Weekend Work: Time to prune rambler roses
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.What to do
Pinch out the growing tips of tomato plants to encourage them to concentrate on ripening their existing fruit. Continue to feed plants in tubs and in hanging baskets, but do not feed shrubs or herbaceous perennials at this stage. New growth made now will not survive forthcoming autumn frosts.
Prune rambler roses and climbing roses that only have one flush of flower, such as 'Albertine' and 'Easlea's Golden Rambler'. Match the amount of wood that you cut out with the amount of new growth that the rose has made this year. Encourage new growth to sprout from the base by taking out some of the old wood entirely.
Tie in new growths of dahlias and chrysanthemums. Disbud dahlias regularly for the best display of blooms. Trim hedges of box, beech, yew, holly, laurel privet and Leyland cypress. On second thoughts, grub out the Leyland cypress...
Thin out old shoots of shrubs such as philadelphus if necessary and slash back overgrown honeysuckle. Low growing hebes can also be thinned.
Cut down canes of raspberries that have fruited and tie in new ones. Cut down the old foliage of strawberry plants and dispose of the straw on the compost heap.
Raid the garden centre for pots of autumn flowering 'Cyclamen neapolitanum'. Only now, when the plants are in flower, can you sort the pinks from the whites and plant separate drifts of each. No garden can ever have too many cyclamen.
What to see
Gardens to visit over the Bank Holiday weekend include the Williams's world in a third of an acre at Caeruni, Ffordd Ty Cerrig, Godre'r Gaer, nr Corwen LL21 9YA. Spain, China, Mexico, Japan – it's all here as well as a 1950s petrol station for nostalgia. Open tomorrow and Monday (2-5pm). Admission £3. In London, make for 54 Ferndown, Northwood Hills HA6 1PH (020-8866 3792) where David and Ros Bryson have an extensive collection of Australasian and South African exotics with palms, tree ferns and bananas. Open tomorrow (1-6pm) with home-made teas. Admission £3.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments