How to Grow Leeks

Leeks Leeks belong to the onion and garlic family and they are a great vegetable to grow in cooler climates. Compact, versatile and easy to grow in various soil conditions, they’re a fundamental cornerstone of any vegetable patch. Tasty and succulent to eat, leek foliage is also prized as an ornamental feature of borders, or round the edge of your allotment. Click here for Leek Troubles
Sowing Time	Planting Time	Soil	Spacing	Cutting / Lifting Time	Storage	Cooking
Leeks are the easiest member of the onion family to grow and they will withstand the hardest of winters. They tend to be pest and disease free and don’t need a very fertile soil.
Sow outdoors in spring when the soil is warm, mid March onwards. For April crop sow late varieties in June. Germination takes 14-18 days. It will take 30 weeks to maturity or 45 for late varieties.	Transplant seedlings in June when they are about 8ins high. Water well before moving, trim roots and leaves. Make a 6ins deep hole, drop in the leek and fill with water and wait for it to settle. Don’t back-fill with soil. Transplant late varieties in July.	Choose a sunny site. Any reasonable soil will do. Dig over well during the winter and add compost or well-rotted manure every other year. Level and firm the soil and add a general fertiliser a week before planting.	Set in rows 12ins apart and 6ins between plants. Keep weeds down and water well during dry weather. Draw soil up and around the stems once they are well developed. Increase the height a little at a time. Stop earthing up in October. Stop feeding late August.	Begin lifting when leeks are quite small to extend the harvesting period. Lift gently with a fork to avoid damage.	Leeks can remain in the ground throughout winter and used as needed. If required, leeks will keep in a poly bag in a fridge for up to 5 days.	To freeze: Remove the green tops, wash stems and cut into small chunks. Blanch for 3 minutes, cool, drain and dry before packing into poly bags. To cook: Wash thoroughly to remove any grit. Boil in a small amount of water for 10 minutes.

 

Click to view Gardening Direct’s range of Leeks – availability can change according to the season.

Leek Troubles
Trouble	Symptoms	Treatment	Prevention
Onion Fly	Yellow, drooping leaves. Maggots burrow into the bases and kill young plants.	None. Lift and burn affected plants.	Rake Chlorophos into soil before showing or planting. Sets are less prone than seeds.
Bolting	Premature production of flower-heads.	Cut off flower stalks and lift as usual. Do not store.	Don’t sow or plant too early in the season. Ensure soil is firmed well before sowing or planting
Stem & Bulb Eelworm	Swollen, distorted foliage. Young plants die and older plants product soft bulbs.	None. Lift and burn affected plants.	Do not grow onions, peas, beans or strawberries on land previous infected with this disease.
Saddleback	On harvesting, bulbs are split at the base. Caused by heavy rain or watering after a dry period.	None. Use affected bulbs immediately.	Keep well watered during dry spells.
Set Division	Onions from sets produce twin bulbs.	None	Plant sets in good soil and keep well watered in dry spells.
Smut	Black spots and blotches on leaves and bulbs of young plants. Twisted and thickened leaves. More likely in leeks than onions.	None. Lift and burn affected plants.	Don’t grow leeks or onions on affected ground for eight years.
Rust	Orange spots and blotches on surface of leaves. More likely in leeks than onions.	Remove and burn affected leaves.	Don’t grow leeks or onions on affected ground for one season.
White Tip	Tips of leek leaves turn white and papery in autumn.	Spray with Dithane at first signs. Lift and burn badly affected plants.	Don’t grow leeks or onions on affected ground for one season.
Bull Next (Thick Neck)	Abnormally thick necks means the bulbs will not store successfully.	None	Don’t use too much manure. Use a feed with more potash than nitrogen. Don’t sow seed too deeply.
Downy Mildew	Downy, grey mould covering leaves. Leave die back slowly and shrivel. Bulbs are soft and don’t store well.	Spray with Dithane at first signs. Repeat fortnightly.	Grow onions on a difference site each year and ensure soil is well drained.
Leek Moth	Tunnelled leaves. Caterpillars feed inside young leaves leaving the outer skin. Also attacks leeks.	Spray with a contact insecticide at first signs of attack. Destroy badly affected leaves.	None
White Rot (Mouldy Nose)	Foliage turns yellow and wilts. Fluffy white mould on base of bulbs and round black bodies appear in the fungus.	None. Lift and burn affected plants.	None. Don’t grow onions on affected land for eight years.
Shanking	The centre leaves turn yellow and collapse, outer leaves follow later. Evil-smelling slime within scales.	None. Lift and burn affected plants.	None. Don’t grow onions on affected land for several years.
Neck Rot	During storage a grey mould appears near the neck. Bulbs are soft and rotten.	None. Remove rotten bulbs.	Dist seeds and sets with benomyl before planting. Dry bulbs thoroughly before storing. Don’t store soft bulbs or bulbs with green necks.

