What to do in your garden in July?

July is still a busy month for us gardeners – keeping on top of weeding, watering and pests. However it is also a very productive month with all the hard work you put in during spring now starts to pay off.

Here are our top tips on what to do in your garden this month:

Flowers

Cut back your faded perennial plants to keep your borders tidy.

Cutting back growth in hanging baskets can encourage new flowers and foliage and will revive your display. Make sure you feed your baskets well after doing this.

Dead-head bedding plants and roses to encourage further flowering.

It’s also advisable to use a spray on roses for the control of black spot, mildew and rust.

Start sowing your biennials such as sweet william, forget-me-nots and foxgloves.

Fruit and vegetables

After all your efforts in growing your soft fruit, July is the time to start enjoying them! Surplus strawberry runners should be removed by cutting them close to the plants.

Prune established plums and apricots.

Container grown apples can be pruned by cutting back side shoots to within five buds of where they originate.

Remember to keep your bird bath topped up for the birds – it’s thirsty work raising chicks! If you don’t have a bird bath you can simply put some water in a large plant pot tray and place in your garden. The birds will find it!

After all your hard work, enjoy the sunshine and relax in your garden.

Until next time...happy gardening!

The Coblands Team

With the school holiday’s soon upon us, growing a grass head with your children or grandchildren is an excellent way 
of getting them interested in gardening.

What do I need?

- A stocking or a foot from tights
- Grass seed
- Elastic band
- Old yoghurt pot
- Googly eyes
- Paper, ribbon, pipe cleaners, buttons etc. To decorate

Instructions

1 Fill the toe of your stocking with grass seed and then top up with sawdust or compost until you have a ball shape
2 Fasten tightly with an elastic band or tie a knot
3 Decorate the yoghurt pot as the body – let your imagination run riot
4 Stand the stocking ball in the pot with the grass seed at the top.  Add the eyes and any other decorative bits you’d like
5 Keep the yoghurt pot topped up with water.  After a few weeks your head should grow hair!

Don’t forget to play hairdresser and trim your grass head’s hair with a pair of scissors.  Send us the pictures! 

Until next time...happy gardening!

The Coblands Team

How to grow Sweet Peas

Sweet peas are a staple of the cottage garden and produce beautiful blooms with the most gorgeous scent. You can train them onto a plant support to create a really impressive column of fragrant, summer colour – they also make excellent cut flowers.

Annual sweet peas are easily available and have a lovely fragrance but only last one season. Everlasting sweet peas are perennials which return year after year but with less fragrance.

Buying your sweet peas

Buying your sweet peas couldn’t be easier. They are a popular plant and can be found in most garden centres. Once you have bought them and planted them outside be on the watch out for slugs – they love young sweet pea shoots.

Planting your sweet peas

Plant you sweet peas out in a bright, sunny spot in your garden that is easily accessible so you can pick the flowers. Alternatively, you can plant sweet peas out in large containers on a patio. Sweet peas are climbers so will need a suitable support system to grow.

Pruning your sweet peas

Once your sweet peas are in full flower, you should regularly dead-head them to encourage more flowers to develop. Simply snip off any faded blooms or seed pods when you see them.

If you love having fresh flowers in your home then sweet peas are the plants for you! They are ideal for cutting as the more blooms you cut the more they grow!

Until next time...happy gardening!

The Coblands Team

Planting a bee-friendly garden

Did you know that one in three mouthfuls of food we eat is dependent on pollination*?

Commercially, bees play a key role in pollinating many crops and are estimated to be worth millions of pounds to the UK economy.

Some 35% of our diet currently depends on pollination of crops by bees and it is said that if bees die out then humans would follow just four years later.

Bees also play a key role in our gardens, particularly in the vegetable plot, and in pollinating flowers which would be unable to produce seed without pollination.

Why create a bee-friendly garden?

Both honeybees and bumblebees have suffered huge declines in recent years for a number of different reasons. These reasons include mites, diseases, pesticides and changes in agricultural techniques which mean there are fewer wildflowers in the landscape than there used to be.

There’s no arguing that the massive decline in bee population (about one third worldwide and 50% in the UK) is serious. The EC has a Bee Strategy which includes research and activities dedicated to raising numbers. Whether you are based in the countryside or in a town or city, you can help by providing bees with a variety of plants that are scientifically proven to be great for bees.

How can I help?

There are a number of ways that you can attract bees to your garden.

Planting the right plants to attract bees

Finding the right plants to attract bees is fairly easy – there are simply thousands you can choose from. English cottage garden style plants or native varieties with simple single flowers are best as they tend to contain more pollen and nectar than exotic plants or plants with complex blooms. The Royal Horticulture Society has produced downloadable plant lists to help gardeners identify plants that are good for bees: https://www.rhs.org.uk/science/conservation-biodiversity/wildlife/encourage-wildlife-to-your-garden/plants-for-pollinators.

A place to drink

Creating a bee-friendly garden isn’t only about planting the right plants. Adding a simple bird bath or water feature will provide bees with much needed moisture.

Bee houses

There are around 250 different types of bee in the UK. Twenty-four of these are bumblebees, one species of honeybee and the rest are solitary bees. Solitary bees often lay their eggs in the cavities left in trees or timber by wood boring beetles, but you can recreate this environment in your garden by placing a solitary bee nest on a sunny fence or wall. The most common type of bee nest on the market is one that uses bamboo canes for the cavities.

By doing this, a female solitary bee will place a portion of pollen inside the cane in spring and lay a single egg on top of it before sealing the entrance up with mud. The egg with then hatch into a larvae, which will feed on the pollen until the new bee emerges the following spring.

As pictured, just some of our bee friendly plants. Available to buy online @ coblands.co.uk

Nepeta Walkers Low

Geranium Psilostemon

Campanula g. Alba

Good luck with your bee garden!

Until next time...happy gardening!

The Coblands Team

* Source: The British Beekeepers Association (www.bbka.org.uk)

HOW TO... PLANT HANGING BASKETS

Hanging baskets can add a different dimension to your gardening and can help you to use all the space available to you – whether you have a small patio garden or a larger plot.  Hanging baskets can help you to brighten up your garden and, with the right plants, can even help you to brighten up those tricky shady areas.

When to plant your hanging baskets
If you can provide protection for your baskets (i.e. a greenhouse) you can start to plant them in April as this will allow the plants to reach full flowering size early in the season.  If you don’t have anywhere to protect them, you can plant your baskets once the risk of frost has passed.

Lining your basket

It is important to line your basket to make sure that the compost and plants stay in place.  There are a lot of liners on the market but the cheapest and most versatile is to use sheet plastic which you can cut to size – you can always hide the liner by place straw or hessian around the basket before lining.

How many plants will I need?
A general rule of thumb for working out how many plants you will need is to use one plant per inch of basket diameter.  For example, for a 30cm (12 inch) basket you will need 12 plants.  
The only exception to this is when you are planting strong-growing plants such as fuchsias and geraniums.  When planting these in a handing basket it is best to use only 5 plants per 30cm (12 inch) hanging basket.  

Vegetable and herb hanging baskets
Hanging baskets don’t always have to be flowers – vegetable and herbs in a hanging basket can be both productive and attractive.  Strawberries make a great hanging basket – just make sure to incorporate a slow-release strawberry fertiliser into the compost for the best crops.

How do I plant my hanging basket?

1. Start by placing your basket on a bucket so it is held firmly in place
2. Add your chosen liner, ensuring it fits snugly and trim off any excess material that protrudes over the rim of the basket.  Add in any slits you wish to make for trailing plants around the side of the basket with a pair of scissors.
3. Add in your compost.  It is also a good idea to add some water-retaining granules and slow-releasing fertiliser to prevent your baskets drying out too quickly and to feed your plants through the season
4. If you have made slits in the side of your liner for your trailing plants, push the plants head first from the inside of the basket through the slits
5. Continue to plant until all the slits are filled and then gently tease out the roots of the plants.  Add more compost and add more trailing plants around the rim of the basket.  Choose a bushy, upright plant for the centre. 
6. Water your hanging basket thoroughly 

Our very own ready made, ready to order strawberry hanging baskets as pictured. Order yours, two 'Elsanta' Strawberry hanging baskets for delivery direct to your door at the special offer price of £24.99 including delivery. 

