PLANTS FOR WALLS AND FENCES

PLANTS FOR WALLS AND FENCES

Clematis montana

At some point we all experience the trials and tribulations of moving house, usually in connection with going for a new job, or as we get older we no longer need a large home so we down size to a smaller house. Once settled in the keen gardener

Camellia Donation

can analyse the existing garden’s merits or if the move was to a new build home then the garden can be designed from scratch. The priorities are usually drives, paths, lawns, then borders, shelter, patio, and then vegetable and fruit garden. Size has a lot to influence how many of those must have plants we can fit in, so we need to utilise all available spaces. Walls and fences can all accommodate a few plants and this helps to blend the home into the landscape. Traditionally north facing walls were the most difficult to find a good plant that was happy with lack of sunshine, but then the south facing walls allowed us to experiment with the more exotic plants looking for a hot spot. When planting against a wall it is important to give the plants a good

Solanum crispum

start, so excavate the planting area a foot deep and fork up the subsoil before replacing the top soil, with some good compost added in. If you are planting the more exotic plants such as vines or figs add some stones or gravel in the bottom of the pit to improve drainage. After planting give the plants some fertiliser to boost growth to help them get established, and keep them watered in dry spells in the first and subsequent year.

North walls will be fine for most plants, but some are better than others. The firethorn, Pyracantha Orange Glow was always a favourite. It gets smothered with bright red berries in the autumn which will feed the blackbirds for weeks and the bees just love the flowers in spring for their nectar. It makes a dense climber, great for nesting birds but needs support and some winter pruning.

Delosperma cooperii

Hydrangea petiolaris will also be fine on the north wall but again it will need support. Most Camellias are fine on north and west walls but not east due to danger of sun scorch on frosted buds, and south walls may be liable to drying out. Virginian creeper can go on a north wall and has great autumn colour, but it can be very rampant once it gets established. Clematis can go on any wall, but again some varieties like Clematis montana love to ramble, and climb through anything in its path.

Another three rampant climbers for wall and fences are the yellow Jasminum nudiflorum, the scented honeysuckles and the Chilean Potato vine, Solanum crispum.

Some climbing and shrub roses can be trained up walls in any aspect, but they are so numerous that you need time to study rose growers catalogues as they bring out new varieties every year, and now they are concentrating on disease resistance as chemical control is falling out of favour.

As well as flowers and berries walls can also be used for fruit

Delosperma nubigenum

production. Perfect places for a Bramble such as Helen, or you can train apples, pears, peach Avalon Pride, (all grown as fan trained,) cherries and fig Brown Turkey to grow and crop on a fence or wall.

Grapes can also benefit from the warmth of a south facing wall and it is hard to beat Brant, though the bunches are not big, but the black grapes are sweet and juicy. Grapes can be very vigorous so need constant summer pruning to restrict growth and let the sun shine in to ripen up the grapes.

Tall stone built garden walls can be planted with the succulent Delosperma which is happy to grow from shoots pushed into cracks between stones where they will root. They are quite drought

Outdoor grape Brant

tolerant. Delosperma nubigenum hugs the wall and is smothered in yellow flowers in late spring, and the other variety Delosperma cooperii has purple flowers.

Anna trying out the first strawberries

Wee jobs to do this week

Protect strawberries from birds, slugs and soil splashes in wet weather. The strawberry season is now upon us. I have been picking my early variety Christine since late May but it had been growing under a low polythene tunnel for warmth and protection. Normal varieties will crop from now for early varieties (Honeoye) and continue as mid season (Elsanta) and late varieties (Florence and Symphony) come into season, then finally the perpetual autumn varieties such as Flamenco will crop till October. Protect the rows from birds with nets and lay straw along the rows to prevent soil splash damage and if slugs and snails are a problem sprinkle some pellets along the rows.

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PLANT PROPAGATION

PLANT PROPAGATION

As a young gardener, plant propagation was a very important topic. Apprentices got both practice and lectures on the techniques employed at college. This knowledge was enhanced with time spent in the greenhouses at Camperdown Park and the outdoor nursery. We were taught how to take outdoor hardwood cuttings and indoor softwood cuttings.

