The acer Palmatum is a popular variety of hardy tree, ideal for growing in small gardens.

The colour and size of Acer Palmatum’s vary considerably depending on the variety. The leaves often turn a different colour in autumn giving a blaze of late season colour. The tree in my front garden goes a deep red for a few weeks in September

The above Acer is actually dwarfed by Nigella, which will soon be taken up as they have finished flowering.

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The hardy perennial geranium is a good ground cover plant with many varieties to choose from.

G. Johnsons Blue pictured is a strain of G. pratense and is a strong growing, self spreading plant.

A pink geranium G. sanguenium is commonly found in many cottage gardens with it profuse pink flowers that have two flushes if cut back after the initial show. G Anna Folkard has a trailing habit and needs some control in my garden.

Along with Johnsons Blue and Anna Folkard, Kashmir White has an Award of Garden Merit but I recommend you see  plants in flower if you are looking to acquire it for a special colour or habit so that you make sure you are getting a good base stock that is worth the AGM.

The black Mourning Widow G. Phaeum like shade and self seeds profusely. My stock is also a weedy short lived flowering example that I am trying to throw out.

Stinkers are not the sort of plants you want to grow in a normal garden. So here are a few to avoid unless your adenoids stop you getting even the faintest whiff.

• Stinking Hellebore gives off the smell of rotting meat to earn the Latin name Helleborus foetidis and warn us that the plant is poisonous. It’s flowers native are beautiful but the whole plant niffs.
• Stinking Henbane or Hyoscyamus niger has a sickly evil smell that Culpepper says’ the whole plant hath a very ill soderiferous smell’.
• Stinking Meadow rue has a sticky covering on its leaves that also smell like dead fish
• Stinkhorn fungus has putrid, spore-laden, phallus-like fruiting bodies that appear almost overnight and to many people it is ‘Top of the Pongs’.
• Carnivorous plants attract flesh and fecal-loving insects to visit their stinking blossoms but they won’t attract me.

All this without farmyard smells, over wet sour compost, garlic breath in the wrong place the list of pet hates is endless. Thankfully there are even more good smelling plants than bad so just watch how you sniff

Bamboo is an intriguing plant, which contains over 1,200 species ranging from specimens 6 inches tall, to varieties which can grow upto a foot a day and reach over 130 feet. With the 1,200 species there are varieties which deserve a reputation for being an invasive plant. In the above picture, you can see how the bamboo is spreading away from the wall and is popping up in the middle of the front garden. This particular variety is not too bad, and digging up the rogue runners once a year is sufficient to keep it in check.

Growing tips for Bamboo

• Bamboo like well drained aerated soil
• They don’t need feeding. You can prune them and digg up clumps to keep them in shape.
• Bamboo are excellent for giving height in a garden
• They also add a resting rustle in the wind.
• For species with invasive roots, plant in a container with the bottom cut out. This will help contain the roots within the area that you want.

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Alstroemeria is a beautiful flower also known as Peruvian Lily or Parrot Lily. Alstromerias are tuberous perennial plants for the border and grow deeply in light soil. If the conditions are dry when in flower give them a good watering to boost flower production. Plant roots in the dormant season after November. They don’t like to be moved as the roots break easily, if you do transplant dig deeply as the roots are drawn down. Propagate from finger length roots or with some skill grow from seed. Pull up old stalks to encourage growth from the roots

Floristry

These stunning plants add an exotic touch to any flower arrangement with their elaborate blend of vividly coloured and intricately marked flowers. I like the red yellow and white varieties which are easy to grow once they get started forming a good clump in the border.

• When picking for the vase pull the stalk up then cut to length as needed and they will last up to three weeks.
• Remove all leaves as they yellow before the flowers die
• Many of the shop bought flowers are from Kenya and Chile but they are east to grow yourself

Varieties to consider

· A. pulchella the parrot lily and A. aurantiaca strong orange shades

· A. Ligtu hybrids are shorter and may be used in containers. Also called the lily of the Nile

· Inca Hybrids are also on offer in some areas

· A. psittacina ‘Casablanca’ claims to being white, but the markings create a special effect.

Hay fever and Asthma attacks can be brought on by Fungal Spores and allergy to Scented Plants as well as the pollen attacks covered in

http://gardenerstips.co.uk/blog/pests-problems/grow-a-low-allergy-garden-cut-down-on-pollen/

Tips to cut Spores and Fungus

• Ferns reproduce by sending out millions of spores from under the leaves. If you suffer then do not grow any ferns.
• Fungus and mould are common names for a large variety of mycelium like Alternaria that grow on dead and rotting plants. They reproduce by light invisible spores that are distributed in the air usually in late Summer and Autumn.
• Reduce the concentration of spores by good husbandary: keep clean and rotting plant matter to a minimum, don’t use bark as a mulch, dustbin infected leaves and more drastically remove hedges that collect spores
• Compost heaps are home to fungus and ideally should be avoided if you are allergic but a closed system rather than an open pile will be better
• Spent mushroom compost can be an allergy disaster - don’t use it
• Organic compost and mulch may be a problem but coconut shell is probably one of the lower spore hosts.

Scented Plants are generally pollinated by insects feeding on the nectar. This can include wasps and bees so if you are allergic to stings avoid such plants. Some people are sensitive to a range of smells and perfumes or just the scent of one plants such as a lily or honeysuckle and in this case choosing plants for a garden can be an issue.

