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Newtonairds Garden
Newtonairds
Dumfries
DG2 0JL

If you want to sniff out some scented hostas, July and August is the best time to visit James and Carol Coutts’ gorgeous garden. For more details, check out the website below.

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You don’t need a huge amount of experience or acres of land to grow asparagus, just a commitment to putting in some effort, especially at the start.Ìý

For details on how to grow asparagus in your garden, visit British Asparagus where you can download a very helpful, step-by-step guide written by professional growers.

(www.british-asparagus.co.uk)Ìý

Steve and Elaine Hickman, holders of a National Collection of Agapanthus, have given us their top tips for keeping agapanthus happy in pots.

• If you’re buying smaller plants, place several together in a pot as this restriction of the roots initiates flower buds. Put two or three 9cm plants in a 30cm/10 litre pot. They should be happy for two years. Then repot into a container just 5-7cm bigger than the previous pot.

• Ensure there is good drainage, with a mix of 2 parts compost to 1 part sand, gravel or grit.

• From mid-March to mid-September, give the plants a high-potash feed every 2 to 3 weeks. This will enhance flower colour and improve vigour with more flowers.

• In early November, give your plants in pots one last water and then keep dry over the winter. Start watering again in March when you bring them outside.

• During the winter, keep evergreen varieties indoors in a cold greenhouse, shed or garage near a window. Deciduous varieties don’t need light so can even be placed in a cellar.

• If pots are too big to bring inside, ensure you mulch the surface of the soil. This will protect the plants from frost which can kill flower buds that have formed just below the surface and which will give you blooms the following summer. For this, leave a 5cm gap below the lip of the pot which you can then fill with bark chippings. Mound up chippings towards the centre of the plant to a depth of15-20cm. Wrap containers to prevent the pots getting too cold.Ìý

Now is the time to prune buddleja. It’s important to cut back hard as this will stimulate vigorous new growth that will carry this year’s flowers. Prune to within one or two buds of the older woody framework. It’s good to remove any thin, weak or dead growth too.

(www.rhs.org.uk)

If you’re eager to get started on the veg plot, you can start transplanting salad crops, such as rocket or lettuce, that you’ve perhaps been growing in the greenhouse or bought in as plug plants. Plant them about 15cm (6in) apart and in rows if you want to make hoeing easier. It’s still a little cold so ensure you give them some protection, either with a layer of fleece or a cloche.

(www.rhs.org.uk)Ìý

It won’t be long before it’s time to plant runner beans. Be prepared by making a support system that is strong enough to take the weight of the crop. Here are three possible methods:

• Use a double row of inwardly sloping 2.4m (8ft) tall bamboo canes or hazel poles tied near their top to form a long A-frame. Secure to a horizontal cane across the top.

• Make wigwams using three or more bamboo canes. These make good use of space in small gardens and can add interest to mixed borders.

• Use 10cm (4in) polyethylene pea/bean netting supported by tall posts or placed over a frame.

But don’t forget to prepare the ground well before starting the process.

( www.rhs.org.uk)