Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2018 i Gardens Illustrated Magazine

This issue of Gardens Illustrated is a whistle-stop tour of remarkable places to inspire you for the year ahead. We visit an incredible garden in the Rift Valley, Kenya, designed by Jinny Blom where harmonising with the landscape is writ large, and a garden on the edge of the Monfragüe National Park, Extremadura, in western Spain, which is sharply in contrast to its setting. Both gardens are informed by their location; Jinny toured the roadside nurseries in Nairobi to inform the Kenyan planting scheme, and local plants are used as links of colour and form to the landscape in Spain. Think olive trees and low-growing shrubs with cacti, agave and other architecturals. A city garden, Le Jardin Secret is a new public work by Tom Stuart-Smith in Marrakech, Morocco, that…

Our journey to the Italian Lakes will take us to some of the finest lakeside and island gardens of this uniquely beautiful region. We will travel mostly by boat, discovering landscapes of quiet enchantment and sublime grandeur. While our days will be infused with exquisite light, by night we will revel in the fin de siècle atmosphere of our lakeside hotels. The warm, humid microclimate results in exceptional growing conditions, with much to enthuse the plantsman. Combining great botanical interest with the fascinating history of the gardens’ origins, our tour will move from the Renaissance to the 20th century through compelling and often neglected chapters of Italian garden history with visits including the baroque splendours of Isola Bella and Villa del Balbianello perched atop a small wooded peninsula. The tour…

For my January travel fix I was looking for sun, short flight time, dramatic landscapes with varied hiking trails with the opportunity to botanise new flora. With the added promise of a national park of unsullied subtropical cloud forest and soft, dark, volcanic sand, La Gomera in the Canary Islands sealed the deal. I arrived on a sleepy evening ferry – 45 minutes from the Tenerife port of Los Cristianos. La Gomera is under the radar of most tourists, botanical or otherwise. It is the second smallest, or ‘middle child’ of the seven volcanic Canary Islands and dictates arrival by boat. The island is oceanic, meaning it emerged from the Atlantic Ocean as the result of volcanic activity, rather than as a breakaway from a continental landmass. This encourages a…

THE NATIVE PLANTS PROVIDED CLUES ABOUT WHAT WOULD GROW Just a few miles north of the equator, high in the Kenyan Highlands, lies Laikipia County a vast untouched expanse of prairie grass, acacia and wild olives. Herds of elephants roam freely and rare black rhinos are protected by the Borana Conservancy project, dedicated to combatting the poaching that has brought this species to the brink of extinction. It is not the sort of place you’d expect a Chelsea Gold medal-winning designer to make a garden, but in November 2013 that was exactly the invitation received by Jinny Blom. “The client was building a family home with room for paying guests to generate income that could be reinvested in the Conservancy. That made it a very special project for me to…

APRIL 27 April – 28 October Radicepura Garden Festival, Sicily Biennial, international event dedicated to garden design. Botanica Srl, Strada 17, N.19, Franzione di San Leonardello 95014 Giarre, Catania. Tel +39 095964154, radicepurafestival.com 6-8 Fête des Plantes de Printemps, Château de Saint-Jean de Beauregard, France Plants from Europe’s finest nurseries. Château de Saint-Jean de Beauregard, Rue du Château, 91940 Saint-Jean de Beauregard. Tel +33 (0)160 12 00 01, chateaudesaintjeandebeauregard.com 7-8 Great Dixter Spring Plant Fair, UK Specialist nurseries and seasonal plants. 11am-4pm. Admission with garden entry ticket £10.45. Great Dixter, Northiam, Rye, East Sussex TN31 6PH. Tel 01797 254048, greatdixter.co.uk 13-15 Ascot Spring Garden Show, UK New garden show. 10am-6pm. From £16. Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7JX. Tel 0844 346 3000, ascot.co.uk 13-15 RHS Cardiff Flower Show, UK Regional…

