Home//Garden Answers/ August 2023/In This Issue
Garden Answers| August 2023WelcomeMeet the Contributors “This month in the garden I’ll be...” “Taking cuttings of shrubby salvias along with tender and borderline plants.” Find out Sue Fisher’s must-have salvias, p28 “I’m taking cuttings of tender perennials to safeguard against winter losses.” Geoff Hodge, buyers’ guide, p94 “Endlessly dead-heading roses and shortening overly long stems.” Greg Loades’ lowdown on container gardening, p22 “Mowing (with shears) my new mini-meadow for the first time.” Adrian Thomas on ways to engage kids with nature, p44 “Tackling the summer pruning of our boisterous wisteria!” Helen Billiald shows you how to create a sparkling border, p40 “Looking after my allotment and setting up a little pond near the wildflower patch.” Gill Lockhart designs the magazine The buzz word in gardening right now is ‘rewilding’. We saw at this…2 min
Garden Answers| August 2023Create a CONTAINER gardenNEW SMALL GARDEN SERIES Having a small space with no soil to plant into is a challenge but it’s no barrier to having a beautiful garden. It’s a scenario that I’ve had on two occasions, one on a balcony looking down on the runway to London City airport, the other in a tiny Yorkshire terrace where apart from a narrow raised bed, all that I had for plants was a thin strip of concrete, in shade for most of the day. Initially I felt deflated, the excitement of moving to a new place slightly dulled by the prospect of limited growing space but the reality was that they both had a lot to offer. The chance to make a container garden was actually a great opportunity. Every space has the…4 min
Garden Answers| August 2023AugustLOOK AFTER HANGING BASKETS A full and luxurious hanging basket is a real August treat, and the display of flowers can go on for many weeks. Check the compost each morning by pushing your finger into it and if it’s dry all the way down, then give the basket a good soak. Add a half-strength liquid tomato feed to your watering can every couple of weeks to give plants a further boost. In very hot spells, take baskets down and keep them in shade for the hottest part of the day. Pot on summer-sown biennials If you sowed biennials in June and they’re now growing in modules, trays or small pots, check whether they need potting on. Look at the base of the containers to see if their roots are…3 min
Garden Answers| August 2023Wildplay!When I look back to my childhood summers, what stands out is the amount of time spent in the garden. Me and my sister were out there from the moment breakfast was finished and didn’t come back in again until dark. Or didn’t come back in at all! It wasn’t an especially large garden – we had a lawn, flower beds, some trees, and a small pond. So, what did we do out there? Well, we played in the paddling pool, ran up and down the path, played ball games. But there was also a laburnum and a cotoneaster tree that could be climbed, and we laid a wooden plank over the pond so we could lie on our bellies over the water and peer in. For much of the…10 min
Garden Answers| August 2023Sow fresh and crunchy PAK CHOI1 Prepare tools and mark a line Choose a semi-shaded patch of soil that holds on to moisture well because growth and germination can be poor in dry soil. A trowel, stringline and label are all you need. 2 Dig out soil and sow seeds Use a trowel to loosen the soil, then use the blade edge to scrape out a 2cm-deep trench. Sprinkle the seeds along the row sparingly, then use the trowel to cover with soil. 3 Water the soil Gently water along the row using a watering can with a rose attachment on it. Repeat the watering if the soil goes dry and dusty before germination. 4 Label the row Insert a clear label at the end of the row to remind you where you sowed, while…2 min
Garden Answers| August 2023Prize photoFascinating find I noticed this buzzy creature taking a rest on my Koelreuteria paniculata ‘Coral Sun’ tree. An online search revealed it to be Bombylius major – aparasitic bee mimic fly. Isn’t it fascinating the creatures we discover in our gardens! Josie Cass, byemail WIN SECATEURS WORTH £61.99! Send us a high-res photo of your favourite plants or wildlife with a short description and you could win this pair of Felco No 6 secateurs, which are a compact model, perfect for gardeners with small or medium-sized hands. ● Forged aluminium alloy handles and high-quality steel blades. ● Offset cutting head; ideal for efficient pruning. ● Shock absorbers to alleviate stress when carrying out a lot of pruning in one go.…1 min
