Bluebell Arboretum and Nursery

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Arnold Promise' (Witch Hazel)

2012-01-20T13:40:00.000Z

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Arnold Promise' is a hybrid between these two Asian species and has spectacular autumn colours followed by rich lemon yellow, sweetly scented, strap like flowers in late winter. It was raised at the Arnold Arboretum, Massachusetts in 1963 and has established itself as one of the finest of all winter flowering plants.

Witch hazels derive their common name from water divining. In Europe hazel twigs were traditionally used for this craft, but in the absence of any hazel plants in America, the European settlers used twigs from what we now know as Hamamelis virginiana which has a similar branch habit to our native hazels. These became known as “Twitch Hazels”, hence the derivation of the modern common name.

Hamamelis are easy to cultivate once established but are intolerant of waterlogged sites. They demand good drainage and, ideally, some degree of moisture in hot summers. The best way of achieving this is with the addition of copious quantities of humus when planting and subsequent mulching. Today there are probably over 150 cultivars of witch hazel available and Hamamelis x intermedia 'Arnold Promise' remains one of the best!

Chimonanthus praecox (Wintersweet)

2012-01-13T12:17:00.001Z

A popular semi-evergreen plant native to the woods and hills of China, Chimonanthus praecox has fantastic, sweetly scented, creamy-yellow flowers in winter on mature plants. The flowers scent is exquisite and dried flowers can be used to create home-made pot-pourri.

Chimonanthus praecox are hardy and grow perfectly well in a position with full sun or light, dappled shade. It is worth avoiding areas with heavy shade (as they grow well but don't produce many flowers) or lots of strong wind.

In our opinion, Chimonanthus should be planted in an area of the garden close to the house or garden path, for example near a back door, where the fragrance can be appreciated in the depths of winter!

The specimen plant in our arboretum is growing in significant shade under the canopy of a larger tree which has spread over the years. Really needing more sun, this wintersweet does not now have many flowers, but even so the scent can be detected from 10+ ft away on still days.

More information on Chimonanthus praecox (Wintersweet)

Malus x 'Evereste' (Crab Apple)

2012-01-04T13:51:00.002Z

Malus x 'Evereste' is one of the finest small trees, especially suitable for smaller gardens. In spring, the whole tree is festooned with rich pink buds which open to ivory white flowers with a very slight fragrance. The long period of flowering makes it an ideal pollinator for most varieties of apple trees.

By late summer Malus x 'Evereste' is already covered with thousands of yellowish crab apples which become flushed red as the weather becomes cooler and in October the leaves colour to rich buttery yellow.

There are lots of other crab apple cultivars which also flower, fruit and have good autumn colours but the outstanding feature of 'Evereste' is that, although the fruits are relatively sweet and can be eaten, for some reason birds usually leave them alone until January before they enjoy a wintry feast.

The specimen in our garden is still covered with fruit at the moment in early Jan 2012.

Malus 'Evereste' was raised in France in 1980 and given the French (female) name of Evereste after the famous mountain.

More Information on Malus x 'Evereste'

1) Spring Flower - The Malus x 'Evereste' in our woodland gardens (taken in mid April 2011).

2 ) Autumn Colour - The Malus x 'Evereste' covered with masses of colourful fruit in our woodland gardens (taken in early November 2010).

BBC Gardening blog

2011-12-21T08:46:00.002Z

Catch up with the new blog written by Robert on the BBC Gardening website about winter flowering trees & shrubs in our gardens.

BBC blog on winter flowering trees and shrubs

also of interest:

Winter flowering trees & shrubs on our nursery

Betula utilis var jacquemontii 'Doorenbos' (Himalayan Birch)

2011-12-13T08:45:00.002Z

The lovely silver birch of the Himalayas are found from Afghanistan, through Northern Pakistan, Kashmir, Nepal Bhutan and into Western China.

There are many selections of Betula utilis in cultivation, all thoroughly good garden plants with superb bark colour throughout the year. Of all of them Betula utilis var jacquemontii 'Doorenbos', is one of the very whitest and has the advantage of turning white as a young plant and even has white roots if they are slightly exposed!