Sorbus aucuparia rowan The rowan tree lives a double life. Due to its extreme hardiness and its tolerance of tough conditions, rowan is found higher up mountainsides than any other tree except the silver birch, and is often called the mountain ash because of this. But it is also one of the most domesticated of trees, often planted well away from its wilder habitat. It frequents gardens in towns and in the countryside, where it never gets too big for its bounds and its neat habit, pretty spring blossom and autumn display of lipstick-red berries can be appreciated up close. This association of homes and rowans is not purely ornamental, however, and harks back to a belief that the rowan has protective qualities. It has long been widely planted near…

Anoushka Feiler Garden designer There’s an increasing demand to create havens ‘away from it all’; gardens that are relaxing, entertaining, sustainable, wildlife magnets with year-round planting and beds to grow-your-own. With space at a premium, garden areas need to be clever and flexible, without forgoing beauty to significantly enhance their intrinsic value. Technology is king too with 21st-century garden needs, such as WiFi, speakers and artistic lighting. Andrew Fisher Tomlin * LCGD Young designers are approaching planting design in ways that are relevant to their lifestyles. There is huge interest in rain gardens, micro-greens and vegetables, and interior planting that allows them to design and garden for the way they live today. Annie Guilfoyle Garden Masterclass We are now seeing some really good public landscaping with an emphasis on using…

THE MOST GLORIOUS PROSPECT: GARDEN VISITING IN WALES 1639-1900 by Bettina Harden Graffeg, £30 ISBN 978-1910862629 An in-depth look at the tradition and history of visiting gardens. HOME-GROWN MUSHROOMS FROM SCRATCH by Magdalena and Herbert Wurth Filbert Press, £20 ISBN 978-0993389290 A guide to growing your own edible mushrooms. DARWIN’S BACKYARD By James T Costa WW Norton & Company, £22 ISBN 978-0393239898 An exploration of naturalist Charles Darwin’s greatest experiments, including details of how to recreate them. SLOW GROWTH: ON THE ART OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE by Hal Moggridge Unicorn, £30 ISBN 978-1910787427 An exploration of the nature of landscape architecture. REBECCA LOUISE LAW: LIFE IN DEATH by Rebecca Louise Law Kew Publishing, £25 ISBN 978-1842466469 Collection of work by the British artist, documenting her use of preserved flowers.…

1. WYKEHAM MATURE PLANTS Specialist grower of large trees, specimen shrubs and instant hedging for immediate impact. Specialist in screening for privacy and security. Yorkshire grown – hardiness guaranteed! Advisory services and delivery available. wykehammatureplants.co.uk | 01723 862406 2. KEN MUIR As a family business with over 50 years experience, we at Ken Muir pride ourselves on providing only the highest quality fruit trees, soft fruits, canes and vines. One of our key aims is to share our knowledge and expertise. kenmuir.co.uk | 01255 830181 3. THORNHAYES NURSERY For an extensive range of fruit and ornamental trees, hedging, shrubs and specimen magnolias. Consultancy advice from Kevin Croucher. St Andrews Wood, Dulford, Cullompton, Devon EX15 2DF. thornhayes-nursery.co.uk | 01884 266746 4. WEASDALE NURSERIES LTD Hardy trees and shrubs from hardy beginnings at an elevation…

CLAIRE TAKACS Among the three diverse gardens Claire has shot this issue is Martha Stewart’s, page 34. “As an avid traveller, the January issue of Gardens Illustrated is always my favourite.” PONTUS WALLSTÉN Lilium expert, Pontus profiles the genus, page 50. “I’ve focused on the best lilies for the garden that bloom from May right up to September.” HANNAH GARDNER Hannah begins a new monthly travel column, page 28. “The Outsider column will open up my travel journals, and lead readers to discover some incredible places.”…