Fig cuttings starting to grow

We were always keen to learn how to propagate all kinds of plants, as during the hard times fifty years ago it was a way to create an attractive garden at home with plants for free from a few cuttings found here and there. This also gave us the chance to replace the large drifts of London Pride ground cover which most gardens had in abundance. Today we still propagate plants all year round in our own gardens to create a display, or to give a few spare special plants to friends and family as well having a few for our City Road allotments Open Day in Summer when we invite the public in to see what we grow on our plots.

In early winter we take hardwood cuttings of currants and gooseberries and numerous flowering shrubs. Use current growth

Grape vine cutting now growing

about nine inches long and line out four inches apart in rows a foot apart in open ground or in a cold frame if one is available. This gives some protection in winter. The cuttings will root and begin to grow the following year when they are carefully lifted and either potted up or lined out about six to ten inches apart to grow on to form a sturdy plant a year later.

This is also a good time to grow grape vines and figs, but these are best grown in pots and kept in a greenhouse where it is warmer. However as soon as they have made a decent bit of growth usually by June they can be potted up individually.

In early spring the Christmas cactus, Zygocactus truncatus will be

Zygocactus cuttings

approaching its growth phase, so this is a good time to propagate it from cuttings about four inches long. I usually place about three shoots together in a small pot and keep them on a windowsill that does not get much sun till they are rooted and beginning to grow, when they can then go in full sun.

Geraniums and Impatiens must be some of the easiest plants to propagate. Start to take cuttings in autumn. Place short tips of geraniums individually cellular pots in well drained compost. However the Impatiens are best rooted in a wee jar of water where you can see the roots emerge before potting up. They grow fast and soon you will have a small flowering house plant over the

Rooted geranium cuttings

winter. They can also set seed in late winter and this can be scattered in a seed tray to germinate and grow on then as soon as they are big enough to handle prick them out into cellular pots.

Fuchsias can be grown from cuttings taken in autumn or late spring. Take the top shoot about three inches long and place in cellular trays in well drained compost and cover over with a polythene bag to maintain a moist atmosphere. They will root in four to six weeks.

Fuchsia cuttings

Spring is a great time for propagating numerous rock garden plants. Phlox, Aubrietia and Delosperma can often be taken as shoots with some roots on them as these ground hugging plants will layer as they spread. Dwarf Japanese Azaleas will also layer and root as they grow and cuttings taken in spring root fairly easily.

Summer is a great time for propagating strawberries from runners which root once the tip is secured to the soil. Border carnations and Pinks are also propagated in summer from growing shoots but avoiding flowering shoots. Use growths about four inches long placed in a sandy compost in pots kept in a cool spot outdoors.

Summer growth

Wee jobs to do this week

Greenhouse crops of tomatoes and grapes will now be in full growth so encourage this with extra feeding especially for the tomatoes. Give them a weekly liquid tomato feed, but I give my vines a feed once a month. Side shoot removal on tomatoes is a regular chore as they are grown as upright single stemmed cordons and grapes also need to be kept in check as they would love to run riot if given half a chance. All sideshoots must be cut back after one leaf but if growth is plentiful then start removing side shoots entirely to allow light and sun in to ripen up the fruit. Give full ventilation on all warm sunny days to prevent any build up of diseases.

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TIME TO PLANT PUMPKINS COURGETTES AND CUCUMBERS

TIME TO PLANT PUMPKINS COURGETTES AND CUCUMBERS

Pumpkins and courgettes have a lot of similarities in their needs for producing good crops. They are both gross feeders, so get the lion’s share of manure or compost during the winter digging. It is always a good idea to plan well ahead and using

A good year for pumpkins

a four year rotation you will know what space they have been allocated before the winter digging begins. They are also both a bit tender so sowing is best in mid spring and the plants kept protected in the greenhouse to grow on to sturdy strong plants before hardening off in late May to early June

Courgettes ready to cut

depending on weather at that time. A late frost or cold snap can harm them so keep an eye on the weather once they go out for hardening off. Also beware of any strong winds as the large leaves makes then vulnerable to getting blown over and damaged.

