Arthur's top tips

• Keeping an eye on baskets and containers may not be enough for all the rain we get.
• For a black spot, spray roses.
• It's very important to spray apple trees for scab just now as the new fruit develops.
• Stake up perennial herbaceous plants.
• It is now possible to prune spring blooming clematis that have just gone out of flower.

In last week’s article I mentioned an old reliable that has been rejuvenated with bigger and better flowers and dramatic colours, these new Lupins are known as the West Country  Series. This week I continue in the same vein with another old reliable that is only barely distinguishable from its older cousins, it is known as Buddleja Flower Power (commonly known as the Butterfly Bush).  It is guaranteed to attract butterflies to your garden from July to September which is its flowering time. The older varieties grew quite large often outgrowing their space and required regular pruning to keep them in check.  By the way, this pruning should only be done in the wintertime.  They produced long spikes of purple, white or mauve flowers.  Their new cousin Flower Power isn’t just as vigorous but the flower colour is certainly dramatic.  In bud it’s a deep purple colour and as the flower develops it changes colour from purple to lilac to orange, all on the same flower.  When you get old and new flowers on the same plant the mix of colours can only be described as stunning.  It is sweetly scented and still attracts the butterflies, it is easy to grow so it’s worth seeking out.  While I’m on the subject of Buddleja there is an old variety that you don’t see much anymore as it grows too big for most gardeners reaching 12-15 feet high, it’s called Buddleja Globosa and it produces orange fluorescent golf ball size globular flowers, if you come across it and you have the space it’s one for posterity!                                                                                                                                    

Back to the subject of new and improved varieties, there’s a new apple tree called “Honey Crisp” which will put back the flavour into apples. For many years new apple trees were bred for their fruit, to have better colour, produce more and be longer lasting but they lost their flavours. Honey Crisp has bridged the gap as well as being disease resistant. The fruit has good colour, it is self-pollinating and has fruit with a fresh juicy sweet taste.  It is one to plant for the future, it will happily grow in Ireland. A number of varieties are being sold from time to time in Ireland that will not produce fruit here as they prefer continental type climates.

• There is still loads of time to plant vegetables and flower seeds directly into the ground outdoors
• Cut back shrubs which flowered in early spring, they will grow all summer and produce new flower buds for next year’s flowers
• Avoid trimming hedges as the birds are busy
• Keep an eye on newly planted trees and shrubs for watering.  Enjoy the sun!

ng last summer seems to be here and we tend to spend much more time outside. There is so much to be done in the garden right now I find it difficult to actually sit down and enjoy the garden. Of course, there are those who are of the opposite extreme but each to their own.  When I do get time to sit in the garden I’m drawn to the water’s edge, I have quite a simple garden pool and I’ve constructed a little cascade and there is something about the sound of trickling water that relaxes the spirit, by the way, my pool is an unfinished masterpiece, not that pools are hard to build and maintain but when constructing there are a number of aspects you must get right.

Over the next number of weeks, I will go through each step from construction to planting from a simple pebble pool in a pot which can be put together in an hour or two to a larger project which can take a number of weekends to complete.  A pond will transform your garden, a pond will breathe life into your garden. It can be an informal natural pond in a secluded corner or a formal raised pond in a high profile position by the patio.  A pond will bring sound and movement to your garden, you can actually create an atmosphere.  It also adds a wildlife dimension and you can stock your pool with interesting fish.  A pool will attract dragonflies, frogs and birds and our dog's preferred drink is direct from the pool, I suppose it’s more natural.                                                       

One word of caution, where there are small children there is no such thing as a safe pool, wait until the children are older before you have an open pond.  You can, of course, build a pebble pool where the water is totally concealed by stones and I’ve seen the odd pool with a very elaborate protective screen which if done properly is very effective and this protective grid can be disguised with clever planting. But as you know children are attracted to water like a magnet. 

• Erect supports for climbing vegetables, using tall canes.
• Watch out for signs of powdery mildew on fruit trees and bushes.
• Ventilate your greenhouse or tunnel during the day but close vents in the evening.
• Feed all your young plants with a solution of liquid fertilizer.
• Now is the correct time to sow seeds outdoors, direct into the ground.

