In Gardeners World episode 22 2015, Carol Klein catches up with Geoff and Sally Davis to see how their garden renovation project is coming along. And Monty Don is at Longmeadow enjoying the fruits of his labour, with plenty of seasonal advice in store.
Gardeners World episode 22 2015:
Tom’s sunflower trial
The sunflower trial is still ongoing, with many of the taller varieties still growing skywards without any flowers! But Tom’s been impressed with some of the shorter varieties, many of which look great in a vase.
Planting in dry shade
Dry shade is one of the most difficult conditions to deal with in the garden and one many gardeners wrestle with. As Monty says, lifting or thinning the tree canopy will help to increase light levels and soils can be improved with the addition of compost or leaf mould.
Prune summer-fruiting raspberries
Summer-fruiting raspberries produce fruit on the previous year’s canes. Now that fruiting is over, it’s important to remove the old canes and tie in the new growth ready for next season’s crop. Raspberries are one of the most popular summer fruits and are very easy to grow. Different training techniques mean raspberries can be grown in gardens of any size and in containers.
Cut back campanulas
Many perennials benefit from being cut back at this time of year. As well as helping to promote new growth, with some types you may even get a second flush of flowers. Perennials are not demanding plants, but trimming them after flowering finishes in autumn helps improve their appearance and flowering. However, you can leave some stems over winter to provide homes and food for wildlife, and then trim back in spring.
Harvest chillies & peppers
As chillies and sweet peppers begin to ripen, don’t hesitate to harvest them. Whilst they may look pleasing when left on the plant, in doing so you’ll inhibit further flower formation and thereby reduce yields.
