The Gardening Author - Passage of time

I’m not trying to get all philosophical here, but isn’t time strange? Why does one person think a morning has flown and another that it’s dragged? One week, I spend every waking hour trying to get everything done, yet another week, I seem to manage things better and the number of hours is quite adequate. This week, although I’ve been busy catching up after Chelsea and getting forms filled in for the exhibit at the Hampton Court flower show, I’ve found myself wishing I had another book on the go as well.

Actually, these days, “gardening author” would be a misleading name, because I haven’t written much lately at all. Yes, Steve and I still write for the newspaper and he still has regular articles for magazines, but the other odd bits and pieces of work we used to pick up have dried up as more and more magazine writing is being done in-house to keep the costs down.

The new books that are coming out are mostly being published under TV celebrity names. The old adage that anyone can do gardening applies now more than ever. Yes, of course anyone can garden, but are they doing it right? Are they explaining why you do something? So few of these people have done any training, it’s unlikely, but then the public who buy the books don’t realise that. Gradually, knowledge is being lost.

At college, we briefly had an amazing lecturer who had started his gardening career in private service. His tales of life as a young lad working in the grounds of a large country house were fascinating. Like having to rake the long gravel drive every morning before the “family” went out - but having to dive into the bushes if the car did come down the drive, because the staff should not be seen. He had worked and studied his way to the top of the horticultural teaching profession and possessed a wealth of knowledge that few today can rival (I wish he’d written a book!).

Yes, times and techniques change. We had to spend long hours learning how to double-dig our practical plots at college, yet now double-digging as a technique is no longer generally practised, as it damages the soil structure. The point is, we know how to do it and why it has changed. In one of the Sunday magazines last week, a TV gardening “guru” recommended using a product that was withdrawn from sale two years ago (Derris). Staying up-to-date is crucial, but it requires time, effort and the interest to do it.

I always liken gardening to any other task around the house. Yes, I could repair a tap or wire a plug, but if it came to it, I wouldn’t try replacing the central heating or rewiring the house, I’d call in an expert who could do the job properly and to whom I could turn afterwards if there was a problem.

That would save time, effort and money too!

The Rural Gardener - May Musings and on with The Show!

As I write this week’s blog, I find myself wondering where last week and actually most of May - went!

All things considered, May is probably my favourite month of the year, unfortunately it seems to come and go so much faster than November! The countryside looks fresh and soft, even the Ash trees are showing green leaves rather than their distinctive black winter buds. In the hedgerows, the white Blackthorn blossom which stood out against bare branches in April has finished and given way to Hawthorn, or May blossom. Elder flower buds are rapidly forming into their familiar flat heads of many florets, bringing the promise of more white to come and evoking thoughts of their fresh scent and elderflower drinks and syrup, then elderberry pies ….in May I look forward to all this, in reality I sometimes miss the moment!

I love the way in which the froth of white cow parsley and the more substantial hogweed flowers pick up the colour theme at a lower level. Daisies are perhaps amongst the lowest growing of the white flowers, popping up along mown verges and balancing the display perfectly. Even the oil seed rape fields are looking good as I write. As the petals are dropping, the harsh blocks of yellow have been replaced with grey green and pale washes of yellow, undersown with drifts of white rocket with bright red poppies starting to show.

I did not get to Chelsea unfortunately, but have continued to enjoy the English Countryside show during dog walks and whilst driving! This show runs from January 1st until December 31st and is free to all. Show gardens are varied depending on which area of the countryside you visit, but categories include moorland, coastal, woodland and farmland which is split into arable and pasture. The ’show gardens’ will not be dismantled and you can visit at different times of day and during different seasons to pick up inspiration for your own garden.

Parking availability and facilities may vary and you should consult maps, country walk guides and local tourist information centres.

…OK! I am not seriously suggesting that a countryside walk is anything like a Flower Show really! Nobody would want a garden full of cow parsley for one thing! Gardening is all about using the most suitable plants in the best way for the required result. Chelsea, is the place to see new garden plants and new garden ideas displayed by some of the best Growers and Designers. I have enjoyed watching TV coverage and reading my fellow bloggers articles and will continue to see magazine articles for a while longer I am sure.

It is perhaps worth remembering though, that inspiration should come from a variety of sources. Visiting open gardens gives an opportunity to see how various gardeners have used plants and design and how these gardens have matured over the years in some cases. 