Plants of Interest

The thorn family

If you have been driving around the county this week, you have probably noticed how beautiful it’s looking now. The may bush is at its most fantastic. Let’s hope we preserve it as it takes maybe two generation to establish. Whitethorn makes an excellent stock proof hedge and is quite easy to grow. Might be a little drab on its own around your home, but if you mix in a little bit of beech, native holly, and the odd shrub rose you will have a natural easy to maintain beautiful hedge with interest all year round. If you want a really hardy tree for your garden plant the red thorn (Crataegus Paul Scarlet), the more obscure Crataegus Prunifolia with its white flowers followed by large red berries, is well worth seeking out. The whitethorn tree will suit town or country gardens as it is slow growing and responds well to pruning if necessary. They will grow in any well-drained soil, and will take exposure and wind in their stride. Under plant with bluebells when the time is right.

If you haven’t been out the country, do go for a drive this weekend and admire our whitethorn and beech which are looking their best.

Unusual bits - How to start growing your lunch (Asparagus)

Now is the time for asparagus but before you can easily these tasty spears you have a two to three-year wait, depending on whether you plant from seed or crowns. Seed should be sown now, but you can also buy one-year-old crowns in pots. Given the right location and soil type asparagus will produce a very tasty crop for twenty to twenty-five years, but you must get the following right. Asparagus require a deep, free draining weed free soil. Apply a light dressing of growmore fertilizer when planting and it will enjoy a good top dressing of well-rotted manure in winter. Old gardeners used to even give them a sprinkle of salt, but I wonder?

Asparagus does not like acid soils, so you may need to apply lime, make sure its garden lime though not building lime. Do not be tempted to cut the ferny foliage for flower arranging, as you reduce your crop for the following season. You must leave the crop till the third year before harvesting and there after all you need to do is keep them weed free, give them a feed in spring, cut them back in late autumn to just above ground level. Enjoy for years!

• Continue to plant dahlia and lily bulbs, come summer you will be glad you did!
• Lightly clip box edging and topiary to neaten them up
• Sow seeds of the following crops this week if conditions are fine: beetroot, parsnips, turnips, onions, peas and mangetout, broad beans, lettuce and salad leaves, spinach, radish, rocket, pak choi, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts
• Thin out seedlings from earlier sowings
• Secure emerging clematis shoots to supports, taking care not to snap their fragile stems
• Prune early-flowering clematis, such as Clematis m=Montana, immediately after flowering to control their size
• Start using your garlic spray to ward off disease on your disease vulnerable roses
• Spray new leaves on disease-prone roses with fungicide, to prevent infection by mildew, rust or blackspot
• Hoe bare areas of soil to prevent weed seedlings from establishing themselvesPlant up ponds with new aquatic plantsKeep newly planted trees and shrubs well watered until established
• If you planted spring bulbs in your lawn avoid mowing off leaves until early June
• If you have a greenhouse, you can now plant tomatoes, melons and pepper plants in big pots or in an instant planter (a fatter type of grow bag)
• Throw sheets of fleece over fruit trees on frosty nights to protect blossom
• Place collars around the stems of brassicas to prevent an attack of cabbage root fly
• Feed strawberries with a high potash feed and plant a borage next to them

Food.