Until next time...happy gardening!

The Coblands Team

How time flies!  It doesn’t seem that long ago since we were driven inside by the cold weather.  Now June is here we 
can (hopefully) start looking forward to long, warm sunny days!

June is the perfect time to sow outdoors a number of seed varieties, plus, with the warmer weather, you can start to 
prepare the ground for your bedding plants as well as thinning out any plants that have already been sown.

Here are our top tips on what to do in your garden this month:

Flowers

- The danger of frost should hopefully have now passed so any young bedding plants that have been grown 
under protection during the spring can now be planted outside or into hanging baskets and or containers 
(don’t miss our next blog on How to plant hanging baskets on Thursday 4th June)
- Make sure you give your potted plants a weekly liquid feed to improve growth and flowering
- When planting out ensure that you debud/deflower the plants – this will encourage them to grow a better 
root system and produce more flowers
- When using hanging baskets or containers, make sure you leave a gap between the top and the compost – 
this is so when you are watering your plants the water will soak in and not run over the edges.

Fruit and vegetables

- Plant out any Brussels sprouts, celery, courgettes, cucumbers, marrows, cabbage and runner and french 
beans that have been raised in the greenhouse
- When digging up early potatoes take care not to pierce or damage the tubers
- Beetroot, lettuce and carrot rows can be thinned out and further sowings can be continued
- Strawberry crops that have been kept under fleece or cloches should now be uncovered so that pollinating 
insects can gain access
- Remember that smaller crops will be produced when you over-crowd your vegetable plot so any unwanted 
seedlings should be carefully removed.

It is also worth getting up ten minutes earlier in the morning to water your garden.  Plants respond better to being 
watered in the morning as at night when the temperature drops they can get cold.  Think of it like this – would you 
like to go to bed in wet pyjamas?

Until next time...happy gardening!

The Coblands Team

So what does a DIY system look like?

Your project needs to be secured to a wall or post supports that can comfortably carry the weight of your living wall. A living wall can easily weigh in excess of 20kg per square meter. Consider the aspect of the walls in terms of how much light it is going to receive, both the angle and duration of the sunlight onto your wall. Plants receive far more light on a vertical surface and consequently use more water. You will need to choose plants carefully according to their light and water requirements, but more on this subject later. One of the joys of a living wall is that the definitive book has not yet been written on the subject and so it is going to be a bit of an adventure in finding out which plants thrive in different positions on the wall. Moving plants around and trying different things each season is all going to be part of the fun.

How to build

1. Secure battens, of sufficient strength to carry the weight of your project, to the supporting structure.  This will also allow free air movement behind the living wall planters.
2. Attach a heavy waterproof membrane to the battens to protect the backing structure from moisture.
3. Fix standard plastic guttering lengths through the plastic to the battens in parallel rows with about 25cm spacings    between  each length of gutter. Close each section of gutter with 2 endcaps and slope them very gently alternatively first to the left  then the next one down to the right using the bubble on your spirit level. Let each length run away with the bubble holding to the left or right line on the spirit level glass. This is going to allow the excess water to drain its way down from the top, first to the left, then to the right all the way down to the bottom of the wall.  
4. Drill a 20mm diameter hole at the lower end of each gutter run and thread a sponge soaker hose through each hole, so that it snakes from the highest point, all the way down to the lowest point of the guttering.  Excess water must be allowed to escape through a drilled 20mm hole at the lowest point. When your watering hose is connected to the highest point of the living water, water soaks the plants and then excess water drains all the way through the following the course of the soaker hose.
5. Line the gutters with a permeable landscaping fabric.
6. The growing substrate used on a living wall is very important, needing to be both freely draining but highly water retentive at the same time. You can achieve this by using a crushed baked clay product (Seramis), gel-water crystals, grit sand and a good quality compost.

Although you will not need to feed initially, you must remember that your compost nutrients are going to leach are far more rapidly than in a conventional situation, in such a free draining system and will have to be replenished by hand regularly. You will need to water in small amounts but often, trying to avoid allowing the compost to dry out too much. A morning and evening watering regime would be ideal and if your budget can stretch to a watering timer unit, all the better.

Now enjoy the fruits of your labours (perhaps even literally).

            Gordon

As the sun finally starts to shine, a light reminder that Chelsea Flower Show is now only 12 weeks away.

Here at Coblands, we're already on the 'Chelsea Vibe' as we've been nurturing plants through the wet winter for 3 gardens at this year's show.  It may seem early, but the show season will fast be upon us and I’ve already spent 3 months ensuring the plants get their 'extra special 5 star treatment' to be ready for the World's Best Plant Catwalk at Chelsea 2014.

On ‘Main Avenue’, Paul Hervey - Brookes is creating a 'Classical Italian Renaissance' garden inspired by 3 Italian Riveria Villa's using native Italian plants which are suitable for use in British climates. Paul chose to work with Coblands for growing the perennial plants for his show garden with Echium,  Foeniculum, Salvias and Mediterranean Herbs being amongst his show garden plant palette.  Paul has recently returned from Japan (last Autumn) where he entered the World Gardening Championships for the UK and won a Gold Medal and Best Planting Design + even more recently he has built a show garden in New Zealand where he won a Silver Distinction ( a great honour, as no Gold medals were awarded).

Inside the Great Pavilion at Chelsea, you will find a show garden to celebrate 175 Years of Perennial - 'The Gardeners Benevolent Fund', this garden has been designed by Jo Thompson, and again Coblands are growing many of the perennial plants for this garden - Heuchera, Hosta, Euphorbia, Geraniums and Geum are amongst Jo's plant palette which Coblands are growing.

Jo Thompson who also has her own show garden in the 'Fresh Gardens' category celebrating London's Garden Squares.  We are growing various ornamental grasses for Jo's garden and been working with her and Perennial GRBS on other projects coming up soon.

Chelsea is only the start of the show season though, as I’ve already secured plant supply on show gardens at Hampton Court & Tatton Park for later in July.

Look forward to seeing you there.

                 Alan

Alan Young is responsible for sales to our professional Garden Design clients and manages all contract growing for show purposes.

#RHSChelsea #RHSHamptoncourt #RHSTattonPark #RHS #Shows #Paulhervey-brookes #perennial #perennialGRBS #jothompson #gardendesign #design #garden

My Plant of the Moment:

There are a surprising number of interesting plants in flower, or displaying an interesting quality in February but, for me, a Camellia in flower is the most uplifting sight – with a profusion of beautiful flowers and glossy evergreen foliage.  There are varieties in flower from late autumn through till late spring with flowers to suit every taste: From the showy, blousy ‘Contessa Lavinia Magg’i to the elegant C. japonica ‘Alba Simplex’.

My favourite Camellia is C. x vernalis ‘Yuletide’ (Pictured) with its deep red open flower revealing sumptuous yellow stamens.  Reliably in flower for Christmas Day, this year I gave one to my sister whose birthday is on Boxing Day so she will always have beautiful flowers on her birthday.

Requiring a sheltered position, they are great on a house wall or in a planter by your doorway to bring you joy when it may not be fair enough to spend much time in the garden.  The flowers look amazing floating in a bowl of water where you can enjoy them even on the wettest or coldest of days!

Yes, my plant of the moment has to be the Camellia.

Enjoy your garden,

              Lynn

 #Camellia #winter #shrub #flower #hardy #perennial #largeflower

Image by Shardayy

Summertime is now officially upon us. The sky is blue, the sun is shining, and there’s a pervasive sense of joy and optimism in the air. In other words, everything just looks so much better when the sun is shining.

