Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2016 i Gardens Illustrated Magazine

For many of us May is synonymous with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. As always, we find some of the world’s best designers at work there, so it’s a tough job deciding which ones to feature; we hope our selection includes some of the very best. I’ve no doubt that all of the designers will have spent months, if not years, preparing for the show, aiming to showcase their skills and win the highest medal possible. Each year the awards are hotly debated, but what exactly makes a medal-winning garden and how do you win the much coveted Best Show Garden? Design critic Annie Gatti goes behind the scenes and explains the judging process in detail on page 52. Having built a reputation for her beautiful floral exhibits in the…

Dianthus superbus With its rather lax foliage, this is not a tidy grower, however, all is forgiven when the plant flowers. The blooms can be either pale pink or white with deeply dissected petals and green staining towards the centre of the flower on the upper surface. Short red hairs stand erect on the green background, presumably to encourage insects to pollinate the highly scented flowers. In the evening the nursery is filled with the sweet aroma of these flowers – incredibly powerful for such a small plant. Dianthus prefer alkaline soils but can survive for some time in slightly acidic conditions. Height 60-80cm. Growing conditions Sharp drainage and lean soil in sun. Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 4a-9b. Origin Europe, Asia. Season of interest Late spring to summer. Uvularia grandiflora…

What was your first plant love? After school I started an apprenticeship, studying for an NVQ in decorative horticulture, while working at Nunwick Hall. I remember a beautiful Magnolia wilsonii in the garden, which always grabbed my attention. I think this was also the first botanical name that eventually stuck in my mind. Career inspiration I was inspired from an early age by my grandad in the garden: he was hard working and enjoyed the time he had in his garden, which still motivates me to succeed as a gardener today. Who are your horticultural heroes? I’m very fortunate to be working with Dan Pearson on some exciting projects at Lowther Castle. Describe your favourite landscapes Some of the most influential landscapes I’ve seen are the rich, damp forests of…

Winning a gold medal at Chelsea, the highest accolade at the best and most famous flower show in the world, is what drives designers from the moment they submit their application to the nerve-wracking opening of the envelope on the first day of the show. What exactly does a gold represent, though, and why are the designers and sponsors so jubilant when they win one? “It means excellence in every respect,” says veteran show garden judge John Sales, who has seen the judging process undergo a sea change since his first attendance some 30 years ago. In those days, he explains, judging was done by the whole council of the RHS, who were “a mixture of gardeners, landowners and orchid growers” who would tour the gardens (after lunch), cast their…

Smouldering pinks At this time of year the lanes around our house in the Welsh Marches are awash with froths of cow parsley, flecked with pink from red campion and ragged robin. Lines of hawthorn hedge, smothered in creamy-white flowers, are frequently interrupted by majestic copper beeches, rising up resplendent in their distinctive purple foliage. I chose a dark-leaved form of Actaea simplex for the foundation of this pink-and-white arrangement. Set in an old oak half-barrel from our local cider maker, it is a perfect celebration of the Herefordshire countryside. How to achieve the look Container Half barrels make great containers, but scale of planting is the key to success. A minimum pot to plant height ratio of 1:1.5 is preferable. The oak of this barrel has aged to a…

“The best aspect of the job is being part of an organisation that’s moving from the past to the future, with leadership that can deliver” The tall, patrician figure of Sir Nicholas Bacon, with his wavy hair and bright-red socks, has become a familiar sight at Royal Horticultural Society events since June 2013 when he was elected president. A surprising choice to some – he has not exhibited or been a regular on the shows circuit – he has in fact been close to the soil since childhood, which was spent at Raveningham Hall on the 5,000-acre family estate in Norfolk. As he explained, in his comfortable office, a converted tack room in the stable yard, “The whole thing about gardening was imbued in one’s fingers, in one’s soul, without…

