has made merry with other collected snowdrop specimens.

Interestingly and almost uniquely, through the passion of collectors the snowdrop has promoted itself,
producing exciting new introductions nature's way, rather than through determined breeding programs. This
affords us with snowdrops for every situation from select individual collections to mass plantings of
naturalised snowdrops drifts.

SNOWDROPS SIZE & SCENT

Mature snowdrops vary in size, but the elwesii varieties seem to produce larger flowers on longer stems.
Ursula Cholmeley of Easton Walled Gardens in Grantham favours G. elwesii var. elwesiitFred's Giant',
described as: 'An enormous (for a snowdrop) and robust bulb with glaucous foliage, which flowers early
and has beautiful big flowers with variable inner green markings'.

G. elwesii showers Colesbourne Park with prolific large blooms, with an inherent vigorous propensity to
naturalise. It's named for Henry John Elwes who discovered this species on a trip to Turkey in 1874. Recently Carolyn Elwes has developed his original snowdrop collection on the English gardenestate, finding many new varieties.

Other notable giants include G. plicatus 'Colossus', a vigorous early flowering Colesbourne find (G. 'Colesborne' is named after the now famous snowdrop garden); and G. 'Atkinsii', with pearl-drop-earring-like blooms, prolific in the Painswick Rococo English Gardens. G. 'S.Arnott' is a classic snowdrop, not
strictly large, but substantial and recognised as a 'first-class English garden plant' by expert John Grimshaw.



At the other end of the scale are green-tipped G. nivalis 'Elfin', a mere 7.5cm tall and G. nivalis 'Tiny', both miniature by comparison.

SNOWDROPS BOLD MARKINGS

Snowdrops are botanically differentiated by their foliage type, which can be categorised simply as flat, plicate and convolute but their unique markings are their most exciting distinguishing factors. Noteworthy are those that exude personality and character.

The inner markings of single G. elwesii 'Grumpy' portrays just such a face, while double G. 'Richard Ayres' wears the mask of a moustachioed gentleman and can be found in tall clumps at Anglesey Abbey English Gardens, where it was discovered in 1987.

Popular are snowdrops with less defined but larger green markings. G. x hybridus 'Merlin' has unbroken
solid green inner segments and 'dumpy' rounded or globular outer petals held on a long straight stem.

G. elwesii 'Mary Biddulph' has a pale lime wash covering most of the outer petals, and a bolder verdant staining on the inners. This eponymous gem was discovered by Margaret Biddulph's grandson Simon at Rodmarton Manor, in the English gardens this lady created there.

'Green Tear' has similar, but more refined markings, and G. plicatus 'Greenfinch' and 'South Hayes' also
have notable marked flowers.

With so much detail and variety on offer within this genus, it is no wonder that people dedicate their
lives to growing snowdrops in their English gardens.

GARDEN CULTIVATION TIPS

• For best results buy and plant snowdrops 'In the green' just after the flower has faded but before the leaves die back.
• If purchasing a rarer specimen, buy in flower to guarantee its identity.
• 'Site snowdrops where there is plenty of light early in the season, but is protected from baking sun in high summer,'says Ursula Cholmeley of Easton Walled Gardens. The best place for snowdrops is under deciduous trees. Where they are naturalised, they seem to appreciate a free-draining soil.'Add sharp sand
or grit prior to planting on clay to improve drainage.
• 'It helps if the sun can reach the soil surface when the ground is frosted,' says Simon Biddulph of Rodmarton Manor. 'Plant somewhere where they will not be trodden on in summer.'
• When planting a collection, labelling is vital,' Simon also advises her garden tips on grow snowdrops.

GARDEN TIPS FOR BULBS IN SITU

Expert Ursula Choimeley gives her garden tips:

• You can lift resident bulbs any time, provided they are replanted immediately. The key is not to let them dry out. The best time to do this is as the foliage dies back, up until the roots start to grow again in autumn.
• Old clumps of snowdrops may become so congested that you see bulbs lying around on the surface,'evicted' from the clump. You need to dig the whole lot up, split the bulbs and replant.




