A GOOD YEAR FOR FRUIT?

A GOOD YEAR FOR FRUIT?

If flower quality and quantity is any judge of fruiting potential then I am in for a bumper year of apples, a good year for plums, blackcurrants, red currants, gooseberries and saskatoons, but pears and peaches are having a rest this year. Threatening them with severe violence just did not work this year. The peach had four miserable flowers, and the recently grafted pears had six flowers on a Beurre Hardy graft, but all the other grafts have nothing but very vigorous growth. However my outdoor grape Solaris is showing a few grape bunch initials so all we need now is a return to some brilliant summer weather like what we expect with the promise of global warming so the bunches can grow and ripen up.

Rhubarb has been fantastic as it seems to like this damp cool weather, so we pick, eat and freeze the abundant stems as they grow.

Top Fruit

I have never seen such a massive amount of flowers on all my apple trees from the early Oslin to the late Red Devil and Bramley cooker. They look fantastic and being so late there is no problem with flying insects around to pollinate them.

The old Victoria plum tree finished flowering a few weeks ago. There was only half the normal show of flowers but one solitary bee worked his socks off over four days pollinating all the flowers. Bees have not yet sussed out flexible working, overtime rates, unsocial hours or bank holidays.

If only I could find some way to reward him for his dedication.

Cherry Cherokee had plenty of flowers and now has excellent growth with no sign of blackfly which often attacks young growth tips causing them to curl up and distort.

The poor show of flowers on my outdoor peach Peregrine and pear tree could be caused by last years long cold sunless weather which prevented autumn ripening up of young shoots and formation of new fruit buds.

Soft Fruit

Gooseberries are looking brilliant with plenty of small berries, very healthy growth and no sign of sawfly, but I will check regularly as they are bound to appear soon. I will pick them off and crush them as soon as spotted before they build up to plague levels and defoliate the bushes.

Red and blackcurrants are also showing great fruit potential, but I will keep an eye out for greenfly which attack the growing points. Cuttings taken of the new large fruiting Big Ben variety are shooting just nicely and they all wanted to give me an instant crop of berries, but I had to resist so they are all stripped off to let the plants concentrate on vigorous new growth.

Saskatoons have just finished flowering but there was not as much as last year. I am putting this down to poor autumn ripening of young shoots. I just hope the smaller crop results in bigger fruit as there will be less competition.

Blueberries suffered a fair bit of dieback over winter, but there still seems to be a decent crop to come. Again it could be poor autumn ripening of shoots followed by cold wet soil over winter.

Raspberry Glen Fyne is my new variety replacing my Glen Ample wiped out by the root rotting fungus phytophthora. However they were planted on new land as phytophthora stays in the soil a long time. New cane growth is promising and older shoots retained from last year will give me a few berries to sample.

Strawberries are in full flower so crop potential is high, though last year I also had a huge crop, but lost most of it as the wet weather caused the fruit to rot on the plant. My strawberry Mae under low polythene tunnels is a fortnight ahead of Mae in open ground and the tunnels will give the fruit some protection from wet weather.

Grape Solaris on a south facing fence is now in leaf and has at last produced some young bunches. Time will tell if these will ripen up.

My mature Brant is only just breaking bud so too early to judge cropping.

New varieties Rondo, Phoenix, Regent and Siegerrebe are in growth and showing a few bunches. These should be removed to allow the plant to establish good growth in the first year, but I am very tempted to allow a couple of grapes to develop just to see how they perform up north.

Plant of the week

Robinia frisia can be a spectacular small specimen tree with golden foliage from spring till autumn, but it needs really good drainage especially in winter as it does not like cold wet soil.

I have had my tree growing happily for ten years, though last years wet weather and this year’s cold summer has got it struggling a wee bit. However it is well worth persevering with it as it is an eye catcher in summer. Remove any die back of young branches as they are liable to coral spot disease if left on the tree when young.

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PERFECT POPPIES

PERFECT POPPIES

A Scottish garden without some form of poppy is never complete. From the very popular Oriental poppy to the annual poppies sown from seed they somehow always find a spot to appear in, and if you let the weeds get a hold the corn poppy or Welsh poppy is sure to pop up.

Poppies have an ability to spread into everyone’s garden in one form or another. In my early training days my granny proudly showed me her two favourite flowers. One was an Oriental poppy with large scarlet heads and the other a smaller golden yellow flower which came up every year with a nice show of small blooms swaying in the breeze. Later on with more knowledge I realised this was the common Welsh poppy, a bonny weed by the name of Meconopsis cambrica. We also frequently see our soft red corn poppy Papaver rhoeas, another common garden weed, but never the less still very attractive. I have also had several poppy types blown into my garden and quite happy to set up a wee colony that expands every year. These have turned out to be the Californian Poppy and the Opium Poppy. Several years ago I got a packet of seeds of Poppy Ladybird, which were fine at the time. However the flowers dropped seeds which have lain dormant for about four years then reappeared to start flowering all over again.

