Innehållsförteckning för February 2016 från BBC Gardeners' World

• Follow Monty’s video sowing guide Get scented sweet peas off to the best start by following Monty’s sowing guide. You’ll find his video, and hundreds more, in the How To section of our website, or follow this link directly to it: gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-sweet-peas • Inspired by our cover clematis? Browse through dozens of top varieties for every season on our clematis Pinterest board. Find it at pinterest.com/gwmag • New for iPad Download our latest special edition, Your Essential Guide to Pruning, on your iPad – and discover the secrets to success with secateurs! This 132-page guide is just £3.99 in iTunes. • Join our tours and events Spend time with Monty, Carol and the team on our gardening breaks and reader events. Discover what’s on offer for 2016 at bit.ly/travel-events-gw…

“Do we garden to make gardens or so that we practise gardening” I have always liked to read in the bath. But lately this habit has been thwarted by technology. I have taken to using a Kindle and love carrying around a large library in my pocket. It has none of the tactile or sensuous pleasures of print but I have always been more interested in words themselves than the medium with which they are delivered. However e-readers and water don’t mix well. So my baths have got shorter and my reading material determined by technology rather than preference. I feel the same about gardening and apps as I do about baths and Kindles. A muddy, wet, cold finger is not the best tool when it comes to navigating an…

I was upset and disappointed to read your feature Revealed: The Hidden Chemicals On Your Fruit & Veg (January issue). I found the tone very alarmist and the content went beyond what I consider to be the scope of a gardening magazine. It felt more suited to a tabloid newspaper known for its scaremongering. I am relatively new to gardening and turn to your magazine for inspiration and tips regarding plants and wildlife. I try hard to provide a balanced and nutritious diet for my family, and if there is an option I may buy organic, but sometimes it is too expensive. I am keen to learn about growing fruit and veg, however, it’s not possible for me to sustain my family’s need from produce grown in my small urban…

“Some packets can even contain dead seed” There are strict regulations covering seed quality in this country, so when germination is poor, the gardener’s first thought is often ‘it’s my fault’. After all, there are so many factors – inappropriate temperature, slugs, damping off – that can cause failure for a gardener. But could the problem be the seed? Since starting to save my own seed – lettuce and kale in particular – I’ve been impressed by the level and speed of germination. It’s been far superior to the performance of some seeds I’ve bought. For bought seeds, EU regulations require a minimum of 70 to 80 per cent germination for vegetable seeds (depending on the species), although the same requirements are not in place for flowers. But how realistic…

“One sight of it gives us all that boost, that reassurance that spring cannot be far away” How can such a tiny flower create such a stir, prompt so much joy and excitement? Even non-gardeners recognise a snowdrop and one sight of it gives us all that boost, that reassurance that spring cannot be far away. They epitomise rebirth; the dark, dank earth having sunk to its most pessimistic level is suddenly transformed, coming alive as the grey-green spears thrust through it until, having reached the right height, the graceful white bells shake themselves free, dangling from their pedicels. Snowdrops are never lone characters. We talk about them carpeting the ground, about swathes of them, rivers of snowdrops. In gardens and wild woods they can appear in their hundreds of…

Every gardener has something to hide, writes David Hurrion. No, not a personal secret, but a bare fence, an ugly shed or an unsightly view. Few climbers can perform the big cover-up better than clematis. Their unusual twining leaf stalks allow them to clamber up their supports unaided, providing a pretty tapestry of foliage through the growing season and covering themselves with flowers at different times of year. But that’s not all – these are beautiful, captivating flowers in their own right. By growing clematis in containers on the patio, up tripods in borders, or allowing them to scramble through shrubs, you’ll be able to appreciate them at their best, as easy-care, free-flowering and reliable plants. There are clematis in bloom in every season, whether it’s the cream cups of…

Raised beds give you a greater depth of topsoil, which results in a better root run and improved drainage, while the soil is noticeably quicker to warm up in spring. These factors make them a good thing. However, to make them requires a lot of initial work, certainly much more than a normal open bed, and they drain faster than normal ground – just raising a bed 15cm significantly improves drainage. This means that they need appreciably more watering, which has been quite a shock to me, for whom drought is a remote dream of dry paths and sunny days. Our raised beds were created using 240cm x 16cm x 3cm green-oak edging boards (prices vary, but expect to pay about £9-10 per board, excl. VAT or delivery). These are…

