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Plant autumn onions

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Refresh pots for autumn

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How to propagate houseplants

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Autumn-planted onion sets, often called Japanese onions, are growing in popularity. They mature one to two months earlier than traditional spring-sown or spring-set onions, which is a real advantage. You can also harvest them young in winter and spring to use as spring onions.

They’re hardy and grown just like regular onions, but good drainage is especially important. They also do best in sheltered gardens; while they tolerate cold, they can be damaged by winter gales and extreme frosts.

Like all onions, they prefer fertile soil, but avoid planting in freshly manured ground. They’re ideal for beds where beans or peas have recently been grown and cleared. Timing is key: they need to be well established before winter, so mid-September is generally ideal across most of the country. In milder southern areas, planting can be a little later.

Plant sets about 10cm apart in rows 30cm apart. Always use a trowel – don’t just push them into the soil, as they’ll lift themselves out as roots develop. Plant so that only the tip of each set is visible above the soil.

Because autumn-planted sets stay in the ground longer, they’re more prone to disease. Avoid planting if your soil has a history of white rot.

2\. Plant sets with a trowel so soft soil is under the sets and so they don’t push themselves out of the soil as roots emerge.

3\. Plant sets close together to grow them to harvest as immature spring onions – useful if you have too many sets for your onion bed.

4\. Onions can be planted in pots. Ue a John Innes No.2 compost rather than multi-purpose, which can remain very wet in winter.

Annuals and perennials are the go-to plants if you’re keen to provide sources of food for insects, but if you want some year-round structure and height in your garden it’s important to include shrubs too. Not all flowering shrubs are great for insects, though. For instance, _Forsythia_ _intermedia_ looks like it would provide a banquet for insects with its profusion of bright yellow blooms, but it actually produces very little pollen or nectar. However, there are plenty of flowering shrubs that will add an extra layer of interest to your borders while also keeping the bees and butterflies happy.

The ornamental quince, chaenomeles, flowers from late February through to May, its bare branches bearing clusters of blossom-like blooms, providing a valuable food source for emerging bees. Flower colour options include red, white and pink, or the peachy tones of the exquisite ‘Geisha Girl’. Train it against a wall or fence (prune it after flowering, shortening sideshoots to two to four buds and tie the stems to horizontal wires), or grow it as a standalone shrub. It’s generally unfussy as long as the soil isn’t waterlogged.

Rosemary (_Salvia rosmarinus_) is primarily grown for its aromatic, evergreen foliage, but it’s also a surprisingly good plant for pollinators. The small flowers, which are typically blue but, depending on the variety, can be white or pale pink, are a favourite with bees – in parts of France honey made predominantly from the flowers of rosemary is highly prized. This Mediterranean native needs full sun and well-drained soil.

Shrubby potentillas are underrated plants that deserve more attention. They’re mid-sized, deciduous shrubs, with slender leaves and an abundance of single flowers from April to October. The blooms resemble those of a wild rose but they’re smaller and colours range from vibrant oranges and pinks to pastel shades. Reliable varieties include the white-flowered _Potentilla fruticosa_ ‘Abbotswood’ and the pale lemon ‘Primrose Beauty’.

Privet is fantastic for a wide range of pollinators, whether it’s the native wild species, _Ligustrum vulgare_, or garden privet, _Ligustrum ovalifolium_, which was introduced from Japan. Insects are attracted by the plumes of small, white, fragrant flowers produced in June. Typically grown as a neatly-clipped hedge, you’ll need to leave the trimmers in the shed to allow it to bloom.

Roses are quintessential summer-flowering shrubs, but the species, or wild roses, are the ones to grow if you want to feed insects because rather than multiple rows of petals like those of cultivated roses, these have open, single blooms. There’s also the added bonus of wonderful autumn hips. Garden-worthy options include the dog rose, _R. canina_, _R. glauca_, with its striking blue-grey foliage and the ruby-red flowers of _R. moyesii_ ‘Geranium’.

