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BARE-ROOT PLANTS
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Gardening wisdom
PETER SEABROOK
12 Be prepared for changes in the weather, says Peter
BOB FLOWERDEW
15 What should you do about weeds? Bob has a plan…
LUCY CHAMBERLAIN’S FRUIT AND VEG
16 Sow lettuces, outdoor tomatoes and mulch fruit bushes
VAL BOURNE’S GARDEN WILDLIFE
19 Why the ashy mining bee digs and the bee fly takes advantage
Gardenphotos.com
ANNE’S MASTERCLASS
28 “I reveal the best hardy
annuals,” says Graham
36 How to start a new strawberry bed
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
39 Jazzing-up a gravelly patch, sick skimmia, mystery bulbs
YOUR LETTERS
43 Allotment wildlife, beware of garden-centre temptation
HOW TO GROW FOXGLOVES
46 Tips on growing this cottage-garden favourite
GARDENER’S MISCELLANY
48 Facts, puzzles and fancies with the lawn as a theme
TOBY BUCKLAND
59 Toby gets himself into a sticky situation with insects
Reader offers
READER OFFER
46 “Foxgloves are perfect for the
country garden,” says Anne 52 Your chance to save up to £200 on a new greenhouse
Nettles are a
nightmare to get out!
Please don’t remove all
your weeds as many
provide food for visiting
butterflies and their
caterpillars, such as garlic
mustard for orange-
tip butterflies. 2 Slide the plant from its pot and
tease out any circling roots.
Plant it and firm in.
E
ASTER is traditionally a time of plants will complement existing ones.
renewal and rebirth, and I also
think it marks the proper start of
the gardening year. It’s a four-
On these two pages I suggest a few
key jobs that will get your garden ready
for a fruitful and flower-filled year ahead.
3 Water well to saturate the
roots and settle the soil. it will
need little watering afterwards.
day weekend, which gives you ample Part of my work this weekend will be
time to get things ship-shape for the finishing off clearing an area of weeds
year ahead. and scrub towards the back of the
Four days gives you the time to get garden where I want to sow grass seed
on with larger tasks, plan ahead, and It was a tough area to clear as it was
visit open gardens and garden centres full of nettles with long, questing roots
for inspiration for the coming year. and rhizomes that were sending up new
If you haven’t already done so, plan shoots everywhere. It took several hours
filling or improving your borders. Test the
soil, note how much sun they get and
which way they face (their aspect).
to clear and rake, but is now ready for
sowing – see next week’s Lawn Care
Special, where I will be showing you how
4 Surround the plant with grit to
help drainage and deter pests
such as slugs and snails.
Decide on colour schemes and what to grow the perfect lawn from seed.
T
HERE are two schools of soil – first one way, then at 90° the other
thought when it comes to way. This will break down the particles
sowing hardy annuals. The
first is to get your seeds in the
into what gardeners call a ‘fine tilth’,
ensuring that seeds do not get lost
2 Sowing in straight lines, or
drills, creates a more formal
effect. It’s also a good way of
ground in autumn, with the soil still among clumps of earth. growing flowers for cutting as
warm from summer and dampened by To help water pass through more they will be easier to access.
rain. This will give you earlier flowers efficiently, tread the soil down with the
the following year as the plants have backs of your heels – in that way,
a head start. However, the young seedlings can take up
seeds also run the risk of
rotting in cold, wet winter
the moisture they need more
easily. Then sprinkle on
What are half-
soil, or being unearthed
and eaten by hungry
some organic feed like
blood, fish and bone, and
hardy annuals?
rodents and birds. lightly rake it over for a ■ Half-hardy annuals are plants
You are more likely nourishing boost as that will give up the ghost when
to be successful with your seeds get going. hit by a late frost. These include
autumn sowing if you live Cosmos are half- In the panel (above flamboyant summer delights such
somewhere warm and hardy annuals right) I show two methods as cosmos, nicotiana, phlox, aster
sheltered. In other areas try (see right) of sowing, but whichever you and border dahlias.
sowing under cover in pots or opt for you’ll need to protect ■ They come into bloom quickly
modules in late winter or early spring, seeds afterwards from anything that and are a cheap and cheerful way
or wait until now and sow your annuals might eat them, and from cats using your of brightening your borders.
in the soil where you want them to grow. beautifully prepared soil as a toilet. I ■ Sow them under cover now and
In spring the soil is warmer and either lay a lattice of twigs over the top, grow them on before hardening
moistened by rain, which helps. But or spray the ground with a chemical off and planting out around late
unless you do some prep, your seeds deterrent such as Cat-a-Pult or Get Off. May – or whenever all threat of
won’t germinate to their full potential. Keep an eye on your growing frost has passed.
For the best results, begin working seedlings, ensure their soil is damp ■ Keep an eye on the forecast and
on your beds a few days before you (water using a fine rose that won’t have some fleece handy to throw
want to sow. Start by digging over the damage small plants) and thin them over young plants in the event that
soil, breaking up any clods with a fork out to the recommended degree once a late frost catches you unawares.
and weeding well. Then rake over the they are large enough to handle.
6 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 MARCH 2018
Snail trail: As well as munching on your
spring flowers, snails will go for tender
perennial shoots, so be alert!
How to plant
Check your plant roots for
fat, white vine weevil new perennials
grubs and either pick The right plant in the right spot
them off by hand or treat
with a chemical such as
Provado Vine Weevil Dig a hole that’s large enough
to accommodate the rootball
Killer.
Tease out
circling roots
V
if they are cramped together.
ERY little in gardening is set It deserves to be a prominent feature in a Before planting, stand the plant
in stone, which is good news summer border, so now the weather has in water to soak the root ball.
if you are the sort of gardener improved and the soil is warming up I Dig a hole as deep as the plant
who plants things in a fit of decided to move it. container and slightly wider, then
enthusiasm and then decides they You can also move plants in autumn, ease the plant from its pot.
would look better elsewhere. but in exposed areas or places with Carefully tease out any circling
This is what I did with a large heavy clay soils it is best to wait until roots and place the rootball in the
ornamental thistle (Cirsium rivulare spring when things are drying out. hole. Infill with a mix of soil and
‘Atropurpureum’). I wasn’t sure how it Once your plant is in its new spot, compost, firm it down and water well.
would grow, so I settled it in a relatively keep it well watered while it gets A layer of mulch around the plant
out-of-the-way area of garden. established. It may not flower brilliantly will help prevent it drying out while
This was my mistake as it is a tall plant this summer, but be patient and it should it gets established.
with gorgeous, dark, purple-red flowers. bounce back to past glories next year.
