Colouring in

A MONTH or so ago I called at Browns Nursery in Wigginton to buy a few primulas to give the garden pockets of bright colour.

The glasshouses seemed to be filled with primulas, although I was told they had sold most of them and were getting ready for the hanging basket season.

Despite this there were plenty to choose from, including several unusual species. I came away with a pot of gold lace, some pink picotee and a wanda type with a difference.

Plants from the Primula gold-laced group have clusters of smallish flowers held above mid-green leaves from mid to late spring although they can bloom as early as February.

The yellow-centred flowers have dark petals edged in gold. Although the depth of petal colour will vary, it is usually a deep shade of maroon, brown or near black.

I have had some success keeping the gold lace types for a few years but they don't seem to be long lived and are best propagated annually from seed to ensure a good display of flowers.

The pink primulas have different blooms to those of the gold-laced types. Their petals are larger and waved, giving the impression of a double bloom, and edged in a deeper colour.

The flowers are held singly on short thin stems just above the rosettes of crinkled leaves and they are faintly perfumed, especially if the weather is warm or they are brought inside.

The wanda type primula has the lovely dark green purple tinged leaves that are seen with wanda primulas but the flowers are held high above the plant on a sturdy maroon stem.

Each rosette of leaves seems to produce one flower stem, which starts as a cluster of buds within the foliage and gradually lengthens.

Of the three plants I have, one is in bloom with beautiful clear yellow flowers. It looks as if the second will also be yellow, while the third has yet to show any buds.

Gardening TV and radio

Tomorrow - 20/03/05

Noon, Radio York, Down To Earth. William Jenkyns presents his weekly programme of gardening ideas and features from around the region.

2pm, R4, Gardeners' Question Time. Bunny Guinness, Pippa Greenwood, Matthew Biggs and chairman Eric Robson are guests of the Bedfordshire County Federation of Women's Institutes.

Monday

8.30pm, BBC1, Ground Force. In the last of the series, the team is in southern Spain to install terracotta paving, blue ceramic tiles and pergola.

Thursday

8.30pm, C4, The City Gardener. Matt James is in Chorlton cum Hardy, where he attempts to create an exotic garden to reminds its owners of foreign travels.

Good Friday

7pm, BBC2, Springwatch With Bill Oddie. Bill Oddie, Simon King and Kate Humble follow up the January launch of their survey to remind viewers to continue recording their first sightings of spring. The data is to be analysed in late May. To contribute log on to www.bbc.co.uk/springwatch

8pm. BBC2, Royal Gardeners. Alan Titchmarsh looks at how hyacinths and marigolds, gazebos, roof terraces and fountains were used in the gardens of fashionable Elizabethans.

8.30pm, BBC2, Gardeners' World. It is the start of the busiest gardening weekend and Monty Don begins his dahlia trial while Chris Beardshaw visits the International Horti Fair in Amsterdam.

Open garden

Wednesday March 23

In aid of the National Gardens Scheme

Londesborough Cross, Shiptonthorpe, two miles from Market Weighton off the A1079 York-Hull road. Turn off in Shiptonthorpe down the side of the church. Former railway goods yard transformed more than 20 years ago into garden with water features, bog area, island beds, borders, climber covered pergolas and arches and a new woodland garden with a large collection of ferns. Open 1-4pm. Admission £2.50 adult, children free.

Weekend catch-up

GET weeding before these pests get big and difficult to shift. Regular hoeing will stop the seedlings in their tracks and is much easier to do than crouching over the soil with a hand fork or trowel.

Once the beds are filled with perennials and other plants, there will be less space for weeds to grow and the job won't need to be done as often.

Perennial weeds such as horsetail and bindweed need more attention because the roots should be removed to stand any chance of eradicating them. Dig them up at the first sign because they can quickly become a horrible problem.

Once an area is weeded, a deep mulch will go some way towards stopping weeds reappear. However, if the site has a lot of annual or perennial seedlings from garden plants appearing it is best not to put one down because they may also get smothered.

Diary date

A 'YORKSHIRE Grown' Plant Fair will take place at Green Garden Herbs in West Bank, Carlton near Selby on April 2 and April 3, from 10am-4pm. Ten specialist nurseries, all small independent businesses from Yorkshire, will display and sell their plants.

Alpines, ferns, grasses, herbs, trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants will all be available including popular varieties as well as more unusual and rare ones. Garden sundries will also be on sale.

Admission to the fair is free and light refreshments will be provided by the Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Society. Nursery tours will take place at 11am and 3pm.

Green Garden Herbs is just off the A1041 between Carlton and Hirst Courtney. This five-acre nursery specialises in herbs and grows more than 400 varieties of aromatic, culinary, medicinal and ornamental herbs. It is open daily from March to September from 10am-5pm apart from Tuesdays when it is closed.

Updated: 08:54 Saturday, March 19, 2005