The countryside is a great place to see how a combination of man and nature, to different degrees, have created a particular effect. Anybody who despairs of problem areas in their garden should take heart from the fact that there really are plants that will grow in all but the most hostile of environments, it is simply a case of finding the right ones! Although I would not suggest recreating an exact replica of an area of a wild place you might love, due to problems of scale or the rampant habit of certain plants, you can often come away with a feeling for a certain ‘look’ you want to achieve.

If nothing else, it helps recharge the batteries!

P.S. Anthriscus sylvestris ‘Ravenswing’  is a much more suitable form of cow parsley for the garden, with dark foliage!!

The Natural Pest Control Consultant - Was I the only one not at Chelsea?

Oh dear, I missed Chelsea this year. I have been going for over 10 years either as an exhibitor or commentator but this year my diary planning went very wrong! However I think it will make me more appreciative of it next year and actually maybe it would be better …

The Gardening Author - Inspiration

The Show is over, long live the Show! Even as the exhibits are being dismantled, the planning for the next Chelsea flower show has begun. Deals were being struck towards the end of the week regarding finance, planning and supply. Gardening is big business, even at the moment, and Chelsea is one of the foremost showcases for it in the world.

Around the showground last week, I heard so many different languages and accents, I lost count. Regional accents from all around the UK, you would expect, but there were German visitors, American, Scandinavian, Japanese, Chinese, French, Dutch, Italian ….. the list goes on and on. Gardening and a love of plants is universal and transcends language. Everyone was there to see the displays, enjoy the atmosphere and (hopefully) pick up a few ideas for their own garden. Television crews from all over the world vied for position on Press day - and quite how they don’t end up just filming each other as they go round, I will never know.

Shows like this are important for all sides, really. It’s vital that the growers have somewhere to show their new introductions and the manufacturers their new products, but equally important that gardeners have a chance to see all these things in their place (rather than just in a shop, where it may be more difficult to put it into a context). You can read about a new plant in a book or magazine, but it’s much better to see it growing. Very few people leave a show like this without buying something, but with Chelsea, the only time you can buy plants is as the bell rings to signal the end of the Show on Saturday at 4pm.

You have to experience this “sell-off” to really understand just what it’s like. The atmosphere begins to change from around 2.30 as the anticipation starts to build. People begin staking out their claim by standing next to the display they wish to purchase from. Some stands will take orders and put the buyers’ names on particular plants, but others either can’t or choose not to in case the person doesn’t come back and the plant remains unsold.

As the bell rings, the scrum begins with a forest of hands flourishing money towards the person trying desperately to stuff plants into carrier bags as fast as they possibly can. It’s manic, hectic, even funny and at the end, you stand back exhausted and survey the carnage that is all that remains of your beautiful display. Then it’s time to take a breath, clear away the debris and move on to the next show. For some growers, that will be this week. They will select the shows they want to go to and spend weeks on end living out of their vans as they go round, with just the odd visit home to replenish the stock, kiss the family and go again.

It’s no wonder that the regulars on the show circuit become firm friends. They swap plants to fill displays, lend tools and equipment to each other and cover for each other if they need a break. All to make sure that the gardeners who attend get a choice of all the wonderful plants that are out there. This is the real source of gardening inspiration!

The Gardening Lecturer - Show of opportunity

This has been a good week and it’s not over yet. As well as meeting lots of friends and students (past and present) at the Chelsea Flower Show, some of the exhibits have really caught my eye. It’s common for people to focus on the big show gardens and how much …

The Rural Gardener - Day of the Triffids?

I love Science Fiction and Fantasy! 

I am not a ‘Trekkie’, I really couldn’t care less about learning how to speak Klingon or dressing up as a Bejoran and attending conventions. I don’t need to join a Peter Jackson fan club just because I think the Lord of the Rings Trilogy was fantastic. To me, that spoils the fun and borders on being rather sad, I simply want to loose myself in a good film or book and drift in to the realms of complete escapism for a little while. I think John Wyndham was probably one of the first Sci-Fi authors I read and I remember reading ‘Day of the Triffids’ under the bedclothes with a torch, (Sorry mum!)

Perhaps the apeal of Science fiction and Fantasy is that a good Author or Film Director, through either of these genres, can take us to a time or place far beyond any that we are ever likely to experience in real life.

Well, that is what I used to believe!

That was before the alien invasions of Giant Hogweed and Japanese Knotweed became a reality in the areas where I work regularly, rather than just something I saw whilst working in the deep South…..well, Hounslow.

