Single Chrysanthemum Action

Single Chrysanthemum Action

With my new found enthusiasm for Chrysanthemums I thought I would have a day reviewing my gardening performance, sorting out my Chrysanthemums in the greenhouse and planning actions to improve my show of next year.

Some of the best flowers in November have been a range of single Chrysanthemums in a variety of colours. The lemon shown above has had numerous stems (30+) on a single plant with limited branching or spray clustering. The stems are 30 inches high and have been self supporting. I have grown them outdoors in 12″ pots and they have filled the space without problem. The one greenhouse plant in a pot dried out too quickly and the bottom leaves browned off during November when the flowers have been at their best.

A bit more like the traditional daisy like flowers the light mauve or lilac flowers were robust plants that received little care. I now note that I should still have’ stopped’ the plants twice during april and june. Another lesson for next year!

Single Flowered Range

  • A reminder that the term ‘single’ is not related to the number of flowers on a stem but to the arrangement of a single row of petals (or ray florets) around the central disc. A semi double may have 5 or more rays of petals but the disc will still be visible. AKA Daisy-eye.
  • I will definitely grow them again.
  • I bought the plants from J Parker but need to look up the name of the varieties. (Why don’t I keep a record at the time or better still label and remember what I planted).
  • I hope to get some cuttings from stock plants in spring.
  • The plants lasted in the house and looked good in a mixed arrangement as the leaves were open and delicate in appearance.
  • Colours included lemon, yellow, red, deep purple and mauve so a good and varied combination.

Notes to Myself on Single Chrysanthemums

  • I over potted the plants. The roots did not spread beyond 8″. Try smaller pots.
  • I didn’t provide tlc. More watering, feeding and timely stopping next time.
  • Try planting out in the garden with other perennial plants for a late show.
  • Label any cuttings.
  • Look for a suitable single white flower.
Featuring Patio Peonies

Featuring Patio Peonies

Traditional peonies are not really suitable for growing in pots and containers.

However recently developed ‘Patio peonies’ are designed to be  suitable for the pot. They have a compact growth habit and are quite easy to flower in pot or the smaller garden!

Features of Patio Peonies

  • New patio varieties are compact and do not need staking.
  • They have upright stems capable of supporting the flowers.
  • Use for patio display or grow as cut flowers
  • Most varieties have a good strong scent to enliven your patio in early summer.
  • Flowering in various pastel shades and more traditional reds, patio peonies have the traditional papery thin, double petals.
  • Current varieties are generally named after cities like London, Moscow (red as you would expect), Rome, Athens and Madrid.
  • Plant your new Peony in a sunny location but as with other peonies not too deep.
  • Peonies don’t like to sit in water.
Miss Named Plants

Miss Named Plants

‘Centrdenia-purple-glory?’

How can you get the plant name so wrong?

The errors start with me miss spelling the plant name when I took the photograph at least according to Google who want to see an ‘a’ after the ‘r’ to spell Centradenia. Now I think about it, did I copy the plant label correctly or had the wrong label been attached to the plant stood on it’s own on the capillary mat at the nursery?

More likely the problem is compounded as the plant looks very similar to a Petunia and as they say ‘if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck it is a Petunia’.

Would the nursery have used such a truncated name even with an ‘a’? If Google were right then the full name should possibly be Tibouchina heteromalla “Purple Glory Bush” or similar species of the Myrtle family . Widely attractive to humming birds, of which we get virtually none in the UK.

Species

Centradenia cascade
Centradenia grandifolia – princess flower, sea of flowers
Centradenia inaequilateralis
Centradenia floribunda
Centradenia rosea

 A relative of the more commonly grown “Princess Flower”

Coming Late to Chrysanthemums

Coming Late to Chrysanthemums

Gardening for over 50 years I have flirted with Chrysanthemums several times but never taken them seriously. Now I resolve to correct that by putting in the effort as I realise the significant rewards to be gained by a gardener who is maturing like good compost.

My change of opinion has come about due to a birthday present of Chrysanthemums cuttings that have excelled in both pots and greenhouse culture during 2017. We have enjoyed numerous bunches of flowers around the house for 4 or 5 months.

