Comment , RHS Media, Churchgate, New Road, Peterborough PE1 1TT

letter from the editor Mixed forecast for gardeners rhs / tim sandall See Editor of The Garden, Chris Young News p9 The weather is that spring frosts have reduced in number warmer springs and possibly colder never far from during the last four decades but are not winters. The result will, for example, cause many gardeners’ minds. Whether too hot in gone completely; early spring temperatures, unreliable cropping of top fruit, or re­quire summer or too cold in winter; too dry in early on average, have been rising; and the increased vigilance for pests or diseases. spring or frustratingly wet in autumn, the frequency of extreme rainfall ‘events’ (as It also means that gardeners must refine inevitable relationship between gardening is now the word for any weather-related their appreciation of what growing conditions and weather has been forever thus. incident) is increasing. exist within their plot. Truly understanding Our changing climate affects us all; this So what does that mean for gardeners? microclimates in our gardens allows us level of change – or ‘volatility’ as meteoro­ In essence, more of the same from the to broaden the plant choice we have; to logists describe – is seemingly only going to varied, volatile British climate. Julia was extend the season of some plantings; and increase. During the second John MacLeod keen to stress that the predictions from use different parts of the outdoor space Annual Lecture (hosted by the RHS at the some at the turn of the millennium (that for different activities. Time-honoured end of last year) Met Office Chief Scientist UK gardeners would swap roses for cacti, of techniques such as ensuring good drainage Julia Slingo explained that our weather gardens without lawns) do not seem likely for lawns, planting trees or shrubs for conditions will be even more unpredictable. in the coming three or four decades. shade/protection, and continuing to Julia, an amateur gardener, confirmed many However, extremes of weather associated experiment with plants (to see if they cope things gardeners have suspected: that since with the UK climate will definitely increase, with a changing climate) have never been 1971 the growing season has lengthened; so we can expect more frequent flooding, more important. Whatever the weather.

From this issue from my garden Jane S ebire This once derelict Of all things, they noticed what? steading is now Author: Helen Dillon, gardener and writer living in the Republic of Ireland home to a pristine I sometimes wonder if visitors to my garden look round the garden then said, ‘I see you’ve got a round with the sole intention of catching me out. weed problem up in that corner’. courtyard garden ‘How do you deal with mildew?’ asked one of my Would you believe it? You make a garden for last visitors of 2012. I muttered something about 41 years, fill it with nice plants, only for someone with topiary knots dry roots and wet foliage sometimes being the to come all the way from New York just to notice cause and she seemed fairly satisfied. the mildew, or from Newcastle simply to spot the and spirals that Moments later my eye fell on my most interest­ odd patch of weeds. are a dramatic ing new acquisition, Cosmos x Dahlia ‘Mexican Perhaps the most memorable comment was Black’ with deep crimson, chocolate-scented from a great plantsman and writer who I truly foil, especially flowers. Overnight, seemingly, it had been admired – . He arrived dusted with pale grey powder. That visitor one day in late summer and after on a snowy is bound to see it, I thought – the best looking round remarked, ‘What good winters’ evening thing to do is to mention it before maintenance you have’. The she does. Sure enough, no sooner ultimate put-down, surely, as it Antoinette Galbraith: did I begin ‘The dahlia/cosmos implied that not only did I never do Spirals in the snow plant…’ than she interrupted, the garden myself, but also that ‘Oh yes, covered in mildew…’. there was nothing whatsoever » Pages 40-43 Well, she would, wouldn’t she? of artistic merit deserving of

n: amanda rigby amanda o n: illustrati Another time a man went all comment. Must try harder…

January 2013 | The Garden 13 contact us Write to: The Garden, RHS Media, Churchgate, New Rd, Comment Peterborough PE1 1TT or email: [email protected] (please include your postal address). Letters on all gardening topics are welcome, but may be Genius of plants edited for publication. Letters Edelweiss rhs

Vinery restoration with ‘Invicta’, which has proven Yes, garden centres can help / mik e amazes scientists