C. KOUSA ‘WOLF EYES’ Pretty, variegated shrub with pointed, grey-green leaves margined with white; starry, white blooms in early summer. Best grown in semi-shade on moist, well-drained, acid soil. 3m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b. C. KOUSA VAR. CHINENSIS Popular and easy to grow. Thrives on most soils, including heavy clay. Robust and free flowering with the bonus of good autumn colour and crimson fruits that follow creamy flowers. 5m. RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b. C. KOUSA ‘JOHN SLOCOCK’ A bushy plant; upright, then spreading in character. The creamy-white bracts become blotched with pink as they age and are followed by deep-pink fruits. Outstanding. 4m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b. C . KOUSA VAR. CHINENSIS ‘CHINA GIRL’ Abundant, creamy-white bracts that do not blush pink as they fade. The bracts start…

Herbs quite simply transform a meal into a feast – they not only make the food look and taste appealing, they also stimulate the digestion and are one of the essential ingredients that make a meal come alive. Furthermore, they look beautiful in the garden or in containers and, as many of the culinary herbs are from the Lamiaceae family, including thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, mint and basil, they are very attractive to bees and butterflies. Of all the herbs I grow, the one I believe is most synonymous with summer is basil (including Greek and Thai basil, described on page 88). It conjures up thoughts of the Mediterranean, sitting outside on a warm evening and sharing a meal with the family, be it pizza, where the basil can be…

EXHIBITION Robotic art Visitors to London’s V&A this summer will witness a striking canopied installation in the central John Madejski Garden. Inspired by the forewing shells of flying beetles, the Elytra Filament Pavilion is part of the museum’s Engineering Season and has been designed by University of Stuttgart professor and architect Achim Menges, together with computational design architect Moritz Dörstelmann, structural engineer Jan Knippers and climate engineer Thomas Auer, to explore the impact of emerging robotic technologies on architectural design, engineering and making. The tightly woven, undulating structure will grow during the Season as new cells are made by a robot. 18 May – 6 November; vam.ac.uk APL AWARDS Neat solution Sussex-based Frogheath Landscapes was named Supreme Winner at the Association of Professional Landscapers Awards 2016 for its work on…

An invaluable aid for budding botanists, with a concise glossary of botanical terms and clear, line-drawing illustrations.Reviewer Rory Dusoir is a Kew-trained gardener and writer. A BOTANIST’S VOCABULARY: 1300 TERMS EXPLAINED AND ILLUSTRATED by Susan K Pell and Bobbi Angell Timber Press, £17.99 ISBN 978-1604695632 One of the most challenging aspects in the multi-disciplined profession of horticulture is the question of plant identification. As gardeners, we can only hope to dabble in botany, which bestrides several fields of biology and chemistry in its own right. We are all probably familiar with that sinking feeling when a plant whose name we have just learned to grasp gets shunted into a new genus (I will forever struggle to refer to Dicentra spectabilis as Lamprocapnos); but our disappointment must be tempered by knowing…

1 ABBOTSBURY SUBTROPICAL GARDENS A recent winner of the HHA/ Christie’s Garden of the Year Award and described by Alan Titchmarsh as ‘one of the finest gardens I have ever visited. Established in 1765 by the 1st Countess of Ilchester as a kitchen garden for her nearby castle. It has developed since then into a magnificent 30-acre tropical paradise with many exotic features including a Burma rope bridge. Address Bullers Way, Abbotsbury, Dorset DT3 4LA Tel 01305 871387 Web abbotsburygardens.co.uk 2 BLENHEIM PALACE Blenheim Palace is a World Heritage Site and home to 2,000 acres of stunning ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped parkland and formal gardens. Explore the water terraces, rose garden and Churchill Memorial Garden and discover historical monuments across the park. Whatever the season Blenheim Palace is an inspiring visit.…

ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE 2016 CATALOGUE NOW AVAILABLE. New additions to the collection include the Quercus Robur garden furniture range – hand-crafted in English Oak and inspired by the Cotswold School of Arts & Crafts – along with an extension to our range of the ever-popular copper garden planters. Tel 01386 584414 Web architectural-heritage.co.uk NATURES HAMPERS Natures Hampers is a family owned business in Sussex offering cruelty-free, beautifully packaged hampers. The hampers’ award-winning contents are carefully chosen, keeping in mind the company’s natural ethos. The range includes Gardener’s Hampers, with items selected to complement the English gardener’s life. Tel 01435 810099 Web natureshampers.com BACKDOORSHOES They are comfortable, waterproof, durable and have removable, washable insoles. Easy to slip on and off, saving your socks and feet from getting wet and with muddy laces…