Plants may be grown with single trunks, or pruned hard as young plants to produce a vase-shaped multistemmed effect. Alternatively three Betula jacquemontii are sometimes planted in the same hole to create a three trunked tree.

For optimum growth, never remove the side branches above a third of the height of the tree, i.e., when a tree is 9 feet high, don’t prune off any branches above three feet.

The specific name “utilis” refers to the usefulness of this birch, which in the wild is used as fuel and for the manufacture of everyday items, such as buttons.

On an expedition to the Eastern Himalayas in 2007 we noticed white Betula utilis stems just stuck into the side of tracks & roads being used as simple bollards to warn motorists of precipitous falls if they went off the road!

Betula utilis var jacquemontii 'Doorenbos' will benefit enormously from an annual scrub, or even better, a gentle pressure wash occasionally to really expose the beautiful bark.

Autumn Colour 2011

2011-10-31T21:55:00.000Z

The autumn colour in the gardens at Bluebell Arboretum and Nursery in late October 2011.

The colour arrived very late this year, starting really only in the last week of October. However when it finally started, boy was it worth it :)

Please visit the arboretum page on our website if you are interested in further info or would like to visit the gardens.

Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki'

2011-10-26T11:08:00.000+01:00

This famous cultivar of Japanese Maple has probably the finest, fiery red autumn colours of all the many superb varieties available.

Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki' grows into a large shrub or eventually very small tree and, like all Japanese maples, prefers a situation sheltered from the most severe winds. Acer 'Osakazuki' is more sun tolerant than some maples but appreciates a little shade if possible.

The literal translation of 'Osakazuki' is “saki-cup-like”, referring to the way that the leaves of this cultivar sometimes “cup” at their base.

Although Acer palmatum is usually known as the Japanese maple, it actually also grows in Korea and right across China into Sichuan Province in the west.

The autumn colours of many maples, especially selections of Acer palmatum is very dependent on the pH (acidity / alkalinity) of the soil. They prefer lime free soil, so here, on our almost neutral ground, we are applying an annual dressing of sulphur granules round our maples at the rate of 1 or 2 oz per square yard, to make the soil more acid, and year by year the intensity of the autumn colour increases.

The Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki' in our gardens is around 16 years old and has reached a height of around 3m (10 ft) to 4m (13 ft) with a spread of 3m (10 ft)

Vitis coignetiae (Crimson Glory Vine)

2011-10-01T12:44:00.001+01:00

Vitis coignetiae

Suddenly, an old and rather tatty Japanese Larch, Larix kaempferi in our gardens has been transformed into a rainbow of rich orange, red and yellow autumn colours by our Vitis coignetiae.

This vigorous, very hardy, twining climber is one of the most reliable of climbing woody plants for sensational displays of glowing autumn colours. It is equally at home trained over a large trellis or arbour, in sun or even in partial shade.


Vitis coignetiae

Along with several other vines such as Vitis coignetiae 'Claret Cloak', Vitis coignetiae 'Spetchley Red' and Vitis vinifera 'Purpurea', we've planted our glory Vine next to an indifferent old tree which it has now grown through filling it with enormous leaves throughout summer which in autumn always turn to the most brilliant shades of scarlet.

Vitis coignetiae 'Claret Cloak'

It is closely related to the familiar Grape Vine, Vitis vinifera. Although grape vines are often cultivated on poor soils, in this country, traditionally they were planted on a dead calf! This may seem a little extreme nowadays but it does show how much these vigorous plants really appreciate a generous helping of rich garden compost or manure when planting and occasional mulchings thereafter.

Vitis coignetiae 'Claret Cloak' has very pretty, deeply divided leaves which will also colour brilliantly during the next few weeks and is a little less vigorous making it an ideal choice for smaller gardens.

Vitis vinifera 'Purpurea'

BlueBell Arboretum's Vitis vinifera 'Purpurea' is growing through a Picea breweriana, (Brewer's Weeping Spruce). This cultivar doesn't have quite such fine autumn colours but has rich purple foliage all summer with silvery young growths and is much less vigorous here.

