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How to grow narcissus paperwhite | Alys Fowler

A delicate bowl of the thin white blooms is quite something to come home to in the darker days of winter

The scent of paperwhite narcissus surpasses heady into something almost narcotic. I’m not sure I’d want to be trapped in a room stuffed with them, but a delicate bowl of the thin white blooms is quite something to come home to in the darker days of winter.

Paperwhites, Narcissus papyraceus, are native to Mediterranean areas from northern Africa to southern Spain and southern France, where they are most likely to be found growing in grassy, cultivated land and stony places – free-draining, sunny spots. In our climate, your best bet is to grow them inside. Plant from now to December and they will magically bloom six weeks later in a room that is about 21C. They take longer in cooler rooms, so one way to stagger blooming is by keeping some in a cooler space until you want them to flower. You can order online from numerous places, but your local garden centre may well have bulbs, too; I’ve also picked up bargains from supermarkets.

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Gardening tips: plant tangerine tulips

Plus protect tender citrus trees and visit the UK’s largest winter garden

Plant this There’s no shame if you haven’t sunk a single tulip bulb into the ground yet. I don’t believe in subtlety when it comes to spring planting, so I am opting for the tangerine, multiflowered T. praestans ‘Shogun’ and the inky purple ‘Havran’, both flowering in late March and early April.

Protect this Lemons and other potted citrus trees are too tender to stay outside, but resent being kept in gloomy, centrally heated homes over winter. Place in a cool, bright but frost-free spot (minimum 7C) such as an unheated covered porch. Let the soil dry out between waterings and feed with winter citrus fertiliser.

Continue reading...

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Get your garden ready for winter | Alys Fowler

Our gardening expert lists the crucial tasks, from cutting back to keeping birds happy – and you’re just in time to plant garlic

Tough stems that have dried standing upright will survive much of the cold season (their bleached seed heads are one of the joys of a winter garden), but if a perennial starts to slime and rot after the first kiss of a frost, you might as well whip it away to the compost. Many perennials don’t like the crown (where the stem joins the root) to be covered with rotting material in winter, particularly with wet matter such as mats of autumn leaves, as this can cause rot to travel into the roots and kill the plant. If you don’t want to remove this organic matter because you would rather the worms do the work, gently brush to the side any material sitting on top of the plant. The downside of this method is that rotting material is slug heaven. If you have anything nearby to protect, such as winter vegetables, you are better off removing this material to the compost and replacing it with well-rotted stuff.

Continue reading...

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How to grow narcissus paperwhite | Alys Fowler

A delicate bowl of the thin white blooms is quite something to come home to in the darker days of winter

The scent of paperwhite narcissus surpasses heady into something almost narcotic. I’m not sure I’d want to be trapped in a room stuffed with them, but a delicate bowl of the thin white blooms is quite something to come home to in the darker days of winter.

Paperwhites, Narcissus papyraceus, are native to Mediterranean areas from northern Africa to southern Spain and southern France, where they are most likely to be found growing in grassy, cultivated land and stony places – free-draining, sunny spots. In our climate, your best bet is to grow them inside. Plant from now to December and they will magically bloom six weeks later in a room that is about 21C. They take longer in cooler rooms, so one way to stagger blooming is by keeping some in a cooler space until you want them to flower. You can order online from numerous places, but your local garden centre may well have bulbs, too; I’ve also picked up bargains from supermarkets.

Continue reading...

from Home And Garden | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Fez8do
via IFTTT

Gardening tips: plant tangerine tulips

Plus protect tender citrus trees and visit the UK’s largest winter garden

Plant this There’s no shame if you haven’t sunk a single tulip bulb into the ground yet. I don’t believe in subtlety when it comes to spring planting, so I am opting for the tangerine, multiflowered T. praestans ‘Shogun’ and the inky purple ‘Havran’, both flowering in late March and early April.

Protect this Lemons and other potted citrus trees are too tender to stay outside, but resent being kept in gloomy, centrally heated homes over winter. Place in a cool, bright but frost-free spot (minimum 7C) such as an unheated covered porch. Let the soil dry out between waterings and feed with winter citrus fertiliser.

Continue reading...

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via IFTTT

Get your garden ready for winter | Alys Fowler

Our gardening expert lists the crucial tasks, from cutting back to keeping birds happy – and you’re just in time to plant garlic

Tough stems that have dried standing upright will survive much of the cold season (their bleached seed heads are one of the joys of a winter garden), but if a perennial starts to slime and rot after the first kiss of a frost, you might as well whip it away to the compost. Many perennials don’t like the crown (where the stem joins the root) to be covered with rotting material in winter, particularly with wet matter such as mats of autumn leaves, as this can cause rot to travel into the roots and kill the plant. If you don’t want to remove this organic matter because you would rather the worms do the work, gently brush to the side any material sitting on top of the plant. The downside of this method is that rotting material is slug heaven. If you have anything nearby to protect, such as winter vegetables, you are better off removing this material to the compost and replacing it with well-rotted stuff.

Continue reading...

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