Pumpkins running riot

Early to mid June is soon enough for planting, as once established they grow very rapidly. This late planting gives us the opportunity to enrich the soil further with a fast growing green manure crop of tares, ryegrass or clover. Sow this down on prepared soil which has previously been well composted before the winter digging. The green manure crop has plenty of time to make good growth before trampling down and digging in at the end of May. Plant out in early June into prepared soil, raked level incorporating a dusting of fertiliser, but leave a depression at the planting stations to allow for watering which both plants need all through out summer. They will also benefit from a mulch of well rotted compost to maintain reserves of moisture and feed the plants as it rots down. Space plants about three feet apart. Where these plants are grown together do not be tempted to save seeds if you happen to get a cracker of a pumpkin. I tried it and got white striped courgette shaped pumpkins as the bees will ensure cross pollination,

Cucumber passandra

and then traits from the past are also likely to appear. During the summer keep them well watered and feed monthly. Weed early on, but once the large leaves take over weeds do not stand much of a chance to grow. Harvest courgettes once they are about six to nine inches long, but as usually happens a few days absence results in vegetable marrow sized courgettes appear. Do not discard them as they can make a brilliant soup together with other summer vegetables. Leave pumpkins to grow large then ripen off ready to harvest at the end of autumn. Pumpkins can produce long shoots which love to wander all over the plot and don’t necessarily produce any more fruit so chop these off after each plant has made a couple of fruits.

Courgettes cannot be stored for any length of time unless used in a recipe then frozen. However pumpkins will store till the end of March.

Cucumbers

Young cucumber

Cucumbers come from the same family and enjoy similar conditions, but grow best indoors under the protection of the greenhouse. They are sown at the same time as courgettes and pumpkins, then pricked out into pots to grow on before planting into ten inch pots spaced 18 inches apart, or in growbags (two to a bag.) Like tomatoes they are best grown as cordons up a cane, or strong polypropylene baler twine. Pinch out the top once it reaches the roof and cut back side shoots to two leaves after a female flower, seen as having a wee cucumber behind the flower. Remove any male flowers as these might pollinate the female flowers and produce bitter tasting cucumbers. Keep the plants moist but not wet and feed every fortnight with a liquid fertiliser high in potassium like tomato feed. Carmen, Zeina and Femdan are all female varieties so no need to remove male flowers.

Aconites

Wee jobs to do this week

Remove withered leaves from spring flowering bulbs. Snowdrops, crocus, daffodils, tulips and the

smaller bulbs, Chionodoxa, Anemone blanda, Aconites, grape hyacinths and bluebells will now all have just about gone dormant. This old foliage can go on the compost heap, but some will have produced seeds. Aconites, snowdrops, crocus planted drifts will increase from seed which in time gives a better display, but bluebells and grape hyacinths can become very invasive so remove the seed heads, once they have spread to their allocated space, before discarding the old foliage.

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RHODODENDRONS, AZALEAS and CAMELLIAS

RHODODENDRONS, AZALEAS and CAMELLIAS

Azaleas, Rhododendrons and Camellias flood the garden with colour in late spring when most spring bedding plants and bulbs have faded away. The first to flower is usually the Rhododendron praecox, a small evergreen bush with mauve flowers in

Mixed dwarf azaleas

late March provided there are no late frosts around to spoil the delicate blooms. Rhododendrons and azaleas come in all sizes and are very popular all over UK, as they are very reliable and easy to grow provided you give them well drained but moist soil, not prone to drying out and the soil must be acidic. A sunny aspect is also of benefit, as is dappled shade, but not deep shade under trees. In

Azalea Vyuks Scarlet

preparing an area for these plants add plenty well rotted leaf mould and even rotted pine needles. A bit of feeding is good to get them started, but either use ericaceous fertiliser or the sulphates of ammonia, potassium and iron, but in modest amounts as these fertilisers are all acidifying in nature. A good source of plants and information can be found at Glendoick Garden Centre, and with an enjoyable trip up the glen beside the centre you can see them at their best in a natural environment as well as other woodland plants such as the Himalayan Blue Poppy, maples and primulas.