 

Plants in Our Garden – Hibiscus

I love Hibiscus as they look so exotic and I still wonder at how they flower so well each year in my North facing garden.

The variety I have is Hibiscus syriacus ‘Oiseau Bleu’ which has amazing large deep purple/blue coloured flowers with a bright magenta centre. It is a deciduous shrub but has lovely dark green foliage during late spring and summer.

They like to be in full sun and planted in a rich, moist, well-drained soil, they are fully hardy and flower between August to October.

Prune young plants in late spring to encourage a bushy habit but once established they need little care except to mulch well in autumn to help retain moisture and keep down weeds.

Buy your own Hibiscus from Crocus.co.uk.

The photograph above is the property of Linda Peppin and must not be copied or used in any public work without her express permission.

Sow Green Manures

Now is the time to sow green manures on your vegetable plot or allotment.

At this time of year most people will be harvesting the last of their vegetable crops and will be left with large areas of bare soil.

To help stop weeds germinating and to improve the soil for next season, sow green manures. In the Spring you just dig the resulting crop into the soil, leave it for a couple of weeks and begin planting.

Click the link for our full article on Green Manures.

Buy Green Manure seeds from Suttons:

• Green Manure Mix Seeds – adds nutrients and moisture to soil. Price: £2.99
• Organic Green Manure Red Clover Seeds – helps improve fertility. Price: £2.45
• Organic Green Manure Phacelia Balo Seeds – dense, quick-growing foliage. Price: £2.45

Brighten up your borders with Clematis

One of the most rewarding sights in my garden this year has been the Clematis.

Over the years I have planted a number of early and late flowering Clematis below my established shrubs which has meant that when you least expect it wonderfully coloured flowers emerge from the shrubs foliage.

Not all Clematis are suitable for this treatment, try the small-flowered species which flower in early spring on last season’s growth. The stems can look a little unsightly during the winter so grow these through evergreen shrubs to disguise the Clematis stems. Once they have finished flowering carefully remove dead or damaged stems, and reduce other stems if they are taking over the shrub. Every few years you can rejuvenate older plants by cutting down to 15-30cm (6-12in) from the base immediately after flowering. This will keep the clematis in check and avoid damaging the shrub it is growing through.

You can also try the late summer flowering varieties which flower on this years growth meaning that you can cut the whole plant down to a pair of strong buds 15-20cm (6-8in) above soil level, before growth begins in early spring leaving your shrub free to do its thing during early summer.

Pampas Grass Pruning

Question:

Hello, I have just moved house and inherited a large pampas grass which is approx 10 feet across and is overhanging the footpath and my driveway, it also has last seasons plumes and appears very dense with previous dead foliage, the centre of the plant approx 3 feet in diameter appears mostly dead foliage with no green leaves in the middle, my questions are, is it too late (31 May) to cut the plant back so i can reduce its diameter? will it damage the plant if i remove the dead foliage as the plant looks very untidy? and do you think it sounds like the middle has died.

