Gardening isn't just about plants

Questions from the public included several on pests such as the dreaded lily beetle and vine weevil, pruning techniques for a wide variety of shrubs, planting suggestions for woodland and a smorgasbord of plant idents. Most of the questions were naturally on ornamental plants, fruit and vegetables but horticulturists also look after our sports fields, urban trees and build patios, walls and fences. Horticulture isn’t just about gardening and gardening isn’t just about plants as I hope our students at Craven College quickly realise.

The flower shows help demonstrate how popular gardening is as a hobby but perhaps to attract the younger generation we need a virtual garden, a horticultural version of ‘Mind Craft’ with flesh-eating plants, invading alien species and living fossils, all of which of course, exist.

One of the highlights of the Harrogate Flower Show for me was the gold-medal winning Horticap Garden with its sculpture of a Spitfire by Darrell Evanes taking centre stage. A spare £15,000 would have secured me the piece but it seemed selfish to deny others the opportunity of owning it. Gardens can provide an ideal setting for works of art but are gardens also works of art?

The Harrogate Spring Flower Show may have been and gone for another year but for gardening fans around the world the most prestigious event is yet to come. The Chelsea Flower Show is often seen as part of the social season for trendy Londoners but is also a barometer as to what might be fashionable over the next few years. The show gardens are horticultural haute couture and in the past have lifted sales of plants as diverse as grasses and alliums, verbenas and green tulips. The show gardens also influence styles and materials which gradually filter down the garden centres and DIY stores, much in the same way that catwalk fashions do to the high street.

Having looked at the designs and briefs on the RHS website it is difficult to predict a winner, and although I think the M&G garden will be a favourite with the public, it looks as if everyone is playing it safe this year. The Hidden Beauty of Kranji garden by Esmond & Uniseal could do well. This garden interprets a suburb of Singapore which is arguably the most exciting place in the World for horticulture at the moment.

Around the time of Chelsea many gardeners may be inflicting the Chelsea Chop on to some of their perennials. This is not some footballing metaphor but the action of cutting back late perennials to delay flowering, produce more stems and generally smaller flowers. The technique works well on heleniums and asters whilst on sedums it can prevent them flopping over. A wide range of late perennials are also great as cut flowers and at Ripon Walled Garden we are planting up an area as a cutting garden. Most of the plants have the added benefit of being attractive to insects and so I must remember to leave some stems for the bees and butterflies.

When I speak to gardening clubs I am often asked what my favourite plant is or when is my favourite time of the year. The last question is easy, it is basically now, whenever now is (providing it’s not torrential rain). My own garden is planted for year-round interest and so there is always something to see and look forward to, whether it is snowdrops in the winter, alpines in the spring, vibrant herbaceous borders and roses in the summer or autumnal tints later in the year.

This appreciation of all seasons makes it very difficult to pick a favourite plant as it is generally the one I am looking at. I often say to students that there is no such thing as a bad plant, only a bad gardener and whilst this is perhaps not strictly true many plants can have their ornamental appeal improved dramatically by skilful planting and maintenance. I hate removing plants though, it seems like failure and yet gardens must evolve.

Most gardeners know that annuals live for a year and biennials for two but perennials do not live forever. We all need to thin and remove plants that have outgrown their usefulness and whilst this can be a tough decision at the time I have rarely had regrets as it will often open up planting opportunities for all those plants waiting around in pots for a space to become available.

Late frosts are the bane of any keen gardener. The new leaves on my specimen Pieris ‘Forest Flame’ have been transformed from a fiery spectacle into brown mush overnight by recent hard frosts. At least this and other shrubs will live to impress another year but tender vegetables and bedding plants can be killed outright. Do not be too eager therefore to plant out since there is the potential for frosts throughout May.

I hope to visit some gardens and other events this month. The National Gardens Scheme has several local gardens open in May including Summerbridge Gardens in Nidderdale on Sunday, Parcevall Hall, near Appletreewick, on May 20 and Brookfield near Keighley on 31st May. The Newby Hall Plant Fair is on Sunday and further afield the Scampston Hall Plant Fair is on May 31.

The Skipton in Bloom gardening competition has also been launched with entries required by Friday, May 29. The competition is open to all residents, schools, businesses and allotment holders within the parish of Skipton. There are seven categories for gardens and allotments including one for schools and you do not have to be an expert gardener to enter. You can download an entry form from the Skipton in Bloom website.

Stepping Stones, who are enthusiastic supporters of Skipton in Bloom are having an open day on May 30 and are inviting anyone who would like to have table top stall to get in touch along with any potential volunteers. Community groups are a great way to get involved in gardening even if you do not have a garden.

In the Craven and Pendle areas there are several town and village In Bloom groups who are always looking for extra help, even just a few hours can help to make a difference in your local community.