Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2017 i Gardens Illustrated Magazine

Horticulture is about growing plants and gardening is about putting them together – combining well-grown favourites in the most beautiful of ways. The two are in constant relationship, and this issue of Gardens Illustrated provides a masterclass in both. We visit the garden of Professor James Hitchmough who, with colleagues, led the design consultancy for the hugely successful planting at the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London – described by James as ‘a meadow on steroids’. In the small garden behind his terraced house in Sheffield he challenges the assumption that such plantings can only work on a grand scale. He shares his favourite plants for an urban meadow in a small space on page 42. Hitchmough’s work came up in quite a few of the lectures from our speakers…

Lychnis flos-jovis This pretty campion, commonly called the flower of Jove, is a more refined and more perennial version of the common Lychnis coronaria , and it should be better known. The slender, branching stems are held above basal leaves covered in a silvery patina and carry clusters of lovely pink flowers. These work well with cool blues, such as the spikes of old-world salvias or Nigella damascena Moody Blues. Plant in good soil that does not sit wet. Flowers are produced in the second year from seed and can either be planted in drifts at 20cm apart, or scattered naturally through the border .AGM*. Height 40-50cm. Origin Europe. Conditions Good garden soil. Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 4a-9b. Season Summer. Borago pygmaea I…

When you have an allotment or vegetable garden, you can harvest and cook your ingredients when you choose, experiencing their flavours at each stage of their growth even when under-ripe. Right now you could eat green garlic baked whole or the first, tiny new potatoes scraped, steamed and dipped in melted cheese. In June, the crops of fruit bushes and trees require selective thinning; both gooseberries and apples will grow bigger if some of their number is removed. Don’t throw these on the compost heap. The apples (whose cores are not yet formed) can be baked whole (low and slow) in a pastry case for an unusual pie reminiscent of apricots. Hard, green gooseberries and sweet-scented, creamy-white elder blossom combine to suggest the flavour of the Muscat grape used to…

1 Hemerocallis ‘Lemon Bells’ Multi-headed, lemon-coloured, lily-like flowers with bronzed backs blooming in midsummer, which hold up well above foliage. 1.2m. RHS H6, USDA 4a-9b† . 2 Galtonia candicans The summer hyacinth, a native of South Africa, sends up spires of pure-white flowers over strap-like foliage. 1.2m. AGM*. RHS H4, USDA 6a-10b. 3 Berkheya purpurea A South African species that likes a sheltered, well-drained spot in full sun. Resembles a daisy crossed with a sunflower. 60cm. RHS H4, USDA 6a-11. 4 Crocosmia masoniorum Likes moist but well-drained soil and produces tall, arching spikes of fiery orange flowers. Good for cutting. 70cm. AGM. RHS H4, USDA 6a-9b. 5 Themeda triandra A blue-green, tufted, tussock-forming grass that turns rust red as it ages. Although it’s tough, it needs well-drained soil. 1.5m. 6…

1 Poppy love Imagine how much less exciting this roof would be if, instead of orange-red flowers it was slate or asphalt? This is a school building – designed by Tectoniques Architects – just outside Lyon and is an example of yet another thing (along with, for a start, cheese, wine and surliness) that the French do so much better. It also makes fantastic use of slopes and planes. Why waste precious gardening space with roofing felt and asphalt? James Alexander-Sinclair examines the pleasures and pitfalls of topping part of your home with a green roof Usually we pay no attention to roofs – unless they are extraordinary (like the onion domes of Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow or the one where Dick Van Dyke and his posse of camp…

GARDENING WITH CONIFERS by Adrian Bloom Firefly Books, £19.95 ISBN 978-1604696813 Revised edtion of this expert guide on the unique features of these often underrated plants, including tips on their care and a list of 600 of the best cultivars. THOREAU’S ANIMALS by Henry David Thoreau (edited by Geoff Wisner) Yale University Press, £25 ISBN 978-0300223767 A witty, keenly observed account of animals encountered during Thoreau’s ramblings, drawn from the philosopher’s own journal. ALLOTMENTS by Twigs Way Amberley Publishing, £8.99 ISBN 978-1445665702 A fascinating history of the allotment, from its roots in the Diggers of the 17th century to the influence of food miles and genetically modified crops. THE JAM MAKER’S GARDEN by Holly Farrell Francis Lincoln, £17.99 ISBN 978-0711238145 How to grow 28 of the best fruit, veg, herbs…