Reasons to Grow Chrysanthemums

  • There is a large range of types and sizes of Chrysanthemums from small ‘pot mums’ to large exhibition varieties. All have their own characteristics with which to experiment and you can specialise or grow a wide range.
  • I like strong coloured flowers and even the white Chrysanthemums can be very strong. Golds and reds are amongst my favourites but some types of flower look better in yellow or lilac.
  • Chrysanthemums in the house are seldom surpassed for vibrancy and longevity.
  • Spectacular blooms can be grown by careful husbandry worthy of exhibition and showing. The more effort you make the better the rewards. Despite this reasonable results are not hard to achieve if you are just a hobby grower.
  • Flowers are long lasting and can continue the display through until Christmas.
  • Propagated from cuttings or newly bought plants. I find seed a bit hard but may be I should persevere.
  • No flower responds better to good culture from the gardener than the Chrysanthemum. They are a rewarding plant to grow.
  • To sum up my reasons for converting to Chrysanthemum growing ‘Great cut flowers, good for garden, pot or greenhouse culture and great value’.

Quotes about Chrysanthemum

  • Justly claimed as ‘the Queen of Autumn flowers’.
  • Chrys means golden hence the flower was named Chrysanthemum by the botanist Carolus Linnaeus.
  • Popular in China and Japan  where they feature in the “Festival of Happiness” and as symbols of power.

There is a wealth of information about Chrysanthemums on the internet, in books and from local societies but the best way to learn is to grow them for yourself. I will be getting stuck in with renewed vigour.

The North of England Horticultural Society.

The North of England Horticultural Society.

Gladioli

The North of England Horticultural Society (NEHS) is over 106 year old and has been the premier gardening and horticultural charity supporting the north of England through out that time. It is independent of the RHS! The NEHS is not to be confused with Northern Horticultural society 1963-1988 or The Northern Horticultural society 1988 – 2009 which were subsumed along with Harlow Carr gardens by the RHS. Their magazine ‘Northern Gardener’ was replace by RHS publication The Garden.

Every spring and autumn the NEHS organise the Harrogate Flower Shows, widely regarded as the biggest and most prestigious independent shows in the gardening year. In autumn there are ‘shows within a show’ featuring displays by  20 different specialist groups. The autumn veg are fantastic, spring flowers are fine and the shows feature many retail opportunities to help with the charities funding.

 

Odd Facts about The North of England Horticultural Society

  • The Prince of Wales is the Patron and Jonathan Moseley is the current President 
  • Profits from the Harrogate Flower Shows Ltd are handed back to the NEHS, to enable the charity to continue its important work in promoting horticulture.
  • The NEHS   grant programme is aimed at community societies, friends groups and organisations committed to improving their local landscape. They also support those seeking to build a career in gardening and encouraging schools and colleges to become involved with horticulture through hands-on activity and development.
  • Over the years the Yorkshire thrift has seen an accumulation of  over £1m in investments with £1.3m reserves at the end on 2016.
  • The 2018 show is open 26th to 29th April from 9.30am to 5.30pm Thursday, Friday & Saturday; 4.30pm Sunday.
Winter Soil Tips

Winter Soil Tips

Soil in Winter

  • Winter is a time for rest for both the gardener and the soil. Some gardeners dig over their soil and leave it in ‘big clods’ for frost to break it down into a tilth. I prefer a mulch method and letting the worms do the digging.
  • Remove any perennial weeds and hoe off remaining annual weed seedlings.
  • Do not walk on wet soil to avoid compaction and squeezing out air from the soil.
  • Don’t walk on frozen ground.
  • Keep soil disturbance to a minimum.
  • Add organic mulch to improve soil drainage.
  • Add garden compost or soil around leeks,  sprout plants and broccoli to reduce wind rock.
  • Most fertiliser application can wait until spring but  add Lime to your vegetable patch.
  • Gather fallen leaves and rot them down separately to form leaf mold.
  • Protect special plants from excess wind, rain and water-logging with some with shelter.
  • Root our any weakling plants that you are not going to try to cultivate next year.
  • Have a good therapeutic tidy up, clean and renew paths and leave the garden looking smart.
Rhododendron Birds

Rhododendron Birds

Widgeon

Rhododendron Widgeon was been beaten to a great post by Jo Hanslip on insane journal

‘The Glendoick Bird Hybrids

The Bird series of dwarf rhododendrons were developed at Glendoick Gardens, in Scotland, and are classified as Dwarf Lepidote Hybrids.

The great plant hunters Ludlow and Sherriff returned to Britain in the 1950s. George Sherriff and his wife started a garden only 50km away from Glendoick and they became great friends of the Coxes. On an early visit to their home, Ascreavie, Peter Cox spotted a dwarf yellow-flowered rhododendron species with enormous bowl-shaped flowers for the size of the plant which turned out to be … Rhododendron ludlowii.

The Sherriffs allowed Peter to take some pollen home, which he applied to R. chryseum …  In due course, the hybrid R. ‘Chikor’ was selected and named from this cross and … given an Award of Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society.