Giant Hogweed  Heracleum mantegazzianum  is a member of the parsley and carrot family and was introduced here as a curiosity due to it’s incredible stature. Unfortunately it is invasive and soon became a pest, which has now naturalised in many places. It can grow to 20 feet tall apparently, though I have not seen any quite this size personally. It grows at an alarming rate and quickly produces leaves several feet across and large flat white umbel flowers, of many individual florets. The plant has hollow stems and stalks and if broken the plant exudes a clear sap which sensitizes skin to ultraviolate radiation. This causes skin to blister, sometimes quite severely and can leave permanent scars.

As well as being an injurious weed, it is a foreign invader and restricts biodiversity. It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to plant or otherwise cause it to grow in the wild. The plant is fairly widespread and particularly along river banks, some roads and railway lines. I have looked at several District Council, Giant Hogweed Eradication Strategy Reports. It does seem as though many Councils have spent large amounts of time and money on drawing up reports and tackling the problem. As you would imagine, most have concentrated on ‘hotspots’ and in some areas, work which was effective in the 1980’s was later discontinued, consequently the plant has now re-established itself.

To give one example, a report from Stirling Council in 2001 stated that funding from three different sources totalling £25,000 a year, over a period of three years had been directed primarily at targeting worst affected areas where risk of injury was greatest, rather than attempting a systematic eradication programme. I think this illustrates the scale of the problem which must however be tackled with funds which are always needed in other areas too.

Giant Hogweed mainly propagates by seed dispersal, it flowers between May and July and seeds appear later in the summer. The seeds can remain viable in the ground for several years. Non chemical control is possible, sheep and pigs will graze on the plant and are apparently unaffected by it. Prevention of flowers forming will obviously stop the plant spreading further. However, as cutting the plant can be potentially dangerous, it is perhaps not the safest method of control. Glyphosate will kill the plant, but often takes several applications.

I had hoped to give a detailed account of exactly how and when to spray, but further research has left me in a dilema!  Many sources suggest that if you find Giant Hogweed growing in your garden or nearby, you should contact your local authority who should be prepared to assist you with eradication and disposal or advise you on what action to take. Even plant cuttings are considered to be hazardous waste and there are stringent guidelines on their disposal.

Japanese Knotweed  Fallopia japonica   was also introduced as an ornamental plant but it’s ability to grow 7 feet in a season and spread rapidly by underground rhizomes, far out weighs any ornamental value it may have! As with Giant Hogweed, it is covered in the same way by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Although it does not spread by seed like the former, it can grow from even a small piece of rhizome. Anybody who has tried to remove couch grass or plants such as Acanthus by digging, will appreciate the problems faced when dealing with the same type of rhizome but on monster scale! Glyphosate applied in late summer at the flowering stage is apparently effective, but as the plant is then 7 feet tall it is not easy to do. More practical is to spray the plant when it reaches 3 feet tall in May and then spray the regrowth in the summer. A check in late summer will allow a final spray to be done before the plant dies down in the Autumn. Roundup Tree stump and Root killer can be used on the cut canes, the instructions are on the package. Be aware that complete eradication may take several seasons using glyphosate. Professional contractors may be a faster method and it is worth asking for some sort of guarantee that they will return if necessary.

I do not often advocate chemical control as being the best option of weed control, but in both of the above cases, I believe it is, especially when you consider that plant material that has been dug up is classed as controlled waste under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, requiring disposal at licensed landfill sites.

Himalayan balsam   Impatiens glandulifera   is not as difficult to control as the above as it is a fairly soft stemmed annual and if removed before it seeds it will not regrow. The plant is great fun for children, watching it’s seeds popping off from the parent plant. Also known as Policeman’s helmet and Jumping Jack it has pretty pink flowers too, so you might wonder what harm it really causes. When Himalayan balsam escapes gardens and colonises damp places such as stream sides, it is very invasive and quickly spreads it’s leaf canopy at the expense of our native species. During the winter months, an area colonised by Himalayan balsam looks bare and then in mid Spring, the ground is carpeted with seedlings to start the whole cycle again. Himalayan balsam can easily be hand pulled or strimmed.

Ragwort  Senecio jacobaea   is a biennial weed often seen on roadside verges and waste ground. It has dark green leaves and yellow daisy type flowers in it’s second year. I include this plant on my list of weeds to get rid of for the simple reason that many gardeners now a days, have no idea that this is such a poisonous plant to livestock. Years ago, most of the people who worked on the land, on large country estates and farms, would have relied on horses to work the land or to cart produce. Knowledge about poisonous weeds would have been important to all. Ragwort is poisonous to horses, sheep, cattle and even deer and hares. It has a bitter taste and animals will usually avoid it, but during drought conditions or when the plant is wilted in hay, they will eat it and it can cause death. The poison is cumulative and little can be done for an animal showing clinical symptoms. It is also harmful to humans and can enter the bloodstream through the skin, it is important to wear gloves if pulling the plants.

