Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2016 i Gardens Illustrated Magazine

Most likely, bulb catalogues will have arrived through your letter box – or by email – by now. I love the yearly ritual of going through them and whittling down my list. I find bulbs quite irresistible as they are a relatively fail-safe way to inject colour and interest into the garden come spring. My enthusiasm is tempered only by the realisation that I will actually have to put them all into the ground (and, I hasten to add, the expense – especially given my latest enthusiasm for historic tulips). Being inquisitive by nature, I couldn’t resist asking a group of professional designers what they would be putting into their shopping baskets this year. Turn to page 40 to find who’s planting what. Inspired by the feature, Avon Bulbs has…

HYDRANGEA MACROPHYLLA ‘AYESHA’ Quite unlike other mophead hydrangeas, ‘Ayesha’ has domed heads of thick, sepal, lilac-like flowers varying from mauve-pink to sky blue. Delicately fragrant and excellent for cutting. 1.2m. RHS H5, USDA 6a-9b. H. MACROPHYLLA ‘BLAUMEISE’ Large, vigorous lacecap hydrangea with deep-green foliage. The bold flower heads are dominated by dense rings of large, sterile florets that vary from lilac-purple to deep blue. 1.8m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b. H. MACROPHYLLA ‘QUADRICOLOR’ An attractive shrub with variegated foliage; the leaves edged with pale-green, white and soft yellow. Sparkling lacecap heads are pale lilac-pink or ice blue; dainty against the leaves. 1.5m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 6a-9b. H. MACROPHYLLA ‘ROTSCHWANZ’ Sometimes sold as ‘Red Star’ or ‘Redstart’. A striking lacecap hydrangea with dark-green leaves flushed red. The starry, sterile florets…

“You know, you can apply your intelligence to anything. I did my homework. I read and read. And I organised my time well” I never stop running,” says Lady Skelmersdale as she whizzes me around her nursery. I’d been told that after a long and full working life she is reducing her workload, but as we talk she is fielding calls from customers and preparing for a lecture cruise followed by a visit to an allium trial before departing to botanise in the Tian Shan Mountains in central Asia. It’s a schedule that would exhaust a younger person. “Ah well, you are a man,” she tells me. “We women learn early on to be organised and to do lots of things.” Christine Skelmersdale has a remarkable number of achievements under…

In brief Name Agro Fleur Select. What A wholesale production nursery and breeding centre specialising in nerines and amarines. Where The Netherlands, on two sites south of Amsterdam and at Creil in the province of Flevoland. Size 12.4 acres. Soil Well-drained sandy loam. Climate A maritime climate influenced by the North Sea with cool summers and cold winters. Hardiness rating USDA 8. We are all familiar with images of the multicoloured bands of flowers that paint the Dutch landscape in spring. The area around the country’s famous bulb garden at Keukenhof, in particular, is a patchwork of small nurseries, separated by narrow canals, that grow tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and alliums. By the end of the summer, the bulb fields are bare save for the occasional explosion of candy-floss pink and…

• The Frieze Sculpture Park returns to Regent’s Park as part of Frieze London with works by 20th-century masters Claes Oldenburg, Lynn Chadwick, Sir Eduardo Paolozzi and Jean Dubuffet, alongside pieces by leading contemporary artists Goshka Macula, Conrad Shawcross and Matthew Monahan. 6-9 October, frieze.com • The tenth annual Kiku, the Art of the Japanese Garden exhibition at the New York Botanical Garden conservatory, features hundreds of trained chrysanthemums, the newly opened maple collection, and the arts of bonsai and ikebana. 8-30 October. nybg.org • Book now for a night-time illuminated exploration of the buildings, plants and landscape of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. 13 October – 6 November. botaniclights.co.uk • Writtle College in Chelmsford, Essex, has achieved university status. Open days for degree courses in landscape and garden design,…

