Amateur Gardening – 10 August 2019

10 AUGUST 2019AMATEUR GARDENING 5

Healthyshrubberies: Innextweek’sAG(onsale 13 August),I showyou

how to keepyourshrubshappyin latesummerandautumnthrough

pruning, feeding, troubleshooting and taking cuttings.

Planting in late summer for continued colour

2

Diga holeasdeepandslightly

widerthaneachplant’srootball.If

soil is very dry, water it before planting.

4

Havingstoodplantsin waterto

soaktheroots,easeit fromitspot

and tease out any congested roots.

6

Finallymulcharoundtheroot

areawithmoremanureor

compost to hold moisture in the soil.

1

Feedthesoilwithchickenmanure

pelletsorblood,fishandboneto

add goodness for the new plantings.

Step

by step

5

Placetheplant,infillaroundit with

soilandcompost, firm it down and

water thoroughly.

3

Forkin somewell-rottedmanure

orcomposttoaddmoistureand

goodness to the soil and roots.

Flowersaren’ttheonlyoptions

forsustainedcolourand interest in

theautumngarden.

Sculpturalseedheadsonalliums,

agapanthus,globethistlesandsea

hollieslookstunning,especially

whensprinkledwithfrosts.

Evergreenshrubs,suchas

variegatedeuonymusora stunning

Houttuyniacordata‘Chameleon’

thatchangescolourwiththeseasons

provideyear-longinterest.

Anyshrubthatproducedbright

berriesis a must,asaredeciduous

treesthatseeouttheyearwitha

blazeof autumnalbrilliance before

theirleavesfall.

Andremembertoleavesome

deadrosebloomsin placefortheir

colourfulhips,which garden birds

will also love.

Add extra interest

Driedalliumheadscanbe

left to add structural interest

Rosehipsdotcolour

around the garden

Prepare for new plantings

It’s time to be ruthless with your old summer bedding

L

OOKINGatourbordersin late

summerI seea massofcolour,

lifeandcontrastbutalsoseveral

plantsthatarepasttheirbest.

Thesweetrocketshavebecome

stragglyandarethreateningtoself-seed

everywhereandsomenicotianashave

goneoverandaren’tworthsaving.

A massivepurplescabiousis full

of spentflowerheadsthatneedtobe

removedandthesweetpeashave

developeda fewwell-hiddenpods

thatmustgotocreatemoreflowers.

Theremainingbeddingnicotianas

andantirrhinumsarealsodeadheaded

andshouldkeepproducingnewbuds

foraslongastheweather stays

warmenough.

I wanttoaddmoreplantstoadd

colourintolatesummerandautumnbut

I needtomakespace,soit’stimetobe

ruthless.Outcometherocketsanda

coupleof tragic-lookingbits

of bedding,whiletherestof

thefloweredannualsare

deadheadedandcut

back,whichwillhopefully

encouragertheplants

tothrowoutmorebuds.

Thisis a naturalresponse

becausetheplants‘panic’wh

theirspentbloomsandseedh

are removed so they immediately make

morebudstorestarttheflower-

pollination-seedcycle.

e theplantsaresorted,

yourattentiontothesoil

at willhavehaditsnutrients

epletedbytheearly

oweringplants.Forkin

omechickenmanurepellet

blood,fishandbonemeal

d waterwell– youcanalso

h thegroundwithcompost

ttedmanurein autumn to

feed the soil through winter.

I’mremovinga spentsweetrocket

tomakeroomforlate summer and

autumn colour

Get rid of leggy bedding

Keepdeadheading

for more blooms