Love My Garden

Sarcococcus confusa (Christmas Box)

2013-12-21T17:14:00.000+00:00

Sarcococcus confusa, also called Sweet Box or Christmas Box because of the small but fragrant white flowers produced around this time of year, is an evergreen shrub suitable for container planting as it only grows to a maximum of 6ft tall with a spread of 3ft.
The rather insignificant flowers of this dense evergreen shrub produce a wonderful winter fragrance so plant it near to the house, preferably in a spot sheltered from drying cold winds. The leaves are small, oval and a glossy dark green. The clusters of fragrant white flowers produced in midwinter are followed by small glossy black berries.
A hardy plant which prefers a shaded or semi shaded spot, it likes a moist but well drained, fertile, humus-rich soil but will tolerate atmospheric pollution and a little neglect.
Earlier this year I bought a small specimen which I have planted in a pot and placed against a low wall near to the log store. This should be a good place to appreciate the winter fragrance whilst collecting wood for the fire.

Spring Lawn Care

2013-04-28T21:46:00.000+01:00

Last year's wet summer and the long cold winter have left my lawn looking a bit worse for wear. Spring has arrived late this year so I need to catch up on some essential lawn maintenance. The moss problem which already existed was made worse by long spells of very wet weather. My lawn is old and has a build up of thatch which needs removing with a lawn rake in autumn to improve the surface drainage. This wasn't done last autumn so the moss problem has worsened. Spring is the time to apply a proprietary feed, weed and moss killer. The moss turns black as it dies off and can then be raked out. The lawn feed encourages the grass to thicken up and fill any gaps left by the removal of the moss, with the weed killer discouraging the spread of weeds. If you like to garden organically the moss can still be raked out and an organic lawn food then applied. Weeds can be dug out by hand using a daisy grubber. Use a garden fork to spike the lawn and brush in gritty sand to help improve surface drainage and discourage the growth of moss.
The lawn needs regular cutting to keep it looking good. The first cut of Spring should be with the mower blades set high - about one and a half inches. Once the grass has been cut a few times the blades can be lowered. Aim for a height of about three quarters of an inch for a fine lawn, but as my grass is a bit coarser I find setting the blades at a height of one inch gives the best result. Regular mowing produces a denser, greener, hard wearing lawn. The lawn edges also need attention as they tend to become worn and untidy. Neaten them using the back of a spade or a half moon lawn edger to give a clean sharp edge which can be kept neat with lawn edging shears or a strimmer.
One last note - if you cut the grass shortly after using a lawn weedkiller, only add the cuttings to the compost heap if you are not going to use the compost for at least six months.

Corylus avellana 'Contorta' (Corkscrew Hazel)

2013-02-13T21:27:00.000+00:00

Although my garden is only medium sized I have a habit of buying plants as if I had a much larger garden. As a result I have a lot of plants in containers. My two largest containers have been used to grow small trees, a Japanese Maple and a Corkscrew Hazel. While the Japanese Maple appears to be quite happy in its container, the Corkscrew Hazel seemed to be struggling so last October I made the decision to transplant it into the Woodland border at the bottom of the garden. Two dead hawthorn trees had been removed from this border so there was plenty of room for the Hazel to grow.
It is a slow growing tree with a shrubby habit which will eventually reach about 8 feet in height. Hopefully this will make a lovely feature tree for the winter as its stems twist and spiral as they grow, giving it the name of Corkscrew or Twisted Hazel. The sculptural stems are further enhanced by 2 inch long pale yellow catkins which appear in late winter/early spring. Hazels will grow in any well drained soil in sun and partial shade.
Propagation can be done by layering. This involves selecting a healthy side shoot which is one or two years old and bending it down to soil level, keeping the growing tip held upwards. The bent shoot can be secured in position by a U shaped pin or by stones. To encourage rooting an oblique cut should be made in the stem where it contacts the soil. A dusting of hormone rooting powder can be beneficial. The new plant can be severed from the parent plant when a decent root system has formed. This can take a year or two.