A
LL the elements were ranged plants that need moving, and I like to
against us this winter. Even
here in the south we were
faced with hard frosts and
use clay ones for potting up cuttings as
they are porous and won’t suffocate
developing roots.
2 Using a sharp hoe blade and
a stiff broom, sweep debris,
weeds and moss off your patio to
storms topped off by the Beast from the See to patios and decking, removing remove pest havens and prevent
East, which descended on 1 March – weeds, winter moss and other detritus drains becoming blocked.
allegedly, the first day of spring! that can be washed into drains, blocking
If your garden has taken a battering, them and causing flooding. Make sure
start clearing things up now before you your greenhouse is healthy, and if you
get too busy. There is very little that can’t open doors and windows on warm days
be sorted by a stiff brush, hot soapy remember to close them at dusk as
water and a damp cloth, and a sharp nights can still be sharply chilly.
and clean pair of secateurs. Cut away dead and damaged plant
I start by sorting through my plant material that, if left, may provide an entry
pots, and washing those I want to keep point for pests and diseases, and check
in warm soapy water. The most useful for pests. Make sure any dark, shady
ones are the 3in (7cm) variety used for
pricking out seedlings. Larger pots can
be used for temporarily housing mature
corners and drains are swept and
cleaned well too, leaving no room for
further problems to lurk and incubate.
3 Blast accumulated algae,
leaves and mud off your
decking before someone slips
over and hurts themselves.
catalo and
gue.
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Gardening Week
with AG’s gardening expert Ruth Hayes
N
OW the worst of the winter
weather is (hopefully) over, I
have planted out this year’s
onion sets. These are baby
onions and provide an easier and
faster way of growing your crop.
They are also better for growing in
cold, exposed gardens and are less Place onions 4in
prone to certain pests and diseases (10cm) apart in rows
than seed-grown crops.
Onions like a sunny, sheltered site
with fertile, free-draining soil as they can
rot in heavy, waterlogged conditions.
They can also rot in soil that has been
recently manured, so I prepared the soil
for ours a few weeks in advance.
They will grow in a raised bed that
was sown with green manure last
autumn. This has been dug in and left
to rot down for several weeks under a
newly-applied layer of manure and
home-made compost.
Before planting the sets I forked over Remove papery
the bed one more time and removed the skin as an
weeds that were starting to come anti-bird device
through again.
Plant your sets roughly 4in (10cm)
apart in rows that are 12in (30cm) apart.
Gently press them into the soil so just
their tips are left on show. Onion sets are best planted between
Carefully remove the papery skin at mid-March and mid-April
the top of each set to make it harder for
hungry birds to pull them out of the soil.
They will happily grow away now and liquid fertiliser, adding some sulphate of are kept weed-free as their narrow,
need relatively little care. Water when potash in June to help with the ripening strap-like leaves put up little resistance
dry and feed occasionally with a general process. Make sure the growing plants against invasive, unwanted plants.
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W
at the end of the month with the
HILE Julius Caesar was be sure they are hardened to outdoor ‘Beast from the East’.
told to ‘Beware the Ides conditions before planting out. When
of March’, gardeners need the weather is rainy and no frost
to be cautious about the forecast, indoor-raised plants can be
weather throughout the month because placed somewhere sheltered, against a
it can be treacherous. When we have south-facing wall, for several days and
warm sunny days it can be tempting
to think that spring has arrived. However,
our precocious activities can be
thwarted by subsequent frost, hail and “A little protection
snow, as the UK discovered recently
when the ‘Beast from the East’ arrived. is invaluable at Primed seeds give faster
A little protection is invaluable at this
time – anything from polythene cloches this time of year” germination and better end results,
especially in cold soils. The carrot
(firmly anchored), a wooden structure below is Mr Fothergills’ Optigrow.
covered in Enviromesh and cold frames
to greenhouses and polytunnels. They nights. They will stiffen up quite quickly
warm the soil, give shelter from winds and be ready to go out into the soil.
and, in the case of greenhouses and Broad beans, cabbages, lettuce,
polytunnels, make it a lot more pleasant garden peas and hardy annual flowers
to work in the garden. will stand cold early spring weather if
It is two years since a sizeable hardened off well first. Tender summer-
polytunnel was constructed in my back fruiting plants can only go out into
garden and now I would not be without greenhouses if they are heated – so
Photographs: Peter Seabrook/Alamy
it. Stepping inside and just getting out of good advice here is to make haste slowly!
the wind makes such a difference to Tomatoes and cucumbers, indeed all
both the plants and myself. the cucurbits, are better sown indoors Strawberry plants taken under
If you are gardening outside, think over the next few weeks to go into cover now will be protected from
about your hardy plants and where they unheated structures in May. Moving frost and flower early, producing
are sited. If you have grown early hardy plants out makes space for the ripe fruits by late May/early June.
maturing vegetable plants under glass, following, more tender things.
12 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 MARCH 2018
30 Garden Ready
Lupins from
ONLY £11.95…
perfect for masses of
summer colour!
Praised for their outstanding garden performance,
plants from the Gallery series are much famed
for their bold spires packed full with bright and
colourful, bee-attracting blooms and exotic palm-
like leaves – it’s not surprising they are such
cottage garden favourites. Very hardy and easy
to grow, lupins prefer well-drained soil and actually
improve it by fixing nitrogen in their roots. Thriving in
full sun or partial shade, cut back after their first flush of
flowers in June and July for more, later in the summer.
Delivered as garden ready plants from early June.
� Supplied as Garden Ready Plants In trays of 30.