Garden Answers| August 2023The joy of losing control● Dan Masoliver is a trained horticulturist and freelance writer from London. He is author of The Earthworm, a newsletter that takes a sideways look at the world of gardens, gardening and horticulture It’s an unfortunate truth, but there is a tendency among us gardeners to turn tyrant. We are good people, with good intentions, but power corrupts, and there are few places where we feel more empowered than in our gardens. There are myriad reasons why we might enjoy tending to our green spaces, but whether we care to admit it, principle among these is often control. I get it, I really do. There is something deeply satisfying about ‘keeping on top of’ our gardens; clipping a hedge, edging a lawn, shaping a box ball; taking the wispy, fuzzy,…3 min
Garden Answers| August 2023Be inspired by...Patio project IMMERSE YOURSELF IN FLOWERS Sometimes the smallest seating areas are the most effective. Just being able to squeeze a comfy seat (and maybe a small table) into a relaxing area can create a feeling of being immersed in the colours, flowers and scents around you. This month there are so many tall, stately and richly colourful perennials starting to really fill out the garden. Hiding away and getting lost among the planting is perhaps never more tempting than in August, especially with a refreshing drink and a good book. GET THE LOOK Keep the show going Ensure the flowers keep coming and your garden doesn’t get out of control! HOG HIGHWAYS IS YOUR FENCING HEDGEHOG-FRIENDLY? A nationwide campaign to create ‘hedgehog highways’ in garden fences needs your help!…6 min
Garden Answers| August 2023Enjoy months of colour with SHRUBBY SALVIASShrubby salvias provide the perfect pick-me-up for summer gardens, flowering exuberantly and keeping the show going for months to come. These easy-to-grow shrubs bear a profusion of lipped flowers that smother the compact, twiggy bushes from early summer, right through into winter if weather permits. They’re wonderful in borders, raised beds, pots, and even as low hedges, and they’re great for wildlife too with nectar-rich blooms. The genus of Salvia is huge and immensely varied, totalling more than 900 species worldwide, and includes shrubs such as rosemary, as well as annuals that are often grown as bedding plants. The salvias described will add countless flowers to the garden. They may not survive hard or wet winters in the UK but will have the best chance if grown in free-draining soil.…5 min
Garden Answers| August 2023PLANT LATE-SUMMER STUNNERSNow’s the time to add some late-flowering plants and fabulous foliage to keep your borders looking vibrant well into autumn. Late-flowering perennials have become increasingly popular in recent years, thanks in part to Dutch designer and plantsman Piet Oudolf’s naturalistic planting schemes filled with bold drifts of grasses and prairie plants. These plants can be incorporated into island beds, borders or even large containers. Perennials aren’t the only option; shrubs with leaves that change colour as the days shorten, such as cotinus, enkianthus and Viburnum opulus, not only add colour but also height and great structure to your planting schemes. Autumn-flowering bulbs offer additional colour Sept-Oct. Choose from slender nerines, topped with exotic pink or white blooms; striking blue-flowered Chinese gentians; and autumn crocuses (Crocus speciosus). Hesperantha offers a succession…6 min
Garden Answers| August 2023“It’s more of a theatre than a garden!”Garden TOUR WORDS: SIMON CANEY. IN THE GARDEN WITH… Adrian and Ita Cooke AT 88 Brook Street, Wymeswold, Leicestershire SIZE: Almost half an acre SOIL: Heavy clay FEATURES: Cottage style garden, a series of water features, small orchard and wildflower meadow OPEN: Through NGS, for more details visit www.ngs.org.uk. There is a spirit of fun and enjoyment about the garden at 88 Brook Street. It is a garden of quirky sculptures, creative seating areas, vibrant containers and plentiful foliage. A garden to immerse yourself in in summer and make the most of every moment. “For us the garden is more than just the plants,” says Adrian. “We’re not what you’d call ‘gardener gardeners’, but we wanted to create an area that people could enjoy.” To maximise the enjoyment, there are…4 min