Gaillardia aristata (Gaillardia grandiflora)

2012-11-27T14:17:00.000+00:00

Gaillardia aristata, also called Gaillardia grandiflora is a beautiful red and yellow daisy like flower which is excellent for cutting. It is a hardy perennial growing to about 24-30 inches high and makes a bright addition to the herbaceous border. Flowers are up to 3 inches across and borne from June to October. Also known as the blanket flower, this pretty plant was introduced into Britain in 1812. It is native to Western Canada, Western USA and New Mexico.

Gaillardia aristata is the parent plant to a number of striking garden hybrids which range in colour from orange-yellow through shades of red to burgundy. There is a dwarf variety called 'Goblin' which only grows to 9 inches high and is suitable for the smaller garden or the front of the border.

Gaillardias thrive in a light, well drained soil and prefer a sunny position, although they will grow reasonably well in any soil and will tolerate light shade. Taller plants with large flower heads will need some support and removing dead flower heads will prolong the flowering period.

There is an annual species called Gaillardia pulchella which grows to a slightly lesser height of 18 inches.

Both annual and perennial species can be grown from seed. Sow in pots or trays of seed compost in February and March under glass at a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius. Harden off in a cold frame before planting out in May when all risk of frost has passed. Alternatively, sow annual seeds outside directly into the flowering site in April and thin out the seedlings to the required planting distance.

White Flowered Plants

2012-10-31T20:30:00.003+00:00

Cool colours are often used in the English garden as they are well suited to the light and climate. White flowers are especially beautiful and there are many lovely plants to choose from. I try to include a good mix of plants in the garden that flower at different times of the year.
For spring flowers I have planted the lovely white Narcissus 'Thalia' which is an easily grown daffodil of medium height. It has pendant flowers with palest cream back swept petals and a white cup. Each stem carries up to three blooms. This is a prolific plant and will flower regularly without being lifted. It is a welcome addition to the spring garden, suitable for growing in the border or in containers.
In summer the annual Marguerite is a popular plant for patio containers but can be just as easily grown in the garden. It has lovely white daisy like flowers and feathery grey green foliage. I love this plant as it will flower prolifically and continuously through the summer months and into autumn. Dead head the flowers regularly to ensure an abundant supply of blooms. If you want a perennial plant with white daisy like flowers I would strongly recommend Chrysanthemum maximum, also known as the Shasta Daisy. I grow this in the herbaceous border where it flowers abundantly and is a really stunning plant.
Another favourite of mine is the very popular white floribunda rose 'Iceberg'. It grows to around 4 -5 feet in height with glossy mid green foliage and slightly fragrant medium sized blooms. A vigorous and free branching shrub, it makes a lovely specimen bush but is also a good choice for hedging. I moved my two floribunda Iceberg roses last autumn from the front garden to a larger border in the rear garden in order to give them more space to grow. Despite the dreadful summer weather we have suffered this year, both roses rewarded me with some beautiful blooms.

Violas and Pansies

2012-09-30T21:13:00.000+01:00

Viola tricolor, also known as heartsease, is an easy to grow little plant for containers or planting under shrubs in the border. It is only a few inches high but spreads to about 12 inches. Pretty little flowers, varying in colour from cream and yellow through to dark blue and red/purple, are produced in profusion from May to September.
The larger garden pansy is a hybrid derived from Viola tricolor and is basically similar but with larger flowers and more robust growth. These plants are a valuable addition to any garden as in addition to the summer flowering varieties, there are winter flowering types which start flowering in autumn and will continue to flower in mild weather throughout the winter season. They come in a wide variety of attractive colours and are perfect for filling in gaps in the border and in containers once the summer bedding plants have finished.
I planted some lovely purple/blue pansies in pots last autumn which flowered well during the winter months. I then moved them into the border in spring where they continued to flower well into summer. I have just planted some more winter flowering pansies in pots and hope they will perform as well as last year's plants.
Violas and pansies can be planted in September and October or in March and April. They like fertile, moist but well drained soil in sun or partial shade. Seeds of Viola tricolor can be sown in their flowing site in March or April, thinning out the seedlings as required. Or propagate existing plants by taking 1-2 inch long cuttings of non flowerings basal shoots in July and insert them in equal parts of peat and sand in a cold frame. Pot them on into 3 inch pots when well rooted. They can then be planted out into the garden between September and March.