It is ideal for training over a sunny wall or similar where it will appreciate a little support through which to twine.

Euonymus alatus (Winged Spindle)

2011-09-29T13:48:00.001+01:00

Lots of autumn colour in the gardens at the moment, with lots of plants looking particularly attractive in the unseasonably sunny, warm September weather this year.

What has caught my eye today is the startling scarlet red autumn colour of the established Euonymus alatus in the gardens.

It has been growing for around 14 - 15 years and has reached a height of 2.5 m (8 ft and a spread of 2.5 m (8 ft). Usually they are a little wider then they are tall, but ours is a touch close to an established conifer.

The autumn colour is very reliable and the Euonymus alatus looks great each autumn for around 2 to 3 weeks, the colour really starting to appear in mid September.

The summer leaves are bright green and attractive enough. The bark on established plants has distinctive broad, corky 'wings'.

Euonymus alatus can have small numbers of vivid purplish-red fruit with orange seed, but other species like Euonymus europaeus 'Red Cascade' or Euonyumus planipes or also Euonymus phellomanus are a far better choice if colourful late summer/autumn fruit is a priority.

Below is a short video of an Euonymus alatus in our gardens, taken in autumn 2010.

Spring and summer 2011 Video

2011-09-10T12:56:00.002+01:00

A compilation of video clips filmed in Bluebell Arboretum and Nursery, Derbyshire, United Kingdom, in spring and summer 2011.

Visit our arboretum webpage for more details

Update and Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'

2011-09-08T16:36:00.001+01:00

Its been a fair while since my last blog, apologies! - the time constraints of the nursery and young children taking up a lot of time.

As well as this blog, you can keep up with what is going on by checking out the following:

Bluebell Arboretum and Nursery on Facebook
and
Bluebell Arboretum and Nursery on Youtube

On a plant related note, the group of Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' in the gardens here has been looking particularly good recently, with a long lasting display of large, round white flower heads.

Interestingly, plants in a sunny part of the gardens have been in flower since late June, while those shown in photos are in fairly heavy shade have been flowering only since mid August.

Our Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' are cut back to around 20 - 30 cm above ground level each spring and mulched with well rotted manure. This increases the size of the flower heads and they can be up to 25 cm across.

It has proved to be a hardy plant here, surviving the sever winter last year where we had cold down to -20°C, although they always seem to produce a betetr display of flowers if planted in a position sheltered from strong winds.

All in all, a tough and deservedly popular garden plant!

Chaenomeles!

2010-05-21T19:33:00.007+01:00

Straight from a cold spring to what feels like a the middle of summer.

Due to the cold winter and spring the plants in our gardens are around 3 - 4 weeks later this year than usual in terms of flowering time and coming into leaf.

One of the stars of the show at the moment in the gardens is Chaenomeles speciosa 'Toyo-Nishiki' (top photo), a flowering quince covered with very beautiful pale pink and white flowers on the same plant.

Another cultivar nearby, Chaenomeles speciosa 'Umbilicata' (bottom photo), is also very eye-catching with fantastic rose pink flowers in abundance along the branches.

Both these plants are medium to large sized shrubs which are at their best in spring (albeit usually in April rather than late May) and give a great display of early colour in the garden.

Chaenomeles at Bluebell Nursery

Spring is nearly here?

2010-03-24T16:27:00.002Z

After a long and cold winter, we have finally had a few warm days here in Derbyshire and things are nearly spring-like.

Crocus are starting to emerge throughout the garden and various Hellebores are now coming into flower and looking great!

At the moment spring seems to be possibly three or four weeks late but with some warmer days the thick carpet of snow we had earlier this year suddenly seems a long time ago!

www.bluebellnursery.com

the garden over winter

2010-01-21T14:11:00.007Z

Happy New Year!

After a busy autumn, Christmas and snowy new year. I have finally had some time to take have a walk round our gardens and take a few photos of what is currently looking good!