PHOTOGRAPHS CLIVE NICHOLS I WORDS JACKY HOBBS

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Grow vegetables

Grow vegetables in your English garden

Grow vegetables is a hobby that satisfies both the current mood of frugality and the desire to know the
provenance of the food on your plate. In a time where we question 'food miles', nothing has less distance to travel to the kitchen than vegetables grown in the garden. One can also be sure that the accompaniments to the family dinner are completely organic. Starting grow a vegetable patch can be as simple as growing a few favourite salad leaves and herbs, to creating a fully-functional kitchen garden that serves up seasonal delights all year round.

GROW VEGETABLES & REAP WHAT YOU SOW

Garden size will naturally dictate the amount of vegetables that can be grown. Vegetables can be grown in containers or even amongst flowers in borders if you can't afford to sacrifice a plot for a dedicated vegetable patch. When planning a plot it is best to work backwards; first decide on the vegetables you want to grow, then map out the space. Vegetables fall into several broad crops: roots, vegetable fruits (tomatoes, cucumbers etc), the onion family, legumes and brassicas, plus salad leaves, herbs and of course soft fruits, which are a delicious bounty to consider planting for vibrant summer puddings. Although it is sensible to utilise the plot effectively, to avoid a dormant patch with nothing growing or ready to harvest or sow, it is important to grow vegetables that you will actually eat.

Grow-your-own advocate Sarah Raven recommends that beginners opt for quick growing and high-yield crops so that, "you can harvest on Monday for supper and, by the following Monday, they will have grown back with more for you to eat." She recommends avoiding main crop potatoes, parsnips and Brussels sprouts. "These are the crops of the devoted, almost full-time vegetable grower with lots of space," because of the length of time they spend in the ground only to then produce a short-lived harvest.

Gardening expert Pippa Greenwood suggests some of the easier vegetables to begin with are French and runner beans, tomatoes, courgettes and squash, as well as some early potatoes and carrots. Foi salad lovers, Pippa advises her garden tips on grow vegetables by successional sowing of lettuce, which will generate a steady supply of favourite leaves.

SETTING THE GROW VEGETABLES PLOT

Before planting can commence, however, a patch needs to be created. Don't be put off if space is
limited. Allocating the largest space you can will yield a rich variety of produce, but Raven cautions to be realistic about the amount of time you can dedicate to it. "You will need a couple of hours a week between May and August, the busiest months, to keep a 10ft by 13ft patch sown, planted up and looking pristine," she explains.

Vegetables benefit from a crop rotation system so the same plants aren't grown in the same bed each
year. This prevents build up of diseases and pests. Raven recommends dividing the plot into quadrants
with a cross of paths, thus creating a clear section for roots, legumes and brassicas and one for a mixture of
other crops. This vegetable garden design also makes it easy to harvest the produce and, if space allows, more permanent pathways can be made to protect the soil. A central tepee for fragrant sweet peas will add colour and allows for glorious fresh cut flowers.

Other flowers and herbs can be planted into the edges, which will both prettify and act as helpful companion plants that either attract welcome insects or deter pests. Marigolds emit an odour that will repel blackfly and
greenfly from your tomatoes for example, and nasturtiums will attract caterpillars, keeping them away from cabbages.

A good location for a vegetable patch is one that enjoys plenty of sunshine but also has shelter from strong winds. Bear in mind any deciduous trees as their leaves may cast a large shadow come summer. For the most successful vegetables around eight hours of sunlight a day are needed.

GROW OF PLENTY VEGETABLES

Locating a patch close to the house so that it can be enjoed visually will also ensure that it is not too much of an effort to get to when a few extra salad leaves are needed. When planning the location of the patch, other considerations to bear in mind include accessibility with a wheel barrow and reasonably level ground.