• Inspiring new English flower garden• Stylish, colour-themed borders in a flower-filled Dutch garden• Great ideas for a sloping garden• The best wisteria and how to grow it• Floral artist Rebecca Louise Law ON SALE 26 MAY Save money when you subscribe to the digital edition – see page 36. Also in selected Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Tesco stores, as well as WHSmith, and all good magazine retailers.…

ANDY McINDOE Andy is a practical horticulturist and author who designs and advises on gardens of all sizes and has been responsible for 25 gold-medal winning exhibits at the Chelsea Flower Show. He has a special interest in trees and shrubs, and recommends flowering dogwoods on page 78. “Cornus are among my favourite garden plants for flowers and foliage and always feature in my gardens, books and lectures.” LISE FUNDERBURG US-based Lise writes about gardening for publications, such as Architectural Digest and Garden Design magazine, when she’s not being distracted by her large garden in Philadelphia. This month, on page 92, she visits Stone Arches, a woodland garden in upstate New York. “The pleasure that Mark Veeder gets from every last leaf in his garden is completely contagious… and utterly…

CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW 24-28 MAY BUYING TICKETS Advance purchase only. Tickets are limited – go to rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show to check availability. GARDENS ILLUSTRATED AT CHELSEA Come and see us at Stand EA468 on Eastern Avenue. Plus see gardensillustrated.com for our podcast recorded at Chelsea.…

A walk-through, zingy front garden designed for the RHS’s Greening Grey Britain campaign by Ann-Marie Powell. Topiary plants hover over meadow planting, there’s a shipping container potting shed with veg on the roof, and you can see how water percolates through permeable paving. MA435. Acer shirasawanum Moonrise (= ‘Munn 001’) on Hillier’s stand, this year designed by Sarah Eberle. Its chartreuse summer foliage turns to brilliant red in autumn making it a beautiful specimen tree for a small garden. Available from hillier.co.uk GPE171. The Artisan garden for Viking Cruises, also designed by Sarah Eberle, is inspired by a trip up the Mekong Delta. The fibreglass beds are filled with an eclectic mix of native grasses, vegetables and flowers for cutting. A coloured canopy handwoven by Fiona Campbell from…

In brief What Known as dogwoods or cornels there are around 60 species of Cornus , ranging from low, creeping, sub shrubs to large trees. Many have given rise to valuable garden ornamentals grown for flowers, foliage or winter stems. Origins North America, Europe and Asia. They are mostly hardy, woody plants from cool, temperate regions. Season The flowering dogwoods bloom from late spring to midsummer. Those grown for foliage are deciduous, but are beautiful in leaf from spring to autumn. Cornus grown for stem colour are great in winter. Size From 5 x 30cm ( Cornus canadensis ) to 8 x 6m ( Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’, although most grow to around 3-5m. Conditions Most well-drained, reasonably moist, fertile soils. The flowering dogwoods favour acid to neutral conditions. CORNUS FLORIDA…

C. FLORIDA ‘CHEROKEE CHIEF’ An improved form of flowering dogwood with abundant blooms on wonderfully sculptural branches in late spring. Lovely autumn foliage. Prefers rich, fertile soil; unhappy on shallow chalk. 5m. RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b. C. FLORIDA ‘RAINBOW’ Rich, gold-margined leaves turn purple-red edged with scarlet in autumn. Large, white blooms resemble wontons as they open at the tips of the shoots. Compact and upright. 3m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b. C. CANADENSIS The tiny, creeping dogwood forms mats of short, upright stems and dark-green leaves studded with small, white starry blooms. Clusters of red berries follow in autumn. 10cm. RHS H7, USDA 2a-7b. C. FLORIDA ‘SUNSET’ Mature leaves are mostly gold, splashed green in the centres, turning red, purple and pink in autumn. Large, deep-pink flowers in late…