Getting Rid of Slugs and Snails

2012-08-31T21:24:00.000+01:00

It's official - we've just had the wettest summer for one hundred years and the slugs in my garden are loving it. Both flowering plants and vegetables have suffered this year so I am looking at ways of dealing with the slimy menace.
I don't like using slug pellets, even those which are supposed to be harmless to wildlife, so I am trying other methods. Slugs hide during the day and emerge at night to munch on my favourite plants. The first line of defence is to keep the garden tidy and limit their hiding places. Putting copper bands round pots deter slugs and snails as crawling over copper gives molluscs an electric shock. Copper rings are also available to protect plants in the borders.
I have had some success with garlic wash. Just steep some garlic cloves in water for a few hours and then spray on plants - this method also deters aphids and vampires! Slug traps filled with beer also work well and at least the slugs die happy.
A surefire method is to go out at night armed with a torch, rubber gloves and a bucket of salt water to drown the little blighters in. This doesn't really appeal to me so I have decided to try biological control with nematodes. Packs of powder can be purchased which contain millions of microscopic nematodes (parasites) that kill slugs both above and below ground. The powder is mixed with water and applied to the soil with a watering can. If done correctly the nematodes should remain active for about 6 weeks, even during really wet weather when the slugs are at their most rampant. The only drawback is that they don't kill snails.
Hopefully by using some of the above tactics and encouraging natural predators such as birds and hedgehogs I can control the slug and snail population and limit the plant damage next year.

Growing Peas for the First Time

2012-07-31T22:54:00.000+01:00

This year has been a poor year for vegetable growing. The prolonged cold wet weather resulted in a very poor salad potato crop and the runner beans and dwarf beans have struggled to grow. Even the tomatoes in the greenhouse have been slow to grow and set fruit. Thankfully the weather has now warmed up, the sun has finally put in an appearance and the vegetable plants are growing strongly.
The one crop which has been a success despite the cold wet weather is the pea crop. This is the first time I have tried my hand at growing peas and I am pleased with the results. I planted 'Early Onward', a second early variety, in two rows about eighteen inches apart. The seeds were sown in v-shaped drills about 2-3 inches deep.
There were a lot of hard prunings from trees and shrubs at the bottom of the garden and some of these branches were used to support the peas. The branches were pushed into the soil at an angle creating a pleasing rustic effect, much nicer (and cheaper) than using the usual bamboo canes.
The pea seeds were sown directly into the ground in May. Usually second early varieties would be sown in April but due to the unusually cold weather it was mid May before they went into the ground. However, the pods are starting to fill out nicely now and I expect to be harvesting a decent crop over the next few weeks.

Attract Butterflies to Your Garden

2012-07-25T21:49:00.000+01:00

There have been quite a few articles in the media this year detailing the decline in butterfly numbers. The adverse weather conditions we have experienced this year can only have made life more difficult for these beautiful insects, so perhaps it's time to think about planting with butterflies in mind.
Butterflies are a lovely sight in the garden, evocative of lazy summer days, plus they help to pollinate flowers for fruit and seed so it is in the gardener's interest to encourage them. Adult butterflies require nectar, so suitable nectar rich plants chosen for their flowering season will provide food from early spring to late autumn.
Good plants for attracting butterflies include Aubrieta, Arabis, Primroses, Sweet William and Wallflowers which are spring flowering; Phlox, Lavender, Buddleia, Red Valerian and Salvia which are summer flowering; Sedum spectabile, Asters, Helenium, Hebe and Verbena bonariensis which flower in autumn. Butterflies, like most insects, love warmth, shelter and sunshine so try and plant your nectar rich flowers in a sheltered suntrap.
Butterfly larvae need different food sources such as stinging nettles, thistles and grasses - not so popular with the average gardener. But if you can find a corner to let some of these grow without invading the rest of the garden it could be beneficial to the local butterfly population. Even better would be an area of wild flower meadow but most people just don't have the space to do this.
Two good books for anyone wanting to create a butterfly garden are 'Garden Plants for Butterflies' by Matthew Oates and 'The Butterfly Gardener' by M. Rothschild and C. Farrell.