And whilst we’re on the subject of things looking good, keeping your coveted homely green space in good shape should be near the top of your summer to-do list.

Keeping your lawn looking tip-top isn’t as tough as you might imagine, so here are a few indispensable ideas to keeping your lawn well manicured during the summer.

Watering

In this country, two days of continuous sunshine is usually enough for our reactionary council mandarins to impose a hosepipe ban. But it’s an inescapable fact that lawns need watering – typically between 1 and 1.5 inches of water a week.

Naturally, if the temperature soars it gets drier - and your lawn starts looking a bit jaundiced – then you’ll need to increase this amount. Sound advice is to water your lawn once a week, the best time being before 10am as this reduces the levels of water evaporation, meaning your thirsty lawn gets to drink more water. Night time watering should be avoided as this increases the risk of disease and fungi.

Moving

Let your lawn grow a bit higher during the summer months than when the weather’s colder; this means that the grass protects the roots from the heat and rays of the sun. Gardening experts generally recommend a hight of 6-13mm (¼-½in) for fine lawns and 13-25mm (½-1in) in summer for ordinary ornamental lawns, increasing to 40mm (1.5in) in spring and autumn.

It’s also not advisable to mow your lawn if the weather’s very hot; this dries it up quickly and makes it turn yellow. As for the rest of the year, mowing it once a fortnight is usually ample.

Feeding

Give your grass the food and nourishment it needs to grow and stay strong and healthy by applying a summer feed. Most garden centres offer a wide variety of chemical feeds specifically designed for the summer months. They’ll keep your lawn looking fresh, crisp, and green during those hot spells.

Seeding And Repairing

As a general rule, most gardeners prefer to seed and repair their lawns during spring or autumn. But if you don’t mind regularly watering your lawn in the summer then there’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t. There’s a positively impressive cornucopia of lawn repair seeding kits on the market – and they can yield fantastic results if you keep a close eye on your lawn and water it regularly.

Boosting

Let’s face it, most of us start to tire and flag a bit if the weather starts ramping up to near-volcanic temperatures. (OK, that may be a slight exaggeration on this great isle.) In that respect, lawns are no different, often looking wilted, tired and yellow in the sun. Lawn boosting products abound aplenty in garden centres and superstores, and a liberal smattering of feed will galvanise your green space and make it look healthy and beautiful during the hot weather.

Compaction

Sounding more distressing than it really is, compaction is just the result of long hot summer where the kids and dogs run endless all over the lawn, creating sporadic bare patches. The best way to deal with these unsightly garden bald patches is to aerate your lawn.

Lots of rental companies and garden centres hire aerators, but we recommend you engage in aeration activities in late autumn; this means you’ll have to put up with it during the scorching weather but will be able to eliminate these unsightly patches by the next summer.

Weeds And Mosses

Weeds and moss affect lawns pretty much all year round, and varying degrees of weed infestation can be effectively treated with many of the multitude of weed killers available. If you treat your lawn in the spring you might need a second application for those more obstinate and persistent mosses and weeds.

With these fail-safe tips to keep your lawn looking good during the summer, it won’t be long before your glorious green patch is the envy of the entire neighbourhood.

With so much growing here on the nursery at Coblands, it is challenging to whittle down to the top 10 plants, the list could be endless. However, a selection of plants has been put together and this Top 10 selection is a mixture of shrubs and herbaceous perennials that are coming into their own for the time of year and some that have proven to be the most popular to date this year.

So, here we are, the countdown for the Coblands Top 10 Landscape Plants.

At Number 10…

10. Viburnum opulus

Known also as guelder rose, Viburnum opulus is a large, deciduous shrub grown for its flowers and berries. Plant in a large border or as a specimen plant on its own, with white, fluffy balls of flowers emerging in early spring followed by of small, bright red berries in mid-summer. This ornamental shrub is great for wildlife, reaching a height of 4-5m. For smaller borders, opt for V.opulus ‘Compactum’ which produces the same flowers and fruit and reaches a height of 1.5m.

9. Rudbeckia ‘Little Gold Star’

For a swathe of bold colour in a border, ‘Little Gold Star’ will not disappoint with a mass display of yellow daisy-like flowers and a long flowering period. Ideal for the front of the border, this plant is easy to grow and tolerates most conditions.

8. Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’

This bushy lavender has to be one of the most well-liked lavenders of them all. If not just planting for the scent alone in a border, lavenders also provide good groundcover with a sea of flower spikes ranging in colour of the pale pink flowers of Lavandula angustifolia ‘Rosea to the violet/purples of Lavendula a. ‘Munstead & Lavandula a. ‘Hidcote’.

7. Crocosmia Lucifer

'Lucifer' is a herbaceous perennial with narrow, upright leaves with pillar-box red flowers on arching stems. The flowers are smaller than other Crocosmia varieties. This is another great plant for offering structure to a border which reaches just over 1m in height.

6. Stipa gigantea

Known as ‘Giant Feather Grass’, this tall stemmed, ornamental grass grows up to 2.5m in height and is a must for any large border. A great architectural plant for a sunny area and offers a feathered backdrop to other tall stemmed plants such as Alliums and Crocosmias.

5. Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’

Great as specimen plants or part of a planting scheme, Hydrangeas provide an abundance of flowers in blues, pinks and white. ‘Annabelle’ is a white flowering Hydrangea which produces huge flowering shaped balls.

4. Geranium macrorrhizum. Ingwersen's Variety

Geranium’s are a choice plant for providing extensive, long flowering groundcover. We grow a large variety of Geraniums on the nursery. A couple we recommend are Geranium macrorrhizum. Ingwersen's Variety and Geranium x cantabrigiense St Ola. Geraniums survive the toughest conditions and are low maintenance and are a popular amenity plant.

3. Agapanthus ‘White Heaven’

No border or garden should be without an Agapanthus. Here at Coblands, we grow a wide range of Agapanthus, ranging from hues of deep blues to the pure white, striking flower heads of Agapanthus ‘White Heaven’. These architectural plants offer structure and interest to any border and grow exceptionally well in containers. We have added for 2013, five new varieties of Agapanthus to our already large selection.

2. Cotinus ‘Grace’

Cotinus ‘Grace’ is a statement plant for any planting scheme. The pale beige stems contrast beautifully with the rich red /purple leaves. Cotinus Grace has excellent form and with purple/pink flowers in early summer that cluster like hazes of smoke over the foliage. For deeper coloured purple foliage opt for Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'.

1. Mahonia eurybracteata subsp. ganpinensis ‘Soft Caress’

The number 1 Cobland’s plant undoubtedly is this year’s 2013 RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year winner, the fabulous Mahonia eurybracteata subsp. ganpinensis ‘Soft Caress’. We have supplied this elegant, fine foliage plant to a number of planting schemes since the end of 2012 and it is proving to be hugely popular in landscape design schemes. This compact, evergreen shrub provides all year round interest, particularly softening borders in the harsh winter months with its delicate form. This plant is a must for any landscape design.

We're now into the final weeks of preparing plants ready for the SeeAbility Show Garden at this year's Chelsea Flower Show.  

Coblands have 1000's of perennial plants 'set aside' in tunnels at our Tonbridge site nurturing them through this cold winter of 2013.  But with only week's to go till the plants travel to the Chelsea Flower Show site, Alan Young (Coblands Sales Executive for Garden Designers) is hoping that the sun will start to shine."This has been a hard year producing plants for Chelsea Flower Show" Alan says.  "I've been working on Chelsea gardens for the last 10 year's, and  I can't remember such a lack of sunshine during March & April, we've had cold winter's in the last 5 years, but they have been accompanied by 'crisp, sunny days'.  We are desperate for the sun to come out for  the plants to start actively growing,  flowers will be a bonus - expect Chelsea to be quite green this year."