They have large, well-developed rootballs and will
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� First year flowering providing colour this summer
� Fully hardy perennials returning year-after-year
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� Height to 60cm/24in
� Delivered in early June for immediate planting
outside
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with Bob Flowerdew, AG’s organic gardening expert
F
OR effective control of weeds If it regrows, then get it on your next visit.
it’s important how we go about And this is important: almost all
weeding. You see, there are weeds die completely if you destroy
effectively three sorts of weeds every leaf and shoot you see every
– those coming in masses from seed, weekend. It’s just that some take many
those with their roots already down, and more weekends than others.
those with their roots everywhere. But the third group of weeds, those
We really need to deal with each in with roots everywhere, are near
their own way. Those annoying swathes impossible to exterminate. Bindweed,
of seedlings emerging time after time
from any cleared area of soil are easy to
dispatch by hoeing, or whatever, but
ground elder, Japanese knotweed,
equisetum… you probably know them. 3 Now growth is resuming, prune
roses, evergreens and those
shrubs with hollow stems prone to
then they return almost straight away. winter damage, such as bamboos,
Better we cover them with heavy mulch,
and better still when this is placed over “All weeds die if buddlejas and leycesterias.
plant roots so these will be damaged everlasting source of free fertility. Just of lime or calcified seaweed, at a
too. It’s better to cut the weed off just rot it all down underwater in a butt and handful per square yard.
below ground level with a sharp knife. add the liquid sludge to your compost.
24 MARCH 2018 AMATEUR GARDENING 15
with Lucy Chamberlain, AG’s fruit and veg expert
Step How
by step to sow
lettuces
Once you reach September,
begin sowing your late-
season lettuces. Sow these
in modules, ready to plant
in a greenhouse border
or growing bag
under cover.
H
AVING a continual supply cold-tolerant strains for early sowings,
of soft, buttery lettuces and slow-to-bolt types as summer
throughout the summer is a develops. ‘Lobjoits Green Cos’ is my
treat – and one that’s easily favourite for sowing now (my parents
attainable if you stick to a simple cycle. used to grow acres of it commercially
Most of us will eat a salad a day once and its buttery leaves are delicious). For
the weather hots up, especially at
lunchtime when you just want something
light, crisp and refreshing to counteract
summer sowings, ‘Thimble’ has caught
my eye this year because of its disease
and bolt-resistance. Come autumn, I’ll
2 Grow this first batch on at
10°C, until the lettuces are
large enough to plant either in
the heat of the day. Choosing move on to the little-gem type ‘Vailan’. greenhouse borders or growing
appropriate varieties is one secret – Here’s how to sow them (see right). bags under cover, or outside
under cloches at roughly 10in
(25cm) apart each way. Protect
Harvest your from slugs and keep well
watered and weeded as they
sprouting grow in size.
broccoli
WHETHER it’s smothered in cheese
sauce, tossed into a stir-fry or lightly
steamed and smothered in butter, I
adore sprouting broccoli. It’s not a
crop for the impatient, though. Sown
in April, most varieties take almost a
year to mature, but because they fill This white sprouting has taken almost
the spring ‘hungry gap’ so well, I a year to crop – I can’t wait to eat it!
always make room for them.
There are white and purple
varieties of sprouting broccoli – and essential, so my plants have been
3 Once the lettuces are 5in
(13cm) in diameter, sow a
second batch outdoors. Sow
both are delicious. ‘Burbank’ is a nestling under a cage of netting since clusters every 10in (25cm) in moist
British-bred F1 hybrid white form, the summer. Keep picking the tender soil, and cover with cloches. Thin
and ‘Claret’, another F1 hybrid, is a spears as they develop, to encourage to the strongest seedling per
well-established purple variety. more to form. Then rush into the clump once large enough. Repeat,
Protection from pigeons is kitchen and enjoy! without cloches, until late summer.
25p 1
£ .50 3
£ .50
1L
new
Built-in extra
12
£
support
I
the living jigsaw works in your garden.
T’S been such a cold spring here, number of wild bees on the snowdrops.
with week upon week of fairly bright They were tiny, about half the size of a
but chilly weather, that I began to honeybee, and were all over the flowers.
wonder whether I would see a bee We do get some of these smaller bees,
in February at all. However, they just mainly visiting daisies, which I
about made it, and now it’s March, controversially do approve of in lawns.
spring is well and truly underway. When it gets to this time of year we
When you’re a little long in the tooth,
as I am, you realise that there are far
fewer bees out and about than there
used to be. A trip to Ireland in snowdrop
season a few years ago really brought
this home. I visited several gardens close
to Dublin and was astonished at the
Always label
your seeds What’s Things to
on do near you
In April and May you can 24 March: Early Spring Plant Fair:
sow asters directly into East Lambrook Manor Gardens,
borders where you want Silver Street, East Lambrook, South
them to grow. Prepare Petherton, Somerset TA13 5HH.
the soil first and thin £4 plus concessions. 1460 240
growing seedlings to Asters are a long-blooming, 328, eastlambrook.com
8in (20cm) apart. traditional garden favourite
24: Essential Pruning full-day course:
Cottage Garden School, East
A Chinese cracker
Donyland Hall, Fingringhoe, Essex
CO5 7JE. £80. 07837 013900,
cottagegardenschool.co.uk
24: Plant Hunters’ Fair: Carsington
Asters delight with long-lasting colour, says Ruth
N
Water Visitor Centre, Ashbourne,
EW varieties of plants seem white and shades of pink and purple. Derbyshire DE6 1ST. 10am-4pm.
to appear every season, so it Relatively wilt-resistant and weather- Free entry to fair and country park.
can make a refreshing change tolerant, it grows well in tubs and pots. In 25: Spring Plant Hunters’ Fair:
to return to a traditional old beds and borders it likes well-prepared, Ness Botanic Gardens, University of
favourite. Step forward asters, whose free-draining soil, in sun or light shade. Liverpool, Neston Road, Ness, Wirral
densely petalled flowers add colour Originating in China, C. chinensis is CH64 4AY. 0151 795 6300,
from summer to autumn, and have been from the same family as coreopsis, nessgardens.org.uk
delighting gardeners for generations. chrysanthemum and dahlias. Great for 25: Rare Plant Fair: Evenley Wood
This week’s free seeds are aster attracting pollinators, the bold blooms Garden, Evenley, Northants NN13
‘Milady Mixed’ (Callistephus chinensis), make excellent cut flowers to brighten 5SH. evenleywoodgarden.co.uk
a robust dwarf half-hardy annual that the house, and regular deadheading 25: Camellia Heritage Tour: Borde
produces masses of large blooms in will keep them coming for longer. Hill Garden, Haywards Heath,
West Sussex RH6 1HP. 01444
450326, bordehill.co.uk
How to sow your annual asters 27: Magnolia Tour with head
gardener Andy Stevens, Borde Hill
1 Fill a
seed tray
with seed
2 Tamp flat
and sow
seeds thinly
Garden, Haywards Heath, West
Sussex RH6 1HP. 01444 450326,
bordehill.co.uk
and cuttings on the surface, 30: Gardeners’ Questions: Avebury
compost – to enable Manor, Marlborough, Wiltshire
deep enough seedlings to SN8 1RF 01672 538036
for strong germinate with nationaltrust.org.uk
root systems good airflow
to develop. around them.