Lavender’s hummocks of aromatic, grey-green foliage have year-round presence, but it’s the slender flower spires packed with essential oils that attract different species of bees, butterflies and moths during the summer months. It prefers light, well-drained, chalky soil, but if you don’t have these conditions it can be grown in containers. _Lavandula_ _intermedia_ and its cultivars are said to be the most attractive to bees.

Veronica, formerly known as hebe, offers gardeners a selection of foliage options including variegation and leaves that change colour in winter as the temperature drops. Set against this leafy backdrop are spikes of small flowers in shades of purple, pink or white that are a magnet during the summer months for bees and other pollinators.

Perovskia, the Russian sage, forms a loose mound of upright stems bearing fragrant, grey-green leaves and a plethora of tiny, violet-blue flowers in late summer and autumn that attract a host of insects. When the leaves fall in autumn they leave behind a bare, silvery stem structure that looks stunning during winter. Perfect for gravel or Mediterranean-style gardens.

The cape mallow, _Anisodontea capensis ‘_El Rayo’, has stiff, upright stems around 1.2m tall, attractive green, lobed leaves and showy rose-pink flowers with magenta centres, which the bees love. It’s borderline hardy, so growing it in a large pot and moving it to somewhere with a bit of protection over winter is ideal. Mine has flowered year-round, including in the cold frame over winter when there was snow in the garden, but it’s at its peak from late summer through autumn.

_Mahonia_ _media_ ‘Charity’ and ‘Winter Sun’ are handsome evergreens with branches of dark green, holly-like foliage and clusters of small, deep yellow flowers that smell like lily of the valley. These appear from early winter to mid-spring when little else is in bloom and are popular with bees. The black fruit that follows will be eaten by birds. They like a bit of shade and soil that’s neither too dry nor too wet.

Winter-flowering honeysuckle, _Lonicera fragrantissima_, fills the air with scent on mild winter days, when its twiggy mass of leafless branches are covered in small, cream-white blooms that attract bees looking for food. Bright green leaves emerge in spring. It makes a medium-sized shrub around 2m tall with a similar spread.

Plums and damsons, like all stone fruits, should only be pruned while in leaf to prevent infection by silver leaf disease. Pruning should be kept to a minimum, but if necessary, it can be done now. You can easily remove badly crossed branches and stems with damaged bark caused by rubbing, though you may prefer to wait until after harvesting the fruit.

Any cuts larger than the diameter of a pencil should be treated with wound paint. Young shoots that have grown this year won’t carry fruit and can be shortened to help keep the tree compact. This may also reduce damage caused by plum aphids, which twist and crumple the leaves.

Plums are affected by several diseases, with aphids being the main pest. The most common disease is bacterial canker, which is especially problematic in wet years. It typically causes brown spots on the foliage that drop out, leaving a characteristic ‘shot hole’ appearance. This can lead to early leaf drop, but affected trees usually continue to live and crop.

Branches may ooze resin, which isn’t always a sign of canker as it can be natural. However, if the ooze comes from areas of sunken, dead bark, bacterial canker is likely the cause. If the dead bark spreads, it can kill the branch, so any badly affected areas and dead stems should be removed.

• Aphids cause leaves to curl and twist. Damage is largely cosmetic, but affected shoots can be shortened to tidy up plants.

• Gummosis can occur on healthy trees but if it’s associated with areas of dead, sunken bark the tree may be affected by bacterial canker.

• Birds will peck at fruits as they colour. Wasps then move in to feed. Shiny and reflective scarers may deter birds.

• Bacterial canker is common on plums and may eventually weaken trees. First signs are brown spots on leaves that drop out to produce holey leaves.

Think of bulbs and you’ll no doubt conjure up images of spring-flowering daffodils and tulips in all their vibrant glory, but bulbs aren’t just for heralding the start of a new garden season. There’s a host of interesting bulbous plants that come into their own between late summer and winter, and these oft-neglected species can pep up your borders as other plants start to fade, adding an extra layer of interest and colour among late-flowering perennials.

They’re ideal companions for deciduous trees and shrubs whose leaves are developing vivid autumnal hues, and they can be a good source of pollen and nectar for bees and other pollinating insects, providing them with an important end-of-season food supply.

