Gardening with Gerry: Beautiful bindweeds

Name: The name bindweed comes from the tendency of this plant to twine neighbouring plants by means of twisting stems.

While the native white flowered bindweed is not grown as a garden plant, some of its more exotic cousins make a wonderful display for greenhouse, conservatory or sheltered outdoor patios.

Botanical name: Convolvulus, Ipomoea

Family: Convolvulaceae

In a greater display than usual, the large, white, trumpet-shaped flowers of bindweed are currently flowering in hedgerows and garden shrubberies.

Bindweed is a troublesome weed that insinuates itself into shrubs, climbing to the top and flowering away merrily. Were it not such a weed, it might well be actively cultivated for its fine flowers.

There are various kinds of wild bindweed here, related to morning glory. The most common are the hedge bindweed and the large bindweed.

Normally found near houses or former habitations, the second one, with larger flowers is considered to be an introduced species. These two are capable of growing to over two metres and they die back each year to fleshy stems below soil level.

The large white bindweeds occasionally produce a pinkish flower or ones with faint pink stripes and in a few places, there is a form with the trumpet split to make an open starry shape.

Other species

A different species, the field bindweed, Convolvulus arvensis, often produces very beautiful pink flowers and there are white forms also.

Although pretty, this native plant is too invasive for garden use and quickly becomes a weed. This is often seen in areas with sandy soil, by the seaside, and there is another pink bindweed that only grows near the coast. The flowers on these are much smaller that the white bindweed.

The shrubby silverbush, Convolvulus cneorum, with silvery evergreen foliage is a fine small shrub, the small white trumpets highlighting the silvery grey foliage. This is reasonably hardy when grown in very well drained soil or a sunny raised border.

Although grown as an annual, and much used in hanging baskets because of its trailing habit, blue-flowered Convolvulus sabatius, from Italy and North Africa is a perennial.

It might survive outside in mild areas, especially if grown in well-drained soil in a sunny spot. It makes a superb pot plant, on its own, in a greenhouse or conservatory.

The blue-flowered morning glory is a rampaging weed in some countries but here it is sown in spring and carefully trained on canes in a greenhouse or outdoors.

In countries with a warm climate, sheets of morning glory, prettily decked with blue or purple flowers can be seen spreading on waste ground and fences.

Originally this beautiful flower came from Central America. It is an annual, self-sowing by seed shed each year. However, it is very tender and not able to survive outdoors and becomes a weed in a cool climate. But it can look spectacular for a few months in summer, especially with warm weather.

A lot of roses have fallen foul of rose blackspot disease, and there are other leaf spots besides this most destructive kind. Most roses are prey to blackspot disease, although there are some exceptions, such as Rosa rugosa.

There are other varieties too but it can be taken that any rose that has suffered leaf spot in the past can do so again.

If spraying is not carried out now, the bushes will lose most or all of their leaves and will not only look miserable but will be weakened for future years, because of the loss of photosynthetic capability.

The rose sprays are mainly preventative and do not cure existing blackspot, so, at this stage of the year, it is a question of protecting the existing leaves and any new ones that grow.

Ideally, the sprays should be put on from late March or early April every three or four weeks and easing off if the weather is dry in June, but in a wet year, spraying must continue. If you have susceptible rose varieties, you should consider replacing them with less disease-prone kinds.

Trees, shrubs and roses

If young trees are not showing new growth at the tips of the branches, and have small leaves, they may be in trouble and, despite rainfall, should be well soaked, at least 20 litres per plant and they could be given a liquid feed too.

Fruit, vegetables and herbs

Make a repeat-sowing of the salad vegetables that mature quickly, and late peas and spinach. Spring cabbage could be sown now, especially in the cooler parts of the country where the growing season ends earlier. Weed control should be kept up.

Lawns

After a late and cold spring, the grass of lawns has recovered remarkably well and sufficient rain has fallen to keep lawns looking well. Wildflower lawns have grown very rapidly and are showing a good display of wildflowers, notably white clover and trefoil.

Flowers

Seeds of perennial flowers such as lupins, mallows and foxgloves could be sown now for flowering next year. Bedding plants in pots and baskets are looking good now but the roots have now filled the pots, and watering has become more vital.

Greenhouse

Continue watering and feeding greenhouse plants. Be especially careful to water plants in pots or grow-bags regularly because these can easily dry out. Train and side-shoot tomatoes and cucumbers. If vine weevil has been a problem, apply Nemasys.