Lifestyle
Consider planting topiary trees
By Debby Looney, gardening expert
The fantastic spell of long overdue sunshine certainly brought out the best in our flowering plants.
It seemed that, for the first time this year, geraniums were blooming as they should be! That has been the experience in my garden ... I hope you have had more luck! However, some plants have exhausted themselves. I have pulled all the nemesias, lobelias and marigolds out of my pots – harsh maybe, but given the weather forecast and dire predictions of rain, I feel these plants will not recover in time for a second blooming. With many baskets, pots and borders looking a bit woebegone, many people wonder whether it is still worth putting in summer plants? Well, a quick fix if you need it, is always the geranium.
You will still get plenty of pleasure out of geraniums, busy lizzies and begonias – they will last until the first frosts. However, if you are looking for something which is long lasting and will take you through the winter, consider an alternative such as topiary trees. Lollipops are very practical, they are an easy shape to maintain and look well whether they are underplanted with seasonal plants, or whether the look is completed with decorative stones. Plants grown as lollipop trees include euonymus, bay tree, Buxus, conifers, photinias, or holly trees. Many flowering plants are also shaped into small standards, for example miniature Roses, rosemary and fuchsia.
Optimum health
Cone shaped topiary is also popular, again buxus are low maintenance and very affordable. Spiral and stepped lollipops are also interesting choices but require more maintenance to keep them in the correct shape. Buxus plants can be susceptible to blight, keep an eye out for it and spray on time with a Buxus health tonic. It is vital to keep your Buxus in optimum health, ensure it does not dry out and that it is well fed, preferably with a specialist feed. Buxus are also very prone to white fly, which causes considerable damage to plants. It is easy to spot, however, usually you will notice a white webbing, or a cloud of white particles if you brush against the plant. These particles are actually the tiny white fly. Again, they are easily killed using an appropriate spray, or even soapy water - the important thing is to catch them early.
All-purpose food
If you are hoping to keep your pots looking good until the end of autumn, make sure to keep feeding regularly. I recommend an all-purpose food rather than tomato food, which is the popular choice. An all-purpose food, such as Miracle Gro or Phostrogen, keeps the whole plant healthy from root to tip as opposed to tomato food which really only forces flowering at the expense of all else. It causes plants to push themselves to flower, creating exhaustion much sooner than is necessary. A problem this year, I think due to the beautiful weather, is caterpillars. Unfortunately, the damage is often done before you realise you’ve had visitors, but if you do see the caterpillars on time, it is easy to pick them off. Alternatively, a product such as Provado Bug Killer or the excellent organic product ‘Grazers' will kill them.
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