GINA PARKINSON returns an old favourite to her new garden.

WHEN we moved to our new garden last September, many of the euphorbias were left behind, including my beloved Euphorbia characias ‘Humpty Dumpty’, which had grown into a plump plant filling a narrow border.

So, with birthday money in hand, I spent an enjoyable morning at Breezy Knees Nursery in Warthill a few weeks ago with euphorbias in mind.

I was glad to have some idea of what I needed, as the choice is extensive and indecision may have ruled the day.

‘Humpty Dumpty’ was the first to be found and has been included in the collection for sentimental reasons. The plant is too small to flower now, but by next April the stems forming this year will carry heads of bright yellowish green, and in a few years time the plant will have developed into a large, rounded specimen 50 centimetres or so tall.

Euphorbia characias ‘Burrow’s Silver’ and ‘Portugese Velvet’ are related to ‘Humpty Dumpty’ but are less robust especially in cold, winter wet.

However, given a warm spot near the house they should thrive.

‘Burrow’s Silver’ has bright light cream and green foliage with yellow flowers in late spring and early summer growing a metre or more tall. ‘Portugese Velvet’ is more compact, 45 centimetres high and with beautiful slightly rounded, soft, velvety leaves that it is difficult not to stroke. The spring flowers are green with darker markings.

Euphorbia x martini ‘Ascot Rainbow’ is from another branch of the family and is the only one of the group to have produced blooms. It has lovely pale yellow, lime and green-marked foliage that gives a splash of sunlight on a dull day and the yellow flowers have the typical red eye of the martini species.

As the days begin to cool down in early autumn the foliage will take on a reddish hue.

The final choice for this site is lower-growing Euphorbia ‘Black Bird’ with gorgeous dark purple foliage. This one grows 40 centimetres high with a similar spread and will be a good contrast with the silver and yellow foliage of its companion plants. In the veg patch We haven’t done much this week, but I have begun to catch up with some seed sowing. Tomato, outdoor cucumber, spinach and little gem lettuce have all germinated and should be ready to harden off by the end of the month. They are still too small to put outside, but the tomatoes and cucumber that needed to be covered in order to germinate have had their lids removed.

Our sweetcorn plants are much bigger so they are being put outside during the day, along with two ornamental annuals, climbing Morning Glory and tall Sunflower Russian Giant. They will harden off ready to be planted out next weekend although, as with all tender plants, we will still need to cover them if a late frost is forecast.

Plant sales

1 St Leonard’s Hospice will hold a fundraising plant sale and cream tea tomorrow from 11am-3pm. I’ll be helping out on a stall from 11am-1pm so come along for a gardening chat.

2 Brunswick Organic Nursery in Bishopthorpe will be at St Crux Church in York city centre on Wednesday selling plants, crafts, bric-a-brac and light refreshments. The nursery is a local charity running a productive workplace for adults with learning difficulties. Its site on Appleton Road in Bishopthorpe includes the plant-selling area, a shop selling local and organic produce and a craft workshop.

Open gardens

Tomorrow

In aid of the National Gardens Scheme

Beacon Garth, Redcliff Road, Hessle, HU13 0HA. South facing three-and-half acre garden overlooking the Humber with sunken rock garden, mature trees, lawns, borders, topiary and box hedges. Open 10am-5pm, admission £3.50.

Jacksons Wold, Sherburn, jacksonswoldgarden.com Two-acre garden with views of the Vale of Pickering and a walled garden of mixed borders and old shrub roses under-planted with perennials. Open 1pm-6pm, admission £3.

Linden House, Northgate, Cottingham, HU16 4HH. Small garden with a curved lawn, shrubs, pond and aviary and a craft demonstration. Open 11am-5pm, admission £2.50 (share to Hospice in Hull). Also open today 11am-5pm.

24 Redbank Road, Ripon, HG4 2LE.

Small garden with raised beds, rockeries and gravel planted with perennials, species peony, alpines and shrubs chosen to cope with dry shade and sun. Open 2pm-5pm, admission £2.50.

The Ridings, Bridlington Road, Burton Fleming, YO25 3PE.

Cottage garden with a brick pergola and arches covered in climbers leading to a lavender edged secret garden. Open 1pm-5pm, admission £2.50.

TV & Radio

Tomorrow

8am, BBC Radio Humberside, The Great Outdoors. With Blair Jacobs and Doug Stewart.

9am, BBC Radio Leeds, Tim Crowther and Joe Maiden.

2pm, BBC R4, Gardeners’ Question Time. The GQT panel advise gardeners from Clapham in North Yorkshire and Christine Walkden visits Emma Morris in her Shrewsbury garden. Eric Robson is in the chair. The gardening weather forecast is at 2.40pm. (Repeated from Friday).

6.15pm, BBC1, RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Alan Titchmarsh and Joe Swift are joined by Nicki Chapman, Andy Sturgeon and Christine Walkden to preview the 89th Chelsea Flower Show. Coverage continues throughout the week on BBC1 and BBC2.

Friday

3pm, BBC R4, Gardeners’ Question Time. Matthew Biggs, Anne Swithinbank, Matthew Wilson and chairman Peter Gibbs answer questions from the audience at Sparsholt College in Hampshire. The gardening weather forecast is at 3.40pm. (Repeated on Sunday at 2pm).

Saturday

7am, BBC Radio York, Julia Booth. Presenter Julia and plant expert Nigel Harrison hold their plant surgery.