Bacterial Canker on Ornamental Cherry Tree

2012-06-25T13:45:00.000+01:00

My weeping cherry tree has suffered a bacterial canker infection and was looking a sorry sight with shrivelled brown leaves and a horrible jelly like substance oozing from the affected branches. This is a very serious disease which can affect plums, peaches and cherries, including the ornamental varieties. If left untreated it can kill the tree. The only treatment is to cut out all infected wood right back to clean wood and burn all infected material. The cut ends of the branches should then be painted with a proprietary tree wound sealant to prevent re-infection.

I have done all this but I now need to make sure the tree does not become infected again. My reference books recommend spraying the foliage thoroughly with a copper based fungicide in mid-August, mid-September and mid-October. Hopefully once this is done the tree should be free of infection but I will be checking it regularly from now on.

We have had unusually cold and wet weather since April this year and late frosts in May which resulted in some frost damage to the tree. It is possible that these conditions have made the tree more susceptible to disease.

Welsh Poppies (Meconopsis cambrica)

2012-05-27T18:28:00.000+01:00

Today I spotted the first flowers of the Welsh Poppy in my garden. This is a self seeding, short lived perennial which will grow in practically any type of soil and any position, unlike other Menocopsis species which require moist soil and light shade. It grows to approximately 12 inches in height and spread, having deeply dissected mid green leaves and producing yellow or orange flowers between June and September.
I planted the Welsh poppy in my garden a couple of years ago but the original plant did not survive for long due to a particularly cold winter. However, it has self seeded and I now have a healthy looking clump of deep amber flowers in the border. While dead heading will prolong the flowering season, it is worth leaving one or two seed heads in place in order to collect the seed and sow it as soon as it ripens in August or September. Sow the seeds under glass and overwinter the seedlings in a well ventilated greenhouse or cold frame ready to plant out in spring. Seeds can be sown in spring but germination is slower. These vibrantly coloured flowers look stunning when planted alongside bluebells.

Saxifraga urbium (London Pride)

2012-05-24T20:14:00.000+01:00

Saxifraga urbium (commonly called London Pride) is a rock plant originating from the Pyrenees. It was a popular plant a few years ago, being found in many town gardens. In recent years it seems to have fallen from favour but I think it is a useful and attractive plant.
Rosettes of evergreen leaves make excellent ground cover, the variegated form having leaves with attractive splashes of yellow. In late spring stems up to 12 inches tall carry clouds of delicate pink and white flowers. This is a plant which likes shade and will tolerate poor soil provided it is not too dry. Damp shade is its preferred habitat. Plant it near paths so you can see the rosettes. These rosettes of evergreen leaves can spread quite rapidly once established forming an evergreen carpet.
New rosettes can be gently pulled off and replanted in late summer, preferably in wet weather. I have planted the variegated form, with its beautiful green and gold leaves, at the front of the border next to the seating area.

Dicentra Spectabilis (Bleeding Heart)

2012-04-30T21:50:00.000+01:00

This attractive plant was introduced into Britain in 1816 from Siberia and Japan. It is a graceful hardy perennial with arching sprays of heart shaped flowers and pretty fern-like foliage. It grows to about 30 inches in height, the rose red flowers with protruding white inner petals being borne between April and June.
This is a beautiful plant for a shady border or a woodland garden. It prefers a moist, fertile, humus rich soil in partial shade but will tolerate full sun. There is a white flowered version called 'Alba' which flowers at the same time and requires the same planting conditions.
Plants can be propagated by dividing and replanting the roots between October and March.
I have a large red flowered specimen which I planted many years ago. It dies back to ground level every autumn and reappears every spring. It has survived some really severe winters (although it is planted in a fairly sheltered spot) and the flowers are as spectacular now as they were when the plant was young. Another good thing about this plant is that it does not seem to be attractive to slugs. It is one of my favourite plants, I just wish the flowers lasted longer.

