ACTIONPLAN
SAGE is soon coming into bloom and will look beautiful. What’s more, the nectar-rich flowers are great to attract pollinating insects. But the herb’s leaves and stems can become tough as the plants mature and will lose flavour quality. If you want a constant supply of fresh young shoots for the kitchen, pruning will help. Though to enjoy the flowers — and help pollinators — do this carefully. Prune up to a third of the budding shoots. Select the oldest or lankiest for removal and cut these back to the main body of the plants. Your sage will respond by producing new, aromatic shoots.
If you have several plants, cut one back regularly for kitchen supplies. Allow the others to flower, but prune as soon as the last blooms have faded.
Purple, variegated and golden-leaved sage respond well to frequent pruning. Young shoots carry larger leaves with more intense leaf colours than on mature stems. And coloured sage tastes just as good as plain green.
DIVIDE PRIMROSES
MATURE primroses, cowslips and polyanthus must be lifted and divided to retain their vigour. Lift each mature plant, shake soil from the roots and, with a small hand fork, divide each clump into quarters. Old plants will have corky rhizomes with young shoots at their tips. Gently tease these apart until each plant is in small pieces. Cut away the oldest parts of each rhizome, saving the younger tips. Each tip should carry some roots and a healthy terminal bud or leaf cluster. Plant your small divisions somewhere shady in moisture-retentive soil. Water regularly during summer. By late July, your divisions will have developed into healthy young plants, ready for transplanting in autumn.
A TRIM, SIR?
GARDEN shears can be cumbersome, especially if they are heavy or badly balanced.
The lightweight models are handier, but can vary in robustness.
Few are suitable for the wear and tear of prolonged hedge-cutting.
But now, Wilkinson Sword has intro- duced Ultralight hedge shears.
These have 20cm blades and relatively long, soft-grip handles, help make them well-balanced for light- weight hedge-trimming.
The RRP is £29.99, but look online for bargains. Scotsdales Garden Centres has them for just £19.99.
ALL IN A GOOD CAUSE
FANCY owning an original work of art by the likes of Antony Gormley, Emma Tennant, Gilbert & George, Griff Rhys Jones or the BBC’s Andrew Marr?
Well, now’s the chance — and you’ll be supporting Rose Ward, the paediatric ward for children with heart and lung disease at London’s Royal Brompton Hospital.
Many of the postcard-sized paintings are of flowers and plants and will be sold in a secret auction. You can view them online at paddle8. com/auction/secretrose from noon on May 26 to 8.30pm on June 9. They can also be seen at Royal Brompton Hospital from May 27 to June 8, and on June 9 at Flowers Gallery, Kingsland Road, London E2. The artist responsible for each painting will not be revealed until after the auction. A brilliant idea!