Shade this
If things are hotting up in your greenhouse or conservatory, a min-max thermometer should tell you if it’s too warm – temperatures regularly topping 30-35C mean you need to take action. Shade paint is the budget solution, but cheap roller blinds are a good investment in the longer term. Damping down floors also helps to increase humidity, which is vital on hot days.
Visit this
There is no better Father’s Day gift to give a gardening dad this weekend than a ticket to the unusual plants fair at Gilbert White’s garden, near Alton in Hampshire. There are hand-picked specialist nursery stalls, and a meticulously restored 18th-century garden to explore.
Plant this
If you find hybrid tea roses too stiff and staid, try Rosa rugosa ‘Rubra’. This vigorous, repeat-flowering species rose makes a great hedge, and the scarlet rosehips that follow are pretty, too. Height and spread: 1.5m x 1.5m. Buy one plant for £14.99 or two for £24.98 (prices include free p&p). To order, call 0330 333 6856, quoting ref GU337, or go to our Readers’ Offers page. Dispatch in June.
