Only two rules for thirsty plants

Water from this “impact” sprinkler hits a deflector, causing the head to rotate continuously. In most cases, sprinklers should run until soil is moist to a depth of 4 or 5 inches.

There are only two rules for watering the garden correctly: water at the proper time and water deeply.

Too many gardeners, especially beginners, feel they must water a garden. But you should water your plants only when they really need it. How do you tell? Look at your plants in the morning. If they are wilted, it’s a sure sign that the soil has very little moisture left to provide for plants. It’s time to water! Read the rest of this entry »

To extend the lift of a cut flower display, pick the bloomsin the early morning or in the evening. Cut at an angle to expose more water-carrying cells. The following are specially recommended for cutting, as the flowers are long-lasting when arranged in water.

• Chalk plant (Gypsophila elegans) Half-hardy annual with sprays of tiny white flowers in summer. 45-60cm/1¹/-2ft. A good choice for chalky soils.
• China aster(Callistephus chinensis) Half-hardy annual. Blooms (mid-summer to autumn) vary from chrysanthemum shape to pompon, and come in many colours. 30-60cm/1-2ft. Sun and good soil are needed for best results; but choose a sheltered spot for tall varieties. Read the rest of this entry »

In tubs, urns, window boxes or hanging baskets, the following plants will make a colourful show all summer and into autumn. Grow in a good potting compost either loam-based or a peat-based type.

• Floss flower (Ageratum houstonianum) Very popular half- hardy annual, useful for edging. Blue, pink or white powder- puff flowers freely produced, especially if you trim off dead blooms. 15cm/6in. Moist soil, sun.
• Geranium, ivy-leaf (Pelargonium peltatum) A classic container plant. Half-hardy perennial treated as an annual. Ivy-shaped leaves on trailing stems, producing a cascade of pink, red or white flowers well into autumn. 60cm/2ft. Easy to grow; feed well, plenty of sun. 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 »

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 »

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 »

The prolific ‘black seed‘ of Nigella sativa has been used as both food and medicine for over 5 000 years. The earliest reference to ‘black cumin’ is found in the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament, and it was found in the tomb of Tutankhamen. Dioscorides recommended taking black seed to treat headaches, nasal catarrh, toothache, chills, scanty menstruation and intestinal worms. Many Eastern and Indian cultures take a few ‘seeds of blessing’ daily to boost energy, fight off toxins, maintain and restore body heat and help recovery from fatigue or dispiritedness. This easily grown annual must not be confused with its altogether prettier cousin, Nigella damascena, commonly grown as the spring annual ‘Love-in-amist’. Its seeds do not have the medicinal value of Nigella sativa, which has smaller blue flowers and is unobtrusive, with the same feathery delicate foliage. Read the rest of this entry »