Californian and Shirley poppies however can be a bit invasive unless you keep them controlled. One City Road allotment plot was very famous for his poppies which had run riot all over the place and in great danger of spreading into all the neighbouring plots till action was taken. However they were very attractive so I managed to get a few good photos of the show before a dose of glyphosate weedkiller sorted them out. This gave me a great image for a painting when I did a dozen allotment scene paintings. Poppy heads produce large quantities of seed which will all grow given half a chance, so only save enough of the best for your own needs then dead head the rest immediately after flowering, unless you have the space to establish an ever expanding colony.

Perennial poppies

The Californian tree poppy, Romneya coulteri can grow up to six feet tall producing large showy white flowers with a yellow centre of conspicuous stamens. The flowers are set off against the warm grey green deeply cut foliage. Being native to California it needs a hot dry location and can be quite a challenge this far north.

Oriental poppies come from Turkey and Iran, so also prefer a warm spot to show off their huge dazzling scarlet and other coloured flowers. They are very easy to grow and flower in great profusion every year. The foliage will die down after flowering in late summer.

Propagate by division in autumn, but don’t leave any old roots around as these grow very rapidly into big plants at the first opportunity.

Himalayan Blue poppy known as Meconopsis betonicifolia is a short lived perennial lasting a few years. It forms clumps which may die out in the centre but usually some buds around the rosette will grow into the next plant. It has intense blue flowers in May and June and prefers a woodland fringe aspect in dappled shade and moist soil rich in humus. I propagate mine from seed sown in seed trays late summer or early autumn then left outdoors to overwinter. It needs a cold frosty spell before it germinates in spring. Keep the soil moist at all times and protect it from slugs, mice and birds.

Annual poppies

Iceland poppies are biennials, flowering in early spring and summer from a sowing made the previous year. They are absolutely glorious with large pastel shade flowers blowing in the breeze. They grow about a foot tall.

Californian poppies, Opium poppy, poppy Ladybird and Shirley poppies are all annuals, sown in early spring outdoors on a fine seedbed and either left alone or thinned if very thick. Keep them weeded and watered early on to build up a strong plant. They do not need a fertile soil, or any fertiliser, so long as the topsoil is friable to assist good germination. They can all drop seed after flowering which will grow again the following year, so dead head the plants after flowering if necessary.

Plant of the week

Phlox subulata (moss phlox) is an easy to grow rock garden plant with pink flowers. It makes a perfect ground cover plant a few inches tall as it is an evergreen perennial flowering profusely in late spring every year. For best effects plant it in full sun in well drained soil. It loves spreading over walls and rocks in the rock garden. It is easy to propagate from cuttings taken in spring.

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SUMMER FLOWERS

SUMMER FLOWERS

The spring bedding plants have given a great show, especially tulips and the cool weather meant we enjoyed a long flowering season, but now it is time to start replacing them with summer flowering plants. Winter flowering pansies can continue to flower for a few more weeks, but they have been disappointing this year as the cold weather stopped them bulking up into strong plants, so they are destined for the compost heap.

When removing old bedding plants from tubs and borders, keep bulbs and corms from tulips, narcissus, crocus and hyacinths as they will flower again the following year. However if they are still growing lift them carefully and replant them in good soil to keep them growing for a few more weeks to build up a strong healthy bulb. Once the foliage dies down lift them, dry them off and remove old soil, leaves, and roots then store them in a dry place till autumn.

Summer flowers can be grown from seed as annuals or half hardy annuals, or from corms, tubers, bulbs or half hardy perennials like geraniums, which can be grown from cuttings taken from the previous years bedding display. Impatiens, (Bizzie Lizzies) can also be grown all year round as they root very easily from cuttings and make nice house plants but they do suffer from red spider that is very hard to eradicate with available chemicals.

Garden Centres have a wide range of suitable plants for bedding to be purchased as seed, small plugs or larger mature plants ready for immediate planting. Where larger tubs or beds are to be mass planted it is a good idea to create a bit of height with a few dot plants. Choose those with exotic foliage such as Canna, Sweet Corn, Castor Oil plant, Eucalyptus, Brugmansias, Date Palm or Cordylines. Some of these perennials which are not really hardy can be retained for another year by lifting up at the end of the growing season and keeping them in a warm place, or drying off for Cannas and Brugmansias.

Tubs and hanging baskets

Geraniums and tuberous begonias are my favourites for tubs and large pots as I have big plants that give a dazzling show. My geraniums have slowly been growing larger from last autumn when I started them off as cuttings, and my begonias from tubers were purchased about twenty years ago and although they have been split up several times they are still quite large. These are supplemented with African marigolds, Petunias, Impatiens and trailing Lobelia. The latter range is also used for hanging baskets plus a central bright red or white geranium. Use small plug plants for inserting through the sides of the basket as these are less likely to get damaged.

Fuchsias are perfect for hanging baskets as you can look up into the flowers which always hang down. They can grow quite large so you only need one plant per basket. Keep baskets and tubs watered and fed as they can be quite demanding and respond to good treatment.

I have one large tub that always gets a central dot plant to give it height. Brugmansia is a favourite as its huge trumpet flowers are very bold and the evening exotic scent is powerful.