TREE APPEAL Ahead of the opening of the photography centre at London’s Victoria and Albert museum later this year, an exhibition at the V&A, Into the woods: Trees in photography, explores how trees have been a source of inspiration to artists. Featuring works by photographers, such as Ansel Adams (pictured), the display marks the 800th anniversary of the Charter of the Forest and the launch of the 2017 Charter for Woods, Trees and People to help protect trees and woods in the UK. Until 30 April. vam.ac.uk…

Rosa x odorata ‘Mutabilis’ The name ‘Mutabilis’ means changing, which is just one of this lovely plant’s many charms. In spring it has beautiful, purplish young foliage, which combines well with aquilegia and tulips. By early summer it flowers, continuing until the first hard frost, opening buff yellow and ageing to pinky crimson. Ours worked well with Lupinus ‘The Chatelaine’ and later in the summer with Dahlia ‘Magenta Star’. AGM*. Height 1.5m. Origin Unknown, but possibly China. Conditions Full sun in moist but well-drained soil. Hardiness RHS H5, USDA 6a-9b† . Season of interest Spring foliage, summer flowers. Hedychium gardnerianum A hardy ginger that has left me smitten after trialling it in our tropical garden. Luxuriant, glossy foliage is married with exotic-looking yellow flowerheads…

Earliest gardening memory My mother’s dedication and experimentation in our own garden as well as her small greenhouses fascinated me as a child. Seeing the plants change over time sparked a real interest in horticulture. Horticultural heroes Roy Lancaster is such an inspiration. His extensive plant knowledge, which he is always keen to share, alongside his enthusiasm to get people engaged with plants makes him a real hero for me. Favourite garden that has influenced you I spent 17 years at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, so it has a special place in my heart. However, visiting Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden, in Cape Town, South Africa, which appears to extend into Table Mountain, was a breathtaking experience. Most valuable training Before the Kew diploma, I spent three years studying for…

PLANT PROFILE What Bulbous perennial, hardy plants. Origins Across the northern hemisphere – from the USA, Canada, through Europe to Russia and parts of Asia, including China, India and Korea – mostly in mountainous regions. Season Late spring throughout summer and up until mid-late autumn by choosing a variety of species and cultivars. Size Lilium range in height from 5cm to 2.5m, with a spread of 2-50cm depending on species or hybrid. Flowers can vary in size from 2cm to 25cm across. Conditions Sun or light shade, depending on the species or hybrid, in well-drained, humus-rich soil. Warning All parts of all Lilium are toxic to cats and can prove fatal. *Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. † Hardiness ratings given where available.…

1 Pachypodium lamerei A strong-growing Madagascan succulent with vicious spiky stems, topped with lush verdant leaves and white flowers. 4m. AGM*. RHS H1A, USDA 9a-11† . 2 Aloe striata One of a number of aloes used in the garden. This one has coral-red flowers and a slightly tinged edge to the leaf. 1m. RHS H1B, USDA 9b-11. 3 Rosmarinus officinalis Rosemary is clipped loosely as an edging plant in the Islamic garden. 1.5m. RHS H4, USDA 8a-10b. 4 Stipa tenuissima A soft, easy, drought-tolerant grass grown beneath the citrus trees. Cut hard back to its base twice a year. 1m. RHS H4, USDA 7a-9b. 5 Euphorbia tirucalli Also known as the pencil tree, this strange succulent has gangly, cylindrical branches. 5m. USDA 10a-11. 6 Ceiba speciosa The silk floss tree…