Answer:

Pampas Grass is a very tough plant and it is practically impossible to harm it by accident and in fact it often needs brute force to keep it under control.

The best time to remove any dead material from the centre is January or February but as long as you are not too bothered about new plumes this year then you could get stuck in now. You can also cut off any dead or broken plumes and leaves to help tidy it up and dig out or cut down any unwanted external growth to keep the width down. The roots of the pampas grass are very tough and difficult to remove so it is probably easier just to keep it cut back. If you feel you can cope with removing some of the roots to reduce the size then have a go as it won’t kill the plant.

Going forward in late winter or early spring trim back all the dead foliage and comb out any dead material from the centre of the plant. Give it a general feed with a base fertiliser such a Growmore or Fish, Blood and Bone Meal, if we have a dry summer you may need to water it occasionally otherwise no other care is required.

Our Plant of the Month – Euphorbia

Euphorbias are a vast genus of fully hardy perennials with about 2000 varieties.

The like full sun or partial shade in light, well-drained soil. They are fast growing and flower during April and May with insignificant flowers. It is the bracts which give the colour, ranging from limey yellow to bright orange.

Euphorbia require little care, just cut back the faded flower stems in the autumn. Take care when working with euphorbia as the milky sap is poisonous and can cause skin irritations.

The Euphorbia in our garden is Euphorbia polychroma whose dark green, lance-shaped leaves are topped with a froth of bright, acid yellow spring flowers that form a distinctive star shape. In autumn the foliage turns a lovely shade of bronze.

Below is a selection of Euphorbias on sale at Crocus.co.uk, click on the pictures for more information:

Euphorbia griffithii ‘Fireglow’	Euphorbia × martini	Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Purpurea’	Euphorbia characias Silver Swan (‘Wilcott’)

Photinia fraseri dropping it’s leaves

Question:

I recently moved to the Netherlands. In my new yard I found a Photinia fraseri Camilvy. Over the winter it’s leaves where light green with a few brownish spots. The winter was very cold. I don’t think anybody cut the photinia back last year. Now spring has arrived and new red leaves are growing from the top. The old green leaves turned into beautiful red ones still with the dark spots on and start to fall off one after the other. Is that normal?

Answer:

Photinia fraseri is a very hardy plant and can survive quite low temperatures; the fact that you have had some new growth is a good sign but I think we need to establish if the plant is still alive.

Using your thumb nail gently scrape away a little of the outer surface of some of the stems; if the stem is green underneath then the plant is alive, if it is brown underneath then the stem is dead. Scrape away the surface of several stems as some may be dead and some alive.

If the shrub is alive it may just need rejuvenating; here’s how:

• Wait until the weather warms up and all risk of snow and frost has passed
• Cut all the stems down to around 6ins
• Sprinkle some bone meal on the soil around the plant and water in well
• Add a good 2-3ins of mulch to the surface of the soil; this will help keep in moisture and keep weeds away
• Keep the shrub well watered whilst it is re-establishing itself
• The new growth on Photinia is red so as soon as you see this you know your plant will be OK
• The leaves will turn green as they get older but should stay on the plant throughout the year
• Cutting back each spring or summer will keep the shrub under control and will help it produce the lovely red foliage
• Don’t cut back during the autumn as this new growth is susceptible to frost damage

If all the stems are dead you may still be able to revive the shrub by cutting it back to a few inches and following the procedure above. If new growth doesn’t appear after a couple of weeks then you are as well digging it up and buying a new one.

If you only have a few dead stems remove them from the base and cut back the remaining stems and, again, follow the procedure above.

Here’s a link to an article on Photinia at the RHS which may help you in the future.

Plant of the Month – Camelia

Camellias are wonderful plants giving amazing splashes of colour on bleak February days. This year, in my garden at least, the Camellias are very late in flowering due to the exceptionally cold winter and early Spring.