My attention was drawn to the to be immune for many years educate but perhaps the s l e ig h Author: James Wong, botanist and garden designer Croscosmia ‘Lucifer’. item about the restoration of the now. They are excellent croppers, industry as a whole – and Whether in schmaltzy songs or twee Alpine folk art, to most of vinery at Fulham Palace (News, although viciously thorny. writers – should be doing more us ‘edelweiss’ conjures up images of anything but satellites and Oct 2012, p9). In the 1960s I was Ken Thompson, Sheffield to get the message across. supercars. But, believe it or not, this dainty montane wild flower granted permission to reside at Louise Johnson, Burford (Leontopodium alpinum) may help revolutionise everything Fulham Palace to carry out an Autumn planting Garden Company, Oxfordshire from international communications to energy prices. ornithological study in the Nigel Colborn suggests that it Growing high in the Alps at altitudes up to 3,000m (10,000ft) grounds, as part of a wider study is perhaps the fault of garden the delicate tissues of these now-familiar garden plants are Finding a balance rhs exposed to a constant barrage of intense ultraviolet (UV) of birds in the local area. The centres that we may have lost Lia Leendertz’s column on her / tim s andall radiation, yet seem immune to its cell-damaging effects. kitchen garden (now walled), the autumn planting habit ‘temporary’ garden (Comment, Geranium Rozanne (‘Gerwat’) is A few years ago Belgian investigators looked into the plant’s was one of the focal areas for (Comment, Oct 2012, p21). Oct 2012, p19) reminds me of a popular choice in Mary Keen’s ‘Desert Island Flowers’ game. Cyclamen hederifolium. ability to survive these conditions. What they discovered was to finding passing migrants in the The financial reality is that the saying, ‘We plant trees not w es l e y w e ndy / RHS shock them – for the woolly fuzz that covers the whole plant, grounds, and it was here that I gardening is a seasonal activity for ourselves, but for future including the silver-white, leaf-like bracts that surround their first saw a lesser whitethroat. and, without diversification, generations’. On the whole, things tend to Gardeners’ game ✤ I agree with Mary – Geranium flowers, is actually made up of millions of peculiar hollow I look forward to seeing the garden centres like ours would My failing is planting too soon, work out, but perhaps I need Mary Keen’s game (‘Desert Rozanne (‘Gerwat’) was the first filaments. The filaments themselves are covered in infinitesimally results of the restoration project. find it hard to survive. Yes, we sell overwhelmed by my vision of to join forces with a Leendertz- Island Flowers’; Comment, Nov plant I thought of, too. After small fibres measuring only about 180 millionths of a millimetre in Peter J Strangeman, Hampshire Christmas baubles, but we are the garden to come. Each time style gardener in order to 2012, p23) sounds awful. Only that, I have Dahlia ‘Bishop of diameter. So tiny are these nano structures that they are the same also the largest independent I move, I vow not to plant until produce the ideal hybrid which eight plants? I go along with Llandaff’, and Hemerocallis size as the wavelength of UV light, creating a fleece-like barrier that absorbs virtually all the damaging rays before they reach the Disease resistance stockist of David Austin roses the hard landscaping, shrubs and has the perfect blend of Geranium psilostemon, and I ‘Frans Hals’ for its striking plant’s cells. And the most exciting news? Scientists found they In October you recommended and our plantaria has one of the trees are in, but with the arrival resolution and sympathy that like Croscosmia ‘Lucifer’ but flowers. Next, Cyclamen could make synthetic copies of these using glass optical fibres. gooseberries ‘Leveller’ and most extensive selections of of autumn a bulb-planting Christopher Lloyd once I would also pick Hemerocallis hederifolium, which invades The potential applications for this plant-inspired technology ‘Invicta’ for good disease plants in the country (75 percent instinct overwhelms me and advocated in garden design. lilioasphodelus. Pride of place every corner of my garden – in stretch much further than skin creams and sunglasses. It is not resistance (RHS Advice, of which are grown in the UK). I rush to the garden centre. Emma Spary, Cambridgeshire goes to Alstroemeria – a September passers-by admire only living tissues that get p24). My ‘Leveller’ In a recent survey 51 percent versatile plant in a range of them. I would choose Stipa damaged by UV light but all manner of technological

/ tgc / bushes were killed of people thought that colours and heights, with a gigantea if grasses are allowed, by American spring bulbs needed ‘…like clusters of milk chocolate curls succession of flowers over a long as well as Nerine bowdenii, a materials, from industrial paints o main e gooseberry to be planted in on top of a special birthday cake.’ period. It needs little attention, favourite since it was in my to solar panels. Rather than mildew but I spring so there is is pest free, and spreads well. wedding bouquet. needing to be replaced every 20 years or so, with an

k St R St Dere k replaced them certainly confusion. Bob Brown: High flying aspidistras Barry Cushway, Kent Marion Tasker, Herefordshire » Pages 62–65 edelweiss-inspired coating

the solar panels that power alamy satellites and the electricity supplies to national grids ✤ There has been much discussion in The Garden about the loss of t ho ma s / os

The power of front gardens around the world could last up t garden space to facilitate off-road parking. Given that such parking In November, The Garden included a number of inspirational ideas for gardening in small spaces (pp43–58), and Nick Turrell told of his to twice as long. Not bad for a may be prudent, or essential, perhaps your contributors can suggest Edelweiss: nature’s fibre optics?

