Usually the peppers grown for paprika production are medium-sized and quite fleshy. They are selectively bred for colour and pungency and these properties can be further controlled by the methods of harvesting, drying and processing the fruits.

The factors mentioned above which affect the quality 0.chillies and capsicums generally apply as well to paprika varieties. The major influence on the pungency level, initial colour and colour-retention properties of ground paprika is the cultivar grown, and improvements can be achieved by sowing selected cultivars possessing the optimal combination of these quality factors and yield of pods per plant.

When harvesting, generally only fully coloured, mature fruits are picked. In many European countries, the harvested fruits are ‘cured’ for from 3 days to 6 weeks before final drying. During the ‘curing’ or ‘after-ripening’ process, the colour intensity of the pods increases and this phenomenon has been extensively studied by Hungarian chemists.

In the case of the special paprika grade, the ribs of the pericarps are also removed by means of special knives. In the preparation of all 5 grades, the seeds are placed in small bags and washed to remove the adhering matter, which is specially rich in capsaicin. After being dried they are mixed with dried pericarps, and the product is ground and sieved several times.

The two main growing areas are located in southern Hungary, one centered on Szeged, on the Tisza river on the Yugoslav border, and the other one in the neighbourhood of Kalosca, on the Danube. The products of the two areas differ from one another a little in properties owing to differences in the soil.

The fruits are harvested as they reach maturity, in September and October; 5 or 6 pickings may be necessary and hot, dry weather is desir- able during this period. At the end of October, any plants bearing immature fruits are pulled from the ground and hung up for the fruits to mature, although these fruits, when ripe, are generally considered to be of an inferior quality. The harvested ripe fruits are then ‘cured’ for up to 25 days by piling them in windrows in sheltered positions or ‘stringing’ them up from the eaves of buildings or in open-sided sheds.

Choosing a day when the soil is dry or hard frozen enough not to be damaged, the planting ideas which have been worked out in detail on paper can be pegged out on the site. To avoid referring repeatedly to a plan I print the name of each shrub in large capitals on a postcard and then pin this on a plant stake or cane.

Try to get all the rough digging done in the autumn so that the frost can break down the heavy Where the planting is being done into individual holes without digging the whole area, the same procedure is adopted only the organic matter used must be well rotted.

In winter my gardening continues with unabated vigour, but conversationally rather than physically. Each week there are meetings to attend, and always the talk is ofgrown shrubs was reviewed in some detail with the professionals, a minority group on this occasion, firm in their conviction that these have proved of benefit to both nurseryman and amateur gardener.

Berberis x stenophylla is a spreading ground hog which needs 8 to 10 ft. of elbow room whereas an attractive specimen of B. x lologensis in my own garden has grown to only 5 ft. in 16 years and spread out to occupy a modest square yard of soil.

Fortunately the B. x stenophylla can be restrained by pruning without destroying its characteristic shape, but this does not apply by any means to all invasive shrubs. I would rather be overgenerous in the matter of space than niggardly for gaps can be filled with bulbs or choice herbaceous perennials.

An example of this type of planting might be to put in three Cytisus albus because one alone would look a very wan orphan for two or three years. Cytisus is easy to propagate so before removing the unwanted bushes they could proVide cuttings for extending still further the shrub planting elsewhere in the garden. I would never use expensive shrubs for this filler technique unless, like rhododendrons, they transplanted easily and could be utilised elsewhere in the garden.

Chamaecyparis lawsonilina, Lawson’s Cypress, makes a tall tree and is useful as a windbreak or screen to hide some ugly part of the view beyond the garden. I would use a selected forth like Green Hedger for often seedlings show a wide variation in ultimate height. Selected forms include allumii which is often used in tubs or on terraced walks for the growth is upright and the colour glaucous blue, and ellwoodii which is very slow growing, with feathery graceful leaves and an ultimate height of between 8 and 10 ft.

The various forms of the species show the same adaptability. Compressa, a cone-shaped midget, makes an ideal plant for a trough or small rock garden, taking about 18 years to reach a height of 12 in. A wide-spreading, ground-hugging bush, depressa is excellent for clothing steep slopes in the rock garden. Prostrata is of a similar habit.

The Creeping Juniper, Juniperus horizontalis, is a remarkable conifer. A single specimen in 10 years will cover an area of 18 sq. ft. The leaves are a lovely glaucous grey in summer and silver purple in winter. Douglasii and Bar Harbor, a shade taller growing, both have the blue-grey colour which becomes a rich plum purple with the onset of winter. There are few better ways of clothing a steep slope with easy to maintain attractive foliage than by a selection of prostrate dwarf conifers, including always at least one form of J. horizontalis.