SUSTAINABLE LEATHER Thermos Flask Natural Leather, 500ml, £85, The Conran Shop, 0844 848 4000, conranshop.co.uk GENEROUS OPENING Hydro Flask in mango, 900ml, £35, Cotswold Outdoor, 01666 575500, cotswoldoutdoor.com FOR LOOSE-LEAF TEA T2 Stainless Steel Flask in gold, 500ml, £28, T2, 0800 404 8450, t2tea.com SPACE-SAVING The Stone Bottle in smokey quartz, 500ml, £35, S’well, 0800 587 7645, amara.com RUST-PROOF FINISH Stanley Classic Flask in navy, 1L, £32.99, Stanley, sophiecharles.co.uk SLEEK DESIGN Insulated Reflect, 592ml, £34.95, Klean Kanteen, 01539 721032, kleankanteen.co.uk TIMELESS Thermos King Flask in black, 1.2L, £22.40, John Lewis, 03456 049049, johnlewis.com ANGLED SPOUT Chute Vacuum Insulated in black, 568ml, £29.99, CamelBak, 0330 008 1555, gooutdoors.co.uk OPEN WITH ONE HAND SIGG Hot & Cold ONE Brushed, 500ml, £22.99, SIGG, 01284 774740, uk.sigg.com…

If you’re inspired by our plant profile on lilies (see page 50) then now is the time to order your lily bulbs ready for an impressive and fragrant display come summer. Specialist nursery HW Hyde & Son is offering readers this easy-to-grow collection at a great price. THE COLLECTION • Lilium Pink Perfection Group Standard pink trumpet lily with highly scented flowers about 15cm across. Very easy to grow but can need some support. Grows to about 1.2m in its first year, when established can grow to 1.8m. Flowers late June to July. • L. regale An easy-to-grow, reliable species lily from China. Height can vary considerably, some bulbs will produce huge stems up to 1.5m tall, while others will only grow to about 1m. Equally one stem may be topped…

• Style and form in hedging plants • How to grow highly fragrant daphnes • Designer Sarah Price recommends 100 of her favourite garden plants • Ten of the best February plants to grow in your garden ON SALE 1 FEBRUARY 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.…

JAMES BASSON James lives in the South of France where he runs Scape Design with his wife Helen and is a passionate advocate for dry gardens and for creating sustainable landscapes. The winner of four Chelsea Gold medals, he was awarded Best in Show in 2017. FERGUS GARRETT Fergus was appointed head gardener at Great Dixter by Christopher Lloyd in 1993. He is passionate about passing on his knowledge through student and volunteer programmes at Dixter and through worldwide lectures. He was awarded an RHS Associate of Honour in 2008. ANNA PAVORD Anna’s books include her bestseller The Tulip and most recently Landskipping. For 30 years she was The Independent’s gardening correspondent. In 2000 the RHS awarded her the Veitch Memorial Medal. She lives and gardens in Dorset. DAN PEARSON…

If you would like to grow any of these recommended plants, many of our chosen plantspeople are also nursery owners, with whom you can enquire about plant availability. Alternatively, you can check which other nurseries have stock in the annual publication RHS Plant Finder, or via the website apps.rhs.org.uk/horticulturaldatabase/index.asp • Tom Coward is head gardener at Gravetye Manor in Sussex, where he gardens in the footsteps of innovative Victorian gardener William Robinson. Tom continues Robinson’s early principles of naturalised planting, coupled with a 21st-century spirit of experimentation. Tel 01342 810567, gravetyemanor.co.uk • Tom Atwood and his wife run Abi and Tom’s Garden Plants. The nursery is based in Halecat, Cumbria, and all of their plants have been trialled for hardiness and garden worthiness. Tel 01539 552946, abiandtom.co.uk • Derry Watkins…

I GOT AN £18,000 RETAINER FOR A BIG LANDSCAPING JOB AND SPENT THE LOT ENTERING THE 2007 CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW Champagne problems. That’s what I’ve got,” says Adam Frost. The Gardeners’ World presenter, RHS Ambassador and Chelsea Gold medal-winning designer has a lot on his plate. It adds a little extra sparkle to the situation that his problems are, in the very best sense, of his own making. Growing up in north London, home life wasn’t always easy for young Adam, and he spent a lot of time with his grandparents. “There was Tidy Nan, with a greenhouse that smelt of tomatoes, Scruffy Nan – who worked in the City and had a garden full of Belfast sinks and cats – and Granddad, who was an engineer and had the…

