Amateur Gardening

“An experiment was conducted in the summer at Mr Fothergill’s trial grounds near Newmarket in Suffolk that I was lucky enough to witness. They were trialling a leading brand of peat-free compost against peat-based using tomato plants. The plants were

THERE’S a definite sense of impending autumn now, and while temperatures are still mild here in the south, the nights are increasingly chilly and further north the cold may really be starting to bite. It’s time to start clearing greenhouses, coldfram

THE tomato trial results showing that peat and peat-free composts behave very differently and have markedly different effects on plants came as no surprise to horticultural experts Steve and Val Bradley. As correspondents of The Sun and AG, they carr

A MAJOR trial of peat versus peat-free compost has laid bare the challenges facing gardeners. More than three-quarters of plants in peat-free compost failed to perform as well as those rooted in peat-rich growing media in a trial carried out by leadi

OUR cannas and dahlias have loved this summer and even thrived on the grey water they were given every now and then. But now, with nighttime temperatures dropping, it’s time to start thinking about what to do with them over the winter. In theory, if

ONE of the main uses of the greenhouse this winter will be providing a frost-free space for seedlings and cuttings. They will stay under glass until the risk of frosts subsides next spring, when they will be hardened off and planted in the garden. Ma

DAHLIA ‘Figaro’ is a dwarf variety growing to 14in (35cm). The plants have a profusion of flowers in a variety of shades, mainly pinks, red and yellow. They are ideal for the front of borders and containers, and will attract plenty of bees and butter

WHETHER it involves coldframes, a greenhouse or the windowsill, many of us have plants we want to get through the winter. The most obvious threat is the cold. Frost can kill many of our plants (due to ice crystals bursting their tissues) so we have t

I HATE to sound like the prophet of doom, but it won’t be long before the clocks go back. This event is seen as life-changing at the best, or catastrophic at the worst, by many who don’t welcome the longer evenings. Personally, as an avid reader and

DO you find that growing fruit in containers is a bit hit or miss? Are yields disappointing? Do plants struggle? Well, no more! With a few key issues addressed, a mini potted orchard is within anyone’s reach, so let me tell you my tips on how to keep

Q Is now a good time to plant lily bulbs? If so, should I grow them in pots or in my borders? Anne Baker (via email) A Lilies are best planted in autumn, with bulbs placed at a depth of 2.5 times the height of the bulb. Ideal conditions are a south-f

Exotic-looking plants from the asparagus family CORDYLINES are popular garden plants in the UK. Arguably, 15-20 years ago they were even more popular, because at that time the trend for exotic gardens was at its highest – and these are truly exotic-l

Christopher Lloyd extols the virtues of October flowers and explains how to make an October border ONE feels rather sorry for the flowers of October; with a season too late to be of much use in the main flower borders, they get the Cinderella treatme

It’s time for our just-for-fun puzzle – AG’s Garden Wall. This wall comprises 12 bricks in three courses. Each brick has a different word, or phrase on it. The first brick in each course, with BLOCK capitals, is cemented in place and cannot be moved.

This word search comprises words associated with dracaenas and cordylines. They are listed below; in the grid they may be read across, backwards, up, down or diagonally. Letters may be shared between words. Erroneous or duplicate words may appear in

WITH the average summer getting warmer and longer than in previous years, this is a good time to try growing plants that have long been regarded as difficult, such as grapes. Not that growing grapes in the UK is new. It is thought the Romans introduc

Write to us: Letters, Amateur Gardening magazine, Future Publishing Limited, Unit 415, Winnersh Triangle, Eskdale Road, Winnersh, RG41 5TP (please include your address). Email us: amateurgardening@futurenet.com READING Marc Rosenberg’s news piece (AG

Q We recently moved to a house with a garden that is overrun with a plant called acanthus. It is a good-looking thing, but how can I control it? Penny Theakston, Tunstall, Staffs. A In many ways, bear’s breeches (usually represented in gardens by Aca

WIN £20 Please continue to send us your poems. Thank you Gloria Wilding, from Prescot, Merseyside for this poem. Gloria said: “This actually happened, I just tried to write a poem about it”. Years ago, a fuchsia bush wasgiven to me,By a neighbour in

NOBODY likes a name dropper. In fact, I said as much when I met HRH King Charles III in his garden at Highgrove in Gloucestershire. We were comparing notes on tackling bindweed. Having said, ‘You mustn’t give up’, he then told me the story of how he’

Editor: Garry Coward-Williams Email: garry.coward-williams@futurenet.com Gardening Editor: Ruth Hayes Assistant Editor: Janey Goulding Art Editor: Al Rigger Editorial Assistant: Lesley Upton Picture Editor and Letters: Wendy Humphries Email: amateurg