Dorset Group Hardy Times

May 2020 Issue 147 Email dorsethps@gmail.com

www.dorsethps.org.uk Editor: Diana Guy

Special Edition 3 Welcome to our third special newsletter, please keep sending items of interest and pictures to me at:-Diana.kitemoor@btinternet.com and enjoy your garden!

An important message from Debbie Sadly the National HPS AGM and Lecture Day,

postponed until 5th September, has had to be

cancelled. Whilst we do not know exactly what the

government guidelines will be at that time, it was

felt that the AGM needed to be conducted by other

means, and the risk of people travelling all over the

country would be too high. So I am truly sorry for

this as I know how much you have all been looking

forward to the event. I would like to thank all those

who have been involved, or had volunteered to help

on the day. There will be a full refund for all those

who have tickets, but as National’s Head Office is

closed, this will not be immediate. Please bear with

them. So our unprecedented year continues!

Whilst we still have the commitment from both

speakers, I would like to say we, as a group, shall

try to organise an alternative event when we can do

so safely so watch this space…. But who knows!

Debbie

The joys of May Many years ago I remember Pat Haskell saying ‘It all goes pear shaped in May’ and I knew what she meant. It was such an intense month with events to organise and/or participate in (Open Gardens, Plant Sales, Chelsea to visit) whilst hardening off lots of plants

ejected from bulging greenhouse, (in and out whenever a late frost threatened, a sort of botanic hokey - cokey), endless pricking out and potting on, tomatoes to plant into grow bags, certain seed be sown….

We were always playing catch up. This year, of course we have all the time in the world to savour all that we do, and to note what is going on around us.

On daily walks around Broomhill I see the bluebells and wood anemones are now outshone by the evocative wild garlic and in the meadows Cardamine pratenis is attended by dancing Orange tip butterflies. The glorious tall field buttercups have taken over from celandines and remind us that we should grow the pretty pale yellow form, Ranunculus acris ‘Citrinus’ (right) or, if you have nerves of steel the robust double form Ranunculus acris ‘Flore pleno’ at a metre tall (below).

In the garden as the fading forget me nots are nudged out by towering foxgloves, some self -sown but others are choicer varieties sown

last spring. The honesty is gradually overtaken by night scented Hesperis. I allow the cow parsley to infiltrate adding a cloud - reminiscent of ‘white hedge froth’. However the jewels of the border are the summer bulbs so more of that later….

Where to buy plants and garden sundries. Garden centres can now open (Wed 13th). Stewarts have contacted their cardholders advising Broomhill are admitting 45 people at one time, and 75 at the Christchurch branch, but for those shielding or vulnerable this may make no difference to your guidelines. I do hope the current alternative arrangements will continue helping us all to remain safe. We will update you promptly if anything changes. Alternatively here are some garden centres we know are offering click and collect and in one case,

delivery. Most are offering plant ‘bundles’ which is not ideal, but in some instances, better than nothing! Wimborne Garden Centre You need to go to their Facebook page which is updated on a very regular basis. I found quite a comprehensive list of what is available locally including a good range of summer bedding. They offer home delivery as well as click and collect. You can order via www.gardenstoreonline.co.uk where you will find 28 different plant bundles on offer, plus all the usual composts, seeds and much more. I have been assured that click and collect, and probably home delivery, will continue when they open which they think will be very soon. Hilliers Go on line and download the brochure pertinent to the Three Legged Cross branch (used to be known as John Brown’s). They offer a very comprehensive list of garden sundries and products. Phone in your order and they will ring you back to take card payment and offer you a precise delivery slot. You wait in the car if the previous customer is still around and, when the coast is clear you collect your named and disinfected trolley, already laden with your purchases, from a spot near the front door. You show your id through the glass and collect your trolley. Despite the slightly clandestine air about the proceedings it worked really well. I ordered one day and a friend kindly collected the next. They have just added plants to their catalogue list. Inexcess Ferndown (used to be Golden Acres) Just ring up, say what you want and collect from the car park at the back, at your given time slot. Instructions on where exactly to park are given. Bedding plants are available, no list or brochure just ask what is available. It worked really well for Debbie. Again, refer to their Facebook page or website. Peat free Compost Many of struggle to get the results we want from the major brands of peat free compost readily available to us. A great tip from Felicity I have been able to buy 10 bags of Sylvagrow from Hayters, Rowe Hill Farm, Holt. BH21 7EB. You can ring them on 01202 883171. Apparently they always stock it but not usually in great quantity. I won't use peat and hope most of our members feel the same but this is the only peat free compost I feel I can rely on for seeds and seedlings. Editors note: This product is endorsed by the RHS and is also sold by Sarah Raven. Hayters also stock a good range of pet and bird food. We went several weeks ago to stock up and