As with spring-flowering bulbs, these later ones have the most impact when planted en masse, and some of them can be naturalised in grass too. Not only do their blooms look like jewels, sparkling with morning dew, the grass around them provides some support to the flower stems, especially during spells of wet weather. But it’s important to refrain from cutting the grass so the bulb foliage can die back, feeding the bulbs for next year’s flower display. These bulbs are generally available to order from specialist bulb suppliers from early summer. They’re best planted in mid- to late summer, and if this is the case they’ll often flower that autumn.

With their goblet-shaped flowers, colchicums are similar in appearance to crocuses, in fact they’re often referred to as autumn crocuses. However, they’re a different genus and are more closely related to lilies. They’re often known as naked ladies because the flowers emerge without any leaves around them. There are over 100 different species and many cultivars, some flowering in winter or spring. The large-flowered autumn bloomers are best grown in sun and fertile, well-drained soil in a sheltered spot, as wind can damage the flowers. The flowers grow to around 15cm tall and come in white, purple or various shades of pink and typically have a single ring of petals, although there are some that have multiple rows such as _Colchicum autumnale_ ‘Alboplenum’. The leaves develop fully in spring and are quite large, so bear this in mind when planting, otherwise they might overwhelm smaller spring plants. Plant so the nose of the bulb sits just below the surface of the soil. All parts of colchicums are poisonous, so wear gloves when handling.

These South African bulbs pack a punch with their flamboyant pink or white blooms, which grace the garden from September to November. Each sturdy, upright stem, around 45-60cm tall, is topped with an umbel of up to a dozen individual blooms with slender, wavy petals and recurved tips. There are around 25 different species and they vary in hardiness, with those that need frost protection making good cool conservatory plants. _Nerine bowdenii_ is the hardiest, and it’s happy in free-draining soil in a sun-baked spot – the base of a south-facing wall is perfect, or grow them in a container. Plant with the top of the bulb poking just above the soil. Also look out for amarines, hybrids of nerines, and _Amaryllis belladonna_, which have larger flowers.

Also known as the autumn snowflake, this delicate-looking plant produces grassy foliage that starts to die back in late summer, and as it does so, slender, red-tinted stems that are 15–20cm tall emerge, bearing dangling, bell-shaped white flowers for several weeks. Over time the bulbs increase slowly to form clumps of flowers. It likes a sunny spot in fertile but well-drained gritty soil. It’s a good choice for a raised bed or a deep pot, just make sure you add plenty of grit to the compost.

It’s unusual to find bright yellow in the garden in late summer and early autumn, which might explain why this bulb is also referred to as the autumn daffodil. It’s a member of the same family but it’s more similar in flower shape to a crocus, with its goblets of glowing gold held amid dark green, narrow leaves. Native to the Mediterranean, it requires plenty of sun and well-drained soil and grows to around 15cm high.

Queen Olga’s snowdrop, as it is commonly known, is native to the mountains of Greece and is named after Queen Olga, the late Prince Philip’s grandmother. It was once thought to be just an autumn-flowering form of the common snowdrop, _Galanthus nivalis_, which blooms in mid- to late winter, but it’s now recognised as a separate species. Typically it flowers in October, although sometimes earlier, and it will confuse and delight visitors to your garden. It thrives in a south-facing location, with plenty of sun in slightly alkaline soil, but it will tolerate some shade and acid soil.

The autumn-flowering cyclamen first appears in August, its diminutive flowers with distinctive swept-back petals in pink or white atop stems around 7cm high. These are followed by ivy-like, arrowhead-shaped, dark green leaves with silver markings that provide attractive winter ground cover before retreating underground in spring. Grow it in humus-rich soil that’s free-draining, in part shade. It’s lovely planted at the base of trees, where they gradually spread thanks to ants who are attracted to the sticky seed coating and carry the seed away.