Despite the late flowers the glossy dark green foliage, which remains throughout the year, has been a welcome sight.

The camellia in the picture has been growing in a container in my North facing garden for about eight years and always rewards me with lots of these deep pink flowers during late Winter and early Spring which I’m really looking forward to. The variety is Camellia x Williamsii Debbie which you can buy from Gardening Express for just £12.95 for a 3.5l plant.

Camellias are well suited for pots and containers, but they need acid compost, a reasonably large pot and regular watering to thrive. Once the flowers have faded they drop off the plant meaning no dead-heading, making this shrub a practically maintenance free plant.

Below are a selection of Camellia on sale at Crocus.co.uk, click on the pictures for more information: 

Tree Dahlia

I have just come across an amazing Dahlia from Suttons.

This amazing plant Dahlia imperialis or Tree Dahlia can grow up to 20 foot tall in just one season.

Bought as tubers and treated like any other Dahlia they flower each year around November and December and have thick, bamboo-like stems and dramatic foliage as well as the lovely pink flowers.

If there is an early frost and the plants begin to turn black just cut it down, give it a good mulch and it will come back again next year.

Suttons are currently offering 3 tubers for £19.95 or buy any 4 packs of summer flowering bulbs and get a FREE Tree Dahlia as well as 20% discount.

Tritonia Rubrolucens and Hippeastrum (Amaryllis)

Question:

Could you please tell me how best to deal with the foliage of “Tritunia rudrolucens” and “Hipeastrum advenum”now that the flowers have finally died off, leaving climps of foliage 12 to 18 inches high.

Answer:

Do you mean Tritonia rubrolucens and Hippeastrum (Amaryllis)? If so here is how to deal with each of them. If these are not the plants you are enquiring about could you please double check the spellings and get back to me.

Hippeastrum or commonly known as Amaryllis are usually grown as an indoor plant for Christmas; with some care you can get these to re-flower year after year. Here’s how: stop watering and put the plants in their pots into a frost free place for the summer. They will usually die back within a couple of months but if you want to you can cut back the foliage. Keep them dormant until about October at which time you can bring them into a light position indoors and begin feeding and watering. With a bit of luck they will re-flower for Christmas next year.

Tritonia are similar to Crocosmia but are not very hardy so they should only be grown outdoors in mild area. If yours are outdoors and have started to die back cover the top of the plant with a good layer of mulch to allow them to die back and to keep them warm throughout the rest of the winter. If you grew them indoors then I suggest moving the pots into a frost free shed or greenhouse to let them dry out and for the foliage to die down. You can either leave them as they are until next autumn when you can redress the pots, water and bring indoors to flower. Alternatively, once the plants have dried out remove the compost from around the corms and leave the corms to dry out completely; next autumn re-plant the corms in fresh compost, water and bring indoors.

Types of Plants – Hedges

Hedges are trees or shrubs which are planted close together to form a continuous row of foliage. They are usually cut to maintain a particular shape and height. Visit our Hedges page for more information.

Care:

• Choose healthy plants either bare rooted or container grown
• Clear the ground of all weeds
• The addition of organic matter or fertilisers is not required unless the soil is particularly sandy
• Water the plants well before planting
• Plant at regular intervals in holes big enough not to constrict the roots
• Water in well and apply a mulch to help retain moisture and keep down weeds
• Some species benefit from being pruned immediately after planting, check the label for details
• Shoots should be reduced to about 10cm
• Most deciduous plants should be reduced to about one-third in the autumn after planting
• Evergreens and informal hedges should not be cut-back until they are at least a year old.

Unfortunately we don’t have any hedges on our property. Here are some examples of plants which make great hedges, click the images to buy your own.

Fagus sylvatica – Common Beech

Pyracantha Red Column – Firethorn

Taxus baccata – English Yew

Plants for Winter Colour

I haven’t posted a plant of the month for November or December because, in truth, my garden is looking particularly boring at the moment so I was lacking inspiration.

