Diamond Jubilee celebrations, street parties, fireworks, barbecues etc. are all about to take the country by storm, so why not inject a bit of patriotism into your planting this year by painting your garden, street or balcony red white and blue with flowers to create the perfect backdrop for all those celebrations. Bedding plants are brilliant for creating colour schemes as they can be changed every year and its time to plant them now.

Geraniums are a great choice for a centrepiece, reliable and weather resistant. Upright varieties are available in deep red, scarlet and white, and trailing varieties are also available. Petunias will be a very popular choice this year with a huge colour range including the obligatory red white and blue. Petunia “Express” is the leading variety of grandiflora petunia with big flowers in bright blousy colours, ideal for beds and tubs. For hanging baskets trailing petunias such as “Surfinia”, or the miniature flowered Calibrachoas including “Million Bells” will give a wonderful display. “Easy Wave” petunias are a cheaper alternative to Surfinia with a similar performance and are available this year in a red, white and blue mixture called “Union Flag mixed”. They can be used as a flowering ground cover plant, and are superb in window boxes and hanging baskets.

Verbena is another useful subject with both trailing and upright varieties available in red white, blue and many other colours. Silver foliage will also work well with this colour scheme, and Cineraria “Silver Dust” is the best candidate for bedding displays or in hanging baskets Dichondra “Silver Falls” or Helichrysum “”Goring Silver” could be used. Lobelia in trailing or bush forms are natural choices for blues and white, although the so-called red lobelia is really rose/purple and not ideal for this purpose.

Begonias are very much the plant of the moment and the stunning “Bonfire” and “Million Kisses” strains of trailing begonias will continue to increase in popularity. The big double flowers of “Non-stop” begonias make a a great centrepiece and the little dwarf Begonia semperflorens will be in demand this year as a replacement for Busy Lizzies, planting of which is being discouraged because of their susceptibility to Downy Mildew disease which can ruin displays.

The unpredictability of British weather can make gardening a challenging pursuit and this year it has proved more eccentric than ever. A mild Winter followed by a very warm, dry March had plants and gardeners alike romping away only to be dashed by a cold and very wet April. For many gardeners the soil has been too cold and wet for planting and even in the greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers have struggled with the low temperatures. But nature has great powers of recovery and sometimes patience is all that is required. If conditions are not right it is better to wait until they are. Planting runner beans in cold wet soil is futile; they will rot. Planting cucumbers in an unheated greenhouse when night temperatures are still dropping below 10oC is also futile; they will wilt and die from a disease known as phytopthora. Planting french marigolds or busy lizzies before mid May when night frosts are still being forecast is a gamble. If they are frosted they could die, or at least suffer a setback from which they will take weeks to recover. If you do take that risk at least invest in some horticultural fleece as an insurance policy should frost occur.

Late Spring frosts can also cause havoc with established shrubs in the garden. The beautiful new red shoots of Pieris (Forest Flame) can turn brown overnight. Fleece may offer some protection but if not at least plants will recover and a second flush of bright shoots will appear in early Summer. More heartbreaking is when a sharp frost hits your prized Wisteria or Magnolia when the buds are just about to open. You may lose all your flowers until next year. Fruit trees are also at risk and late frosts can cause millions of pounds worth of damage to commercial crops. Avoid planting early flowering varieties if you live in a frost pocket. Late flowering varieties of most types of fruit are available including strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackcurrants and apples and often produce higher yields than early varieties, so consider these if you live in a cold area.

Consider making raised beds for your early vegetable crops. The raised profile allows for much better drainage of the soil, and it will warm up earlier. They can also be cultivated without treading on, and compacting the soil. Earth up potatoes to protect the new young shoots from frost. Start off cold susceptible crops like runner beans, sweet corn and basil in pots in the greenhouse or cold frame. They can then be planted out in early June when hopefully the weather will have improved!

If you have a greenhouse, lean-to or conservatory its time to plant your tomatoes if you haven’t already done it. Grobags remain the most popular technique for tomato production; plant 2 plants in a standard sized grobag, or 3 plants in an extra large grobag, not forgetting to pierce the bottom of the bags to allow excess water to drain away. Beginners may prefer to use large individual pots (at least 12″ diameter) as it is easier to control the watering than with grobags. Avoid planting very small plants which can result in excessive leaf growth and poor fruit set. Commercial growers will often wait until the plant is at least 12″ high with the first flower buds clearly visible if not open. Ensure that plants are supported at all times by tying to bamboo canes or twist polypropylene string around the stem and secure to the greenhouse roof. Unless you are growing a bush variety you will need to pinch out the side shoots which appear in the joint between the leaves and the main stem taking care not to remove the flower trusses which also grow off the main stem.