There are more autumn than spring-flowering species of crocus, but many of them need to be grown under glass in this country. _Crocus speciosus_, however, can be grown outdoors and is said to be the easiest to grow in the UK climate. It’s also one of the earliest of the autumn-flowering crocuses to bloom, appearing in September. It has silvery lilac-blue flowers with deep blue veins, 10-15cm high and tufts of narrow green leaves that develop as the blooms fade. ‘Albus’ is a white-flowered form. Plant it in sun or part shade in soil that’s free draining. It’s a vigorous plant, increasing freely, and is well-suited to naturalising in short grass.

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Love houseplants? Propagating is a satisfying way to increase your stock for free. Try cuttings, dividing and offsets in soil or water. Busy gardeners will rejoice at growing cuttings in water; hydroponics is the quickest, easiest method of propagation. Simply take cuttings and pop them in a glass of water. You can even grow the desirable _Monstera deliciosa,_ or Swiss cheese plant, in water; cut a stem with three or four leaves and ideally an aerial root too. Ensure leaves sit above the water line to avoid rotting.

Use sharp, clean tools and a sterile growing media like a peat-free houseplant compost, or make up your own mix to adjust the combo of peat-free compost, sand, grit, Vermiculite, Perlite or bark to suit specific plants to ensure roots are well drained and aerated.

Warm summer weather and increased light levels help roots establish quickly, but avoid direct sunlight as this can stress plants; they may dry out too quickly and wilt. Place in a cool bright spot and keep cuttings moist but not waterlogged.

Dividing plants is also a speedy way to multiply your collection. Some houseplants, like peace lilies, can be simply pulled apart, while others like snake plants need to be sliced away from the main rhizome. Get cracking; propagate plants now and by Christmas your new houseplants will have bulked up to make the perfect presents for friends.

Grow tradescantia cuttings in water. Cut stems 10cm above a node, remove lower leaves, pop in water; roots will appear within a week.

Divide snake plants. Tip the pot out, cut off new pups from main rhizome and leave to callous over before potting on.

Pot offsets. Rat tail cactus produces new growths on trailing stems. Pick off pups and pop in potting mix.

Snip off a mature, healthy _Begonia rex_ leaf. Slice 1cm cut across underside of main veins, pin leaf on compost with small stones.

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In Georgian and Victorian eras, the landed gentry used to hide edibles away in walled gardens, while in more recent times, ordinary folk grew them in dedicated patches tucked away at the very back of their gardens. However, there’s no reason for crops to be raised out of sight. All you have to do is pick vegetables, fruit and herbs that have attractive leaves, stems, blooms or fruit, or boast architectural good looks, and they won’t look out of place alongside ornamentals. Start filling those gaps now and you’ll soon have a patch that’s as gorgeous as it is delicious!

In the past, many crops were grown alongside flowers in traditional cottage gardens. Take inspiration from our ancestors and fill bare patches of soil in beds, borders and raised beds with attractive edibles. Treat them like any other plants to ensure schemes are easy on the eye. Set low-growing and foliage specimens in groups of 3, 5 and so on, close to the front of the schemes, making sure they have enough space to spread. Use mid-height edibles with striking foliage to lead the eye by threading through beds and place very tall plants with a sculptural form at the back. Tall, slender plants can be grown in place of grasses. For example, sweetcorn makes an interesting alternative to miscanthus. Dwarf, columnar or standard fruit trees will add structure and visual interest.

A classic French potager – as demonstrated at the Chateau of Villandry in the Loire Valley – is the ultimate ornamental kitchen garden. Consisting of a series of beds edged with lavender, dwarf box hedging or hard landscaping materials, they’re filled with a mixture of vegetables, herbs and fruit alongside ornamentals with edible flowers, such as nasturtiums, violas and daylilies. The aim with a potager is to be creative. Set trailing and compact species around the edges, with taller plants behind. Add vertical interest by growing climbing crops on wooden obelisks. Traditionally, potagers were made using beds in the ground, but another option is to plan one using raised beds divided by paths.

