The queen of mulch was Ruth Stout, author of How to Have a Green Thumb Without an Aching Back. She maintained a year- round hay mulch at least eight inches deep in her Connecticut vegetable garden. In her fifty-by-fifty-foot plot, she used twenty-five bales a year. She never turned the soil, sowed a cover crop, hoed, weeded, watered, or built a compost pile. She just mulched, making compost on the spot, for as the bottom layer of mulch decomposed, it added rich organic matter to the soil — a continuing process. Ruth didn’t bother with manures, but used cottonseed meal or soy bean meal for added nitrogen. She sprinkled it on top of the mulch in winter, at a rate of five pounds to one hundred square feet, so that snow and rain carried it down through the hay by planting time. To plant, she pulled aside the mulch and sowed the seed. Read the rest of this entry »

The family cat prowling the garden will control its population of chipmunks, mice, and young rabbits.

Cut plastic gallon milk jugs in half lengthwise. Punch a hole in the bottom to let out rain. Set ripening melons in these contraptions. They help prevent rot and keep mice and shrews from nibbling on the melons.

Are rodents feasting on your tulip bulbs? Plant daffodils instead. Their bulbs are bitter, so mice and chipmunks won’t eat them.

If you’re determined to have tulips, interplant with Frittilaria imperialis bulbs. The two- to three-foot tall plants have pendulous red, orange, or yellow blooms. They exude a skunk-like odor that repels rodents and moles. Read the rest of this entry »

The family cat prowling the garden will control its population of chipmunks, mice, and young rabbits.

Cut plastic gallon milk jugs in half lengthwise. Punch a hole in the bottom to let out rain. Set ripening melons in these contraptions. They help prevent rot and keep mice and shrews from nibbling on the melons.

Are rodents feasting on your tulip bulbs? Plant daffodils instead. Their bulbs are bitter, so mice and chipmunks won’t eat them. Read the rest of this entry »

If you have a root cellar, keep it cool in the fall when it’s full of produce by opening ventilators on brisk nights and closing them on warm, sunny days. That’s an easy way to keep the temperature and humidity at ideal levels.

Choose to grow thin-necked varieties of onions rather than thick-necked ones, and you’ll have less incidence of onion-neck rot in storage. Cure them in sun for a week or two after harvest, then lay screens in the rafters of your garage or attic and spread the onions one layer thick. Leave them there for a month or so. Make sure onion necks are thoroughly dry before clipping to an inch or two. Store in a cool, dry place with good ventilation. Read the rest of this entry »

How long does a plant live? Can environmental conditions such as soil and climate have any influence and how much can individual plants deviate from the normal pattern? All these are questions which are often asked. The first is the most difficult to answer, and to do so with any sense it is necessary to look at the three broad groups into which higher plants are divided. These are annuals, biennials and perennials. Read the rest of this entry »

Trees and shrubs within semi desert areas have their own defenses against drought. These usually take the form of a deciduous habit, the plants losing their leaves as the hottest season commences, together with the ability to store water within their roots and occasionally their trunks. The famous Baobab (Adansonia digitata) of Africa has an almost bottle-like stem. Other plants spend the difficult season completely dormant. Read the rest of this entry »

Border perennials provide long displays of flowers or bold colourful foliage to enhance most parts of the garden. There are two kinds: herbaceous perennials, which die down to the ground each autumn but throw up new shoots with the onset of spring; and evergreen perennials, which retain their leaves (often dramatically textured) all year round, giving interest even in winter. All the plants listed here are herbaceous, unless otherwise stated.

You should cut down the stems of herbaceous perennials each year in late autumn — not to leave “stubble”, as is so often seen, but right down to the ground. With evergreens, all you need do is remove any dead leaves. Most perennials thrive in sunny spots with well-drained soil, and are easy-going. Read the rest of this entry »

Here are many lovely plants for soil which does not dryout and receives dappled shade — in other words, shade cast by trees with a light canopy of foliage. Typical areas are light woodland or parts of a shrub border. Work plenty of peat or well-rotted organic matter into the soil for these plants.