ENCEPHALARTOS WOODII David Cooke Glasshouse manager “This cycad is key to our collection here at the Temperate House. Named after Victorian plant hunter John Medley Wood, Encephalartos woodii first came to Kew as a small offset in 1899 and this is now the only remaining specimen in Europe. No plants remain in the wild (its native home is the oNgoye Forest of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa) and of those growing in collections, all are males – no female E. woodii has ever been found. This makes it one of the rarest plants in the world. It took four people, a gantry crane and a fork-lift truck to dig it up when the glasshouse restoration project began in 2013. We replanted it in its new home back in October 2017 and…

1 Stipa tenuissima Short-lived grass, but usually self-sowing, especially on lighter soils. Its fine, feathery appearance makes it useful for a meadow-style effect. 60cm. RHS H4, USDA 7a-10b† . 2 Elaeagnus x submacrophylla A shrub with strongly fragrant flowers in autumn. In milder climates it is evergreen, and drought tolerant once established. Some shade tolerance. Best on light soils. 3m. AGM*. RHS H5, USDA 7a-9b. 3 Pistacia lentiscus Potentially it will form a spreading tree, but can easily be kept clipped smaller. Its richly aromatic foliage and is noted for minimal leaf drop. 8m. RHS H3, USDA 9a-11. 4 Euphorbia rigida A spectacular spurge with evergreen foliage and a long season of colourful bracts around flowers and seedheads. Sprawling habit. Good for dry and poor soils in sun. 1.2m. AGM.…

RHODODENDRON by Richard Milne Reaktion Books, £16 SBN 978-1780238159 An enlightening and accessible account of a sometimes maligned genus, covering its evolution, cultural significance and social impact. Reviewer John Hoyland is a plantsman and garden writer Few plants have seen such extremes in its fortunes as has the rhododendron, from the heights of its popularity in the late 19th century, when a frenzy of hybridisation brought exuberant blooms to an eager public, to today, when the invasive nature of one species has tarnished the whole genus. But even the most ardent ‘rhodo basher’ could not fail to be beguiled by Milne’s enthusiasm for the plant. The book explores the cultural and social influences of the genus and explains how its exceptional fertility has led to hybrids in the wild and…

1 GREAT COMP GARDEN Great Comp Garden, near Sevenoaks, has built up an enviable reputation over the years as one of Kent’s finest spring gardens, featuring over 50+ varieties of magnolias, followed by fragrant azaleas and spectacular rhododendrons, all surrounding a 17th-century manor house. Don’t miss our Spring Fling plant fair, Sunday 15 April. greatcompgarden.co.uk | office@greatcompgarden.co.uk 2 SMALLHYTHE PLACE, NATIONAL TRUST A hidden gem in the Kentish countryside. Set amid a sea of ever-changing colour and views of the rolling hills beyond, the garden at Smallhythe Place is a tranquil retreat encompassing a traditional rose garden, orchard, nuttery and ponds – all of which are home to an abundance of wildlife. nationaltrust.org.uk/smallhythe-place | 01580 762334 4 NATIONAL TRUST’S CLIVEDEN Nestled high above the River Thames with panoramic views over the Berkshire…

SUMMER, FOR ALL ITS LOVELINESS, WILL BRING DAYS OF DISAPPOINTMENT. DEEPEST WINTER IS STRIPPED OF FALSE PROMISES, AND SPECKLED WITH JOY, IF YOU KNOW TO LOOK FOR IT There was a time when winter seemed too long. Now I resent that idiocy of youth: of Januaries wasted in waiting for them to be over, when everything you could ever want is here and now, crystallised. Summer, for all its loveliness, will bring days of disappointment. Deepest winter is stripped of false promises, and speckled with joy, if you know to look for it. There is first the joy of short working days; of having to pull yourself straight, tidy everything away and retire to a hot bath in the middle of the afternoon. Once the clocks go forward again we…