Shrubs with Golden Foliage

2012-04-21T18:43:00.000+01:00

Berberis thunbergii 'Aurea'

Choisya ternata 'Sundance'

Spirea 'Anthony Waterer - Goldflame'

Foliage is just as important in the garden as flowers. It provides a backdrop to the flowering plants and the shape and colour of the foliage itself can compliment most planting schemes, providing interest when flowers have faded. Shrubs can be used to provide height and structure to the garden and there is a huge choice out there. Golden leaved varieties will brighten up any garden. If you are looking through the plant catalogues, cultivars called 'Aurea' or 'Aureum' are a good indication that the foliage is golden.

Choisya ternata 'Sundance' is a golden leaved variety of the evergreen mexican orange blossom shrub. This is a lovely shrub, its leaves providing a welcome splash of colour in the winter months. Exposure to cold winds and frosts can brown the leaves somewhat, so a sheltered position is preferred. It has a rather sprawling habit but can be pruned lightly to keep in check. The beautifully scented flowers which appear in May are a bonus and are one reason I am careful not to prune back too hard in case I lose them.
A much smaller shrub grown mainly for its leaf colour is Spirea Anthony Waterer 'Goldflame'. The leaves are a lovely coppery yellow colour when young but turn green with age. This shrub only grows to about 3 feet in height and is perfect for the front of the border as it can be pruned back hard in early spring. it will then throw up young shoots, each crowned with a broad flat panicle of crimson flowers. The red/gold colour of the leaves will last for most of the season.
Another good golden leaved shrub for a small garden is Berberis thunbergii 'Aurea'. A rounded deciduous shrub with brilliant yellow foliage, most pronounced in Spring, it is slow growing and should not exceed 5 feet in height and spread. I planted mine as a very small shrub about 7 years ago and it is still only 3 feet height and spread.

Marsh Marigold - Excellent Marginal Plant for Smaller Ponds

2012-03-26T22:09:00.000+01:00

The Marsh Marigold (Caltha) is a hardy herbaceous perennial suitable for growing in marshy ground, around pool margins or in shallow water. It is an easy to grow marginal plant which is non invasive and therefore suitable for the smaller pond. It grows in water up to 6 inches deep and produces an abundance of lovely yellow/white flowers in April/May. If you remove the dead flowers as soon as they have faded, it will often produce a second flush of flowers in the autumn.
The variety I grow as a marginal plant in my pond is Caltha palustris which is native to Britain and Europe. It has flowered early this year due to the unusually warm March weather. It grows to about 12-15 inches in height with a spread of around 12 inches, and if grown in water as a marginal plant will require a container of at least 6 inches in depth.
The plants can be propagated by lifting and dividing the roots in May or June after flowering has finished.

Planting New Potatoes

2012-03-14T19:55:00.001+00:00

The last of the winter veg has now been harvested and the veg patch has been dug over ready for the new season's planting. Today I planted the first of this year's vegetables - new potatoes. In previous years I have grown mainly Arran Pilot, a first early potato which stores well. This year I have decided to plant fewer potatoes but of different varieties, so today I planted Swift, a first early ideal for salads, which should be ready for harvesting in early summer. I also planted Pixie, a heavy cropping second early, which should be ready to harvest in mid summer.
New potatoes should be planted about 4 inches deep and about 9 inches apart in rows which are set 24 inches apart. The potatoes should be chitted (allowed to sprout) in a light cool frost free place prior to planting. This will get them off to a good start when you plant them and hopefully increase the crop. When the shoots are about an inch long they are ready for planting. Carefully plant with the shoots facing upwards.
Once your potato plants have grown to a height of about 8 inches you need to start earthing them up by erecting a ridge of soil around them. This has a dual purpose. It gives the potatoes more room to grow and prevents the light from reaching them and turning them green which makes them inedible.
Continue to earth up as the plants grow. When you think the potatoes are ready to harvest remove some soil from around a plant by hand and check the size of the potatoes. If they are ready use a garden fork to lift them, taking care to push the fork in well back from the plant to avoid spearing the potatoes. When the tops of the plants have turned yellow and started to wilt it is best to lift any remaining potatoes for storage. Lay them on top of the soil for about an hour then place in bags (hessian sacks or brown paper sacks are ideal) and store them in a cool frost free place.