they were already being very careful about social distancing and contactless payment and were very friendly and helpful. ALSO Do not forget Mayfields of Parkstone are still delivering composts etc and we get a 5% discount. They do sometimes sell summer bedding so it is worth checking. Jane’s May Musings Well we have had some much needed rain. The gardens look verdant and are growing fast, as of course are the weeds. I enjoy weeding surprisingly(!) and the weeds, on the whole, are coming up easily. I have been digging out blue and muddy pink aquilegias which have self- set with abandon, I suspect they in time revert and they can make a nuisance of themselves. The early flowering shrubs, once finished flowering, need pruning. These include escolonia, choisya, Clematis Montana in particular otherwise these get away and they get out of control. Time to sow foxgloves, they are just about starting to flower. What a shame we didn't see Terry Baker’s foxglove talk. He was meant to have the best ever. I have grown quite modest ones Suttons Apricot and Lutea. I will share my seed growing technique! *First read the instructions on seed packet. It is important whether to cover or not and what temperature is needed. *Apparatus needed are a teaspoon, and a fine knitting needle. Seed does not appreciate being touched by fingers. *I prepare my seed containers and am keen if at all possible to grow in cells. The reasons being you get less seedlings and a better root system when the seedlings need potting on. *Carefully tip a small amount of seed into the teaspoon then, with the knitting needle, flick seed by seed into the cell, or if seed such as foxglove into pot turning the pot. Using the knitting needle I have succeeded in sowing nicotiana seed quite sparsely. This is a very fine seed and the pricking out becomes much easier. Seeds that really benefit in particular are Salvia Patens and aquilegia sown individually, worth the time, so that they can grow on and make a nice root system. Not a hardy plant by any imagination, but I do like Aeonium ‘Zwarzkopf’. They are very frost tender. Since we had a particularly mild winter they have survived but they have got very spindly and cuttings needed to be taken. This sounds pretty

drastic but to make them break take a sharp knife and carefully core through the centre of the leaf head and take the middle out. This will make the plant break into many little heads suitable for cuttings. If the plant is really tall you could cut it down and hopefully it will then break from the stem. Happy gardening we are so blessed to have this interest.

Jane Norris

What’s good in our garden now The rhodos and azaleas are blooming beautifully – thanks to the rain we had during the second half of last Summer, there are plenty of flower buds this year. We have several English Roses from David Austin, one of which is Olivia Rose Austin. It is known to be an early flowerer, but we were surprised to see quite how early it started this year, especially as it only gets sun for half a day. The first bloom opened fully on 6th May, followed by several more in the past few days. We just hope the strong winds and low temperatures this week don’t finish them off too soon … Overall though, this is a fairly quiet time in our garden. Most of the Spring bulbs have finished flowering, although we have a few blue and white camassias. Centaurea montana is doing its thing, with a host of pretty purplish-blue flowers, but the perennial stars of our garden at the moment are the geums. I acquired a plant of G. ‘Flames of Passion’ a few years ago. It is a shortish plant,

around 40cm high. The flowers, a deep coral-red colour and semi-double, are not individually spectacular but have an elegant nodding habit. It sat quietly in a border but did not really thrive. Last Spring, I cleared the border because of a couch grass infestation and took the opportunity to try the geum in a different location. One of the parents of G. ‘Flames of Passion’ is G.rivale, which grows in damp habitats. Much of our garden is

free-draining sandy soil which dries out very quickly, but there are a few spots which hold moisture a little better. I divided the geum into 8 small plantlets and put them in their new home in such a spot. The results are better than I could have hoped. Division has rejuvenated the plant which is clearly happy in its new partially-shaded location. Each plantlet has expanded into a good-sized clump, and they are all flowering their socks off. En-masse, the effect is delightful. G. ‘Totally Tangerine’, a much taller, airy geum is also in full bloom at the moment. This was The RHS Chelsea Flower Show’s plant of the year in 2010. As it is sterile, the flowers tend to last a good while, and if dead-headed, I find it flowers on and off for some months. My very first acquisition of a geum several years ago was G. ‘Banana Daiquiri’, which I admit I bought for the name and the colour, not knowing anything about geums at that time! It likes more sun than G. ‘Flames of Passion’, and continues to flower well every year, bearing soft yellow blooms. There are so many lovely varieties available. If you don’t already grow geums, they are well worth considering.

