Fly the flag in your garden
With the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics approaching, red, white and blue planting schemes may be in vogue, Hannah Stephenson predicts
The landmark events of 2012 - namely the Queen's 60-year reign, followed by the Olympics - are set to prompt patriotic gardeners to fly the flag for Britain this year in the form of red, white and blue designs in their beds, borders and containers.
Blue and white lobelia, red salvias and geraniums and other bedding favourites could be the mainstay for many borders. The challenge will be getting these colours in the garden in time for the jubilee celebrations in the first week of June.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has just launched an advisory page on its website (www.rhs.org.uk) providing advice and suggestions to gardeners wanting to go for red, white and blue planting schemes, bringing together a selection of suitable plants that will go well together.
"Unfortunately June is not the best time to have masses of colour from plants grown from seeds," says Jenny Bowden, RHS advisor. "But we have come up with some great suggestions that are relatively easy to grow.
"We know how important these two wonderful events are to people and we just thought that some patriotic planting would help in the celebrations."
The secret will be to buy partially grown plug and mini-plants such as white verbenas, lobelias and Nemesia 'Wisley Vanilla', red pelargoniums (geraniums) and blue Lobelia 'Panthera Cobalt' to put in containers and hanging baskets. These plants will have to be purchased as early as possible. Plant centres are likely to have supplies from April.
"Although it will be necessary to get the plants into containers and hanging baskets as soon as possible, gardeners also need to ensure that they are kept in sunny, frost-free conditions until the threat of frost has passed. A temperature of 15C (59F) is ideal," says Bowden.
Themed selections for June flowering include Petunia grandiflora 'Jubilee Mixed', from Suttons (www.suttons.co.uk). Compact in habit and reaching a height of 25-30cm (10-12in), they should be sent out as young plants in late April.
Another Suttons celebratory package includes Calibrachoa Superbells 'Red Devil', Lobelia 'Panthera Cobalt' and Verbena 'Superbena White', which should perform all summer in baskets or containers. Young plants will be sent out in May.
Verbena 'Union Jack' collection is being offered by Vernon Geranium Nursery (www.geraniumsuk.com). With delivery at the end of April, there should be time for plants to settle in and start flowering for June.
DT Brown (www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk) is offering a patriotic blend of young highly scented red, white and blue sweet pea plants, which should be delivered in late March and, once hardened off, can be planted in their permanent positions.
As the Olympics and Paralympics are being run during the end of July, August and early September, gardeners will have enough time to grow plants from seeds for these celebrations.
The RHS suggests growing red, white and blue sweet peas, red-flowered Salvia splendens, Nicotiana (tobacco plant) in red and white, and blue flowers such as ageratums or Salvia farinacea 'Victoria'.
However, if the thought of a red, white and blue border stirs up images of old-fashioned planting schemes often seen in parks or on roundabouts, vertical displays may provide a more contemporary feel.
Consider planting a wall of blue, white and red with verbenas, ivy-leaved pelargoniums, lobelias and begonias.
RHS Garden Harlow Carr, in North Yorkshire, is extending the theme to vegetables by planting red ('Highland Burgundy Red'), blue ('Purple Majesty') and white ('Elisabeth') potatoes, while all four RHS gardens will be featuring planting displays to celebrate both the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics.
Other patriotic veg might include the purple/blue variety of carrots, 'Purple Haze', white cauliflower 'Avalanche', runner bean 'Painted Lady' which produces red and white flowers and rainbow chard, for its colourful red stems.
Flying the flag opens up so many opportunities for gardeners to go red, white and blue this summer.
THE Royal Horticultural Society's Chelsea Flower Show has nearly arrived and as I write this blog I am sitting in what will be our Artisan Garden in 10 days time.
HANNAH STEPHENSON has tips on how to increase stocks of plants such as rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias
CENTRAL Bedfordshire Council is encouraging residents to 'Give Back to the Earth' by starting to compost at home as part of Compost Awareness Week this week (7-13 May).
Eco me is an anti-landfill cavern stacked with quirky homewares and kooky jewellery. Ella Walker caught up with the store's owners, sisters Carly Simmons and Nadine Millership, to find out more
If you want to increase your stock of rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias, layering them may be the best solution, Hannah Stephenson reports
Cadwell Lane Football Pitch is back open for business after the sports ground had a £10,000 make-over using reclaimed soil from the iconic Wembley Stadium pitch.