An invaluable guide to the design and planting of small gardens that includes the latest techniques and naturalistic styles.Reviewer Stephanie Donaldson is a garden writer. NEW SMALL GARDEN by Noël Kingsbury Photographs by Maayke de Ridder Frances Lincoln, £20 ISBN 978-0711236806 However tiny a garden may be, getting the layout and the planting right can be as tricky as it is with a far larger plot, so New Small Garden is an ideal handbook for anyone who would appreciate fresh ideas and practical advice. While there are already some classic books on small garden design, Noël Kingsbury has updated the subject to incorporate contemporary tastes and environmentally friendly approaches. Most of the gardens featured are in the Netherlands, a country where the gardeners are experts at making the smallest garden…

1 COTSWOLD WILDLIFE PARK & GARDENS Take a walk on the wild side – stroll peacefully around the park in September and October and enjoy the gardens at their late summer peak, with tropical planting, cascading planters and beautiful borders. The stunning gardens and themed borders make a beautiful backdrop to the animals. With over 260 different animal species in over 120 acres of mature parkland, there’s plenty of space to relax and get closer to wildlife. RHS Partner Garden in 2016. Address Burford, Oxfordshire OX18 4JP Tel 01993 823006 Web cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk 2 ABBOTSBURY SUBTROPICAL GARDENS This award-winning garden is dramatically illuminated and pathways are magically lit with candle light every evening from 13-30 October. Enjoy the autumn colours in daylight, retire to the restaurant then take the same route…

ALISON JENKINS Planting designer Alison trained at the English Gardening School. She often collaborates with other designers, architects and head gardeners and loves using plants across a range of different sites. She shares some of her favourite spring bulbs with us on page 42. “Spring bulbs are an essential element of a dynamic planting scheme, providing a much-needed lift after the dark days of winter” SIBYLLE PIETREK German photographer Sibylle specialises in garden and floral photography and regularly publishes flower calendars and stories about gardens across Europe. She visited Les Jardins de Castillon near Bayeux while in France. Her pictures are on page 32. “I was amazed by Colette and Hubert Sainte Beuve’s topiary and the way their garden seemed to gleam after heavy rainfall.” LIA LEENDERTZ Lia is a…

Salvia ‘Phyllis’ Fancy’ Versatile sages can grow in almost every garden microclimate and, with more than 900 species and many hundreds of cultivars, the choice is staggering. This tender hybrid was found as a seedling in the University of California’s Santa Cruz Arboretum and named after Phyllis Norris, a volunteer there. Incredibly vigorous, it can easily compete with tall grasses and herbaceous perennials, flowering late in the season with fuzzy, white-flushed, pale-lavender flowers set off by dark-purple calyces. Strong, arching growth produces fountains of flower spikes. Height 1.5-2m. Origin Spontaneous hybrid of possibly S. leucantha x S. chapalensis. Growing conditions Moisture-retentive soil; sun or dappled shade. Hardiness RHS H3, USDA 7a-9b. Season of interest Late summer – autumn. Sanguisorba ‘Cangshan Cranberry’ Burnets are invaluable in naturalistic plantings giving small shots…

1 Children are inventive, inquisitive and resourceful. I find that their imagination makes better use of a garden space when it isn’t specially designed for them. 2 An oak timber boardwalk behind the deck transports you above the planting to a hidden den made from chestnut logs to blend in with the landscape. 3 Clipped taxus hedging creates discreet partitions and can obscure play areas. A second, more traditional, playhouse has been incorporated into the garden, hidden from view by staggered sections of yew hedging. 4 The sunniest spot is towards the rear of the garden, so I created a floating deck with a sunken firepit for the whole family to gather in the garden together. 5 With three children and two dogs, the family wanted a large lawn. It…

