Weed control: Hoe, hoe, hoe!

Stay chemical free with regular soil cultivation, says AG gardening editor Kris Collins

Do it less frequently and soil is harder to work, and annual weeds may have time to flower and seed.

Resource: amateurgardening.com

Weed control: Patios and paving

Keep patios, paths and drive weed free with top tips from AG gardening editor Kris Collins

Allow weeds to mature in the joins between patio slabs or block paving and it can be a real problem to remove them by hand. With no room to dig out tap roots, perennial weeds will likely return soon after pulling off or scraping away top growth.

Over time, regular removal of the re-growth will weaken the plant, eventually killing it, but if you don’t mind using chemicals, the fastest route to a weed-free patio or path is to reach for a systemic weedkiller. These are absorbed by the plants and carried down to the roots to prevent any re-growth occurring. Apply these on a dry day, when there is no wind to blow spray on to plants or into neighbour’s plots. One spray usually does the job but a second may be needed.

Regular attention to hard surfaces will prevent the need for chemical sprays. I’ve just tried the Burgon & Ball “Compact” Miracle Block Paving Brush  (inset) and was impressed with how easily the rows of wire bristles scraped away moss and young weed seedlings. Established weeds that had slipped my notice were easily prised out with the attached weeding knife.

Resource: amateurgardening.com

Weed control: beds and borders

Keep bedding and border displays weed free this season with top tips from AG gardening editor Kris Collins

Aim to dig out weeds growing in border soils unless you’re faced with persistent weeds that re-grow from bits of root left in the ground (ground elder, bindweed and couch grass spring to mind) .

Digging is eco-friendly, cheaper, and it removes the risk of damaging other plants with accidental spray drift. I tried for two years to rid a garden of couch grass this way, but it kept returning. The only way to control it was by spraying (inset).

Heavy clay soils also make it difficult to dig out weeds without leaving roots in the ground, and again, sprays may be needed for total control. But if soils are easily workable it should be possible to lift even the longest tap roots of dandelion from the soil with a bit of careful digging.

If planting a new border this season consider laying down a weed control fabric, but as the pic above shows, weeds can still grow through!

Resource: amateurgardening.com

Build a house for Mason bee

Michelle shows you how to make a bee hotel for Mason bees

Carefully saw a 36 x 4 x 1/2in (105 x 10 x 1.5cm) plank of untreated wood into 2 x 12in (30cm) lengths and 2 x 8in 20cm lengths

Drill two holes into the edges of each 12in (30cm)  piece and attach the 8in (20cm) pieces using 11/4in (3cm) No 8 wood screws (as above)

Cut hollow plant stems such as bamboo (above) into 4in (10cm) lengths.  Sand off splinters

Stand the wooden frame on its side, and stack the bamboo lengths inside. When the final ones go in, they will ‘lock’ together

Hang the box by picture or mirror fixing hooks onto a sunny fence, sheltered from strong winds and rain and near a food source for the female bee

Resource: amateurgardening.com

Raking is gardeners ‘most hated’ chore

Raking is gardeners’ most hated outdoor task – with Brits ranking it as a never-ending chore.

Over 500 gardeners were asked to identify the task they least looked forward to. 

Behind raking came tidying-up the garden and trimming hedges, in second and third place respectively.

A spokesman for GardeningExpress.co.uk, which carried out the study, said: “It’s no surprise to see some of the more strenuous tasks coming near the top.

“Trimming hedges, digging and chopping down trees all require energy and stamina and can easily be among the tasks you put off. But once complete you feel good and the garden looks great.”

One survey respondent said: “I seem to spend endless autumn days raking. As soon as I think I’ve finished, more leaves seem to fall.”

GARDENERS’ TOP 10 MOST HATED TASKS

1. Raking leaves (21%)

2. Tidying (16%)

3. Trimming hedges (13%)

4. Digging (12%)

5. Pruning overgrown trees (11%)

6. Weeding (10%)

7. Pruning shrubs / plants (8%)

8. Cutting the grass (4%)

9. Planting (3%)

10. Watering (2%)

Resource: amateurgardening.com

The two-fingered gardener

The weather for the last few days has certainly kept me on my toes! rain, sun, gales, cloudy and chilly. What ever is a gardener to do? Still my tomatoes, tomatillos, chillies and strawberries, all of which are in the greenhouse are all looking healthy and growing fast. Maybe I should live in there for a bit, see if I grow too!