Some plants can be propagated by cuttings and layering but for

Camellia Adolphe Audusson

the difficult varieties grafting onto a suitable rootstock is necessary. Best to leave that to the professionals who use non suckering under stocks. The dwarf Japanese azaleas are relatively easy to propagate from both cuttings and layering made easy as they are ground hugging. Adding a top dressing of well rotted leaf mould often helps the layering process.

Varieties The gardener is absolutely spoiled for choice as there are thousands to choose from. So give thought to space available with good acidic moisture retaining soil (but not a heavy clay soil), the right degree of light and shade, good drainage and how deep pockets you have. My first choice in late teens were associated with experiences in the Dundee Parks, so Rhododendron praecox was a must. We had a gorgeous bed of them in Dawson Park, grown in almost pure leaf mould, and then in the sunken

Rhododendron praecox

garden there was a range of the dwarf Japanese Kurume Azaleas. Of course as an apprentice I was shown how to propagate these by cuttings and layering and soon I had my own wee collection in my council house garden in St. Marys. My two favourites were Blaaws Pink and Vuyks Scarlet, both still popular today. As apprentices we were told about the plant explorers, both the Cox family members and also E H Wilson who went to Japan and returned with his choice of the best evergreen dwarf Japanese Azaleas known as the Wilson 50. My next choice was Rhododendron Elizabeth, a low growing bright red but a bit prone to mildew. Many years later I still grow a wide range of Rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias. I like the scented yellow deciduous Azalea luteum, and A. Anneke also yellow, A. Gibralter and Klondyke both an eye catching golden orange, but there are masses to choose from. Low growing yellow Rhododendron Nancy Evens, scarlet Dopey, and for a good white try Dora Amateis. My two must have Camellias are the very popular pink Donation and the bright red Adolphe Audusson.

Like all plants they are also prone to a range of pests and diseases. The Azalea gall Exobasidium vaccinii can be a real nuisance on the dwarf Azaleas, but keep problem at bay be removing the galls as soon as seen. Scale is the latest problem and associates with sooty mould. Spray under the leaves with an insecticide in late spring once the scales are on the move. Phytophthora root rot is the latest plant problem affecting everything from trees and shrubs, raspberries and potatoes. Just keep fingers crossed as there is no solution yet.

Wee jobs to do this week

Planting sweet corn

Plant out sweet corn on ground that had a green manure crop of tares sown in early spring and dug in a couple of weeks ago. Plants were raised from seed grown indoors under glass, and then potted up to make strong plants for planting out. I plant out in a square block, spacing plants just over a foot apart as this will assist wind pollination. In last years brilliant summer my plants were yielding between one and three cobs per plant with the variety Incredible.

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ENJOYING THE WEATHER

ENJOYING THE WEATHER

It may only be mid May, but summer has arrived. Hope it is still with us when this goes out in print. Both garden plants and gardeners are having a great time. There has been some rain, but not enough for good plant growth so the hose has been in constant use. This brilliant weather brings back memories of 1975, which was a fantastic summer, only to be followed by 1976 which was even better. Summer last year may have been late in arriving but then tropical weather for the rest of the summer and into autumn made up for it. So it

Chrysanthemums intercropped with Lettuce

would be nice to see how this year compares to 2018. Last year the absence of spring held back plants by three weeks. I picked my first strawberries on 11^th June, but this year the first strawberries were ripe for picking on 11^th May, a good four weeks ahead of last year. Mind you this is the early strawberry Christine grown under a low polythene tunnel. It is a lot of work, but the rewards of those first ripe berries makes it all worth while.

The tulip show this year was fantastic and lasted for weeks. This year’s star performer was tulip Strong Gold which was in flower for nearly a whole month.

However the early warm spell gave greenfly a boost so they became a problem on roses, blackcurrants, gooseberries and plums which were infested by the rosy leaf curling plum aphid.

Figs have started into growth, and although the book tells us to remove last year’s unripe figs, I have left mine on as many will develop into an early crop of figs.

Rhubarb was quick into leaf and flower spikes soon appeared. Remove these as soon as possible usually in early May so the first stems are ready for a

Broad beans growing strongly

rhubarb crumble by mid May.

