Amateur Gardening

“I’ve recently made friends with a robin. Well, I say ‘robin’ (singular), but I’m not sure it’s always the same one – although I’d like to think so. As I’m shovelling my home-made compost, my red-breasted pal appears on a nearby branch to see if I’ve

1 Stop birds stunning and killing themselves on your windows by decorating them with stickers and silhouettes of birds of prey. 2 If you have a cat, make sure their collars have a bell and keep them inside or away from bird feeders in the early morni

I WAS lucky enough to grow up with a dad who had a no-nonsense approach to house spiders that had wandered into the house. He would simply scoop them up, either in his hand or in a handkerchief, and pop them back outside. This attitude rubbed off on

MOST hedgehogs will now be hibernating or stocking up on foods to fuel them through their winter sleeps. While they are grateful for manmade hedgehog homes, they will also make their own snug nests. It pays to leave an area of your garden to go wild,

▪ If you have an open compost heap that needs turning during the winter, be careful with your fork. ▪ Compost generates heat as it decomposes and this makes the heap a welcoming, comfortable haven for all sorts of animals seeking to hibernate in wint

THE world’s largest garden wildlife survey, the Big Garden Birdwatch, returns in January. The UK’s largest ‘citizen science’ event, involving hundreds of thousands of keen-eyed bird spotters, the Birdwatch will run from Friday to Sunday, 29-31 Januar

AS temperatures plummet, plants aren’t the only things in the garden at risk from freezing conditions. A fractured pipe leading to an exterior tap will cause major problems indoors as well as out, but is easily avoided. Insulation is key, so use prop

BOX tree moths and caterpillars were first spotted in the UK in 2007 and have become a widespread menace. The moths lay eggs between April and October and the caterpillars devastate large areas of the shrub, protecting themselves under dense silken w

▪ Work out how much band you need to circle the trunk and add an extra 3in (8cm) to make sure there is a generous overlap. ▪ Fold out the band and attach it to the tree so the tacky side is facing outwards. The overlapping lengths help hold it in pla

1 There are now such dramatic lettuce colours that they can be cropped in flower borders and look really decorative in containers. 2 Farmers have a five-to-seven-year rotation for carrots and parsnips, to avoid the build up of pests and diseases. It

1 Gather up all available ashes from clean bonfires to store in the dry before the rain can wash out their value. 2 If stood in the damp, garden canes rot at the bottoms – stored in the dry, they’ll be same length next year! 3 It’s getting late to pl

THANKS to global warming and our milder winters, certain species of migratory birds have taken to residing in our gardens all year, instead of heading south for warmer climes in autumn. One such bird is the blackcap, a warbler that used to grace thes

1 Traditional: I grow ‘Nero di Toscana’ and ‘Green Curled’ every year as stalwarts. They sit in a brassica cage alongside the cauliflowers, Brussels sprout and so on. Lower leaves are picked, in batches, from August right through until late March. 2

✓ Compact varieties, such as ‘Dwarf Green Curled’ and ‘Raven’ can be grown to maturity in large containers; place three plants per half-barrel. ✓ Modern breeders have developed varieties with higher sugar levels to recruit kale converts, such as ‘Can

MY grandparents were famed for their sloe gin – it inspired my cousins and I to have friendly competitions as adults, to see who could make the best batch. We even served it up with the toasts on our wedding day! So it’s a ritual to scour the hedgero

SOME autumn jobs needn’t be rushed, but this should be completed imminently. By organic mulches, I mean those made from plant- or animal-based materials, such as leafmould, garden compost or well-rotted farmyard manure. These mulches are invaluable f

1 Pots indoors: Those with small, pot-grown trees can move your plant into a well-lit, frost-free spot for winter. A frost-free greenhouse or conservatory is ideal. Keep plants dry, but not bone dry. 2 Pots outside: If you’ve no undercover space for

1 Lay a thick organic mulch around the base of globe artichokes. They can sometimes struggle with chills, so appreciate insulation.2 Alongside brassicas, net beds of spinach and chard if wood pigeons are troublesome in your area, to deter plant strip