Iris Reticulata

2012-02-29T23:31:00.000+00:00

I planted a number of these beautiful little Irises last autumn and they have just come into flower during the recent spell of mild weather. Unlike the larger Irises which are grown from rhizomes, these small Irises are grown from bulbs. They have narrow pointed green leaves which grow to about 6 inches high and bear scented flowers 2-3 inches across in various shades of blue and purple with markings of yellow, orange and red.

The flowers are produced in February and March and are suitable for growing in the front of the border, in rockeries or greenhouse pot culture. Bulbs should be planted 3 inches deep and 4 inches apart in September or October. You can increase your stock by lifting and dividing established clumps but this should not be carried out in the first 4 to 5 years after planting.

Plants flowering this week in my garden include Iris reticulata, Hellebores, miniature Daffodils, Primulas, Pulmonaria and Camellia.

Pulmonaria - a favourite spring flower

2012-02-13T22:43:00.003+00:00

. Pulmonarias, commonly known as lungwort, are reliably hardy, easy to grow plants for shady areas such as under trees or a shaded border. The most commonly grown variety is Pulmonaria officinalis, also called spotted dog due to its white spotted leaves. This is the one I grow in my garden.

I was given this as a gift a few years ago and it has been a lovely addition to the spring flowering plants in the woodland border. It is a low growing plant with an abundance of pink/mauve flowers appearing in March, or even earlier if the weather is mild. I have a few solitary bees nesting in the dry stone wall at the bottom of the garden and when they first emerge they find these flowers a good source of nectar.
Pulmonarias will cope with some sun but they prefer a shadier spot. They also prefer moist soil so keep them well watered when they are first planted and during any subsequent dry spells. The roots of established plants can be divided and replanted during October or March to increase your stock. This method of propagation produces better results than growing new plants from seed. I divided my plants last year and replanted some in different areas of the garden. I'm hoping these new plants will have rooted well and produce some lovely flowers this year.

Feed the Birds

2012-01-13T19:48:00.000+00:00

The weather forecast suggests an end to the mild weather we have been enjoying and some cold frosty days ahead. This time of year we need to think about our garden birds and ensure that they have sufficient food and fresh water to see them through the winter. Hanging feeders from trees will attract certain birds but others need ground feeding areas or bird tables. Sparrows, finches, blue tits and great tits will happily feed from suspended feeders but robins, thrushes and blackbirds prefer tables. Think carefully about where you are going to hang your feeders and site your bird table, avoiding low level feeding tables if cats visit your garden. If you do not have trees from which to hang your feeders buy a pole fitted with hooks which can be pushed into the ground or mounted in a stand and placed on a hard surface. Place it no further than 6ft from cover such as a hedge or shrubs so the birds have shelter from predators. do not hang feeders above dense shrubbery where cats might hide.

Try to give your garden birds a varied diet. A range of feeders is available designed to hold peanuts or seeds and most garden centres and pet stores sell fat balls. If you are going to hang fat balls always remove the netting and put them into a hanging container designed for the purpose, as the birds can tangle their feet in the plastic netting. Grated cheese (not the blue vein cheeses), apples and porridge oats can be added to the bird table. Robins are especially fond of mealworms. Don't put out any food which is salty, spicy or has started to go mouldy. Avoid putting too much food on the ground as this could encourage vermin.

Water is very important too. You can buy small water dishes to attach to the bird feeder poles but a bird bath is a much better option and makes an attractive feature for the garden.

The best website for advice on caring for your garden birds is the RSPB website at http://www.rspb.org.uk .

It's well worth encouraging birds to your garden. Not only are they a delight to watch, they also feed on many garden pests such as slugs, snails, earwigs, greenfly and caterpillars.

Evergreen Plants

2011-12-23T13:22:00.004+00:00

It's a good idea to incorporate a few evergreen plants into the garden to give a bit of winter greenery. There are plenty of evergreens to choose from and one of the best for green and gold colour is the Euonymus Fortunei 'Emerald and Gold'. This is easily grown in ordinary garden soil in sun or partial shade. I planted mine as a tiny shrub over 15 years ago and it has grown into a handsome 5ft tall specimen. It is a good choice for evergreen hedges as it withstands regular pruning to maintain shape. It may need some protection from extreme winter weather but will tolerate the average British winter.