One of the most frequently asked questions we are asked in the garden centre is what, where & when to feed plants. Plants are able to make their own food by capturing the energy from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar (remember your school science classes) but in order to stay healthy and give the best results they take additional nutrients out of the soil or compost, so it's important to provide them with supplementary fertiliser. The basic nutrients required by plants are nitrogen (N) for leaf and stem growth, phosphorus (P) for root growth and potassium (K) for flowers, fruit and to maintain healthy growth. Adding fertiliser to the base of planting holes for new plants will encourage good root establishment and growth in the first season. A good balanced granular fertiliser can be applied around all established plants in spring. Distribute it around the base of plants at the rate recommended on the packaging. Avoid getting granules on soft stems and leaves as it may scorch them. Slow-release granules can be mixed with the compost in pots when planting summer bedding to provide nutrients for the whole growing season.  If you have existing planted pots, this slow release fertiliser does come in tablet form that can be pushed into the soil, feeding for the whole season.  Fertilisers are also available to mix up with water for liquid application. Liquid concentrates and ready-to-use liquid feeds are also available. These are quick acting as the plant roots can take in the dissolved nutrients with the water. For best results apply fertilisers when the soil is moist. Always apply high-potash fertilisers to encourage flowering of all plants and a good crop of any plant grown for its fruit and for great vegetables apply lime to improve the soil structure. Diluted liquid feeds or fertilisers can be applied to the foliage of many plants for quick results (roses greatly benefit from a foliar feed in July/ August). Always read the instructions as every feed is different and if you can choose an organic brand.

• Plant herbs in pots and keep them near the house so that you can easily access them.
• Make sure that you carry them into the house for the night or fleece or cover them if they are in a tunnel or greenhouse if you have tender seedlings.
• If conditions are right, sow seeds of the following crops this week: beetroot, parsnips, turnips, onions, peas and mangetout, large beans, lettuce and salad leaves, spinach, radish, rocket, pak choi, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.
• Offer generous feed with acidic (ericaceous) fertiliser to azaleas and acid-loving shrubs.
• Plant the seedlings of sweet peas sown last autumn
• Install water butts on your home, shed or greenhouse for all downpipes, to capture rainwater.
• Tie to plant supporters in young delphinium growth and defend them from a slug attack.
• Raise and break Hemerocallis clumps.
• Secure emerging clematis shoots to supports, taking care not to snap their fragile stems.
• Plant some garlic in pots, so you can move it around to where it is needed, for aphid protection.
• Start using your garlic spray to ward off disease on your disease vulnerable roses.
• Mow lawns regularly, gradually lowering the height of the cut as spring progresses.
• Throw sheets of fleece over fruit trees on frosty nights to protect blossom
• Plant out sets of onions and shallots.
• To prevent a cabbage root fly attack, place collars around the brassica stems.

Why not use lilies or dahlias to add a temporary, but timely, burst of colour if your garden suffers from gaps throughout the summer? Now plant bulbs into pots and you can simply drop them, pot and all into the patio displays, or even into the border of your flower.#

Give it a try... Last year, we had great success with the tomato called 'Totem.' Totem is a dwarf that has been bred in packs, pots, and containers for growing. It flowers very quickly and requires little support until the fruit begins to swell when a stake is required due to the sheer weight of the fruit produced.When fully ripened, the round fruit is crimson in color and it lasts long on the vine, making it suitable for picking and using in salads or barbecues.

Rosa Banksiae ‘Lutea’ An evergreen rose that is extremely easy to train. It’s exceptional vigour and virtually thornless whippy canes makes it easy to train along a fence, up an old dead tree, or over a garden shed .It produces clusters of small pale yellow flowers. They don't appear to fade with age, as many of the older yellow roses do, and they have a slight fruity fragrance. Although each flower may not have a strong perfume, when you multiply that by several thousand, then the scent is enough to perfume an entire area of your garden. Lutea would look lovely combined with wisteria, which flowers at much the same time. It is happiest in a sunny sheltered site (same as wisteria) and be sure to prune after flowering.

Herbs have been used for thousands of years for culinary and medicinal purposes, but they also attract and provide food for different species of wildlife. It is easy to grow many herbs and they have great ornamental value. Here are a few in the garden that you might consider planting. Borage is an attractive plant that has a mild cucumber flavour with hairy leaves. For pollinators, such as bees, butterflies and hoverflies, its delicate blue flowers are a magnet. As it is said to add flavor to the strawberries, we often plant borage in our strawberry tunnels, and the girls in the coffee shop sometimes steal the flowers to decorate their cakes. One of the best plants to grow to attract bees and butterflies is Lavandula. Hundreds of species and cultivars are available to choose from, producing attractive scented May-September blooms. In this area, we have found the two best varieties are 'Munstead' and 'Hidcote' if you plant in any quantity. Fennel produces enticing yellow blooms that attract hoverflies if left to flower, and birds enjoy the seeds in autumn and winter. Sage, Salvia officinalis, is best known for the distinctive taste of its leaves, but its tiny blue blooms, if left to flower, provide bees and butterflies with nectar and pollen.