■ Please send details and images
3 Cover
the seeds
with compost,
4 Label the
seeds and
add a cover.
of your events to ruth.hayes@
timeinc.com or What’s On, Amateur
Gardening, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst
vermiculite or a Place them on Road, Farnborough Industrial Park,
mix of the two, a light, warm Farnborough, Hants GU14 7BF.
and water well, windowsill and ■ Listings need to be with us at
using clean germination least six weeks in advance.
water from the should take ■ All details are subject to change without our knowledge,
so please always check that the event is still going ahead
tap (not butt). 2-3 weeks. before leaving home.
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Pick of the very best
Graham Rice chooses his six top RHS Award of Garden Merit winners
¨
NEW
SERIES
A
Plant them against walls, fences or
RE you looking for colour from curl around trellis, wires or the stems of trellis, on pergolas and towers. They are
a climber? If you are, then look large shrubs. With buds bursting as early especially attractive when positioned to
no further than late-flowering, as February, the vigour of early growth grow through established shrub roses,
large-flowered clematis. I know can be astonishing, but it’s important to climbing roses and other mature shrubs.
that’s a bit of a mouthful, but it tells you remember that a simple spring prune Because they’re so easy to keep in
two of the three things you need to know keeps the plant manageable. check, these clematis are also the best
about these invaluable plants. Flowers are single, and each has choice for containers. But wherever they
All photographs Alamy, unless otherwise credited
Namely: they’re large-flowered, being four to six rounded or pointed petals in are planted, that regular hard spring
4in (10cm) or more across; and they’re every colour you can think of – with the pruning will ensure that they never get
late flowering, June or July onwards and exception of yellow and black. Flowering out of hand. Even if you miss a year they
often well into autumn. The third thing
they have going for them is that they
are very easy to prune. Stockists
Reaching up to 10ft (3m), and Roseland House roselandhouse.co.uk 01872 560451
sometimes more, in a single season, Thorncroft Clematis thorncroftclematis.co.uk 01953 850407
these gorgeous climbers cling in the Taylors Clematis taylorsclematis.co.uk 01302 700716
same way as all clematis: their leaf stalks
22 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 MARCH 2018
the Award of Garden merit is a mark of quality
awarded since 1922 to garden plants (including trees, vegetables and
decorative plants) by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
can still be cut back almost to ground A few AGM varieties can be prone to
level and will grow away happily.
Sadly, they are not totally trouble-free,
this, including ‘Jackmanii’, but I’ve barred
them from my top six.
What makes
and two diseases may pose problems. Mildew can also be an issue, a good late,
The first is wilt, which causes the
collapse of top growth owing to a fungus
especially on plants growing on hot and
sunny walls. Unfortunately, AGM holder
large-flowered
blocking the sap flow in the stems – ‘Perle d’Azur’ is susceptible, so sadly clematis
usually just above the ground. There is I’ve excluded that one, too. n Attractive flower colouring
no cure; simply cut off all the affected Late March is your last chance to plant n Even, well-shaped flowers
growth and either burn it or take it to these invaluable clematis before the n Prolific flowering
the green-waste dump for composting. fragile new shoots become so long that n A long flowering season
Deep planting of new clematis ensures they break off en route from the nursery, n Resistance to mildew
that there are below-ground buds from or as you transport them home from n Resistance to wilt
which new growth can spring. the garden centre. So seize the day!
24 MARCH 2018 AmAteur GArDeNING 23
Planting clematis
■ Clematis can be very long-
lived, so prepare your site well.
■ Dig a large hole, 18in (45cm)
across and deep. Fork over the
base and loosen the sides.
■ Put 4in (10cm) of compost,
bagged soil improver or well-
rotted manure into the hole,
fork into the base and firm well.
■ Mix two handfuls of
bonemeal or any general
fertiliser into a 50:50 mix of
good garden soil and old
potting compost, then use
to fill the hole.
■ Soak your clematis plant
for half an hour, in water with
Maxicrop or Seasol added.
■ Plant with the clematis’s
crown 2½in (6cm) below the Soak before planting Dig a large hole
general soil level.
About 20 years ago I planted a pale Lovely – although I’d now plant mildew-
blue ‘Perle d’Azur’ clematis and a resistant ‘Prince Charles’ instead.
vigorous soft-pink ‘Heritage’ David A few weeks ago I cut the clematis
Austin rose together at the side of back to 1ft (30cm), and cut the side
the shed. The rose developed as a shoots on the rose back, too. Another
climber and supported the clematis. year of colour and fragrance ahead.
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with Tamsin Westhorpe
E
ASTER day may fall on 1 April, new spring-flowering plants, and your more permanent home. Reliable
but this isn’t an April Fool. You winter look can quick turn into spring. perennials for spring interest include
really can add colour to your For those surrounded by empty pots bergenias, dicentra, pulmonarias,
pots now to celebrate the of all shapes and sizes, there’s plenty of pulsatillas and erysimums (wallflowers).