SOIL FOR GROWING VEGETABLES

In terms of preparing the soil you will need to determine what soil type you have. Light, free-draining soil warms up quickly in the spring, so is ideal for early crops, but moisture and nutrients are quickly lost. Adding some fertiliser and well-rotted organic matter can remedy this. Heavy clay soils are usually very fertile and retain water well, which is good for leafy crops. The ground can, however, be difficult to work, becoming waterlogged and sticky after heavy rainfall and dry and cracked during a drought. Sand, grit and organic matter can help improve the soil structure. Look out for varieties of vegetables that suit the soil type in order for them to flourish. A local garden centre can advise on treatments to improve soil condition and pH Level,
and the appropriate vegetables to grow, if needed.

TAKING ROOT

Once the beds for grow vegetables are prepared, with soil rich in nutritious organic matter, it is time to get planting. Some seeds can be sown directly into the ground, such as beetroots, carrots and peas. These vegetables can be sown in early spring before the last frost, but beans, corn and squashes should be direct sown after the last frost when the soil is a little warmer.

Successional sowing and planting of winter vegetables, such as leeks, spinach and shallots in late summer
will ensure a year-round bounty. A greenhouse does have the benefits of extending the planting season into cooler months and alleviates problems from some pests. Some vegetables benefit from being grown indoors at first but if there is no greenhouse, garden-ready plants can be bought from a local nursery or even by mail order. Pippa Greenwood gives her garden tips to grow vegetables by starting with this method and growing some simpler seeds on windowsills, "while you save for the biggest greenhouse you can fit into your garden." This will allow greater scope in the future to grow more varieties, as well as exotic or trickier vegetables, as your confidence grows together with your vegetables.

Grow vegetables in containers

Grow a pretty display of vegetables in assorted pots and containers, if space is at a premium

If the allure of delicious home-grown vegetables has created a desire to get a little green-fingered, but space and time are lacking, vegetables can be grown on a patio in containers, hanging baskets or even in bags. Tomatoes and cucumbers benefit from this type of growing as it prevents contact with disease-infected soil.

A display of vegetables growing can be just as ornamental as blossoming flowers, with the extra benefit of adding flavour and colour to dinner time. More success is achieved with larger containers as they allow for greater rooting depth. Containers should be filled with a good potting compost and not garden soil, and need to be watered regularly, keeping the compost moist but not waterlogged. It is best to opt for rapidly-maturing crops to grow in pots, such as miniature beetroot and carrot, lettuces, salad onions and radishes. 

Grow varieties of bush or climbing vegetables are also attractive and practical. Early potatoes grow happily in a simple bag — look out for lovely jute varieties. Tomatoes will benefit from a growing bag and there are specialist containers that hide away the plastic bag for a more appealing look.

FEATURE KATY GREEN PHOTOGRAPHS MARIANNE MAGER, USIYVETTER KUTTER

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Garden tips on microgreens

Garden tips to grow mircogreens

If you lack outdoor space but hanker for a home harvest, this garden tips on how to grow microgreens might just be the project for you. Ditto if you're prone to sowing untold sachets of seeds but forgetting to plant them out.

Microgreens, aka densely planted edible seedlings, are favoured by chi-chi chefs the world over for their bijou good looks and sharp punctuations of flavours. Hot-off-the-Bunsen burner research from the

University of Maryland in the US suggests that at least some of them are veritable superfoods too. So what's not to like?

When I was investigating exactly how many microgreens I could grow for $20 I was lucky enough to meet Auckland-based microgreens guru and author of the excellent How to Grow Microgreens: Nature's Own Superfood, Fionna Hill. It's safe to say few people know as much about microgreens as Fionna, nor are as

genuinely enthusiastic: "I've always got some on the go," she says. "It's two years since I did the book, but I still just love them." Fionna's not alone in her affection for them - her book has been published in five languages and we've got three copies to be won.

Grden tips on what kind of microgreens to grow? The obvious  microgreens choices might be salad-y sorts of things but just about anything with edible leaves can be grown and used this way. My pick for

affordability and trouble-free growth are brassicas - cultivar irrespective. In optimum conditions almost all

germinate overnight, ready for picking in less than a week. But that's me. You'll have your own faves depending on personal taste, time of year and budget.