• Feed Beech hedging with Growmore granules 
• Spray fruit trees and bushes with a fungicide
• Feed Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Pieris and Camellias with ericaceous (acidic) plant food
• Prune forsythia and flowering currants as soon as the flowers have faded
• Sow seeds of dwarf and climbing beans in deep pots
• Remove forcing jars from rhubarb plants and let them grow uncovered
• If you have a greenhouse you can sow herbs, including basil, chives, fennel, borage, parsley and coriander into pots or trays
• Plant out some groups of gladioli in borders to add extra colour and height
• Spread a compost mulch around border plants to suppress weeds
• Put pond pumps and fountains back into pools, thoroughly cleaning filters first
• Clean out bird baths and bird feeders
• Check tree ties are not too tight or cutting into bark, and loosen if necessary
• Now is a good time to cut back any overgrown ivy
• You can plant new asparagus beds or try growing the asparagus pea, lovely flavour without all the hassle!
• Continue planting potatoes, shallots and onion sets and feed spring cabbage with a high-nitrogen fertiliser
• Cornflowers and other wildflowers appear between narrow blades of native grasses in meadows and cornfields. It's easy to recreate this effect in your garden and the plants can be raised from seed, directly where they are to grow, in March and April. If you don’t have the room to plant an area of your garden with a Wild Flower meadow. A container planted up and placed on your patio will attract bees and butterflies to your garden.

March sees the emergence of new shoots on trees and shrubs and it also heralds the beginning of a new gardening season, when people step out into their garden again and there are the usual tasks to greet them, lawn care (now is the time to tackle moss with Osmo moss remover), pruning, and re- planting areas lacking in colour. Over the last number of years there is a problem coming to light with leylandii hedging, anyone who has leylandii wishes they hadn’t. The dilemma is what to plant instead of it. Thirty years ago when I started out it  was the most popular hedging plant but times have changed and people are looking for a little bit more than just a screen. If you are looking for a straight forward fast growing evergreen hedge not that’s not as unruly as leylandii, I recommend Thuja ‘Brabrant’ and there is one called Thuja ‘Smargad’ which grows reasonably quickly with a nice trim shape which means little trimming. Laurel is still a very popular evergreen hedge and there is a new variety called ‘Movita’ which has a smaller leaf and a darker green colour all year round. Portuguese laurel would be my choice as it has a glossy green leaf smaller than normal laurel with a compact growth habit and it is also extremely hardy. If you are living in the countryside a Beech looks perfect with the surroundings, the secret to getting a great looking hedging is to buy the best quality, Beech you can find with a good root system, this paramount to its success. Copper beech even though it is slightly more expensive makes a superb showpiece hedge making it perfect, in town or country gardens. You can, of course, form a very interesting informal screen by using a mix of species such as holly, beech, rugosa roses, cotoneaster, spindle, hazel and wild cherry and this will give you a different effect, far from the manicured trimmed hedge. Take care though not to over mix the species. Whatever you decide now is probably the best time to do it; you have about three weeks left to plant bare-root plants like Beech. Prepare your soil well, consider your choice carefully (is it shady? is it wet soil? How high do you want it to grow?) and get planting! 