Garden Answers| August 2023MAKE YOUR GARDENPHONE 01858 438884 QUOTE AJAA OR VISIT greatmagazines.co.uk/gardenanswers At Garden Answers magazine our aim is to help you make the most of your outdoor space by creating your perfect garden – not just for summer, but all year round. Now’s the perfect time to become a subscriber. This rich source of gardening ideas and inspiration is delivered direct to your door, 13 times a year, with a free packet of seeds with every issue. Or try our new print and digital membership package, which allows you to enjoy additional rewards and discounts. Simply scan the QR code (below on the left hand page) with your smartphone or tablet camera to find out more. Sign up to Garden Answers by September 12, 2023 – it’s a perfect treat for you, and…2 min
Garden Answers| August 2023HARVEST IN STYLE with a Sussex trugON THE MARKET NATURAL MATERIALS You may not think that a trug is a must-have gardening accessory, until you’re the proud owner and start using one! They combine practicality with ornamental good looks, and can be used for all manner of jobs, but primarily collecting and carrying your harvested homegrown fruit, vegetables, herbs and cut flowers. You can also use them to carry around small hand tools plus all the other bits and bobs of essential gardening equipment, such as twine and labels. Traditional Sussex trugs also look great when used in rustic indoor displays. What’s in a word? The word trug is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word trog, which means boat-shaped vessel. During these times, when it’s believed trugs were first used, they were made from a hollowed-out piece…3 min
Garden Answers| August 2023CHILEAN LANTERNSBuy 3 for £25 save £17! Crinodendrons are real head turners. From late spring to late summer, these evergreen shrubs produce an abundance of delicate, lantern-like flowers, which hang elegantly from their branches, hence their common name of Chilean lantern tree. Perfect when grown up against your house or an outside wall, where they will decorate the vertical structure beautifully, they also flourish in both borders and containers. H&S: 5m. Hayloft is offering a choice of three charming species and cultivars: Crinodendron hookerianum; white-flowered ‘Alf Robbins’; and pink ‘Ada Hoffman’. Priced at £14 each or buy our collection of three plants (1 of each type) for just £25 – you’ll save £17! Supplied as 9cm pots, with delivery from August.…1 min
Garden Answers| August 2023Win these gardening goodiesCLUES ACROSS 1 Aromatic, early summer perennial of the monarda genus (8) 6 - - - - europaea, evergreen generally known as the common olive (4) 7 Liatris spicata – the fluffy-flowered gayfeather or blazing - - - - (4) 8 Annual culinary herb, Anethum graveolens, often accompanying fish (4) 9 Spectacularly colourful genus of which rediviva is called bitterroot (7) 12 Genus of herbaceous perennials also known as the marsh mallow (7) 15 Nutrient-poor chimney grime used occasionally to darken soil (4) 17 Climbing stem that, for example, produces grapes as its fruit (4) 18 Hybrid tea rose named after French fashion designer Christian - - - (4) 19 Cormous S. African plants with sweetly-scented trumpet blooms (8) CLUES DOWN 1 Annual herb of the mint family, Ocimum basilicum…4 min
Garden Answers| August 2023THE TIDY GUIDE TO REWILDINGRewilding has become a hot topic in recent years. Put simply, it’s the large-scale restoration of landscapes for the benefit of wildlife. Influential voices from the conservation world have called on us to offer up our own gardens for rewilding too, turning our manicured lawns into mini meadows, and adopting an organic, chemical-free approach. They argue that, taken together, our gardens represent almost 30% of the UK’s total landmass (521,872 hectares/1.2m football pitches), and at community level, our re-wilded gardens could create important wildlife corridors – a lifeline between fragmented woodlands, meadows and other wild habitat. There have been hard-hitting headlines about biodiversity loss, too. British insect populations are down 64% since 2004 and last summer’s record-breaking drought was devastating to caterpillars, including the small tortoiseshell, peaco*ck and brimstone. January’s…8 min