Beds and borders

I use the same range of bedding plants for my formal flower beds, but extend this range with annuals sown from seed for bare patches of garden where I have been renovating plants. We always seem to be buying a new special plant, so something has to go to make room for it, and in its early years I like to add a few bedding plants to brighten up the area. The cultivations and compost add fertility to the soil at the same time. This year I had gaps after losing a broom, Cytisus praecox and a Cistus Silver Pink.

Some raised borders are a bit stony and dry so I grow some Livingston Daisies from seed in cellular trays then plant direct when the plants are big enough. Keep them watered to get them established.

I also grow Cosmos in cellular trays for planting out when bigger.

Other bare patches of soil get cultivated and sown with Shirley Poppies, Poppy Ladybird and the fluffy pink Opium Poppy which makes a very bright splash of colour.

Plant of the week

Euphorbia griffithii Fireglow is very useful for brightening up the garden in late spring to summer when it produces its bright crimson flowers. It is an herbaceous perennial that spreads by rhizomes just below the soil surface. It is easy to grow as it likes most soils, partial shade, can tolerate dry conditions, though it prefers a moist rich soil and grows about two feet tall. Sometimes when given ideal conditions it can be quite invasive.

Take care when handling the plant as it easily produces a milky sap when bruised which is poisonous and can be very irritant in contact with skin.

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TULIP TIME

TULIP TIME

The garden in May is dominated by displays of tulips, and on my allotment the front border is packed with a mixed show of tulips of every colour. Every year I buy in new bulbs in the autumn for tubs and flower beds. I try to match up tulips to the spring bedding plants for colour and height so tall tulips go with my wallflower, but I use dwarf tulips with polyanthus, myosotis and pansies.

I am also always tempted by new varieties to try out somewhere, though some of the older standard types such as Apeldoorn are very hard to beat.

The Dundee Parks Department, where I did my training in the sixties, planted tulips by the thousand in parks, town centre, libraries, highways and tubs in streets. In those days, colourful flower beds were everywhere and Dundee had well trained gardeners who took great pride in keeping up very high standards. We soon learned about the different types of tulips and how best to match them up with bedding. You never forget your training and although you can now only work on a garden scale it still gives a great feeling to see successful mass planting of tulips.

However it is sad to see so few flower beds in our once beautiful city.

Types of tulips

Tulips are classified by type, species and also flowering time.

The first ones to flower are varieties of Greigii such as Cape Cod and Red Riding Hood, and varieties of kaufmanniana such as Scarlet Baby and Concerto all flowering in late March. These make perfect companion plants for early flowering Pulmonaria and Anemone blanda.

Then in April the fosteriana types such as Red Emperor and dazzling white Purissima begin to flower. Red Emperor can be very attractive planted underneath a Forsythia shrub as the red tulip contrasts brilliantly with the yellow forsythia, both flowering at the same time.

In May the bedding tulips have their day starting with the single early Bellona, a bright yellow, Princess Irene, an orange and White Marvel. These can all be planted with wallflower, but for mixing in with Myosotis and pansies try the dwarf double early tulips such as Peach Blossom, William of Orange and Vuurbaak a very old but brilliant red variety.

However for impact with size and brilliance you must plant the tall Darwin Hybrids such as the  bright red Apeldoorn, and Golden Apeldoorn as well as Orange Sun.

Triumph tulips flower in mid May then in late May the single late tulips such as Queen of the Night, the Black Tulip, flower.

To complicate the types we also have parrot tulips, lily flowered tulips, multi headed tulips, fringed tulips and many tulip species.

Propagation

In autumn always buy a decent sized tulip bulb and plant it about six inches deep into good well composted soil. Keep beds fed, watered and weeded, then after flowering leave for as long as possible before lifting the bulbs and dry off on a hard surface. If the bulbs are growing in their own space let them wither naturally and do not lift them. Over time they will multiply and form a group giving a bigger display each year. Once bulbs have dried off clean them up removing old stems and roots and store them in a dry cool place. In autumn replant all the biggest bulbs to flower next spring, but retain all the wee bulbils and plant them somewhere so they can grow on into bigger bulbs to flower a couple of years later.

Plant of the week

Wallflower is a perfect spring flowering bedding plant giving a blaze of colour in May and usually underplanted with tall tulips. I grow Cloth of Gold as its bright yellow colour is a great match for red or purple tulips, and wallflowers have a wonderful scent. One packet of seeds should give you about sixty plants. Sow them outdoors at the end of May, then when four inches tall lift and transplant them into nursery rows allowing about another four inches between plants. In autumn you should have sturdy well branched plants ready for bedding out.

Painting of the month

Tulip Carnaval de Nice is an acrylic painting on canvas showing one of my special tulips growing in my winter garden. When in full bloom it was so outstanding I just had to capture it on canvas.

This painting will be on display with many others in my exhibition in the Angus Open Studios event from 23 to 27 May when I team up with fellow artist Fiona Haddow at her studio in Liff.

Details and directions can be found on the internet at www.angusopenstudios.com

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