H. PANICULATA BOBO (= ‘ILVOBO’) New, neat and compact cultivar ideal for containers and small gardens. Large, rounded conical heads of creamy-white, sterile florets that become pink, then flush green. 90cm. USDA 3a-8b. H PANICULATA LE VASTERIVAL’ An unusual cultivar with open cones of white, fertile flowers overlaid with large, starry-white sterile florets, which eventually fade to deep pink. Reliable and showy. 1.8m. RHS H5, USDA 4a-8b. H PANICULATA GREENSPIRE . ‘ ’ Upright stems carry lacy cones of tiny, fertile flowers studded with large, sterile ones, green at first then becoming pink. A more open, airy shrub than most. 1.5m. RHS H5, USDA 4a-9b. H PANICULATA PEE WEE . ‘ ’ A large shrub with big, compact heads of sterile and fertile florets, opening white then flushing pink. Supposedly…

In brief Name Locus Flevum. What Garden designer and architect’s garden, made up of compartments. Where Lelystad, the Netherlands. Size Half an acre. Climate Mild and wet. Soil Rich and free-draining. Hardiness rating USDA 8. The key moment of my tour of Jikke Hamerpagts garden Locus Flevum comes when we reach the heart of its main axis, a hedged passage covered by a wooden pergola that leads from the modernist house to a rustic orchard. The garden has been laid out in rigorously geometric style worthy of (yes, its a cliché, but its true) abstract artist Piet Mondrian. Why, then, is one side of the passage made of yew and the other made of beech, with the latter considerably taller? “In my designs there is always a lot of asymmetry”…

1 Straight up This rill at Merriments Gardens in East Sussex is textbook – straight, with a bit of a step to create a trickling sound. There’s topiary downstream and a classic urn as the source. Although it has nothing to do with rills, I particularly like the hedged circle in the background that frames everything rather beautifully. 2 Eau naturel I absolutely love this cascading rill designed by Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall at Ozleworth Park in Gloucestershire. The two spouts of falling water are perfectly matched – lead is the best material for spouts such as this as it can be fine-tuned easily. The surrounding ferns complement the whole situation perfectly. 3 Meandering canal It is not often you see a curvy rill. This was designed by Jens Tippel for a…

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES by The Xerces Society Timber Press, £17.99 ISBN 978-1604695984 An introduction to some of the most endangered butterflies and a guide to creating a garden that can protect and nurture them. DROUGHT-RESISTANT PLANTING by Beth Chatto Photographs by Steven Wooster Frances Lincoln, £16.99 ISBN 978-0711238114 A new edition of Beth Chatto’s Gravel Garden with an update on how the garden has progressed. JANE PACKER’S FLOWER COURSE by Jane Packer Photographs by Paul Massey Ryland Peters & Small, £16.99 ISBN 978-1849757584 Tips and techniques for creating beautiful arrangements from one of the UK’s leading event florists. THE KEW PLANT GLOSSARY SECOND EDITION by Henk Beentje Illustrations by Juliet Williamson Kew Publishing, £18 ISBN 978-1842466049 An updated, illustrated dictionary of 4,905 descriptive plant terms. BOTANICUM by Kathy Willis Illustrations…

This issue we asked a selection of leading garden designers to choose their favourite spring-flowering bulbs for our feature on page 40. Drawing on these choices, specialist grower Avon Bulbs has put together a selection of bulbs at a 20% discount. Place an order now. Allium ‘Mount Everest’ x 3 £7 Offer price £5.60 Strong, straight, glossy green stems and leaves that persist until nearly flowering time in late May or June. The head is a ball of white flowers 10-12.5cm across, which is particularly good when used with other strong colours, such as Gladiolus byzantinus, or against a dark hedge. Flowers May – June. 90cm. Leucojum aestivum ‘Gravetye Giant’ x 3 £4 Offer price £3.20 Also known as the Loddon lily or snowflake, it has…

DS DECORATIVE PERIODS DS Decorative Periods is a family-run business based in Essex and run by Daniel and Bonnie Sheahan. We offer a beautiful range of vintage and antique items for the garden, as well as an eclectic mix of decorative items for the interior. We have beautiful decorative pieces from all different periods to suit all tastes. Tel 07712 281831 Web dsdecorativeperiods.co.uk CLASSICAL STONEWARE Ornate Products Ltd is a family-run business based in the famous Surrey Hills. Our range comprises of wall planters, plaques and fountains, bird baths, urns and pedestals, troughs and pots and planters. We offer three different colours all with an authentic antique finish. All products guaranteed to last many years. Tel 01483 277000 Web ornateproducts.co.uk THE MULE COMPANY Leather Dutch mules have a long tradition…

