Leeks grow slowly and steadily through the cool months and, with their creamy, mild onion flavour, are well worth the wait.
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Plant seedlings in a friable, free draining, well composted soil, in a trench about 20 centimetres deep, cover their roots and fill in the trench as they grow.
This helps develop that white stem. Feed every four to six weeks with a nitrogen rich fertiliser.
The pretty flowers attract beneficial insects.
BEAUTY
Tuberous-rooted iris have thick, white roots that grow from the tubers rather like alstroemeria roots.
They must be grown in very well-drained soil as they do not like too much moisture in winter and must be kept fairly dry.
The flowers are in sprays of three on a stem and open in succession, with each one lasting only six to eight hours.
DRAMA IN THE GARDEN
One of our grandchildren is studying Shakespeare at high school next term and this has inspired the family to plant part of the garden with some of the herbs mentioned in Shakespeare's plays.
Heartsease, rosemary, thyme, chamomile, parsley, chives, mint, rue, marjoram, lavender and lemon balm have been planted in a rectangular bed hedged in with dwarf box.
We have now set the grandchildren the task of reading Shakespeare's plays to find where more herbs are mentioned.
A fun way to encourage children to read the classics and at the same time pay homage to the 'Bard of Avon'.
INSIDE BASICS
Don't overwater indoor plants and take care to avoid having them in close proximity to heaters to prevent them from drying out.
A TOUCH OF BRILLIANCE
Rugosa roses are noted for their vigour, disease resistant, brilliant autumn foliage, huge red hips and stunning anemone-like flowers.
Other virtues include sweet fragrance, love of the cold, tolerant of sea breezes and are not fussy as to soil type.
Among the most exquisite is Rosa Frau Dagmar Hastrup, a clear pink, large flowered variety, with brilliant red hips and a natural compact growth habit.
Great plants for informal hedging.
LOVELY SCENT
For spring fragrance, a patch of Lily of the Valley is hard to surpass.
This delightful plant produces five to 15 small flowers on top of a single stem above the broad lance-shaped green foliage, which is the perfect foil for the dainty, bell-shaped, white or pink flowers.
Plant pips in winter three centimetres deep and 10 centimetres apart in a part shaded position in moist soil.
Over time, the plants can form into a large group to make a lovely groundcover.