• Prune summer-flowering clematis, cutting above a low pair of green buds.
• Be on the lookout for slugs and snails, which will attack emerging shoots of perennials. Apply slug pellets around emerging spring bulbs.
• Carry on sowing seeds in pots or trays in the greenhouse, ready to transplant later, including Brussels sprouts, spring cabbage, and onions.
• Now is the perfect time to plant new raspberry canes and blackberry plants.
• Very important to sprinkle a handful of sulphate of potash fertiliser around the base of fruit trees and bushes now.
• Empty your greenhouse and thoroughly clean inside with Armillatox.
• Monitor temperatures with a max-min thermometer to ensure heaters are working efficiently in your greenhouse.
• Spread a layer of manure around roses and shrubs.
• Plant whitethorn before it comes into bud.
• Prepare vegetable seed beds by removing all weeds and forking in plenty of compost. Cover prepared soil with sheets of black plastic to keep it drier and warmer in preparation for spring planting. If you garden on heavy clay soil but want to make an early start in the garden, build raised beds before the growing season gets under way. The soil will warm up faster and raised beds drain quickly too.
• Plant Lilies and Allium bulbs

A brief explanation of soil fertility and crop rotation is in order before we get into the serious business of sowing seeds and plants.  One of the mistakes I come across quite a lot is from customers who are starting a new plot and they are surprised by the fact that virgin soil can be quite low in nutrient and fertility in the soil will be improved and built up slowly over the five years.  On year one when preparing the planting area dig in lots of well-rotted farmyard manure or homemade compost (the sludge behind the hedge from last year’s lawn clippings is not compost) making good compost is for another day.  Ideally, the farmyard manure should be dug in during the winter months to give the worms time to do their work except for potatoes where the farmyard manure can be put in the ridge and the seed potatoes placed on top at sowing time.  Remember some vegetables like carrots and onions do not like farmyard manure although they can be sown next season in soil that has been fed with farmyard manure this season.  This leads me onto crop rotation.  Put simply it means not planting the same crop in the same part of the garden every year to do so will encourage pests and disease and deplete the soil of some nutrients.  Different plants use different nutrients so changing them around keeps the garden in balance.  If you want to be 100% compliant your garden should be divided into three areas.  Year one in area 1, plant vegetables with roots i.e. carrots, parsnips, potatoes and beetroot.  Area 2 plant your brassicas i.e. cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale, broccoli and turnips.  For successful growing of the above, lime in the soil is important.  Use horticultural lime not building lime.  Area 3, plant all the others i.e. beans, peas, lettuce, onions and spinach etc.  In year two alternate i.e. plants that were in area 1, move to area 2 and so on.  If this is all too complicated make two divisions, in area 1 plant root crops, area 2 plant leafy crops and alternate.  All areas should be given a general purpose fertilizer (as we discussed last week) about two weeks before sowing.  It can be traditional or organic, the choice is yours but if you don’t feed you won’t have a bountiful harvest.

• Pinch out side shoots of tomatoes to increase yields  and keep feeding with tomato feed.
• Feed roses to keep them flowering strongly.
• Pot up houseplants that have become top heavy or pot bound.
• Be on the lookout for developing pest problems and take action.
• Cut down delphiniums once flower spikes fade.
• Treat weeds with a lawn weed killer before they get a firm foothold.
• Sow seeds of herbs, including basil, parsley and coriander.
• Bury shoot tips of blackberries and peg them down to raise new plants.
• Keep an eye on your greenhouse or tunnel with this ever changing weather we are having. Ventilate daily and add extra shading if temperatures get too high.
• Cut back pansies that look straggly to encourage new growth.
• Shorten half the shoots on broom and genista to encourage new growth.
• Thin heavy fruit crops, picking off the smallest. Aim to leave developing fruits about 10-15cm apart along the stems, perhaps thinning congested spurs down to just a single fruit.
• Trim conifers and other garden hedges.
• Spray apples and gooseberries with a fungicide to protect against mildew.
• If you are away on holidays from your greenhouse for a few days Stand pot plants on capillary matting and hang up sticky yellow traps to catch whitefly and flying insects.

