An Hour in the garden - week by week

Welcome to An Hour in the Garden No 81This week we take a quick look at what pots and containers we have used to grow vegetablesPlants that deter insects pests, slugs and snailsHouseplants that help clean the atmosphereAnd the State of the World’s Fungi report by the RHS at Kew

Welcome to An Hour in the garden no 80First of all, so sorry for last week. (Grandchildren + bug = wiped out!)I finally got into thegarden and harvested cabbages and potatoes and spent the ‘recovery’ time watching the leaves falling, so we do into a little about how and why leaves fall - after all, it can’t just be the wind, it gets windy in the Summer too and the leaves don’t fall at all.The thing is, for many reasons, a layer of cork appears at the end of the leaf, which is more brittle, and so consequently, the leaf eventually falls off under pressure.Quite why is a different story. Many explanations are given, but they don’t always fit the bill, and it seems to me there are combinations of reasons for the effect.We go on to look at some plants I am buying this autumnBroadbean:Aquadulce for sowing nowOscar and Robin Hood for laterCabbage:Getting plants of Aprio, Wheelers Imperial and Winter GreenPlus Savoy for next year, though this year I have been sowing All Year RoundCarrot:Aron F1, Berlicum and and FlyawayCauliflower:You can’t beat the old favourite All Year RoundCelery:Golden Self BlanchingGarlicBohemian Rose Wight from PragueCarcasonne Wight - lovely flavourCaulk Wight - pink striped from RussiaTwo old favourites:Early Purple Wight and Solent Wight

Time to sow in a cold frame:Violas Lupins we’re sowing  Dwarf fairy pinkAquilegia,  - caruleaAconitum or monks hood or wolf’s baneHollyhocks creme de cassisEryngium EchinopsVerbascum  - I think they are like hollyhocks and lavateras seeds off outdoors now either direct sown or in pots in a coldframe.Salvias Red Hot Pokers Hardy GeraniumsWe have Wargrave Pink, and you can’t get rid of it! It is very invasive. But there are so many others! I quite fancy Orchid Blue and purple hazeSow where they will growPoppies of all kindsAmmi majus (Bishop's Weed))CornflowersPoached Egg plantLarkspur