Easter holiday in style. If you’re fun to be had. If a vessel has a drainage Plant shade lovers together in one pot
anything like me you have a range hole it can be used as a planting pot. and sun lovers in another. If you mix
of pots – some with tulips and other Hanging baskets, tins, buckets and them up you’ll struggle to find the right
spring bulbs just poking out of the even old boots are all possible home for your completed container.
compost, others with now shabby containers. Old wicker baskets make To accommodate trees or shrubs
winter bedding and plenty of empty the perfect Easter-themed displays. you need generously sized pots. For
pots crying out for attention. I often hear people asking at garden blossom, why not plant a dwarf apple
I prefer to leave my pots of bulbs centres and nurseries if a certain plant tree? ‘Sunset’ and ‘James Grieve’ are to
alone to avoid damaging the new will grow in a pot. The answer is that all be commended for blossom, but bear in
shoots. For those who didn’t plant plants will grow in pots if treated well, but mind that they won’t flower until much
spring-flowering bulbs in autumn, there some perform better than others. This later in April. When buying an apple tree
are plenty of potted bulbs on sale for means that you have the choice of trees, for a pot, choose one grafted onto a
planting in containers now. shrubs, perennials, alpines and annuals. semi-dwarfing rootstock (M26) and
Fading winter bedding pots are underplant with Anemone nemorosa.
easily given a new look by removing Year-to-year colour For earlier blossom an alternative
plants that are past their best. When growing herbaceous perennials is an amelanchier. This is a very
Cyclamen can be planted in shady in pots, don’t expect them to grow as accommodating and reliable tree for
borders and ivy left in the pot but well as they might in a border. For best large pots. However, one of the most
trimmed to encourage new growth. A results I grow them in a container for impressive trees for blossom is Prunus
fresh few inches of compost with slow- a couple of years planted closely cerasifera ‘Nigra’. This tree will need a
release fertiliser mixed in, plus some together, and then transfer them to a more permanent home after a few
26 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 MARCH 2018
Six great Easter plants for pots
Muscari armeniacum ‘Valerie Finnis’ Narcissus ‘tête-à-tête’ No spring Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Apple Blossom’
The grape hyacinth is a bulbous garden is complete without daffodils. This is perfect for a pot against a wall. It
perennial that can be bought as flowering This dwarf variety is ideal for small pots suits full sun or part shade, with a height
plants now or as bulbs in autumn. About and has the classic yellow trumpet. and spread of 8ft (2.5m) when mature.
10in (25cm) in height, it has pale-blue Height 8in (20cm). Available as plants The spring flowers look like apple
flowers and is perfect for window boxes in flower now or bulbs in autumn blossom. Deciduous with autumn fruits
All photographs Alamy
years, so make sure you have a suitable results. Muscari in a galvanised window especially if the compost is covered
spot reserved in the garden. box offer a fresh, clean look and the with a layer of moss. Don’t forget to add
Shrubs that offer Easter flowers upright dark-blue Iris reticulata in a an Easter twist, such as a small basket
include Ribes sanguineum, camellias white container looks stunning – of china eggs or an Easter bunny!
(with ericaceous compost) and
chaenomeles for a container that
will be placed against a wall. 5 top tips for creating easter containers
Instant impact
My favourite spring pots are those
planted with the classics of spring –
1 Choose a colour theme that
matches your front door or the
coloured glaze on your pots.
blossom on trees and shrubs in
containers. Frost is possible in April.
H
ardy annual – the name
says it all, really. These are
frost-hardy plants that last for
a single season. and they’re
annuals, so they won’t be making a
return visit next year. Sow seeds now
and they’ll take any spring frosts in their
stride, flower gloriously in summer and
then simply fade away.
Hardy is obviously good. No need for
a greenhouse; no need to fuss with the
seeds and seedlings on the windowsill.
But annuals can be dismissed by some
gardeners. True, they will be gone for
good by the end of the season, but I see
this is as an opportunity rather than a
downside. Borders filled with shrubs and
perennials stay more or less the same
year after year. But with annuals, you can
change what you grow on, well, an
annual basis. Sow the ones you really
enjoy again next year, if that’s what you
like, or try something different.
What the description ‘hardy annual’
doesn’t tell you is how economical they
are. Five hundred seeds of the lovely
double-flowered poppy ‘dawn Chorus’
will cost you £2.29. almost every one of
them will come up and those you don’t
sow one year will keep until the next.
Sound good? Of course it does.
and then there’s the mind-boggling
choice. Mr Fothergill’s lists 198 different
hardy annuals; Thompson & Morgan lists
241! There’s no shortage of options, from
low and fragrant alyssum to tall and
stately sunflowers. Whether grown
between perennials, in front of shrubs or
trailing out of containers, they are, by
some distance, the most economical cut
flowers you can get. Better still, the more
you cut, the more they flower. grow through the mild, wet winters and bi-coloured calendulas (‘Orange Flash’),
The hardy annuals we grow today make seed in the hot, dry summers. red-and-white bi-coloured linums (‘Bright
have come about in a number of These annual wildings have a distinct Eyes’), grape-purple poppies (‘Lauren’)
different ways. Some, such as and delightful charm. But plant breeders and an increasing range of nasturtiums.
cornflowers, are derived from old- have improved them, made them more all are just as easy to grow as the old
fashioned cornfield weeds. Others, prolific, more colourful, and available in favourites. and if they turn out not to be
including sweet peas, have evolved to fit new shades and flower forms. Tempting to your taste, not to worry – you can
into Mediterranean climates, where they recent newcomers include pastel easily try something else next year.
28 AmAteur GArDeNING 24 MARCH 2018
Favourite hardy annuals for...
Cutting
Chiltern Seeds
GAP
GAP
Borders
Wildlife
Main photo: Gardenphotos.com. All others Alamy, unless credited
Cerinthe
A fashionable Mediterranean
annual, ‘Purpurascens’ (above)
has blue-green leaves and purple
tubular flowers that are popular
GAP
4 for scent
GAP
L
ush planting that soars towards in which to take refuge from people, disappear. Likewise, pale flowers (such
the sky, walls coated in scented traffic and the pace of urban life. Trees as light blue or white) will give the illusion
plants, the sound of birdsong and tall, leafy shrubs are ideal for of space. Greens, blues and whites are
and a place to put your feet up courtyards – use them to create a soothing, whereas fiery tones are
– a courtyard garden can be a secret canopy for privacy and to attract wildlife. enlivening. This is useful if you’re going
haven of greenery and a space to Once mature, they will add to the lush, to be entertaining in your courtyard, but
unwind, especially in a town or city. ‘secret garden’ feel. the fact that reds and yellows draw the
The tradition of gardens within the space is usually tight, but much can eye will make a space appear smaller.