Hydrangeas

Following on from last week’s article on hydrangeas, I will now introduce the more unusual varieties like Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle which produces an abundance of round white fluffy flowers from mid-summer onwards. Best grown in a large pot or at the back of a shrub or herbaceous border as it can reach up to 1.5 meters (4-5ft).  There is a pink variety called pink invincible Annabelle which is also well worth planting.  Another variety well worth seeking out is Hydrangea Aspera Sargentiana which grows into a large shrub up to 2 meters high, its distinctive magnificent fuzzy, blue-green leaves is smothered from late summer onwards with a white lacecap type of bloom which spans 8 inches across. The dome shaped bloom will have florescent purple fertile flowers that radiate colour in the summer. This is a very unique hydrangea and a must have for the serious collector. Sargentiana can serve as an outstanding backdrop for other blooming hydrangeas, leave it some room and it won't disappoint. One of the best plants for brightening up a north facing dark wall is Hydrangea petiolaris, it will succeed and thrive in such an aspect where most other climbers struggle. Hydrangea petiolaris is a free flowering variety producing an abundance of white lace cap flowers. Last but not least is Hydrangea Quercifolia and as the name suggests this Hydrangea has a leaf the same shape as an oak tree leaf, it turns vivid shades of orange, crimson and purple in the Autumn, after producing cream flowers all summer  that fade to pink. If you have room for this large shrub which grows 1.8 x 1.5 meters plant one or three! Confused – we’ll deal with feeding and pruning next week.

• Scatter granular fertiliser around the base of roses, shrubs, perennials and hedges, and water in thoroughly if rain does not fall over the next week.
• Spray roses to protect them from pests and diseases, organic sprays would be preferable
• There seems to be a good crop of cherries forming this year so net all your developing soft fruits to protect them from birds
• You can now cut the foliage of daffodils and tulips down to the ground
• Tie greenhouse tomatoes to their supports as they grow and feed plants with fertiliser solution once a week
• Add lawn cuttings to the compost heap, or use them to mulch around fruit trees
• Mow and edge your lawn
• Tie stems of tall perennials to supports to prevent wind damage
• You should be feeding your  houseplants every week with a liquid fertiliser
• Clean out filters of pond pumps to get rid of any debris
• Run a 'seeping hose' - a hose with holes in - through dry shaded borders or along the base of hedges so they can be watered weekly in dry weather.
• Lightly trim broom and genista after flowering to keep plants in shape
• Trim box topiary and formal edging to keep it neat and tidy
• Stop cutting asparagus by the end of June to allow the ferns to form
• Sow veg seeds now. Try rocket, spinach, beetroot, carrots, calabrese, mini-cauliflowers, spinach, chicory, endive, kohl rabi, peas, spinach beet, swede and turnip

Give it a try... A couple of weeks ago a very nice lady dropped me in some information on National Biodiversity week. Biodiversity seems like a complicated word that but it has a simple meaning; the vast diversity of nature which can be seen all around us. Biodiversity is a term that was coined by joining the words “biological” and “diversity”. This contraction is now routinely used to discuss the high number and wide variety of organisms in the world, including humankind. So the grass that you walk on, the tree growing in your back garden, the bees buzzing from flower to flower and the birds flying over your head are all part of the world’s biodiversity. All gardens contribute in some way to the biodiversity of an area. Every plant that is planted increases the variety of life and provides habitat for other plants, animals, insects, fungi and so on. Ireland is lucky enough to have a rich biodiversity across the country, but our modern lifestyles can affect much of this natural variety. The good news is that there is a lot we can do in our own gardens to halt these threats. As long as we all pitch in, are rich biodiversity should continue to flourish. Biodiversity relies upon ecological systems completing and complementing each other. The food chain is the best example I can think of. Soil nurtures plants, plants are eaten by animals, and animals are raised and used by humans for a variety of purposes. If one link of this chain were to go missing the chain would be destroyed. And if one link of this chain were changed, the entire chain would be different. Today there is enough biodiversity to support a multitude of chains, all of which can benefit humans.  Here are some ways to encourage biodiversity in your garden. Plant a tree, preferably native; like a birch or rowan in a small/medium sized garden or an oak or ash in a large garden. Put up bird, ladybird and bat boxes .Leave some areas for grass and wildflowers to grow long. Leave dead wood and leaves lying around for over- wintering insects. Create a pond for aquatic life. Plant berry, fruit and nut producing trees, fruit and nuts for you, blossoms for the bees. 