Choisya Ternata (Mexican orange blossom) has glossy dark green leaves which are aromatic when crushed and produces sweetly scented white flowers in spring. I grow the golden leaved variety called 'Sundance' which brings a welcome bright splash of colour to the garden on dark winter days. Choisya has a wide spreading and rounded bushy habit and will grow to about 6ft tall and 6 - 8ft wide. It is pollution tolerant and therefore suitable for town gardens. Grow in any well drained garden soil in a sunny position. It will tolerate partial shade but the leaf colour is better in full sun. In very cold gardens it is best grown against a south facing wall as the foliage is prone to frost damage.

.A smaller pollution tolerant evergreen shrub which can be grown in containers or in the border is the Skimmia. These shrubs have oval green leaves and produce creamy white flowers in 2 inch long conical spikes which are followed by bright red berries which persist throughout the winter. As with holly bushes, you will need to plant male and female cultivars of this shrub close to each other in order for the female cultivar to produce berries. But a single shrub will produce flowers regardless. There is a red flowered male variety called 'Rubella' which is particularly attractive and this would be my choice. I am currently growing a variegated form of this shrub in a pot on the patio. The pot has been placed against the patio wall for protection as I am not sure if this variegated Skimmia will be as hardy as the other varieties, but it has a very pretty leaf edged in cream.

Winter Flowering Viburnum

2011-12-16T15:48:00.000+00:00

Viburnum bodnantense is one of the best frost resistant winter flowering shrubs. I have two of these, one in front of the house and the other at the bottom of the garden.

It is a deciduous shrub of upright habit which grows to about 8ft tall. The leaves are green oval shaped, the young leaves being tinged with bronze. Flowers are borne in 1 to 2 inch long clusters on the bare branches from December through to February. These open from rose red buds and gradually fade to pink, and then to white. As a bonus the flowers are also fragrant. When the sun catches them they look like little fairy lights adorning the branches.

This shrub grows well in any fertile moist garden soil and is best planted in full sun. It requires very little pruning. Just thin out overgrown shrubs by cutting the oldest stems back to the base after flowering (about April/May), and at the same time cut out any damaged or dead wood.

Planting in The Woodland Border

2011-11-30T22:05:00.001+00:00

At the bottom of my garden is a raised border lined with trees and a few shrubs such as the winter flowering Viburnum 'bodnantense' and the spring flowering Choisya ternata 'sundance'. The soil tends to be rather dry here so I need to think carefully about what to plant. At the front of this miniature woodland border, trailing over the dry stone wall, I have planted aubrietia, arabis and saponaria which I wrote about in a previous post.

The border also has spring bulbs such as daffodils, bluebells and hyacinths together with spring flowering plants such as pulmonaria (lungwort) and primulas. There are also a few cyclamen hederifolium plants which were given to me by a former work colleague and are thriving under the trees.

Although cyclamen hederifolium originates in the Mediterranean region it is fully hardy in the temperate gardens of Britain. The leaves are a deep green with silvery markings and shaped rather like ivy leaves, hence the name 'hederifolium'. It is a low growing plant (approximately 4 inches in height) and bears shuttlecock shaped flowers in shades of pink. A white flowered form, 'album', is also available. The flowers appear from August to November, the leaves persisting longer throughout the winter and spring months. These plants do well in woodland conditions as they need shade from the hot sun and shelter from the winds. Another variety worth growing is the cyclamen coum which flowers in late winter/early spring. It is similar in appearance and flower colour but is smaller with more rounded leaves.

This autumn I have planted some anemone blanda rhizomes in the woodland border. This is another low growing plant from the Mediterranean region. It grows to about 6 inches high and produces pretty starry flowers in blue, white, pink and mauve. Flowering in spring just after the snowdrops have faded these plants are suitable for naturalising under trees. I just hope they are not as attractive to the squirrels as my crocuses were. I planted about 100 of these a couple of years ago and the squirrels thought Christmas had arrived early and promptly dug them all up! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that these will survive to make a good show in spring.