C. pisifera plumosa and the aurea form are especially pleasing planted as a group with the greyish-green leafage of the former contrasting well against the soft feathery gold of the aurea.

Pinus cembra makes a reasonable-sized tree which in maturity has a lot of charm. The variety chlorocarpa is a wide-spreading bush with silvered leaves which earns covetous glances wherever it is planted. P. mugo pumilio is just about the ultimate vegetable product. It makes a low spreading bush with tufts of needles stuck out in the most remarkable way. I find it irresistably ugly and wonder how it survives my sometimes pungent comments.

The native Scots Pine, P. sylvestis, is one of the loveliest of conifers, the orange-red bark of the bole is in sharp contrast to the dark green foliage. Pumila is the dwarf form, making a rounded glaucous-leaved bush which is more suitable than its towering parent for the small garden.

I hesitate to introduce the thought that on occasions birds or animals can be a nuisance, and even then usually manufacture an excuse for their behaviour. Rabbits can be fenced out, although with enough dogs and cats about the garden only the most foolhardy rodent dare show its teeth. Moles will seek less aromatic pastures if moth balls or creosote are inserted into the runs at intervals.

Voles and woodmice can be evicted in a similar fashion but a resident kestrel employed full time is more effective I have discovered! Bullfinches are the worst pest in this garden, their depredations have killed several full grown cherries and we rarely get any flowers on the others. Short of shooting, the gardener must resort to foul-tasting sprays, or netting the trees.

A sharp saw, well-maintained pair of secateurs, and a razor-edged knife are prime essentials. I also include as supplementary equipment a tin of Stockholm tar and a brush for treating cut surfaces if any very large branches have to be cut away.

Do not try to reclaim worn out plants by hard pruning. Heathers should not be clipped back lower than the wood of the previous season. Deciduous shrubs offer a little more scope to the surgically minded. Pruning is carried out in accordance with the flowering season of the plant concerned which requires a certain basic interest in the individual inhabitants of the shrub border.

Removal of heavier branches must be done with a saw making the cut as close to the main stem as possible. I always round the rough edges afterwards with a knife before treating the exposed surface with a suitable protective covering. Above all make the cuts clean, not ragged, as they heal so much quicker leaving little or no scar.

Pruning can be phased out over two years so that the effects are not drastically obvious or the shock unbearable to the plants. By careful feeding, manuring and pruning, an apparently derelict border can be restored.

A cold frame need not be elaborate or very big and there are times when an orange box has served the purpose extremely well. To maintain the general appearance of the garden I prefer something neater made in wood, brick. breeze block, or cement. I use a two light frame, too big for cuttings really but it fills in for .seedlings as well.

To each bushel of the mixture add 11 oz. of superphosphate together with I oz. of chalk. All the John Innes composts may be purchased ready for use from any garden shop or horticultural sundriesman.

For shading the cuttings during the first few critical weeks I use laths on nylon string, spaced 1 in. apart by pieces of polythene hosepipe. This frame is used mainly for soft, or semi-hardwood cuttings which need shading for the first fortnight. After this they can be fully exposed provided they are watered carefully. In hot weather this may ,be necessary three or four times a day.

When a greenhouse is available a corner can be reserved for a small propagating case; a small box 22 in. by 30 in., and 15 in. deep will hold a remarkable number of cuttings. For years I had such a box, the bottom made of asbestos which stood over a two burner paraffin heater.

In this I rooted a host of shrubs from chamaecyparis to hebe, with never a moment’s worry except to remember to fill the stove. Paraffin fumes have been known to kill some plants, my only losses occurred when the stove was turned up too high and spread foul black smoke over everything.

As each bundle of cuttinas is prepared, I take out a trench 4 to 6 in. deep,.put a layer of sharp sand in the bottom, push the base of the cuttings well into this so there is no air space to inhibit rooting, then firm the soil back round the stems to the normal level. Over the years the soil has become very sandy and crisp and it improves season by season.

Depth of sowing depends very much on the type of seed. A good general rule is to cover them with soil to twice their own depth, but always wait until the soil is in a fine friable condition.

Leave the seedlings undisturbed till they are several inches high and then transplant them at the normal planting season for the species, giving them ample room for further development. They can then be grown on for at least another year by which time they should be big enough to go out into their permanent quarters.