Both the Garden Designer, Darren Hawkes and the Alan agree though,  "all the other designers and nurseries are in the same position with such a lack of sunshine this year, nowhere else in the country has seen any more sunny days elsewhere,  than we have in Kent.  It's likely though that some last - minute plant substitutions may have to be made to the original design".  Next week, Darren Hawkes is visiting Coblands again for a pre - Chelsea visit, we'll be assessing the growth on the plants and deciding on any necessary substitutions which need to be made.As ever Alan says "The Show Must Go On...."  the camaraderie at Chelsea Flower Show is unique, if anybody can helpyou out they will.  Alan never regrets working on Chelsea Flower Show, "you've either got the Chelsea Bug or you haven't - it all comes together for the opening day"!!!!

Keep visiting the blog for future updates as we head towards the Build - Up.

Here's Hoping for Sunshine!!!!

There's always a buzz around new plants and few more than plants that help to make the dull winter months move faster!  Hellebores do this better than most plants though, so new varieties are always in demand.

As you may have read in previous blog posts, or seen on the website sales pages, we have a range of Helleborus from a specialist plant hunter and breeder from Belgium.  Following a visit to his nursery earlier in the month, we were lucky enough to see this plant, which will be introduced to our range in 2014.

I'm almost sorry to have tempted you so early with this fantastically coloured Helleborus x hybridus selection, but as plants people, you'll no doubt want to know what you should be looking for in a years time to fill that shady corner of the garden.  A new colour as far as we are concerned to Hellebores generally and being tentitively named with the descriptive name of 'Fuchsia with Yellow Heart', this is definitely one to watch.

As soon as they are available for sale, we'll let you know, but in the meantime, please do look at the range on the website already.  They're selling fast and some varieties have already gone for this year, but a good selection of excellent varieties are still available.

I hope that you'll enjoy these as much as we have been on the nursery.

Happy Gardening,

This simple title sums up modern garden design. I have been known to say that there is not a great deal in garden design that in same way shape or form has not been done before; be it 3000 years ago or within the last few hundred years. The case in point is the pyramid constructed by Diarmuid Gavin for Chelsea this year.

Yes the pyramid uses less space on the ground so can be used in urban areas, and it would encourage communities to work together to produce food but what was not discussed was the pyramids role in garden design in ancient Egypt.

The pyramid was symbolic of a sacred mound, the land emerging out of the water and would have had a garden in front of it containing date trees and plants providing shade. 

The photograph shows the pyramid at Chelsea this year which could be seen from the south bank of the Thames. 

This modern pyramid idea is a space saving community development idea.   

Another historical garden theme inspired Thomas Hoblyn at Chelsea this year. He took his inspiration from the Italian renaissance for his garden, or did he? In the interpretation material produced it is stated that Villa Lante and Villa d’Este were the inspiration, but these gardens were really baroque in style and had moved on from the original renaissance concept.

His garden it was explained had moved away from the ‘’flamboyance and decadence’’ of the renaissance, which really was not a part of the first Medici renaissance gardens but was certainly part of the baroque period in Italy and in France.

That being said, again we see the emergence of old historical styles proving that they still have relevance in modern garden design, which can only be good for garden historians. 

Thomas Hoblyns garden at Chelsea this year showing that old historical themes still have relevance in modern garden design.

This guest blog was written by Stephen Harmer, Course Leader and Lecturer in Horticulture at Hadlow College, Kent.  Hadlow College has a long relationship with Coblands Nurseries and many of our staff, have studied Horticulture and Garden Design there.  Stephen's passion for garden history and considerable knowledge in this field have seen him become a popular writer and speaker.  He gives regular garden study tours and his relaxed style of presentation and adoration of his subject make him an instant hit!

We look forward to more blog posts from Stephen and we hope that you do too.

Did you receive a plant as a Christmas present this year? Are you wondering if it the right time to plant it?

The answer is...possibly!

This depends on a number of factors the first of which is the weather.  If your ground is soaking wet then do not plant, as you will destroy the structure of the soil, compacting it and reducing the valuable air content, subsequently destroying the comforting environment for roots to spread.

So how do you know if the ground is too wet? It could be as obvious as ‘standing water’ (Pictured below right)

If water comes out of the ground around your boots as you walk get off the ground and leave it be, you will be compacting the soil. If this is not the case, good, let’s start digging a planting hole. If the soil is sticking to your spade and your boots then it is still too wet.

While talking about planting holes there are a few points to bear in mind, first square holes these days are considered better than round ones, roots can penetrate the corners more easily than round sided holes, avoiding the roots spiralling round a circular hole.  'Is it imperative?' I hear you ask...well no, but it is considered to be the best approach for root establishment.

Don’t be tempted to put fresh manure in a planting hole as it can damage new roots due to the high concentration of nitrates and other compounds.  Garden compost and well-rotted manure mixed with the back fill soil will help tremendously. Remember the old adage ‘Dig a 5 guinea hole for a 1 guinea plant’, so giving the plant a good spacious well prepared hole to settle into. This extra effort in preparation represents the difference we might experience between living in a bedsit with a one ring baby belling, or a palace!

A second consideration before looking to plant would be to avoid extremes in temperature.  Just like in summer when it can be too hot and dry to plant, do not plant when the soil is frosted or frozen.  Frozen soil reincorporated into the planting hole will break the insulated seal that the top layer of soils forms, chilling the roots of your new plant. This can keep the root zone of the plant cold and if the temperature is kept below 6^o C then root growth will not continue and colder still, it may die.

So if the ground is not too cold and wet then you are good to plant.

‘Are there any other things I should consider?’, I here you cry.

One is fairly obvious do not plant out non hardy plants until the average temperature (especially at night) increases.  Generally, the third week in May is given as the safe time to plant bedding plants and tender plants outside, though it is often possible (with little risk) to do so earlier.  Do a little research to check that the plant you’ve been given  is actually a garden plant and not a house or conservatory plant otherwise it is like putting a tropical fish in a garden pond and being surprised when you next see it belly up on the surface!

Another consideration is the size of the plant.  If it is well-rooted and in a good sized pot plant away! Sometimes plants arrive that are on the small side (usually from a mail order company trying to cut costs) Planting these, this time of year is not advised as an inclement spell of weather can kill them as they don’t have the resources to survive, rather  like a mountaineer heading for a mountain in trainers, shorts and a t-shirt in the winter it is just asking for trouble!

Right, so you have looked at the planting situation and have decided that now is NOT the time to plant, what should you do with your plant? If you have a cold greenhouse or a cool, sheltered porch available that is an ideal environment to keep a young garden plant. Of course, not all of us are so lucky in which case a cool room will be fine. In both situations do remember to check on the moisture content of the pot as the compost will slowly dry out even if the plant is not growing, similarly, the emphasis is on ‘cool’ room, too much heat and you can cause considerable damage to your plant.

After the weather improves, or following positive responses to the considerations highlighted previously, we are ready to plant. We have mixed our compost with the planting soil, the plant is out of the pot (It has been known for people to neglect that step and then wonder why the plant has not grown!) Now, place the plant in the planting hole making sure that the top of plant’s rootball (compost level) is at the same level as the top of the planting hole.  If you plant too deep, you will kill most plants, especially trees and shrubs that can rot if the soil level is raised around the base of their stems.

Pictured left is a recently planted shrub in my garden.  As you can see, the plant has just a smidgen of compost showing so it is at the correct level all it needs now is a little bark mulch around the base of the plant to keep the weeds at bay and keep in the moisture during any dry periods.  Though it might not be essential if planting at this time of the year, it is also worth reminding you that watering is critical to a plant's establishment and survival and no more important than during the first year in the ground.  Don't forget to water it regularly when it starts to grow, or even now if you have naturally dry soil.

A point to any one who can tell us the name of the plant (unfortunately, in this case points don’t mean prizes!)