Potatoes got a great start as my chitted spuds were well advanced and never looked back. Earthing up had to be done regularly from late April onwards as frost was always threatened, but fortunately never appeared. They look so promising that I think I will be ready to lift a trial shaw of first early, Casa Blanca by the end of May.

Chrysanthemums grown from cuttings were prolific this year as the old stools had plenty growth with the mild winter, so I had more than I needed and plenty to give away. Some spare plants got planted as an interplant between a couple of rows of cauliflower to see if they are happy together occupying different height requirements. My normal block of chrysanthemums is a bed of three rows and

Onion Hytech

since they have a wide spacing I am trying a batch of quick growing lettuce Lollo Rossa in between the rows. The lettuce was sown in the greenhouse several weeks ago.

Broad beans planted in early April have put on a lot of growth so staking is necessary to prevent them falling over. Check regularly for signs of the pea and bean weevil which cuts notches around the leaves and can be a real pest. If you are careful you can spot them and catch them for crushing before they drop to the soil.

Onions are well established and just love the heat, but unfortunately need watering in the dry weather. Fingers crossed that this doesn’t lead to a white rot infection.

Early potatoes and strawberries

Peas, leeks, parsnips, turnip, lettuce, rocket and spring onion all grown from seed have now all germinated so need watering to keep them growing and need weeded regularly.

Areas allocated for pumpkins, courgettes and sweet corn were all sown with a green manure crop. This is now ready for digging in a few weeks ahead of planting.

The compost heap has been growing bigger with kitchen waste, old spring bedding plants, withered bulb leaves and residues from last year’s crops so it is a good time to give it a turn over to help break down plant materials.

Summer hanging basket

Wee jobs to do this week

Hanging baskets for a summer display can now be made up with geraniums, petunias, trailing lobelia, bizzie lizzies, fuchsias and trailing tuberous begonias, although for something different why not try, trailing tomatoes or strawberries. I keep mine for a few weeks on a large flower pot till it is well established before lifting it in place on sturdy wall brackets.

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THE SUMMER FLOWERS

 THE SUMMER FLOWERS

The spring flowering bulb season has now passed but the cool spring weather allowed flowering to last for weeks brightening up gardens with daffodils, tulips and many other flowers. However before we remove the old foliage we must let it die down to

Cherry Cherokee

help build up strong bulbs for flowering next year. During this time we have been growing plants for our summer display for tubs, beds, and hanging baskets. Some of the hardier types such as chrysanthemums were planted out at the end of April, and geraniums planted out in early May, but Bizzie Lizzies, marigolds, petunias and tuberous begonias are still a bit tender so these were the last to get put outdoors for hardening off.  The mild winter allowed geraniums grown on windowsills from autumn cuttings to put on plenty of growth and flowers, but these were picked off to encourage growth. This gave us more scope to take tops out for cuttings, so now we have plenty of strong young geraniums for planting out where they can flower all through summer in beds, tubs and baskets.

Delosperma nubigenum

Where spring flowering wallflowers and polyanthus have gone over these can be removed to the compost heap, but pansies always want to continue flowering till mid summer, so carefully lift them out of containers and find a quiet spot in the garden to plant them into. This is a great idea for brightening up a few dull corners, and the compost helps to improve the soil.

Philadelphus virginal

The early summer flowers with impact will include the oriental poppies with huge bold red flowers and the flag iris in a wide range of colours. Another early flowering plant is the Euphorbias, with red flowers on the variety griffithii Fireglow and yellow flowers on polychroma. Be very careful when working close to the Euphorbias as any damage to the stem allows sap to flow which can be a severe irritant on exposed skin.

Fruit trees are a picture in late spring and early summer when the apples, plums, pears and cherries are covered in blooms with the promise of good crops to follow. Last year my apple Fiesta never had any flowers as it is a biennial cropper, but this year it has a mass of blooms. Peach Avalon Pride had flowers so small that I thought they had no chance.

Rose Gertrude Jekyll

This is a late flowering variety said to have some resistance to peach leaf curl, and although there has been plenty bees around I doubt if they could see the flowers. However on close inspection I see I have about twenty very small peaches beginning to grow, but the peach leaf curl disease has infected most of the foliage. Time will tell if I see any peaches mature in late summer.