“Without shrubs my garden would lack volume and year-round interest” Time was when the word ‘shrub’ was synonymous with boredom – probably on account of the funereal appearance of the typical Victorian ‘shrubbery’. The word itself smacks of dreariness. But without the strategic use of shrubs, my garden would lack volume and year-round interest. What’s more, throughout spring the shrubs have a vital role to play, not just as a backdrop to flowering bulbs and early-blooming perennials, but also in their own right. And there’s the clue – most shrubs are dual- or triple-purpose plants, offering scale and a pleasing backdrop to perennials and the like, as well as their own personal attributes, be that evergreen foliage, bright or scented flowers and a pleasing shape. The distinction between shrubs and…

MIX IN EDIBLES Sow attractive veg, such as ‘Bulls Blood’ beetroot or pretty salad leaves, between ornamental plants. ADD AN UPPER STOREY Use tall thin plants like zinnias and perovskia that take up little space at their base, but add height and interest to the display. EXTEND THE SEASON Tuck in some bulbs to boost your display early in the year. Early crocus, dwarf narcissi and species tulips will do well in a raised bed. RETAIN CONTROL Certain plants run wild in borders but species known for this, such as periwinkle or Japanese anemones, can be easily contained. DRESS THE SIDES Clothe the bed walls with trailing plants, such as snow in summer, trailing verbena and blue convolvulus. UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL Bring delicate plants closer to eye level where…

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Some people find February a hard month, but I love it. For me, it’s the month that ushers in spring, even if the weather is likely to turn harsh at some stage. Aconites, crocus, hellebores and snowdrops are inevitable, and in a mild year the range of flowers stretches even wider. My favourites are primroses, which seem to capture all the hope and innocence of a brave new spring. Although these are woodland plants and look lovely running under a hedge or in the lee of a deciduous shrub, I like to plant some in containers, too – a terracotta pan is ideal – so I can enjoy them near the house, even if snow and ice crush the garden for a few days. I cram them in tightly and…

WINTER IS a good time to plant trees, shrubs, roses, hedges and fruit bushes bought as bare-root plants. These are sold without soil around their roots – at this time of year they can survive this as they’re dormant. They’re cheaper than container-grown plants, and you’ll find a wider range of varieties to choose from, too. Bare-root plants should be unpacked and planted as soon as they’re delivered, but if that’s not possible, heel them in (plant them temporarily, ensuring the roots are covered) or plant in a pot. Don’t attempt to plant them if the ground is frozen or waterlogged. Prepare the soil by digging it over and adding organic matter and fertiliser. After planting, firm the plants in and water well, then add a mulch to hold in…

Tidy bamboo BAMBOO WILL soon start to send up fresh shoots from the base, so clear away last year’s whiskery, lateral shoots to give them lots of space to emerge. This also lets you enjoy a final show of bright stem colour from the mature canes. Using secateurs, remove the sideshoots as close to the canes as possible, and be careful of any remaining snags, as these can be very sharp. The foliage makes a great mulch, so let the leaves lie on the soil surface to prevent weeds germinating among the canes. Prepare for laying an artificial lawn ARTIFICIAL GRASS is becoming an increasingly popular choice, especially for family gardens or tricky sites. But even artificial turf needs careful preparation and laying to make it functional. Begin by removing…

Make sure you have something in flower to provide nectar for queen bumblebees emerging now from hibernation. Winter-flowering honeysuckle, winter clematis, pulmonaria and heather ( Erica carnea ) bloom at this time of year and can be bought in flower from garden centres. Keep topping up bird feeders with fat- and oil-rich food, especially during cold snaps. This will help birds get into good condition for breeding in the coming months. Put up nest boxes for birds. Even if no birds choose to nest in them this year, they’ll know they’re there and may use them in subsequent years. Birds may also roost in them on cold nights. Break any ice that forms on bird baths, so creatures can get at the water. Floating a ball in ponds will help…

Do you yearn to grow chillies with a real kick? Well, you’re not alone. Every year, growers across the globe compete to produce hotter and hotter chillies. These fruit are so fierce that a single nibble can have grown men writhing in agony. Whether you want to go that far, or just fancy growing chillies with a bit of bite, there’s plenty you can do. Getting the right environmental conditions is vital. The hotter the growing conditions the hotter the chilli, which is why the current Guinness World Record for the most fiery chilli is held by the ‘Carolina Reaper’, a pepper bred in the sunny climes of South Carolina, US. But there are ways to grow fearsome fruit in this country, too. Matt Simpson of Simpson’s Seeds holds the…