As interest grows the urge to try growing the less common, rather specialist shrubs from seed will make the purchase of a heated frame or greenhouse essential. I have never regretted purchasing my own small greenhouse ; a pleasant retreat on cold or wet days with the initial price repaid in both plants and pleasure. A greenhouse will also be a valuable aid to rooting cuttings.

Having during over thirty-five years of gardening spent hours working many feet above ground level I speak from experience. Any limbs to be removed must be cut close to the trunk or the branch from which they spring. Indeed, this applies in all pruning; snags harbour pests and diseases which will ultimately destroy the host plant. Large branches should be under cut for at least a quarter of the way through which prevents ugly splintering of the stem. Better still take them down piecemeal by means of a rope, or call in a specialist who is properly insured. Dress all wounds with coal tar or a similar antifungicidal substance.

The bed must be well drained, and if the soil is at all heavy it will be necessary to work in a dressing of coarse sand. It must also be completely clear of weeds. Seed should be sown in the same type of soil as that favoured by the shrub or tree i.e., peaty soil for peat lovers, ordinary loamy soil for the great majority that will grow anywhere and so on.

No covering of the compost is advisable or necessary. The pans are then covered with a sheet of glass which in turn is covered with a sheet of newspaper or brown paper to exclude light and prevent drying out. After germination the seedlings are shaded with muslin.

I have always had a great admiration for Taxus baccata both as a hedge and specimen tree. Unfortunately, even using large transplants. Many years must pass before we can sit in the shade of a yew planted by our own hands.

Under no circumstances should yew be planted where grazing animals can reach it or there could be tragic ,repercussions for the whole tree is poisonous – wood, leaves and berries. People who already possess a yew hedge should clip. feed, and cherish it, lavishing on it the care usually reserved for the family heirloom. Individual’s should be spaced at to 2 ft. apart although in times of financial embarrassment I have stretched this to 2-1- ft.

The former has purple leaves, the latter green and the contrast is exceptionally fine. Planted at 11 ft. apart, I was content to sit and watch them grow but two years later the gentleman who gave them to me descended on the garden with heavy pruners and cut the lot down to grbund level. There is now a superb hedge, thick, strong and some 5 ft. high. Clipped once or sometimes twice a year it gives no trouble.

The first house I lived in was called The Laurels for the obvious reason that the whole front garden was enclosed by an immense hedge of Cherry Laurel, Prunus laurocerasus, 6 ft. high and 8 ft. thick. The hours spent searching for cricket balls in the stygian gloom of this handsome shrub could have been better spent learning the art of that most noble game itself.

A mixture of hornbeam and the hawthorn (crataegus) makes a most attractive boundary to the garden, or instead of the hornbeam, substitute holly to make a barrier which would deter even apple-hungry young boys. The common thorn is cheap, readily obtainable, tolerant of clipping even when old, and will grow in most soils. Seed stratified over means of raising stock.

Shrubs capable of being clipped do present possibilities for under planting. I was impressed by a garden in the Lake District where the drive to the front door was lined on either side with sycamores most effectively carpeted with common laurel, hard pruned to 18 in., making a solid boskage of bright green leaves.

As the rash of tarmacadam and concrete spreads to hide the soft green contours of rural Britain, so will an increasingly office-bound community turn to their gardens for a place in which to relax. Gardening is a healthy, creative hobby with many rewards and a well-planned and tended garden can provide its owner with a peaceful setting in which he can spend many happy hours.

I was very much a novice, depending on annuals for a quick return for my labours. A beautiful clipped yew planted when the house was built and a golden chamaecyparis were central features of the house frontage. Anything which took up space capable of supporting a marigold or godetia was anathema to me so one day when father was away I uprooted both these patriarchs on to the bonfire. No one in that quiet Dales village spoke to me for a week. They were all too busy sympathising with my parents for having produced such a wayward son. The many hundred trees I have planted since have not erased the feeling of guilt this piece of vandalism burdened me with.

One should always try to work with the land, utilising to the fullest extent any natural features. A stream is a great asset to the garden designer for water brings movement and extends the range of plantings. A gentle slope can become a rock or heather garden, while a steeper incline can be broken up with terraces; stone is beautiful if used discreetly in broad steps and gentle curving walls. There may be a superb view which can be drawn into the garden by a framework of muted plantings which lead the eye to the landscape beyond the boundary. There is the same initial excitement of anticipation when moving into a house with the garden already established.

