RHS Diary: What’s on for July
RHS Flower Show Tatton Park is a great chance to shop, see top-class gardens, attend the first Ladies’ Day and judge for yourself the RHS Young Designer of the Year. For tickets call 844 581 814 or visit .
Look out for a competition to win a new Renault Modus car. The car is visiting each RHS garden; to enter, follow the garden trail and answer a few questions. One winner from each garden will be invited to RHS Rosemoor, Devon, in August for the finale .
At RHS Hyde Hall, Essex, experience RHS Britain in Bloom until July 31. The garden is hosting a collection of photos from Europe’s largest community horticultural campaign that sees local residents improving their neighbourhoods.
The Great Garden Adventure starts at all four RHS gardens on July 25 with activities for all the family from bug-hunting to arts and crafts. Events free with admission.
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Talks at RHS Garden Wisley Plant Centre: July 1, James Alexander Sinclair on his favourite summer plants; July 16-17, clematis guru Raymond Evison; July 23-24, Nigel Dunnett on green roofs. Check for full event details.
Basic techniques: semi-ripe cuttings
After the hard winter, many gardeners have suffered losses and stock is short at some garden centres. There is no better time than July to propagate a few evergreens from semi-ripe cuttings.
Evergreens such as trachelospermum can easily be propagated by taking semi-ripe cuttings. Other suitable shrubs include berberis, box, camellia, ceanothus, choisya, cistus, hebe, escallonia, lavender, mahonia, rosemary and viburnum.
Take 4-6in-long cuttings of this season’s growth. Trim just beneath a node , strip off the foliage from the lower half of the stem and remove the soft tip.
Dip the base of the cutting in hormone rooting powder and place in trays of free-draining cuttings compost .
Space the cuttings 3-4in apart, water in well and allow to drain. Then place in a propagator set to 7F or plastic bag on a shady windowsill.
Rooting takes four to eight weeks . Protect in a shaded cold frame or similar over winter. Inspect the cuttings regularly, watering if the compost dries out. Discard rotted material.
Pot on in April or May into 3in pots and pinch out the tips to encourage bushiness. After a couple of years, you will have good-sized plants suitable for planting out.
Guide to useful kit
A pair of fruit and flower snips is one of the most useful pruning tools you can have, and these snips are well-made and robust. With sharp, pointed stainless-steel blades for easy precision cutting, a spring mechanism and contoured, comfortable handles, they make light work of pruning chores from tough, woody stems to slender branches. Ideal for harvesting fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers and deadheading and tidying around the garden. Burgon & Ball, £9.95 .
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