Plants will need feeding regularly with a high potash liquid tomato fertilizer as soon as the first fruits are starting to swell.

There are hundreds of different varieties of tomato but only a handful are usually offered for sale. Traditional varieties like “Alicante”,” Moneymaker” and “Ailsa Craig” remain popular although hybrid varieties e.g. “Shirley” will give a heavier crop with better resistance to disease and virus. There has been a big increase in the popularity of cherry tomatoes because they are significantly sweeter than standard types . “Gardeners Delight” remains the most popular of these but the hybrid variety “Mosaico” outperforms it, and “Sungold” an orange/yellow super sweet hybrid has become a firm favourite in recent years. For the more adventurous why not check out some of the heritage varieties which are now available. “Black Russian” has large dark mahogany-green fruits which are both sweet and acidic at the same time. “Green Zebra” has delicious green and yellow striped fruit. “Tigerella” has a rich tangy flavour and heavy crops of red and yellow fruit.

For outdoor cropping you should wait until early June before planting. Choose a heavy cropping bush e.g. “Tumbler” or “Tumbling Tom”. These varieties can also be grown in hanging baskets.

If snowdrops signal the end of Winter, and primroses the start of Spring then foxgloves surely deserve the position of heralding the start of Summer in our wild woods and fields. They usually appear in May and continue well into Summer. However their beauty comes at a price; they are poisonous, but in very small controlled doses this poison has proved to be a very effective drug for the control of heart conditions. It has also been used as an aid to healing when applied externally to wounds.

Foxgloves belong to the Digitalis genus, and the most widely grown types are varieties of D. purpurea. They are mostly biennials or short lived perennials and easily grown from seed. During the first year a rosette of foliage is produced which throws up the familiar flower spike in the second year. Removing the flower spike after flowering will prevent it from setting seed and encourage the formation of side shoots which will go on to flower. With this technique plants may live for several years. Foxgloves thrive in sun or part shade, preferring a well drained soil which does not get too dry.

If you can’t wait for 12 months before your foxglove seedlings flower you can buy well established plants at Garden Centres now which will be in flower in a matter of weeks. Excelsior hybrids is one of the most popular strains with a lovely soft palette of colours including rose, salmon, purple and white. “Albino” has pure white flowers and “Giant Spotted” has white flowers with a dramatic peppering of purple spots. “Sutton’s Apricot” has soft pale salmon flowers and D x mertonensis has crinkly foliage and unique strawberry coloured flowers. Several new varieties have recently come to the fore under the name of “Orchid foxgloves” . The flower funnels of these varieties consist of 4 tubular petals, curving inwards to give a frilled appearance from a distance. “Saltwood Summer” has majestic spikes of pure white orchid like blooms, “Foxtrot” has soft lilac pink flowers and “Serendipity” has shell pink flowers with purple spots.

You can also grow foxgloves as a bedding plant with the introduction of first year flowering F1 hybrid strains such as “Dalmatian” and “Camelot”. Early sowing is required however, and plants will flower later than overwintered plants.

Brooms are valuable hardy but relatively short lived shrubs which thrive in most well drained soils with plenty of sunshine. They are members of the Leguminosae family and have typical pea like flowers in a wide variety of colours. Cytisus x praecox (Warminster Broom) is probably the most widely planted variety with a vigorous lax spreading habit and showers of cream flowers with a delicious spicy fragrance. C.x praecox “Allgold” is a compact variety with golden yellow flowers and C. x praecox “Albus” has pure white flowers. Most other brooms sold in Garden Centres are hybrids of C. multiflorus and C. scoparius and are slightly less lime tolerant than C. x praecox and can therefore be short lived on limey soils. “Boskoop Ruby” has deep crimson flowers, “Lena” has red and yellow bicolored flowers and “Apricot Gem” has orange yellow flowers.

Unfortunately the flowering period of most brooms is relatively short (3 to 4 weeks) but within the Genista genus which are close relatives there are some interesting types which have a much longer season of interest. Genista lydia is an outstanding dwarf shrub with a low mounded habit which is smothered in golden yellow flowers in May and June. Genista maderensis has long racemes of fragrant yellow flowers and can flower for several months. It is somewhat tender and is best used as a conservatory or patio plant and overwintered under glass. Similar, but a fair bit hardier is Genista “Porlock” which will overwinter outdoors if grown against a sheltered south or west facing wall.

Cytisus battandieri (Pineapple or Moroccan Broom) has a very different appearance with silky silver leaves which are retained in a mild Winter. It is vigorous and can grow up to 4m high (13ft) and is often trained against a wall. The large cone shaped flowers appear in July and look like, and smell like pineapple! It is surprisingly hardy and can be grown as a large free standing shrub. Spartium junceum (Spanish Broom) probably has the longest flowering season of all the brooms and makes a slightly coarse large shrub with rush like stems and large golden yellow flowers throughout Summer and early Autumn. Coronilla glauca is another candidate for a warm wall with attractive grey blue foliage and masses of rich yellow flowers with the fragrance of ripe peaches.