Garden tips on budget for grow microgreens

Speaking of budget, regular seed packs arc not the best pick for microgreens. You'd need several packets for a modest- sized planting and costs would spiral. I sourced most of the seed I used from bulk-bins (although be aware that seed intended for human consumption is often heat treated, see over) or collected

it in my garden. The only other cost was $7 on a 5L bag of seed-raising mix. Although I blew most of my budget on seeds, I only planted a third of them.

There are only so many microgreens you can eat before the remainder graduate onto 'macrogreens' and,

eventually, 'desperately-pot-bound-and- no-longer-very-green-greens' status.

Heat treatment garden tips on grow microgreens

Depending on country of origin, many seeds (particularly pulses and legumes) intended for consumption are heat treated as part of the entry requirements to New Zealand. This destroys any stowaway pest and plant

pathogens but it also kills the seeds outright and, according to some, alters nutritional value too. Not so good. Non-heat treated seeds are usually labelled as such, if they're not marked non-heat treated, best assume they won't germinate. If you don't feel like gambling on bulk bins - and who could blame you - Kings Seeds supply plumply full packs of microgreen seed blends.

Synchronisation

Before you get too carried away sowing great trays full of microgreens seeds you'll need to check up on the germination times for each variety, if you plant slow-starters like celery together with speed-racers like radish, the latter will have a good head start on the former and hopelessly crowd them out. The same garden tips applies to microgreens seed size - very large seeds like those of peas produce bigger seedlings than rocket, and although they both germinate within a day the beans will start off bigger than the rocket and will

continue to build on that lead.

Starting off to grow microgreens

The best growing medium for microgreens is seed-raising mix (it's what I used), but this is not necessarily the cheapest. Fionna Hill says she often uses regular potting mix: "just look for one that isn't too coarse. The

nutrient level isn't very important because as microgreens the plants mostly rely on the food within the seed".

Seeds for microgreens should be sown thickly. You don't need to worry about overcrowding, in fact that's exactly the effect you're after. Cover vmicrogreens seeds with a thin layer of the growing medium and water carefully. To avoid seeds being washed into clumps, use a spray bottle for watering rather than a jug. Legume and brassica seeds will get their acts together much faster if you soak them overnight before sowing.

Garden tips on harvesting microgreens

There isn't really any official size limit when it comes to microgreens, but somewhere between a sprout and an established seedling is the rough definition. For repeat harvesting trim your micros with scissors slightly above the first set of leaves. You might get another picking or two depending on the species, but most people treat each plant as a one-hit wonder, with an ongoing programme of sowing guaranteeing supply.

Apart from looking gorgeous on the plate, microgreens are startlingly flavoursome. Some, like radishes, are surprisingly hot, while beetroot and silverbeet have a dark, salty quality and onions are sweet and oniony without the pervasive sweatiness of their grown-up counterparts. I must admit I didn't approach this story with an entirely open mind. I wasn't convinced about microgreens, but having grown and wolfed down quite a few now I'm starting to get it. They're great. Inoffensive at the very least (like lettuce) but sometimes quite exquisite (radish, rocket, lentils, beets, mung beans...).

Uses for mocrogreens

You could certainly cook microgreens, I suppose, but it would be a bit odd. They're just so alive, it seems wrong to wilt, braise or fry them. Pick them, clean them and find their perfect partners, I say. Radish, mustard and other spicy kinds love a bit of roast beef and a smear of horseradish mayo, microbeans and peas make a fine addition to spicy Asian soups, floated on the surface at the last minute. Microbean greens of most varieties are the business as the basis for a Tha i-style salad too - think fish sauce, chilli, lime juice and roasted peanuts.

Fionna offers plenty of tips for using microgreens in her book but says her favourite recipes tend to be the simplest ones: "I just love a handful of baby rocket or radish greens sprinkled over a good scrambled egg. Just beautiful." She's right, you know, I tried it. Since my hens resumed laying a few weeks ago, creamy scrambled eggs (as in fresh cream, butter and greed) with a scattering of piquant microgreens has been a favourite lunch.

As a floral art designer Fionna has an eye for a fetching table setting and says microgreens can be a knock-out in this regard too. I plan to continue to grow them. Microgreens: great value, great fun and some damn fine eating too.

