GINA PARKINSON sings the praises of an interesting and strange shrub.

THE indigo bush, Indigofera, is in full bloom. This interesting shrub is a strange specimen, long twiggy stems that are bare up until May, when the first signs of life begin to appear along their length.

As the month progresses into June, the leaves uncurl, eventually followed by the flowers. The shrub can become quite tall, with some of the stems reaching seven feet, so it needs a decent amount of space. However, each stem is quite thin and the foliage and flowers not especially dense, so a place in the middle of a bed will allow the dainty nature of the plant to be admired and give a view to whatever lies behind.

The pinkish-purple indigo flowers are carried from the end of June until as late as September, and are a welcome sight as early-flowering shrubs begin to fade. A free-draining soil is necessary, as is a sheltered sunny site, but given these the shrub can cope with low temperatures; ours has survived the two hard winters we have recently had.

In an exposed garden, it is better grown as a wall shrub with the stems tied to a support and sheltered by a warm house or garden wall.

Indigo is a plant that likes a poor soil and doesn’t require feeding, although newly planted specimens will need watering in dry weather until the roots are established.

Stems may get damaged or killed during the winter, but they can be cut back in spring; new growth should soon appear. It is possible to cut back old plants to the base in April, although I haven’t been brave enough to do that. Alternatively leave the shrub until the leaves have begun to open and cut out all the non-productive twigs and stems, which can be easily identified at that point.

In the veg patch

VEGETABLE areas are filling with growth as plants revel in warm temperatures and recent rain. Chard will be ready to harvest; this can be treated as a cut-and-come-again vegetable, so take off the outer leaves, leaving the central growing point intact.

A decent watering and weeding around the plants will soon see them thickening up ready for the next harvest. If a plant has sent up a flowering shoot, take it out at ground level; this may be enough to get it to start again with a new crop of leaves.

Open gardens

Sunday, July 3

In aid of the National Gardens Scheme

Boundary Cottage, Seaton Ross, YO42 4NF. One-acre garden with maturing trees, extensive island beds, ponds and lined streams in bog gardens, alpine troughs and unusual fruit and vegetables. An artist will be working in the garden and the village plot in the centre of Seaton Ross is also worth a visit. Open 11am to 4pm, admission £3.50.

Dacre Banks and Summerbridge Gardens. Four gardens open linked by a walk along the valley as well as by car. Low Hall has a walled garden with herbaceous borders, shrubs, roses, a water garden and a new climber-festooned pergola linking the orchard with the front garden. Riverside House has a north-facing waterside garden with shade loving plants, a fernery, a Victorian folly, courtyard and naturalistic riverside planting. The one-acre garden at Woodlands Cottage has a wild flower meadow, knot garden, a wide range of unusual plants and a kitchen garden. Yorke House has a flower arranger’s garden with colour themed borders, an extensive water feature, nut and rose walks, Millennium garden, views over Nidderdale and a picnic area. Open 11am to 5pm. Combine admission £6.

Evergreens, 119 Main Road, Bilton, Hull, HU11 4AB. One-acre garden with rockeries, pond, Japanese and seaside gardens, summerhouse, children’s play area, conifers and mosaics. Open 1pm to 5pm, Admission £2.50 including tea.

The Ridings, Bridlington Road, Burton Fleming, Driffield, YO25 3PE. Cottage garden on a reclaimed site with climber-covered pergola and arches leading to a secret garden with lavender edged beds. Colour-themed mixed borders have old English roses and there is a water features and a collection of farming bygones on the paved terrace. Open 1pm-5pm, admission £2.50.

The Willows, Lumley Lane, Kirkby Fleetham, Northallerton, DL7 0SH. South-facing sloping cottage garden with mixed borders, a raised terrace, pond, and patio and pebbled areas with a range of container planting. Open 1pm to 5pm, admission £2.50. Also open today 1pm-5pm.

Tuesday

Cleaves House, Thirlby, YO7 2DQ.

Two-acre garden set against a cliff backdrop and with pond and bog areas, trees, shrubs, roses and developing shade garden. Open evening 6pm-9pm, admission £3.50. Also open Wednesday, 11am to 5pm.

Gardening TV and Radio

Sunday, July 3

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. Eric Robson and his team of horticultural experts are at the village open garden day in Plympton St Maurice in Devon. The gardening weather forecast is at 2.40pm. Repeated from Friday.

2.45pm, BBC R4, Mabey In The Wild. In the first programme of a six part series about British plant life, Richard Mabey looks at the history of the wild daffodil and the role it continues to play in the area in Gloucestershire called the Golden Triangle.

Thursday

8pm, BBC2, RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. Monty Don, Alys Fowler, Joe Swift and Rachel de Thame report from the show which this year features gardens that celebrate the nation’s greatest poets.

Friday

7pm, BBC2, RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. Monty Don and his team continue their tour of the show.

8pm, BBC2, Gardeners’ World. Monty plants out squashes and pumpkins, Carol advises on hardy geraniums, Joe learns how the 12-acre garden at Cothay Manor is cared for and Rachel gets advice on looking after wisteria.

8pm, ITV1, Love Your Garden. Alan Titchmarsh on how to make a magical garden with winding paths and elegant archways, Charlotte Uhlenbroek advises on attracting birds to the garden and Matt James searches for garden items in a reclamation yard.