The hottest part of the chilli is the placenta, the white pithy strip that attaches the seeds to the pod, so if you want to reduce the heat before cooking you must remove both the seeds and the placenta. The tip of the fruit, farthest from the stalk, is usually the mildest bit. If you get caught out by a super-hot chilli, water is not the answer – capsaicin is not soluble in water but in oils and fats, so drink milk or eat natural yoghurt to help combat the heat. And wear gloves when handling the fruit and seeds. The smaller the chilli, the hotter it is, as a general rule, but this is not always the case. Capsaicin doesn’t actually burn you, but triggers burn responses in the…

Q What’s in my bags of bought compost? David answers A As part of the drive to preserve valuable peat bogs, the gardening industry has developed many peat-free and peat-reduced composts. But do these always contain good-quality ingredients? In recent discussions, both on gardenersworld.com and among followers of our Facebook page (facebook.com/GWmagazine), readers have reported finding all sorts of unwelcome material in bags of compost. Shards of glass and various forms of plastic and wire appear to be common, along with painted wood, nylon string and tin foil. In most cases, this is likely to have come from the green waste that has been used as a cheap, bulk source of organic matter in a number of different peat-alternative composts. Green waste comes from local authority and private recycling schemes…

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We’ve reached that irresistible moment in the year when those unpromising dry specks that we call seed start to turn into something magical. Yes, seed sowing is upon us, throwing open the doors to a new gardening season. So we’re marking the moment with a focus on seeds in this issue. And yet the fable of the tortoise and the hare is a good one for gardeners to remember at this time of year. While we’re itching to get started and new life is unfurling all around, we’re not quite through winter yet, whatever the oddities of the weather so far! So, from page 63, we’re sharing expert tips on how to get the timing of your sowings right – what to start now, what to hold back on for…

Shrubs that flower in winter are, of course, in short supply. We enjoy them as they light up our shortest and coldest days but after the flowers have faded we may then be left with many months of unremarkable green foliage – unless we think carefully about exactly which cultivars we plant. The common name of Cornus mas , the Cornelian cherry, gives us a clue that even the natural wild form of this shrub from southern Europe has an appeal beyond winter. For in late summer it bears bright red edible fruits, rather like cranberries in look and flavour. For additional colour through spring and summer choose a form with variegated foliage. ‘Variegata’ has broad white edges to the slightly greyish green leaves which develop pink and orange tints…

Second career I really enjoyed your feature A career to grow into (January issue), however, I think you missed a valuable point highlighting only full-time work. At 42, I’m a recently retrained gardener. Working independently allows me to choose my own hours, which enables me to schedule my clients around the school day, saving on childcare costs. I can choose not to work in bad weather and also match my hours to my growing stamina. Considering the flexibility of the job, I think I earn a respectable hourly rate, which makes a welcome addition to the family pot. I leave the heavy work to the professionals, concentrating on weeding, pruning, border design and, my favourite bit, coaching and enthusing new gardeners on how to develop their gardens. There is so…

Pick up a new potato Fancy trying a different spud this year? Perhaps ‘Mr Little’s Yetholm Gypsy’ (first grown in 1899, with red, white and blue skin) tickles your fancy? If so, drop in on one of many potato days taking place nationwide this month, where you’ll find unusual varieties to tempt you. It’s not just spuds on offer – many days also include seed swaps. Go to potato-days.net or nsalg.org.uk to find an event near you. Keeping up appearances More than 20 homeowners in Letchworth Garden City, Herts, could face costly restoration fees after paving over their front gardens without planning permission. The local council has set a limit of 50 per cent hardstanding to avoid ruining the leafy look of the town. 40 year slump for our butterflies…

In February things are still moving relatively slowly in the garden which makes it the ideal time to look for inspiration, plan ahead and think about planting borders or reworking areas for summer impact. My notebook this month is based on the fabulous gardens at Parham house, in the South Downs of Sussex. I highly recommend visiting these gardens, which have been developed and looked after by the talented head gardener Tom Brown and his dedicated team. At its heart is the four-acre walled garden complete with sumptuous herbaceous borders. These borders tower over one’s head in summer and are planted with a winning combination of nepeta, thyme, artemisia, epilobium and cardoons, which always work with each other. Their blues, silvers, pinks and purples set the tone for a few…

