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letter from the editor Cut flower choices Editor of The Garden, Chris Young

The popularity of cut flowers has increased 40–50 percent of its cut flowers are grown hugely over the past 20 years. Now, flowers in the UK – but a leading wholesale flower are part of the weekly shop: a bunch of market says just 10 percent of the stock it tulips or lilies next to your milk or bread is sells is from Britain. This trend will not be not unusual. Supermarkets have been a resolved overnight, but it is encouraging to major part of this growth, reducing price learn that a re-energised, joined-up British Sandall Tim / RH S and expanding the range of blooms on offer. cut-flower body may soon be emerging. At a recent conference, entitled ‘Great Less affected by wholesale and retail (pp62–65), nurseryman Viv Marsh highlights British Flowers’, an enthusiastic and diverse demands, ‘artisan’ growers are increasing in Alstroemeria – queens of supermarket cut audience discussed a key question: why number, and developing new ways to reach flowers – for their garden worthiness. aren’t more of the cut flowers on sale British local markets. Either direct to customers, to Picking garden flowers lets you delight grown? There is no one simple answer, but florists or through farmer’s markets, this is a in the beauty of each bloom, and roots you the UK commercial cut-flower trade is clearly nod to the market gardening of days gone to the season, the month, the day. Whether at a delicate stage. Competing with trade by, bringing seasonality and artistry direct a handful of sweet peas or a bold display of from Europe and beyond, UK growers to people while encouraging local business. winter stems, home-grown flowers bring grapple with offering similar availability Whether buying local or from super­ your garden indoors. Scaling that up to and breadth of stock at comparable price. markets, many of us enjoy picking flowers re‑establish the UK as a serious cut-flower One supermarket chain has stated that fresh from our own garden. In this issue producer is a much bigger challenge.

A large specimen in full flower has the power to stop traffic as I observed in August last year, when a double-decker bus slowed and passenger heads swivelled… Roy Lancaster on Brugmansia: Scholarly roots (pp54–55)

from my garden n lo il d n e l e Falling in love with summer blooms h Author: Helen Dillon, gardener and writer living in the Republic of Ireland Jane Sebire RH S / Jane Sebire Years ago, gardening on a London balcony, I by him in China in 1885. Sweet night grew tobacco . I loved them all, especially scent from dangling, pale green tall Nicotiana sylvestris. But when we arrived in tassels carries on the air, and the Ireland they were invariably coated with mildew beauty of it all is that the delicious so I gave them up. Now I am thrilled to report fragrance is still there to greet you the ilicifolia with that Nicotiana mutabilis is not only mildew-free but also perennial following day – perfect to revive those Japanese anemone. – my plants are now into their third summer. The flowers change of us of an uncertain temper in the morning. from white through pale pink and finally to cerise. I have discovered Being keen on salvias is a life-long pattern of the seeds must have light to germinate, and in desperation I have falling in love and then changing one’s mind. I daresay also grown it from cuttings, kept under glass for winter. there is hardly a gardener in existence who has not already Out of loyalty to Augustine Henry, the renowned Irish succumbed to glowing magenta Salvia ‘Amistad’, in bloom from May collector who used to live next door, I must mention wonderful to November. When I think of how hard I tried to make S. ‘Purple August-flowering evergreen Itea ilicifolia (right), discovered Majesty’ come into bloom before November… but now, why bother?

August 2014 | The Garden 15 contact us Write to: The Garden, RHS Media, Churchgate, New Rd, Comment Peterborough PE1 1TT or email: [email protected] (please include your postal from the RHS address). Letters on all Lindley Library gardening topics are Watercolour on board of welcome, but may be Alstroemeria (c 1960) by edited for publication. Cynthia Newsome-Taylor, reproduced as a plate in Letters The Treasury of Flowers.

The path to peat-free Exotic-looking tree In June (p25), Alan Knight, of DEFRA’s sustainable growing-media task force, called for Further to your information on loquats improved labelling on peat-reduced growing media. Here are some of your responses: (RHS Advice, June, p31), some 20 years ago I planted a loquat stone – the plant is now ✤ I agree that the producers of peat-free ✤ As a grower, I use both peat-based and growing media should set performance peat-free composts. Some plants do well an attractive tree, 6m (20ft) high. It remains standards and label products more in peat-free media but many do not, and green throughout winter, and from spring

thoroughly, listing at least the main no amount of labelling will help with this. The Garden Colle new leaves appear as the old leaves turn ingredients. But it is not only peat-free I buy compost from a leading supplier yellow, then brown before dropping off. or peat-reduced composts that are of and assume they know what they are It brings colour at an otherwise drab time variable quality. doing. The photograph (right) shows two of year. Small flowers on short stems have