Unusually Warm Autumn Weather

2011-11-24T22:21:00.000+00:00

The unusually warm weather we have experienced this autumn has extended the flowering season of my annual plants. The white daisy flowers of the Marguerites in pots on the patio are as abundant as they were in midsummer. The Pelargoniums are also still producing flowers. Many perennials have had a second flush of flowers, including my lovely climbing rose, and this has combined with the reds and golds of the autumn leaves to produce a rich tapestry of colour not normally seen in the garden this late in the year.
Primulas which are normally spring flowering have also come into flower and the Camellia shrub is in bud. This is very unusual and I'm not too sure if it will flower as normal in the spring. The weather is changing now and temperatures are dropping. Leaf fall is increasing and I am expecting the first frosts soon.
I am definitely not complaining though when I think of the extreme winter weather we have suffered for the last two years. Hopefully this year the weather will follow a more normal winter pattern. I'm looking forward to the first frost as this is when I will sample my curly kale - it always tastes better once it's been exposed to frost. The kale plants and the leeks are growing really well and will hopefully provide me with fresh grown vegetables throughout the winter months.

Sweet Chestnuts - Food for Free

2011-11-09T22:46:00.001+00:00

This is the season for sweet chestnuts - collect them now for an excellent wholesome free food which is high in fibre and full of vitamin C. The ripened nuts fall from the tree during October and November so get out in the woods and start collecting. Not to be confused with the inedible horse chestnut, the sweet chestnut husk has longer spines and contains two or three nuts. Stamp on the spiny green husks to split them and reveal the shiny brown nuts within.
You can eat them raw but be sure to remove the inner brown membrane as this can taste bitter. The shells and inner skins can be hard to remove but roasting them makes this job a lot easier and brings out the full flavour of the nuts.
When roasting chestnuts always slit the shells otherwise they will explode. The traditional way was to roast them in the hot ash of an open fire or close to the red coals, slitting the shells of all but one of them. When this one explodes you know the rest are ready. I wouldn't recommend this for an indoor fire as the explosion can be quite dramatic scattering shell shrapnel across the room. Perhaps this method is best left to outdoor fires.
If you don't have access to an open fire the chestnuts can be cooked in a conventional oven. First cut a slit in the shell on the flat side of each nut (very important to prevent exploding nuts!) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees C or Gas Mark 4 and place the nuts in a single layer in a baking dish. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. If you just want to heat them up to make them easier to peel rather than fully cook them, then just bake for about 15 minutes. Remove the shells and inner skins while still warm. If you leave them to cool they will be harder to peel.
Sweet chestnuts can be used in stuffing and to make puree. The nuts do not keep for long so if you want to store them for future use one method is to dry them in a very low oven until hard. Once dried store them in a dry jar in a cool dark cupboard. The dried chestnuts should keep for at least a year. To reconstitute the dried nuts put them into boiling water and cover. Leave them for an hour or so and then use them in your recipe.

Plant Garlic - It's so Easy to Grow

2011-10-24T22:02:00.000+01:00

I love using garlic in cooking and it is really easy to grow your own. Heads of garlic for planting can be obtained from garden centres and mail order catalogues. You can get garlic for free by planting supermarket bulbs but the crop won't be as good. Split the garlic heads into individual cloves and plant these about 2 inches deep and 6 inches apart. Plant a bit deeper in light soils but if your soil if heavy and poorly drained you will need to plant about 1 inch deep on a bed of coarse sand and potting compost. Once planted just leave it to grow, weeding when necessary and watering in dry spells in spring and summer. You can plant the cloves in stages between now and February (depending on soil and weather conditions) which will give a harvest between June and August.
Lift when the leaves start to turn yellow and bend at the stem. Dry outside for about 7-10 days if the weather is fine and dry, otherwise dry in a well ventilated greenhouse. Store in hanging bunches or plaits so that air can circulate the bulbs.
If you don't have room in the garden to grow garlic, grow it in pots as it is shallow rooting and well suited to container growing.