Rowena Jecock

News from Great Dixter- Business as usual The Nursery has extended mail order until further notice and new additions are available from the recently published 2020 Nursery Catalogue. Their online shop is continuing to operate also. It's very encouraging that these departments are thriving in these times and we are grateful of people's custom. Zoom lectures from Great Dixter

Layered Planting through the Season at Great Dixter: Fergus Garrett Weds 27th May 5pm then repeated on Sat 30th May at 9am Grow Fruit & Vegetables in Pots: Aaron Bertelsen Thurs 14th May, 7pm Aaron’s recent book Grow Fruit & Vegetables in Pots is based on growing fruit and vegetables in containers in the kitchen yard. Aaron will take you through the process of developing your own container garden for produce.

For more information and to book visit www.greatdixtershop.co.uk

Summer Bulbs. My final flush of tulips have about a week to go but already they are joined by summer bulbs, ordered last July and planted in the Autumn.

My favourites are probably alliums. Parkers Wholesale offer, an amazing 62 different alliums, ranging in price from just 7p each to £4.30 for one bulb. One of the cheapest, A ‘Purple

Sensation’ (left) is as good as any but by carefully choosing a range you can have them in flower from early May into August.

Cammassia are also available from Parkers, seven to choose from Cammassia Esculenta Quamash is less than £10 for a hundred (minimum order 25 bulbs), so at that price I planted them en-masse outside the hedge in our damp front verge. The smaller, more refined varieties, a little more expensive, where intermingled with late perennials in the border Cammassis leichtlinii Sacajawea had variegated leaves. Camassia Esculenta ‘Blue Melody’ is a lovely dark blue with cream edged leaves. With the cammasis I have planted another great favourite also as cheap as chips; Dutch Iris (Iris hollandica). These sturdy little bulbs may not come back year after year, I reckoned about half do, at less than 10p each I reckon I can weather the loss. (My costa coffee and doughnut theory, just compare the cost.) They offer 10 different colours to choose from including a soft pink and a browny-red. I found different colours can come at different times, useful to continue the display.

Finally, in Cornwall and Devon a riot of naturalised Gladiolus Byzantinus are found everywhere, known locally as ‘Whistling Jacks’ you can usually

buy them bagged up at people’s gates in late summer in Cornwall. These are the genuine article, remnants of an ancient flower trade. The picture (left) is from the Scilly Flowers website,

sometimes they sell them as cut flowers, posted out to you. If this gladiolus likes you and your garden they will spread really well, so maybe you

know someone locally who would be happy to dig up a clump for you! Virtually every nursery selling them offers the insipid ‘cultivated form’. Do not buy them! A handful of suppliers will sell you the genuine article. Avon bulbs sell lovely fat corms for autumn planting. These are the ones to get. Incidentally I have just received an order from them including the sumptuous Galdiolus ‘David Hills’ (papilio), and eucomis. These are spring planted. (Plus lovely pots of rhodohypoxis to perk up my alpine pots)

A final (rather apt) poem from Reginald Arkell from the 1930’s. Next issue I shall move onto another poet! Flowers of the Mind

Last winter I was in bed with the ‘Flu And a temperature of a hundred and two’ I was telling the gardener what he should do.

You must keep the Neuroses well-watered, I said. Be certain to weed the Anaemia bed. That yellow Myopsis is getting too tall, Tie up the Lumbago that grows on the wall. Those scarlet Convulsions are quite a disgrace, They’re like the Deliriums - all over the place. The pink Pyorrhoea is covered with blight, That golden Arthritis has died in the night. Those little dwarf Asthmas are nearly in bloom-

But just then the doctor came into the room. Reginald Arkell (1882-1959)