News - Page 56

Scottish Tree Festival

Scotland is celebrating the beauty and majesty of its trees with its first-ever Scottish Tree Festival, taking place in forests, woodlands, gardens and parks across the nation until December.

Colour your garden by planting winter bedding

Planting winter bedding is one of the best ways to fill your garden with colour through the winter months.

What to do in the garden in November?

The first whisper of winter’s cold is on the breeze, but not to worry: November is a month of cosy indulgences from bonfires and flame-coloured trees to the rich flavours of the autumn harvest.

Plant of the Week: Cyclamen

These low-growing, shade-loving woodlanders are instantly recognisable with their swept-back shuttlecock blooms in pink, red and white

Remember, remember..

stack up a good hearty bonfire and enjoy the best fireworks display you can muster, perhaps accompanied by piping hot potatoes baked in the ashes.

Leaves: the final bounty of the gardening year

The falling autumn leaves bring the final bounty of the gardening year: the raw materials for lovely, crumbly leafmould, one of the gardener’s best-kept secrets.

Plant of the Week: Tulip

Choose tulips to flower at different times to extend the season and you can enjoy them from early April to late May.

Install an insect hotel

Install an insect hotel in your garden to provide a sheltered spot for wildlife to take cover for the cold winter months.

Dahlias cannot tolerate prolonged low temperatures or – worse – soggy, cold soil, so they need to spend winter somewhere dry and frost-free. However don’t be too quick to take them out of the ground, as they continue to flower for as long as temperatures stay above freezing. Wait until the foliage and stems have been blackened by frost and you know they have finished for the year.

Slugs and Snails

Most of the commonly-used home remedies against slug and snail attacks don’t work, according to recent research by the Royal Horticultural Society.

Helping earthworms

The Wildlife Trusts want your help in a survey to find out how gardeners are helping earthworms – and there’s a beehive compost bin up for grabs if you take part!

Finding Miss Harrison

The search for ‘Miss Harrison’ began after a researcher at the RHS’s Lindley Library discovered an old document which had lain forgotten in a box in the Society’s archives since 1898. It concerned a determined and pioneering female gardener, Miss Harrison, who had taken that year’s annual exam set by the RHS and not only passed, but achieved the top marks in the country. Normally, this would have secured her a scholarship, £5000 and the chance to study at the Society’s flagship garden in Chiswick.

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