Force this
If brightly coloured amaryllis and hyacinths are too brash for you, try forcing elegant lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) indoors instead. Buy or dig up a dozen or so pips (as this plant’s rootstock is known), soak for half an hour, then plant in a deep pot with the growing tips just breaking the surface of the compost. Place on a brightly lit windowsill and within a month you should be enjoying the fragrant white blooms.
Visit this
Do gardens make you happy, healthy and wise? Hestercombe gardens in Taunton, Somerset marks the launch of its new Centre for Garden and Landscape Studies with a study day on 15 November that will explore the therapeutic aspects of the landscape. .
Plant this
Cherry blossom in spring is a heavenly thing. You can enjoy it in your own garden – even if it’s minuscule – thanks to the compact, shrublike Fuji cherry Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-mai’. Give it full sun, and plant in the ground or in a large container. Height and spread, 2.5m each way. To buy one 9cm potted plant for £14.99, or two for £24.98 (prices include free p&p), call 0330 333 6856, quoting ref GU261, or go to our Readers’ Offers page . Delivery this month.