Summer bedding plants

Winter pansies still in flower

Summer flowering shrubs usually start with the Forsythia, followed on with Viburnums then Ceanothus, Berberis darwinnii and the tall highly scented Philadelphus. This year they are all putting on a great show, and the first of the rhododendrons and azaleas are now in flower. Pieris Forest Flame may be growing in my shade border, but it still manages to put on a great show of bright red shoots and white flowers.

Down at ground level the dwarf succulent Delosperma nubigenum is a mass of yellow daisy shaped flowers in May and the Phlox subulata is smothered in deep pink flowers. This phlox sometimes

Summer flowers on a dry wall

flowers at the same times as the Apeldoorn tulips, but not this year, as all the tulips came a couple of weeks early. Climbing and bush roses are now all getting ready to join the summer flowers, despite plagues of greenfly, and appearance of mildew after the long dry spell.

Good grape potential

Wee jobs to do this week

Grape vines under glass have made an early start with spurs all producing many shoots most of which are showing one or two bunches of grapes. Outdoors cool weather has kept back growth so summer pruning for these can wait another three weeks. Pruning for both glasshouse grown and outdoors against south facing walls and fences is the same. Remove the growing tip of every sideshoot leaving one or two leaves after the grape bunch. Later on as more shoots develop cut these to leave only one leaf. Any shoot without any sign of grapes can be removed. At the end of summer even more thinning is needed to allow sunlight to penetrate into the developing grapes to help ripen them up and reduce incidence of botrytis mould.

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BUSY SPRING DAYS

 BUSY SPRING DAYS

In my early training years to become a gardener we were taught how to garden by the book. There was a good practise guide for all crops and if you followed it precisely you would get exhibition standard results. No-one told us that only worked

Earthing up potatoes

if the weather was on your side. In them days weather was fairly predictable. Winter ended at the end of March when grass cutting began, it was always cold at Easter, tulips always flowered in May, and summer started at the June bank holiday. Move forward fifty years and you can throw that gardening book away. Everything you do now is dependant on weather which is no longer reliable. Winter and

Nets keep pigeons out

sometimes spring often fail to arrive; then summer starts in early spring followed by a return to winter. Greenhouse plants put out to harden off have often had to go back inside when frost threatens. This year we started off three weeks ahead after a mild winter so working with this idea seed sowing was advanced from the plan, but then it turned colder and the long dry spell came to an end. We are now back into good gardening weather, so sowing, planting, weeding and numerous other gardening tasks are all going ahead at full speed.

Potatoes that had been planted in March are all well through so now earthing up has begun. Some were earthed up a few weeks ago as my earlies, Charlotte and Casablanca pushed through in early April when frost risk was still a threat so they needed to be protected. So far they have been lucky and top growth is excellent so now

Anna checks for gooseberry sawfly damage

we are well into May I keep my fingers crossed.

Dry weather prevailed in early to mid April so watering was necessary over the whole plot. Leeks were very slow to germinate as soil temperatures were still low, and constant watering was necessary. Green manure crops sown ahead of courgettes, pumpkin and sweet corn planting are still very slow to thicken up. Weeds are now trying to make up for lost time. They were slow to get started but now the hoe has been out constantly to keep them in check. Early May is a good time for checking over the gooseberries looking for signs of sawfly damage, so give them an insecticide spray as soon as they appear as they very quickly devour the leaves in a few days.

Early strawberries protected with low polythene tunnels made a lot of growth with plenty flowers so it has been necessary to keep tunnels ventilated to reduce condensation, allow watering and weeding and let bees in to pollinate the flowers.

Young brassicas grown in cellular trays have now all been planted. Clubroot resistant cabbage Kilaton, cauliflower Clapton, sprouts Crispus and kale all got planted into a block that had been composted in early winter then limed a couple of months later. However they are all very prone to

Ventilate strawberry tunnels

pests so collars were put round each one to prevent root fly attacks, netting used to keep out pigeons and cabbage white butterflies. Then slug pellets were scattered around them as slugs and snails all survived the mild winter and are very hungry. Onion Hybound grown from seed in the greenhouse and pricked out into cellular trays were hardened off in mid April and planted out in early May.

