Colour for cutting (From York Press)

Colour for cutting

10:14am Saturday 27th August 2011 in Gardening By Gina Parkinson

Your garden can supply you with plenty of cut flowers, if you have the space for a nursery bed, writes GINA PARKINSON.

WE ARE lucky enough to have space for a nursery bed and cutting area in our garden. The bed, in a sunny open area, is home to several dahlias, a stand of sweet peas and a couple of rows of achillea and sweet rocket.

The free-draining, sandy soil seems to have suited these plants perfectly, the achillea a gift of small seedlings from a friend, the sweet rocket rescued plantlets from paths and overcrowded beds and the dahlias rejects scooped from the bin by the father of a friend from the newly acquired garden of her sister.

This is often how gardening works, we don’t always know what will appear from these gifts in terms of colour and size, but the anticipation is enjoyable.

The first of the achilleas have produced flowers in shades of pink and there is a spot in mind for their permanent position next summer. For the moment they will be left in their nursery bed and moved when they have finished flowering.

The dahlias have been fantastic, forming big plants covered in numerous flowers. They had a poor start being caught by a late frost in April which cut them back considerably. However, they quickly rallied and now as August comes to its end they are producing bud after bud, responding to constant picking and we have had several vases of flowers over the past month or so.

It is interesting to see that the two plants put into a flower bed have yet to bloom and indeed even to produce any buds. They have sun for much of the day, but do have to compete with other herbaceous plants for space and light and are some weeks behind their relatives at the bottom of the garden.

Weekend catch-up

DEADHEADING Buddleia davidii or the butterfly bush is a must as the flowers fade and turn brown.

Side shoots develop along the stems below the spent flowers and may well have time to produce a second flush of flowers before the weather turns cold and the shrub descends into dormancy.

The second or third flush of blooms are always smaller, but they still attract insects on a warm day and carry their distinctive scent. Just take the flower stem back to above a pair of strong shoots that have already developed or a clump of tiny leaves if not. New growth will soon appear and even if there are no flowers, the bush will look tidier for the rest of the summer. Harder pruning can be left until autumn.

Flower Power Fairs

FLOWER Power Fairs will hold a plant fair at Newburgh Priory, Coxwold, on Monday from 11am-4pm. More than 20 specialist nurseries and garden accessory providers will have ideas for filling the garden with autumn colour and spring bulbs for next year.

Admission to the fair is £3, which also includes entrance to the 40 acres of gardens, grounds and ruins that surround the priory. Homemade teas and cakes will be available in the Old Refectory Kitchens and there is plenty of parking nearby. More information at flowerpowerfairs.co.uk and newburghpriory.co.uk

Organic show

A REMINDER that the 4th annual York Organic Gardeners’ Association Taste and Flavour Fruit and Vegetable Show will be held at Brunswick Nursery on Saturday, September 3.

The show is open to anyone who grows their produce without the use of chemicals, with entries being judged on taste and flavour rather than appearance.

So tasty tomatoes and fragrant plums may be prize winners even if they don’t look perfect.

Entries can be made between 10am and noon on the morning of the show, after which judging will take place before the doors open to the public at 2pm.

Prize giving will be at 3pm with the grand tasting at the close of the show when everyone is welcome to taste the fruit vegetables and cakes.

There are 41 classes for fruit, vegetables, produce and a children’s section. Judges will include myself, organic gardener Laura Potts and City of York Allotments Officer Judith Ward.

More details online or by phoning 01759 302147. Brunswick nursery is on Appleton Road, Bishopthorpe and will be open for the sale of plants, light refreshments and crafts.

TV and radio

Sunday, August 28 8am, BBC Radio Humberside, The Great Outdoors. With Blair Jacobs and Doug Stewart.

9am, BBC Radio Leeds, Tim Crowther and Joe Maiden.

2pm, BBC R4, Gardeners’ Question Time. Bob Flowerdew, Bunny Guinness and Christine Walkden report from the Southport Flower Show and chairman Eric Robson looks at its history. (Repeated from Friday).

Wednesday

7.30pm, C5, Garden ER. Bonnie Davies sorts out some garden in Dudley and David Domoney helps actor Michelle Collins with her overgrown garden.

Friday

3pm, BBC R4, Gardeners’ Question Time. Chris Beardshaw, Bob Flowerdew, Anne Swithinbank and chairman Peter Gibbs help Suffolk gardeners and also look at the medicinal properties of common plants, as well as how to create a bird friendly garden.

8.30pm, BBC2, Gardeners’ World. Monty Don looks forward to next year’s soft fruit crop, Carol Klein propagates late summer perennials and Rachel de Thame meets historian Sir Roy Armstrong in his garden Laskett which he has created over the past 40 years.

Saturday 7am, BBC Radio York. Julia Booth. Presenter Julia and horticultural expert Nigel Harrison hold their weekly plant surgery.

Open garden

Sunday, August 28

In aid of the National Gardens Scheme

Cold Cotes, Cold Cotes Road, near Kettlesing, Harrogate, HG3 2LW, seven miles west of Harrogate, off the A59. Large garden in a rural setting with expansive views and a series of garden areas planted for year-round interest.

There are formal areas around the house, a streamside walk, late summer herbaceous borders inspired by designer Piet Oudolf and a newly developed woodland area. Open 11am-5pm, admission £3.50.