• Candelabra primulas (Primula species) Whorls of flowers up the stems in early summer. Various colours, such as red Primula japonica. 60-90cm/2-3ft.

• Drumstick primrose (Primula denticulata) This has large globular heads of mauve, pink or white flowers over a long period in spring. 30cm/12in. Easy and reliable. Read the rest of this entry »

These plants are suitable for growing around the base of winter- or spring-flowering shrubs, for bright splashes of colour in the border..

• Bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis) Pink and white heart- shaped flowers in spring above attractive foliage. 45-60cm/ 1¹/2-2ft. A pure white form is becoming popular. Moist peaty soil and dappled shade.

• Christmas rose (Helleborus niger) Evergreen hand-shaped leaves and white single-rdse-like flowers in winter. 30cm/12in. Fertile moist soil and partial shade.

• Elephant’s ears (Bergenia species/varieties) Large, shiny, leathery evergreen foliage and dense heads of pink, red or white flowers in spring. 30cm/12in. Foliage often turns reddish in winter. Moist soil. Sun or partial shade. Read the rest of this entry »

Three bulbs and corms for growing in grass

Grassy areas can be made colourful by planting bulbs andcorms, perhaps around the bases of trees or on banks. Do not cut the grass until at least 9 weeks after the flowers have faded, or there will be few or no flowers next year.

• Crocus, large-flowered Dutch Large, goblet-shaped flower in shades of yellow, purples, blue or white in spring. 10— 15cm/4-9in. Full sun needed for blooms to open.
• Crocus, autumn-flowering (Crocus speciosus) Lilac flowers in autumn, leaves following in spring. 10cm/4in. Full sun and well-drained soil.
• Daffodil, miniature (Narcissus bulbocodium and N. cyclamineus) Yellow flared and trumpet-shaped miniature flowers respectively, in spring. 15cm/9in. Moist soil, and sun or partial shade. Plant generously in drifts. Read the rest of this entry »

Bulbs and corms are virtually guaranteed to flower, with a minimum of soil preparation, as the flower buds are already formed inside them when they are planted. If you give them the right conditions, they will bloom regularly each year.

Because, on the whole, bulbs and corms are relatively inexpensive compared with, say, shrubs, you can afford to mass-plant them, which certainly creates the best effect. Spring bulbs are so well known that many gardeners do not realize that there are bulbs and corms that can be planted for flowering at other seasons — not just in spring, which is the peak time. Spring-flowering bulbs are planted in autumn, summer-flowering bulbs in spring, and autumn-flowering bulbs in summer. Read the rest of this entry »

Exotics — from warm or tropical regions of the world — have luxurious associations for inhabitants of cooler dimes. Most have to be nurtured under glass in temperate climates.A warm greenhouse or conservatory (minimum temperature 15^°C/59°F), or an intermediate one (at least 8^°C/50°F), allows you to grow some highly colourful tropical plants. Even a cool greenhouse or conservatory (at least 5-7^°C/40-45°F) can be colourful all year round.

Five flowering exotics for the warm greenhouse

These plants offer long-lasting, spectacular flowers. They are easy to grow provided that they have plenty of warmth at all times, and moist or humid air. Read the rest of this entry »

Roses are the most romantic of all flowers, and among the most versatile. Many are deliciously scented, and the blooms come in virtually every colour except blue, in spring, summer or autumn. Moreover, some roses offer the bonus in autumn of colourful fruits or hips.

You can grow small roses in tubs on the patio. Certain climbing varieties are ideal for brightening up a shady wall, and there are lots of climbers too for pergolas and similar supports and for climbing through trees. A recent fashion is for prostrate varieties used as groundcover — ideal for steep banks. Some roses are most suitable for shrub or mixed borders, while the old-fashioned kinds are an inevitable choice for the cottage garden. Read the rest of this entry »

Garden pools can look rather bleak unless you grace them with water plants. These should certainly include some waterlilies, with large, rounded, floating leaves which help to shade the water and exotic-looking blooms, mostly bowl-shaped, in summer and autumn.

