Vegetable growers all over the country are itching to get growing but beware! Recent unseasonably mild weather may get us planting too early only to see our crops ruined by late frosts. Garlic, however, is an easy crop to grow which actually prefers cold weather at the start of its growing cycle. It undergoes a process known as “vernalisation” , initiated by frost and low temperatures, which starts the division of the developing bulb into separate cloves. Planting can take place in the Autumn or late Winter, ideally before the middle of March, before the final frosts occur.

Garlic succeeds best in fertile well drained soil in full sunshine. Break the bulb into individual cloves and plant in well prepared soil with the pointed tip facing upwards. Plant 15cm apart and 3 to 4cm deep. An increasing range of varieties is becoming available from Garden Centres varying in strength of flavour, and it is also possible to buy pot grown plants if you have left it too late to start from seed.

The Garlic Farm in the Isle of Wight specializes in garlic production and has developed a range of varieties to suit different tastes and climates. They recommend “Solent Wight” as the best all round variety, particularly for Spring planting, and “Picardy Wight” for colder, wetter areas.

Once the plants are growing away strongly apply a dressing of Sulphate of Potash, and ensure that weeds are kept well under control.As soon as the foliage starts to die down or goes yellow the bulbs can be lifted and left to dry in the sun before bringing into a shed or kitchen to store until required.

To avoid problems with white rot, a serious disease which can kill many members of the onion family, practice crop rotation, and if possible avoid planting garlic, leeks, onions, shallots or spring onions on the same piece of ground for at least 3 years.

One of the nicest ways of commemorating a special occasion is to plant a tree and this year to celebrate the Queen’s diamond jubilee the Woodland Trust is spearheading a campaign to plant 6 million trees across the country in a series of “diamond woods” and also in private gardens, parks and estates, to create a lasting legacy which will help to create reservoirs of habitats for our threatened native wildlife. The woodland trust has discovered a fascinating record of all the trees planted in Britain during 1936/7 to commemorate the coronation of King George VI and you can check out details of trees which were planted, and who planted them, including several in our locality including Rhyl, Penmaenmawr and Bodelwyddan at www.JUBILEEWOODS.ORG.UK. The trust is also inviting anyone who plants a tree this year to contact them for inclusion in a new register.

Selecting a suitable tree requires some thought. Ideally trees should be long lived and in non garden situations native British trees may be preferable. Oak (Quercus robur) and Yew (Taxus baccata) immediately spring to mind, both natives and capable of living for several centuries. These would not be a good choice for the small garden however! In any case the situation and soil must be assessed prior to plant selection. Silver Birch (Betula pendula) or Mountain Ash (Sorbus aucuparia) are ideal for exposed cold windy sites with poor soil and are available in a variety of forms to suit every sized garden. If the soil is wet you could consider Alnus glutinosa “Imperialis”, an elegant form of the common alder with finely cut foliage, or Amelanchier, the Snowy Mespilus, with its clouds of white blossom in Spring and glorious scarlet foliage in Autumn. Trees with fruit or berries attracive to birds and animals will also make good candidates, e.g Crataegus (Hawthorn) or Malus (Crab Apple). Heritage fruit trees such as Quince, Medlar or Mulberry might suit your site, or you may prefer a tree with an interesting story. Gingko biloba, the maidenhair fern tree, is one of the oldest trees recorded, or how about the Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) a tree thought to be extinct but recognised from fossils, until a few surviving plants were discovered in China in the early twentieth century. Metasequoia “Goldrush” would be my choice, a beautiful new form of Dawn Redwood with soft golden needles all Summer, turning russet brown in Autumn.

As Winter starts to loosen its grip and trays of seedlings and plug plants begin to appear in the Garden Centre our thoughts turn to Summer and planting schemes for tubs, window boxes, hanging baskets and borders. The Queen’s diamond jubilee and Olympic Games are sure to boost demand for flowers this year with businesses and home owners determined to showcase Britain at its best while the rest of the world looks on. The only disappointment is that the nation’s favourite bedding plant, the busy lizzy wiil not be taking part, or at best in a very minor role. Sales of Impatiens in a typical year account for 40 % of all bedding plant sales, but in recent years, and especially in 2011 displays have been ruined by a disease called downy mildew wihich causes yellowing of leaves, followed by defoliation and eventually the death of the plant.

