Gardening Gossip from John Negus
Farnham based photo-journalist and speaker John Negus
trained at Wisley Gardens and Merrist Wood Horticultural Colleges.
He has developed a specialism in Trees, Shrubs and Climbers, and is expert in speaking on these topics
March - Action Stations!
Plant epimedium, pulmonaria, woodruff, honesty and bugle to enchantingly carpet dry shady areas under trees and around shrubs.
Prune hybrid tea and floribunda roses: Start by shortening main stems by two third’s their length, then reduce side shoots to two buds.
Greenhouses: Remove frost-insulating bubble plastic to admit more light when temperatures rise.
Raise Johnsons Modern Veg – varieties bred to reduce risk of disease. Among them are tomatoes F 1 ‘Scarlatto’ and F1 ‘Lupitas’, courgette F1 ‘Primula’, sweet pepper F1 ‘Jolly Rosso’ and cucumber F1 ‘Louisa’. Order seeds on line from www.johnsons-seeds.com
Lawns: Use a flexible rake to remove clogging dead grass. If moss is a problem, first kill it with Evegreen Mosskil Soluble.
Ponds: Feed awakening fish with easily digestible wheatgerm flakes or pellets.
Plant of the month
Bergenias
Performing from March to May and pleasing us all winter with big elephant ear leaves, they romp in dry spots.
Try this – encircle a small blue spruce or some other conifer with ‘Bressingham White’. Its blooms remind you of a fall of snow.
Seeking a tall variety to around 2.5ft (75cm)? Plump for ‘Eroica’ whose vivid rose-pink blooms complement pale blue stigmas and cream anthers. In winter, its leaves have a cherry-hued veneer.
It is, however, ‘Abendglut’ (‘Evening Glow’) a delight with semi-double, rose-red blooms and plum-red leaves that finds me doing a double take.
Forest Lodge garden centre may have them. If not, they would probably order them for you.
Wish to increase your stock of this spring beauty? Slice off chunky stems with a few roots when blooms fade and replant them in gritty soil enriched with blood, fish and bone meal.Water copiously to settle soil around the roots. New growth will soon appear.