WELL, it might look a bit like a banana, but it certainly doesn’t taste like one! This vigorous perennial (Sicana odorifera) is, in fact, more closely related to a melon; indeed, this is what it smells and tastes like once it is fully ripe. Give it p

There are many fiery-fruited spindles. This species from China and Japan makes an upright shrub, bearing elegantly dangling stems of red fruits with orange arils. Leaves turn a brilliant scarlet before falling. H&S: 10ft (3m). While bees love the whi

‘Ballerina’ AGM: A polyantha rose liberally smothered in clusters of single blooms in white and shades of pink; these are followed by dainty, long-lasting rose hips. Thinning out an older stem now and again will keep it looking its best. H&S: 4ft (1.

Known as love-lies-bleeding or tassel flower, this spring-sown Andean annual makes drooping tails of small red, yellow or green flowers in summer. You can use the seeds to make flour, but hungry birds will appreciate them even more. HxS: 3x2ft (90x60

This perennial wallflower makes a neat, tidy plant that’s covered in purple-mauve flowers from late winter to summer – often until the first frosts of late autumn. The blooms are set above attractive silvery-grey-green mounds of evergreen foliage. H:

Generally, bergenias flower in late winter and spring; but true to its name, ‘Autumn Magic’ blooms from spring into autumn. The generous, glossy green leaves (the reason it’s called ‘elephant’s ears’) are accompanied by bright pink flowers. Good for

Forming a mound of dark-green foliage, this striking evergreen spurge is topped with chartreuse flowers in spring. ‘Rudolph’ refers to the bright red shoot tips that develop as winter takes hold. H: 2ft (60cm). Grown as a foliage plant – and with tac

FOR healthier growth and better flowering, simply give perennials an annual mulch with well-rotted compost or manure. Apply it at any time, but late autumn or early winter is ideal as it offers a degree of protection for roots during the colder month

Myosotis are easy to grow and will spread like wildfire. Flowering from mid spring to mid summer, the five-lobed flowers of perennial M. sylvatica look great with pink tulips such as ‘Foxtrot’ rising out of their sea of blue. There’s nothing like a p

Brighten your outlook and boost your mood by filling a window-box with a cheerful combination of tall red tulips (you can’t go wrong with the classic ‘Red Impression’), golden yellow wallflowers and orange primulas. Given a sheltered spot in partial

DO plant tulip bulbs in mid to late autumn (November is ideal). Getting them in the ground any earlier increases the risk of tulip fire disease. DON’T skimp on space. Plant at a depth of two or three times the bulb’s height, and at least twice its wi

WHEN choosing planting companions for tulips bear in mind the following: ▪ Tulips like sun and free-draining soil so anything you plant with them will need to favour the same conditions. ▪ While having everything in flower at once will make a wonderf

Remember, remember the 5th of November! AUTUMN is the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness – and bonfires! And never more so than around 5 November, when we celebrate the burning of a terrorist! Mmm… Anyway, for whatever reason, people all round t

No: 543 This word search comprises words associated with bonfires and fireworks. They are listed below, and in the grid they may be read across, backwards, up, down or diagonally. Letters may be shared between words. Erroneous or duplicate words may

Tim Rumball offers some simple maintenance tips to keep tools working efficiently BLUNT blades of secateurs can crush plant stems, dull saw blades run off line and loose handles can be a danger to the user. In essence, tools that don’t work correctly

I ALWAYS enjoy the packets of free seeds given away with AG. There is always that gap in the border that needs filling. However, I find there are always far too many seeds for my needs. Not to be wasteful, I grow them on in 3in (8cm) pots and give th

I LOST my dad last October; he reached a good age of 90, but I was heartbroken. Having moved in with my mum, I wanted to keep the garden going. This is what dad used to do – he loved pottering around in the garden. During lockdown, I started buying A

Editor: Garry Coward-Williams Email: garry.coward-williams@futurenet.com 0330 390 3732 (Mon-Fri 9.00am-6.00pm) Gardening Editor: Ruth Hayes Assistant Editor: Janey Goulding Art Editor: Al Rigger Picture Editor and Letters: Wendy Humphries Features: K