This pretty collection of Nerine bowdenii will light up your autumn garden when most plants are starting to fade for winter. These specially chosen varieties will complement each other in mixed displays, or plant them individually in pots. The bulbs will naturalise readily for bigger and better displays year after year. • Nerine bowdenii x 5 Firework-like vivid pink flower clusters provide stunning colour right through until winter. Height x Spread 60cm x 20cm • Nerine bowdenii ‘Alba’ x 5 Pure white blooms on strong, elegant stems – perfect for a pretty posy! H x S 45cm x 20cm • Nerine bowdenii ‘Favourite’ x 5 Deep magenta flowers throughout autumn – one last swansong of colour before the frosts. H x S 45cm x 20cm • Nerine bowdenii ‘Vesta’ x…

Sowing your first seeds of the season feels like firing the starting gun for the gardening year – the anticipation builds and then you’re off, and everything will be more exciting from here on. But the one thing that can dampen that excitement is if your lovingly sown seeds fail to perform. To help ensure that 2016 is a winning year for you, we’ve put together a bumper seed-sowing section packed full of expert advice and planning charts. Get off to a good start • Use fresh seed – now is a good time to check the ‘best before’ dates on any packets of seed that you’ve stored. • Check sowing times, depths and spacing in our charts on pages 70-73. • Don’t rush. It’s tempting to whip out the…

Timing is everything when it comes to seed sowing – do it too early and seeds may not germinate; leave it too late and plants may not have enough time to grow. And the right time to sow changes from year to year and place to place. So how can you ensure you get it right every time? In the first of this three-part series, I’ll share tips and tricks that will help you gauge when to sow seeds in your garden – taking into account slopes, location and weather. For some plants there’s a wide window of time in which you can successfully sow seeds, for others it’s more precise. But whether you’re after flowers or veg, sowing at the right time for that plant will give you more…

• Never let the soil around newly planted shrubs dry out during the first year after planting. They don’t like being kept soggy at the roots, but both root and shoot growth will slow down and stop in times of drought. A good soaking after planting, followed by a 5cm thick mulch of well-rotted garden compost, manure or chipped bark, will get shrubs off to a good start. • As a general rule of thumb, prune spring-flowering shrubs such as philadelphus and ribes immediately after flowering. Remove some of the older, flowered stems each year to encourage the production of new wood, which will keep the shrub vigorous and free flowering once those new shoots are a year old. • When a shrub outgrows its location, remember that you have…

Optimise width and height Raised beds can be tailored to your needs but walls of 40-50 cm high work well if you want to be able to sit on the edges. A wall of 10cm width will make a temporary perch but for more comfortable seating aim for 20cm plus. Choose good soil Garden soil can be used in raised beds but only if it is free draining. Work out the volume of your bed and buy in good quality topsoil if your garden soil isn’t right. When filling a new bed, gently firm the soil in layers. It will settle over time so fill generously to start, leaving just a 2cm gap at the top. Manage drainage Ensure good drainage by leaving gaps at the base where excess water…

STEP BY STEP Propagate phlox TAKE ROOT CUTTINGS of phlox before the plants start to send up their spring shoots. Use plants dug up from the garden or pot-grown specimens. Place the pots of cuttings in a cold frame, where they’ll root and grow into new young plants by midsummer. 1 Remove a few of the largest roots, as close to the base of the stem as possible, where there’s plenty of tissue ready to produce shoots. 2 Make the cuttings about 4cm long and take a nick out of the base so you know which way up they should be planted. 3 Insert vertically into firmed compost, cover with a good layer of grit, then water in. Each cutting should produce a shoot in spring. Plant bare-root perennials…

Look after winter salads WINTER SALADS provide good pickings now, with a little protection. Favourites include land cress, texel greens, corn salad (lamb’s lettuce), winter purslane (claytonia), endives, radicchio, certain lettuce varieties such as ‘Valdor’ and Oriental leaves such as mizuna. Grow them in good light and water sparingly so the compost is just moist, and let it almost dry out between waterings. Don’t stand pots on gravel trays or capillary matting and always water from below. Ventilate the greenhouse as often as possible during mild spells to deter botrytis fungal disease, which thrives in cool, humid conditions. Sow bedding now SOWN NOW, summer bedding plants will be ready to start flowering the instant they’re planted out into the garden. And it’s much cheaper to buy seeds and grow them…

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is conducting a survey to find out more about the goldfinch, which has been coming into our gardens in increasing numbers over the last decade. Around 70 per cent more Garden BirdWatch participants are reporting sightings of goldfinches than 20 years ago, but it’s not known exactly why. The BTO would like to find out how important food such as niger and sunflower seed is to goldfinches, as well as the plants we grow in our gardens. All you need to do is spend two minutes watching goldfinches in your garden this month, and tell the BTO how many you see and what they are eating. To take part visit bit.ly/1mT9cWz…