If you need any advice don’t hesitate to call!

So keep warm and have fun in your garden.

Galanthus nivalis or our common Snowdrop has got to be one of the most iconic plants grown in the UK.  So long considered the harbinger of spring, the appearance of those brilliant-white flowers hanging atop blue-green foliage, can melt the heart of the most ardent ‘winterphobe’ and encourage them into their garden and the countryside as a whole despite the weather.

With Snowdrops experiencing a tremendous renaissance over the last 10 years (Galathomania), we should be mindful that our humble native (strictly naturalised) should not be overlooked in favour of the highly desirable named varieties currently commanding huge prices on the open market.

I must confess to being a bit of a Snowdrop collector (Galanthophile) and have amassed a collection of over 150 varieties over the last few years.  Though I have at times been described as suffering from some sort of mental illness in my pursuit of new cultivars, I feel that I have now done most of my crazed collecting and now prefer to experiment with the breeding of new and significantly different varieties and simply to appreciate these beautiful plants.  Their dainty charm and variability made them appealing to me as a Horticulturalist and plant addict, but more recently that I have reminded myself that, although less exclusive than plants I have paid more than a few pounds a bulb for, G. nivalis (Pictured Right) is a great garden plant!  Well worth growing in your garden and a sure fire bet to both flower well and bulk up quickly, G. nivalis is a cornerstone of the winter garden and a joy to behold.

Personally, I like to plant snowdrops in clumps of 5 – 10 bulbs where, with time, they will eventually form vast swathes as can be seen in the beds and borders, lawns and woodland of some great winter gardens like Anglesey Abbey and Renishaw Hall (Pictured Top Left).  RBG Kew Gardens, RHS Wisley and Hadlow College (Pictured Below Left) similarly have superb snowdrop collections and when a sea of white contrasts against the verdant lawns they’re grown in, perhaps with Winter Aconites (Eranthis) or early Crocus, they make for a picture perfect scene.  One of my very favourite gardens at any time of the year is the privately owned Cambo Estate Gardens in my home county of Fife in Scotland.  Lady Catherine Erskine holds an NCCPG National Plant Collection for Galanthus and both the gardens and the beautiful woodland are well worth a visit to see Snowdrops and other winter/spring delights as the season rolls on.

I could quite comfortably write about what must be my favourite bulb for page upon page, but I’ll refrain, instead encouraging you to venture out to woodland and some famed gardens across the country to see the snowdrops for yourself.  While the weather on snowdrop garden open days is often not what one would hope for, the delights on show make up for...well, most of the time!

Wrap up warm, charge your camera battery and prepare for wet knees (you have to kneel to get the best photos).

Happy gardening – or should that be collecting?

At Coblands, we pride ourselves on having the newest plant varieties and one of the biggest plant ranges in the UK.  With over 4000 different plants available (6000 if you count bulbs, aquatic plants and bedding plants) in a range of sizes, our plant offering far outweighs what we currently list on our website.   On this, our 50^th Anniversary year alone, we have added 238 new plants to our range so far, with more sure to follow.  Chances are, if there is something that you’re interested in, we grow it and so don’t ever feel that you can’t ask, just email us what you are interested in to info@coblands.co.uk and we will give you a price for it.

With that in mind, we sent a team to the world’s largest plant show IPM Essen, Germany last week to hunt for new introductions and other exciting plants.  We secured some great plants having spoken with growers and plant breeders from all over the world.  With a variety of deals in the pipeline, look out for new additions to the website over the coming weeks in the Recently Added section. 

Having met up with some of our favourite European plant hunters and breeders at the show, we discussed future plants that we have agreed to be UK distributors for some exciting new herbaceous perennials and shrubs, which will be appearing on our site over the next year and we will blog about them when they’re available for sale.  As very keen Horticulturalists, the production and sales teams are really excited about the prospect of some new additions to the UK plant palette.

Sorry to be so cagey with the details, but we don’t want to spoil the surprises when they come.  One plant that I can tell you about today won Best Fruit Plant at the show and is a new Cranberry called ‘Red Candy’.  Far more free fruiting than other Cranberry varieties, this new introduction is sure to be a hit as both an edible and an ornamental plant.  It will be available for sale through us shortly, so keep looking at the website and our Facebook and Twitter posts for its arrival.

Happy gardening,

This year we are moving house and I am very much looking forward to being creative in a brand new patch of earth.

My anticipation is palpable as I’m presented with an opportunity to daydream.

The new property is still to be decided, as we have not sold yet, but I am hoping to buy a house with a blank canvas, upon which I can plan a beautiful outdoor environment. Somewhere to relax in summer (that rather over used but nevertheless useful phrase “outdoor room” comes to mind), somewhere to potter about, and show off my prized plants to friends and neighbours. I don’t want its’ maintenance to be a chore with yards and yards of hedging to be trimmed or grass to be mowed, taking up my precious leisure time, but I do want to create my own horticultural oasis.

My current garden has been enjoyable and I have been able to make my mark on the area. However, it was a well-established garden with woodland and although I was able to make many improvements and energetically pull out the less interesting and duplicated overgrown shrubs, the structure was already there and the character was more or less set. I also found my design choice limited by what looks right with a 1930s semi detached house as a backdrop.

I’m really looking forward to trying something different although I will be including some old favourites such as Japanese Acers, ferns for shady spots, grape vines and honeysuckle for vertical interest.

In my experience there are several types of gardener who often don’t agree on anything.

Type 1  -  There are the “Slash and Burn Gardeners” who cannot bear to see things reach their natural shape and   maturity; they prefer wall to wall grass or paving slabs (actually gardener is probably the wrong term here.) 

Type 2  -  The “Addictive Propagator Gardener”, who is content reproducing seedlings and cuttings and get their thrill from this activity. They do not seem to mind if greenhouses and cold frames dominate the garden because it helps to further their end, which is replication on a grand scale.

There is an offshoot of this group (type 2B, if you will) who are the “Avid Collectors.” They must have the whole set and will tirelessly visit nurseries up and down the country to get the latest Hebe or Primula auricula sport. These additions will be crammed into patios and greenhouses, often to the detriment of any sense of style.

Type 3  -  The group that I would put myself in is the “Romantic Gardener.” I want to recreate the atmosphere and feel of pleasurable days spent at National Trust properties and holidays on Greek Islands.

Within that “Romantic Gardener” type there is a wide range of styles that I could choose from. Do I go for cottage garden, the formal garden, minimalist Japanese style, modern chic or prairie style?

I guess what the house looks like will be something of a starting point. Whatever the choice I am enjoying the anticipation and I will enjoy the creation of it, taking my time not rush into it, I will see what comes through and plan.

                                        Anyone want to buy a house?

It’s at this time of year, when I look out of the window into my garden and things are not looking quite as they were a few months ago, that I start to feel a bit down about winter. There are gaps in my planting where the fulsome, herbaceous plants once full of colour stood; no sign of the re-emergence of their spring promise which is still too far away in the distance to get excited about.

The wisteria and grape vine bordering my garden are full of bare and twisted branches, which only 4 months ago provided a soft, lush screen between mine and my neighbour’s gardens.  

Depressing time of year huh?

Well, it doesn’t have to be, with the stunning frost of late twinkling on the evergreen grasses and shrubs and by far the most delectable feature for this time of year, has to be the striking colours of some of our favourite winter stems. Cornus (Dogwoods) and Salix (Willows), are the finest examples of plants for winter stems.  There are others, but these sure fire bets are worth growing and sure to reward.  Willows can be a bit vigorous for most gardens, so let’s focus on some of the best Dogwoods here.