Earliest garden memory The scents of the flowers in the small garden where I grew up – philadelphus, honeysuckle, a huge velvety peony and a hedge of rugosa roses. I also loved learning the common names of wildflowers and I was fascinated by Culpeper’s Herbal Remedies and making potions as a child. What inspired you to become a gardener? I did do a short stint as a legal secretary before becoming a gardener. I used to nod off in the afternoons and at that point I realised I had a physical need to be outside with my hands in the soil and being around plants. Influential gardens At the moment I have a particular love of the exotic border in Westonbirt School’s Italianate Garden where I can pretend I live…

Jinny Blom Landscape and garden designer “If you do nothing else, buy bulbs. Don’t try to be clever, just pile them in and let them sort themselves out” 1 Allium cernuum One of the prettiest alliums with upwards of 40 dangling, rosy flowers on each head in June. Good for poking up through other things such as Alchemilla mollis . 50cm. RHS H5, USDA 3a-10a† . 2 Camassia leichtlinii subsp. suksdorfii Caerulea Group Originating in moist, marginal ground in the USA, this tall quamash with scintillating blue, starry flowers in May, creates an arresting sight when planted en masse. 90cm. RHS H4, USDA 5a-9b. 3 Galanthus nivalis Spring wouldn’t be spring without snowdrops. If you want to be posh, then choose a hybrid, such as the larger Galanthus‘Atkinsii, but frankly…

In brief What There are around 30 species of hydrangea. Mostly deciduous shrubs but one or two evergreens and climbers. Many are easy-to-grow garden plants with long flowering seasons and a wide variety of uses. Origins Eastern Asia, especially Japan, as well as North and South America. They are mostly hardy, some extremely so, however, new growth can be susceptible to frost. Season The majority bloom in summer and autumn with the emphasis on late summer when most other flowering shrubs are past their best. Size From 90cm to 3m in height. Most garden types rarely grow to more than 1.8m with a similar spread. Conditions Any fertile soil that is not too dry. Hydrangeas like water and resent drought. Soil type can affect the flower colour of some species…

H. ARBORESCENS ‘ANNABELLE’ One of the most popular hydrangeas with soft-green leaves and very large, meringue-like heads of creamy-white flowers. Hard prune in late winter. Lax in habit. 1.5m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 4a-9b. H. ASPERA Soft, velvety, dark-green leaves and large, lacecap flower heads of purple, fertile flowers and pale, lilac-mauve sterile florets. Best protected from wind and frost, and in light shade. 3m. RHS H5, USDA 6a-9b. H. QUERCIFOLIA SNOWFLAKE (= ‘BRIDO’) Arching branches carry large, conical heads of double, sterile florets, opening creamy-white, blushing pink. Dark-green leaves. Upright but lax in habit. 1.5m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b. H. INVOLUCRATA ‘HORTENSIS’ Lovely, low-growing shrub with branched stems and soft-green leaves. Loose heads of pinkish, fertile florets and double creamy-pink, sterile florets are spectacular in late summer. 75cm.…

1 It is always worth making a terrace that is much more generously sized than you may feel you need. A feeling of expansiveness creates a luxurious and relaxing atmosphere. 2 Climbers, such as this grapevine ( Vitis vinifera ), are often best used in moderation so they can emphasise the characteristics of the architecture as opposed to simply smothering it. 3 By varying the materials you use for hard landscaping you can create moments of dramatic contrast, even in a small garden. Here the hardwood decking used around the pool is in contrast to the paler materials used in adjacent parts of the garden creating a different feel. 4 Fencing is sometimes an unconsidered element in the design of even good gardens. In Jikke’s garden the chestnut staking, also…

