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Dear Fellow Gardeners I have just had a great trip to Japan to visit Dianthus growers there. Carnations (as opposed to Pinks) are the most preferred flower for Mothers' Day, which always falls on the 2nd Sunday in May - so it was very interesting to see how they were presented in the stores. As it happens, our British Pinks are virtually unknown there and it was fun to introduce the concept of a fragrant, hardy, graceful type of Dianthus. The pot Carnations I saw for sale had large flowers and no perfume and reminded me of cabbages. (No offence intended either to pot carnation or cabbage growers!) So this week we are busy preparing for the Devon County Show in Exeter. I think our Pinks are going to look first class because the weather has not been too hot and the light pretty reasonable. I am looking forward to presenting finished plants to the visitors. The message I want to get across is - you too can do this! It is not too difficult and the pleasure you will get is worth the small effort. Just a couple of reminders - do check the flower buds for aphids which will be very active now. Invite them to leave with a proprietary product obtainable from your local garden centre! And secondly, when individual flowers fade on the stem, pick them off. As the last flower fades, snap the entire finished stem off at the base of the plant. Remember to feed regularly during the growing season with a high potash (tomato type fertiliser) to encourage repeat flowering. Dotty, our intrepid Jack Russell terrier, has caught 3 moles in the last seven days. Thank goodness for that because they have been creating havoc in the flower beds. Arthur the cock pheasant and self appointed guardian of the bird table, isbusy wife hunting. Good growing and keep in touch. Carolyn Whetman

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To mark the end of the 60th year since the British National  Carnation Society was formed we are holding a special day of lectures and nursery stands together with floral art at TheGarden Museum on Saturday 10th April 2010.

The lectures will be in two sessions;  historical before lunch and practical and scientific in the afternoon.   The event is open to the general public.  The programme is:-

LECTURES

11.00   The History of the British National Carnation Society by James Dennison

11.30   The History of Modern Dianthus by Mark Trenear

12.00   Allwoods:   The First 100 Years by David James

12.30  The Malmaison Carnation by Jim Marshall

1.00 The formal adoption of the Alzheimer's Society as our chosen charity.

1.15   LUNCH

2.00   Pinks:  The Ideal Plant for Modern Gardens by Carolyn Whetman

2.30    The Principles Behind Breeding New Varieties by Laetitia Moucheboeuf

3.00   Modern Commercial Nursery Production and Disease Management by Andrew Spilsbury

3.30   Finish

The following nurseries wiill be selling plants at the event:-

Allwoods, Southview Nursery (old fashioned and species Pinks), Marshalls Malmaisons, Whetman Pinks

The floral artist Linda Molyneux will have an exhibit of her work

The Garden Museum, Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7LB (Tel: 020 7401 8865) is situated adjacent to Lambeth Palace in a deconsecrated church.   As well as the above BNCS programme, members will have access to all the museum's exhibits and during April there is a major exhibit of the life of the gardener Christopher Lloyd from Great Dixter. 

It is within the congestion charge zone (but there is no charge on a Saturday).   Parking at local hotel is only £1.50 per hour.   It is within walking distance of Waterloo Station and a number of underground stations.   Local attractions include the London Eye and the Tate Gallery.

Visitors are advised to use public transport.   Details of travel arrangements and details of local accommodation will be available on the website.

Do make a note of the date and make sure you attend if possible.   Above all, do tell gardening friends, relatives and others you feel may be interested.

 

 

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Hello to all Pinks enthusiasts.

We do hope you have not lost too many plants during last winter. Here at Houndspool there have been several casualties in the garden such as our Echiums, Loropetalum and Clianthus.    Our complacency after so many mild winters has also resulted in our losing several zonal Geraniums which were left in pots but -  the lesson has been learned!     Amongst the plants that most definitely survived the frosts were our Pinks.   We have had reports of them surviving below -15^oC which is certainly a good advertisement for them, although we only recorded temperatures of around  -7^oC here at Houndspool.   It is heartening with lengthening days to see the Pinks growing away so strongly in our glasshouses and they are just starting to grow outside too.  The Early Birds are starting to flower – just remember to pick off the flower heads as they fade.   The second crop of flowers which will come in May will have taller stems than these first blooms.