If you’ve got a patio, deck or courtyard, give it a tasty lift with a group of crops in pots. Compact fruit trees are ideal, as are herbs. It’s best to avoid veggies that need a long growing season, along with those that reach epic heights as they’ll be forever toppling over in the wind. Instead, pick plants that are fairly short and, if growing root crops, make sure the container is deep enough for them to develop. The choice of containers is just as important as the plants they house. Stone, terracotta, glazed and terrazzo look smart but will need more watering than plastic due to their porosity. For a head-turning display, arrange a selection of containers in different shapes and sizes. Either grow one plant per pot or arrange several in a planter, making sure it includes an upright centrepiece, trailers and bushy specimens to fill gaps.

There’s no shortage of attractive vegetables, herbs and fruit. Swiss chard is a must due to its muscular form, colourful stems and large, shiny leaves. ‘Bright Lights’ is a vibrant blend of red, white, orange, gold and pink-stemmed varieties topped with glossy green or bronze leaves, while ‘Peppermint’ has dark green leaves held above tall, two-tone pink and white stems.

Kale is an architectural gem. ‘Curly Scarlet’ makes a 1m-tall plant with tightly curled, dark green leaves with red veins and ‘Nero di Toscana’ boasts narrow, bolt upright, dark green leaves that are deeply crinkled.

Lettuces like frilly ‘Lollo Rosso’, red-tinged ‘Yugoslavian Red’ and bronze ‘Dixter’ are great low-growing, foliage plants. Angelica, globe artichokes and cardoon will add vertical interest.

As for herbs, chives are a flowering powerhouse and feathery bronze fennel (_Foeniculum vulgare_ ‘Purpureum’) will add texture. In the fruit camp, blueberries provide three seasons of interest – flowers in spring, fruit in summer and autumn leaf colour. Perpetual strawberries are an obvious choice due to their flowers and shiny, jewel-like berries produced over a long season.

• Keep some spare edible plants in the wings to plug gaps if those in displays run to seed or get eaten by pests.

• Veggies will go downhill quickly if they dry out, so water regularly, especially during periods of drought.

• Instead of delineating beds and borders with hedging plants, consider growing edible edges, such as espalier and step-over apple and pear trees.

• When planting annual vegetables in containers use multi-purpose compost. John Innes No.3 is best for fruit trees and No.2 for perennial vegetables.

• Make the most of arches, obelisks and other vertical structures by using them to support climbing crops such as runner beans, courgette ‘Black Forest’, strawberry ‘Everest’, cucamelon and miniature pumpkins.

The annuals in our garden are still working hard, but there’s still time for some late sowings to fill next year’s borders with perennials. Many perennials are easy to grow from seed and offer an inexpensive way to enjoy masses of colour next year – and for years to come. Some will even flower in their first year if sown in early spring, but that usually requires a heated propagator in February or March. If you sow now, you won’t need artificial heat as they’ll grow happily in ordinary outdoor temperatures, so you can sow them in a cold greenhouse or on a shady windowsill.

Some perennials also need a cold period to trigger flowering. Aquilegias and some lychnis, for example, won’t bloom until the summer after sowing. Aquilegias sown now will flower next summer, but if you wait until February, you’ll be waiting until 2027! Sowing now speeds things up by a whole year.

You’ll need fresh compost and clean trays and pots. Transplant seedlings into cell trays to grow on, then plant them in their flowering positions in late autumn or next spring. If the seedlings are still small, it’s often safer to overwinter them in a cold greenhouse rather than planting them out.

• Achilleas suit sunny borders and attract pollinators. Good mixes are available and plants are drought-tolerant once established.

• Lupins are easy from seed. Choose named varieties over cheap mixes for best results. Protect young plants from slugs and snails.

• Aquilegias come in a wide range of shapes and sizes and look best in drifts. Once settled, they usually self-seed.

•_Lychnis coronaria_, in magenta, white or blush, is a great filler with silvery leaves – ideal with lavender and other drought-lovers.

August is a magical month of abundance in the kitchen garden as plots give rise to bountiful harvests. Late summer isn’t simply about admiring neat rows of swelling onions and marvelling at mammoth marrows – it’s a time to maximise yields, bulk up stocks of plants for next season and get planting to keep treats coming over the colder months. Our crop-by-crop advice will help you get the most out of your late summer veg plot.