Read more at 

During the good spells I’ve been tending to my new Forest Garden Accessible Gardening raised beds ( You probably read about the installation in AG 4 May) I’m always happy working with these on the patio just pottering about, pulling up a few weeds, (though you don’t get many growing in a new raised bed!), doing a little deadheading – another job that I used to find hard. James disliked it too as he used to have the glamorous job of following me around and picking up all the debris. Not anymore, now I can deadhead away and pick up the dropped bits as they are now all at my level. No bending, no searching about in the borders – excellent! These raised beds really have changed my ability to garden. Whenever I choose to I can go out on my own and not leave a whole host of havoc behind me. The raise coldframe in the range has been a real boon this year. No more do I have to drop precious seedlings into a floor frame from a standing position – though being only 4 foot 9, I could never drop anything from a that great height but I’d still damage a fair few plants and had to sow more than I needed as I knew some would not survive the drop. Now I can be a careful loving gardener and gently place my trays in the coldframe. A bonus now of course is I no longer have to over sow everything, so I am saving seeds and money too.

Giving these raised beds a trial has set me off down another path too. I have been sent some amazing products for disabled, less mobile, older and any gardener really. I am having the time of my life and it is all down to Kris at Amateur Gardening for taking a chance on me and giving me the opportunity to write for the magazine in the first place. Next week I’ll let you know about a motorised wheeled, garden sprayer that allows me to independently water all my new planters. Stay tuned.

Resource: amateurgardening.com

Scientist creates grass-free flowering lawns

A scientist has created what could be the most environmentally-friendly lawn in the country – but your kids won’t be able to play football on it.

Lionel Smith, a PhD researcher at the University of Reading’s School of Biological Sciences, is championing a new concept of ‘grass-free lawns’.

Lionel and his flowering lawn

Instead of laying turf or putting down grass seed, Lionel uses perennial forbs: soft-stemmed plants that spread without using seed and live for longer than two years.

And he says that a “little bit of walking” on a flowering lawn will even help it grow.

Lionel told AG: “It’s an idea I first came up with during the big drought of summer 1976.

“We came back from holiday and everything had died. The borders and grass were dead. But all the wildflowers were in flower.”

Gardeners who want to experiment with flowering lawns should opt for ornamental cultivars of British natives, Lionel advised.

Good species to start out with include red-flowered daisies (bellis), white-flowered buttercups (ranunculus) and bronze-leaved bugle (ajuga).

Flowering lawns, it’s claimed, need mowing three to nine times per year – that’s two-thirds less than the 20 to 30 cuts required for conventional lawns.

Grass-free lawns should not exceed 3.5in (9cm), or they will turn into a meadow.

Lionel added: “A lot of [traditional] laws don’t see anything but a mower, or occasionally someone walks on them. They’re susceptible to diseases and drought and their biodiversity and ecosystem is extraordinarily low.

“They need raking, cutting, feeding and watering – a lot of resources are thrown at them.”

Lionel’s belief in “flowering lawns” has led to the creation of the world’s first grass-free lawn in Notting Hill, London.

His trial lawns have never been fertilised, and apart from two waterings when they were laid, they haven’t needed irrigation.

Resource: amateurgardening.com

Top 10 roses for scent

Is there any fragrance more legendary than the scent of the rose? Its delicious, sweet perfume is the highlight of the summer garden. The following 10 varieties are among the very best for scent:

Read more at http://www.amateurgardening.com/top-tips/roses-top-tips/top-10-roses-for-scent-7595#021LHiFGSJmuRp5e.99

1) ‘Louise Odier’ – one for romantics, this intensely scented pink Bourbon rose repeat-flowers and resists disease well. H 5ft (1.5m) S 4ft (1.2m). Supplier: www.oldroses.co.uk

2) ‘Madame Isaac Pereire’ – a wonderful Bourbon rose, which produces very large fragrant red-pink blooms. H 5ft (1.5m) x S 4ft (1.2m).
Supplier: www.classicroses.co.uk

3) ‘De Resht’  – this Portland Damask has crimson-pink pompon flowers which are very fragrant.
H 3ft (90cm) x S 2ft (60cm).
Supplier: www.davidaustinroses.co.uk