1. DAISY ROOTS Healthy, hardy perennials and grasses, homegrown in Hertfordshire. Visit the nursery Fridays and Saturdays from March-October or shop mail order online from your armchair. Garden consultancy and design service. daisyroots.com | 07958 563355 2. PADDOCK PLANTS An eclectic range of perennials, grasses, ferns and shrubs for your garden, including some more unusual varieties or plants new to the UK market. All grown peat free with no harmful chemicals. paddockplants.co.uk | 023 8073 9912 3. DUCHY OF CORNWALL NURSERY Offering a wide selection of plants from camellias and magnolias to perennials and house plants, along with an award-winning café. Located in the beautiful Fowey Valley. duchyofcornwallnursery.co.uk | 01208 872668 4. WOOTTENS OF WENHASTON 25 years’ experience growing high-quality herbaceous perennials. Mail order, design services and horticultural courses available. Pelargonium Open Day…

TOM STUART-SMITH Tom is a garden designer and landscape architect with a studio in London. He lives and gardens in Hertfordshire, and is currently working on several projects, including Le Jardin Secret in Marrakech. He shares his views on the future of New Perennials on page 66. “While New Perennials are not quite as new as they once were, we haven’t reached a dead end. There’s still room for innovation.” DOMINIQUE CORLETT Dominique is a freelance writer with a passion for gardens and a fascination with design and the making process. On page 70 she talks to ceramic artist Andrea Shemilt Kashanipour about her exquisite and unique, tiny models of some of England’s most iconic gardens. “It was a treat to interview Andrea about her quirky and playful ceramics –…

1 Valeriana pyrenaica Adds height, colour and scent over a three-to-four-week period. Prefers damp soil in sun or light shade. 90cm. USDA 4a-9b† . 2 Primula japonica One of the most vigorous Asian bog primulas with flowers in whorls up the stem. Likes moist, even wet, soil in sun or light shade. 40cm. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b. 3 Rhododendron ‘Persil’ A deciduous shrub with light-green leaves that is fantastically scented during its early summer flowering season. Needs very light shade and moist, but well-drained, acid soil. 1.5m. AGM*. RHS H6, USDA 7a-9b. 4 Clematis ‘Broughton Star’ Masses of early flowers for a month, and purple-toned foliage. Can potentially grow very large so good for letting loose on trees. 12m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 7a-9b. 5 Saxifraga ‘Rubrifolia’ (fortunei) This ground-cover…

“There were probably hairy moments at Sissinghurst but I have forgotten them. I remember my time there as a joyful one” When she was young Sarah Cook was the girl who always sat at the back of the class, a bit naughty, slightly disruptive, sometimes rebellious but masses of fun and full of energy. That energy was harnessed into a journey that led her to become head gardener of Sissinghurst Castle and to champion irises bred by the artist Cedric Morris. Listening to her recount her life, I get the sense that wherever she went, both the fun and the rebelliousness went along with her. Sarah grew up on her parent’s Suffolk fruit farm. “We were outdoors all the time. I’ve always been a country girl and am happiest outdoors,”…

Three-and-a-half years ago, Alison Sparshatt saw an advert for the sale of a ‘derelict plant nursery in a walled garden’. The business she bought was in a beautiful location, but was little more than waist-high weeds, old polytunnels and five commercial greenhouses. There were no plants of value, save an ancient fig and a couple of apple trees. It had been a nursery where bedding plants were brought in, ‘fattened up’ and sold on, the indigenous soil and location having no bearing on what was grown, and there was no propagation at all. Not to be deterred, Alison saw the potential to create a very different kind of nursery within the handsome stone walls, selling hardy plants grown on site, in conjunction with an exciting garden where she could trial…

OAK HANDLE Compact Pruning Knife, £37.99, Burgon & Ball, 0114 233 8262, burgonandball.com SWISS MADE Grafting Knife, £12.99, Felco, 0344 879 4166, notcutts.co.uk SERRATED EDGE Perennial Knife, £10.50, Great Dixter Shop, 01797 254047, greatdixtershop.co.uk HARDWARE ATTACHMENTS No. 09 DIY Folding Knife, £30, Opinel, 0844 848 4000, conranshop.co.uk SOPHISTICATED LOOK Buffalo Folding Knife with Pruner Blade, £40, A Wright & Son, 0114 268 5701, sheffield-trading.com COLOURED HORNBEAM HANDLE Traditional Folding Knife in blue, £12.95, Opinel, 0800 587 7645, amara.com TAPER GROUND BLADE General Purpose Lock Knife, $54, Kauffman Mercantile, +1 855 848-3778, kaufmann-mercantile.com HAND FORGED IN JAPAN Baishinshi Kogatana, £119, Niwaki, 01747 445059, niwaki.com HEAVY DUTY Crater C33, £29.95, Leatherman, 01539 721032, leatherman.co.uk…