Whether its chervil on scrambled eggs, tarragon on turbot, oregano on bolognese sauce, basil on tomatoes or borage flowers in your cocktail there is no denying that freshly picked herbs add a magical touch of flavour and colour to our food and drink, and they are ridiculously easy to grow! Garden Centres have a huge range of herbs in store now but before you buy there are a few things to bear in mind. Some herbs are very fast growing and shortlived, e.g. dill, coriander and rocket. These are best grown from seed rather than plants, sowing in succession for a regular supply. Sowing to harvesting can be as little as 4 weeks. Basil is very popular but dislikes cold wet conditions so avoid moving outside until end of May/early June. French tarragon cannot be grown from seed so you will need to buy a plant which has been propagated from cuttings. Russian tarragon however can be grown from seed but has very little flavour and is best avoided.

Most herbs are either annuals (live for just one year) or short lived perennials (may last for 2 or 3 years) so herb gardens and pots will need regular replanting to maintain a good supply. There are a few exceptions,e.g. bay, sage and rosemary which are more shrub like and can live for much longer.Most herbs are sun lovers and grow best in well drained soil. They are well suited to growing in tubs, window boxes and terracotta herb pots which have a number of planting pockets to accomodate a selection of different herbs in the same container.

Mint can be invasive so is best grown in a pot to restrict its spread. Lemon verbena has an intense citrus flavour but can be tender so overwinter inside and plant out mid May onwards. Blue basil (African blue) is worth tracking down as it is a tender perennial which can be overwintered inside unlike most other basils which are strictly annuals. Regular feeding and watering is required to promote plenty of fresh new leaf growth, using a high nitrogen fertilizer e.g. liquid growmore, or a a specific herb fertilizer. Keep an eye out for aphids on fresh young shoots of overwintered herbs, especially parsley and chives.

Unlike Clematis, Honeysuckle and other perennial climbers, annual climbers, e.g. nasturtium complete their life cycle in a single year. As a result they are very fast growing, and have large showy flowers over several months. They are very useful gap fillers in borders, and can be used to scramble through shrubs and small trees to provide more colour. They are easily grown from seed, especially nasturtiums which are often included in packets of seed for children. Many annual climbers have long tap roots which resent disturbance, so to avoid having to prick out the seedlings, sow 2 to 3 seeds in a biodegradable peat or “whalehide” pot. The roots will grow through the sides of the pot which needs not be removed when planting into the ground or into a larger pot.

Sweet peas are probably the most popular and require early sowing (January onwards) to flower well. There are many varieties to choose from but unfortunately some of the most spectacular types have little if any fragrance, so go for “Old fashioned types” if perfume is your priority. “Morning Glory” (Ipomoea sp.) is a spectacular creeper usually with startling electric blue flowers , although red and pink flowered forms are also available.They are less tolerant of late Spring frosts than Sweet Peas, so delay sowing until April, transplanting out to final positions end of May/early June. Requiring similar treatment “Black eyed Suzie” (Thunbergia sp.) is a delightful subject for a patio tub with an obelisk. It has an attractive twining habit with green arrow shaped leaves, and by mid Summer is covered in yellow, cream or pink flowers, all with a contrasting black centre. The “Australian Pea” (Lablab purpureus) is not often seen for sale in Garden Centres but can provide rapid cover for sheds, fences and tree trunks. Another unusual choice is the “Chilean Glory Flower” (Eccremocarpus scaber) which climbs by means of tendrils and has a long flowering season, with clusters of tubular flowers in hot shades of yellow orange or red. Rhodochiton atrosanguineus is technically a tender perennial, but is difficult to overwinter and is usually grown afresh each year for its display of wine red flowers which hang like clusters of bells from the vine like stems.

Reports of drought conditions and water restrictions strike fear into the heart of all keen gardeners and even though the supply situation in the north and west of the country is far better than in the south and east, it is prudent to put into practice measures to save water in light of the recent warm dry weather. “Mulching” is a very useful technique for conserving soil moisture and involves spreading 2 to 3inches of organic matter to form a blanket over the soil which reduces evaporation, suppresses weeds and eventually enriches the soil as it breaks down. Chipped bark is the most commonly used material, but composted green waste or garden compost can also be used. Well rotted farm manure or straw can be used in the vegetable patch, grit or gravel in the alpine garden or leaf mould in the woodland garden.

