ONE of the problems that besets the gardener is whether to allow the summer bedding plants to remain to the end, especially when summer-like weather continues late into the autumn and so many subjects are still at their loveliest. The alternative is to sacrifice the last flowers of summer to enable biennials to be planted while the soil remains warm enough to encourage root action, so they become established before severe weather is likely to set in.
Of all the usual biennials for spring and early summer flowering, Brompton stocks appear to suffer most from root disturbance, especially when planted late after the soil has become wet and cold. It is not easy to lift these plants from nursery lines with a good ball of