Don’t forget to check for bugs – aphids or slugs tend to be the worst offenders as the days warm up.   Deal with them in whichever way you find most effective.    Also mice, which eat the buds, and moles, which burrow underneath a plant, can be a problem.  

We are very excited by the New Introductions for 2010.     First of all, there are four new Pinks on offer, three of which are brand new to our catalogue.     Silver Star (Whetman Stars) is a gorgeous crisp white with a maroon eye.   The foliage is a very attractive grey and the plant is compact.     Arctic Star has been added to the Early Bird range, as well as Cracker - a fabulous vermilion addition.    Then we have introduced into the Scent First range Mother of Pearl which is so pretty and beautifully perfumed.     And don't forget our wonderful range of Garden Pinks too!

There are four completely new products on offer – Anemones, Freesias, Ranunculus and a Parma Violet. They are only going to be available at certain times of the year and will be sold as young plants. This avoids the problems so often associated with germinating corms, resulting in a much more satisfying outcome.      At the moment, there will only be limited quantities available.

Good growing!

Kind regards,

Carolyn Whetman.

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I must apologise for not writing any news since April. This is because I broke my leg getting off my horse and since then I have been off games. Horses..... As a result of all this it has been very difficult to get out into the garden and particularly kneeling. Nevertheless I have managed to hobble around after a fashion and see my beloved plants. The weather in July and August was awful but this mild Autumn has given us beautiful colours. Turning to the subject of Pinks, unfortunately, there are still a lot of aphid around it is worth checking them over applying a proprietary treatment as necessary. I have a few jobs for you to do before you sign off for the Christmas hols. Just check that your Pinks are looking neat and tidy by picking off all the dead flower stems right to the base of the plant, using scissors if necessary. It is good if you can get your plant looking a nice shape ready for next Spring. Check for slugs - again use a proprietary treatment if necessary - or sprinkle a little sharp sand round the base of the plant. Probably the most important measure to take is to ensure that your Pinks have excellent drainage. The dwarf alpine types will not tolerate wet feet. I'm sorry to tell you if you let this happen, almost certainly root rot and death will follow. If anything Pinks prefer to be on the dry side – difficult to achieve in these weather conditions I know! Try loosening the soil by spiking with a hand fork just to improve the drainage. Keep in touch. We will endeavour to answer any queries promptly. The only thing left for me to do now is to thank you for your custom this year and wish you a very merry Christmas. We wish you a happy and peaceful 2010. And remember, we sell rooted cuttings all the year round and so look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards Carolyn Whetman

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Well, what a gorgeous Spring we are having here in Devon. If anything, it is now time for a little rain to get the grass growing and to freshen up the garden. I sat in the garden yesterday and thought that this was the most perfect day I could remember for a long time. The leaves on the trees are just opening - of particular beauty and delicacy are the leaves on the Acers and a magnificent specimen of Cercidyphyllum japonicum, the tulips and late double narcissi were in perfect form, our beautiful crab apple tree, Malus Everest, is in full bloom and absolutely alive with our honey bees. We ate our lunch outside underneath a cloudless sky, with buzzards soaring in the thermals, sight of the first swallows and a pair of blue tits nesting in the spout of our well. What more could one ask for? I hope your Pinks are growing well. Ours are in bud and those under glass are now flowering - the earliest to open (of the Garden Pinks) have been Dancing Queen, Bright Eyes and Gran's Favourite. The Early Birds are now on to their second flush! Just a word of warning - do watch out for opportunistic aphids, particularly now that the weather is warming up. Don't forget to feed your Pinks with a balanced organic fertiliser and just lightly loosen the soil around the base of the plants with your hoe. We have a little crop of Anemones and Ranunculus which are absolutely stunning. I will take some photographs to show you. Happy Gardening!

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I am writing this surrounded by the beautiful snow covered mountains of the French Alps.  We are in the resort of Tignes and to my delight there is a run called Oeillet (French for Carnation)!   Unfortunately I haven't been able to ski because I wrenched my ankle very badly in February and so have had it in plaster.   Nevertheless I have had a wonderful time relaxing.    I must say that every time I part with £5 for a cup of coffee I am reminded how fantastically good value our Pinks are to our export customers, many of whom have become good friends over the years.   They have been quick to take advantage of the exchange rate and this may in part explain the very satisfactory levels of business we are experiencing at the moment  - despite the woes of the world.   However, I am neither complacent nor pessimistic but I am immensely grateful our team at Whetmans for the way in which they are coping with the very high levels of demand. 