Poor-quality composts plants of the same age – the larger ct ion / N i c ola S appeared during many autumns but, for are mainly produced to is grown in peat-based compost. the first time this spring, fruit formed. keep the price down. Need I say more? Maybe this will be the year I savour the Until gardeners fully Christine Dakin, Bridge Nursery, Loquats (Eriobotrya japonica), such as this fruits of my hard work and patience. t understand the Warwickshire example, make attractive garden trees once o c ken Plants grown by Christine Dakin show a Bernard Crocker, Surrey importance of good marked difference between plants grown in mature, as Bernard Crocker has found. growing media, it will ✤ I agree that labelling should be peat-free (left) and peat-based composts. always be price sensitive. more prominent. Last year I used Alan believes that the three different peat-free composts exploiting. Three cheers for improved New laws on aliens against invasive alien . A simple memorial promotion of peat-free and was disappointed with the labelling, but to say ‘the trouble with peat- In spring this year, negotiations were The rules, which allow for different Matthew Biggs (Member’s View, June, by ‘leading players’ is results. Germination was poor; two free products is reliability’ is plain wrong. completed on new EU legislation national circumstances and concerns, p21) struck a chord. When my father helping to encourage of the composts contained weed In all my years of peat-free gardening, I designed to protect member countries are designed to focus efforts on the died, we included ‘Nurseryman’ on gardeners to move over to seeds. One compost produced can say that 2014 has been the best yet for from invasive alien species (News, most harmful species. These can his headstone. From age 15 onwards, peat-free. However, if we fungi, so I contacted the peat-free growing. With a new product, April, p14). In response, headlines only be listed after a risk assessment he was always in the hothouse or the all follow their example are manufacturer – they identified it SylvaGrow, on which commercial growers Warne c hel appeared about the criminalisation and a vote allowing concerned open air until late at night, cutting we not being hypocritical? as a beneficial fungi, but these run successful businesses and is now ap / R a / ap

of gardeners and the possibility that member states to oppose the g blooms to take to market before dawn. The ‘sea miles’ used to spores could have been anything available to gardeners, why wouldn’t it be? bring coir halfway around and had survived the composting Confidence in peat-free compost is EU inspectors would be digging up inappropriate listing of species. Correction My father shared the natural In June, p86, Rosa the world are unjustified process. This year I have reverted spreading. Through social media, gardeners people’s gardens. I would like to While I think that this is a good humility described by Matthew – a Buxom Beauty when good progress is to using a peat blend (75 percent are showing and sharing their peat-free assure RHS members that these deal for the UK and its biodiversity, (‘Korbilant’) was calmness that came from working being made with other peat / 25 percent other material) achievements and recommending top fears will not be realised. containing sufficient flexibility incorrectly with whatever the seasons brought. forms of peat-free media with much better results. The performers. Search #peatfree on Twitter Invasive alien plant species have and safeguards, we will of course pictured. The rose He always had time for his customers, closer to home. composition was not obvious and see for yourself. is cerise-pink, as detrimental economic, social and be vigilant to ensure that the new shown above. and listened to their stories of why Bob Sawyer, Dorset (it stated on the front of the John Walker, Conwy environmental effects and would be legislation is applied as intended. the flowers were important to them. bag only that it was reduced peat), but unwelcome visitors to any garden. Baroness Ros Scott, Chair, EU Neither rich nor famous (and the ✤ I usually raise hundreds of bedding was hidden among other information Given that the EU is an internal Environment Policy Sub-Committee, nursery died with him), he was loved plants, but this year it has been a disaster. on the back. market, it is absolutely right that House of Lords and respected by his community. My pricking-out compost mix comprises Rob Anderson, Flintshire steamed garden soil, peat-free compost well-designed common rules are ✤ This legislation will be covered in ‘Bill’ Dolman was a true nurseryman. and perlite. This year, the surface quickly ✤ After reading Alan Knight’s comment, adopted to protect all of the EU News in a future issue of The Garden. Jane Morley, Oxfordshire turned green and the compost became I almost threw one of the 40 or so bags wet and sticky. Seedlings refused to grow. of peat-free compost (which I have been In my quandary, I discarded one batch trialling in recent years) at the wall. of sickly seedlings, returned the compost Reinforcing the idea that modern, quality to the steamer and proceeded to prick peat-free composts are still only ‘getting From rhs.org.uk out a fresh batch of seedlings; the result there’ shows a worrying disconnect was clean, healthy plants. between Alan’s task force and what is ✤ For details of RHS garden tours and cruises, It may be unfair to point a finger at peat- actually happening in thousands of developed with leading tour operators, see: free composts but, in future, I shall mix my gardens and allotments. www.rhs.org.uk/rhsholidays potting compost first and then steam it. I Yes, there are some real peat-free duds ✤ Remember to register and ‘Sign in to shall then have confidence in knowing that the RHS’ (at the top of RHS webpages) for out there and, unfortunately, these leave a nn ss Hollyhocks are among many plants I am least beginning with a sterile mixture. lingering disappointment that is hard to exclusive videos, podcasts and articles. that John Walker grows reliably in nn ss Douglas Gibbons, Surrey shift, which a few journalists persist in peat-free compost. Heracleum mantegazzianum (above), giant hogweed, and Rhododendron x superponticum (above right) are non-natives that could pose a threat in the EU.

16 The Garden | August 2014 August 2014 | The Garden 17