Water plants are best planted during late spring or early summer. Most will be happy in ordinary fibrous garden soil in purpose-made planting baskets, but first you must line each basket with clean, coarse sacking. Before immersing in the pool, spread a layer of coarse gravel over the soil to prevent it from floating off and to prevent disturbance by fish. Baskets 25-30cm/10-12in square are suitable for most vigorous plants, but small versions, 20cm/8in square, are better for pygmy waterlilies and less invasive plants. Read the rest of this entry »

Suitable for a sunny, sheltered wall, or any structure which receives full sun.

• Californian lilac(Ceanothus species and varieties) Attractive wall shrubs, both evergreen and deciduous, producing mainly blue flowers in spring/early summer, or in summer and autumn. Height variable to 6m/20ft. Not suited to shallow, chalky soils; good drainage and shelter needed.
• Chilean potato tree(Solanum crispum) Vigorous semi- evergreen climber to 6m/20ft, with purplish blue, potato-like flowers in summer. `Glasnevin’ is a good variety. Shelter and good drainage needed. Prune previous year’s shoots hard back in mid-spring. Read the rest of this entry »

As well as being invaluable for giving height to an otherwise flat plot, climbers and wall shrubs also offer an excellent way to disguise an ugly enclosure or hide unsightly objects. To grow well, all need some means of support — a wall or fence, or perhaps a rustic arch or pergola erected purely for the plants‘ convenience.

The so-called “self-clinging” types have either aerial roots (the ivy) or sucker pads (Virginia creeper). Other climbers (such as grape vines) have tendrils. Ramblers (such as honeysuckle) push toward the light by twining around a host plant. Some shrubs, although not strictly climbers, adopt an upright habit when grown against a wall — for example, Pyracantha. Read the rest of this entry »

Every garden should have a few shrubs for winter colour.

The following offer colour from flowers, foliage or bark. Try combining each of these features to create an attractive mixed group.

• Cornelian cherry (Corn us mas) Masses of small yellow flowers appear on the bare branches of this excellent shrub. 3-3.6m/10-12ft. Likes a good fertile soil and plenty of sun.

• Dogwood (Corpus alba `Sibirica’) Deciduous shrub producing thickets of brilliant red stems. Cut down almost to the ground each year in early spring. Likes a moist soil, and sun or partial shade. Height of annual stems about 1.8m/6ft. Read the rest of this entry »

Some types are so distinctive that they are best planted in isolation. When planting in a lawn, leave a 45cm/18in radius of bare soil around each one, as grass right up to the stems or trunks retards growth.

• Birch(Raula pendula `Youngii’) A weeping form, with a white trunk and a mushroom-shaped head of branches which eventually reach the ground. Deciduous 4.5-6m/15-20ft. Any ,. soil. Sun or partial shade. Read the rest of this entry »

These flowering shrubs are indispensable for bright colour in the spring garden. Grow some spring-flowering bulbs around them, to augment the effect.

• Barberry (Berberis darwinii) Highly popular evergreen shrub with shiny, deep green, holly-like leaves and deep yellow flowers followed by blackish berries. Any soil, including chalk. Sun or partial shade. Grows to around 2.4m/8ft.
• Broom (Cytisus scoparius hybrids) Green stems bear masses of yellow, red, cream or white flowers. Height about 2.4m/8ft, very quickly attained. Good for poor, sandy, acid soils, needs full sun. Cut off dead flower heads. Read the rest of this entry »

Arepertoire for reliable and easy shrubs to grow for their flowers or coloured foliage. Some of these should be in every shrub or mixed border.

• Abelia (Abelia x grandiflora) Bushy semi-evergreen which produces its tubular pink and white flowers from mid-summer to mid-autumn. 1.5-1.8m/5-6ft, soon attained. Needs a warm, sunny sheltered spot and well-drained soil.

• Barberry(Berberis x ottawensis Purpurea’) Vigorous shrub grown for its large oval, rich red-purple foliage. Quickly attains 2.4-3.6m/8-12ft. Grows on any soil, particularly good on chalk, and best in full sun. Read the rest of this entry »