Heated propagators promise the home gardener great success with growing seeds and cuttings, but do they really deliver? To find out, we tested a range of different models. Some propagators are designed for the windowsill, while others work best in the greenhouse or on a wide bench. We tested models with heat controlling thermostats and some without. All the propagators had plastic covers, but we also tested a selection of heat mats designed to provide basal heat for seeds and cuttings. Using these involves more watering but they give great light for seedlings. They can also be rolled up and put away if space is lacking. I sowed seeds with various germination temperature requirements in pots, and used spinach, onions and antirrhinum in the low temperature range; basil and pelargonium…

Anne Swithinbank A keen fruit, vegetable and houseplant grower, Anne was formerly the glasshouse supervisor at RHS Garden Wisley. Christine Walkden Garden writer Christine appears on BBC1’s The One Show. She is also a lecturer and tour leader. Matthew Wilson Garden designer Matthew was curator of RHS Hyde Hall and Harlow Carr, and often appears on television. Q How can we disguise our unattractive uPVC porch? Sarah and Brad Herring, London A CHRISTINE SAYS Climbing plants are the perfect solution, but you’ll need to put up external supports for them that won’t damage the porch. If you fancy a change every year, then try mixing fast-growing climbers such as sweet peas, Chilean glory vine (Eccremocarpus scaber), cup-and-saucer vine (Cobaea scandens), Spanish flag (Ipomoea lobata) or morning glory varieties. These would…

Bringing you the BBC experts for 25 years Monty celebrates the return of the programme and shares plans for his garden Carol shows how to dress your walls and fences with colourful climbers Alan shares his favourite bulbs to brighten your garden from now until autumn Joe solves all your design dilemmas, from tricky spaces to planting combinations Pruning made easy How, when and why: the essentials explained At-a-glance calendar: get your timing right Bumper practical advice section Your essential checklist, including: • How to tackle slugs & snails • Taking cuttings • Dividing plants • Caring for tomatoes Raymond Blanc’s tomato guide • The best varieties for every dish • Growing tips for better flavour Cottage garden perennials for every reader 48 plants including echinacea and lavender + FREE…

This fun display makes the most of a bright pink container to create impact and a touch of drama. It’s plastic and so is good value for money, but it really works when colour is thin on the ground elsewhere in the garden. The purple violas complement the pot, while the acid-green acorus grass at the back adds a contemporary contrast. The trailing rosemary softens the whole display and also provides fresh pickings for the kitchen. 1 Half-fill the pot with multi-purpose compost and mix in a measure of slow-release fertiliser. 2 Plant the rosemary and acorus, then the violas with their blooms facing outwards. Fill gaps with compost. 3 Water well to settle the compost around the plants. Deadhead the violas to keep the blooms coming.…

I really related to Helen Yemm (Over the fence, January issue), when she said she had a ‘picky eye for detail’. I lost the person that I employed a couple of hours a week, because she found the list of tasks far too specific and demanding. Friends tell me it’s far better to do your own gardening to get the results you want. I find gardening rewarding and satisfying, but there are times when I wish I had some help. My husband is only interested in cutting the lawn and doing the odd bit of pruning. I even enjoy weeding, but planting bulbs and mulching large areas of borders can be time-consuming. I’m quite fit at the moment, but I have concerns about the future. Maybe we’ll move to a…

Forum • You say you’re considering blackcurrants or blueberries, but the latter will only do well if you’ve acid soil. I’d go with blackcurrants,they are easy, prune them once a year for big crops. I only grow what I like to eat. I used to grow gooseberries for my dad, but this year’s crop is still in the freezer, no one wants them, so I got rid of the bushes. fidgetbones • I agree blackcurrant bushes are a good idea. The latest ones are more compact and bountiful. Blueberries are great but you’ll need two bushes for cross-pollination. Grow them in pots in ericaceous soil. verdun • Definitely blackcurrants. Gooseberries are lovely to eat raw if you leave them to ripen on the bush or even in a bowl. We…

• Get in the mood for this year’s Olympics by visiting Kew’s orchid festival, which focuses on a carnival of Brazilian colours. Runs 6 February to 6 March in the Princess of Wales Conservatory. Tickets start at £8, Friends of Kew enter for free. Visit kew.org to book online. • A Parliamentary debate on the protection of ancient woodland has been secured by Conservative MP and former gardening journalist Rebecca Pow. She said: “Only 2% [of ancient woodland] remains and we must ensure that no more is lost, but with more than 650 cases of threatened woodlands this issue is of the utmost importance." • Kick off the season with a trip to The Edible Garden Show. It runs 11-13 March at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire. Tickets start at £9 –…