**Raspberry pruning is a berry big deal!**

When summer-fruiting raspberries finish cropping, pruning holds the key to a successful harvest next year. Summer raspberries (floricanes) are borne on stems that grew the previous year. After cropping in late summer, these old, woody stems should be cut down to ground level, leaving space for the youngest stems, which will bear next year’s fruit, to develop. Tie the strongest of these fresh green stems to horizontal wires, a hand width apart. Autumn-fruiting raspberries (called primocanes) should not be cut down until late winter, because their crop of sweet, juicy berries will be borne on the current season’s stems. Use fruit cages or netting to protect raspberries if birds are pinching treats.

Second early and maincrop potatoes can be ready for harvesting this month. When early crops flower (or if buds drop), it’s a sign that buried treasure awaits. Use a garden fork to gently lift a small area of soil, taking care not to spear tubers, and see if your spuds are big enough to harvest. With maincrops, however, allow the foliage to turn yellow if you plan to store the potatoes rather than use them straight away. Leave harvested tatties on the soil to dry in the sun for a day and discard any that are rotten before storing. To keep delicious harvests coming, fill a large tub with multi-purpose compost and plant ‘Maris Peer’ or ‘Charlotte’ seed potatoes: moved into a frost-free greenhouse or conservatory when temperatures dip, these spuds will make a fantastic Christmas harvest!

Summer-fruiting strawberries run out of steam in August, so turn your thoughts to bumper crops next season. Examine plants for long stems, called runners, which carry baby plants. Peg these plantlets down into the soil or into small pots of multi-purpose compost and water well. Once young plants are actively growing, the stem can be cut from the parent. Water without splashing the crown of strawberry plants, which can encourage botrytis. After cropping is over, tired and shrivelled leaves should be cut away to open up the plant’s structure.

**Push the right buttons for perfect sprouts**

Brussels sprouts are a slow-growing but rewarding crop. While firm soil holds the key to tight buttons, and autumn frosts intensify their flavour, plants need a little TLC this month. These tall brassicas should be staked to prevent damage from wind rock, while earthing up soil around their roots provides extra stability. Yellowing leaves should be removed. Sprouts (and other brassicas) are at risk from caterpillar attack. Ensure cabbage white butterflies can’t lay eggs on leaves by covering crops in fine netting. It will prevent pigeons damaging crops, too.

Shallow-rooted onions should be kept weed-free as bulbs swell and cut down on watering from midsummer. Watch out for foliage turning yellow and keeling over – this is your window of opportunity to harvest onions, which should be carried out before foliage shrivels altogether. Carefully lift bulbs using a fork and let them ‘ripen’ by drying in full sun for a fortnight before storing in a cool, dry, frost-free place. For an earlier crop, plant autumn onion sets such as ‘Electric’ and ‘Senshyu’ from September. Over-wintering onions are slower to grow but will be ready by midsummer next year. Got a gap to fill? Sow winter-hardy spring onion ‘White Lisbon’ into shallow drills between August and October. Crops will be ready from March.

**Savour salad days (well, at least into autumn)**

Cut-and-come-again salads provide a ready supply of tasty leaves that can be snipped as needed, but traditional lettuces that form dense hearts, such as butterhead and cos types, are less forgiving. If left in the ground for too long once mature, these veg plot staples have a tendency to bolt (run to seed), which ruins their taste, so harvest promptly. Winter butterhead lettuce ‘Valdor’, which can be sown now, is acclaimed for its resistance to botrytis and low temperatures. If you have a greenhouse, put it to good use over winter by growing hardy leaves such as mizuna, rocket and mustard. Started in trays now, they can be transplanted into pots or greenhouse borders in autumn.

Harvest runner beans while young and they’ll be tender without a hint of stringiness, while regular picking encourages plants into producing more pods. Pinch out the tips of stems once they reach the tops of canes: it will prevent unwanted foliage flailing around and encourage fresh growth lower down. Liquid feed with potassium-rich tomato food to keep crops coming. August drought is the biggest threat to thirsty runners, because plants that wither won’t bounce back, so water well. Black bean aphid rapidly infests plants, so unless ladybirds are feasting on sap-sucking bugs, blast aphids from stems and the undersides of leaves using a hose. After cropping is over, cut plants down but leave roots in the soil to boost nitrogen levels.