Your Pinks should now be showing signs of fresh Spring growth now that the Winter is receding.  We have had some cracking frosts which certainly will have got rid of the aphids in the garden.   Your Pinks may look a little moribund, particularly the dwarf and alpine types but you should see the fresh little shoots appearing at the base of the plant.   They are remarkably hardy unless they have been in waterlogged conditions and I have heard several reports of them surviving temperatures as low as -20C.   If you have kept your Pinks in a greenhouse, particularly if you have used frost protection, just check for any aphids that may have overwintered underneath the foliage.

We have some Indian Runner ducks and they are absolutely greedy for slugs.   Just the ticket.  Yum yum.

Carolyn Whetman

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Welcome to our revamped website.    We hope you like it and find it easy to use.   We welcome any feedback - good or bad!    Our backs are broad and our spirit is willing.   We have also introduced a comments page so you can report your experiences with growing particular varieties.   Sharing information is one of the lovely things gardeners do and helps to achieve greater success with your plants.

I was thrilled to see some lovely plants of Tickled Pink and Passion on sale at Otter Nurseries in Devon.   Passion was being offered in flower as a St. Valentine's Day gift.   Did you receive a gift or a card from an admirer?   I did - but I'm not telling you who it was from!

The cold weather this winter has been great for Pinks and we should have a fabulous show of flowers in the Spring.

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Hello - I'm back again.

I don't know what happened to August - it disappeared in a shower or two of rain. The children are back at school and now it's time to tidy the garden and start preparing for the Autumn.

For your Pinks, the main task will be to dead head by snapping off the spent flower stems close to the base of the plant. In milder districts there could well still be some flowers coming, possibly for another month or so. It is a good time to take cuttings of Pinks for replacements.

If you are not confident rooting your own, remember that we supply rooted cuttings all the year round. Pot up prior to planting out from September to March and plant directly into the garden from April to August. September is also a good time to tidy other herbaceous perennials, prune roses, trim the hedges and so on. There is as much to do now as there is in the Spring. Have fun!

I am almost at the end of two weeks holiday and enjoying the break.... However on the nursery the picture is very different.

Orders for August and September have increased despite the general gloom in the retail sector and so we are all working harder than ever to get all those cuttings onto the rooting bench.

It is pretty tough when the sun (what is that?) shines and we are not used to the high temperatures after so many months of indifferent weather. Work for the month - don't forget to break off the spent flower stems down to the base of the plant and give your plants a top dressing of fertiliser, preferably a high potash feed such as tomato fertiliser.

You can confidently expect a nice flush of blooms in late August/early September.

Apologies for the late posting of the June news - it has been a busy time recovering from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The response to our display of Pinks was splendid and it was quite exhilarating to meet so many fans of these traditional garden favourites. I enjoyed introducing Pinks to new gardeners and to those who are too young to have had much, if any, experience of Pinks, so often confusing them with spray Carnations. 

Pinks have had some wonderful publicity lately, and well deserved too. We visited the trials at the RHS Garden Wisley this month and the Pinks were spectacular. May I recommend a trip to those wonderful gardens if you are in the area. The Pinks and Carnations Committee had an open day with blooms on show and several short lectures including Jim Marshall talking about Malmaison Carnations, Mark Trenear with a fascinating talk on the history of Pinks, John Whetman talking about breeding perfumed Pinks and a flower demonstration.

Last month I had a chance to promote Pinks as one of the great British summer cut flowers with Sarah Raven at Covent Garden in a 'Ready Steady Cook' type of presentation. Sarah has done much for our home cut flower industry with her vigorous defence of British produce - so very many thanks go to her.

Tip for June - as the flowers on your Pinks begin to fade, remember to pick the spent stems off completely and feed them with a high potash feed, such as any proprietary tomato or rose fertiliser, to encourage a second crop of flowers.