1 x Amarine tubergenii ‘Aphrodite’ (Belladiva Series) Each of the stems can produce up to ten rose-pink flowers between August and October. The foliage is semi-evergreen and able to withstand up to -5°C of frost. 50cm. RHS H4, USDA 8b-9a. 2 Nerine ‘Elegance’ A cross between Nerine bowdenii and the less hardy N. sarniensis . The dark-pink flowers have slightly crimped petals and a pearly sheen. Flowers from August up until October. 60cm. RHS H4. USDA 8b-9a. 3 N. bowdenii ‘Zalm’ The name translates into English as ‘salmon’ and the flowers are indeed the colour of poached wild salmon. It lasts for days in bouquets, making it a popular cultivar with florists. 50cm. RHS H5, USDA 7b-8a. 4 N. elegance ‘Xandra’ Another offspring of N. bowdenii and N. sarniensis ,…

DESIGN Lost horizon New York Horizon, the winning entry in the 2016 Skyscraper Competition run by the architecture and design magazine eVolo , tackles the problem of creating new living spaces in New York without obstructing the views of Central Park, by digging down to the bedrock to reveal the natural landscape. This reimagined parkland by Yitan Sun and Jianshi Wu is framed by a 30m-wide, 304m-tall wall of skyscrapers and allows for outdoor activities such as hiking and swimming. The reflective glass façade of the skyscrapers creates the illusion of a never-ending natural world in the heart of Manhattan’s concrete jungle. evolo.us PUBLIC GARDEN Making connections Tom Stuart-Smith has won the Hepworth Wakefield Gallery’s competition to design its 6,000-square metre Riverside Garden, set to become one of the UK’s…

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As autumn days shorten, it’s tempting to retreat indoors, yet there are still plenty of important practical tasks you can do to get head. It’s the perfect time to start planting spring bulb displays, as well as roses and many varieties of trees and shrubs. Have a good tidy up, both in the garden and the greenhouse, and remember to protect plants and pots before the first frosts nip. So, take advantage of bright October days and enjoy your garden to the full. ALITEX Autumn is often seen as the time to take stock, order seeds, preserve the autumn bounty and hunker down for the winter ahead but if you’ve always dreamed of having a greenhouse, and are looking to be growing in it during spring next year, then now…

Offer open to readers in the UK and Europe only. Larger pack sizes are available. Simply make your selection on the website and the discount will be applied accordingly. By telephone Call 01460 242177 quoting ‘GARD2016’ to gain your discount. Online Please go to avonbulbs.co.uk and make your selection of bulbs. Enter the code GARD2016 when prompted. The 20% discount will be applied to those bulbs in this offer but you can order whatever selection of bulbs you want. Offer closes 31 October 2016 (or while stocks last). Postage & packing Charged at £4.95 per order for mainland UK (from £10 for orders from the rest of Europe). AVON BULBS Avon Bulbs is a family-owned company that has won numerous awards for its selection of spectacular, garden-worthy flower bulbs. To…

NOVEMBER ISSUE • Winter-flowering heathers • Garlic – how to grow and what to cook • Late-season colour from woody plants • A Dutch walled flower garden, created with the community in mind • Traditional wooden rake making in Cumbria ON SALE 13 OCTOBER Save money when you subscribe to the digital edition – see page 30. Also in selected Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Tesco stores, as well as WHSmith, and all good magazine retailers.…

It’s bad enough going home to a house without a cat or a dog; a garden without a dahlia or an aeonium would be almost as lifeless The great gamble this month is that relatively benign weather will continue until the end. If things go gently the borders might be looking better than they have all summer and it is easy to forget what is round the corner, just as it is difficult to guess when the corner will come. You want to be ahead of the weather always, but it is a hard decision if making it brings the year to an end. When October cuts up rough, on the other hand, there is nothing to be lost by clearing away the shattered fragments of summer and putting the…