This made me decide to get some winter colour into my garden. I did some research and have found some great plants which I’d love to share with you.

I have chosen six plants which you should be able to easily find in your local garden centre and that are easy to grow. Most need little attention throughout the year but keep the Dogwoods well pruned to maintain the lovely coloured stems and prune the winter flowering jasmine after flowering to ensure flowers for the following year.

Helleborus Niger – White Christmas Rose – Flowers from February to April

Viburnum Bodnantense Dawn – Rosey pink or blush white sweetly scented blooms from January to March, but in mild winters they bloom from October to March

Amamelis Pallida – Witch Hazel – Clusters of large, sweetly scented, sulphur-yellow flowers from December to late February

Cornus sanguinea Midwinter Fire (Winter Beauty) – Dogwood – Clusters of white flowers in June. Leaves turn orange-yellow in autumn before falling to reveal red-tipped, orange or yellow winter stems

Mahonia x media Winter Sun – Spikes of bright yellow flowers from November to March, above rosettes of large, handsome, dark green, holly-like foliage

Jasminum nudiflorum – Winter Jasmine – Cheerful yellow flowers appear on bare stems in winter and early spring. Currently ON SALE – Save £1

Types of Plants – Shrubs

Generally smaller than trees with either a very short main stem or multiple stems. They are long living plants grown for their flowers, foliage or fruits.They come on many shapes and sizes and can be grown in almost any part of the garden. Shrubs can be evergreen or deciduous.

Care:Before planting dig the soil thoroughly, remove all weeds and incorporate lots of well-rotted organic matter. Add fertiliser and improve the drainage if required. Make a hole two or three times the width of the plant and deep enough to keep at same level as in the pot. Keep well watered until established. Check the final dimensions of the shrub to ensure there is enough space for it to reach it’s final height and spread. Some shrubs can grow quite big so you will need to check that you have the room for it before planting.

Shrubs in our Garden: Below is a selection of shrubs we have in our garden; click the image to Buy your Own

*Photographs owned by Linda Peppin if you wish to use these photographs in your own work please drop her a line using the contact us link below.

Flower Carpet Red Velvet and Cynara scolymus

My garden has reached the stage where there is no more room left to plant anything! So you’d think I’d stop going to the garden centre wouldn’t you? But no ….. this week I came across a lovely red rose (yes, red again!).

This is Flower Carpet Red Velvet a ground cover rose.

It is a lovely bright red with a yellow centre with glossy, rich green foliage and it really catches the eye; I liked it so much I’ve bought mum one too, she’ll love it.

As I don’t have any room in the ground I have put it in a pot in the hope that it will flow over the top and give a trailing affect. There are lots of buds on both plants so hopefully we’ll get flowers until the frost; I’ll let you know.

Here are the details:

• It is naturally disease resistant
• It has a long flowering season
• It grows to 50cm (20ins) high and you will need 2-3 plants per square metre (yard)
• Plant in a sunny spot in any soil type or plant it in a container in a good quality compost, water well and keep moist
• Add a quality rose food to the soil / compost
• In early spring cut back to 15cm (6ins) from the base and add more rose food
• Trim off any spent blooms as this will encourage more prolific flowering

Buy your Flower Carpet Red Velvet from Gardening Express

While I was at the garden centre I found a bargain in the Sale section.

It is a Cynara scolymus or Cardoon.

It is a very architectural plant growing up to 180cm (6ft) tall and producing these wonderful purple-mauve, thistle-like flowers in late summer; keep them on for the winter for an extra show of interest. The foliage is jagged and greyish green which will make a change for my garden.

I have managed to find a small spot at the back of my main border I just hope it gets enough sun.

If you would like to buy your own Cardoon take a look at Cynara cardunculus ‘Cardy’ from Crocus.co.uk. This variety is shorter but has the same jagged foliage and bee-friendly thistles and is just as architectural.