• Celebrating Art in the Garden, the contemporary sculpture exhibition, returns to the five-acre walled garden at West Lavington Manor, Wiltshire. Participating artists include Heather Jansch and Simon Hempsell, 26 May – 12 June, see website for dates and times; friendsofthegarden.org.uk • The Freising International Garden Fair celebrates its 20th anniversary this month, with more than 60 nurseries showing a wide range of rare and special plants in Freising, Germany. A lecture programme on the gardens of Russia includes talks by historian Dr Anna Ananieva and landscape designer Dr Elena Doubnova. 6-8 May, freisingergartentage.de • Plant Selection, Learning from Nature by Noël Kingsbury, the first in a new series of e-books, is available to download from amazon.co.uk for £9.95. Published by MyGardenSchool, it looks at planting design in parks, gardens and…

A FIELD GUIDE TO THE WILD FLOWERS OF THE WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN by Chris Thorogood Kew Publishing, £40 ISBN 978-1842466162 A comprehensive plant-identification guide to Mediterranean flora. THE CITY GROWER by Matt Franks Kyle Books, £16.99 ISBN 978-0857833044 Matt Franks’s easy-to-follow, five-step plan for transforming your small city space into an eco-friendly, green oasis. GARDENERS’ QUESTION TIME TECHNIQUES & TIPS by Matthew Biggs et al Kyle Books, £19.99 ISBN 978-0857833655 A thorough, practical guide from the panellists of BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time. CAPABILITY BROWN AND HIS LANDSCAPE GARDENS by Sarah Rutherford National Trust Books, £20 ISBN 978-1909881549 Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown’s story told in an illustrated guide to his most iconic landscapes. BOOK OFFER DETAILS Most featured books are available to readers at special rates. For details of book offers,…

Two things strike you as the glories of this swansong, and they are both poppies May in California, in some respects, is the end of the gardening year. By the first of June we are obliged to have strimmed all the ground cover away, the assumption being that soon after the grasses and the herbaceous stuff will be desiccated enough to become a fire hazard. No roses to look forward to in June: Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea, the rose most happily grown here, was at its best by the end of February, and R. x odorata ‘Mutabilis’ followed closely. There will be plasticky hybrid roses in plasticky irrigated gardens, but nothing you would want for yourself. Looking around now, two things strike you as the glories of this swansong, and they…

NEW FURNITURE The height of style Inspired by an old pine conservatory table she had seen at a European home sale, the Dowager Duchess of Bedford asked the bespoke furniture maker Titchmarsh & Goodwin to create a more modern version for her. The Suffolk-based company obliged with a beautiful English oak table – featuring six deep steps for plants, a potting board and a large drawer – and loved the result so much it has now added a version of the conservatory table to its range. Priced at £1,495, 10 per cent of each sale will go to the Tavistock Trust for Aphasia, set up by the Dowager Duchess. Tel 01473 252158, titchmarsh-goodwin.co.uk FLORAL FESTIVAL Blooming Belgravia Some of London’s smartest streets will be celebrating HM The Queen’s 90th birthday…

Profile Name Andy Sturgeon. Training Dip (Landscape), MSGD, MLI. Chelsea history Six gold medals, including Best Show Garden 2010. Plot MA423. Sponsor The Telegraph. Contractor Crocus. Theme A sculptural garden carved out of a rocky, arid landscape that celebrates the geology and plants of such regions. Andy Sturgeon Nature in its many forms – and the countryside of any country – are what feed my imagination. When I was buying plants in Spain for this garden, I was stopping the car all the time to photograph stones, the way light was falling on a rock face or some scrubby old plants in a car park. Probably one of my favourite designers at the moment is Andrea Cochran. She has the marriage of plants and sculptural architecture that I really…