buildings or boundary walls of houses be done to give the illusion of breadth Fill the air with scent by using fragrant
comes from overseas: from the Zen and depth, including the addition of plants like honeysuckle and jasmine,
gardens of Japan, the riads of Morocco, mirrors and water, which reflect light. and containing their perfume via a
the courtyards of Moorish spain, and The presence of water has also been canopy. And why not add some grasses
the medieval cloisters of France. proven to reduce stress and boost and bamboos? They will whisper gently
These outdoor sanctuaries are wellbeing. Try a ‘rill’ (a narrow, shallow on the breeze, blocking out the sound
frequently surrounded by rooms channel), a fountain or a barrel pond. of neighbours and traffic.
into which the sound of trickling water Colour is also key, both in enhancing Layers of foliage are your best
and the perfume of plants drift. the sense of space and setting the defence against noise pollution. They’ll
Today, many inner-city gardens are mood. using lots of tall foliage plants also lure birds that will (hopefully)
courtyards, and if you’ve got one you’ll and coating the walls with evergreen serenade you as you sip your G&T from
know how important it is to have a place climbers will make the boundaries the comfort of your new courtyard oasis.
32 AmAteur GArDeNING 24 MARCH 2018
6 courtyard essentials
All photos Alamy, unless otherwise credited
GAP
Trachelospermum jasminoides (AGM) Soleirolia soleirolii Campanula persicifolia var. alba
Star jasmine is a great climber for a Grow shade-tolerant carpet foliage This easy-to-grow bellflower will
sunny wall. It has glossy evergreen plants, such as mind-your-own- spread itself around the garden, and
leaves that blush red-bronze during business or Corsican mint (Mentha shines in dappled shade when it
the winter, and it has deliciously requienii) under an ironwork grille blooms during June and July. Regular
scented white flowers throughout or grate. Scour architectural salvage deadheading will keep the flowers
summer. H: 30ft (9m). yards for metalwork. H: 4in (10cm). coming. H: 3ft (90cm).
GAP
Easy
make your ideas
courtyard
seem bigger
n Use leafy, tall plants (including
trees) to give the illusion of a far
more spacious area.
n If walls are high, erect trellis or
paint them a different colour to
6ft (1.8m); this will lower your eye
level and prevent claustrophobia.
GAP
19p
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Anne Swithinbank’s masterclass on: starting a strawberry bed
Planting a new
On heavier soils likely to hold
water in winter, plant
berry bed
strawberries in slightly raised
or mounded beds. On lighter,
drier soils, drought is more of
a problem. Fit a fibre mat
around the plants to hold
in moisture.
four years. New plants are started off in a much all year round in various forms.
different bed and the old plants From spring to early July, cold-stored
disposed of away from the garden, to runners that are dug while dormant and
avoid diseases persisting in compost. held at low temperatures are posted out
Even when strawberry plants have with good root systems. These grow fast
been well tended, they often behave to give a small crop after 60 days in their
badly with age. Multiple crowns form, first year and a better one the next.
sending rhizomes over the ground and Bare-rooted plants are lifted and
flinging out runners. After a while, it is delivered from their nursery beds in ■ When planting, trim rather than
difficult to see where they were originally autumn, so order early to receive them fold any overlong roots of bare-
planted and the quality dwindles. before cold weather sets in. Garden rooted stock. Plant so the crown
Canny gardeners root runners in centres have potted plants for sale is at or just above the surface and
summer while their plants are still pretty much all year round, but avoid the roots are neatly buried.
healthy, enabling them to start new winter planting when the soil is liable
beds for free. Sickly looking plants with to be frosted or waterlogged.
Disbudding
All pictures Time Inc unless otherwise credited
Alamy
Alamy
Find and mark the largest crowns in Firm soil around any exposed roots and Mulch generously between and
the bed so they are 12-18in (30-36cm) sprinkle a general-purpose fertiliser up to the plants with well-rotted
apart and remove smaller unwanted around the plants, adding it gently compost to hold in moisture and
ones, along with weeds and debris. between them. nourish the soil.
For
Every
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With Loam planting
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From germinating seeds, to potting on and planting up
containers our Multi-Purpose Compost with John Innes is
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retains and releases nutrients and water to give plants all
they need to thrive – through every stage of their life.
gardenhealth.com
Anna Toeman, Dr Jane Bingham, John Negus
Bulb mystery
Seed Lynx Supplies
Q Should I prune my
grapefruit and
stand it on the warm,
sunny patio?
Simon Lander,
via email
Wikimedia/Trauttmansdorff Gardens
It is a little early to put your
grapefruit outdoors. If you
do, be vigilant and bring it back
into your greenhouse if the
temperature falls below 10˚C.
As for pruning, your plant would
benefit from a light prune – remove
a few of the overcrowded
branches and pinch back the tips
of overly long shoots.
Wikimedia
or how should I treat them? Put them in a compost bin or plastic It is the mottled bee-fly
Phillip Mills, Derby bag in which you’ve punched holes (Thyridanthrax fenestratus).
with a garden fork to ensure that air Colonising sandy heathland,
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Write to us: Letters, Amateur Gardening magazine,
Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough Business Park,
Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 7BF.
Email us: amateurgardening@timeinc.com
with Wendy Humphries
Photo
of the
week
“I didn’t want to be
distracted by the
flowers,” says Celia
Buying plants
in flower may A sunny February day
and out came the bees
be tempting…
i’ve just taken delivery of two new
clematis. One of them (C. ‘Jackmanii)
Let’s hear it for hellebores
is going to trail along the fence and This photo was taken on 24 February, to watch a bumblebee forage for
another (‘Perrin’s Pride’), is specifically a very cold but sunny day. it may be pollen and nectar, while other tiny
for a large pot on the patio. i didn’t want early in the year, but my hellebores bees flitted in and out at speed, too
to go to a garden centre and then be were doing a sterling job of attracting quick to catch on camera!
distracted to buy a clematis based on different types of bee. it was wonderful Anne Aiken, Worcestershire
how its flowers look, only for it to be
unsuitable for its intended purpose.
There are leaf buds coming already
and i’m looking forward to the time
when i can plant them out.