What microgreens I grew

1 Radish I grew radish... and then more, because I liked it a lot. Quick, easy and hot.

2 Red cabbage Levelled by root-rot (possibly cat-pee related).

3 Red basil Grew very slowly because l planted it way too early (as in winter), but it tasted predictably grand - eventually.

4 Lentils Popped up promptly and were lovely wee things. Feathery and sweet.

5 Mung beans Crunchy and sweet and probably the fastest microgreens I grew. 6 Red mustard very spicy indeed and, like all brassicas, a piece of cake to get started.

7 Lettuce what's there to say about lettuce? 

8 Beetroot and silverbeets Savoury and supple, if a bit slow to start.

9 Mesclun Kale Blend The only packet mix I used (from Kings Seeds). Well balanced and zingy, with mostly coordinated germination times.

10 Onion Slow to get going and prone to collapsing under the lightest misting, onions weren't my greatest success. But with their spicy, sweet flavour I'll definitely try again.

Photos Sally Tagg

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Soil improving garden tips

Soil improving

Toby Buckland has a few cost -effective  and innovative garden tips and ideas 

for improving your garden soil

Over the years, my pursuit of free and decent soil improving garden tips to supplement my own home-made compost has taken me on many an adventure. While any rotted organic matter is better than none, it pays

to select your soil improving carefully, as what’s best depends on the plants you’re raising and where they grow. For flowers and potatoes, the best all-round soil improver is manure. For roses, well-rotted pig dung is like manna from heaven, although it smells to high heaven too, so it should always be dug in. Cow manure is only marginally less rich, but is brilliant for holding moisture and adding nutrients to a hungry sandy soil. The best soil improver, though, is well-rotted horse manure, as it opens up heavy clay soil. I buy a

trailer-load for £20 including delivery from a guy who lives up the road. This was a deal I struck after chasing him and his horse back to where it is stabled.While the soil improving garden tips pursuit would have had even Dame Kelly Holmes huffing and puffing, it’s been worth every mile.

Coffee grounds are another good soil improving garden tips and worth seeking out if you garden on a neutral/alkaline soil and experience the inevitable desire to grow plants like rhododendrons that demand acidity around their roots. I’ve never done it, but I have heard of city-centre coffee houses giving sackfuls away for free. If used as a mulch for soil improving, it’ll help maintain the tartness ericaceous roots need.

I’m more familiar with spent hops. These are even more acidic, and ideal for growing blueberries. I’ve used them many times since discovering my local microbrewery throws them away after imbuing the beer with their sweet herby flavour. They smell, unsurprisingly, of beer. Here are how to use soil improving garden tips: Dig them in well before planting, or use them as a mulch. Take care to keep them away from dogs, which have been known to become sick after gorging on them.

Talking of soil improving garden tips Toby Buckland has a few coste ffective and innovative ideas for improving  soil in your garden

My favourite soil improver for an acid soil, however, is council-made ‘green compost’, collected as fallen leaves, grass clippings and woody prunings, turned into an improver and often sold back to residents. It is alkaline in nature and raises pH, thereby increasing the range of what can be grown. It’s good in veg beds, as you can buy in bulk. Brassicas love it, but it isn’t so rich that it’ll cause carrots to fork. I first came across it in 2004. Perplexed at where all the park department’s garden clippings went, I phoned up my local council. They directed me to their contractor, who invited me to come and collect some. It was made in a quarry, from steaming piles churned by dragon-like diggers into a product that was then only sold to farmers. The industrial scale and heat produced makes for a compost that is lump-free and rich.

These days, green compost as soil improver is widely available, but the quality varies. If your local green compost isn’t up to scratch, then seek out spent mushroom compost instead. It’s not as fine, but digs in and mulches well, and because it contains up to 25% ground chalk, it makes a wonderful soil sweetener.

We hope that our soil improving garden tips will help you to grow beautiful garden!

IMAGE/COURTESY OF EBURY PRESS, GARDENERS’ WORLD

PRACTICAL GARDENING HANDBOOK - JASON INGRAM

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