This month Gardens Illustrated has teamed up with Designers Guild to offer you the chance to win a fresh, new look for your bedroom. The prize includes a stylish new upholstered bed, bedside chair and ottoman, along with a cotton bed linen set chosen from the Summer 2017 collection. We particularly like the Sibylla Fuchsia pattern (shown right) – a beautifully drawn evocation of a bright and cheerful cottage garden in strong tints of fuchsia, illustrating a plethora of flowers with the occasional butterfly or bird spotted among the blooms. The prize also includes toning sheets, towels and a beautiful throw to further enhance the feel of luxury. Designers Guild is famous for its innovative and creative high-quality designs for the home, offering a wide range of luxury fabrics, and…

1 THE BISHOP’S PALACE & GARDENS Over 14 acres of spectacular RHS partner gardens including picturesque, romantic, formal and Victorian styles, a wildflower arboretum, specimen trees, alongside waterfalls, well pools, a moat with resident swans and a stunning medieval Palace. Don’t miss The English Country Garden Festival 9-11 June. Open daily 10am-6pm. Address Off Market Place, Wells, Somerset BA5 2PD Tel 01749 988111 Web bishopspalace.org.uk 2 RHS GARDEN HARLOW CARR This beautiful northern garden combines innovative design with creative planting and is bursting with practical ideas. Garden highlights include the colourful main borders, a streamside walk, a kitchen garden, woodland walks, an alpine zone and wildflower meadows. Not to be missed is the Harlow Carr Flower Show on 23-25 June. Address Harlow Carr, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG3 1QB Tel 01423…

The southern English county of Wiltshire contains many World Heritage Sites including Stonehenge, Avebury and Salisbury Cathedral. Almost half the county is designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty, so it is not surprising to find a collection of outstanding gardens. Our trip includes visits to The Courts, a country garden of perfect harmony with lots of late-summer interest. There’s also the iconic Italianate garden at Iford Manor, designed by Harold Peto. Nestled on the hillside overlooking the River Frome, this is an exceptional garden and one that invites lingering. At Bowood House we have an invitation to view Lord and Lady Lansdowne’s private walled garden with its formal borders and productive kitchen garden. There’s also Cantax House, Ridleys Cheer and an inspiring visit to renowned plantswoman Derry Watkins’…

First plant love The delicate but mighty dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides). I first fell for this tree while working in Trewidden Garden in Cornwall, which is home to the Champion dawn redwood, notable for its girth and as one of the first to be planted in this country. Who has inspired your career the most? Richard Morton, the head gardener of Trewidden Garden where I first started working in horticulture, really pushed me to learn as much as I possibly could and encouraged me to apply for my apprenticeship with the RHS. Horticultural heroes Roy Lancaster is a true plantsman and his passion for the plants he loves is out of this world. I think reaching that level of passion should be the goal for all gardeners. Favourite planting style…

1 Rosa ‘Janet’s Pride’ Its sweetly pretty, semi-double flowers are white with a distinctive edging of bright pink. Very prickly. 1.5m. 2 R. x richardii Ravishingly beautiful, large, single flowers with the texture of crumpled silk. These open with a hint of a blush but quickly pale to white and are very freely borne on a lax shrub. 1m. USDA 5a-6a† . 3 R. moyesii Deep-crimson flowers on a vigorous bush, followed by spectacular, flagon-shaped, orange hips. A variable species, with a number of slightly differently coloured named forms. 3m. USDA 5a-9b. 4 R. nutkana ‘Plena’ Its rose-pink, semi-double flowers and elegant tapering buds are beautifully set off by ferny, blue-green leaves and dark-red new shoots. Early flowering and with a heavenly scent. 2.5m. AGM*. RHS H7, USDA 6a-9b. 5…

“There is something almost alchemical about the transformation of a packet of mixed seeds into a dynamic, changing meadow landscape” Like many designers of my generation, the Kew Conference of 1994 was a key moment when it seemed as though the massed planting of perennials became the new orthodox. Piet Oudolf has, without doubt, been the standard bearer. The man who made us fall in love with death and decay also introduced us to so many new perennials that had more subdued and subtle charms than many of the screaming hemerocallis and crocosmias we had got used to. And much more than this, these plants were well behaved, generally long lived, slowly expanding and with a long season of textural interest. I recall the laminated display panels that used to…