The autumn shedding of the leaves on the Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' (pictured above) make way for the warm, flame-coloured stems to stand alone as a signature plant.  Planted alongside the Cornus alba 'Sibirica' (pictured right) with it’s vivid, deep red stems creating a dazzling effect especially when planted on mass together, establishing a feeling of fiery warmth to any garden! On the other hand, Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea' with its brightly coloured yellow stems creates a striking effect against the strong, dark hues of the especially choice Cornus alba 'Kesselringii'.

To ensure the brightest and strongest colours from Cornus alba and C. sericea types, prune back hard every spring, cutting the stems back to approximately 5-15cm from the ground. Cornus sanguinea types are better pruned every other or third year as they are less vigorous.  With such a tiny amount of effort on your part, you will guarantee the reward of a dazzling display of colour each winter.

Another winter gem to look out for this year is the highly desirable Betula utilis var. jacquemontii, commonly known as the Himalayan Birch.  The pure white, peeling bark of this elegant tree is striking in the bland winter months and will form stunning exclamation points when the sun breaks through the clouds. The white bark looks particularly spectacular when planted against a backdrop of the intense colours of the cornus stems.

Whatever your colour preference, there are a wealth of coloured stems, be it from trees, or shrubby Dogwoods and Willows.  With a bit of planning and very limited maintenance, you can get terrific displays – even in the smallest of garden spaces.

Happy Winter Days

Hellebores

As Christmas and the excitements of New Year festivities passes by leading us into another season you may be excused for having a little bit of winter blues; but don’t despair, the weather has been steadily improving and with it, spring marches inexorably forward, bringing with it some delightful garden plants.

It is at this time of the year that two groups of plant fanatics really start to getting excited; Snowdrop enthusiasts (Galanthophiles) and Hellebore lovers, (often said to be suffering from Helleboritis)! 

Winter provides a relatively short season of interest and one which is often affected by the weather, but as true ‘All Weather Gardeners’, these hardy, passionate plant people can be seen visiting gardens on the coldest days to enjoy the delights of these plants.  I must confess that I am a Snowdrop (Galanthus) collector and have been doing so for a few years, steadily building my collection.  Having formerly worked at Hadlow College lecturing in Horticulture and Garden Design, I have some considerable experience of working with and growing Hellebores too, holding, as they do, a NCCPG National Collection of Helleborus. H. x hybridus 'Yellow Double' (Main Picture)

Both plants have their merits and followers, but undeniably, both have BIG presence at this time of year.  With fewer flowering plants in mid-late winter than at other times of the year, showstoppers are a must for the garden and Hellebores provide that show stopping pizzazz better than any other perennial plant between January and March.

These early flowers provide more than colour though; they herald the spring and with it, provide a source of food for some early-bird insects like bumblebees and even the occasional butterfly that has woken from its winter slumber a little ahead of schedule.

Though poisonous to eat and having a potentially skin irritating sap, they have the advantage of requiring little or no maintenance and so rarely cause problems for the sensible gardener.

There are approximately 20 species of Hellebore, many of which make excellent garden plants, but for this week’s blog post, I will be discussing just 3 species, Helleborus x hybridus, H. foetidus and H. niger. 

Helleborus x hybridus (Formerly H. orientalis)

    H. x hybridus is better known to most gardeners as the Lenten Rose, an extremely variable plant offering by far the broadest range of flower colours, patterns and shapes available to the Hellebore grower, largely due to its mixed parentage.  An easy plant to grow tolerating a wide range of soil conditions and sunlight levels, this plant is a great value for money splash of winter colour.  Hundreds of named varieties and colour selections are available, with more being added every year.  We grow plants raised by an acclaimed Belgian Hellebore breeder as they have proven to be disease resistant and of good colour.  Though promiscuous and quick to set very fertile seed in your garden, be aware that seedlings are often not true to colour.  This can, of course, make for some amazing colour combinations and your seedling could be the next big thing!  Though there are a great many to choose from, my favourite (at the moment) is H. x hybridus ‘Black’ (Pictured), which has a great flower colour and a really well-shaped petal.  

To grow the healthiest and most floriferous plants, I would recommend improving soil texture through the incorporation of well-rotted leaf mould, horse manure or composted bark.  These allow roots to get that little deeper and plants to get bigger. 

TOP TIP – Remove all foliage from the plant in late October, taking care not to damage any flower shoots that may be poking their heads up from underground.  By doing this, you are sure to see the flowers in all their glory.  Don’t compost the cut foliage as it doesn’t degrade well and is a common way of spreading fungal diseases that Hellebores are susceptible too -  far better to bag them and bin them.

Helleborus foetidus

Rather unkindly called the Stinking Hellebore, this superb garden plant proves time and time again that it is one of the most versatile Hellebores available and a great garden plant.  Typically displaying the longest flowering season of any Hellebore with flowers reliably produced from late autumn to late spring.  The smell, from which it gets its common name is reminiscent of the foliage of Elder (Sambucus) trees, but was once, most favourably described to me as smelling of ‘Green’.  Of course, that is to say, that the smell isn’t really very strong, pungent or even particularly unpleasant.  

I am a huge fan of green flowered plants; so confident of their beauty that they don’t feel the need to stand out against their foliage!  Most people when selecting plants for their garden ignore the value of green as a colour taking it for granted as the common background hue that binds the various horticultural delights of the planted space together.  Green flowers are cool – in the colour sense as well as in their desirability and charismatic charm.  Unlike H. x hybridus types, H. foetidus flowers are produced on top of the foliage, so it is not a good idea to prune these before flowering.  You can prune them after seed has been set in order to encourage them to produce more stems, though this is not essential.

There are a number of named forms available with recent developments coming in  the form of yellow foliage varieties.       The selected form we sell at Coblands is called H. foetidus ‘Yellow Wilgenbroek’ (Pictured), which has proven itself to be a good grower and a beautiful plant.

By far the greatest strength of H. foetidus is its ability to grow nearly anywhere.  At     its best providing a green carpet under the shade of trees and large shrubs, though   it also grows well in full sun.  Though it can take wetter soils than other Hellebores,     it does prefer decent drainage.

TOP TIP – let this plant seed!  Though seedlings will be slightly variable, they are generally quite similar to parents and a good swathe of them is a terrific sight to behold.

Helleborus niger

The Christmas Rose – Perhaps another misnomer as I’m yet to see it flowering in gardens at Christmas, typically getting started in late January and flowering through until early March.  Pure white flowers are held on short stems that range in colour between a rich red and a creamy green.  This is another plant that benefits the viewer by having its foliage removed, though this is less important than it is on H. x hybridus as the foliage is less dense. 

A classic winter garden plant and understandably common fodder for Christmas cards, this is a great symbol of purity and an elegant, refined, yet cheery and optimistic beauty that has long delighted UK gardeners.

In recent times, a few named varieties have added to the species and one of particular note is H. niger ‘Double Fashion’ (Pictured).  I’m not generally a big fan of double flowered plants, but try to take everything on its individual merits and this has proven to be a plant that I really rate.  A fairly regular double that is not overly blousy, still embodying the qualities that I mentioned previously, only adding the addition of a bit more in the way of ‘white’ to each flower.

A desirable clone and one that is not widely available, but well worth growing lacking nothing in vigour or floriferous and like all H. niger types relatively uncomplicated in its approach to life.  It will grow in a wide variety of soils and sites, preferring ‘woodsy’ soils rich in well-rotted organic matter in a slightly shady spot where it will stand out like a beacon when flowering.

TOP TIP – plant with Pulmonaria varieties for a foliage and flower contrast.

We have a great range of Hellebores for sale and we're always adding to the range.  Click here to see and buy

Happy gardening,

Coblands Nurseries would like to wish all of our customers and growing community of like-minded gardening friends a very happy and floriferous 2013.

We’re used to being busy at Coblands, but 2012 was exceptionally so, with new products, plants and an increased team adding to our company and customer provision.  This should bring you a faster, better service as well as a broader range of great plants and offers for your garden in 2013.  We’ve not stopped there though with 238 new plants being added to our nursery production this year.  As soon as the new plants have grown, we will add them to the website so that you can access the newest and most exciting plants available in the UK before anyone else.