Gardening expert Geoff Hodge discusses the proper way to prune your garden

With the summers days having come to a close and the autumn winds getting evermore brisk, the time has come to get our gardens ready for winter so they don’t get damaged by wind, rain and snow. But on which side of the fence do you find yourself when it comes to trimming around in the garden? Are you a Barber, constantly snipping away at plants, giving them the proverbial short, back and sides? Or are you a Butcher, desperate to get right to the meat of the plant and hack out as much growth as possible?

We all fall into one of these two camps, and knowing which is the right approach will make a big difference this autumn and even through to next summer, when your plants will thank you for doing it right. There are dozens of different ways to cut back foliage, whether it’s getting rid of dead or dying growth, or pruning for flowering, fruiting or stem and leaf colour, and you can save yourself a lot of time with a quick tutorial from the experts.

Knowledge and skill aren’t all it takes to have the greenest garden – the tools and the confidence are also an essential part of proper pruning. Bosch introduces the world’s first secateur with integrated lithium-ion battery. The Ciso is a lightweight and cordless pruning device which can cut through twigs and branches up to 14mm on average at the press of a button. What’s more it can deliver more than 500 cuts through twigs with a diameter of nine millimetres with one battery charge. For those who have arthritis or RSI, this is the perfect solution to ensure you can get your garden looking its best – all the gain without the pain.

To start you off, check out this video with garden journalist Geoff Hodge as he shows you how and when to prune your garden and avoid it looking like a jungle…

To watch video CLICK HERE or take a look to the right.

You will see in the video that Bosch have introduced the world’s first secateur with integrated lithium-ion battery. The Ciso is a lightweight and cordless pruning device which can cut through twigs and branches up to 14mm on average at the press of a button. What’s more it can deliver more than 500 cuts through twigs with a diameter of nine millimetres with one battery charge. For those who have arthritis or RSI, this is the perfect solution to ensure you can get your garden looking its best – all the gain without the pain. Visit DIY Tools to buy this marvellous new tool.

Plant your Spring Flowering Bulbs

Now is the time to plant your spring flowering bulbs.

Spring Flowering Bulbs come in lots of shapes, sizes and colours but the one thing they have in common is the ability to turn a dull late winter, early spring garden into an oasis of light and colour. No garden is complete without the good old daffodil or tulip but there are many other spring flowering bulbs which will add additional interest.

There are bulbous plants for lots of different situations but nearly all require good drainage and many thrive in sunny sites. Many bulbous plants are threatened in the wild so it is important to buy bulbs from cultivated sources such as Crocus.co.uk which has a great range of colourful, healthy Spring Flowering Bulbs.

When planting incorporate well-rotted organic matter and a balanced fertiliser. Bulbs generally need planting quite deep; the general rule is three times their own depth. However, if you get the depth wrong most bulbs will pull themselves down into the ground using special, contractile roots. If you’re planting bulbs in heavy soil, add grit to the bottom of the hole to ensure good drainage.

A few bulbs prefer shallow planting. Plant Madonna lilies (Lilium candidum) with the tip of the bulb just showing above ground. Lay Crown Imperials (Fritillaria imperialis) on their sides so that water can’t collect in their hollow centre and make them rot.

Deadhead regularly and apply a low nitrogen, high potassium fertiliser in subsequent years. Lift and divide if they become overcrowded.

Spring Flowering Bulb
Allium cristophii – Star of Persia
Huge globes of small star-shaped, pinkish-purple flowers appear in summer above narrow, grey-green leaves. In bloom these fabulous globes – up to 20cm (8in) in diameter – have a metallic sheen. The faded flowerheads hold up well in the border and are useful for dried flower arrangements. Perfect for a sunny site, dotted in small groups among ornamental grasses, or as part of a Mediterranean scheme. Alliums look best planted between medium-sized herbaceous plants, which help to mask the strap-like leaves, which fade by the time the flowers appear.