• Aromatic leaved plants like many herbs only give off a scent when brushed or crushed so it may be worth growing herbs but take care with Lavender.
• If you are allergic to Daisies you will also potentially be allergic to Asters, Chrysanthemeum and other members of the same ‘compositae’ family.
• Don’t sniff individual plants
• Many double flowered varieties attract pollination by colour and have less scent.
• Fruit attract wasps so if allergic to stings don’t grow them or have another member of the family grow them well away from windows into the house.
• Some allergies are related to individual plants like Strawberries and Tomato so watch for individual reactions and root out offenders.

http://www.5min.com/Video/Asthma-Friendly-Gardens-26176060

Readers Question: Is it OK to Compost Moss?

I have just been raking alot of moss from my lawn. It’s surprising how much moss I was able to rake off and naturally I would like to compost it.

Like any organic matter, moss will compost down and make great compost over time. The trick, as with any composting is to mix it with other materials, such as grass clippings and woodier plant stems. If mixed together the moss should compost down in 6-12 months, depending on how well watered and aerated the compost heap is.

Other uses for moss include lining the inside of hanging baskets. These days, artificial linings are used, but, moss has many properties which make it excellent for lining an hanging basket

Breathing Allergies

Hay fever sufferers don’t need to told about the typical symptoms of sniffing, sneezing, puffy eyes, sore throat and a runny nose. Starting in spring through summer these symptoms are likely to be caused by pollen and allergens. All year round symptoms are more likely to be caused by dust mites or pets such as cats.

Asthma is characterised by chest and breathing problems and can be caused by allergic triggers such as pollution, infection, or allergens. Airborne particles including pollen and fungal spores can bring on an attack especially if there is a known susceptibility to asthma.

Hay Fever and Asthma sufferers should cut down on Pollen

• Given the above it is logical to avoid plants that are high in pollen particularly those that are wind pollinated. This includes grasses, weeds like docks and plantains, trees and shrubs that flower before the leaves are fully formed such as Hazel,Alder, Oak, Poplar, Sycamore and Birch.
• Use other low pollen trees such as pink or red Hawthorne, Crab Apple, Prunus Cherries or Mountain Ash. These trees attract Bees so if allergic to stings then be even more selective with Ameleranchier or double flowered Japanese Cherries.
• Female flowers do not produce pollen so chooses them in preference to male plants
• If you can avoid having a lawn that may be best if not cut it regularly before it flowers or better still get a none sufferer to cut it. This is because even un-flowered grass will have trapped other pollen, dust and spores that is disturbed when cut.
• For play areas use play ground rubber, artificial turf or inert covering but be aware of dusty surfaces
• For flat areas use ponds or water to reflect other green colours from the garden

Select varieties with low Allergic pollens

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Shrubs are great for lowering the amount of maintenance needed in your garden. Big shrubs can cover larger areas and need very little care and maintenance.

Weigelia Varigata

This shrub grows over six feet high and covers a four foot circumference. When in full flower it is very striking and the variegated leaves have interest through summer. It is easy to propagate from 12 inch long cuttings of semi ripe wood and it is a rapid grower reaching good proportions in two years. Other varieties like Bristol Ruby forsake variegated leaves for very strong coloured flowers in June and July with a late show if you cut off the old flowers but for low maintenance don’t bother.

Photinia Red Robin

This is a shrub that can be left to develop or trained up a single stem. It is part of a family of Photinias that include small trees. For this variety of Photinia fraseri five feet is a reasonable size but it will continue to grow to a hight and spread to 10 feet. The shiny evergreen leaves are bright red in spring and apart from the danger of a bit of frost to the new leaves the shrubs are hardy. Again I don’t prune my photinia but when it gets to large i will cut it back which will encourage more red leaves at the expense of flowers

These acid green flowers provide a strong compliment to the bright greens of spring. This E. cyparissias will spread by root and through seed dispersal

With over 2000 species in the genera there are many types of Euphorbia from which to build an interesting collection. There are succulents, cacti and spurges from all continents. Try the tall woody thick leaved E. characias to the orange flowered E. griffithii ‘Fireglow’ or ‘Dixter’. That is not to ignore the most popular houseplant Euphorbia pulcherrima the Poinsettias but save those for Christmas.

Tips for Successful Euphorbias

• Wear gloves as the sap can be an irritant - spurges were used as a purgative in old medicine hence the name
• Take greenwood cuttings of wood Euphorbias or split roots in early spring
• Try E. myrsinites in gravel or rockery it is only 4 inches tall but make a good clump
• E. rigida is another small growing variety about 8 inches tall
• If you become addicted to collecting Euphorbias consider joining the international Euphorbia society http://www.euphorbia-international.org/
• Look out for varieties on sale that have received the RHS Award of Garden Merit AGM like the E. amygdaloides ‘Robbiae’ It has rounded, glossy, dark-green leaves that make a tight, spreading fifteen-inch mound. Even in the driest, deepest shade, you can count on cheery panicles of yellow flowers high above the foliage in early spring.
• E. dulcis ‘Chameleon’ is among the best purple-leaved perennials and can be reinvigorated by cutting the plant back in early summer (or right after flowering to keep this notorious self-seeder in check).