2013 marks the milestone 50^th anniversary of Coblands Nurseries and so we aim to be even more generous with our celebratory offers throughout the year.  These will advertised through regular emails, so don’t forget (if you haven’t already), to sign up to our mailing list.

Keep watching this blog, reading our emails, check out our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for offers, gardening information, tips and advice and the myriad new developments we’re bringing to our service in 2013.

Happy gardening,

Well it looked like it might not happen for a time, but Autumn has finally made an appearance and while it isn’t yet promising to deliver the crunch of crispy leaves underfoot, colour is developing well in a number of tree and shrubs.

As I look out from my office window onto the nursery, I can see our beds of Fagus sylvatica (Green Beech) for the upcoming hedging season.  They are developing their rich chestnut autumnal hue, but as I glance further, its easy to se that we have a wealth of plant varieties ‘doing autumn’ in some style!  From Abelia to Zenobia, there are colours galore developing in leaves, stems, fruits and even the latest of flowers.

Having spoken with our nursery team on what they think are our highlights of the moment, here is what they said...

Matt, our Nursery Supervisor loves the ruby red autumn foliage on Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’.  Such a good garden shrub and with some confident pruning to 60cm (2’) or so each March, the leaves will get bigger, the stems straighter and the autumn colour will really shine.

Darren, our Order Picker has been enjoying the oranging of the elegant pinnate leaves of Rhus typhina, turning as they do through shades of yellow, orange and red before falling.  Often overlooked as a it forms something in between a small tree, or large shrub, with a little pruning, Rhus, or Sumach as it is commonly called can be an excellent choice adding texture and colour to a garden.

Rebecca, our Retail Sales Assistant says that ‘this year’ she ‘has fallen in love with Anemone!’  Her favourite is the pure white flowered Anemone x hydrida ‘Honorine Jobert’, though she confesses a soft spot to all of the Anemone we grow.  Such good value for late season flower, floating as they do atop the foliage on wiry stems.  It really is easy to see where the common name of Wind Flower comes from.

There are a great many plants that I love in autumn and I always find it hard to pick a favourite, but one shrub that I am really enjoying watching change at the moment is Cornus alba ‘Aurea’.  The usually yellow foliage is replaced in autumn with claret reds and burnt oranges that give the appearance of the plant being on fire!  Unlike most shrubs, Cornus or Dogwoods of this type are more commonly known for their stem colour, which adds the additional dimension of winter interest.

We hope that autumn will continue in this vain and that the colour in your garden will be something to show off about.  We’d love to see some photos of your garden, which we can put on our Facebook page and on this blog.  If you’d like to be included in this, please send us images to info@coblands.co.uk

Finally, we’d like to welcome to the retail despatch team Nicole, who joined us this week.  Her previous experience working as a florist should help to ensure that orders go out as well pruned and manicured as they possibly can be!

Happy gardening

Its that time of year again!  I find myself, with time (well, a little) to spare to look at potential additions to our already substantial growing plan for next year. 

My office door is closed to avoid interruptions and I have a massive pile of catalogues and plant lists from some of the UK and Europe’s best plant breeders and young plant suppliers. 

Following our recent ‘Plant Hunting’ trip to Belgium and Holland, we came back with a vast list of interesting, new and exclusive plant introductions and have since been whittling down the list to some of the most interesting, likely culprits for us to grow and offer for sale.

Though I’m hesitant to name everything that we are growing as time won’t allow and I want to save some of it as a surprise, I will say that we will be offering a range of shrubs and herbaceous perennials entirely new to the UK garden centre market in 2013.  One plant that I am particularly keen to mention is Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’® (Pictured right); a new cultivar of the rarely seen Mahonia eurybracteata, which purports to be the world’s first spineless Mahonia!

Having been fortunate enough to have given the plant a soft caress, I can confirm that my hand remained undamaged from the experience.  Moreover, I would add that it looks great – elegant and fine foliage that resembles a tropical fern along with the same acid-yellow flowers that one expects to see from Mahonia.  We will have very limited numbers of this fine and undoubtedly desirable plant for sale in October this year, with more to follow in spring 2013.  When available, we’ll promote them on the website, so don’t miss your chance to pick up something very exciting and exclusive.

Other new additions to our repertoire worth mentioning include Mahonia ‘Cabaret’ (Pictured a top), which is a recently introduced cultivar of Mahonia gracillipes, with bright, orange-red flowers rather than the traditional yellow.  We will also have a recently introduced Buddleja called ‘Flower Power’ (Pictured below), noted for its two-tone flower colour and handsome silvery leaves.

For those of you less interested in shrubs and more excited about herbaceous perennials, don’t despair as we are busy securing growing material for a number of very exciting new plants.  At the time of writing this, we will have new varieties of Echinacea, Helenium, Aster, Anemone, Crocosmia, Delphinium, Lupinus, Agastache, Brunnera, Kniphofia and Stokesia on their way to us to name but a few!  All new additions to the website will be added to our ‘Recently Added’ page and many of them will be specially promoted as well during 2013 as part of our 50^th Anniversary celebrations, so please keep popping back to see what we’ve added to whet your appetite.

Thanks for Reading.

One of the most popular and sought after winter plants is without doubt, the Hellebore. This group of fifteen or so species of largely hardy herbaceous perennials are versatile garden plants growing in a range of different garden situations. With limited annual maintenance, you can get the very best from your plants and watch those beautiful winter flowers light up even the dullest days! 

Here we have a short video of our nursery preparation of helleborus niger (Christmas Rose) in readiness for late winter flowering. 

The video illustrates the removal of foliage to allow fresh new flower buds to push through from the base of the plant creating the very best of view of the flowers. Aside from the advantages of seeing the flowers clearly, removing the foliage helps to reduce the potential of health issues that dying leaves can create. This also makes it easier for you, 'the gardener', to mulch around the base of the plant helping with nutrition, weed suppression and winter plant protection.

     Before                                 After

Well, it has finally happened; winter has started in earnest!  This morning's frosty start came as a surprise to us, with car windscreen scraping the first order of the day.  Where last week, many of us on the nursery were in shirtsleeves, today jumpers and jackets have been donned as the cold weather has started. 

Traditional November weather this year has largely been replaced, by mild and sunny days and while this is smashing for gardeners, it hasn't been great for the lifting of Bare Rooted plants in our nursery.  Now that the temperature has dropped and we've had a bit of rain, the lifting of field grown hedging, trees and fruit trees has begun.

Over the past few days we have been stocking our plant centres and sending out hundreds of orders of mixed native hedging to customers around the country. 

While hedging and deciduous trees are forming a substantial part of our orders at the moment, the real stars of the show are the heavily budded winter shrubs like Camellia, Skimmia, Daphne and Corylopsis as well as a great selection of grasses and herbaceous perennials showing off their winter seed heads on our nursery beds.  The drying flowers of the fifteen or so varieties of Miscanthus that we grow are adding subtle colour and fluffy texture to our planted displays and our nursery stock beds.  Spent flowers on Achillea and Rudbeckia remind us of how colourful they were a month ago, while injecting the very in vogue prairie feel to planting schemes.  Finally, one of my personal favourites at the moment, Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Goldtau’ (pictured), a very light and airy flower atop a bushy mound of evergreen foliage.  Looking great with carpeting plants like Ajuga and a perfect partner for Allium and Gladioli bulbs.

Apologies that it has been a while since we last posted a blog, but we have had a very busy year with substantial developments to our nursery facilities, lots of show exhibiting and terrific sales.

I say ‘we’, but can’t take much of the credit, as I only joined the company in September as the new Retail Sales Manager and have been thrown deep into work developing our new website. 