There are no fungicides available to amateur gardeners which will control the disease and resistant strains of mildew have been identified which are no longer killed by the fungicides used by commercial growers. What is worse is that spores of the disease will overwinter in the soil and reinfect plants the following year. So what future is there for the busy lizzy? The immediate outlook is bleak and the official advice is not to plant them in your flower beds if you had the disesase in the last few years. It has been estimated that it could take 20 to 25 years to breed strains of Impatiens that are mildew resistant. Production of Impatiens is being slashed by commercial growers and some retailers have decided not to sell them. So what are the alternatives? The obvious contender is Begonia semperflorens which ironically used to be far more popular before the introduction of Impatiens. It performs reliably in sun or shade, with a tight tidy habit, but lacks the spreading habit of Impatiens, so closer spacing may be required. Green leaved or bronze leaved strains are available and flowers are available in red, white and shades of pink. The giant double flowered begonias and the amazing new “Bonfire” and “Million Kisses” begonias will continue to gain in popularity especially in hanging baskets. Petunias and Geraniums will become the favourite plants for sunny spots and fuchsias may well see a revival in fortune for shady hanging baskets and tubs.

If you are determined to persevere with Impatiens remember that the disease is far worse in cold, wet conditions. Late planting, therefore, is recommended, i.e. mid June. Keep the foliage as dry as possible; plants in hanging baskets under the eaves and patio tubs under a canopy may still thrive if only the compost, and not the foliage is watered. Avoid the double flowered “rosebud” varieties which seem to be especially susceptible to disease. One glimmer of hope is that New Guinea Impatiens (a different species to the bedding variety) appears to be resistant and should still give good results, although plants are usually pot grown and therefore more expensive than pack bedding.

The art of plant placement to create harmonious or contrasting colour schemes in the garden is a skill which takes years to acquire. Trial and error will be the starting point for most gardeners and is often the best route; carefully researched plant selection can still fail due local variations in soil and climate. If it doesn’t wotk don’t be afraid to dig up the offending plant and move it.

The other guaranteed route to success is to steal other people’s ideas! There is no shame in this as many of the best associations probably occurred by accident in the first place. Visiting gardens, especially local ones with similar soil and climate, is the best source of inspiration. Be very wary of flower show exhibits; many of these blooms are forced early into flower under glass, or retarded in cold stores, so you may well see a beautiful display of daffodils (Spring flowering) surrounding stately blue delphiniums (Summer flowering), a combination which would never coincide in your garden.

Every gardener has their favourite plant associations, maybe its the rosy purple flowers of the very early dwarf Rhododendron praecox which can be relied to flower in sync. with the dreamy Corylopsis pauciflora, with its hazel like twigs and leaves, and elegant drooping primrose flowers. Or it could be Crocosmia “Lucifer” with its sword like leaves and strong self supporting giant burnt orange montbretia flowers, with Achillea “Moonshine”, a yellow flowered yarrow with silvery foliage.

But there are plants which are stars in their own right, which demand to be viewed in isolation with no competition from unruly neighbours which would only detract from their form and outline. For such thoroughbreds often all that is required is a clear blue sky, or a white washed wall as a background, or an arch or a window to frame their beauty. Corkscrew hazels, Japanese maples, Magnolias, Embothriums and some of the choice dogwoods e.g. Cornus alternifolia are examples of such horticultural treasures.

Some plants also benefit from shade cast by neighbours, e.g. many of our favourite spring flowering plants. e.g. daffodils, snowdrops, primulas, hellebores and pulmonarias are best planted under deciduous trees which cast a light dapppled shade e.g. Silver Birch. Climbing plants with flambouyant flowers can be allowed to scramble through otherwise dull evergreens, e.g. the brilliant scarlet trumpets of Tropaeolum speciosum (a perennial member of the nasturtium family) is frequently seen clothing sombre dark green yew hedges. Similarly clematis and honeysuckle can bring colour and fragrance to trees as lond as the soil at the base is not too dry.

Colour theming can be taken to the extreme with spectacular results, e.g the famous white garden at Hidcote Manor or Christopher Lloyd’s glorious hot colours at Great Dixter in Kent. Whatever you do, don’t be frightened of failure, it can easily be changed!