The Ragwort Control Act 2004, deals specifically with this plant rather than the Weeds Act 1959 dealing with all injurious weeds. Most livestock keepers are aware of the potential harm caused by Ragwort plants left uncontrolled. The Highways Department and Railway contractors can be seen from time to time pulling ragwort to stop the spread of seed to pasture land. I feel very aware that many gardeners have no idea that this weed is so harmful and should be pulled and burnt or sprayed. Ragwort does have a natural predator in the form of the Cinnebar Moth caterpillar. Over the years, we have tried to help the spread of the caterpillars from any infested plants we have found. Our son considered doing a dissertation on the subject during his Zoology degree, but the fact that growing ragwort would have been illegal, made this impractical. The Cinnebar moth population seems to vary and unfortunately, on balance I would say, please remove any plants you have in the garden.

The Gardening Author - Flower (show) power

I wrote recently about the power of words and today it was in evidence more than ever. I was at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London (and yes, I do know it’s not open yet….it’s one of the perks of the job to get in early on a Press badge and I love it!) and wordsmiths from all over the world were there in droves. Japanese and Australian television were represented, as well as our own BBC and there were presenters there from lots of local radio stations (some actually live on air, others recording for later).

Then there were the scores of gardening journalists, hungry for something new to fill the column inches over the next month until it’s time for the next one, the Hampton Court Palace flower show in July. They were out at the stands talking to the growers, they were typing frantically in the Press tent and they were dotted around everywhere comparing notes with each other. Who’s seen what, where…and is it worth me going for a look too?

And this is actually on the day before Press day! It will all start again tomorrow, but there will be the added bonus of the celebrities who come along. Some come because they have had a plant named after them, some to endorse a charity, others just to see the show - or be seen at it. Many are keen gardeners themselves and use the opportunity to have a one-to-one chat with the growers and pick up some tips. It’s good fun for the rest of us; celeb spotting is good sport. Who have you seen? How did they look? Were they pleasant or bad tempered - because, unbelievably, some are quite rude considering that, at the end of the day, it’s just a flower show.

Later on tomorrow, the Royal family will tour the show and that will excite real interest. Most of the national papers will carry a picture of at least one Royal at the show in their Tuesday morning edition and the column inches will expand if the picture can be linked to a good story. Then it’s Gala evening, when the corporate entertaining takes over and the champagne flows. That’s the time to entertain valuable clients and talk business while the respective partners enjoy the displays. The Press aren’t normally included in this bit, which is why you seldom hear about it, but it’s a very important part of the social season in our capital city.

Tuesday to Saturday, the show is open to RHS members and then the general public, who will have seen or read about the show and will probably have at least one thing that they already want to see. It may be a garden, a flower, a plant or a person, but the day won’t be complete until they’ve seen it for themselves. They’ll go home with pictures, memories, sore feet and a catalogue - so they can get in touch to order all those things that they suddenly wish they’d bought at the time, but didn’t fancy carrying on the Tube or squashing into a coach.

We’ve already started our coverage in the Sun newspaper, because we’re backing 4 small gardens in the Pavilion and we’ve told the story behind each. We’ve also covered the story of the garden being built to raise funds for the Help for Heroes campaign, which the Sun is backing strongly. So words can help raise money and awareness, too.

By the end of this week, countless thousands of words will have been written about this one event and who knows, you may have read some of them yourself. I hope they interest and inspire you!

The Gardening Lecturer - Let the Show go on!

It’s that time of year again. Each May brings the RHS Chelsea flower show and most of the gardening industry can think of nothing else. Most of my teaching and lecturing has come to a halt and won’t start again until late May. In one respect this is a good thing, …

The Rural Gardener - N.I.M.B.Y. culture!

So far, the situation has not arisen where I have had to decide whether or not I would be a so called ‘nimby’, if some scheme or other was proposed which would directly affect my daily life.

We live in a rural hamlet, so the smell from the neighbours pig farm, when the wind blows from the north west and the gas bangers in the oil seed rape to scare the pigeons, may be slightly irritating but they are an acceptable part of rural living. I like to think that I would view any future proposal for new development in the area on it’s individual merits….but it is easy to be objective and reasonable about a theoretical situation! In reality, the idea of one of those super sized wind turbines being put in the field opposite would be far from welcome, however green it might be!