4) ‘Professeur Emile Perrot’ (syn. ‘Kazanlik’) – an ancient Damask rose grown for the perfume industry. Wonderfully shabby pink flowers that exude a heart-stopping lemon scent. H 6ft (1.8m) x S 4ft (1.2m). Supplier: www.classicroses.co.uk

5) ‘Jude the Obscure’ – an amber-yellow David Austin English Rose that smells of guava fruit and sweet wine. H 4ft (1.2m) x S 4ft (1.2m). Supplier: www.davidaustinroses.co.uk

6) ‘Quatre Saisons’ – one of the oldest roses in the world, the Autumn Damask produces ruffled pink flowers for weeks. H 4ft (1.2m) x S 3ft (90cm). Supplier: www.davidaustinroses.co.uk

7) ‘Great Maiden’s Blush’ – an Alba rose that has sweetly scented blush pink flowers in summer and bluish foliage. H 6ft (1.8m) x S 5ft (1.5m). Supplier: www.rvroger.co.uk

8) ‘Sir Frederick Ashton’ – an ivory-white shrub rose that flowers all summer. It is the offspring of the beautiful ‘Anna Pavlova’ rose. H 4ft (1.2m) x S 3ft (90cm). Supplier: www.classicroses.co.uk

9) ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ – this award-winning David Austin English Rose has pink rosette flowers that are deliciously scented. H 5ft (1.5m) x S 39in (1m). Supplier: www.apuldramroses.co.uk

10) ‘Madame Alfred Carrière’ –a gorgeous climbing rose that has beautifully scented pink-white flowers, produced in succession all summer. H and S 10ft (3m). Supplier: www.crocus.co.uk

Resource: amateurgardening.com

Dealing with large scale garden waste

You may have read in the pages of Amateur Gardening (AG 25 May) that I’m giving my new garden a full overhaul, says AG gardening editor, Kris Collins.

Nearly every plant has been stripped from the uninspiring plot and I’ve used a turf cutter to remove every scrap of lawn, turning my plot into a rectangle of bare earth.

I’m now lucky enough to have a blank canvas to work with, but it has left me with an immense amount of garden waste.

Local authority recycling sites restrict the amount an individual can place in soil and rubble containers each month –it would take over a year t dispose of the waste if I’d stuck with their limitations.

For convenience and to save some money against traditional skip hire I’ve used Hippo Bags for my waste disposal. Three sizes are available, simply choose the right size for the job in hand, then either order from the Hippo website or pick up the bag at your local B&Q, Homebase or Wickes store. Once you’ve filled your bag, simply ring, or get online to book collection. Prices start from £69.98.

Visit hippobag.co.uk or call 0845 850 0850 for more information

Resource: amateurgardening.com

A mini pond in a pot

No room for a pond? Grow and display waterlilies in a container, says Michelle

Place one waterproof pot inside another. Sizes will depend on the growth of the water lily and the space needed to accommodate the side plants.

Fill the space between the two pots with grit and compost, suitable for the plants to be used. (I’ve used a collection of small alpines around my waterlily).

Re-pot the waterlily into an aquatic basket lined with hessian and filled with aquatic compost. Top with gravel, remove spent flowers and stems and water well.

Place several stones, or similar into the container. Fill with water then adjust the stones so that when in position, the waterlily foliage floats on the water.

Resource: amateurgardening.com

Late season filler

Geranium

Geraniums are great for ground cover, with many varieties flowering well into autumn. Give them plenty of space to grow in full sun or partial shade.

Divide plants every three to five years in spring to keep them robust.

Resource: amateurgardening.com

Keep Christmas house plants going for longer

Our expert at Amateur Gardening shows you how to keep Christmas gift plants going for as long as possible with these easy to follow guides.

Read more at http://www.amateurgardening.com/how-to/winter-plants/keep-christmas-house-plants-going-2817#9cmQpDMbkpmtRaIo.99

HOUSEPLANTS have long been traditional Christmas gifts, and for some reason (no one really can explain why) the four plants that seem to be most presented at this time are pot cyclamen, Belgian or pot azaleas, poinsettias and, bringing up the rear, Christmas cacti.

Sadly, the vast majority of these Christmas house plants are given to non-gardeners who keep them for the month or so that they are looking their best and then, once they start to go over, throw them away. It’s a real waste.