At the moment, the Betula ermanii is looking sensational. I have written about this plant before and the creamy pink bark is peeling nicely at the moment.

Also our Hamamelis (Witch Hazel) are starting to flower, with the Hamamelis x intermedia 'Jelena' looking particularly good at the moment with its long orange petals.

Finally, our most popular birch, Betula utilis var. jacquemontii 'Doorenbos' is as handsome as ever with its pure white winter bark, especially in the snowy weather we have had this winter.

Hopefully, we have finished with snow for the time being and all of us here are looking forwards to Spring!

www.bluebellnursery.com

Liquidambar styraciflua 'Festival'

2009-11-11T13:53:00.007Z

We've had a busy few weeks on the nursery and in the gardens recently, with many people visiting to see the glowing autumn colours.

The weather has been fairly quiet, with no major gales or winds in our area and therefore quite a few of the trees here are still giving a good autumn display.

In particular one of our favourite trees, a Liquidambar styraciflua 'Festival' (Sweet Gum) planted by the main car park, is still looking stunning at the moment.

The leaves of this unusual, handsome tree are bright green in spring and summer, turning to a nearly translucent, ruby red in late September and staying on the branches for several weeks (unless we have persistent windy weather).

The soil in the arboretum generally has a pH of around 6.8 to 7.0 and with Liquidambar trees it is worth bearing in mind the following before planting them:

The autumn colour of Liquidambar will vary according to weather and in particular the pH of your soil. The best, most vivid autumn colours will occur in lime-free or acid soils.

A liberal annual application of flowers of sulphur around the base of a Liquidambar, at a rate of up to 2 oz. per square yard on neutral or slightly alkaline soils will slowly lower the pH and intensify the autumn colour!

The fantastic red leaf colour, especially on a clear, sunny autumn day makes this a sought after garden tree!

Further information about growing this sweet gum can be found on my website by clicking on the following link: Liquidambar styraciflua 'Festival'

Prunus sargentii

2009-10-23T10:52:00.009+01:00

The autumn colour is probably at its best in our gardens at the moment, looking especially good on a clear, sunny day.

In the new area opened up last year, a Prunus sargentii is looking particularly stunning at the moment, with masses of apricot orange-bronze leaves hanging from the branches.

At only eight years old, it is still quite young and yet has a lovely habit and year round interest. In spring, the branches are covered with masses of large, single, white flushed pink flowers at about the same time as the young leaves emerge.

The foliage is initially an intriguing bronze-green in colour, darkening later on in summer before developing the colourful autumn colours shown in the photograph.

Interestingly, the autumn colour can vary on trees planted in different areas. Although our own plant has the flamboyant orange autumn colours, others can have vivid scarlet leaves, while still more can have dark plum-purple autumn tints.

Established specimens have a rich glossy-brown bark which gives winter interest once the leaves have fallen. Although perfectly hardy, we find Prunus sargentii is best planted in a position with some shelter from the wind, so the colourful autumn leaves are not blown from the tree to early in October.

A handsome plant with year round interest, this is an ideal tree for all but the smallest of gardens.

Further information about growing this ornamental cherry tree can be found on my website by clicking on the following link: Prunus sargentii

Acer japonicum 'Vitifolium'

2009-10-12T13:01:00.006+01:00

This glorious maple is planted in the long border next to our main car park and the leaves are glowing with colour in today's sunny weather!

Acer japonicum can be found growing in the wild, in Japan and parts of Korea. The cultivar in our gardens is 'Vitifolium', also known as the vine-leaved maple, which has distinctive leaves which are similar in appearance and shape to those of a (you guessed it) Vitis or vine!

The leaves come out in mid to late spring and are apple green in colour. In September they start to colour up for autumn, turning superb shades of red or orange before falling in mid to late October.

This fiery autumn colour is eye-catching, particularly on a sunny day with clear blue sky.

Now around 14 years old, the specimen in our gardens has reached a height of nearly 3 m (10 ft) and a spread of 2.5 m (8 ft) and is a small, shrubby, branching tree.

