Clips
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GARDEN FEATURED
Cothay Manor
Cothay Manor
Greenham
nr Wellington
Somerset
TA12 0JR
Tel. 01823 672283 -
GARDEN FEATURED
Brenthurst Gardens
Brenthurst Gardens
PO Box 1050
Houghton
Johannesburg
South Africa 2041 -
GARDEN FEATURED
Waltham Place
Waltham Place
Church Hill
White Waltham
Berkshire
SL6 3JH
Tel. 01628 825517
Waltham Place is not your run-of-the-mill garden - a unique philosophy has helped to create its relaxed beauty. Its designer, Henk Gerritsen, believed in planting plant communities - groups of plants that like the same conditions - and then allowing them to run their course. Plants normally considered to be weeds are allowed to provide their own kind of beauty and architecture to the garden. Within the formal confines of an Edwardian garden, the planting is soft and romantic, where you will find unexpected plants left to their own devices. -
HARDY GERANIUMS
Hardy geraniums are worthy of a place in any garden and because they grow naturally in a wide range of habitats, they are an extremely versatile group of plants. Some will thrive in baking hot sun on soil that is virtually bone dry, while others will grow quite happily in deep shade. Many will smother the ground like a carpet, while others make an architectural feature in their own right. There are literally hundreds to choose from, but here are 10 that we just couldn’t be without:
Geranium ‘Ann Folkard’
Geranium clarkei ‘Kashmir White’
Geranium ‘Elke’
Geranium pratense
Geranium psilostemon
Geranium renardii
Geranium x riversleaianum ‘Russell Prichard’
Geranium Roxanne
Geranium sanguineum ‘Album’
Geranium wallichianum ‘Buxton’s Variety’ -
COMFREY AS A FERTILISER
Common comfrey, Symphytum officinale, grows as a weed at Longmeadow. But instead of pulling it up, Monty harvests the leaves and soaks them in a bucket of water to produce a high-potash liquid feed. After about 3 weeks, the resulting solution is then strained and diluted in water at a rate of 1 part in 10.
More on comfrey
Using the freshly-picked leaves as a mulch beneath other plants is another good way to use them. As well as helping to suppress weeds and conserve soil moisture, they’ll provide a valuable source of nutrients as they slowly rot down.
If you fancy growing some comfrey but don’t have any in your garden, look out for a variety of Russian comfrey called ‘Bocking 14’. It contains exceptionally high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and, as such, is especially useful. Being sterile, it won’t set seed either and become invasive. -
JOBS FOR THE WEEKEND: REMOVE THE LOWER LEAVES FROM TOMATOES
To improve the flow of air around your tomatoes, it’s worth removing the leaves below the first truss. Continue the process as each truss ripens, working your way up the plant. If you’re growing your tomatoes under glass, remember to keep the windows and door open during the day.
More on growing tomatoes -
JOBS FOR THE WEEKEND: REMOVE SEED HEADS FROM LUPINS & DELPHINIUMS
Remove the developing seed heads of lupins and delphiniums by cutting back to the first set of healthy leaves. The benefits of this are two-fold. Firstly, the chances of getting a second flush of flowers later in the summer will be greatly improved. And secondly, the overall health of the plant will receive a boost.
More seasonal advice from BBC Gardening
Credits
- Series Producer
- Liz Rumbold
- Presenter
- Monty Don
- Presenter
- Carol Klein
- Presenter
- Joe Swift
- Presenter
- Rachel de Thame
- Producer
- Louise Hampden
