Joe Swift continues his quest to find the perfect hanging basket and comes up with his own design for a shady part of his garden. Monty Don has caught the bug too and shows us how to plant up an edible basket. Meanwhile, Carol Klein explores one of the nation’s most beautiful gardens to find out why their borders work so well.
In Gardeners World episode 14 2015:
Cut back dahlias
If you’re growing dahlias in containers, you can cut them back by a third to a half to encourage stronger, sturdier plants that are less likely to fall over. They will flower a little later in the season, but will last further into autumn.
Thin out grapes
As grapes develop they need space to grow, so it’s best to thin them now. Use a pair of small, pointed scissors and remove both the smallest, individual fruits and those on the inside of the bunch. This allows the remainder to grow and swell to a good size.
Some varieties of dessert grapes can be grown successfully outdoors, they are more successful under glass, even in warmer locations. With a little attention to watering, feeding, pruning and training, it is possible to get a good crop year after year.
Prick out biennials
If you’re growing biennials from seed, it’s time to prick them out. Gently tease the seedlings apart, holding them by a leaf rather than the stem, and transplant them individually into plugs or pots. They can then be grown on in a sheltered place and in about a month’s time, planted out in a spare corner of your garden.
Herbs in containers
A collection of herbs in containers in a sunny place near the house is a great asset for both garden and kitchen. The downside is that many pot-grown herbs die out in winter. However, they can be harvested in autumn and stored for use throughout the winter season.