1 Erysimum ‘Bowles’s Mauve’ Long-flowering evergreen shrub with marvellous slate-green foliage. Rich, mauve flowers from March to November, if not all year round. Likes well-drained soil and full sun. 75cm. AGM*. RHS H4, USDA 5a-9b† . 2 Crambe cordifolia Bold, architectural plant. Dark-green basal foliage, with tall, branching sprays of tiny, white, deliciously scented flowers from June to August. Prefers well-drained soil in sun or partial shade 1.8m. AGM. RHS H4, USDA 5a-9b. 3 Malva sylvestris var. mauritiana ‘Bibor Felho’ Gorgeous, dark-purple flowers resembling crinkled tissue, which unfurl in May and keep emerging right through until October. Big, soft leaves and strong, vertical stems. Likes well-drained soil in full sun and a sheltered spot. 2m. USDA 4a-8b. 4 Allium sativum var. ophioscorodon Commonly known as serpent garlic. Linear, grey-green leaves.…

• Now in its 11th year, Bloom Ireland, the festival of horticulture, plants and garden design features 22 show gardens, including an innovative design by Liat and Oliver Schurmann of Mount Venus Nursery that celebrates the Irish tidal landscape. 1-5 June, bloominthepark.com • Don’t miss Arne Maynard’s talk Evoking the Spirit of Place in the Gardens of Haddon in which he explains his design philosophy for the regeneration of the gardens at Haddon Hall in Derbyshire. 8 June, 5.45pm, £45. haddonhall.co.uk • View sculpture from 88 artists, working in a wide range of styles and materials, exhibiting at Fresh Air , the 13th Biennial Quenington Sculpture Exhibition at Quenington Old Rectory, Cirencester, Gloucestershire. 11 June – 7 July, 10am-5pm.freshairsculpture.com • Joe Swift is giving two talks on Designing a Chelsea…

PLOT 29: A MEMOIR  by Allan Jenkins 4th Estate, £14.99 ISBN 978-0008121969 A bittersweet record of the passage of time on a London allotment, and the search for the lost family of a ‘cared for’ child. Reviewer Jodie Jones is a garden writer and editor. My own allotment is plot 29 – an irrelevant coincidence, perhaps, but it is human nature to seek shared experiences when shaping our view of the world. So what do you do when you don’t know where you came from? As a ‘cared for’ child with no recollection of his birth family, Allan Jenkins – editor of Observer Food Monthly and happily married father – felt the lack of common ground on which to anchor himself. Plot 29 starts out as a journal about life…

Collection A ‘White Garden’ Collection B ‘Modern Garden’ Collection C ‘Perennial Sorts’ Collection D ‘Connoisseur Selection’ Foxgloves are popular in mixed plantings, giving height and colour to borders and more naturalised plantings (see our plant profile on page 56). Gardens Illustrated readers can enjoy their stately shapes and mixed colours with our choice of four collections, put together for readers by Terry Baker of The Botanic Nursery. Each collection offers a slightly varied appeal to suit any style of garden. Offer Each collection contains one of each shown cultivar. The collections are priced at; £26.95 inc p&p for three plants £37.95 inc p&p for six, £44.95 inc p&p for nine, or £54.95 inc p&p for all 12. All plants will be dispatched in September in 9cm pots with cultural instructions…

1. Red Lilly Create garden illumination with our collection of outdoor LED garlands. The Solar ‘365’ panel operates even in dull light so you can easily decorate trees, gazebos or parasols. redlilly.co.uk | 01206 864260 2. Nicholas Mosse Making hand-decorated earthenware since 1976. Visit our Irish Country Shop and café in County Kilkenny, Ireland or shop online. nicholasmosse.com | +353 (0)56 7727505 3. Architectural Heritage Inspired by period design, Architectural Heritage proudly presents its 2017 garden catalogue. Featuring a classic collection of planters, seating, sundials and fountains. architectural-heritage.co.uk | 01386 584414 4. Belightful Design Do you like butterflies? Make the most of your garden with this award-winning Belightful Butterfly Oasis, designed for feeding butterflies. Butterfly food is included in the package. belightfuldesign.com | +358 44 2401 353 5. Backdoor Shoes Backdoorshoes are lightweight, waterproof…

JULY ISSUE • A classically planted English garden in Warwickshire • Delphiniums in royal purple to Wedgwood blue • The best sweet peas for summer • A garden for children that doesn’t compromise on style ON SALE 22 JUNE Save money when you subscribe to the digital edition – see page 32. Also in selected Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Tesco stores, as well as WHSmith, and all good magazine retailers.…

Now, with fantastic irony, just as there is enough water to make a garden viable, it is time to go home The drought is over. We counted the inches as they fell in the first months of the year until the magic number of 24 was reached and surpassed. The landscape is suddenly a living thing and frogs can be heard at night and birds in the morning. Drought measures are being held in place for now and, if the authorities have any sense, they should be permanent. But you know it is only a matter of time before the hiss of sprinklers will return. Here, consumption is all consuming and the past easily forgotten. But that is nothing to me now since, with fantastic irony, just as there is…