Don’t waste water unneccessarily; established trees and shrubs do not need watering. Lawns are a slightly tricky issue; if they are your pride and joy, weed and moss free and velvet green then you will want to keep them that way. However they can consume large quantities of water. If your lawn is just a functional recreational surface then consider withholding water and allowing them to go brown. They can recover in as little as 2 weeks once the rains return.

Patio tubs and hanging baskets are big consumers of water. Water retentive crystals can be incorporated into the compost,and moss baskets and porous terracotta pots can be lined with polythene to retain moisture, but pierce the polythene several times to allow excess water to drain away.

Water butts are great for storing water and can be connected to down pipes collecting run off rain water from the roof. Consider investing in a microdrip irrigation system. A system of micro sprinklers and drippers can be tailor made for your garden or patio applying water exactly where it is needed and can be controlled by an electronic timer. A good argument could be made for exempting such systems from hosepipe bans as they apply water precisely without run off or wastage.

Wet the soil, not the leaves! It is the roots which take up moisture, aimlessly spraying water over leaves and flowers, especially in the evening does no good at all and will encourage diseases such as grey mould (botrytis) on flowers and the dreaded downy mildew on Impatiens (Busy Lizzy)

Porous “leaky” pipes (seephose) are especially useful in the vegetable garden for crops in rows e.g. raspberries and strawberries, applying a narrow band of water to the soil, again keeping the foliage and fruit dry and disease free.

Topiary is the practice of clipping trees and shrubs for aesthetic purposes and takes many forms. Formal shaping, as practiced for centuries in the gardens of our stately homes, remains popular as a statement of style and class and is frequently seen in matched pairs of pyramidal foliage either side of the front door of suburban homes. The japanese people have taken topiary to another level with techniques such as “cloud pruning” to create a romantic aged silhouette from an otherwise shapeless evergreen. Hedges are a simple form of topiary, used extensively in the gardens of stately homes. Box (Buxus sempervirens) is the favourite subject for low hedges to enclose borders and paths, and Yew (Taxus baccata) is frequently used as a backdrop to borders or in elaborate mazes.

You can buy topiary specimens from Garden Centres, but its much more fun (and a lot cheaper) to grow your own! Kitchen bay (Laurus nobilis) is a popular subject and will make impressive specimens in just a few years. For around £6 you can buy a pot of bay seedlings which can be split up and potted individually. Within 5 years you could have a dozen fine standard bay trees worth £80 each! Box topiary is imported from Holland in vast quantities in the form of pyramids, spheres and spirals, but for around £10 you can buy 10 young plants and grow your own. Galvanised frames are available in all manner of geometric shapes, animals or birds to make the training process easier and these are simply placed over the plant which is clipped as it grows through the frame.

Burgon and Ball of Sheffield sell an excellent range of frames and manufacture topiary shears from Sheffield steel to make the job easier. They have also produced a very attractive book entitled “Topiary for Everyone” which is a comprehensive guide for creating and maintaining topiary specimens.

Keen gardeners love nothing more than to check nurseries and catalogues for the latest plant introductions and this year is proving a bumper year for new fruit varieties. “Coronet” Apple trees are traditional varieties .e.g. Cox, Bramley etc. grafted onto the ultra dwarf rootstock M27. Not that unusual, but these trees have been grown in the field for several years, carefully pruned and shaped to create a well balanced miniature tree already furnished with a network of short fruiting spurs. They are then lifted and grown in a container for another season prior to sale. The result is a perfectly formed dwarf apple tree just 5ft in height which will stay dwarf and fruit in its first year and for another 20 years after that!

Look out for some exciting new blackberry varieties; “Natchez” is an early variety with more flavour than standard varieties, “Apache” is thornless with very large glossy berries weighing up to 10g each. The taste is so sweet and juicy that they can be eaten straight from the plant! “Ouachita” is another thornless variety with a huge crop of large sweet glossy fruit, and “Reuben” produces two crops a year, the first crop produced on the canes produced the previous year, and a second later crop on the new canes.

Blueberry “Ozark Blue” is a very hardy new variety which is late flowering and therefore less susceptible to damage from late Spring frosts, ensuring consistently high yields every year. Gooseberry “Xenia” is an exceptionally sweet red gooseberry, self fertile and resistant to mildew. It is relatively spine free, heavy cropping and tolerant of some shade. “Rovado” has quickly established itself as the leading variety of Redcurrant due to its high yields of high quality fruit. “Big Ben” is a remarkable new blackcurrant with fruit twice as large as normal, and “Ebony” is the sweetest blackcurrant ever with fruits that can be eaten straight from the bush!

And finally Raspberry “Erica” is a new “primocane” variety which produces two crops a year, the first in June on canes retained from the previous year, and again in August on the newly produced canes.Fruits are sweet and larger than average in size, and it is also disease resistant.