**Harvest sweetcorn for a-maize-ing flavour!**

Nothing beats the flavour of homegrown sweetcorn, but enjoying this taste sensation relies on harvesting cobs at their prime (sweetness ebbs away from the moment the crop is cut, as sugar turns to starch). Choose cobs where tassels at the end have darkened and peel back a little of the husk to reveal the densely packed kernels. Pierce one with a fingernail: if the liquid that emerges is a creamy texture, the cob is ripe, but if it’s watery it’s not ready. Where plants have multiple cobs, remove tiddlers that stand no chance of maturing before summer is over, so plants can direct energy into fattening up the biggest cobs.

While pumpkins relish summer heat, as the fruits swell rapidly, dry soil can prompt outbreaks of powdery mildew, so keep crops well watered (taking care to aim water at the soil and avoid splashing leaves). If size matters, thin fruits to just several per plant. Sit fruits on straw, tiles or wood to prevent crops rotting on damp soil. Pumpkins store best if they’ve ripened evenly. Snipping excess leaves from sprawling plants allows the August sunshine to hit fruits and speed up ripening.

If you have a glut of carrots, don’t worry: as long as soil is well drained, roots can be left in the ground and pulled as needed. There’s still time for a late carrot sowing to extend the harvest season. Try ‘Autumn King 2’, which will yield baby roots before the worst of the winter weather. If temperatures dip sharply, however, autumn-sown carrots can be shielded under cloches, while mature roots in the ground can be kept snug under a layer of straw. Direct-sown radishes are a quick crop to keep the taste of summer going and can be ready to pull within a month. Perpetual spinach sown in autumn is a winner for flavoursome leaves that can be picked throughout the colder months, with good resistance to bolting.

#### Yes, you really can grow these fabulous fruits here in the UK

**Words** Peter McDermott, managing director of YouGarden nursery **Photos** Peter McDermott, Shutterstock

_One of the YouGarden citrus growers surrounded by plants in Italy_

There’s something wonderfully uplifting about growing citrus at home. Maybe it’s the glossy green leaves, or the sweetly-scented flowers that pop out even in the depths of winter. Or perhaps it’s just the sheer thrill of picking a lemon or lime from your very own tree. Whatever it is, citrus bring a dash of sunshine to your garden or conservatory – and yes, even here in the UK, you can get them to crop.

We’ve been championing citrus for years at _:a[YouGarden.com]{href='https://YouGarden.com' }_, and we’ve put together a cracking range of varieties that are ideal for British gardeners. With a bit of know-how and the right kit, you’ll be harvesting your own fruit in no time. And what’s more, they look terrific all year round – so even when the fruit’s not ready, they’re still earning their keep.

First things first – what to grow? If you’re new to citrus, you really can’t go wrong with a lemon ‘Eureka’. It’s one of the most reliable types, fruiting young and regularly, and giving you the classic lemon flavour that’s perfect in everything from salad dressings to a G&T. Lemon ‘Lisbon’ is another popular choice – a bit more vigorous and equally tasty.

Fancy something a little different? Try a lime ‘Tahiti’, which gives juicy, seedless fruit with a sharp, clean flavour – ideal for summer drinks. If it’s sweetness you’re after, go for an Calamondin orange, a lovely ornamental tree with fragrant white flowers and small, tangy fruits – perfect for marmalade or as a garnish.

You could even plant lemon, lime and orange together and get three fruits from one pot! It’s a talking point and a space-saver.

_Stripy citrus look great and are very popular_

Citrus need good drainage – soggy roots are their number one enemy. I always pot mine into a loam-based compost such as John Innes No.2 and I mix in about 20–30% grit or Perlite to keep things airy. If you can get hold of specialist citrus compost, even better, but a good gritty loam does the trick. Pick a pot just a bit bigger than the rootball and make sure it has plenty of drainage holes. Terracotta is ideal as it breathes and helps stop the roots from getting waterlogged. Don’t go too big too soon – citrus prefer to be slightly pot-bound.