It is much the same with the plants in our gardens! Some prove to be minor irritations, but we know they have their part to play in the grand scheme of things. Then there are the others, about which I would feel no pangs of guilt in openly declaring, ‘not in my back yard!’

Under the heading of Minor irritations, comes the following!

I wrote in early March about a herb garden where I had planted tulip bulbs in December to give a splash of colour this Spring. As I had a particular effect in mind, I chose the varieties carefully to give several weeks of colour and ordered the bulbs from a well known supplier. I visited recently and rounded the corner expecting to see gold, orange, pink and purple blooms which I hoped would create a lively clash of jewel colours. In fact, the first thing I noticed were some red and white stripey blooms! Some of the bulbs which should have been purple… were not. Although the effect was slightly compromised, this was hardly a disaster and it seemed unnecessary to remove the red and white flowers. I did try and avoid them in the snaps though, you may spot one or two?

Slightly more frustrating, come a whole array of weeds that just keep on returning year after year and deserve the heading, ‘Flippin’ nuisances’ 

I don’t mind daisies in the lawn, they punctuate the green with a carefree and cheerful resilience! You can mow them down to the ground and they stay neat and tidy and perform for a long period of the summer. Obviously there are more formal areas where grass is the only acceptable plant and even a daisy cannot be allowed to encroach! Dandelions are somehow a different matter. They flower and seed amazingly quickly even if you do mow them down. Flowering stems are up again in hours and being a perennial with a long tap root, you really need to dig it up or spray it. An area of garden which is full of dandelions looks neglected, probably due to the fact that dandelions are usually amongst the first of the pioneering plants to populate waste or newly cultivated land. 

Of course, dandelions do have endearing qualities too! In April when the grass verges turn a rather bright, some might say vulgar yellow, these plentiful flowers provide early nectar for many insects including butterflies which spent the winter in hibernation. Who amongst us, can not remember blowing a dandelion clock or two? Dandelion flowers make a good wine and the young leaves, especially when forced, can be used in salad. Apart from dandelions, there are a whole host of weeds which can be annoying in the garden. Where you live, can affect which wild flowers will prove to be your particular weeds. We get   Galium aperine  also called Goose grass, cleavers, Sticky willy…and probably many other things too! It is amazing in it’s ability to cover large areas of ground or hedge in a couple of weeks. The good thing about it, is the fact that it all comes from one tiny thread like root! If you have never pulled up Goose grass, have a go! It is very satisfying to wrap the whole sticky bundle up and chop through that tiny root! If you do this before the plant seeds everywhere, even better! It is only an annual, so once you have pulled up the plant it will not regrow, though seeds readily.

My next heading might upset some people, but it is only my own personal opinion and others may disagree if they please! This category includes the, ‘Oh no, please don’t buy it’ plants.

I love welsh poppies, Mecanopsis cambrica’  In a large area of woodland or a meadow they look great. They have attractive foliage and sweet yellow flowers. The trouble is, once you buy one plant, you have Welsh poppies seeding everywhere. If you have the right type of garden, this is fine, but they are really difficult to prize out from rock garden stones and paving and the flower colour is not necessarily going to look wonderful in the middle of your pink roses! Along with this, I would personally add   Rumex sanguineus,  Bloody dock, red veined dock or Blood wort. I don’t dislike the plant but once again it is the fact that it seeds everywhere and has a deep tap root! If you take the flowers off before they seed, fine! BUT YOU WILL FORGET! Another plant I find extremely attractive, but would beg you not to buy without caution is  Equisetum scirpoides  the miniature horsetail, or any horsetail. In a large garden with a big pond and bog garden, these plants are wonderful. In a small area, they have the ability to take over. They run underground. Once this happens and you try to dig up or spray the offending shoots is when you discover just how difficult this is. I know of three gardeners who have been trying to rid themselves of the pretty little horsetail for a few years before being almost rid of it.

Finally, I come to my N.I.M.B.Y. List!

Please remove any Ragwort, Giant hog weed, Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knot weed that decide to make your garden their home. Next week I will explain why and how to do it!

The Natural Pest Control Consultant - Prepare for action

Being prepared in the battle against pests is key if you want to avoid unpleasant shocks i.e. your potato crop is un-edible when you did it up or your apple crop is full of maggots. Now is the time of year either to apply some early pest controls or put …

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