experiences when creating his new front garden in Surrey (Comment, p23). Here are some of your responses: demure Swiss daisy, hey? p ho gap ways of making parking spaces more ‘garden friendly’. A combination ✤ I moved into a Victorian terrace with a small garden wild flowers, raised beds and a large border. We must of gardens with parking must surely be possible. two years ago. Last summer, needing more space, keep front gardens for the joy and community spirit Val Curtis, Devon I began removing gravel from the 2.4 x 1.2m (8 x 4ft) they foster, not just to absorb rain. www.rhs.org.uk front garden. Working in the front garden has broken Josephine Buchanan, Suffolk ✤ I agree with Nick Turrell – people the ice – I know more of my neighbours from the past should take more interest in their Highlights from RHS Online few months than I did for the previous two years. ✤ In London many of the street trees lost in recent years front gardens as well as the back. Avril Ingram, London have been replanted, but we can all think about planting a I live near to the sea, so decided to Gardening calendar RHS flower shows tree or a hedge and making a difference to the aesthetic use this theme in my front garden January can often be the Start planning your trips ✤ My bungalow has most of the garden at the and wildlife value in our streets. Chosen well, and planted (pictured, right) – it is a talking coldest month, with frosts, to next year’s RHS Flower front, but the previous owners covered the in the right place, trees do not necessarily mean a future point among the local community gale-force winds and heavy Shows, where you can see borders with plastic sheeting and bark insurance claim. There are many benefits of front garden and has won awards, as well as rain, but there is still plenty innovative and creative chippings, and the drive­way was a mess. I planting, including kitchen gardens that become a focus inspiring people to go home and to do in gardens. To see a gardens and exciting new removed rubble, bought in topsoil and for communities, so let’s not write off planting in the front, do something with their own list of the top 10 jobs to do plants (see RHS Life, p69). planted the new garden over time. Passers-by but embrace it with trees, hedges and vegetables. front garden. each month, visit: Tickets are now available have stopped as the space has been transformed with Andrew Fisher Tomlin, Surrey Geoff Stonebanks, East Sussex www.rhs.org.uk/ to buy online; visit: gardening/calendar/ www.rhs.org.uk/shows

14 The Garden | January 2013 January 2013 | The Garden 15 Comment I’m leaving potato growing to professionals The Garden writer and columnist Lia Leendertz Iris unguicularis, attributed to a Miss Williamson. From a 1905 volume of iris studies held by the RHS and painted for , ast autumn, the Potato Council who trips up. In a wet summer – and there one of the initial 60 recipients of stood on the shore and comman­ seem to be many – there will be blight. the Victoria Medal of Honour. ded the tide to turn back. A series Reading further, it turns out it isn’t just of exasperated men, standing in feckless gardeners the potato growers were grower who shrugged and said ‘not a great bare fields, claimed gardeners bewailing. They complain of the endless year, sure, but most things have done OK’ L are to blame for the spread of blight – which wet weather reducing yield and hampering – a massive achievement in a year like that. devastated last year’s crop and pushed up harvesting, and of the rising cost of fuel, He grows ‘forest’ equivalents to all of our prices. Gardeners, they said, either don’t fungicide and fertiliser required to keep this food groups – root crops, alliums, salads and know the correct way to deal with a blight tricky crop growing well, and free of disease. more – with the one exception of bulky infection, or they don’t care. Leave potato Potato farmers had an awful year, but carbohydrates that, being high in energy, growing to the professionals, they claimed. they are not the only ones. I visited many need lots of sunlight to flourish. Instead, Cue outraged gardeners, and allotment allotment gardeners last summer in the Martin grows chestnuts and hazelnuts that organisations up in arms. course of writing a book, and every story can be ground for flour, contain a balance Of course it’s a silly scrap. When I read was the same: dreadful growing conditions, of carbohydrates and protein, and are far that one lesion on a single infected plant can unpredictable weather, poor harvests, and more nutritious than the wheat and potatoes produce 120,000 airborne spores and spread increased pest and disease problems. Or not that bulk out most of our diets. They thrive. them for miles into the surrounding country­ quite every story. I’ve mentioned Martin In Russia last year, the wheat harvest side, there is always going to be one gardener Crawford, of the Agroforestry Research failed because of an early dry spell; in the