Spring Flowering Bulb
Allium hollandicum ‘Purple Sensation’ – Dutch Garlic
Dense, rich-purple globes held high on erect stems above strap-like, mid green leaves appear in early summer. They look spectacular grouped in a pot, or in a sunny border, dotted in groups among ornamental grasses, or as part of a Mediterranean scheme. Alliums look best planted between medium-sized herbaceous plants, which help to mask the strap-like leaves, which fade by the time the flowers appear.

Spring Flowering Bulb
Allium sphaerocephalon – round-headed leek
Small, egg-shaped, claret-coloured flowerheads appear like drumsticks on tall, slender stems above strap-like, mid-green leaves in mid to late summer. Planted en masse in a border in full sun, these diminutive claret flowers look great emerging from a screen of foliage, or against a backdrop of ornamental grasses. They gently fade as summer comes to a close.

Spring Flowering Bulb
Anemone blanda blue-flowered – winter windflower blue-flowered
This is a wonderful plant that produces cheerful, daisy-like flowers in shades of blue and purple in March and April. These are perfect plants for naturalising in a mixed border around the base of deciduous shrubs, or adding spring colour to the edge of a woodland garden. For maximum impact, plant in bold drifts in September or October, and if happy, they should spread quite quickly.

Spring Flowering Bulb
Crocus chrysanthus ‘Cream Beauty’
Rich-cream goblets with brown flushes and deep golden-yellow throats, emerge in February and March amid slender, strap-shaped, mid green leaves. These spring-flowering crocuses are perfect for naturalising in sunny, well-drained areas of the lawn. Relatively vigorous, they soon form large colonies, which can be divided in early autumn for use in other parts of the garden.

Spring Flowering Bulb
Fritillaria meleagris – snake’s head fritillary
Pretty, pendent, white and pinkish-purple bells with distinctive checkerboard markings on slender stems in April and May. These delightful snake’s head fritillaries are perfect for naturalising in a moist woodland edge or wildflower garden. It’s essential to select a site where the soil remains moist in summer.

Spring Flowering Bulb
Galanthus nivalis ‘Viridapice’ – snowdrop
A taller variety with a distinctive, long spathe which looks like the flowers have a hood. This is a good choice for those looking for a slightly more unusual snowdrop, or those wanting to add to their collection as it is still quite rare. Both the inner and outer petals are white, but have green markings which make them look as if they have been painted with a brush.

Spring Flowering Bulb
Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Woodstock’ – Hyacinth
A fabulous hyacinth with deep magenta-purple blooms that are delicately scented. Plant in mixed beds in the garden or in pots on the patio so you can move them around for best effect. A great colour for mixing with deep purples or plum shades to create a ‘bruised’ border.

Browse the full range of Spring Flowering Bulbs from Crocus.co.uk

How do you grow your own cut flowers?

Buying cut flowers on a regular basis can be quite costly, so why not try growing your own in the garden?

They can be grown in their own cutting bed or mixed into a border to add to the display; either way you could raise enough flowers to have a constant supply of fresh blooms for your home.

To get the best quality flowers it is best to grow them in a sunny spot on well drained, fertile soil. Most will need to be supported to avoid damage and it is also wise to provide shelter from strong winds.

What typs of flowers can I grow?

• Half hardy annuals

• • The are the easiest to grow as the seed are sown directly into the soil where you want them flower
  • Sow between March and May, staggering the sowings to get a succession of flowers over the summer
  • Once all the flowers have been cut and no more buds form, lift the entire plant and put on the compost heap
  • Repeat the process next spring
  • Some examples are:
    • tobacco plants (nicotiana)
    • zinnia
    • snapdragons
    • cosmos
• Biennials
  • Sow seed between May and July to flower the following year
  • Sow where they are to flower or in seed trays
  • As with the annuals, discard after flowering is over
  • Keep sowing each May to get more flowers each year
  • Some examples are:
    • erysimum (wallflowers)
    • sweet william
    • dianthus
• Perennial
  • These will flower year after year so are a good investment
  • Plant rooted cuttings in spring or pot-grown specimens at any time
  • Perennials will die down for winter and most will be OK outside, however dahlias will need a good layer of mulch over them to help them through
  • Some examples are:
    • dahlia
    • chrysanthemum
    • alchemilla mollis
• Bulbs
  • Plant spring flowering bulbs at the end of summer or early autumn
  • Once the flowers have been cut and no more buds appear leave the foliage on the plant to die down naturally, this provides the bulb with food for the following year
  • Some examples are:
    • daffodils
    • tulips
    • allium

