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Helen Yemm: how to manage a mature shrub, chafer grub damage on lawns, a visit to the gardens of Majorca

The Botanic Garden, Soller, Majorca - www.alamy.com
The Botanic Garden, Soller, Majorca - www.alamy.com

Gardens of Majorca, May 6-11 2018

Why was I so surprised, on my research trip for this tour, to find so many gorgeous gardens on Majorca? After all, a fifth of the population comprises British, German, Swiss and French émigrés, some of whom have created the exceptionally beautiful gardens that are, along with those of historic Moorish influence, at the heart of this six-day Boxwood gardening adventure, of which I am the host.

Our tour leader will be long-term resident Sally Beale, who is steeped in Majorcan culture and horticulture – hers is just one of the lovely gardens we will be visiting. It will be a tour of contrasts. From Torre d’Ariant, the garden of Heidi Gildemeister, the doyenne of Mediterranean gardening, whose dry garden is perched high in the Serra de Tramuntana, to that of dynamic designer Helene Lindgens, whose smart white garden Son Muda on the eastern plain is awash with personal style.

Camilla Chandon’s steep terraces of topiary dressed with soft, distinctly feminine planting set against a dramatic rocky backdrop will take your breath away, as will the view from Jeffrey Archer’s uncompromisingly modern clifftop garden. At Ca’n Estel, a dry, rocky riverbed snakes its way through shady groves of oranges and roses. 

We will also take in the small botanic garden at Sóller that specialises in local flora, the Museo Sa Bassa Blanca, with its rose garden and sculpture park and charming art museum, the historic Moorish terraces of Jardines de Alfabia, and a tasting at Biniagual, a privately restored wine-producing hamlet – and more besides.

The hotels are splendid: for two nights we will be based the Gran Hotel Sóller, followed by three nights at the Hilton Sa Torre. I just know this tour is going to be quite something, and I hope you will be tempted to join me.

The tour is £3,389, with a £500 single supplement. For details and a booking form: Boxwood Tours Ltd, Rhiw, Lanbedr, Gwynedd LL45 2NT (01341 241717; boxwoodtours.co.uk).

 

Tip for early autumn
Tip for early autumn

MATURE SHRUB ALERT

I have an unidentified shrub in my garden that is at least 6ft 6in high and 3ft 3in wide, with dangling dark red berries on it at the moment. Do you know what it is, and if so, has it reached its full size, how do I prune it, and does it need protection during a Yorkshire winter? Adrian Thompson – via email

Your picture showed a Leycesteria formosa (Himalayan honeysuckle), an upright shrub that carries attractive white and maroon dangling flowers in mid to late-summer, followed by luscious-looking maroon fruits that are attractive to birds. It is a wicked self-seeder (thanks to those birds), and once you have one, you must learn to recognise the seedlings that pop up in all sorts of places.

Your plant has probably achieved its full size, and yes, it is time to start selectively pruning it before it acquires a rather unattractive undercarriage of unproductive wood. In spring, cut out the oldest branches to ground level, middle-aged ones to half their height (they will then branch and carry flowers on the next summer’s growth), while leaving any new growth that has appeared during the past season well alone to replace the old shoots you cut out.

Thus the shrub will renew itself and flower, without forming an ugly thicket. In my experience this plant is totally hardy, but may have a fairly short life. If necessary, a replacement seedling can always be found lurking somewhere in the garden.

CHAFER GRUB DAMAGE

Emailer Ian Kernon has a lawn that has been damaged by chafer grubs. He asks: would an application of a lawn feed containing phosphates encourage the grass to regrow? Lawn grass has an amazing ability to “come back from the dead” on its own, and the chafer damage might not be as bad as it seems. 

Autumn lawn feeds are high in phosphates, low in nitrogen, so strengthen root growth without exacerbating the autumn growth spurt that generally occurs. So the answer is yes, then wait and see. It is worth applying a feed to the whole lawn, but effects on “dead” patches may not be visible until spring.

A BEAR IN THE BORDER

A year ago I A Inglis decided to dig up an elderly patch of Acanthus spinosus (bear’s breeches) that was getting out of hand. Despite filling several large bags with its roots then, and more since, it shows no signs of giving up. Is using a weed killer the only option?

Probably, is the answer. But I A (sorry, no first name) will have to wait until the leaves expand to their full size next spring for Roundup (active ingredient glyphosate) to be effective. The other option is to cover the area in tough black plastic, disguising it with a layer of bark chippings, and hope that the acanthus eventually gives up.