Weekend work: Time to increase stocks of hybrid berries
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Your support makes all the difference.What to do
Increase stocks of hybrid berries such as loganberry and tayberry by tip layering. Bury the tip of a shoot about 15cm/6in down in the soil and firm the earth around it. By spring it should be well rooted.
Pick and prune late-fruiting blackcurrants in one fell swoop by cutting back all the stems carrying berries to a strong new shoot.
Rambler roses and other climbing roses that only have one flush of flower should be pruned as soon as the flowers fade.
Cut back helianthemums. Delphiniums may give a second show if you cut down the old flowered stems.
August is prime time for taking cuttings of a wide range of shrubs, including philadelphus, senecio and grey-leaved artemisias, such as A. arborescens.
Propagate lavender now too. Choose 8-10cm/3-4in lengths of non-flowering shoots and stick them in a pot or a shady cold frame in sandy compost. Keep them well watered. Rooted plants can be set out in spring.
What to see
Opening for the first time for the National Gardens Scheme is Broughton Hall, at Broughton, nr Skipton, Yorkshire BD23 3AE, a classic Victorian garden laid out in the 1850s by William Andrew Nesfield. Superb period features contrast with a 21st-century walled garden designed by Dan Pearson. Open tomorrow (1-5pm), admission £5. For more information go to broughtonhall.co.uk
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