1 Alcea rosea A white-flowered form of the common hollyhock is allowed to seed into the gravel paths. A biennial that is best grown as an annual. 1.25m. RHS H5, USDA 3a-9b† . 2 Choisya ternata An evergreen shrub with glossy foliage that forms a neat dome. In late spring the entire plant is smothered with sprays of scented, star-shaped flowers. 2.5m. RHS H4, USDA 7a-9b. 3 Crambe cordifolia Provides a cloud of tiny white flowers that floats over the garden in June. A member of the cabbage family, the foliage is coarse but can be cut back after flowering. 2.5m. AGM*. RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b. 4 Digitalis purpurea f. albiflora The white form of the common foxglove adds height to the planting scheme. Occasional purple-flowered plants are removed. 1.2m.…

CORNUS CELESTIAL (= ‘RUTDAN’) A vigorous new cultivar, bred for disease resistance. Domed, greenish-white bracts in early summer and good autumn leaf colour. Upright and narrow in habit on moist, well-drained, acid soil. 5m. RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b. C . ‘EDDIE’S WHITE WONDER’ Large, rounded, creamy-white blooms appear in early spring, and are spectacular after a good summer the previous year. Crimson-pink autumn colour. Upright and narrow in habit. 4m. AGM*. RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b. C. AURORA (= ‘RUTBAN’) A robust, upright, hybrid dogwood with dark-green foliage and long-lasting autumn colour. Wonderful display of white bracts in an open, sunny position; no fruit. A good small, specimen tree. 5m. RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b. C. VENUS (= ‘KN30 8’) A recent introduction with exceptionally large, creamy-white bracts. Dark-green foliage and vibrant…

C. ALTERNIFOLIA ‘ARGENTEA’ The variegated dogwood is one of the finest foliage shrubs with floating horizontal branches and delicate green and white leaves. Lacy, white flowers in early summer. 3m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b. C. ALBA ‘GOUCHAULTII’ Dark-red stems in winter remain decorative after the ochre and green leaves have fallen. Thrives on any soil; excellent in wet conditions. Cut back hard to 20cm every two years. 1.8m. RHS H7, USDA 3a-7b. C. ALBA ‘SIBIRICA VARIEGATA’ Much less vigorous than other red-barked dogwoods; ideal for smaller gardens. Attractive foliage with the bonus of dark red winter stems. Grows on any soil in sun or shade. 1.2m. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 3a-7b. C. MAS ‘VARIEGATA’ Tiny, golden flowers on bare stems in late winter before the white and green leaves…

ROLLED IRONWORK French Garden Rocker, £599, Manufactum, 0800 096 0938, manufactum.co.uk CLASSIC CRAFTSMANSHIP Classic Adirondack Rocking Chair in European oak, £340, Adirondack Outdoors, 01483 489002, adirondack.co.uk OPEN-WEAVE SEAT Mbrace Rocking Chair, 1,630, DEDON, +49 (0)4131 224470, dedon.de ALUMINIUM FRAME Fermob Luxembourg Rocking Chair in plum, £485, Le Petit Jardin, 01892 541152, le-petit-jardin.com COOL CONTEMPORARY Eames RAR Chair in ocean blue, £449, The Conran Shop, 0844 848 4000, conranshop.co.uk ROOM FOR TWO Serenity Cedar Rockabye, £2,014, Sitting Spiritually, 01297 443084, sittingspiritually.co.uk UNDERSTATED Croft Collection Islay Rocking Chair, £399, John Lewis, 03456 049049, johnlewis.com VINTAGE APPEAL Metal Rocking Chair, £650, Petersham Nurseries, 020 8940 5230, petershamnurseries.com FOLD AWAY WAWA Folding Rocking Chair, £440, Clifton Nurseries, 020 7289 6851, clifton.co.uk…

Umbrella With a slate-grey cotton cover and wooden handle, our umbrella will comfortably shelter two people on a rainy day. £25 £20 (plus p&p) Tea towel This 100 per cent cotton tea towel features a bespoke illustration from print artist Hannah McVicar, a regular contributor to Gardens Illustrated. £7 £6 (plus p&p) Twine This high-quality, biodegradable cotton twine comes in two sizes and three charming colourways: brown and white; grey and white; and burgundy. 20m £3.50 £3 (plus p&p); 100m £6.50 £6 (plus p&p) Regular price Subscriber price * Online Visit gardensillustrated.com/shop234 Telephone Call 0344 245 8098† quoting code GI234…