Spend the first twelve months trying to find out precisely what the plot contains for there may be valuable shrubs hidden behind the anonymity of leafless branches. Unfortunately, most garden owners conclude the previous occupiers to be horticultural morons and set about erasing every sign of their presence with a vigorous enthusiasm. Assume instead that the original design was in the nature of a masterpiece, then embellish or delete so that the main features become an expression of your own artistic sense.

I know from experience just how difficult gardening on a very exposed site can be. For twenty years I worked to transform a hillside above Harrogate, Yorkshire with an uninterrupted view of the Pennines to the west.

However, I do emphasise that only after careful consideration should any major onslaught be made for seventy years of growth can be destroyed in an hour.

My own views on the correct season for planting open-ground-raised shrubs fluctuate with the weather. In a wet season I have successfully moved rhododendrons, junipers, and laurel in June and July. However, pinned down to a single season I would settle: for early spring. Winters on my exposed garden can be brutal in the extreme and linked with a cold wet clay soil the shock is too much for all but the most robust genera. I prefer to let .the nurseryman carry my charges through the worst months, then as the soil warms give me the responsibility.

In fact, I proved to my own satisfaction that just five minutes exposure to a drying March wind reduces the viability of woody plants appreciably. In the case of conifers the dehydration proved fatal in one out of every four seedling thuja lined out as a hedge.

Choose a day when the stubbornest clay runs like silk from the spade, then fine root hairs can be firmed into position with the least damage. I prefer a dull humid day if there are several shrubs to plant up as strong winds or bright sunshine will dry exposed roots in a matter of minutes.

People who advise putting the stake in position before planting may be correct, but if the stake interferes with firming I leave it until this most important task is done. When the hole is ready, trim any damaged roots back to sound wood. Secateurs are the best tool for doing this unless you have a very sharp knife.

Parcels of shrubs always seem to arrive at the most inconvenient times, even when I specify early spring delivery. Sometimes the garden is deep under snow, at others hard or waterlogged, making immediate planting impossible. When frost or snow are the limiting factors, open the top of the parcel but leave the roots intact as packed by the nursery, and stand the package in a frost-free shed until the weather moderates. When excessive wet or pressure of work prevent the shrubs going directly into permanent positions then they must be heeled in on a sheltered border.

Some twigs or even branches may have been damaged in transit; cut these back into sound wood then treat the wounds with a sealing compound of Stockholm tar or Arbrex.

A small prostrate yew, Taxus baccata horizontalis, performs a similar function under a solitary Field Maple on the lane border in this garden. Strange that it took a friendly visitor’s appreciation to draw my attention to the service the native Blaeberry, Vaccinium myrtillus, gives as sub-scrub in the woodland.

To prevent primulas seeding under some shrubs growing only a path’s width away I carpeted the soil beneath the shrubs with Lithospermum Heavenly Blue. The mat of leaves was covered with a mass of blue flowers in early summer. Indeed, these continued intermittently until the autumn. This plant is difficult to root and started to take extra care with the cuttings. I lost all but three from one batch so that now I continue my old practice and once again the cuttings root with perfect composure and no difficulty.

The growth of the Butcher’s Broom, Ruscus aculeatus, is closely packed, and the spine- tipped leaves appear highly polished as if they were varnished. Though extremely shade tolerant it resents a very wet acid soil, and berries sparsely in poor light conditions. Only once, in Northumberland, have I seen the bright red marble fruits really thick on a bush which was sited on the west face of a low wall.

The varieties of Hedera helix make a pleasant evergreen carpet under deciduous trees and shrubs, especially if the handsome foliage is enlivened here and there with groups of snowdrops or narcissus.

The gallant Rose of Sharon, Hypericum calycinum, saved me endless work by condescending to clothe the sides of a dry shady bank, surmounted by standard prunus trees which had been a constant source of irritation for years. Though my admiration is undimmed, experience with the same plant has caused me to be grateful that in this my first experiment it was confined from spreading beyond a prescribed limit by a flagstone path set in concrete. However, the large yellow flowers are sufficient compensation for the small labour of clipping the old shoots hard back each spring.

I have a problem corner in my own garden which after fourteen years of experiment has achieved a harmony which makes it one of the most pleasant beds, in the garden. If one shrub failed to impress or permitted that pernicious weed landcress to survive it was removed and another was acquired from elsewhere in the garden.