Reader’s Quick Tip
Celia Holt, via email DRAW a plan of the spring bulbs in your
garden while they are still visible. Then,
Wendy says: Good idea, Celia, to do in autumn, it will be much easier to plant
your research before buying. Plant your new ones to fill in the gaps.
‘Jackmanii’ clematis 2-3in (5-8cm) Fred Whittaker, Co Durham
deeper than the surrounding soil level.
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While foxgloves will grow
in dry shade, they tend to be
poor and stunted in such
conditions. To reach their full
potential they need light
shade and moist soil
enriched with well-
rotted compost.
How to grow
foxgloves
Spires of pest-resistant foxgloves are just perfect for
the country garden, says Anne Swithinbank
L
AST June our garden was full been felled, leaving sunny clearings.
of white foxgloves, towering in Return the following June and these
borders and making glorious glades are likely to be bursting with
combinations with shrubs, roses purple spires. Foxgloves are biennial,
and in particular, blue Anchusa azurea. so during the first growing season a
This momentous display cost next to rosette of leaves develops. This waits
nothing, as it all came from a packet of out winter and then rises to flower the
AG’s free seeds sown the preceding following June. Plants sometimes live
June. Best of all for a country garden like longer but rarely bloom twice with the
Foxgloves spires make a magnificent
mine, digitalis are immune to deer and same vigour. cottage garden border display
rabbits. Even slugs and snails seem to For wild areas, straight D. purpurea or
leave them well alone. the white form D. p. ‘Alba’ look stunning,
Foxgloves are bitter-tasting and and the tubular flowers arranged on one short and multi-stemmed with attractive
poisonous, containing glycosides side of the stem are a magnet for bees. deeply cut blooms.
including digitalis. This has a long history ‘Pam’s Choice’ boasts white flowers Over-wintered rosettes are available
of use in heart-regulating medicine with rich-red throats and taller, showier to plant now and flower this summer. As
stretching back to ancient Roman times. Excelsior hybrids bring a range of long as the soil around them is not overly
Due to bitterness, poisoning by colours, with flowers all around the stem. disturbed, they’ll seed themselves.
foxgloves is rare but it pays to remember For containers or cottage gardens in The Dalmatian and Camelot series
the old country name: ‘dead man’s bells’. tighter spaces, opt for shorter varieties, have been bred to bloom in their first
Seeds of the common foxglove, such as ‘Knee High Mixed’ or strawberry- year from an early spring sowing, but
Time Inc/Alamy
Digitalis purpurea, persist in the ground rose ‘Summer King’. If you like novelties, for sheer numbers to replicate wild
for many years. On country walks, you then ‘Candy Mountain’ has upward- communities, make a note to sow
might notice areas where trees have looking flowers and ‘Pam’s Split’ is traditional varieties in late May or June.
46 AmAteur GArDeNING 24 MARCH 2018
Follow Anne’s advice to
grow foxgloves from seed
Prepare a half seed tray with
good soilless multi-purpose
compost, firm the surface
gently so it is flat and
water using a fine rose
(sprinkler) on the can.
Allow to drain.
Sprinkle the fine seed
thinly and evenly over
the surface. Press lightly
into the moist surface but
don’t cover.
Place in a shaded spot and keep
moist until the seeds have germinated and grown.
Carefully transplant one seed per 31∕2in (9cm) pot.
When roots have filled the pot, plant out 12-18in
(30-45cm) apart, usually in August or September.
Water in really well.
Four favourite
foxgloves to enjoy
died.
■ 21 March 1933
Budding inventions
Michael Ray Dibdin EDWIN Beard Budding (1775-1846) is
Heseltine, Baron famous for inventing the lawnmower. At
Heseltine, was the time (1830), people thought he was a
born. Former madman to use such a contraption. He
Deputy Prime therefore tested the machine at night so
Minister and no one would see him.
Conservative MP, he It’s less well known that he also
Wikimedia / Financial Times
Lawn-related
quotes Prize draw
“My neighbour Helping keep your indoor plants well watered, the Westland
asked if he Watering Indicator Stick changes colour to alert you when
could use my the soil in your pot is drying out. A red window display means
lawnmower and your plant needs watering. Once the soil is rehydrated, the
I told him of course colour changes to blue to show all is well. We have five
he could, so long as indicator sticks to give away, each worth £2.99. See below
he didn’t take it out of for details of how to enter the prize draw.
my garden!” Comedian
Eric Morecambe (1926-1984)
“Tradition dictates that we have a lawn How to enter
– but do we really need one? Why not Send your name and address on the back of a postcard
increase the size of your borders, or to Westland Watering Indicator Stick Draw, Amateur
replace lawned areas with paving stones Gardening, 2 Pinehurst, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough,
and gravel?” Severn Trent Water (The Hampshire, GU14 7BF. Or you can email your details
Gardener’s Water Code, 1996) to ag_giveaway@timeinc.com, heading the email
“Nothing is more pleasant to the eye Westland Watering Indicator Stick Draw.
than green grass kept finely shorn.” The closing date is 29 March 2018.
Francis Bacon (1561-1626) Essays:
Of Gardens (1625)
WIN
£30 Word search No:
408
18 19
Bamboos technically
are in the grass kingdom.