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HISTORY Dating from 1577, Parham is one of England’s finest Elizabethan houses and underwent major restoration during the 1920s and 1930s. Its spectacular gardens almost certainly pre-date the house and it is thought the land was first cultivated as far back as the 14th century by its owners – monks from the monastery of Westminster. Its position, sheltered by the South Downs, would have made it an appealing location for a productive fruit and veg garden. GARDENS The walled garden’s treasures include a rose garden, herb garden and the two-storey Wendy house, built in 1928, that resembles a small cottage. Beyond the walled garden are the pleasure grounds, which lead to a lake and classical summer house, and a turf and brick maze. Masses of spring bulbs are planted in…

1 Fill a large terracotta pot with a 2:1 mix of John Innes No.3 and multi-purpose compost to help support growth for a few years. 2 Mix in moisture-retaining gel and fertiliser. The compost level should be two-thirds full, just below the rim. 3 Place rose in the front and plant clematis in the centre, with the crown 12.5cm below soil. Add ivy and top up with compost. 4 Insert the supports – wooden slats, bamboo or pea sticks – deep into the compost. Tie the stakes to make a wigwam. 5 Water plants well and firm the compost. Encourage the clematis to climb the structure by tying stems to the stakes. 6 Mulch with horticultural grit; keep moist and feed weekly in spring and autumn (not during the main…

On pages 70-73, you’ll find charts that give the windows within which you are advised to sow your veg and flower seeds. But for the best results, get to know your own conditions and work out the best time for you to act. Weather varies from year to year, but your location and soil are constant, and sowing dates should be adapted to suit your conditions. There are general guidelines to follow – the best sowing dates for northern Britain are one to three weeks later than in the south. Sow later if you are at high altitude, exposed to wind or in a frost pocket. Sow earlier in sandy soil and later in heavy clay as it will take longer to warm up. Make your knowledge more specific by…

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IN MILD AREAS, broad beans can be sown directly outdoors in early November or February, but in all other parts of the UK they’re best sown in pots now, to plant out in March or April. By sowing broad beans early, you’ll not only get a crop within four months, in early summer, but the plants will be stronger and more able to resist blackfly, which can infest the tender shoot tips. It’s also best to sow in pots if your soil is very heavy, to stop the seeds and seedlings rotting. And finally, it’s just a great way to get ahead and ensure a higher success rate. After sowing, place the pots in a sunny, cool, frost-free spot, such as a cold greenhouse or windowsill that doesn’t get too…

1 Choose a hot variety There are hundreds of varieties of chillies, with vastly differing heat levels. The very hottest varieties are slow growing and need heat and humidity so are always best grown indoors to ensure a decent crop. If you want a hot chilli, but aren’t aiming for a record-breaker, or live in a part of the country with a shorter growing season, you’re likely to have more success growing a fruit with a slightly lower Scoville rating. Wear gloves when handling super-hot varieties. 2 Start growing early Even the easiest chillies need a long season to give plants plenty of time to grow, flower, fruit and ripen, and the hottest varieties need sowing as early as January. If you miss the boat, or want to give the…

Houseplants are welcome additions indoors at this time of year but keeping them looking their best can be challenging. The environment in our homes may be comfortable for us during winter, but in widely fluctuating temperatures, dry atmospheres and low light levels, plants can soon suffer if they’re not cared for. The key to success with indoor plants is not to position them too close to radiators or any direct heat source as this is likely to cause the leaves to dry out and turn brown. To this end, it can be beneficial to stand plants close to a bowl of water that will evaporate to maintain humidity in the air. Whenever possible, it is a good idea to site houseplants where they can get good light, near a window,…

 Many years ago, a chap called Stephen Pile wrote a little volume entitled The Book of Heroic Failures. Quite why it should come to mind now I am not sure, but it may be something to do with the onset of a new gardening season and a few belated resolutions to do better this year than last. It is an annual exercise, but one of which I never tire. “Were we to succeed with everything we grew, the world outdoors would offer few challenges.” Failures in gardening and cultivation are many and varied. Were we to succeed with everything we grew, the world outdoors would offer little in the way of challenges, and it is the failures that embolden us to keep on trying, cussedly, to grow plants that steadfastly…