An early batch of lettuce Lollo Rossa got planted out as a catch crop in between my two double rows of broad beans as well as in between my block of chrysanthemums. Hopefully this lettuce will be ready for use before the beans and chrysanthemums need the space. The mild winter helped growth on the chrysanthemum stools so I was able to take well over a hundred cuttings from twenty stools. That gave me plenty for myself plus spares to give away. I also planted a row in between two rows of cabbages. The cabbages only grow 18inches so with chrysanthemums growing a lot taller they may well work together. Time will tell.

Apple mildew

This has been a good time to give the compost heap its first turn over, and daffodils, tulips and pansies all get dead headed as spring flowers fade. There’s never a weary moment on the plot.

Wee jobs to do this week

Check over apple trees for mildew and remove any primary infections. Mildew spores over winter on infected buds then in spring the disease emerges and spreads to healthy leaves. At this time of year the infected buds are totally covered in mildew so easy to spot and remove before they spread.

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PLANTS FOR THE SHADE

PLANTS FOR THE SHADE

Bee pollinating flowers of Hydrangea petiolaris

Choosing plants for the garden is usually fairly simple for most areas, but there is always an awkward corner in deep shade from buildings, trees, hedges or fences. These areas can still be made very attractive provided you choose the right plants. Some plants like dry shady areas and others prefer it moist, so do some research before buying in plants.

Prepare the ground by digging over, removing big stones and

Pieris

add some planting compost ahead of planting. Shady corners can be brightened up by planting variegated plants or those with golden, bronze or gray foliage. If the ground has a steep slope controlling weeds could be a problem so choose evergreens which can smother germinating weeds. Dwarf conifers are perfect for these areas and there are plenty to choose from. Thuja Rheingold has golden bronze foliage and does not get too big. Juniperus squamata meyeri is a low growing evergreen with blue foliage and Juniperus pfitzeriana aurea has yellow/green foliage. Both are low and spreading and quite dense so very few weeds will survive with them to compete with. Other evergreen ground cover plants can include the white dead nettle, Lamium White

Euonymous Emerald N Gold

Nancy which can thrive in moist shade. Another for moist shade is the range of gold and silver Hostas, but watch out for slugs which just love the foliage.

For something quite different the black grass Ophiopogon planiscapis nigrescens is worth a try.  For areas with partial shade the London Pride makes a solid ground cover with flowers in May.

Where there is room for some bigger plants try lonicera Baggesons Gold with yellow leaves. It makes a dense bush six feet tall which birds just love to nest in, and for an even bigger bush come small tree the holly will provide berries for winter decoration and also comes in golden and silver variegated forms.

Doronicum with tulips

There are many flowering plants that are shade tolerant and can give some colour to dull areas.

At ground level in late winter there are numerous flowering bulbs that can be used. Snowdrops have always been a favourite and with some early flowering types you can have flowers from mid December onwards if we get more mild winters. Then the winter aconites begin to flower from February to March. Planting bulbs under deciduous trees and under fruit trees can create a lot of interest using those just mentioned, then later on the grape hyacinths, Chionodoxa and Anemone blanda flower in early April, and towards the end of April the bluebells have their moment in the spotlight. Both Daffodils and narcissus types

Ophiopogon Black Grass

can all be used in shady areas and really add colour letting us know the end of winter is here and spring is just round the corner.

There are plenty herbaceous perennials happy growing in shady spots so try some low growing ground cover Bergenias with pink flowers, Doronicums with yellow flowers or some Pulmonarias with blue flowers, and a large range of Primulas with flowers in all colours. As we go into summer a few choice plants could include some red  Astilbe Fanal, yellow Geums and blue Meconopsis, the Himal;ayan Blue Poppy, and for white flowers the Anemone Honorine Jobert is hard to beat.

Coming up the scale there is a wealth of Rhododendrons from low growing to massive tall types as well as Azaleas, Pierris and

Silver Euonymous

Camellias, all providing a terrific show of colour in spring, then in summer Fuchsia Mrs Popple will flower quite happily in the shade.

If you need a plant for shady walls both Hydrangea petiolaris and Pyracantha, the Firethorn, with orange berries in autumn will be quite successful.