Citrus are greedy feeders – they’re evergreen and often fruit and flower at the same time, so they need plenty of nutrients to keep them going. From March to October, I feed mine weekly with a high-nitrogen citrus fertiliser.

This keeps the foliage lush and supports fruit development. A knowledgeable citrus grower told me you should feed year-round and always when the temperature is above 5C.

In winter, switch to a balanced citrus feed once a month. This keeps plants ticking over without encouraging soft new growth, which could be damaged by cold.

If you notice yellowing between the veins of the leaves, it could be a sign of magnesium deficiency. A quick fix is to dissolve Epsom salts in water and give the plant a foliar spray.

_Flowers on citrus plants are an added benefit_

Citrus don’t like being soggy, but they won’t thank you for drying out completely either. Keep the compost just moist, so not wet and not bone dry. In summer, you might need to water every other day if it’s hot. In winter, ease right off – maybe just a trickle once every 10-14 days. Rainwater is best if you can collect it, as it’s slightly acidic, which citrus like. But if you’re using tap water, don’t worry; just make sure it’s at room temperature.

Most citrus are not frost-hardy, so in the UK you’ll need to bring them under cover from around October. A cool conservatory, greenhouse, porch or unheated room is ideal – anywhere that stays above 5C and gets plenty of light. They don’t like central heating, so keep them away from radiators. Watch out for pests like scale insect and red spider mite; these can sneak in over winter when the air is dry. A light misting and a gentle wipe-over of the leaves every so often keeps them looking sharp.

If moving plants isn’t an option, wrap the pots with fleece and bubble wrap, and cover the tops with fleece on frosty nights, but it’s always better to move them somewhere sheltered if you can.

_Life really can give you British lemons!_

With the right care, your citrus will reward you with fruit, flowers and fragrant, glossy evergreen foliage all year round. They’re not difficult and a certainly a bit different from your average patio plant. Think of them like a houseguest from warmer climes: they’ll thrive if you cater for their needs. And once you’ve grown your first lemon or lime, you’ll be hooked.

_Calamondin oranges are often used in marmalades and drinks_

Why not visit _:a[YouGarden.com]{href='https://YouGarden.com' }_ to explore the range and give it a go? There’s nothing quite like growing your own slice of the Med – even if the view out the window is more Lincolnshire than Liguria!

There are so many reasons to grow flowers on your vegetable patch. For starters, they add another dimension to how your plot looks, introducing bright colours into a predominantly green space. Some flowers will have pollinators buzzing with joy and others are good at protecting the plants by keeping unwanted visitors away in a natural and eco-friendly manner. Lots of insects are scent-led, so strongly perfumed blooms can have a tremendously positive impact on your crops.

Flowering herbs have multiple benefits. Chives, rosemary, thyme and oregano are all highly scented and attract pollinators, but also ward off destructive creatures such as aphids, carrot fly and bean beetles as well as looking beautiful, needing little attention and being drought tolerant and readily available to cut for kitchen recipes – what’s not to like?

Calendula and marigolds (tagetes) are great companion plants; their colourful blooms look vibrant throughout summer and many varieties emit a strong scent that suppresses nematodes. Tall plants like sunflowers give shade to those growing below and are a hit with bees and hoverflies and, once they’ve gone to seed, the birds, too. Summer wouldn’t be summer without beautiful and fragrant sweet peas; enjoy picking a posy while the bees flit from flower to flower. It’s hard to resist a row or two of them.

Growing flowers on your veg patch gives you another reason to stop and take stock of all your hard work before embarking on more planting, weeding and harvesting.

• **Marigolds and herbs like lavender deter insects and protect valuable crops with their scent.**

• **Growing flowers attracts pollinators – a win for wildlife and crops needing pollination**!

• **Nasturtiums and borage help by luring pests from crops and also offer edible flowers as a bonus.**

• **Growing flowers on a veg patch also gives you a reason to grow another crop to harvest; beautiful cut flowers!**

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