A chikor is a game bird and this started the theme of naming all dwarf lepidote hybrids after birds, another prime interest of Peter’s. From then on, several dwarf crosses were made every year with Kenneth Cox starting to make his own crosses in the early 1980s. There are now 30 Glendoick birds which are popular with gardeners and rhododendron collectors in many parts of the world.

BRAMBLING 90cm. New Glendoick hybrid with brightest pink flowers in multiple clusters in April. Fine dark foliage.
CHIFF CHAFF 60cm. Masses of creamy yellow flowers in early May. A neat bush with handsome dark foliage. One of the original bird hybrids, raised in the 1960s.
CHIKOR 30cm. Bright yellow flowers in May. The first Glendoick Bird hybrid. Compact twiggy growth. Needs cool roots & good drainage.
CRANE 75cm. Creamy-white flowers in April. Hardy, very free-flowering and easy to please. One of the best white dwarf hybrids. …

Read More Read More

Persicaria Knotweeds

Persicaria Knotweeds

When is a weed not a weed? Well not very often if it is growing in the wrong place. If you have planted Persicaria then that is Knot a weed it is a notweed or not depending on your spelling.

Persicaria affinis aka Polygonum affine Common Name: ‘Knotweed’ flower from late summer until the frosts with spires of red, pink or white flowers held aloft as with these massed plants by the lake at Grewlthorpe.

There are over 150 species of Knotweed which get their common name from the swollen nodes on the stems.

Soil Conditioners and Conditioning

Soil Conditioners and Conditioning

Garden Chemicals

What is Garden Lime

  • I have just given a dose of lime to the areas in my veg plot that have been cleared for winter. I like to give a bit of extra magnesium to some soft fruit trees as well.
  • Often supplied as a powder of crushed limestone but also available as concentrated crystals.
  • Garden lime helps to maintain soil condition.
  • Calcium is consumed by vegetables and an extra supply is welcomed to replace calcium that has leached out of the soil by rain.
  • Lime reduces soil acidity.
  • Lime help break down heavy clay soils.

Garden Chemicals

During the summer I have occasionally fed my tomatoes with liquid seaweed fertiliser and we have had a great crop but I think most other growers had a good tomato season.

 What is Calcified Seaweed

    • Calcified seaweed is dried seaweed and lime or other calcium based salts
    • Calcified seaweed is an organic substance without any nasty chemicals. There is concern that it is no longer approved by the Soil Association for use in organic growing, due to concerns that the harvesting of this material is not sustainable and has adverse effects on the marine environment.
    • Seaweed is rich in minerals, encourages beneficial soil bacteria, helps improve heavy soil structure and neutralises acid soils.

Uses of Calcified Seaweed

    • As a soil improve and clay breaker it breaks up the heaviest clay without damaging soil pH.
    • As a compost accelerator it speeds up the breakdown of organic garden waste.
    • Seaweed adds trace elements and minerals to the soil.
    • Calcified seaweed neutralises acid soil
    • Adding seaweed is beneficial to bacteria and is used in lawn treatment.

Maxicrop Organic Cal-Sea-Feed Calcified Seaweed 6kg tub from Amazon

Food Plants for Birds

Food Plants for Birds

Selecting plants that produce seeds and berries at different times of the year can provide food of birds through the seasons.

Berries

Ivy fruits in November and can last for 6 months so it is a winter staple. The early fruiting plants include Wild Cherry & Raspberries with Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Holly, Elder, Yew, Rowan and Guelder-Rose providing berries from August.

I have a large Berberis Darwinii whose plentiful berries are devoured by Blackbirds every year. They also like sloes, rosehips and haws. The Mahonia looses its berries to some birds but I can’t see who eats them from my window and it is often too cold to sit watching.

Soft fruit and crab apples seem to appeal to a range of birds as my strawberries get pecked over as do most similar varieties if left unnetted. Cottoneaster is pecked over but Pyracatha seems to last on the shrub until spring.

Gooseberries sometimes succumb to pigeons at the flowering stage and I put this just down to badness of the pesky overfed birds.

Seeds

In the garden the most popular seeds seem to be the expensive shop bought variety put out in even more expensive feeders.

Growing the right plants can provide the seeds and nuts birds crave. Teasel and thistles would be high on any avian menu. Beech, Hazel and Silver Birch or Hornbeam would be a main course. Centaurea, Sunflower and Scabious would suit Chaffinches while Coal Tits and Siskins like conifer seed.

All that food for thought but I still put out peanuts (crushed in spring), dried meal worms for the Robin and Niger seed hoping to get Greenfinches. In winter and early spring it is fat balls that I hope to tempt the taste buds with.