If you happen to have a flower bed that suffers a bit of shade use polyanthus and primulas for spring colours together with dwarf tulips, and in summer try bedding fuchsias, tuberous begonias and impatiens, the Busy Lizzie.

Wee jobs to do this week

Harden off plants grown under glass. Onions, geraniums and chrysanthemums were all taking up greenhouse space needed for a couple of rows of tomatoes, so they are now all outdoors taking advantage of the warm Easter weather. However tuberous begonias and Impatiens (Busy Lizzies) are too soft so they will remain under glass for another couple of weeks just in case winter returns.

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TULIPS

TULIPS

May is normally the peak flowering time for tulips, but with our mild winters and early spring, tulips have been in flower since March. This year spring started very early, but then cooler winds from the north arrived and cooled things down for a few weeks.

Mixed tulips in a rose bed

Tulips last a lot longer in these conditions so our extended displays are a bonus, and by using a combination of early season, mid season and late flowering varieties tulips can be flowering for a good couple of months or longer.

Tulip Abba and Sun Lover

At this time of year it is a good idea to assess the impact of the flower display so that it can be enhanced for the following year by adding a few more tulips in the autumn. Where ever I have drifts of tulips I check to see if they can be improved by adding a different colour such as a white, pink or orange amongst a drift of yellow and reds.  It is not hard to find areas in the garden that can be improved by adding tulips. They are very versatile, flowering in spring, then after a couple of months they are ready to go dormant so they don’t interfere with the needs of other plants in the same area. Companion planting can be a great success when the season is in your favour.

Tulip Scarlet Baby with saxifrage

My first tulips to flower are the Kaufmanniana tulip Scarlet Baby planted alongside some lemon yellow saxifrage both flowering together in late March. Sometimes the seasons are not in their favour and one flowers ahead of the other, but when they both come out together it makes a great display in early spring. The next to flower early in the season in late March to early April is the Fosteriana variety Red Emperor, also known as Madame Lefeber. This large flowering variety makes a great companion planted underneath the shrub Forsythia as they both flower together in early April. I also like to combine them with another

Tulip Red Emperor at City Road Allotments

early flowering Fosteriana type Purissima. A large white flower said to be scented. I must have planted a couple of hundred, but I fail to find any with a scent. In fact looking over the bulb catalogues I was impressed by how many were scented, so I tried a scented variety trial. Maybe as you get older your sense of smell diminishes, but I can’t say I was impressed as I failed to find any scent amongst them, but again maybe it depends on the weather. Orange Emperor is another cracker in the Fosteriana range.

Going back to companion planting I have a drift of Doronicum Little Leo flowering in early to mid April with a great show of golden daisy type flowers so I planted some dwarf double Showcase, a deep purple and some red Triumph tulip Isle de France amongst them for colour contrast.

I grow a range of disease resistant (mildew, black spot and rust) roses in a bed for colour in the summer, but like to make this bed attractive in spring so the roses have a mixed batch of dwarf double tulips planted amongst them. The tulips light up the border in April and May then a couple of months later they have gone dormant, and the roses can take over the space unaware that they had competitors at their feet. My favourites are Abba (red), Negrita (purple), Peach Blossom (pink), Showcase (purple), Sun Lover and Monsella (both with yellow with red markings) and Monte Orange (orange.)

Tulips planted in pots and tubs for a spring display together with pansies, wallflower, myosotis, and polyanthus can be planted back in the garden when they are finished as they will continue to flower for years to come. Most tulips left alone for years will slowly multiply and give great value year after year, but give them a boost in spring with some fertiliser to keep them healthy.

City Road Allotment have realised the impact and value for the plot holders as well as the community around the site so we are now mass planting areas at the entrance with tulips, daffodils, snowdrops, aconites and other plants to improve the appearance of our site.

Remove flowers from rhubarb

Jobs to do this week

Remove flowering shoots from rhubarb as they usually like a spring floral flurry, before settling down to producing healthy stems and leaves. If allowed to flower they will put all their energy into seed production at the expense of growth. As the season gets warmer keep them well watered and give a monthly feed to boost growth. Continue to pull sticks throughout the summer.

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