Amateur Gardening – 21 May 2019

14 AMATEUR GARDENING11 MAY 2019

Grow some pest repellents!

Sowprettytagetesforhealthierplants,saysRuth

I

Fyouaresearchingfora beauty
thatbeatsthebeasts,thenlookno
furtherthanthisweek’sfreeseeds.
NotonlywillMrFothergill’sTagetes
tenuifolia‘StarfireMixed’fill
gardenwitha washofwarm
colour,butit mayevenhelp
keepyourplantspest-free.
Arecentstudyby
NewcastleUniversity
hasfinallyproved
whatgardenershave
suspectedforcenturies–
thatgrowingsomeFrench
marigoldshelpskeepwhite
fromyourtomatoesandals
attractspredatoryinsects that will
devourotherpests.
TheboffinsdiscoveredthatFrench
marigoldssecretea scentedsubstance
calledlimonenethatrepelswhitefly.
Because it deters rather than kills them,

whiteflydon’tbecomeresistanttoit soit

canbeusedasaneco-friendlypesticide.

Marigoldsalsoattracthoverfliesand

otherpest-chompingpollinators.

Thi eek’sfree‘StarfireMixed’

s formbushyclumps

ppedwithlotsof dainty

oomsin fieryshades

of yellow,redandgold,

somebicoloured.

Theycanbesown

outdoorsnow,butthey

renotfullyhardysoif your

denis coldorexposed

willgetbetterresults

g ndercover,before

hardeningthemoffand planting them

outafterthefrosts.

Ihavesownsomeundercoverand

othersdirectlyaroundtheveggiebeds,

andhopefullythecropswillbenefit

from some extra natural pest control!

Sowin potsif your

garden is still chilly

9-12:RHSMalvernSpringFestival:

ThreeCountiesShowground,

Malvern,Worcester,WR136NW.

rhs.org.uk/shows-events/malvern-

spring-festival

11:PlantingforResilienceand

Sustainability:RHSWisley,Wisley

Lane,Woking,SurreyGU236QB.

✆ 0203176 5830, rhs.org.uk/

gardens/wisley

11-12:PlantHeritageSpringFair:

RHSGardenRosemoor,Great

Torrington,Rosemoor,Torrington,

DevonEX388PH.✆ 0203176 5830,

rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor

11-12:WildlifeWeekend: RHS

GardenHydeHall

13:ChelseaFlowerShowPreview

(meetthedesigner):RHSWisley

14:GardenTour:RHSHarlowCarr,

CragLane,Harrogate,NorthYorks

HG31QB.✆ 0203176 5830,

rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr

16:ChalfontStGilesGardensOpen

Day(20thanniversary),ChalfontSt

Giles,Bucks.✆ 01494872883

17-19:TheNationalFlowerShow:

HylandsEstate,Chelmsford,Essex

CM28WQ.✆ 01702 549623;

nationalflowershow.co.uk

18:HPSWestMidsAnnualPlantSale

(10am):BentleyHeathCommunity

Centre,WidneyRd.SolihullB939BQ

19:PlantFair:HolywellCommunity

Centre,NorthRoad,Flintshire, CH

7TQ.hardy-plant.org.uk

21-25:RHSChelseaFlowerShow,

LondonGate,RoyalHospitalRoad,

RoyalHospitalChelsea,London

SW34SR.rhs.org.uk

23:NaturalPlantSupports:

RHS Garden Hyde Hall

■Senddetailsandimagesof

[email protected]

■Alldetailsaresubjecttochangewithoutourknowledge,

sopleasecheckthat the event is still going ahead before

leaving home.

Things to

do near you

Learnaboutwildlife-friendly

gardening at RHS Hyde Hall

What’s

on

1

Coverseedswitha littlecompost,

sealthepotin a plasticbagand

placesomewherelightandwarmuntil

germination, then untie the bag.

Sowing your Tagetes ‘Starfi re Mixed’

2

Alternatively,sowwhereyouwant

theplantstogrow.Scatterseeds

onraked,dampenedsoiland cover

with a thin layer of soil.

Tagetes‘StarfireMixed’add

colour and protection to the garden