• Perfect time for planting out summer bedding and hanging baskets.
• Protect fruit trees from mildew and scab, by spraying with fungicide now and again in 3 weeks.  Diseased trees will not produce fruit.
• Continue planting vegetables, now is the time to plant cauliflower and celery make sure you dig in lots of farmyard manure.
• Slugs are rampant, newly planted vegetables, bedding,and soft leaved plants can be destroyed overnight.
• Pinch out cucumber side shoot tips two leaves beyond a female flower.
• Tie in greenhouse tomatoes to their supports as they grow.
• Plant carrots and onions in alternate rows, the carrots help drive away the onion fly and the onions drive off the carrot fly.

Enjoy the first days of summer!

Nowadays with such a vast selection of plants to choose from, it’s often difficult to know what to plant. There is always something new which tempts most gardeners and we like trying something different. I find that some of the new varieties can be disappointing as they are very finely bred and need a lot of TLC. By all means experiment but every garden needs the old reliable that will flower year after year with very little care. There are few plants in this category that will beat Lupins. The humble Lupin has new cousins and they are known as West Country Lupins. They are bigger, more disease resistant and some of the colours are spectacular. Manhatten Lights produces a purple and gold spike almost 3 feet high. Gladiator is a delicate peach colour and there’s a bright yellow one called Saffron, all worthy of a sunny spot in your garden.  They will flower for months in any reasonable soil which is not too wet to avoid rotting of the roots during the winter. Plant them in the middle or back of your border as they reach up to 3.5 feet in height and plant something in front of them which is lower and that will flower at a later stage. Something like the perennial Salvia or Veronica which will flower from mid-June onwards. These plants produce a smaller spike like flower than the Lupin so they will complement one another. The pink flowering Veronica called First Love is a good choice.  Remove the flower spike after flowering, this will prolong the flowering season as the plant will produce new spikes.  You can, however, leave on the spike and harvest the pods in late summer. Sow the seeds as soon as the pods are ripe (the pods will turn black when ripe), you may even produce new colours. One thing to remember with Lupins is that slugs also like them so take the necessary steps “West Country Lupins will steal the show”.

• Scatter granular fertiliser around the base of roses, shrubs, perennials and hedges, and water in thoroughly if rain does not fall over the next week
• Thin out congested and overgrown pond plants
• Look out for aphids on lupins, they are usually bigger than the normal greenfly
• Push canes into pots of tall-growing lilies and tie their stems to them for support and put slug protection down
• Check roses regularly for signs of pests, plant marigolds to deter aphids
• Feed lawns now with a long lasting feed
• Feed fast-growing plants with a diluted liquid or powdered fertiliser
• Thin out seedlings from earlier sowings to their final spacings
• Cover strawberries with netting to keep birds off the fruit
• Sow seeds of radish, runner beans, calabrese, pak choi, mizuna, marrows, courgettes, chicory, kohl rabi, lettuce, marrows, swede, turnip and French beans
• Pinch out side shoots on tomato stems
• Train cucumbers and tomatoes to supports
• Cut back the foliage of daffodils to clear beds for summer planting
• Plant up summer baskets and containers now for summer colour

Give it a try...Adding scent to your garden. Scented climbers add impact to gardens, providing architectural value as well as heady perfume. The fragrance of many of these plants intensifies in the evenings so it's a good idea to grow them around your outdoor seating area. Scented climbers also provide interest at the edges of paths, where you can take in their aroma as you walk past them. Plant them where they can scramble over an arch or fence, or train them up a wall, where their scent can waft into your house. An old favourite of mine is the scent of honeysuckle on a midsummer evening.  In the countryside it scrambles through hedgerows, so is suited to growing in partial shade. The plants are ideal for training up a wall or trellis, and can also be grown up a tree or with a climbing rose. Covering the walls of many gardens at the moment, including our own in the garden centre is the wonderful Clematis Montana. It is a vigorous climber, so is ideal for covering unsightly walls and fences. It can also be trained up pergolas and trellis. Clematis Montana flowers from late spring to early summer, providing an early dose of fragrance, which is similar to the scent of almonds. Clematis Montana is one of the easiest Clematis to grow.  One of the most reliable rambling roses, 'Zephirine Drouhin' is known for its highly scented, deep rose-pink flowers, which it produces en masse. It grows well on a north-facing wall and can also be grown as a shrub. Another great climbing rose, 'New Dawn' produces sprays of fragrant, pale pink flowers from July to September. It's a lovely, repeat-flowering rose that flourishes in both the sun or in partial shade. A vigorous grower, it quickly covers a house or garden wall. Of course, we can’t talk about scent without Jasmine which produces delicately fragrant flowers from mid-summer to early autumn. A vigorous climber, it's best grown over a shed, porch or arch. It grows well with climbing roses, honeysuckle or clematis, but also looks good on its own. If you’re not looking for a perennial climber, sweet pea is excellent.  Annual sweet peas are the perfect scented climbers, providing a quick burst of colour and scent in the garden. Underplant with night scented stock for a sweet smelling combination. 

