Blossoming affair

We have reached the end of the first week in May and blossom trees are filling our gardens and lining the streets with their colourful blooms. Pink and white cherry and apple blossom are everywhere at this time of year, laden with flowers that scatter their petals in the breeze.

The flowers from spring blossom trees are short-lived, but nevertheless a joy when they appear. Some last longer than others but my favourite is one of the most fleeting - Snowy Mespilus or to give it its botanical name, Amelanchier. The one I have is Amelanchier lamarkii, a deciduous shrub or small tree that begins to bloom in spring, with swelling clusters of buds and the unfurling of small, coppery leaves. The buds eventually open into a glorious show of small white flowers. We had a wonderful display this year that was visible at the end of the road, a lovely welcome home after a day at work. The flowers only last a couple of weeks, but there is the anticipation throughout March and most of April as the signs grow that they are on their way.

The flowers are over now, the last petals falling in the wind as the leaves will darken to green and red berries turn to black before ripening in June. These are apparently edible, but I haven't been brave enough to try one yet. In autumn, the foliage turns brilliant shades of red and green, but I won't dwell on that now.

There are other species in the Amelanchier family, including

A. canadensis or Shadbush. It is similar to lamarkii but the young foliage is pinker and the flowers held in thicker clusters. Amelanchier x grandiflora 'Ballerina' is a compact hybrid with larger flowers than usual and should be easy to find while 'Cole's Select' has thicker and glossier foliage than the rest of the family. Most have white flowers, except 'Rubescens' which is pale pink.

Amelanchier will grow in sun or partial shade in a neutral to acid moist soil. Pruning isn't necessary but cutting back can be done in late winter if growth needs to be kept in check.

Garden talk

Jean Julian, secretary to the Heather Society, will give a talk on Tuesday entitled AGM And Heathers at Askham Bryan College. Organised by Askham Bryan College (ABC) Gardening Club, the talk will begin at 7.30pm in the Conference Hall. Tickets are free to ABC Gardening Club members and £5 for non-members. There is plenty of free parking nearby.

Spring show

Following the success of its annual Spring Show at Askham Bryan College last Sunday, the Ancient Society of York Florists is holding a second spring show tomorrow. The venue will be Bishopthorpe village hall and visitors will be able to see a large range of daffodils, including recent miniatures as well as tulips, auriculas and cactus. A number of the daffodil exhibitors competed at the Spring Show in Harrogate last week and will be hoping for more awards at Bishopthorpe. The Wakefield Tulip Society will be staging the 'Old English' tulip, a plant only grown by members of their society.

There will also be a plant sale and demonstration of how to make a hanging basket, as well as teas and coffee, cakes and a tombola. The plant sale begins at 10am and entrance to the show is at 11am after judging has taken place. Admission is free.

Open gardens

Sunday, May 7

In aid of St John Ambulance

Langbaurgh Hall, Great Ayton, mile west of Great Ayton on the B1292. Mature garden with shrubs, azaleas and rhododendrons. Plants for sale.

Open 2-5pm. Admission £3.50.

In aid of the National Gardens Scheme.

Hallgarth, Station Road, Otteringham, 10 miles east of Hull. Peaceful country garden with choice spring plants, woodland areas with rhododendrons and candelabra primulas, long walk borders, flowering trees and flowing lawns.

Open 1.30-4.30pm. Admission £2.50 adult.

Hunmanby Grange, Wold Newton, 12.5 miles south-east of Scarborough on the road from Burton Fleming to Fordon. Large garden created from an exposed field now with hedges and fences providing shelter from the wind for a series of gardens planted for year round interest with seasonal highlights.

Open 11-5pm. Combined admission with Jacksons Wold £4.

Jacksons Wold, Sherburn, turn off the A64 on to Weatherthorpe Road at the traffic lights in Sherburn then the right fork to Hesterton Wold. Two-acre garden with views of the Vale of Pickering. Walled garden with mixed borders and woodland paths leading to further borders. Lime avenue with wild flower meadow, vegetable garden and Victorian greenhouse. Open 11-5pm. Combined admission with Hunmanby Grange £4.

Londesborough Cross, Shiptonthorpe, off the A1079 York-Hull road in Shiptonthorpe. Former railway goods yard transformed by the owners into a garden with ponds, bog area, borders, pergola and arches planted with clematis and woodland area with a large collection of ferns. Open 1-5pm. Admission £3 adult.

Rye Hill, 15 Station Road, in the centre of Helmsley. Plantswoman's garden divided into interlinking compartments each intensely planted in a different style using unusual specimens for year round colour and interest. A conservatory is filled with tender species.

Open 2-5pm. Admission £2.50 adult.

Secret Garden, 10 Sherwood Grove, Acomb, York, turn off the A59 onto Beckfield lane then take the first right and second left turn. Lovely garden extended over many years with interesting features such as a dry riverbed garden, large pond with stream and waterfall, small woodland area, grasses, euphorbias, six greenhouses and a small nursery. Open 10-5pm. Admission £2.

Stillingfleet Lodge, Stillingfleet, off the B1222 Sherburn-in-Elmet road. Large garden with 55-yard double borders, wild flower meadow with a natural pond, smaller gardens around the house planted with an emphasis on foliage and extensive national collection of Pulmonaria. Adjacent nursery open. Visit the garden and nursery online at www.stillingfleetlodgenurseries.co.uk

Open 1-4pm. Admission £3 adult, 50p child five-16.

Tuesday, May 9

In aid of the National Gardens Scheme.

Jacksons Wold, 1-5pm, details above.

Wednesday, May 10

In aid of the National Gardens Scheme.

Beacon Hill House, Langbar, four miles north-west of Ilkley. South facing garden with rhododendrons, flowering trees and shrubs, mixed borders, ponds, small kitchen garden and a fernery and large windbreak that have survived from the original Victorian garden. Open 1.30-6pm. Admission £3 adult, concessions £2.50, children free. (Share to Riding for the Disabled).

Hunmanby Grange, 1-4pm, details above.

Londesborough Cross, 1-5pm, details above.

Gardening TV and Radio

Sunday, May 7

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

2pm, R4, Gardeners' Question Time. From Monmouthshire where the team of experts answer questions from members of Tutshill Women's Institute near Chepstow. The gardening weather forecast is at 2.25pm.

Tuesday, May 9

8pm, BBC2, Save Lullingstone Castle. Guy learns the gardens needs planning permission to go ahead, but with the opening imminent, he decides to carry on with the construction, only to be hit by the worst winter in Kent for 20 years.

Friday, May 12

7.30pm, BC2, A Year At Kew. High winds cause the gardens to be closed for the first time in 15 years. Repeat of series two.

8pm, BBC2, How To Be A Gardener Revisited. Alan Titchmarsh returns to the garden he planted with a handful of annual seeds three years ago.

8.30pm, BBC2, Gardeners' World. Monty Don, Carol Klein and Rachel de Thame visit the Malvern Spring Show.

Saturday, May 13

8am, Radio York, Gardening Phone-in with Nigel Harrison. Telephone number 0845 300 3000.

Updated: 08:51 Saturday, May 06, 2006