Garden Answers| August 2023Shimmering beauties for pure MEDITERRANEAN DELIGHTThis sparkling combination of silvers and pinpricks of purple loves well-drained soil and sunshine. Think gritty Mediterranean hillside rather than heavy Devon clay. You can help your soil towards better drainage with grit and organic matter but ultimately it pays to work with what you’ve got; planting up a large, free-draining container is a better use of resources than replacing your entire garden’s topsoil. Part of the lightness of this border comes from the mingled arrangement of willowy plants, they’re encouraged to mix and socialise rather than being confined to disparate blocks. Colour palette White, silver, pale pink and deep maroon 3 easy steps STEP 2 CHOOSE THE RIGHT PLANTS ALLIUM SPHAEROCEPHALON A wonderfully elegant drumstick allium with striking wine-purple, egg-shaped flower heads. H: 90cm, S: 15cm. VERBENA BONARIENSIS Airy…4 min
Garden Answers| August 2023“We wanted a garden of clearly-defined areas”Garden TOUR “There is a feeling of freedom and abundance WORDS: MARINA JORDAN-RUGG. IN THE GARDEN WITH… Vanessa and Carl Brown AT Abbots Barn, Southorpe, Stamford, Lincolnshire. SIZE: 2 acres SOIL TYPE: Dry, stony SPECIAL FEATURES: Mediterranean garden, allotment-style veg patch, beach garden, cutting patch. VISIT Opening for the NGS in 2024. CONTACT van_brown@hotmail.com The romance and charm of the varied growing and entertaining spaces at Abbots Barn contain all the hallmarks of a classic English garden. A charming succession of billowing herbaceous borders around the sweeping lawns, resplendent with a rich variety of colourful summer flowers, often repeated in blocks. Planted in informal swathes, swirls of salvias, penstemons, geraniums, poppies and delphiniums sprinkled with acid-green euphorbias and alchemilla parade around key structural elements, including clipped topiary cubes and balls,…5 min
Garden Answers| August 2023Life on the VEG PATCHFact file Fact file Name: Jenny Thompson Location: South Devon Patch type: Small village allotment surrounded by rolling Devon hills Size: 10x10m Soil: Red Devon clay mulched with spent mushroom compost Aspect: Open and sunny, but with a north-facing hedge on one border casting some shade Top 5 crops: Salad leaves, kale, sweetcorn, blueberries, parsnips Failures: Strangely, radish – flea beetles ravish them! Organic tip: Don’t rip out the whole plant when clearing beds of annuals. Leave roots to rot down, feeding the soil Find out more: Instagram @organic_ allotment_girl, Facebook @organic. allotment.girl August is here and I’m feeling an overwhelming urge to swap my allotment for a patch on a sun-soaked beach somewhere. August is HOT, and while the plants may love the scorching sun, it’s my least favourite…4 min
Garden Answers| August 2023Over to you!Four kettles I was so taken with the hanging teapots featured in the 30-minute makes (May, p15) that I decided to do my own version and purchased four kettles! Here they are planted and hung up. Diane Simpson, Willenhall Step to it Two years ago my husband created some wooden steps to display my pots. I hand painted the pots and the plants seem happy. Gillian Allan, by email These upcycled wooden steps display my plants wonderfully and also shade my cat house. Susan Walker, by email Bold, blue and beautiful I repotted my agapanthus two years ago and this year there are more than 30 blooms making a magnificent display. Margaret Allison, Polgooth, Cornwall DES RES FOR SOLITARY BEES Star letter I enjoyed reading the article about bee hotels…2 min
Garden Answers| August 2023ORANGES & LEMONSBuy 2x6L Pots for £60 and get free CITRUS FEED! SAVE £16.97 Yes, you can grow fresh oranges and lemons in the UK with these commercial-grade citrus trees! Grow them outside once the risk of frost is definitely gone and bring indoors in autumn to protect from cold weather. Beautiful, fragrant blossom appears in spring and fruits follow ripening over a whole year or so. Supplied as 90cm-1.2m tall, fully mature trees (plants may not be the same height). ● You can buy the collection of 2 x 6-litre potted orange and lemon trees for just £60* and you’ll also receive a free 150g tub of soluble citrus feed worth £7.99; with item code 680021. *Plus £8.99 postage.…1 min