• Warm soil with cloches or sheets of polyethene for early sowings.
• Plant herbs in pots, and keep them close to the house so you can reach them easily.
• If you have tender seedlings make sure you bring them into the house for the night or fleece or cover them if they are in a tunnel or greenhouse.
• Sow seeds of the following crops this week if conditions are fine: beetroot, parsnips, turnips, onions, peas and mangetout, broad beans, lettuce and salad leaves, spinach, radish, rocket, pak choi, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.
• Sprinkle fertiliser around clumps of tulips to boost flowering.
• Harden off sweet pea seedlings sown last autumn.
• Install water butts to all downpipes on your house, shed or greenhouse, to collect rainwater.
• Lift and divide clumps of hemerocallis.
• Secure emerging clematis shoots to supports, taking care not to snap their fragile stems.
• Plant some garlic in pots, so you can move it around to where it is needed, for aphid protection.
• Plant out onion sets and shallots.
• Place collars around the stems of brassicas to prevent an attack of cabbage root fly.
• If your garden suffers from gaps during the summer, why not use lilies or dahlias to add a temporary, but timely, burst of colour? Plant bulbs into pots now and you can simply drop them, pot and all - into displays on the patio, or even into your flower border.
• Trim winter-flowering heathers, removing faded flowers and tidying up their shape.
• Protect emerging shoots of delphiniums and lupins from slugs and snails using a barrier such as copper tape for pots (They won’t pass the copper line).

Give it a try… a few edible delights for growing in pots. We had great success with the tomato called ‘Totem’ last year.  Totem is a dwarf variety that has been bred for growing in packs, pots, and containers. It flowers very rapidly and it needs little support until the fruit starts to swell when the sheer weight of fruit produced may mean that a stake is needed. The round fruit is crimson in colour when fully ripened, and it lasts well on the plant, making it an ideal subject to pick and use in salads or barbecues.  If you like blueberries, you will love the new fantastic deliciously sweet pink berry, which is taking Europe by storm. This ornamental and fruiting plant, has a bushy upright growing habit with fine, pointed leaves which turn bright orange in the autumn. The pink bell-shaped flowers provide plenty of spring interest, followed by pale green fruits in summer, which quickly become dappled with pale pink and finally ripen to a deep glossy pink colour. As the autumn approaches, the leaves turn bright orange, fading to deep red .Superb eaten straight from the plant as they are twice as sweet as blueberries. You can grow it anywhere in pots or tubs. Thompson and Morgan have developed the urban container garden collection which means you can grow everyday crops like lettuce, carrots, peas, French beans and even chillies in containers. They have been bred to mature quickly and not take up too much space. For the sweetest baby carrots try a variety called ‘Paris market’ and a dwarf pea perfect for containers as it only grows 30” high called ‘sugar snow green’, if you get your children to plant them you might be surprised how easy it is to get them to eat them, it usually works! Give it a go. I have grown vegetables for years and if you are new to this you will probably find some vegetables work better for you than others and also that the weather conditions will also mean some things do better than others. Take the rough with the smooth and don't be unhappy if not everything works. That's quite normal. Best of luck!