Ideally, this Acer always looks best if planted in a border or position which has late afternoon sun in the autumn time, preferably shining through the leaves. This subdued autumn sunshine will light up the leaves like a stained glass window!

Further information about growing this lovely maple can be found on my website by clicking on the following link: Acer japonicum

Viburnum lentago 'Pink Beauty'

2009-10-06T09:39:00.004+01:00

This unusual plant can be found growing in a woody, slightly sheltered part of our gardens. Although the leaves are lush, glossy and look as though they should belong to an evergreen plant, Viburnum lentago 'Pink Beauty' is actually deciduous and has great autumn colour.

Native to the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, Viburnum lentago thrives in the U.K., with lovely green summer foliage which turns magnificent shades of plum purple and red in the autumn before falling.

Pretty clusters of white flowers appear in late spring or early summer, followed by blueish-black fruit on the classic species. The cultivar in our gardens and shown in the photos is 'Pink Beauty', which has the same flowers in late spring and masses of lovely, vibrant pink berries which turn black just before they fall.

The specimen in our gardens has reached a height of around 2 m (6 ft) after 8 or so years and has a compact, densely branching habit. It is lovely when planted as a standalone shrub and will do equally well when planted as part of a border.

Especially eye-catching are the colourful fruit and leaves on a cold morning in late October, covered in frost!

Further information about growing this reliable holly can be found on my website by clicking on the following link: Viburnum at Bluebell Nursery

Ilex x meserveae 'Blue Princess'

2009-09-28T13:39:00.005+01:00

Earlier today I noticed that this holly in the main car park border was looking very good. At the moment it is absolutely covered with clusters of bright red, eye-catching berries which can stay on the plant for many weeks in mild weather before falling.

Ilex x meserveae 'Blue Princess' is evergreen with dark bluish-green, prickly leaves through the year. The new leaves in spring have a faint purple tint and darken as they age.

A female holly, this Ilex is not self fertile and requires a male holly planted somewhere nearby for pollination in late spring. Without a nearby male holly, Ilex x meserveae 'Blue Princess' will not produce any berries.

We have planted several female hollies in the same area within a few metres of each other and they are all pollinated by a single small male holly which is pretty much out of sight at the back of the border (my wife tells me this is the ideal spot for most men!).

The male holly in question is actually a Ilex x meserveae 'Blue Prince' and is identical in appearance to the holly shown in the photos, except it does not produce any berries at all and so has less ornamental value.

In a cold frosty autumns, the berries are also popular with wildlife, birds in particular.

Further information about growing this reliable holly can be found on my website by clicking on the following link: Ilex at Bluebell Nursery

Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku'

2009-09-25T14:58:00.008+01:00

Planted in a border by our main car park, this is one of the most flamboyant Acer cultivars and more commonly known in the U.K. as the coral bark maple.

As a garden plant this is renowned for its bright red winter stems which give great winter interest from late autumn when the leaves fall until spring when the new foliage emerges.

The delicate leaves are pale green, edged with pink initially, slowly turning a darker shade of green as the summer progresses. In autumn the leaves once again change colour, turning a clear apricot yellow again tinged with shrimp pink before they fall.

Although planted in a reasonably woody area, we have managed (with a bit of formative pruning on the taller trees around it) to create a position which is in light, dappled shade through the hot summer months and yet is in full sunlight in early - late autumn as the sun sits lower in the sky. This causes the autumn leaves to glow with colour on a sunny day.

Our Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku' is in the region of ten years old and has reached a height of 2.5 m (8 ft) tall. The mature bare stems can be gently washed with a soft brush and water in the winter months once the leaves have fallen, to remove algae and dirt from the stems and make them even more colourful.

Further information about growing this delightful Japanese maple can be found on my website by clicking on the following link: Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku' at Bluebell Nursery

Cercidiphyllum japonicum

2009-09-24T16:26:00.005+01:00

One of my favourite trees for autumn colour! Also known as the 'Katsura Tree', Cercidiphyllum is a lovely garden tree with elegant arching branches and bright green leaves in the spring and summer.

