Gardening
with Tina
Whatever the weather,
summer has technically
arrived! So I’m determined
to make the most of light
evenings even if I have to
sit outside clutching a hot
water bottle and flask of hot
tea instead of a cold drink.
The first few months of the
year have proved a major
test for everyone involved
T in a H ug he s trai ne
d as
a profession al ga rd
en er
afte r leav in g school
a nd
spent a su m m er w
orki
in Tu sca ny as a n E ng
ng lis h
Ga rd en er. Sh e ha s
a
N at io na l D ip lo m a
in
Horticu lt ure.
in horticulture from the best
equipped professionals to
In the night garden
mere mortals like me. Luckily
Night scented plants lend a magical dimension to the
it seems that many plants
garden on a warm summer’s night, filling the air with their
benefit from the low spring
heady perfume intended to lure moths to their flowers.
temperatures and are now
Night scented stocks are the easiest of plants to grow
growing vigorously. There’s
and can be sown where they are to flower. Tobacco plants
still much to enjoy in a
summer garden even from a
window.
have a pleasing fragrance, especially Nicotiana sylvestris
which produces tall spires of narrow white flowers with a
lovely scent in borders. The common honeysuckle Lonicera
periclymenum is also hard to beat for its rich perfume on a
Do you have a qu estion?
summer’s evening. Plant them near seats or doorways for
maximum enjoyment.
If you have a question, need some advice or even
a suggestion for an article then please email:
[email protected]
More cutting rem
a
rks
If you are insp
ired to tr y grow
ing
plants from cu
ttings, the trad
itional
method is to in
sert a number
of
cuttings around
the edge of the
pot.
This really wor
ks, resulting in
m
ore
plants taking.
Rooting powde
rs are
useful but they
are less effectiv
e if
they are kept to
o long.
74
www.visitislandlife.com