Sunday Magazine – August 04, 2019

Reader of fers

Small but perfectly formed

Make a fine February show

with these dwarf mixed irises.

When little is blooming in the

garden, these 12-15cm

(4½-6in) irises will burst into a

dramatic display of yellow, blue,

purple and orange hues. Buy 50

5cm (2in) dwarf iris mixed for

£9.99, or order 100 for £19.98

and get another 50 free. All

prices include p&p. Order

online at shop.express.co.uk/

EXP500, call 0871 664 1469,

or send a cheque, made payable

to Express Newspapers, to

Express Offer EXP500, 14

Hadfield Street, Old Trafford,

Manchester M16 9FG. Delivery

is within 28 days.

What’s new pussycat?

Keep moggies off your precious

plants with this repeller, which

emits an ultrasonic sound

whenever a cat approaches.

The repeller, which runs on three

AA batteries (not included),

covers a 110-degree arc up to

26ft. Buy one repeller for

£12.99, or get two for £22.99,

plus £4.95 UK mainland p&p

(£6.95, Northern Ireland). Call

0871 664 2451 and quote

94528. Calls cost 12p per
       minute plus your network
       access charge.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SUBSTITUTE ANY VARIETIES FOR OTHERS OF EQUAL OR GREATER VALUE

GARdENING

flowers atop long, thin, wiry stems.

They may be slender but they stay

upright in all but the very wildest,

windiest situations. The only

unfortunate thing about this

underrated and little-known plant

is its common name – bugbane.

I ask you... what a put off.

So in the next few weeks spend

some time scrutinising your

garden. If it seems to fade away

towards the end of the summer,

think about beefing up your

planting scheme for next season.

A few well-chosen plants can make

all the difference. It’s as good

as adding another

six weeks to your

gardening season.

Colchicum has large, mauve-purple crocus-like flowers. Plant it now

to flower this autumn. It will naturalise.

Crocus speciosus are autumn crocuses with small blue or violet

flowers and white veins.

Crinum x powellii or swamp lily grows 3ft tall and has large, pink

lily-like flowers in August and September. It needs sun and shelter

with well-drained soil.

Gladiolus murielae (formerly acidanthera) produces fragrant white

and purple autumn flowers. Plant groups of corms in late spring.

Gladiolus papilio is a rare species with purplish-grey and cream

flowers. Choose a mild, sheltered, well-drained spot.

Galtonia candicans or summer hyacinth produces large clumps of

coarse grassy leaves and 3ft upright stems topped by large numbers

of nodding white bells in August and September.

Cyclamen hederifolium is an autumn-flowering hardy cyclamen whose

blooms appear from September to November.

Nerine (Nerine bowdenii) has pink flowers in September and October.

Belladonna lily (Amaryllis belladonna) has silvery pale pink flowers

by September and October.

Zephyr lily or Zephyranthes candida

has white starry flowers that appear

in September and October.

Switch on to flowering bulbs

S MAGAZINE ★ 4 AUGUST 2019 53

Swamp lily

or Crinum

x powellii

Kaffir lily

●S

Keep your garden

bright and beautiful

well into autumn