Most plants will benefit from being picked regularly as it will encourage more buds to form and extend your cutting season.

Keep all plants well watered throughout the growing season a feed every couple of weeks.

Questions for October 2007

Question:

Please could you tell me whether the fuchsia “Shadow Dancer” is hardy?

Answer:

Your Fuchsia “Shadow Dancer” has a hardiness rating of H3 which means that you need to give it some protection from frost. Either move it into an unheated greenhouse or cover with horticultural fleece when frost is expected.

Question:

I have bought several small cuttings today of Buxus golden dream how big can this grow in height and spread and does it grow all year round should I water and feed it in winter thank you for any advice you can give.

Answer:

Buxus ‘Golden Dream’ is a compact, evergreen shrub with dense foliage. Its colour is most pronounced in full sun, but will it will grow in either full sun or partial shade. This plant can be used for anything from a low growing hedge to a nice, neat, accent in any garden. As with most all boxwoods, it prefers slightly cooler, moist soils with good drainage. A good top dressing of mulch will do wonders to keep the soil conditions favourable. Its height and spread is 3-4 ft and it grows at a moderate rate. Although this is a hardy shrub if the cuttings are particularly small I would keep them in their pots and protect them over this winter, planting them out once the risk of frost has passed next spring. They shouldn’t need any feeding this winter but make sure they don’t dry out. When you plant them out give then a good mulch of well rotted manure.

Plant of the Month for June

Our Plant of the Month Papaver orientale or Oriental Poppy produces delicate flowers from May to July above bristly, grey-green leaves. The flower colours vary from white, through pink to red.

They are a fast-growing plant and easy to grow, the pale papery flowers contrast especially well with purple foliage plants such as Heuchera.

 

Try it alongside grasses or late summer-flowering perennials, such as dahlias, which will provide interest when the plant has died back.

They take little care just cut back to ground level after flowering and lift and divide large clumps in autumn.

They prefer full sun and moist, well-drained soil and are fully hardy. If you don’t want them to take over the whole border, dead head before the plant sets seed.

 

BUY NOW!

 

Here are a selection of Oriental Poppies from Crocus.co.uk

click here to find out more or to go shopping

 

Papaver orientale ‘Karine’	Papaver orientale ‘Beauty of Livermere’	Papaver orientale ‘Patty’s Plum’	Papaver orientale ‘Perry’s White’

Our Plant of the Month for March is Hellebore

Hellebores can flower as early as January and continue on until late April producing lovely nodding, saucer-shaped, flowers in many colours. Their foliage is virtually evergreen, just cut down the old leaves during January or February to show the flowers off to their best. They are very low maintenance and they don’t mind the shade. Most prefer heavy soils with plenty of organic matter added each year.

Hellebores are a favourite of Crocus.co.uk, here’s why they like them: “Low maintenance, virtually evergreen with a long flowering period and tolerant of dry shade, these plants should play an essential part of the winter garden. Mix them with ferns, Anemone blanda or hyacinths to create a naturalised woodland carpet, or pot them up and make a seasonal feature of them on the patio.” Take a look at a selection of Hellebores from Crocus.co.uk, click on the pictures for more information:

Helleborus ‘Picotee’ Harvington Hellebore

Helleborus niger Christmas Rose

Helleborus Collection of Six

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