The giant bamboos of
south-east Asia are 20
incredibly fast growing
– they can grow up to one
metre in 24 hours! ACROSS
1 Perennial plant having the shrub rose ‘____ Narcisse’
leaf-like stems, scale-like and the flowering onion Allium
leaves, and small flowers, ‘____ Regard’ (4)
Oddly, ‘Bamboo and the young shoots of which 20 The Eastern Roman Empire,
Blackie’ is a curiously are eaten as a vegetable (9) as in the ________ crocus
named variety of daylily 7 Lemna is the watery ____ (C. banaticus) (9)
(hemerocallis), while weed (4)
‘White Lawn’ is a variety
8 The essential oil or perfume DOWN
obtained from flowers (4) 2 Potato group, usually planted
of heather (Calluna 9 A kind of sweet potato (3) in March and harvested from
vulgaris, right). Both are 11 Found in clones of melon, July (6,5)
available from breeders this is an abbreviation for 3 Genus of the herb rue (4)
and garden centres. longitude (3) 4 Errant mould is an extreme
12 Since it is found in the sago form of the current style
palm – and an octagonal (11) (anag)
dragon (3) 5 Leontopodium alpinum is
If you know 13 Appropriate social better known as this (9)
someone called behaviour, as in the ‘great white 6 Botanical garden devoted
‘Timothy Bent’, then his rhododendron’ (R. _______) (7) to trees (9)
14 This sheep sounds like the 9 Genus of evergreen plants,
horticultural name is common name for Taxus having long, pointed, and
‘Grass Grass’: both baccata (3) rigid leaves at the top of a
Timothy (Phleum 15 A number found in woody stem, and bearing a
pratense, left) and bonemeal! (3) large head of showy white
Bent (Agrostis spp.) are 16 The fraxinus tree (3) blossoms (5)
18 Channel Island, as in the 10 Fragrant gum resin obtained
types of lawn grass. old floribunda rose variety from certain trees and used in
‘Dame of ____’ (4) perfumery and incense (5)
19 Man much concerned with 17 A tomato’s will if the
his dress and appearance, as in watering is erratic (4)
Alternative lawn-based 10 Myrrh 17 Skin
DOWN 2 Second early 3 Ruta 4 Ultramodern 5 Edelweiss 6 Arboretum 9 Yucca
definitions 15 One 16 Ash 18 Sark 19 Beau 20 Byzantine
ACROSS 1 Asparagus 7 Duck 8 Atar 9 Yam 11 Lon 12 Ago 13 Decorum 14 Ewe
CROSSWORD ANSWERS
Aerate – The cost of buying oxygen
Bamboo – A surprise hit
Dandelion – Fashionably dressed big cat
Spiking – Monarch working for MI6
KEYWORD TO WORDSEARCH 403 (AG 17 FEBRUARY):
topdress – Area of material just below a lady’s neckline
PERCH
turfing – Instant grassification AND THE WINNER IS:
Weeding – The sound of a small bell in Scotland MRS B MACDONALD, PARBOLD, LANCASHiRE
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I
nspiration was not in short laughs. “i wanted a project and this
supply when Kathy Fairweather blank canvas was perfect.”
set about making her mark on “The house was With so many requirements for her
the L-shaped plot behind her garden to meet, Kathy decided the best
Derbyshire home. immaterial – way forward was to divide her plot into
the retired university lecturer had ‘rooms’, each with their own characters
spent years collecting ideas for a
horticultural haven that would provide
I wanted a project” and underlying vibes.
in doing so she’s been able to
her with places in which she could relax, incorporate a mix of horticultural styles
contemplate, watch wildlife, and grow and when she viewed a 1950s into the overall layout, including a
fruit and vegetables, going on to add a property with a garden put down to lawn hollyhock-rich cottage garden, wildlife-
woodland area to her list after being and block paving, she knew she had friendly pond, calming Japanese-style
captivated by one she saw while found the ideal spot. zone, organic fruit and vegetable patch,
looking at different houses to buy. “the house was immaterial,” Kathy quiet ‘spiritual area’ and woodland
24 MARCH 2018 AmAteur GArDeNING 55
A garden of many styles
Bring together red and green foliage, using plants such acer, Physocarpus ‘Lady in Red’,
a fastigate (column-like) Sambucus nigra and Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’, for a hint
of drama. Kathy’s wildlife-friendly pond has a ‘beach’ of pebbles so creatures can get in and out
www.chrysanthemumsdirect.co.uk
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Plant Display Staging • Polythene Tunnels • Mini Greenhouses • Cloches
Cold Frames • Wheelbarrows • Compost Bins • Weed Burners • Pest Control • etc.
situation
(a prickly stick insect) was
found in Devon in 1909
W
not only resembling sticks but
HEN my friend Sarah Could it be true that stick insects were also changing colour to merge
sent me a picture of a now naturalised in the West Country? into their background – even
‘hitchhiker’ wanting a lift to Casting around for info, I ascertained wobbling about to mimic the
work, I expected to see a that they’d lived here since hitching a lift movement of the wind.
youth with his thumb in the air. But no! on imports of Torbay palms (Cordyline
The creature wasn’t a hoodie-clad australis) from New Zealand in 1905.
millennial, but a stick insect clinging to Further populations had then England, overwintering in a trance-like
the front tyre of her Citroën! escaped from Paignton Zoo in the 1920s state among the dense foliage of
I was amazed. Why was this unusual while others had arrived on tree ferns. shrubs. Come the spring, they emerge to
beast stalking (make that sticking) the According to Nick Wadham, a wildlife feed on the surrounding privet, brambles
streets of south Cornwall, and how had it expert from educational enrichment and leylandii hedges.
arrived there? My first thought was that it company BugFest, there are five I can only imagine that with the
must be on the run from some young different species of stick insect in the warming climate we’ll all be seeing
entomologist’s jam-jar terrarium. Sarah, UK – three from New Zealand and more of these interesting insects in
however, thought differently, as she’d another two from southern Europe. our gardens. So remember, the next
encountered stick insects alive, well, and As the insects can’t survive frost they, time you look at a stick, it might be
‘al fresco’ near her home before and said er, stick to the milder south-west of looking back at you!
that a naturalised population lived in the
gardens nearby.
Well, every day is a school day when
you’re a gardener, but this occurrence
Did you know? live in balance with their environemnt,
feeding on plants and being fed on by
was so abstract from my reality that I Stick insects lay their several birds. They never move far except to
turned to the wisdom of the great hundreds of seed-like eggs below find a warm place to spend the winter.
philosophers for guidance. “Seeing is where they feed in summer and The most common species is
All pictures Alamy unless otherwise credited
not believing – it’s only seeing,” said autumn. These hatch out in the ‘unarmed’, followed by
George MacDonald, author and poet; spring and grow over a few the ‘Indian’, which, while it
whilst the philosopher, Confucius, weeks until they reach doesn’t over-winter, is
believed that: “Real knowledge is to their mature size of apparently a common
know the extent of one’s ignorance!”. roughly 4in (10cm) long. pet escapee that can be
And of course, who could forget: “It is the Unlike non-native spotted across the
stickiest situation since Sticky the stick species, stick insects The unarmed stick insect country during summer
insect got stuck on a sticky bun,” Lord have found a niche and is most common the UK and autumn.
Blackadder, BBC, 1983.
24 MARCH 2018 AMATEUR GARDENING 59
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