My name is Lewis Normand and I join Coblands having taught Garden Design and Horticulture at Hadlow College for the last 10 years, as well as designing gardens in the UK, Europe and in the Middle East.  My background in design stems from a real passion for plants and I have worked in various nurseries and garden centres in my native Scotland and now in the South East for over 15 years building plant knowledge and feeding my plant addiction.

My new job here sees me in charge of all retail sales through the website and as the principle port of call for all queries and the occasional problem that customers have. 

I am currently working with our growing team to bring lots of new plants to the website over the coming months, the first of which, Acanthus mollis ‘Tasmanian Angel’ is now available.  As well as an increase in plants, a broadened range of garden tools, garden leisure and gifts will soon be available.

Don’t do all your Christmas shopping too early, as I’m sure we’ll have some offers to whet your appetite over the next month.

The mild south westerly winds that we have been experiencing last week, have woken up host of plants from their winter slumber. The Forestry Commision planted the area behind our house four years ago with a huge mix of native and some non-native trees and shrubs.

This weekend, while taking Finn and Molly for their walk, I noticed that, just in a week, the Corylus avellana ( Hazel- wheat coloured catkins ) and Alnus glutinosa (Alder --- black/purple catkins) have become smothered in catkins.

The difference in growth between these two plants is remarkable. All of the trees and shrubs were approximately 40-60cm (18”-2ft high) when planted. Four years later the Corylus are about 1.2-1.5m high, whereas the Alnus are about 4-5m high.  This is the reason many farmers and land owners use Alnus as a windbreak, because they attain a tall hedge fairly quickly. However Corylus also makes a lovely hedgerow, with the added bonus of Hazelnuts. Both these can still be planted now as bare rooted plants until late March.

Last weekend was mainly a vegetable weekend. I managed to dig over half the patch, after clearing the bean canes from last year. Its amazing how quickly the weeds start to take over, even with the bad weather we have had over the last two months. I also put my seed potatoes into seed trays so that they could ‘chit’. This is done to ensure you get strong sturdy shoots at one end of the tuber. The varieties I am growing this year are Pentalin Javelin (first early) and King Edward (main crop). Also potted up my onion sets(Sturon) into small cells(usually used for cuttings or seed) in my greenhouse. I find that they establish faster if I can get some root on them, before they are planted out in the big wide world. Tops of bulb shoots are starting to appear in the flower garden. I noticed some tulips, (in a warm spot in the garden) and Iris reticulata, but these seem to be late this year? Snowdrops are still not fully up, but the best time for these is usually first two weeks of February. 

I`ve noticed the beginning of spring in my garden this weekend. Two yellow winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis) are pushing their heads above the ground, a few snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) are starting to show flower buds and the Daphne bholua (seedling ) lovely pink flower buds are just starting to open. Daphne bholua is a really difficult plant to propagate, cuttings are rarely successful. I`ve found that seedlings self sow in my garden (I noticed three around the main shrub last weekend) however seedlings usually are not identical to the original. This means that over time the strain could become weaker, which in turn can mean plants that maybe are not as floriferous or hardy or diesease resistant. 

Beyond the Garden Gate, our Hampton Court Flower Show 2010 garden comes 2nd in the plant plot exhibits. A massive thank you to everyone involved! More information including the planting plan can be found here: Best4plants Hampton Court Garden

On Friday 9th July the Best4plants Plant Plot Gargen and display tent will be featured on BBC2`s coverage of the Hampton Court Flower Show 2010. Below, left: Jo Swift during filming

Above, right: The film crew capture our beautiful garden in all its glory. Below: The layout of the inside of our selling area creates quite an impact.

Our plants are displayed in sections for hassle free planting. Click here to watch Episode 3 of the BBC`s coverage of the Hampton Court Flower Show. More information about our Hampton Court Garden can be found here

Beyond the Garden Gate, our Hampton Court Flower Show 2010 garden gets it`s first mock-up! Right: Our handmade gate looks great. Hopefully it will stand up on it`s own once it`s in our garden!  Above: Our post and rail fence starts it`s life. Insert: What it will look like when it`s finished!  Above: Our Mock-up starts with the woodland area over the fence. We use black crates to reflect the different heights in the garden.  Some of our favourite plants in this years garden. Left: Spiraea japonica Little Princess. A deciduous shrub with a compact mound forming habit 50-60cm tall, small green leaves. Flowers rose-crimson from July to August. Good hardy, reliable shrub for summer colour. Requires full sun, neutral moist soil. Top right: Astrantia major Roma. A lovely pink Astrantia noted for its floriferous habit 80-100cm tall. Herbaceous perennial preferring moist soils in sun or partial shade. Bottom right: Sedum Purple Emperor. A herbaceous perennial with dark plum purple foliage and dusty pink flowers July to September. 50cm tall. Requires full sun, very tolerant of drought once established.

The plans are in! Our Hampton Court Flower Show 2010 garden begins to take shape! A traditional cottage garden setting with a range of herbaceous perennials. The path leads the viewer down to the woodlands beyond.  The first batch of plants are hand picked from our nursery stock. Beyond the Garden Gate - Plant list Herbaceous & Grasses Achillea Red Velvet Actaea simplex Brunette Agapanthus africanus Agapanthus africanus albus Alchemilla mollis Anthemis Sauce Hollandaise Astrantia Abbey Road Astrantia Roma Coreopsi verticillata Moonbeam Coreopsis Ruby Red Cosmos atrosanguinea Delphinium Galahad Delphinium Summer Skies Digitalis mertonensis Echinacea Fatal Attraction Echinacea Harvest Moon Echinacea Sundown Echinacea Tiki Torch Echinacea Tomato Soup Gaura Whirling Butterflies Geranium Rozanne Stachys Humelo Hemerocallis selection Heuchera Berry Smoothy Heuchera Caramel Heuchera Green Spice Heuchera Midnight Rose Heuchera Obsidian Heucherella Sunspot Hydrangea paniculata Kyushu Knautia macedonica Mars Midget Leucanthemum Sonnenschein Liatris spicata Liatris spicata Alba Lupinus yellow Oenothera fruiticosa Fyrverkeri Origanum Compactum Penstemon Huskers Red Penstemon Strawberry and Cream Phlox Chattahoochee Phygelius Funfare Wine Potentilla thurberi Monarchs` Velvet Salvia Hot Lips Salvia Tricolour Sanguisorba officinalis Tanna Scabiosa Butterfly Blue Sedum Purple Emporor Sidalcea Little Princess Stipa arundinacea Verbena bonariensis Veronica Rotfuchs Veronicastrum virg. Album Shrubs Buddleia davidii Pink Delight Hydrangea macrophylla Pink or White Potentilla fruticosa Pink Delight Perovskia Blue Spire Trees Prunus serrula multistem

`The Naturally Fashionable Garden` by Nick Dexter is awarded Silver gilt at The Chelsea Flower Show 2010. Coblands best4plants would like to congratulate Nick on his fantastic garden. `The Naturally Fashionable Garden` was created using plants supplied by Coblands Best4plants.co.uk, and to celebrate we will be offering a 15% discount on all of the plants used in his design. Exhibited by BrandAlley.co.uk, Nick`s garden is inspired by fabric textures, fashion design and the work of artist Sonia Delaunay (1885-1979). She was noted for her use of overlapping, abstract blocks of colour which the eye would intermingle to create a harmonious composition.

The white boundaries highlight the strong colours seen in leaf, stem, flower and material selection. Every element contrasts and relates to other elements in the garden. The texture of textiles viewed under an electron microscope inspired the concept for the stumpery. How the design started  This bold and contemporary urban garden, beautifully constructed from sumptuous and luxurious natural materials, makes a powerful style statement. By combining a defined geometric pattern, with natural elements, Nick has created an exciting composition. For more information about Nick and his Naturally Fashionable Garden please visit him online Sources: www.ndg.de.com www.bbc.co.uk/chelsea/ www.brandalleysales.co.uk