Gardening: Weekend Work

IN MANY places, the soil conditions are still suitable for dividing herbaceous perennials, as a result of the mixture of rain and sunshine that most of us have experienced. I have never seen the point of dividing perennials every three years as a matter of course. It is only those whose flowering is faltering, or who have outgrown their allotted space, which need attention. A few perennials, such as peonies and dictamnus, are best

left alone.

Cuttings: NEWS FROM THE GARDENER'S WORLD

APPLE DAY is celebrated this year on 21 October, but there are likely to be apple-related events around the country from this weekend until 25 October. If you live in the South-east, an obvious place to visit (23- 25 October) is the Brogdale Horticultural Trust, near Faversham, which holds the National Collection of Apples. Here there will be tours, sales of fruit and trees, tastings and fruit identification.

In the Midlands, there are activities planned at Sulgrave Manor, Sulgrave, Oxfordshire, (10am-5pm each day). There will be about 300 varieties on show, fruit identification, cooking demonstrations by Sophie Grigson, and cider and juice-making.

In the north, the newly restored Orchard House will be the focus of the first Apple Day at Cragside, a National Trust property at Rothbury in Northumberland (25 October). Several other National Trust gardens will hold events, for example, Ardess House; Annaghmore, near Armagh, Northern Ireland (24 October), and Hughenden Manor, High Wycombe (18 October, 12pm- 4pm).