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Episode 20

Episode 20 of 31

With the holiday season well and truly upon us, Monty shares some timely tips on how to make sure your garden doesn't suffer while you are away. But there are some gardeners that daren't leave home, as Joe Swift discovers when he meets Phillip Vowles, a prize-winning giant veg grower.

30 minutes

Garden visited

The Lost Gardens of Heligan
Pentewan
St Austell
Cornwall
PL26 6ENΒ 
Tel: 01726 845100

If you’re planning a holiday in Cornwall and fancy a trip to The Lost Gardens of Heligan, then check out the link below for more details. For other gardens to visit in the area, see Related Links (right).

(heligan.com)

Topiary tips

Topiary tips

Topiary is the art of training, cutting and trimming evergreen shrubs and trees into ornamental shapes. It’s an extremely useful way of adding structure, texture and year-round interest, no matter how small your garden. But to keep it looking good, you need to cut it on a regular basis, preferably on a dull, wet day when it is less likely to scorch.

When training a new piece of topiary, use some soft twine when tying in new growth to avoid it cutting into the plant’s stem. It’s best to do this when the stem is green rather than brown because it’s more pliable then.

(www.rhs.org.uk)

Jobs for the weekend: Mow your lawn

Mowing a lawn helps to encourage thick, healthy growth and the development of fine grasses. But be aware that cutting it too short can stress the turf, which in turn can allow weeds and moss to invade. The height at which you cut will vary according to the time of year, but for most lawns in July and August, we’d recommend a height of 13-25 mm (½-1 in). For a crisp cut, make sure that the blades on your mower are nice and sharp.

(www.rhs.org.uk)

Jobs for the weekend: Keep harvesting produce

Before you go on holiday, it’s really important to strip your beans, peas, courgettes, cucumbers and tomatoes of all their produce. If you leave them to their own devices, they’ll simply run out of steam and stop cropping!

(www.rhs.org.uk)

Jobs for the weekend: Check plant supports

It’s worth checking whether your plants are adequately supported at this time of year as strong winds or a sudden downpour can flatten them in a matter of hours. Not only will this help prevent adjacent plants from becoming smothered, you won’t end up with those horrible S-shaped stems where fallen stems have attempted to regrow.

(www.rhs.org.uk)

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Monty Don
Presenter Joe Swift
Presenter Carol Klein
Series Producer Chloe Rawlings
Series Editor Liz Rumbold

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