rhs / ne i l hepworth Trust in Devon before. He USA drought wrecked the corn crops; and grows only those edible in the UK endless rain drowned the potato plants that will thrive in a crop and exacerbated blight. Food prices woodland situation: fruit rocketed. These tricky, annual crops are not trees, nut trees, and perennial the crops of the future, and yet we gardeners edibles that will crop in their are following the farmers, lemming-like, shade. Woodland is the UK’s over the cliff edge. Our climate is no longer ‘climax’ vegetation – the thing dependable, and the crops we grow and that a bare plot of ground the way we cultivate them will need to will become when left to its change. Big agri-business won’t accept that own devices long enough any time soon – it is a big ship to turn – but – making this as stable a there’s no reason we have to copy them. We productive system as you can be creating alternatives, rather than could hope for in these acting as scapegoats for a struggling industry. unstable times. Drought has Our perception of an arrogant King Canute minimal effect on those commanding the waves not to break on the plants as they are deep shore is apparently a misinterpretation. He rooted; floods cannot wash stood there to demonstrate how little power them away. They just plod on. he had over them. Perhaps we too might Martin was almost the only accept that the tide is rising. So I’m doing the Potato Council’s bidding and leaving the potato ‘These... are not the crops growing to them. They are of the future, and yet we welcome to it. Maybe one day those bare fields will gardeners are following be filled with chestnut and hazelnut trees, and those farmers, lemming-like, poor farmers will look a over the cliff edge.’ little less exasperated.

January 2013 | The Garden 17 Comment Keeping things Sackcloth positive for and ashes gardeners Regular The Garden columnist Nigel Colborn The battle against Chalara Christine Dakin of Bridge Nursery, Warwickshire fraxinea (ash dieback) appears to have been lost Gardening means different do you before many of us had even things to different people. agree? heard of it. Last October, Please send your Often, it is an antidote to the comments to: when news of the disease hit stresses and strains of busy The Garden, the headlines, the nursery lives or, for some, a necessary RHS Media, trade was quick to point out Churchgate, chore; for others it is a real that the first outbreak had

New Road, hepworth neil /

passion. It is beneficial to Peterborough been discovered back in rh s our health and satisfies our PE1 1TT or email February. Why, people

tom s ly [email protected] need to create beauty. (please include your wondered, had DEFRA done so little about it then, Gardening can provide a postal address). rather than waiting six months before assembling a Letters may be edited great sense of achievement. for publication. summit of experts and officials to discuss the problem? There is much pleasure to be derived from having An interesting question but the wrong one: what we one’s own green space, but there may also be a number should be asking is why, when the disease has been of setbacks. Most gardeners will have had a favourite known in Europe since 1992, was Britain still importing plant wither and die, or an ongoing battle with pests. ash for nursery stock? And why, when 90 percent of Sometimes the weather causes problems. We seem to Denmark’s trees had become infected a decade later, shrug off these difficulties with eternal optimism and were we still importing them? the view that all will be better next year. Ash is the one of the commonest and most easily Although I would have serious withdrawal symptoms grown native trees. So what ails British nurseries that if I couldn’t work with plants, I have had some strange they cannot compete with foreign suppliers and thoughts while working among my roses and foxgloves. produce their own from native seed? Has it ever occurred to you that gardening is a negative Despite living on an island fortress, un-invaded since activity? Regular maintenance of established plots is all 1066, we seem to be pretty useless at keeping nasty to do with removing things – deadheading, pruning, things out. If you took so much as a fresh orange mowing, weeding. These are all tasks that require us to segment into Australia or New Zealand, you would cart away barrowloads of waste. commit a criminal offence. But Britons seem strangely Generally, when people visit gardens, it is only the end insouciant, despite regulations, about what crosses our result that gets any recognition. Initially they observe just borders. How many of us have sneaked cuttings home, the overall effect, followed by the positioning of plants after foreign holidays? Mea culpa – but never again. and the beauty of individual flowers. All the skilled work In the past 50 years we’ve lost most of our elms; that the gardener carries out continuously in the back­ horse chestnuts are riddled with leaf miner or weeping ground would only be noticed if it wasn’t done or was canker; and sudden oak death lurks. Among pests, we done badly. Imagine what roses – or many other shrubs have let in lily beetle, western flower thrips, New p56 library lindley for that matter – would look like if left unpruned for rh s Zealand flatworm, geranium bronze butterfly and two years or more. And how quick visitors are to point RHS science fuchsia gall mite. update: ash out dandelions in the lawn or a stray thistle in the border. dieback During the same half century, too many The reality is that, unlike someone who has built a shed research establishments have closed down or laid a patio, gardeners are toiling away to maintain and there seems to be little will, from any something that is ephemeral and, if left to itself, soon government, to foster better research into to be swamped by weeds. A pergola or brick-built raised biosecurity. And yet as global travel bed is there to be admired for years to come and doesn’t continues to increase, one cannot help need the same amount of maintenance. wondering how capable we will be of All gardeners are aspiring to create a beautiful and keeping our flora and fauna healthy. To date, special space to be enjoyed by future generations – to do the record is unimpressive and, as a result, so successfully means that this negative activity should our ‘green and pleasant land’ looks likely to have positive outcomes. become increasingly necrotic.

January 2013 | The Garden 19