Gardeners are generally a little more resourceful, and of course the truth is that all of these plants are perennials, or shrubs, and could last for many years with the right treatment.

As with any houseplant, of course, if the conditions are not right you will find that plants will droop and leaves will drop – and all within a matter of a few days.

So, for the time being at least, let’s keep these four plants looking good and healthy for as long as possible.

Cyclamen

A kind of unwritten rule is that if you are comfortable with the heating in a room, the cyclamen won’t be! The ideal temperature is 13-16˚C (55-60˚F); if it is higher than this, you must keep the air moist such as, for example, standing the pot on a pebble tray and watering this daily.

Provide bright light for cyclamen, but away from direct sunshine – a north-facing window is perfect.

Water from below, by pouring water into the saucer and letting the plant to soak it up.

Azalea

Like cyclamen, these need cool and moist conditions. The perfect temperature range is 6-16˚C (43-60˚F), or slightly higher if you mist plants each day. In fact, watering is crucial with these plants. Water from below, so that the lower roots get their full quota, and do this at least three times a week. Even better is to immerse the pot so that the compost is thoroughly soaked. And, if possible, use rainwater which is slightly more acidic than tap water.

Resource: amateurgardening.com

Sorting out your allotment

YIPEEEE! I was handed my new allotment at the weekend. Sadly, being in the middle of insulating the loft I was unable to do anything on it. But Monday lunchtime I sneaked off for an hour to take the first steps in clearing the neglected site.
It’s not bad, though the site secretary offered me a rent-free period while I cleared it. Frankly, I don’t care if it’s twenty feet deep in weeds – it’s just great to get working on a proper veg patch after three years.Anyway, I did a bit of litter picking, then decided to sort out a huge sheet of black plastic scrunched in a messy pile at the bottom end. It was partly covering a pile of cut brambles, fruit tree prunings and grass the previous owner was presumably planning to burn. I’ll add this to the compost heap.

So, unfolding the plastic carefully, shoo-ing away frogs that had sheltered beneath it and brushing of clusters of overwintering snails, I spread it out across the plot about half way down. I then pinned the edges down with any stones, bricks and heavy debris I could find – the wind is still wild here on the south coast and without some effective anchors I could imagine the sheet heading skywards.

Anything growing beneath the black plastic will soon die back now that light has been excluded. Once that’s happened – in about three to four weeks’ time, the soil will be much easier to dig.

First step sorted…. OOOooh! I can almost taste the runner beans and purple sprouting broccoli already!

Resource: amateurgardening.com

Product test – petrol chainsaws

FEATURES 5

A 30.1cc 2-stroke engine and a chain that reaches 24.8m per second. Chain tension is altered by a screw alongside the guide bar. Clear fuel and chain oil tank, making it easy to monitor levels. As with all models tested, the chain brake stops the chain from rotating. Has a single control lever, without a primer. Weight: 4.1kg; guide bar: 30cm (12in); sound: 113dB.

PERFORMANCE 5

The lightest model with the smallest engine, this chainsaw felt incredibly compact and easy to manoeuvre and went through all wood cutting, felling and pruning thrown at it – with very clean results.The instruction booklet was comprehensive and clear, plus the machine is assembled and handed over by dealers who explain exactly how it all works. Access to engine and tanks using the combination tool was easy. With no primer and no choke, it was uncomplicated to start and did so equally well whether cold or warm.

VALUE 5

A great price for a very solid machine that will cover most gardeners’ needs.

Resource: amateurgardening.com

Product test – seed packet storage

BUILD 5

A sturdily constructed blue metal box with snug fitting hinged lid, inside is a metal partition for the thick cardboard 12 month dividers. Dimensions: 10¼in wide x 13in deep x 8in high (26cm x 13cm x 20cm). Also available in olive and grey.

FEATURES 5
This seed store has two compartments and comes with 12 month index cards made of quality card.

PERFORMANCE 5
As the second largest box the greater volume and double compartment is useful for all size packets, including bulky ones. The front rim is low, so they were very easy to see and sort compared to Burgon & Ball’s blue box. A lovely organiser with a sturdy lid that closes cleanly  and securely over the top of the packets inside to keep contents fresh.

VALUE 5
A versatile, good value box to keep all your seed in order for the growing season ahead.

Resource: amateurgardening.com