gardening

The Abutilons have the vernacular name of flowering maples because of their maple-like leaves. It will come as no surprise then that the form Abutilon pictum ''Thompsonii'' is commonly called the spotted flowering maple due to its striking, variegated foliage.

The leaves are richly mottled with yellow on a dark green background. This is caused by a virus, but there's no need for concern as it is harmless and can only be transferred to other Abutilons by means of grafting.

Although the main attraction is likely to

be the foliage, it does produce beautiful,

two-inch (50mm), bell-shaped, orange blooms. These appear from the leaf axils and hang on thin, long stalks. It has an upright habit and to encourage some bushy growth, pinch out the growing tips occasionally.

A plant can be kept for several years, but to prevent it from becoming spindly, prune the stems back in the spring by about one third. Some people prefer to renew these plants every year and tip cuttings should be taken from non-flowering shoots in the spring

or summer.

Plenty of good light is essential for flowering and to come through the winter the temperature shouldn't go below 10C (50F). Watering can be reduced over the winter, but during the spring to the autumn keep them well watered. They are reasonably tolerant of a dry atmosphere, but will benefit from occasional misting. Mealy bug is said to be a favourite pest, so do be on the lookout. I've found whitefly to be more of a problem when kept in a heated greenhouse. Despite such potential problems, Abutilon pictum ''Thompsonii'' can make quite a feature in the home as a fine bold specimen.

timely tasks

l Remember to earth-up tatties as the foliage grows to help avoid ''greening'' of the potatoes. Break up the soil between the rows and pile the earth against the stems.

l If you have any clumps of established bulbs that gave a poor display of flowering, they are likely to be congested and need lifting, dividing and replanting in the dormant season. It's a good idea to mark these clumps with a cane now before the foliage disappears.

l If you have one or two Rhododendrons that have finished flowering it is worth

dead-heading them to help promote flowering for the following year. Remove the whole flower head at its base, which should easily break off in your hand.

blight of the week

blossom end rot

This is a common disorder associated with the fruits of tomatoes and, to some extent, peppers. A characteristic sunken, dark brown patch appears on the skin at the bottom end or blossom end of the fruit; in other words, the opposite end to the flower stalk. These patches enlarge and eventually penetrate the fleshy part of the fruit and may even affect the seeds inside. Once it appears on a fruit there is no cure and that tomato will be spoilt. Sadly it can destroy truss after truss of tomatoes.

If you are a regular grower of tomatoes, I'm sure like myself you will have occasionally experienced this problem.

The good news is that it is not a contagious disease, spreading from one fruit to another, but I would still advise removing the damaged fruits in order to improve the chances of the tomatoes of the next truss. It is common to find just one truss of fruit affected and the rest developing as normal.

The reason for this disorder is, in most cases, due to a shortage of water at a critical stage in the development of the young fruit. However, it is not the shortage of water that causes the blemish; it is the lack of available calcium caused through this water stress. When the plant cells of the developing embryo fruit become deprived of calcium they collapse and become discoloured, with the result of blossom end rot.

It tends to be more troublesome with tomato plants grown in peat-based composts which can readily dry out and especially when using grow bags. If you feel sure that your watering has been adequate, it could be a calcium deficiency within the compost. With such plants try an application of lime, using about a teaspoon scattered around the base of the plant and watered in. Repeat this again after a couple of weeks and, hopefully, your plants will respond.