The summer foliage is nothing however when compared to the exciting colours the leaves turn in autumn before falling, with a mixture of glowing reds, orange and golden yellow being the norm.

The cultivar looking particularly good today in the gardens and so hence in the photos is actually a named form called Cercidiphyllum japonicum 'Strawberry' , which has reliable golden yellow, peach and strawberry red autumn colours.

This is planted in a quiet (until my errant young son Daniel came to see what I was doing), slightly sheltered spot against a dark green holly hedge, where the superb autumn colours show up really well.

Another feature of Cercidiphyllum is that the leaves produce an aroma similar to burnt sugar as they show their best autumn colour and fall from the tree. This pervasive scent tends to linger around the tree in autumn, especially in still weather.

Further information about growing this glamorous tree can be found on my website by clicking on the following link: Cercidiphyllum japonicum at Bluebell Nursery

Euonymus phellomanus

2009-09-24T10:39:00.009+01:00

In a leafy area of the gardens by the bottom pond, you can find this hidden gem. Euonymus phellomanus, also known as the winged spindle or corktree, is native to parts of China and always looks lovely in mid to late September.

An understated shrub in the spring and summer time, this species is perhaps one of the best self-fertile Euonymus for ornamental berries, developing clusters of vivid pink fruit in early autumn which split to reveal bright orange seed. These colourful fruit can last on the plant for several weeks before falling.

Another feature of Euonymus phellomanus is the distinctive, corky 'wings' on the stems which give it architectural interest through the winter once the leaves have fallen. Although very narrow, on established plants these wings can standout for up to 1cm from the main stem.

The pale green leaves are pretty in their own right, although there are better species of Euonymus if you prefer eye-catching autumn colour.

In a normal garden setting, this plant is superb as part of a border or as a standalone shrub, although as Euonymus phellomanus is slow growing, it should not be planted close to much more vigorous shrubs which will swamp it.

It is worth bearing in mind that the fruit are toxic and should not be eaten.

Further information about growing this fetching shrub can be found on my website by clicking on the following link: Euonymus phellomanus at Bluebell Nursery

Betula ermanii

2009-09-23T13:53:00.007+01:00

A lovely birch which is native to a huge area, from Eastern Russia to Norther Japan.

This is planted near our car park in a prime position, where the creamy pink, peeling bark and graceful shape are obvious to anyone driving in.

The cool green summer leaves turn shades of butter yellow before falling in early autumn.

Although appearing to be a single multi-stemmed tree, this particular specimen is actually three Betula ermanii which were initially planted very close together in the same hole. Now 15 years old, these birch have fused together and now have a distinctive, three trunked appearance.

Although not quite as instantly eye-catching as some of its silver-barked cousins, Betula ermanii makes a tasteful, elegant garden tree.

Information about growing this tree can be found on my website by clicking on the following link: Betula ermanii at Bluebell Nursery

We like trees......

2009-09-23T13:12:00.007+01:00

Hello there and welcome to the new Bluebell Arboretum and Nursery blog!

My name is Robert (the Younger) and I am one of the owners of Bluebell Nursery, a retail and mail order plant nursery in South Derbyshire, U.K. with many years of experience growing unusual trees and shrubs both on our nursery and in our surrounding nine acre arboretum (woodland garden).

The aim of this blog is to look at various beautiful trees and shrubs in the gardens as the year goes by, highlighting those with vivid autumn colour, handsome winter bark, spring flowers and anything else exciting in our gardens.

The garden is open to the public all year round and fairly young, with no plants in it older than about 16 years.

If you would like to visit the gardens to see any of the plants I mention in this blog for yourself, you can find more details about it on my website at: Bluebell Nursery and Arboretum

I should probably mention that the gardens showcase trees and shrubs and despite our name (its a long story!), we are not a traditional wood full of bluebells!

So to get the ball rolling, we'll start by looking at a tree with good, early autumn colour this year!

Now to find my camera.....